by Mae Doyle
“Oh, this?” Amelia raised one perfect eyebrow and flashed her phone around at me so that I could catch a glimpse of the screen. “Just a crazy video that’s been going around. Haven’t you seen it yet? Maybe nobody texted it to you.”
I’d gone to my room right after class today to get my phone. Pretty much everyone had, but while Harper and Maggie had tons of texts to answer, all I had was a voicemail from my mom telling me that she hoped I had had a good weekend and that one of my friends had been in to the restaurant over the weekend. I had absolutely no idea what she was talking about, but I hadn’t had time to call her back and ask before I needed to get to vocal group.
“I didn’t get anything.” Shrugging, I picked up my calendar and ran my finger down it. “But why don’t we go ahead and talk about when we can meet?”
“Fine.” Amelia shrugged and winked at Kathy, who started to giggle. “But before we do that, don’t you want to see the video?”
I did, but at the same time, I didn’t want to give her the satisfaction of watching the video. Still, when she turned her phone around so that I could see the screen, I found my eyes locked onto the screen. At first, I couldn’t really tell what was going on. The screen was dark, but then the person holding the phone tilted it so that it caught the light and my breath caught in my throat.
It was my mom, at work. Some people here knew that she was a waitress, but how they found out that she worked at a strip club, I’ll never know. She walked by the screen in a tiny bikini, the little bits of fabric barely held up by the strings.
The person filming called her over and she sashayed closer, a grin on her face. My heart broke as I saw her gorgeous smile come closer and closer to the screen. The sound was off, but it was obvious that they were talking, then she reached for the person filming, and they lifted their hand to take hers. The phone was dropped down and the screen cut away as the person walked behind my mom, but not until after I’d seen the bracelet they had on their wrist.
My blood seemed to freeze in my body and I felt my skin grow clammy. I had no idea how the hell someone from Taylor Prep found my mom, or why they’d record her, but that was just what they’d done. That and…I swallowed hard, trying to put out my mind the image of what went on in the back of the strip club.
It wasn’t my fault that my mom wasn’t able to find a great job after my dad died. Hell, even though working at the club definitely wasn’t anywhere close to what the other parents from here did, she made a lot of money and managed to keep the roof over her head.
Shaking with rage, I looked up at Amelia. She pulled the phone away from me, clicking off the screen and slipping it into her pocket. Her perfectly made up face held an expression of mock surprise. “If you want to feel closer to your mom then I’m happy to send you this video. That way you can watch it whenever you miss her.” There was a note of glee in her voice and the girls behind her started to snicker.
“I hate you.” The words left my mouth before I could stop them, but she didn’t seem surprised to hear me say them. “Delete it.”
She shrugged, then used one perfectly manicured hand to brush the hair back from her face. “I could, but it wouldn’t change anything. Everyone here now knows that your mom’s a whore. I guess the apple didn’t fall far form the tree in this case, did it?” Her glittering eyes were locked on mine and I had to remind myself to take deep breaths. I could feel myself getting lightheaded and there was a loud pounding in my ears that I tried to ignore.
“She’s not a whore.”
“So you are?” Amelia tilted her head. “Why don’t you tell me exactly what happened with you and Brett when you were younger, Rose?”
I opened my mouth, but before I could say anything, Mrs. McKearin came out of her office, rubbing her hands together. “Okay, gang! Sorry that phone call took too long. Did you guys decide what days you’re going to practice?” She stopped a few feet from us when she saw the murderous looks on our faces. “Everything okay here, girls?”
“Everything’s fine.” Amelia stood up and brushed her hands off on her skirt. “I think that Rose isn’t feeling good, so maybe we can all pick another time to meet. Or, if that’s too much of a problem, Rose, I’m happy to take over as leader.”
I stood up quickly, trying to ignore the pain in my legs and the way my blood pressure dropped and my vision grew hazy. “I’m fine. It’s not fair for anyone to expect you to take on a role that you’re not prepared for, Amelia, so don’t worry about me.” Grinning at her, I picked my calendar up from the table. “How do Tuesday and Thursday evenings sound for practice? Say…7:00?”
