by Josie Max
Ugh, first Seraphina and her bitch squad, then Knight, whose parents named him wrong because he was as far from a knight in shining armor as you could get. And his friends weren’t much better.
Now I was face to face with a girl who could easily whisper in daddy’s ear any lie she wanted about me.
“Nice to meet you,” I gritted my teeth but forced myself to produce the phoniest smile I could.
Fake it until I got the fuck out of Green Hills. That was going to be my senior year motto.
“So, you’re the new girl from South Green Hills?” The corner of her mouth ticked up.
“Yup.” My shoulders felt tight. I hadn’t even started class, and I already wanted the day to end.
“Arabella, I want you to show Violet around. This is an enormous building, and she might need some help today.”
Her hazel eyes slid to my lip and she nodded. “It would be a pleasure, Dad.”
The way she stared, I wondered if she wanted to make the other lip swollen.
“Come on, new girl.” She waved me to the door. “First, we need to find your locker.”
I followed her out the door. Every room in Green Hills Academy was huge, even the front office. At my old school the front office was tiny, and you had to turn sideways to get in between the desks. And the floor was a worn green carpet that had holes.
There was nothing worn about the floor here. At Green Hills Academy, their flooring was wooden and polished to a mirror shine.
As we left the office and stepped into the main hall, extensive works of art surrounded us. It really was like walking through a castle.
“This place is creepy,” I said as I looked up at the portraits of people staring down at me.
“Yes. Creepy as fuck. It’s haunted, by the way.”
My eyes widened. “Really?”
Arabella stopped at the bottom of the rounded staircase that led to the second floor and placed her hand on the wood-carved lion’s head banister.
“Apparently, a duke from some small country in Europe was the original owner. His kink was that he liked to spend time with prostitutes.” Her eyes grew as she told the story.
“Okay. Did someone die here?”
“Not one, but five. I think there may have been more. Green Hills Academy is on the top of a big hill and at the bottom is a stream.”
I nodded. I couldn’t help but take notice of being jerked around in the car by Seraphina this morning as she whipped the car around all the curves going up the road.
“Way back when the duke lived here, that stream used to be a large river. There’s a trap in the basement of this place that goes straight down the stream. The duke would kill the prostitutes and then dump the bodies down the shoot. They’d drift down river to Happy Pond, and no one could pin the deaths on him.”
Why does nothing good happen at Happy Pond? They seriously screwed up naming that thing.
“Oh my god, that’s terrible. And dangerous. Is the trap still there?”
“I heard they sealed it up decades ago. I tried to go down there, but only my dad and the janitor are allowed in the basement. I wanted to see if I could find the trap. See what remains of it.”
That would be cool to see if it were still there.
“This place has a lot of history. I can’t say I’ve been in a building older than a few decades or even a castle before.”
She stared at me for a moment. “Did you really try to claw Seraphina’s eyes out this morning?”
“What? I never touched her. She’s the one who ran into me and caused me to fall to the ground.” I pointed at my lip.
Lifting the ice pack, I noticed it wasn’t cold anymore. Oh well. I tossed it into the trash bin in the corner.
She gasped. “I knew it. That scag always lies. But I have to say, I’m disappointed.”
“Why?”
Arabella shrugged. “I was kinda hoping you had attempted to attack her. That bitch needs to be brought down a peg or five. Her and her plastic bitch crew should’ve been thrown into the recycling bin. It’s better for the environment.”
I laughed. “Oh man, that felt good. I don’t think I’ve laughed in a while.”
She tucked some of her red locks behind her ear. “I heard what happened at Happy Pond. I’m sorry. That sounded awful.”
And just like that, my smile was gone.
“I’m still sort of numb from it. My mom may not have been the best person all the time, but she loved me and I loved her.”
She shrugged. “I get it. My mom left my dad when I was five. I’ve seen her twice since she’s left. I don’t think being a mother was in her genes, you know?”
I liked her. She wasn’t stuck-up and a jerk like the others.
I nodded. “Can I ask you something?”
“Sure, ask away.”
“How come you’re not with Seraphina’s stuck-up crew? I don’t mean you’re stuck-up . . . but you’re gorgeous and your dad’s the principal. I would have thought you’d fit right in with them.”
She threw her arm around my shoulders and guided me up the steps. “I’d tell you everything, Violet, but it would take all day. This town and especially the people here in North Green Hills, aren’t always what they appear to be on the surface.”
“Okay.” I said.
There was more to that statement but I had just met her and it was my first day. I’d leave it for now.
We got to the top of the stairs and she took me to a hall of lockers. But these weren’t the dented-up metal ones I was used to. They were made of dark wood and had a gold plaque with names on them.
“Here we are. The A’s.” She waved at the lockers.
“A’s?”
“Yes, since your last name begins with A, this is your locker area.”
I glanced around and found a locker with the name Violet Adler. It was wide and taller than me—not that I was tall like Arabella.
“So, do you go by Arabella or do you shorten it to Bella?”
The scent of lilacs arrived before she did as she leaned on the locker next to mine.
“Oh, no. Never call me Bella or they may never find your body.”
I lifted a brow as I opened the folder the principal gave me, looking for my locker code.
