Just Drop Out (A High School Bully Romance): Hannaford Prep Year One

by J Bree

  “That’d you’d forced yourself on a girl? I should hope so.”

  He laughs right in my face. I swear to myself that I’ll start carrying my knife with me from now on. It was stupid of me to believe I wasn’t in danger of this now I’d dealt with Joey. I’d only really dealt with him, not all of his blind followers.

  “I would never put my dick in trash. Lord knows what commoner diseases you have. No, I’m going to show you what happens to girls that don’t do what they’re told.”

  The crack of his hand across my face leaves me dazed. He’s certainly not holding back on account of my gender. I weigh up my options while he looks at me with glee. I could attempt to fight them off. Three to one, not great odds but doable. They’re big guys, I can feel the muscular frames on the two holding me, so my chances of success aren’t great. I tug my arms a little to gauge the reaction and their grips tighten. So they’re both committed to playing their part, neither of them seemed to care about me suggesting they were here to sexually assault me.

  Spencer seems to be the only one interested in actually hitting me. When he punches me in my stomach I feel the guy on my left flinch even as my breakfast roils in my belly. So if I stand there and take the beating I’ll only be hit by one guy. If I pretended to be more hurt than I actually am I might be able to minimize the damage.

  I moan when he punches me again. It feels strange after having spent so much time learning how to stay silent but I lay it on thick. When he lands another blow to my head, this time behind my ear, where my hair will cover the bruise because he’s a sneaky fuck, I see stars and swear roughly. I could vomit and I swear under my breath at the thought of wasting that beautiful, fluffy toast.

  “You should think twice about messing with Joey. He owns this school. If he says jump then the whole damn building moves.”

  How utterly pathetic. Spencer is just openly admitting he’s Joey bitch. And for what? Doesn’t he realize Joey doesn’t have the capacity to make friends? There’s no loyalty in him at all. Spencer is just another child playing a man's game.

  I don’t have to fake the grunt that’s pushed out of me as I feel my ribs snap, it hurts like a bitch and I’m forced to pant instead of taking deep breaths.

  “Fuck, c’mon Spence. The bitch is done. If you keep going we’ll get caught for sure.”

  Spencer is panting and sweating from using my body as a punching bag. I don’t know how many hits I’ve taken, only that I’ve got a concussion and several broken ribs.

  “Don’t be a pussy, Kyle, she can take a bit more. I’m sure she’s been slapped around before and fucking loves it.”

  He pulls his arm back for one last hit but the guy on my left drops me. I lurch to the ground and the guy on my right gives up on holding me too. I manage to put my arms out to catch myself but the intense roaring pain has them collapse and I face plant onto the carpet.

  Every breath feels like I’m drawing glass into my chest cavity and inviting it to shred my lungs to nothing. I think I have at least two broken ribs and I have to remember to baby them a bit so I don’t puncture a damn lung. I know the score, I’ve done this all before, but I dream about the day that I never have to worry about being beaten again.

  It takes everything in me to get dressed for the day and then make it back down the stairs to start the school day. When I arrive at my History class Harley is already present and he watches me ease myself into my chair with knowing eyes. The rest of the class filters in behind me and the teacher shuts the door firmly as she starts the class. I grunt as I lean down to empty my bag but he doesn’t offer me any help. Only after I’ve completely set myself up does he speak to me.

  “Who did that to you?” his voice is so soft I know Avery hasn’t heard him. Whether he’s afraid to attract her attention or he thinks the answer is she’s responsible I can’t even begin to guess.

  “A junior. Joey’s getting desperate.” I murmur back. I don’t want his help but I can’t afford to have him say anything to Avery and get me in the shit with her again. I physically could not fight her off right now.

  “Which junior?” he’s still whispering but the words are distorted, like he’s barely squeezing them out. I swivel in my chair to look at him though it pains me. He’s not looking at me, he’s taking notes in his beautiful even handwriting and no one would guess that he was taking me any notice. I shake my head at him and try to ignore the pain and focus of the teachers words.

