Empire High Elite

by Ivy Smoak

  “You know…” he said, his voice trailing off as his eyes drifted to mine. “I was thinking. Maybe there is a way I could get over Matt being an ass.”

  “Yeah? And how would you do that?” I wanted James to be happier. I didn’t want to have to worry about him. And he had such a nice laugh. It would be nice if the world could hear it more often.

  “For starters, we could fuck.”

  I stopped swaying back and forth. It took every ounce of restraint not to slap him. I knew he was up to no good. Asking me to dance so he could prove some kind of point to Matt? Screw him. “I don’t think that would fix anything, James.”

  “Really? I think it would fix everything.”

  I stared back at him. “How would that fix anything? You’re dating Rachel. And I’m dating…” Who the hell was I dating? Felix? Miller? Matt? God, was I kind of dating all of them? I’d had zero punch and my head was still spinning.

  “You know, this summer I told Rachel I’d give everything up for her. All this shit I don’t care about. That I’d pass on Harvard. That I’d renounce my inheritance. I’d give up all my responsibilities. That we could run away together. And she got mad at me. Furious, actually. That was the night Matt screwed her. And all I keep thinking about is that my mother was right. That Rachel just likes me for my money. Rachel thought I was going to give it all up so she hopped in bed with someone else. I don’t want to believe that. But…” his voice trailed off and he shook his head.

  “I’m sorry that you’re hurting.” I truly was. This was one of James’ nicer moments. And all I could wonder was if Matt was right. If he was hurting so much that he might do something to himself. He wouldn’t, right? He couldn’t.

  He smiled. “Then how about you make me feel better?”

  Just when I thought he was being nice. “I’m not sleeping with you, James. I don’t do…that.”

  “Don’t do what? Have revenge sex? Let me tell you, you’re seriously missing out.” His hands slid slightly lower on my waist.

  I looked away from him, searching for Kennedy in the sea of other students. She said she’d join us on the dance floor. Where was she?

  “Oh my God,” James said.

  “What?” I didn’t look back at him. Kennedy, please magically appear and save me from this awkward conversation.

  “Are you a virgin?”

  I forced myself to look back at him. “That’s none of your business.” I was done being polite. I didn’t have to dance with him. He wasn’t my responsibility to look after. “I’m going to go find Kennedy.”

  “Wait.” He caught my arm as I tried to flee. “I’m sorry, I just…it would make Matt so fucking mad. How could you not want that? He kept you his dirty little secret for weeks. He didn’t tell any of us about you. Doesn’t that piss you off? That he was that embarrassed of you?”

  “He wasn’t embarrassed of me. Isabella was threatening him. She…”

  “Isabella threatens everyone. He’s a pansy if he was scared of her. It’s her father he should be worried about.”

  I tried to ignore his last statement. Mostly because I was worried it was true. The thought of that unread contract made my stomach twist into knots. But if I thought about that now I was pretty sure my head would explode. “Matt said Isabella threatened to kill him. And me.”

  “And you believe him? After everything he put you through? It wouldn’t be the first time Matt lied just to get into some chick’s bed. You’re allowed to be mad at him, Brooklyn. Freaking let it out.”

  “You know what? I am mad. I’m mad that you’re trying to use me to get back at him. I’m not a pawn.”

  “I didn’t say you were. I just thought we might feel the same way. Rachel used me. Matt used you. Why can’t we make each other feel better by making them feel like shit?”

  “Because you don’t even like me.”

  “Why do you think I don’t like you?”

  “Because you’re being an ass.”

  He laughed. “Well, my offer stands. I rented a room for the night. 315. Take a key.” He pulled out a keycard from the same pocket he was hiding a flask in.

  “No thanks.”

  “I do like you, Brooklyn. You’re everything I thought Rachel was.”

  “And what did you think Rachel was?”

  “My way out of this hell.” He slid the keycard down the front of my dress.

  This time I was going to slap him. Because his hand had frozen on my left breast. James Hunter was not a very nice boy.