“Sorry.” She winced. “I didn’t mean like what happened to you mom. Ugh, I need to shut up now.”
“It’s okay. I get it. You hate the name Bella.”
“You have to understand, I was teased ruthlessly when the Twilight movies were out. My whole elementary school existence was kids telling me I liked to kiss vampires.”
I giggled but tried to hide it by covering my mouth.
“I know it sounds silly now, but back then it was the worst.”
“Hey, my mom named me after a purple flower. Every birthday gift I got growing up was purple.”
“I’m guessing you don't like purple.”
“I’m a green kinda girl.” I punched in the code and the door popped open.
“Red for me.” She made a growling sound and clawed the air with her hand.
“Maybe you do like vampires.”
She shook her head, but I saw her smile.
“Whatever, new girl. Just put your stuff in there and then we can get you to class. We’re already late, as you can tell by no one in the hallway.”
I lifted the school handbook to place inside my locker when I saw an envelope with my name on it. I guess it’s a welcome letter they gave to all the new students.
Reaching in, I grabbed it before putting the book inside.
“Wow, you work quick, Violet. Already have a secret admirer.”
The envelope was cream, thick stock with a gold edge. I slid my finger along the seam and tore it open. There was a letter inside, handwritten.
My heart pounded in my chest as I read the words. With trembling fingers, I handed it over to Arabella.
“What? What is it . . .? Oh my god.” She took a breath before she read it out loud, “Roses are dead. Violets a
re black and blue. Watch out, little girl. I’m about to destroy you.”
“Do you think it’s Seraphina?” I asked, wondering if she wanted to do more than just push me to the ground.
Anabella shook her head. “No, she may be a bitch, but she’s all bark and no bite. The most she’ll do is start a rumor about you that you like you give hand jobs for crack or something stupid like that. This is more . . .” she trailed off and her expression had me worried.
“Who?”
“Did you piss off or even speak to Knight King today?”
“Uh, yeah. Right out front of the building when I first arrived.” Based on Arabella’s reaction, I might as well have told her that I punched a puppy. “He called me trash and said I didn’t belong here. What was I going to do? Stand there and take that shit? It’s not like I called him names.”
The more I spoke, the more Arabella shook her head. It’s not as if I was naïve with bullying. I had been picked on back at my old school, but they never realized I knew how to defend myself. And I was getting the impression that these rich kids were clueless, too. They’d learn soon enough.
“No, no, no. When it comes to Knight, you keep your head down and never make direct eye contact.” She placed her hand on my shoulder, worry creasing her brow. “I’m serious. I like you, Violet. You aren’t plastic, both physically and mentally, like a lot of the kids here. I don’t want to see you dragged down by what Knight and his crew can do. He’s called the devil for a reason. The only time anyone purposely interacts with Knight is if they want someone hurt.”
I pushed my shoulders back as I crumpled up the paper and threw it back into my locker. “Dealing with spoiled brats that think they can push me around will be easy compared to some of the stuff I’ve dealt with. If Knight thinks he can scare me, he’s got another thing coming. The last guy who tried to intimidate me ended up in jail.”
SIX
Knight
I NARROWED MY EYES and watched the door. No Violet. Good.
I prepared for today, but not for her.
“I’m thinking we celebrate the first day of school at my place tonight. My parents are still in Japan, so we have the place to ourselves,” Caleb said as he leaned back in his chair, causing the wood to creak.
Caleb, Briggs, and I had the same class for first period, art. It wasn’t a serious class, and even the parents didn’t care if their kids goofed off in art.
Most of the kids spent the class checking their phones.
“Sure, whatever,” I added, sliding my eyes back to the front door.
When I found out my uncle wanted the girl from Happy Pond to stay with us, I thought it was a stupid publicity stunt. But what I realized yesterday, when I overheard them in the pool house, was that it was much worse.
Violet was just another of my uncle’s little helpers. I was sure she was using him as much as he was using her. All that trailer trash saw in my uncle were dollar signs.
“What is with you today, bro? First there was the way you acted in the parking lot and now it seems like you’re waiting for someone. Is it Seraphina? Please tell me you both aren’t back together.” Briggs leaned forward on our shared round table.
I shook my head. “In her dreams. I wish she’d leave me alone. I broke up with her in June, you’d think she’d have learned that by now.”
“So then what is it?” Briggs gave my shoulder a tap.
I groaned and ran my fingers through my hair.
“Okay. If I tell you this, you can’t breathe a word to anyone, including your sister, Caleb. Okay?”
Briggs nodded and Caleb put up his hands. “I told you, I can keep a secret from Catlin.”
Briggs snorted and shook his head. “No, you can’t. It’s that creepy twin thing you have going. Like you two don’t even need to talk to know what the other’s thinking.”
Caleb sat up, his chair legs hitting the floor with a thump. “I won’t say a word. And if I do, you may take Silk from me for a day.”
The corner of my mouth ticked up.
I pointed at him. “A month.”
His eyes grew large. “Are you fucking insane? Hell no. I’ll give you two days.”