  The teacher announces a pop quiz in our next lesson and the class erupts with groans and whining from the other students. Harley uses the distraction to lean in to me to whisper into my ear. My body is still firmly in defensive mode so I startle, grunting at the white hot pain that threatens to take my vision, sucking air into my ravaged lungs too quickly. As I cough and hack into my palm I can taste the coppery tang on my tongue and I know the wet spot on my palm is blood. Harley’s hand wraps around my wrist carefully but firmly, like he knows I’ll try and pull away from his touch. Even with my whole body lit up with intense pain my skin tingles underneath his touch as he looks down at the evidence of my internal bleeding.

  “Tell me who the fuck did that to you or I’ll tell the teacher you’re spreading Mounty diseases by leaking blood everywhere.”

  Typical Harley, he can’t even be sympathetic about my beating without acting like an ass. I tilt my head back to meet his eyes. I don’t know what to do with what I see on his face.

  He’s staring at me how he looks at Avery, like I’m something precious, and my mind scrambles to figure out why. I gape at him and try to find my voice.

  “Why would you care who did this to me?” I croak.

  His eyes quickly shutter and his jaw twitches. From the corner of my eye I see Avery turn to stare at us both. Great. Now I’m going to be attacked on my way to the toilet at midnight and I’ll probably rack up some medical bills I can’t afford to sort out.

  “Spencer Hillsong. He had a couple of friends but I didn’t recognize them.”

  Harley gives me a curt nod and then I nearly fall off my damn chair as he stoops down to pick up my bag for me and starts to pack away my books. Avery is still watching us and while she’s not outright glaring I wouldn’t call it a friendly sort of stare.

  “Harley, you shouldn’t-“ he cuts her off with a sharp tone.

  “Shut it, Floss. Messing with her shit is one thing, beating her bloody is fucking disgusting. I’ll end that dickhead.”

  I snort at him and take my now full bag, slinging it gingerly over the shoulder that isn’t bruised. He gives me another look and then gently takes my elbow to steer me out of the class. I’m shocked enough to let him and I can feel eyes following us both down the hall. Avery falls into step with him but she doesn’t glance my way again.

  We round the corner to get to our shared chemistry lab when we run right into Ash and Blaise. I cringe and try to pull away from Harley but his grip only tightens. Blaise looks shocked to see me but when he recovers he is back to refusing to look at me. It’s like yesterday didn’t happen at all. That works for me. I’m doing my best to forget he exists. Ash is more curious about my appearance, his eyes take me in, inch by painstaking inch. It was possibly the worst time to start coughing up blood again. It becomes clear to me that if Harley wasn’t holding me up I would collapse from the pain radiating around my chest and my vision blurs threateningly again. Why did I even try to make it through today? I’m losing my edge at this school, at Mounts Bay I always knew my limits. I need to regroup before it gets me killed.

  “I told you to stay away from Joey. All of this is his doing, honestly, you have no one but yourself to blame for this.” says Ash as he grabs my other arm. I grit my teeth but I’m not sure if it’s because of his words or if I’m trying to take control of my body once again. The edges of my vision start to blackout and I can’t even choke out a retort.

  “It wasn’t Joey, it was Hillsong and he’s a fucking dead man walking.” snaps Harley.

  I shut my eyes as we walk
. There’s no point in fighting them, I barely have the energy to stay conscious. My mind is hazy. Not a great sign, I’m going to end up in the nurse's office.

  “Do you really think he’s acting without Joey’s influence? Ash is right, she should have stayed away from him.” says Avery. She doesn’t sound happy at all.

  It takes me a minute for my mind to catch up with our movements and to realize we’re still walking. Our lab was only a few yards away so it makes no sense. Panic claws up my spine and I jerk my arms to try and get free. They’re dragging me somewhere secluded to finish the job, Harley hates me, there’s no way he would care about some senior beating me! I plant my feet and try to stop from moving forward but Harley and Ash are too strong for me.

  “Calm the fuck down, Mounty. We’re going to take you back to your room so you die somewhere more comfortable than the Lab.” says Ash and I can hear the laughter in his voice.