  Just as I was about to lift up my hand, I realized he was staring at something behind me. And he looked even more pissed off than I was. I turned around to see Matt walking into the ballroom. With Rachel on his arm. If I thought the room had shushed when I walked in, this was a whole other level. It was freaking silent.

  Matt’s tux fit him perfectly. And Rachel looked beautiful on his arm. They were both smiling and it felt like a punch in the gut. Maybe James was right. Maybe I did hate Matt. Maybe I did want to get back at him.

  Matt’s eyes locked with mine. His gaze traveled down to where James' hand had just dropped the keycard in the front of my dress. Matt’s smile faltered, despite the fact that he was literally walking into the dance with another girl.

  “I’m going to fucking kill him,” James said.

  “Not if I do it first.”

  “Better idea,” James said. Before I even realized what was happening, James had pulled me back into his arms. And his lips were on mine. Revenge tasted bitter even though his lips were sweet.

  Chapter 31

  Saturday

  I would have blamed the kiss on the fact that James was drunk. A lot of things James did could be blamed on that. But he didn’t taste like alcohol as his tongue traced my lips. And I didn’t smell any smoke on him either. He was sober. He knew what he was doing. He knew exactly the reaction he would get.

  I heard the gasps around us.

  Part of me wanted to open my mouth to James. How could Matt walk in here with James’ girlfriend on his arm? How could Matt pretend he was still interested in me, making me promise him a dance? How could he be so cruel? I didn’t even recognize this version of him.

  James’ hand tightened on my waist.

  But I recognized this feeling. The want. It’s how Matt used to kiss me. And I knew I’d kind of dated Felix. And I was kind of seeing Miller too. But I never did any of it to intentionally hurt Matt. I did it because all he ever did was hurt me.

  Maybe James was right. Maybe revenge would make us both feel better. After all, he was an expert in this area, not me. But I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t kiss him back. It felt wrong. This wasn’t me.

  James moved his free hand to the back of my head, locking me in place.

  “Kiss me back, Brooklyn,” he whispered against my lips. “Hurt him back. Let him know how much it fucking hurts.”

  It was wrong. All of it was wrong. It was like I was literally staring sin in the face. And hatred. And sadness. James was in pain. I knew it, because I felt it too. I was freaking drowning in it.

  “Please,” he whispered. “Do it for me.”

  I put my hand on his chest like I was going to shove him away. But instead my hand froze there. When I first saw James, all I could see was the sadness behind his eyes. I wasn’t attracted to him because we were both drowning. But maybe he understood me better than anyone else here.

  James looked down at my hand and then back at my face. It was like the permission he needed. This time when he lowered his mouth back to mine, I parted my lips for him. I let him use me just this once. Because Matt fucking deserved it. He was a terrible friend. It was as if Matt’s favorite pastime was ripping out people’s hearts and stomping on them for fun. And I was so tired of all the games. I was just so freaking tired. So for just a second, I wasn’t drowning alone. I was drowning with the saddest boy at Empire High. And maybe doing this favor for him would make him feel better. Even it was for just a few seconds.

  “What the fuck, Jam
es?” Matt was pulling James off of me. He shoved James hard in the chest and James’ crown toppled off his head.

  “What?” James said with a smile. “I thought you liked to share.”

  Matt took a swing but James ducked.

  I realized that maybe James was sober for the first time in weeks because he had been hoping for this fight. Planning it. Using me. I’d already known it, but I still felt cheap.

  “Enjoying my sloppy seconds?” James asked. “You can keep Rachel. I’m pretty sure I like Brooklyn better anyway. Finders keepers, if you know what I mean.”

  “James, stop,” Rachel said. “Please just talk to me for five seconds so I can explain. You owe me at least that.”

  “I don’t owe you anything,” James said. “Besides, I’m busy. I was just about to take Brooklyn to my suite. Right, babe?” he said to me with a wink. “She promised I could be her first.”

  God. It was the absolute worst thing he could possibly say. Not just because it was horribly embarrassing. And untrue. But because Matt was convinced that he’d be all my firsts. My whole body felt hot as everyone’s eyes turned to me. Couldn’t James see that he was making everything a thousand times worse? I shouldn’t have listened to him. Revenge didn’t make anything better. And I didn’t realize that James had a death wish.

