by Mae Doyle
“So, who’s going to tell me more about the rogues?” I popped an M&M into my mouth and closed my eyes while the chocolate melted slowly across my tongue. My whole mouth was still on fire from the miso ginger sauce on the burgers, and the chocolate tasted amazing.
When neither of my friends answered, I opened my eyes and stared at them. “I’m serious, you guys. Why do the three of them act like they’re God’s gift to Taylor Prep?”
Harper sighed and took a bite of Twix before answering. “Because they come from families with big ties to the school, Rose, so they get special privileges around here.”
“Not Brett.” I paused, unsure of whether or not I could tell them that he was adopted or if that was crossing some invisible line. Deciding to play it safe, I continued. “I know him from when we were younger, and I’m pretty sure that his parents don’t have anything to do with the school.” Well, I knew that his mom and dad didn’t have any ties to the school, but I honestly didn’t know much about his stepfather.
“How can you be sure?” Harper took another bite of Twix, her eyes locked on my face. “He’s here, isn’t he? And he’s a rogue, so that should tell you something.”
I glanced at Maggie, but she was keeping her eyes on her Snickers and not looking at me. Fine, then, I’d just have to pump Harper for the information that I wanted. “I mean, I guess that he could be, but his family always seemed so normal.”
“Naw, none of the old families here are normal.” Harper grinned and tossed her wrapper into the trash. “If he was marked as a rogue then there’s something more going on there. My parents told me that it can have something to do with old money transferring hands or that sometimes it’s just because Taylor owes a family.”
“But what does it mean? Being a rogue? Because I’ll tell you what I thought.” I had them both giggling hard when I explained my D&D theory, but when I finished, Maggie shook her head.
“It’s not like that at all, Rose,” she said, still laughing a little. “Amelia told me that she was hoping to be marked as a rogue but that they passed her over, and she thinks that it’s because she’s a girl, so she’s pretty pissed.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Why do you guys keep saying marked?”
Maggie shrugged. Now that she had started talking it’s like she didn’t want to stop. “I just mean that they got information that they were all going to be rogues. They’re the enforcers of the school. What they say, goes, and they have a lot of immunity in class.”
Immunity? This was sounding weirder and weirder, and I couldn’t help but wonder what my dad had gotten me into. “But wait, didn’t you say that most families here had some sort of a tie to the school? Like…even if they don’t go as far back as the rogues, they may have gone here or something?”
Harper nodded. “Yep. It’s pretty rare for Taylor to accept students that don’t have some tie to the school, even if it’s a bit of a stretch. Like Carla, in homeroom? Her tie is that her brother-in-law’s uncle came here, but she acts like she has the same connection as all of the other kids.”
“Then what about me?” I couldn’t imagine either of my parents willingly coming to Taylor Prep. “How am I here if I didn’t get in thanks to my grades and the fact that I had the money needed to cover the fees?”
Harper and Maggie were quiet for a moment, but then Harper spoke. “You sure neither of your parents came here? Or knew Taylor from when they were younger?”
I shook my head, confident. “Not a chance. My dad’s insurance policy is what paid for me to get in here. I’m pretty sure that my mom would have told me if that were the case.”
“Pretty sure or totally sure?” Maggie leaned forward and snatched an M&M from the bag I was holding. “Because there has to be some sort of a connection, even if it is a stretch. Think about it, Rose. Did your dad ever talk about this place?” She popped the candy into her mouth while I thought, but I shook my head firmly after a moment.
“Not a chance. The first that I ever really heard of Taylor Prep or considered going here was after he died. He had it in his will that his life insurance policy was to pay for my education and that he wanted me to go here. My mom had to go back to work anyway, so it made sense that I would go to public school instead of being homeschooled, but I definitely didn’t think that I’d end up here.” I spread my arm around to encompass not only my friends, but also my room.