  “Don’t be a dick, Ash, she’s probably suspicious we’re helping her. Twice in a week, I’d be suspicious too.” says Blaise and I jerk my head around to see he’s trailing behind us. He still won’t meet my eyes.

  “Why are we helping her, again?” drawls Avery, not even bothering to look up from her phone. Her arm is linked with Ash and he’s directing her as much as he’s helping me.

  We arrive at my room and it takes me three attempts to fumble the key out from around my neck and into the door. When I pause Ash finally drops my arm and lets Avery tug him away from me. She’s probably scared he’s developing a soft spot for me but I could set her straight about that. There’s no way the guy who snarls at me over the table in the library would ever feel anything but contempt for me. I have to admit, this rescue is pretty confusing for me. I’m struggling with my own feelings for all three of the guys and their kind and gentle touches are just making this all the more difficult for me. It is not normal for a girl to be crushing on three guys this hard at the same damn time. I don’t want one of them, I want all three, even after everything they’ve done to me. I need to clear my head. I need some space and I need it now.

  Harley won’t move. I attempt a pointed look at him but he just raises his eyebrows at me in return. When it’s clear neither of us are willing to back down Blaise groans at us both and then pushes between us to grab the key and open the door. When his arm brushes mine I flinch away from him so hard I hit the doorframe and grunt in pain. My body is going to pay dearly for that move.

  “Why the fuck does she flinch like that when you touch her?” Harley snaps and Blaise backs up quickly like his ass is on fire. I shuffle into the room and drop my bag on the floor.

  “How the fuck should I know?! I’ve never touched her!”

  I flinch again. I know that if I ever do touch him, and if he touched me back, I’d be ruined for life. It doesn’t matter how angry I am at him, how badly he’s humiliated me, how much he loathes me, he could destroy me and I would ask for more. I turn and grab the door, mostly to keep myself upright. I’m so pathetic. Thank god the Jackal can’t see me right now.

  “I don’t want him running off to your little shared fuck and telling her I’m stalking him or acting inappropriately. The last thing I need is that bitch starting a vendetta on me. I’d say thanks for the help up here but I’m sure you’ll find a way to make me pay for it later.”

  I enjoy the twin looks of shock on their faces as I slam the door on them both.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  It takes two days to be able to go back to class.

  I still can’t breathe without being able to feel exactly which ribs are broken but my concussion has eased. For those two days, I can’t sit up for longer than ten minutes without a migraine splitting open my skull and rummaging around in my brain matter. I’m once again saved by the fact that I’m so far ahead in all of my classes.

  When I take my seat in Math class and I see that I got a solid A for my Workbook re-do I’m so relieved I could slump in my chair. I remember at the last second that the action would hurt me dearly and I smile instead. It feels strange on my face. I’ve only winced and grimaced for days.

  Only Harley beat me, a defeat I’ll take gracefully thanks to him carrying me back to my room. He’s smug about it and I keep my mouth shut about Avery’s little pyromaniac episode. Another boon I’m granting, I’m practically a saint.

  At the end of our class he waits for me to pack up. Avery doesn’t share our Math class so I don’t have to worry about the repercussions of Harley speaking to me. I look at him curiously and when he gives me a slow smile I fight the blush that’s creeping up my neck.

  “Let’s take a walk, Mounty.” he says with a voice full of honey, rich and thick.

  We walk in silence as I let him lead me through the school. I forget sometimes how big this place is when I’m sprinting from class to class. I get jostled a few times by passing students and I push out my elbow to try and force them around me instead. Being so damn short is a pain in the ass sometimes.

  “Kyle and Nicky have both been expelled.”

  Harley doesn't look down at me as he says this. They must be the guys that held me while Spencer whaled on me. The pace he has set is brutal on my ribs, I'm panting so hard to keep up with his ridiculously long legs. His sculpted, swimmers legs. Dammit, stop thinking about his legs!

  “What did you get them for?” I ask. I'm not sure if he'll give me a straight answer or not. I certainly didn't give him one when I'd led him out to watch Joey get arrested. Harley grins savagely.

