Tricked: A Dark High School Bully Romance (Longhorn Academy Dark Bully Romance Book 1)

by Amy Brown

  I go to my next class, still distracted by thoughts of Charity. Sophia is in my class, and she sits in front of me. I study her long dark hair, and the curve of her back. She’s wearing low rise jeans, and I can see the crack of her ass. I picture stripping her naked in the library bathroom, and try to imagine fucking her, but my dick barely warms. I have no interest in any other girl but Charity. I’m not sure what the hell is happening to me, but I know it’s bad news.

  Charity seemed ambivalent when she left me today. I’m half afraid she’s not going to keep seeing me in secret. I understand why she’s confused about how I ignore her at school. I’ve never had this problem before because I’ve never strung a girl along this long. Usually, I sleep with them, and then next school day, turn on them. It’s definitely easier that way. Stringing Charity along just so I can continue to fuck her is more complicated.

  When class is over, Sophia corners me before I can leave. “Hey, Mason.” She smiles, her dark eyes coquettish. “I was thinking, you should come over to my house tonight so we can study.”

  My stomach sinks. She’s been flirtatious since the semester started, but this is the first time she’s tried to arrange an actual get-together with just the two of us. If I say no, that could upset her. But the last thing I want to do is spend one-on-one time with her.

  “Oh, um, that sounds awesome.” I clear my throat. “The only problem is my mom is coming home from Arizona tonight. I have to pick her up at the airport. I think she’d be hurt if I just leave her immediately.”

  She pushes her lips out in a pout. “Really?”

  “Sorry.” I do my best to look apologetic, but mostly I’m just relieved I have a valid excuse.

  “Maybe you could visit with her a little, and then come over.”

  “It would probably be better to do it another night.” I force myself to add, “Then we can spend more time together, studying.” I wink, but inside I’m cringing.

  She smiles. “True.” She leans closer. “I’ve been thinking about studying with you a lot lately.”

  I’ve never understood the term “Makes my skin crawl” like I do now. I literally have to suppress a shudder at the idea of having sex with Sophia. She’s gorgeous, but she’s so ugly on the inside, it really turns me off.

  I give my most flirty smile, while dying on the inside. “This week for sure.” I have no interest in spending one extra minute with this nutty chick, and any night I have to be with her means I don’t get to be with Charity. I only have limited time with Charity. I can’t string her along forever.

  Sophia licks her lower lip, and laughs. “I’m so excited.”

  I’m so nauseated.

  I smack her ass and head off to my next class, thankful I don’t have any more classes with her. How am I going to get out of fucking her? This is a nightmare. Not only do I have zero desire to have sex with her, but that will also entangle me with her more. Sophia isn’t someone I can just fuck and forget. She’ll demand lots of attention afterward too.

  Travis is in my next class, and when I sit down in front of him, he leans forward. “Dude, Sophia is telling everyone you two are a thing.”

  Shock rolls through me. “What?” I twist around, no doubt looking horrified. “Why would she say that?”

  “Because you made out with her at my party.”

  I scowl. “Not by choice.”

  He laughs, but then his smile fades. “Wait. You’re serious?”

  I sigh. “I don’t want to sleep with her. She’s a horrible person.”

  “You’re a horrible person.” He chuffs.

  My face warms. “I am not.”

  “Dude, we both are.” He laughs. “All The Elites are.”

  I frown. “We’re not horrible. We’re spoiled. Entitled.”

  “Yeah, we’re horrible people.” He guffaws, shaking his head. “I don’t give a shit, so long as I get what I want.”

  I stare at him, feeling uneasy. I’ve always thought of myself as selfish, but basically a good person. If someone is broken down on the side of the road, I’d pull over to help. I work at the foodbank on Christmas Eve. I mean, sure, that’s because my mom makes me, but I don’t mind doing it.

  “You truly think we’re bad people?” I ask.

  He shrugs. “We’re not good.”