My room looked like everyone else’s at Taylor Prep, but that didn’t make it any less incredible to me. It was easily three times the size of my room back at home and had hard floors with wide planks, crisp white curtains, and a separate bathroom with a clawfoot tub and a shower. It really seemed to me like the school spared no expense when setting up our rooms. It felt more like a fancy hotel than somewhere where I would actually live, but it was growing on me.
I definitely wasn’t as used to this level of pampering as my friends were, but I could see how easily I could get used to it. Both Harper and Maggie were from super rich families, and from what they said, their rooms at home were similar to the ones here.
“Well, somehow he got you in, and it wouldn’t have just been the money.” Harper shrugged and stretched. When she glanced at her watch, she started. “Did you guys know it was getting so late? We don’t want to get caught out after curfew.” She stood up and Maggie followed, snagging one more M&M from me.
“Hey, that’s mine!” I tried to grab it, but she popped it into her mouth and grinned at me. “Do you guys know what happens if we’re out after curfew?”
Maggie grinned and cocked her hip out, planting her hand on it. Assuming a stuffy voice that was a perfect mimic of Mr. Taylor’s, she said “if you do not follow the rules of Taylor Prep then you should be prepared to suffer. You won’t know what you did wrong, but you will suffer the consequences, which are sure to inspire you to stay in line.”
The three of us fell on the bed, dissolving in giggles. For a while we lay there, each in our own thoughts, then my friends got up and left for their room. “See you for breakfast?” Harper asked before she shut the door.
“You better believe it,” I called back. The door clicked shut and I hopped off of the bed to lock it, but before I did, I swung it open just enough to peek out into the hall. Except for Maggie and Harper there wasn’t anyone else walking around. Looked like everyone took the curfew pretty seriously. Shrugging, I shut the door and locked it before getting ready for bed.
Today was over. Tomorrow was a new day with new classes, and I hoped to find out how things at Taylor Prep really worked. Even though I wanted to stay up and think more about my dad, I could barely keep my eyes open, and as soon as my head hit the soft pillow on my queen size bed, I passed out.
Chapter 6
Breakfast was delicious, and no matter how much some of the other students moaned and complained about the food here, I didn’t think I would ever get tired of it. This morning was a delicious veggie quiche with a side of fresh fruit. I practically inhaled it while Maggie and Harper just picked at their meals.
“What’s going on with you two?” I stabbed a piece of pineapple and waved it at them. “Eat so much chocolate last night that you lost your appetite?” Maggie grimaced, but Harper laughed.
“Don’t remind us,” she said. “My stomach ached all last night, and Mags here was in the bathroom early. It’s what happens when you get used to the healthy food they serve here and then sneak something else. You’ll see, it’ll happen to you, too.”
“Never.” I popped the bite of pineapple in my mouth and enjoyed the way the juice ran down my throat. Yesterday may have started off a little strange with the announcements from Mr. Taylor, but I was confident that today was going to be just fine. I even felt more comfortable in my jakcet and skirt, so that was saying something.
But by the time we made it to homeroom, I felt my confidence start to waver. Jackie locked eyes with me as soon as I walked in the door and split up from my friends to go to our separate seats. As I walked past him, he reached out and g
rabbed my wrist, stopping me in my tracks.
“How are you enjoying Taylor Prep, fresh meat?” His eyes slid over my body, taking in the curve of my ass, and I blushed. “Looks like you’re getting plenty to eat.” A thrill ran through my body from his touch. From the moment I saw him, I wondered what it would be like to have him touch me, but this is not what I meant. Even so, my body was a traitor and I felt a flush warm me up from the core. Glancing over to the side, I saw that not only were my friends watching, but so was everyone else in class. Including Brett.
Scowling, I yanked my wrist out of Jackie’s grasp, but didn’t answer him. He looked just as good as he had at drop-off on Sunday and I had to focus not to breathe in deeply to smell him. Even without looking like an idiot and taking a whiff of him, I could smell his spicy and dark scent.