  This time Matt’s fist collided hard with the side of James’ jaw.

  It was like James wanted to be hit. Like he was craving the taste of blood. Because all he did was laugh and wipe the blood off his mouth with the back of his hand. “That’s all you got, Caldwell?” he asked. “You hit like a little bitch.”

  Matt took another swing, hitting James’ jaw in the same spot.

  James spat blood out on the dance floor and laughed again. “I gave you two shots because you’re two years younger.” He tilted his head to the side and cracked his neck. “But now you fucking die.” He lowered his shoulder and rammed into Matt.

  The two of them fell to the floor.

  “Stop it!” Rachel screamed. “We didn’t do anything! I didn’t sleep with him! James, I swear I didn’t!”

  I heard the sickening crunch of bone on bone.

  Rachel started sobbing, but all I could focus on was the fact that James’ hands were wrapped around Matt’s throat. Matt was bigger than James. But apparently James had a lot of pent up rage and a perfect target to unleash it on.

  “James!” I grabbed his arm but he didn’t let go. “James!” I yelled louder.

  Matt pulled up his knee, slamming it hard into James’ groin.

  “Fuck,” James said and toppled over, grabbing his junk.

  I moved out of the way just in time so that I didn’t end up falling to the floor too. Everyone around us stepped back, creating a circle around us. It was like they’d created a little fighting ring.

  “Someone do something,” I said. There were plenty of guys just watching. Why weren’t they breaking this up? But no one listened to me. Apparently I was back to being invisible at the worst possible time. I looked around to see if I could find Miller in the crowd. Oh God, if he was here then he’d seen the kiss. What the hell had I been thinking? But I shoved the thought aside. Miller could stop this. He’d broken up a fight that Matt was in before. But everyone was towering over us. I couldn’t see a single chaperone.

  “Of course you’d take a cheap shot,” James said, pulling my attention back down to them.

  “I didn’t sleep with your girlfriend, you idiot.” Matt stood up. “And if you’d get your head out of your ass and listen to me, you’d know the truth. I was trying to fix your relationship, not ruin it. Why don’t you believe me?”

  James' face was still twisted with pain, but he grabbed Matt’s ankle, knocking him to the floor again. “Because you’re a liar,” James said with a wince as he continued to hold his injured bits.

  “What the hell?” Rob said and kicked Matt’s ankle out of James’ hand. “Can’t you go two minutes without trying to ruin my brother’s life?” Rob helped James to his feet.

  “Me?” Matt said. “I’m trying to fix it.” He grabbed his wrist like it had hurt to take so many swings at his friend’s face.

  “Like you were fixed on having your dick in my brother’s girlfriend?” Rob said.

  Matt lunged at Rob, knocking him to the floor too. “Why the hell won’t either of you listen to me?!” yelled Matt.

  “Stop it!” I screamed. “All of you, stop it!” God, where were all the grown-ups? For the first time in my life I actually wanted Mr. Hill to appear. I needed someone, anyone to help me break this up. I reached out again, this time to grab Matt’s arm, hoping I could pull him away. But he was as solid as rock.

  “James, if you’d just…” Matt started.

  Rob slammed his elbow into Matt’s throat like he was literally trying to silence him. Matt’s arm fell out of my grip. James seemed to finally be able to breathe again after being hit in the nuts and he had the audacity to wink at me like he thought everything was going according to plan.

  And then Mason came out of nowhere and rammed into Rob’s side, knocking him to the floor. They rolled over, running into James who fell back down on the ground too.

  Mason punched Rob. Rob hit Matt. James kicked Mason. And Matt kneed James.

  Rachel was sobbing uncontrollably. Someone screamed at the top of their lungs. I would have sworn it was Justin from how high-pitched it was, but I was pretty sure he wasn’t here.

  “Stop it!” I yelled. I tried to step in to pull Rob away and had to dodge an elbow. “All of you stop it!”