Amelia leaned forward, bracing her hands on the table. “I’ll be there. So will they,” she said, flipping her hair back over her shoulder at her friends. “You better make sure that you’re prepared to hold onto your crown as the leader of this group, Rosa.”
Ignoring her, I grabbed a pen and scrawled in the practice times. My blood was still boiling and my vision was fuzzy with rage, but I wasn’t going to let her know that. I couldn’t let her know how badly she had me shaken.
My mom. Who in the hell comes after someone’s mom?
“Oo-kay.” Mrs. McKearin sounded a little uncertain. “I’m glad that you ladies worked this out. I think that we have a winning team this year, and I can’t wait to see how you girls sound with regular practice. Remember, the competition is in just a month, so be good to your voices and don’t accidentally strain them.” She paused for a moment while Amelia and I glared at each other. “No screaming at football games, no coffee before practices, and make sure that you don’t get sick.” She smiled at us, but neither of us looked at her.
“Will do, Mrs. McKearin,” I said finally. Amelia nodded.
I was going to do everything in my power to be on the top of my game whenever it came time to sing, and I was sure that Amelia was planning the same. She was a great singer, sure, but more than that, she was a little evil. I wasn’t sure what she had planned for me, but this move with filming my mom at work was low.
Amelia and her cronies left before I did, and I busied myself with stuffing things into my backpack to give them plenty of time to walk back across the campus before I headed out. The last thing I wanted was to run into them in the dark.
As soon as I left the music building, however, I could tell that I wasn’t alone. I slowed down, looking from side to side, trying to figure out who was close to me. Memories of Brett ran though my mind, and I reached up and rubbed the back of my neck as I thought about what it felt like to have his hand on me.
Before I made it halfway to the dorm, I had to pass under the giant arch, and I slowed down, looking up. Ab Ordine Libertas. Even though I’d been here for more than a week, I kept forgetting to ask someone what that meant. Shaking my head, I continued under the arch.
“From order comes freedom.” The voice came from behind me and I jumped, whipping around as fast as possible to see who was sneaking up on me. My heart pounding in my chest. At least it was a guy’s voice, so I knew that it wasn’t Amelia coming to exact revenge.
“Who’s there?” There was a shadow in the tree by the arch, and the person stepped forward. I frowned until they stepped into the light and I realized it was Kaleb. Even though the two of us had a number of classes together, we still hadn’t talked much. I knew that he was good friends with Brett, and that told me that I should stay as far away as possible.
He had on a hoodie that hid his strong frame and his glasses caught the light when he turned to me. He was the only junior allowed in senior level math classes and was one of the most sought-after for tutoring, but there was no way I’d ever ask him for help. He terrified me as much as he attracted me, but so far, the only thing that really scared me about him was that he was so close with the other rogues.
“What did you say to me?” He had said something about freedom and order, but I wasn’t sure.
“From order comes freedom.” It’s what the Latin means. Kaleb closed the gap between us effortlessly and
quietly, pointing up at the arch as he did.
“Oh. Thanks.” It was weird to think that he somehow knew exactly what I was thinking before I said it. “I’ll talk to you later.” Turning, I started back to the dorm, but he caught up to me and fell in step with me.
“I’ll walk with you.” His voice was quieter than I thought it would be and I had to remind myself that he’s not one of the good guys. If he’s friends with Brett, then I shouldn’t trust him.
“I’m just going to my dorm.” If I had been able, I would have picked up the pace, but I was already walking as fast as possible without my legs burning. Physical therapy was necessary, but exhausting.
“Me, too.” We walked in silence across the quad and he held the door open for me to enter the building. Pausing, I waited a moment before walking through. What would he do, though? Shut the door on me? Trip me? Brett terrified me and Amelia wasn’t much better, but Kaleb hadn’t ever done anything to hurt me or said anything that was really mean to me.