What kind of cologne is that? Before I could let myself really think about it, I slid into the seat behind him, contenting myself with staring at the back of his head. Amelia lost no time at all in leaning over to me. “We heard a lot about you last night from your dear friend Brett.” My eyes flew up and locked on her face.
She laughed at the surprise on my face. “Don’t worry, he didn’t tell us all of your secrets. Not yet, anyway, but I’m sure that he’ll spill them when he’s good and ready.” She pursed her perfectly pouty lips at me and winked. Turning away from her, I locked my eyes on the board at the front of the room, waiting for Mr. Staton to enter.
He did, dressed in dark jeans and a button-up shirt that he’d left open at the top. “Me-ow, Mr. Staton,” Amelia called, making everyone around us laugh. His eyes darted around the room to see who called his name. From across the room someone let out a wolf whistle.
“That’s enough, guys. Let’s get ready for the announcements.” He leaned against his desk and we heard the click of the intercom turning on.
“Good morning, students.” Mr. Taylor didn’t sound any more excited about being here today than he did yesterday. “I hope that everyone got enough sleep last night and managed to get a head start on their homework, because it’s not going to get any easier from here on out. Don’t forget that this weekend you may go home, but then Taylor Academy undergoes a lockdown for the next month.”
Hearing this, I glanced up and looked around the room, but nobody else seemed surprised by this information. I definitely didn’t remember reading about a mandatory lockdown in the information packet, but I did skim some of the more boring looking pages.
He continued. “This is to ensure that you are all fully engaged in your classes, your sports and clubs, and that you’re building the friendships that you need to be successful once you graduate. There are no exceptions.” He coughed and everyone sat silently waiting for him to continue. “So make sure that when you get back to school on Sunday that you are ready to apply yourself. No outdoor snacks are allowed, and you will be punished if you are caught with contraband.”
Contraband? This guy had to be kidding, right? But even as I looked around the room, I was surprised to see that none of the other students looked surprised by what he was saying. I had to remind myself that they had already dealt with him and the crazy rules at Taylor Prep for two years already. What was new to me was old hat to them. He finished up the announcements and the intercom clicked off. Mr. Staton rubbed his hands together. “For homeroom this morning I’d like to give you all an opportunity to finish any homework from yesterday that you weren’t able to complete. If you’re done with that then you can talk quietly amongst yourselves for – ” He looked down at his watch and then back up at us. “Ten minutes before your next class.”
There was a stir among students who hadn’t finished their homework as they pulled out papers and books and started working, but since I had finished in the library yesterday with my friends, I sat and watched. It would be fine with me to have some quiet time to myself, but Jackie turned around, resting his forearm on my desk as he grinned at me.
“Looks like you got all of your studying done yesterday, huh, Rose?” The way that he said my name made me shiver and I had to focus on not blushing, which was almost impossible when I was this close to him. He didn’t have his tie on, which mean that he was technically out of uniform, but he didn’t seem to care. The top buttons of his shirt were unbuttoned, and my eyes fell on the hollow of his neck. His pulse was slow and I could see it in his skin. A faint movement made me lock my eyes on his neck.
I wonder what it would be like to run my fingers along that part of his skin…I bet that I could feel his pulse.
“Did you hear what I said?” His voice pulled me out of my reverie, and I blinked hard, focusing on him.
“Um, no,” I confessed. “Sorry. What were you saying?”
He laughed, a loud sound that cut through the silence of the room and made some people turn to look at us. “I asked you if you were warm enough last night.” His eyes glittered as he looked at me, but there wasn’t any happiness in them. They were dark blue pools that looked like they’d wrecked many a ship in the past, and I shivered.
“Yes?” I had no idea what he was really asking. “I slept fine. Did you?”
He grinned, the tip of his pink tongue darting out and sliding across his lower lip. Oh, God, I should not pay attention to the way he licked his lip, but I couldn’t tear my eyes away from his face. The same warmth that I felt when he grabbed my wrist coursed back through my body.