  I turn around and face the front when the teacher starts talking. I don’t like the idea that everyone thinks I’m a horrible person. But if Travis thinks that, others must too. I know a lot of the kids don’t like The Elites. I catch the surly looks sometimes when I cut in line, or pick on a scholarship student. I figured that was mostly jealousy. I treat everybody pretty well. Jeremy picks on kids a lot more than me. Travis too. I’m mostly in the background laughing. Sure, what I’m going to do to Charity is awful, but it also isn’t my decision. I’m just following orders.

  Travis kicks the back of my chair, and I lean back to hear what he has to say. “Dude, don’t get all depressed. We’re The Elites. We’re allowed to be assholes.”

  “Sure.” I nod. I don’t know why it never bothered me before that people might hate me.

  The rest of class, I’m distracted, I don’t hear half of what the teacher says. When the bell rings, I stand and follow Travis out of the classroom. It’s lunch now, and I’m looking forward to just hanging out with Travis and stuffing my face. We meet Jeremy at the lunch area, and as we stand in line, I notice Charity across the room. She’s laughing with her friends, and there’s one guy giving her a lot of attention. I try to remember his name… Steve… Sam… Scott? Yeah, Scott. He has a reputation with the girls. I do too, but he manages to stay friends with his ex-conquests. He actually has relationships, not just hookups.

  My jaw clenches when he puts his arm around Charity’s shoulders. She doesn’t seem to mind, which only annoys me more. Does she actually like that guy? He’s her own kind, maybe that makes her more comfortable. Maybe she just used me to pop her cherry, and now she’s looking for a guy on her level. Scott’s not the kind of guy who’d fuck her, and then ignore her at school, that’s for sure.

  Travis nudges me with his elbow. “Hey, dude, what do you want to eat?”

  I realize the cashier is staring at me expectantly. “I’ll have two chicken burritos, fries, and a large root beer.” There’s a rack with chips next to me, and when I see a bag of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, my heart squeezes. I’m uneasy about how much I like Charity. Why can’t I just fuck her and move on? How has this girl managed to wiggle into my heart?

  I grab my food, pay, and follow my friends to our table. I can’t stop watching Charity. Travis and Jeremy are joking around, and I pretend to listen, but truth is my gaze is fixated on Charity. I’m relieved when Scott leaves the lunch area early, and I’m finally able to relax.

  “Any progress with Charity?” Jeremy asks suddenly.

  A fry sticks in my throat when I tense up. I gulp some soda and, once it’s down, say, “Yes.” No way will I divulge the true extent of progress yet, but I have to give them something. “I took her to the lake on Saturday and I managed to get a kiss.”

  “Seriously?” Travis bugs his eyes. “You sly dog. You didn’t say a word.”

  “I’m telling you now.” I shrug.

  “Was there tongue?” Jeremy asks in a snippy tone.

  “Yes. Lots of tongue.”

  And pussy, and dick, and cum.

  “You need to get a move on. At this rate we’ll graduate college before you get in her pants.” Jeremy scowls.

  I’m sure he resents that I made progress when he was hoping to take over. Oh, well. He’d die if he knew how much progress I’ve made. “I’m going to try to study with her several nights this week. I’m hoping to fuck her by the weekend. Then Monday, I can do what needs to be done.”

  “Yeah, work your magic, Mason. I’m tired of hearing you two bicker about that chick.” Travis sighs, and pops the last of his burger into his mouth.

  “She’s not easy to get close to,” I say.

  “Yeah, ye
ah, whatever. Just get it done,” grumbles Jeremy.

  Travis tosses his wrappers toward the trashcan, and misses. There’s a kid walking by, and he yells, “Hey, loser, pick up my trash and throw it away for me.”

  The kid looks over, scowling, but he bends down and tosses Travis’s garbage in the trash. Then he walks away with one last dirty glance over his shoulder. Jeremy and Travis just laugh, apparently not concerned at the look the kid sent us. Have the lower students always been so resentful toward us, and I’m only now noticing? Why am I suddenly so aware of this stuff? Is it because I’m involved with Charity? She’s one of them, so maybe I’m more aware of how things affect her and her pals.

  I preferred it when I wasn’t in touch with my softer side.

  Sophia sits down next to me, and I stiffen. “Sorry I’m late,” she says breathlessly. She’s only recently started sitting with us, and I don’t like it.