“You should watch out, you know.” His voice was so quiet that, at first, I wasn’t sure I heard him correctly. The door shut behind us with a whoosh and a click, and I turned around to look at him. He had his light green eyes trained on me.
“What do you mean?” I tried to keep my voice as low as possible, but the lobby was empty and it echoed more than I would have liked. “Watch out for what?”
He glanced over my head and looked around the lobby. “Not what. Who.”
I had a million questions that I wanted to ask him, but before I could open my mouth, he left. A light coconut smell from his cologne wrapped around me as he spun away from me, leaving me with my mouth watering.
That was the only reason my mouth was watering, right? Not because I just walked across the quad with one of the most gorgeous guys I’ve ever met? He had an incredibly strong jaw line and was taller than Brett and Jackie, but that wasn’t the most attractive thing about him.
It was his green eyes. Unlike the other two rogues and the harpies, there was something close to kindness in them. I’d have latched onto that and thought about getting to know him better if I hadn’t noticed something else.
His bracelet. It was the same as the one in the video with my mom.
Chapter 11
“So you’re saying that Kaleb had on the same bracelet as the person seen with your mom in the video?” Harper took a huge bite of her raspberry baked oatmeal and closed her eyes, moaning as the chocolate chips melted in her mouth. Taylor Prep didn’t usually allow sweets as part of the meal, but today was an exception, and none of us were going to let it pass us by.
“Yep.” I spooned up a bite, making sure to get extra melted chocolate on it. “He walked me across the quad, held the door open for me, and then told me to be careful. That’s when I saw the bracelet.”
“Did you say anything to him about it?” Maggie was staring off to the side at the front table where the rogues and the harpies were eating breakfast. Well, some of them were eating. Amelia was in Brett’s lap, running her fingers through his hair, and Jackie was whispering to Kelly. The sight of the four of them made my stomach churn. Glancing down the table, I saw Kaleb. He was staring straight at me, his green eyes visible even across the cafeteria.
“Not a chance.” I lowered my eyes to my breakfast so I wouldn’t have to keep looking at Kaleb. “What was I supposed to say? Hey, you have the same bracelet as the guy who paid my mom for a lap dance?”
“That would be pretty awkward,” Maggie agreed. “But are you sure that it was the same bracelet?”
“Yep.” I was firm about this. “It looked like braided leather and had a big bead that held the two ends together. I’m pretty sure that I’d recognize it anywhere.”
Before I could say anything else, Harper dropped her spoon to her bowl. “Don’t look around.” Her voice was quiet, and of course I did the one thing that she warned us not to do.
The rogues were stalking straight towards our table. Jackie was in the lead, with Brett and Kaleb trailing close behind. They were all technically wearing the Taylor Prep uniform, but all of their shirts were in various stages of being unbuttoned. Jackie’s shirt was open almost all the way, and I could see a hint of his abs as he walked towards us.
Shifting in my seat, I swallowed hard. It probably wasn’t a good thing that they would come over here during breakfast, but there was definitely no harm in looking, right? It was like being a kid in the candy store, except the candy was sexy, dangerous, and out to get me.
“Rose.” Jackie’s eyes flicked over Maggie and Harper but he didn’t speak to them. “I heard from my cousin that you got to see the great little video that’s been going around campus. The camerawork was a little shaky at times, but I think that it really got the message across, don’t you think?”
Instead of answering, I balled my hands into fists and stared at him. I hated him so badly and wished nothing more than for him to disappear. When he saw that I wasn’t going to respond, he chuckled and turned to Brett. “Did you get the message from the video?”
“What, you mean that Rose’s mom is a whore? I could have told you that without having to watch the stupid video. It’s old news, Jackie.” He was talking to me, his eyes locked on mine. I knew why he was doing this and I knew that he wanted me to leaver Taylor Prep, but what I couldn’t understand is why Kaleb was involved.
So far, he hadn’t looked at me or said anything. I searched his face for some compassion, and when he caught my gaze, he smirked. “Did you see my bracelet last night, Rose?” He held up his hand and twisted it, showing off the three braided leather strips. “How do you like it?”