“I did, but I bet that I’d feel better with someone warming me up. Just didn’t know if you were the girl for the job.” Now I really did blush, from the tips of my toes to my forehead. I felt my skin get so hot and red that I thought it would split, but I couldn’t form an answer.
He simply raked his eyes over my body, but before he could say anything else, the bell rang. I was so grateful to hear it that I stood up, scooping my books into my backpack. My Spanish class was pretty far away from homeroom, so I was going to have to book it if I was going to make it on time, and since I was so much slower than everyone else, that meant leaving right away.
Before I could walk to the door, though, I had to get around Jackie. He stood, stretching so that his shirt pulled up out of his pants and I could see a strip of skin at his waist. Purposefully tearing my eyes away from him, I focused on the door. He turned, as if surprised to see me standing behind him.
“What’s your next class, Rose?” Before I could answer, he snatched my schedule from my hands. “Oh, Spanish. With me. What do you say, Rosita? How about I walk you to class? I’ll even carry your backpack for, like, old times.”
There wasn’t much that I could do to stop him, and he pulled my backpack from me, easily handling it even though it had to weigh close to thirty pounds with all of my books shoved in it. He led the way down the aisle of desks to where Brett and Kaleb were waiting by the door.
This was the first chance that I really had to see Kaleb up close, and I glanced at him when he wasn’t looking at me. He was just as attractive as Jackie, even though a lot of people look goofy in glasses. His just managed to make him look even smarter. His perfect hair was styled back from his face and he actually wore his tie, unlike Jackie. When he turned and caught me staring at him, he raised an eyebrow.
“See something you like, Rose?” His voice was smooth like honey and it made my legs weak, or maybe that was just because they were already tired and sore since I’d skipped my therapy exercises the day before. No matter the reason, I reached out for the doorframe to catch myself.
“Um, no?” I wasn’t sure what to say, but that must not have been it, because he frowned and swept away from me, walking with Brett ahead of us. Jackie started laughing and looped his arm through mine to help me down the hall.
“Way to make my boys feel really welcome, Rosita,” he said, practically dragging me along with him. “Here I was telling them how nice the little rose behind me in homeroom was and then you go and hurt Kaleb’s feelings. He’s sensitive, you know.”
“I…I didn’t.” I struggled to keep up with him but
knew that I didn’t have much of a choice. If I let him get away from me with my books then I was worried that he might hold them over my head, or worse. But that was stupid, right? He wouldn’t keep my books from me so that I would fail, would he?
“I’m teasing you, Rosita. But be nicer to them, okay? Brett already told everyone that he’s not your biggest fan, so I don’t know what you did, but cut it out.”
“What will happen if I don’t?” I was practically panting and realizing how dumb it was to think that I could ever square off against him on the tennis court. He looked like a tennis player, all long and lean, while I was a hunched mess of metal.
Before answering, Jackie turned to me and pulled me closer to him so that I was out of the way of the crush of students in the hall. At least, that’s what I told myself, even as I tried to ignore the fact that I could feel his body heat through his clothes.
“Because, Rosita, you don’t want to turn the rogues against you, do you?” He traced my cheek and chin with his finger.
There’s no way this guy was interested in me like this…
“I really don’t know what you’re talking about.” My voice sounded quiet and scared, and he just laughed, turning and pulling me back down the hall.
“You’re a hoot, Rosita, you know that?” Without slowing down, he pulled his arm from mine and looped it over my shoulder. I staggered a little but gritted my teeth and kept walking. I had no idea what he was talking about, but I was determined to find out.
Tonight’s agenda: homework with my friends. Then I was going to bribe them with chocolate for information about the rogues and Taylor Prep. After that, I had to do my therapy exercises, no matter how tired I was. If I was going to make it at this school and not let it get me down then I needed to be able to hold my own, and right now I could barely walk down the hall without help.
Even though I didn’t know what was going on, I was determined to find out, and if that meant spending time with Jackie and Kaleb and trying to be nicer to Brett, then I’d do that, even if it killed me.