  Jules sits across from her, next to Jeremy. She smiles at him and he smiles back. They look like cobras sizing each other up.

  Jules says, “Instead of going to the lake Friday, we should throw a party at my house.” She shoots a look in Charity’s direction. “But just for The Elites. I don’t want any of those other losers coming and causing trouble. It’s enough that I have to see them at school. I’d prefer they don’t crash our private gatherings too.”

  “Fine by me,” Travis says jauntily.

  Sophia smiles, looking pleased. “I’m glad you agree.”

  “That Charity girl is getting too big for her britches.” Jules mutters. “Mason invites her to the bonfire once, and suddenly she thinks she’s one of us.”

  Her tone is borderline accusing, and I want to nip that in the bud. “I invited her to the bonfire because lots of girls think it’s romantic there.” I avoid everyone’s gaze. “I was trying to get her in the mood.”

  “I guess it didn’t work.” Jeremy smirks.

  That’s what you think.

  “It’s just taking so long to get to the good part. I want that bitch humiliated.” Sophia’s voice is petulant. “I can’t believe she had the nerve to invite Jeremy to Travis’s party.”

  “I can’t believe he accepted.” Jules gives Jeremy a scolding glance.

  He shrugs. “I was making sure if Mason fails, I can slip in there.”

  “If I didn’t know better, I’d swear you guys actually want to fuck that trashy bitch,” Jules says, looking suspicious. “This is supposed to be about teaching her a lesson.”

  “That’s what it still is.” Travis scowls. “Mason can’t get in her pants without spending some time with her. She’s stuck up.”

  Sophia sniffs. “Unfortunately, all this attention is going to her head.”

  “Yeah, well, you didn’t help any by attacking her at the party,” I say gruffly. “You made her look sympathetic to the other nobodies who were there.”

  “I couldn’t help myself.” Sophia examines her red nails. “That bitch gets on my nerves.”

  “Gee, really? You hide it so well.” Travis snorts a laugh.

  “Shut up, Travis,” snaps Sophia.

  I meet Travis’s gaze and I roll my eyes. I hate it when Sophia comes to lunch in a bitchy mood. She gives me a stomach ache.

  “It will soon be over, right, Mason?” Jeremy’s tone is bossy.

  I salute him. “Whatever you say, your Majesty.”

  He scowls. “I swear, sometimes I think you feel sorry for Charity.”

  My face warms. “Bullshit.”

  Sophia studies me, her gaze probing. “You’re not actually attracted to her, are you?”

  “God no,” I say harshly. Am I convincing? I can’t tell if they believe me. I know my face is red. I’m praying they think it’s because I’m angry.

  “Okay,” Sophia says. “It’s just taking so long. I worry you’re either actually into her, or losing your nerve.”

  “I hear you,” Jeremy mutters.

  I stand up, bumping the table. “You guys can go fuck yourselves. I’ve been wasting all my free time working on Charity, and you’re going to accuse me of not even trying?”

  “Calm down,” Travis says, frowning. “Nobody is accusing you of anything.”

  Sophia grabs my wrist. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. Don’t be mad.”

  Relieved my tantrum worked, I sit back down. “Everybody just needs to back the hell off. I already said I should have this done by next weekend. Then you can rip her to shreds along with the rest of the school.” I ignore the pang of regret that hits me at what lies ahead for Charity. It’s getting harder and harder to be impartial.

  “Mason, you make me feel things.”

  I’m depressed to acknowledge that she makes me feel things too. Confusing, useless things. If she wasn’t poor and a new transfer student, maybe I could have had more time with Charity.

  Judging by how impatient my group is, I’ve stalled about as long as I can. Come next week, I’ll drop the bomb on her, and she’ll probably never speak to me again. It’s not her fault that this has to happen, not really. Sure, she could have groveled more, and maybe we’d have given her a pass. But none of that matters because The Elites have decided she needs to be humiliated. Destroying Charity is inevitable now.

  Travis is right, we are bad people. Strike that, we’re fucking despicable people.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Charity

  When I get home from school, Luke is waiting by the door. “Guess what?” he says, looking excited.