Briggs gave me a wink before he added, “I don’t know. That’s not very long. I mean, how are we supposed to take you seriously that you won’t tell your sister if you only give up that sweet, silky thing for two days? Knight’s going to need at least two weeks with her.”
Caleb, who never appeared uncomfortable, looked like he was about to puke. “I’ll give her up for a week, and that’s it.”
“Only if you let Knight and I both ride her for a week.”
Caleb’s jaw tightened. “Fine, but I will come by at midnight on the eighth day to get her back. At fucking midnight.” He pounded the table with his fist, causing the class to glance up from their phone to stare at us.
Briggs chuckled.
“I can’t wait to race that thing down the mountain,” I mentioned just to watch Caleb squirm in his seat.
Silk was Caleb’s Bugatti. It is one of the most expensive and fastest cars on the planet, and I believed he might marry it one day the way he acted around the thing.
“Enough about Silk, this thing you’ve got to tell us better be good for the risk of giving up my baby.”
I pointed at him. “Only if you tell your sister or anyone. Just keep your mouth shut and you can go back to giving Silk a good dicking.”
“Just get on with it,” Caleb grumbled as he narrowed his eyes at me.
We may mess with each other, but each one of us would have the other’s back if it ever came to it. All of us have been through shit.
My eyes slid to Briggs. Some of us were still just trying to survive. But we were a tight crew and never let each other down. Our families may not care if we lived or died. Or in my case, they were too cold and six feet underground to have feelings for me. But we made our own family. Each one of these guys, while not blood related, were who I considered family.
Not that joke of an uncle I had at home.
“You guys know my uncle just let that girl who was rescued from Happy Pond come live with us?”
“Yeah, that’s weird, even for him,” Caleb said.
“It is. That night was messed up. And didn’t go at all how I had planned.”
Briggs looked around before leaning in close. “Did you get what you needed, though?”
“Not really. That stupid mother of hers fucked it all up. Now I’m back at the beginning. I need your help.”
I never wanted to bring my crew in this deep, but I had nowhere else to go. They knew the bare minimum. What I was doing wasn’t safe, and I hated that I was asking them to risk themselves like this.
“I told you, Knight, I’d do anything to help you. After what you did for my mom, I won’t ever forget that.” Briggs reached over and gave my shoulder a squeeze.
Caleb nodded. “Yeah, bro, anything. We’re here to help.”
“It’s the new girl. She’s in on it with my uncle. I overheard their conversation when she first arrived yesterday. We need to do everything we can to get rid of her.”
Caleb rubbed his hands together. “I can’t wait to fuck with new flesh.”
I shook my head. “This will not be like messing with incoming freshmen or some dick that hit on your girlfriends.” Caleb usually had more than one girl he was banging at a time, and they all knew it. “This is going to be messy. We’ve got to go deep. Make sure when she leaves, she never comes back.”
Both Briggs and Caleb nodded. My crew would always have my back.
“And you are?” the art teacher, Ms. Chiron, asked.
I glanced over my shoulder to discover Violet standing there.
“It’s Violet Adler. Sorry I’m late, but I’m new.”
“This will be the only time tardiness is tolerated, Ms. Adler. Everyone needs to be in their seat by the time the bell rings. Is that understood? Art is as important as math and English class,” Ms. Chiron said despite a few ch
uckles in the room.
The teacher glanced around until her eyes landed on our table. Oh, no. She was going to do it, wasn’t she?
“Ms. Adler, you can go sit at Knight, Briggs, and Caleb’s table. We are reflecting on our summer for an art piece we will present at the end of the month.”
“Oh, fuck no,” Briggs said under his breath.
I turned back and shook my head.
Caleb grinned like a deranged jester. “Calm your tits. This is perfect. We can start fucking with her. Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, we can sit here and torment her. The three of us against the wilted little flower.”
A smile broke out of my face. “I did not understand you had such a wicked mind, Caleb. I should have had you at the pond with me.”
He pointed his finger at me like a gun. “That was your first mistake. Try not to make any more. Now, shh . . . she’s coming.”
“Is this seat taken?” Violet asked as I caught a whiff of vanilla.
I wanted to look up, but I had to ignore her. When I laid eyes on her this morning in front of the school, I had no idea how beautiful she would be.
It was dark when I stumbled upon her at the pond, and I never got a good look. Then, in the parking lot, her golden-brown eyes struck me. I couldn’t stop staring.
She wasn’t like the other girls at Green Hills. She was short, curvy, like a ‘50s pinup. And when she smiled, that sexy-as-fuck dimple appeared on her cheek, and all I wanted to do was lick it.
But she was just pussy. That’s what my cock thought. And I had pussy prettier than her before.
That’s why I rarely listened to my cock.
I knew what she was deep down, despite the naïve, fish-out-of-water façade she displayed. Violet was as fake as anyone inside Green Hills Academy. Played innocent on the outside, but inside, she was as rotten as any gold-digger in this town.
None of the crew answered her.
“I guess not,” she said, tossing her backpack on the table. She pulled out a chair and sat.
“As I was saying, Knight, my place, tonight. It’s going to be lit. My sister’s friends will be there. So much pussy to go around,” Caleb said with a chuckle, pushing his hands behind his head.