  “Kyle got done for doping. He was on the track team and there are students on the fastback to the Olympics. They don’t take kindly to their teammates taking banned supplements. Nicky… well, little Nicky Bianchi has some strange sexual adventures and he likes to take pictures of himself doing what it is he does. Half of the classrooms in the school are closed for cleaning today.”

  I wrinkle my nose. Guys are disgusting. If I've touched that guys DNA matter just because he's a fucking deviant I'll be pissed.

  “So what do you have planned for Hillsong then? What skeletons hide in his closet?”

  If anything the grin on Harley's face gets even more savage. He looks imposing, vicious in the best possible way. The kind of darkness my heart reaches out for because it recognizes it. I swear to god my panties damn near disintegrate at the look of him right now.

  “No explosion for Spencer. I told you, I'm going to end him.”

  A shiver takes over me. This could get out of hand fast but that only made it more exciting. “Give me details, I need to know what I'm signing up for.”

  I'm running through lists in my head, equations and formulas on how I can help. Minimize the witnesses, something to transport the body, clean up crew so no evidence is left behind, a deep grave somewhere remote and unrelated to either of us. It's a lot to figure out on the fly but fuck it. I'm all in. I didn’t become the Wolf because I’m afraid of getting my hands dirty.

  “I'm going to beat him bloody until he needs a tube to breathe, anything less and he's getting away too lightly. It'll be hard but I'll stop myself from taking him out. I'm not sure you'll be able to keep your scholarship if you're aiding and abetting a murderer.”

  “The Beaumont's want me out anyway, what a way to go.” I mutter. Harley either ignores me or he doesn't hear me as he steps into the rose colored light streaming down in the chapel. A senior who is even bigger than Harley shuts the door behind us and slides the bolt into place. My hand slips into my pocket and grips my knife. I feel the urge to put my back against the wall. After everything that’s happened to me in this room I guess it’s to be expected. Spencer Hillsong is already there, bare chested, frowning over at us both.

  “Why the fuck did you bring the Mounty? You know the rules. No girls.”

  The rules. Harley has challenged him to one of their little fight club matches. Spencer has no clue what he was in for. My heart surges in my chest as I watch them both circle each other.

  “Fuck the rules and fuck you Hillsong. You've alr
eady shown everyone what a coward you really are. You need your friends to hold a girl down while you hit her, that’s fucking pathetic.”

  Spencer scans the crowd but he doesn't find what he's looking for. I'd bet it was Joey, he's hoping the puppet master would leap to his rescue. What a dumb ass. Joey only saves himself.

  Harley shrugs out of his blazer and for a single heart stopping second I think he’s going to take his shirt off too. Disappointment burns me when he rolls up his sleeves instead. Shouldn’t he be worried about getting blood on his crisp white shirt? God, I’m such a pervert.

  Harley glances down at me and gestures to one of the pews, right at the front where I’ll get the perfect view of what’s about to go down. When I’m comfortable he dumps his bag next to me and then surveys the room. There’s about fifteen guys all standing around and the air is thick with their eager bloodlust. None of them spare me a glance as they watch Harley with greedy eyes.

  “Anyone touches her or asks her for sex from here on out will get the same as Hillsong. You can film it and spread it around for all I fucking care but that’s how it’s going to be. We clear?”

  There’s nods, grunting, and a few phones make an appearance. Spencer laughs and puts his hands on his hips like he’s preening under Harley’s judgment. It’s gross.

  “And what about your cousin? Joey is the whole reason this started, are you going to beat him up? I’m not afraid of you, Arbour. You think getting a face tat makes you so fucking tough? You’re just a pussy with a deadbeat dad and fucked-up mom who’s riding on your cousins coattails.”

  Harley leans down to drop his blazer on his bag and I see the flames burning in his eyes. Spencer is a deadman.

  “I can organize a cleanup crew if you want to kill him.” I whisper, a smile playing at the corners of my mouth. Harley smirks at me and straightens.