  “What?” I can’t help but smile at him. He looks so happy these days, and he’s definitely thriving. I wish I could say the same.

  “I got into the science fair!” He grins. “My group and I are going to represent our school at the Kid’s Rock Science Fair in Dallas.”

  I hug him. “That’s fantastic. I knew you could do it, kid.”

  Mom laughs. “I think Fred is almost as excited about this as Luke.”

  Luke grins. “Well, he did help me a lot.”

  “What did you build?” I frown. I’ve been so distracted by school and Mason, I’ve definitely not been paying attention to my brother enough. I need to take him out for a smoothie and just talk.

  “A sound booth. I haven’t come to a conclusion yet, but so far the possibilities are exciting.” He rubs his hands together. “I’ve designed a set of experiments to determine the best material for soundproofing.”

  “Really?” I raise my brows.

  “Yes. I have a cardboard box and I’ve wrapped it in lots of different materials. Outside, I have a sound meter and I measure the volume outside the box. I’m trying to see if decorative material can work as well as professional-grade soundproofing material.”

  “I see.” I laugh.

  “So far, soundproofing roof tile works the best, but I’ve had some very promising results with a double layer of thick silk tapestry.” He taps his chin, looking much more mature than his age.

  “Why did you do this?” I smile. “I mean, what made you want to explore soundproofing?”

  He sighs. “Living in the trailer park, I craved silence. It was so hard to have any quiet time. It got me thinking about soundproofing things, but still making them look attractive.”

  I ruffle his hair. “God, you’re so much smarter than me.”

  “Nah, I just get obsessed about stuff.” He laughs.

  “Me too, only they’re stupid things.” I frown, thinking about Mason. “You’ll probably cure cancer one day.”

  He shrugs. “I’m more interested in the mechanical or engineering side of science than the biological.”

  “You’ll make a mark either way, I’m sure.” Mom grins.

  I hug Luke again, and then make my way upstairs. I’m exhausted, and I have some homework to finish. I change into a pair of sweats, and get on my bed with my backpack. My head is pounding after an hour of studying. I keep checking my phone, hoping Mason will text me.

  I lie back against the pillows, thinking about what we did together
in the library bathroom today. My face warms when I think about how wanton I behave the second Mason touches me. I want to talk to my mom about maybe going on the pill, but I don’t want her to know I’m already sexually active. I’m not sure how to bring it up without raising her suspicions.

  There’s a knock on my door, and Lily comes in with a tray. “I thought you should have a snack to keep up your strength.”

  I laugh, taking in the plate of cookies and glass of milk. “You take such good care of me, Lily.” I smile at her.

  “It’s my pleasure to take care of you.” She sets the tray down, and faces me.

  I take one of the cookies, and bite into it. A burst of chocolate rolls over my tongue, and I sigh. “I love chocolate.”

  “I would think you were an alien from another planet if you didn’t. Chocolate is life.”

  I grin, and finish off my cookie while she watches. Usually she’s very cheerful and ready with a smile, but right now she looks uneasy. Her face is tense, and she’s twisting her fingers.

  “Is everything okay?” I ask.

  “I’m not sure.”

  I wipe my face with a napkin from the tray. “Is something wrong?”

  She grimaces. “Maybe?”

  My heart beat picks up, and a feeling of dread comes over me. I’m almost scared to push her to talk. Her expression is so worried; I’m terrified of what she’s going to say. “Is Fred cheating on Mom?” That’s my biggest fear, that Fred isn’t as wonderful as he seems. I keep expecting him to let us all down.

  She widens her eyes. “Oh, goodness no, Charity. Mr. Cartwright would never do anything like that.”

  Relief floods me, and I slump. “Oh, thank God.”

  “He loves your mom very much. He loves you all.” She chews her bottom lip, a line between her brows. “What I want to tell you has nothing to do with Fred.”

  “Good.” I hesitate. “What does it have to do with?”

  “You.”

  “Me?” I frown.

  “Yes. I have something difficult to tell you.”

  “You’re worrying me, Lily,” I say softly.

  “I’m sorry.” She sighs and moves closer. “A good friend of mine, Lucia, goes to Longhorn Academy.”