  The music came to an abrupt stop, as if the DJ thought I was begging him to stop. Someone started chanting “fight.” Soon everyone was chanting it. And all I could see were fists flying and blood. There was so much freaking blood.

  What the hell had I done?

  “I didn’t sleep with Rachel!” Matt yelled. “She kissed me and I pushed her…”

  His words were drowned out when James punched him in the side of the mouth.

  “You pushed her right onto your lap?” James said. He somehow got free of Mason’s grip on his legs, stood up, and did what I could only describe as a body slam on top of Matt.

  Matt grunted like all the wind had left his lungs.

  “Brooklyn’s a great kisser,” James said with a smile, blood dribbling down the side of his mouth. “I bet the rest of her tastes just as sweet.”

  Mason grabbed the back of James’ tux, tearing the fancy fabric as he shoved him off of Matt.

  “That’s enough,” Mr. Hill said as he walked in between the flying fists. I was wrong before, it wasn’t James with a death wish. It was Mr. Hill.

  But all four of them froze.

  “Rob, James…why don’t you cool off outside for a minute. Matt and Mason, go get a drink and clear your heads. This is a dance not a street fight.”

  “James, I’m sorry, I…” Matt started.

  “Don’t even try to explain it again,” Mason said and helped his younger brother up. “Clearly the Hunters’ ears are too clogged to hear.”

  “Fuck off, Mason,” James said. “Don’t you have some stupid blonde you need to give an STD to?”

  “I don’t have any STDs.” It looked like that was the most insulting thing Mason had ever heard in his life. Mason took a step forward, but Matt grabbed his arm.

  Rob laughed and elbowed James in the side like that was the funniest thing he’d ever heard.

  “We’re done,” Mason said. “With both of you.”

  “Great,” Rob said. “Because we’re done with both of you. Why’d the music stop?” he yelled and turned to the DJ. “Turn it the fuck up. This is a party.” He threw his hands into the air.

  “Rob,” Mr. Hill said. “Language.” As if that was the worst thing that had happened here tonight.

  The DJ was standing there completely stunned. But it was like Rob’s words had pulled him out of a trance. He turned the volume up even louder than before so I couldn’t hear what else Mr. Hill yelled a
t the Hunters and Caldwells.

  Rachel was sobbing harder, making it even more impossible to hear Mr. Hill. I would have tried to console her…but I didn’t know who was telling the truth and who was lying.

  So I just stood there completely stunned.

  The Untouchables slowly separated. James and Rob went for the doors. And Mason and Matt made their way to the bar.

  I didn’t understand why they weren’t being kicked out of the dance. But then I remembered how Isabella hadn’t gotten detention even though I had. They were all allowed to do whatever they wanted, including beating each other up in the middle of homecoming. They could get away with anything.

  Kennedy appeared at my side. “I think you just broke the Untouchables,” she said.

  But I barely heard her because Isabella had just stepped into the circle where the Untouchables had been fighting. She leaned down and lifted James’ crown off the floor. She wiped off some of the blood that had splattered on the crown. Her eyes locked with mine and I felt more hatred than the Hunters had for the Caldwells. Or visa versa. I wasn’t sure who hated who more right now. But none of it compared to how much Isabella hated me.

  James had kissed me. If all those rumors were true about her being betrothed to James, I’d just touched what was hers. I’d crossed the line.

  She’s going to kill me.

  Chapter 32

  Saturday

  Isabella and I both just stared at each other for a second. She was holding James’ crown so tightly in her hand that I thought it might snap.

  I could barely breathe. Maybe she was planning on snapping the crown in half and then slicing my throat with it. I gulped.

  But then Isabella just turned away and disappeared into the crowd. And for some reason that felt even worse than her just getting it over with right here. She was going to plot out something awful, which made it that much more terrifying.

  “Did you just see Isabella’s face?” Kennedy asked.

  “Yes.” My voice came out weird and squeaky.

  “She’s going to do something awful.” She turned to me. “I know you’re mad at Matt, but why the hell did you kiss James of all people? Couldn’t you have just made Matt jealous by making out with Miller?”