Before I knew what I was doing, I was on my feet. “You asshole.” I do my best to keep my voice as low as possible, and the words roll out of me in a growl. “Why would you do that?” There’s a flash in his eyes as he looks at me and drops his hand, shrugging.
“You don’t like my bracelet then? That’s a shame, Rose, because they’re all the rage right now.”
I had no idea what he was talking about, and I didn’t care. My anger made my head hurt as it pounded, and I had to grit my teeth to keep from snapping out a retort. I felt Maggie reach up and take my hand, releasing my nails from my palm, but I ignored her. “What do you mean they’re all the rage?”
“Geez, Rose, I would have expected more from you.” My eyes dart back to Jackie as he spoke. “If you were just a little more observant then you would have seen that everyone is on trend but you guys.”
What the hell was he talking about? Beside me, I heard Maggie suck in a gasp of air, and I forced myself to look away from Jackie’s perfectly chiselled face. He and Brett also had on the bracelets. It felt like someone punched me in the gut and I inhaled sharply, trying to keep my vision focused.
Why in the world did they all have the same bracelet? “Which one of you was it?” Since I couldn’t be sure that it was Kaleb, I had to know who it was. Who visited my mom. Who made her…dance for them. On them. The thought made my stomach twist.
Brett barked out a laugh. “Well, it sure as hell wasn’t me. You think that I want to be that close to the woman who gave birth to you? But really, Rose, it could have been anyone. Look around you.”
Slowly, I turned my head. Everyone in the cafeteria was watching us, their breakfasts completely forgotten as they took in the drama. As I looked, the harpies raised their arms. They each had on one of the brown leather bracelets. My stomach dropped. Slowly, everyone else raised their arms.
Some students looked gleeful about what they were showing me, but there were some remorseful faces scattered around. It didn’t matter. I wasn’t paying attention to who looked happy about what was happening and who didn’t.
All I could see were the bracelets.
Brown leather braided bracelets.
Everyone had one. Every. Single. Student.
As if on cue, they all twisted their arms in the air at me, turning them back and forth so that I could see their jewelry. My jaw dropp
ed as I watched, then I turned my attention back to the rogues. Tears pricked the backs of my eyes, but I wasn’t about to let them fall. Not while the three of them were watching me. Not while everyone was watching me.
Jackie had his arm up in the air, turning it back and forth as a guide for the rest of the students to follow. When I looked at him, he smirked and dropped his arm back to his side. Like a wave, the rest of the students did the same.
My breath caught in my throat and I felt my vision start to go fuzzy at the edges. The only thing that gave me some relief was glancing down at Maggie’s hand to see that she didn’t have on a bracelet. A quick look to my other side showed me that Harper didn’t, either.
At least my friends were on my side.
Jackie brushed past us, headed out of the cafeteria towards class. My body responded at the slightest touch he gave me as he moved past me. The throbbing in my core that I felt around the three of them was now something that I was getting used to.
Kaleb pushed past, as well, and I kept my eyes locked on his face, although he didn’t look down at me. Brett, however, slowed down to a stop and then leaned over so that his mouth was right by my ear. I could feel his hot breath on my skin, and I shivered.
His lips grazed the curve of my ear as he whispered. “I told you to leave Taylor Prep, remember, Rose? Now’s a good time.” He was close enough that I could reach up and pull him towards me to kiss him, but Maggie had my one hand and the other was still clenched into a fist.
Smirking, he stood up, ran a hand through his hair, and turned to leave. It took that long for my tongue to finally unlock in my mouth. “I’m not going anywhere, Brett. I have just as much of a right to be here as you do.” The words left my mouth in a rush, and at first, I didn’t think that he heard me, but then he slowly turned back around, his eyes searching my face.
I felt myself blush, but I looked straight into his deep brown eyes. It’s not like I thought that I’d be able to find any compassion there, but I wasn’t above hoping for it. Not yet, anyway.