Ruthless Royals

by Eva Hart

  What the hell happened to her? Why did she get attacked? I had no idea what was going on. I felt fear in my body, and I wondered if there was anything that could point me in the right direction.

  I waited at the hospital for JJ to wake up. Finally, the nurse came over, looking at me.

  “You’re Josephine’s roommate, right?”

  “Yes. How is she?”

  “Alright. She’s awake and conscious, but whoever did this seriously had a death wish out. She only had a little bit, but that was enough to hospitalize her. She’s going to need to stay here for a few days so we can get the last of it out. The last thing we want is her to get sick after she leaves,” the doctor explained.

  “What do you mean? what happened?”

  “Well someone put rat poison in her food. We found a pretty hefty amount of it. It was the last thing she ate too, so it wasn’t that long ago,” the doctor explained.

  Holy shit. Someone poisoned my ice cream! That’s why it felt so strangely off after I got home.

  “What the fuck. So this whole carton is poisoned?”

  “Yes. It’s best if you check your food, and don’t buy anything to leave at home. Sounds like someone has a big beef with her,” the doctor said with a sigh.

  “It’s not her. It’s me. That ice cream was me but…I couldn’t eat it,” I told her.

  “I see. Well, I think it’s best you check your food to make sure it isn’t further tampered with,” the doctor admonished.

  I waited with JJ at the hospital. I couldn’t believe this. They were dragging innocent people into this. These damn elites were hurting me, but also other people too.

  I couldn’t believe this. They took it way too far.

  I couldn’t just sit by and let JJ get hurt like this. Especially after all that she did for me. But I felt regretful.

  After about an hour or so, I walked inside. I saw JJ there, but she had a wary look on her face.

  “It’s me. I’m not here to hurt you,” I said.

  “Yeah, but you’re connected to people who are looking to hurt you. And I…I don’t want to deal with that. I’m just trying to graduate,” JJ said.

  “Yeah well, I’m not letting any of these bastards get away with it,” I told her.

  “You’re making a mistake Jules—”

  “They made the mistake when they decided to hurt you. I don’t know who is to blame here. That Tabitha bitch, or the Elites, but I’m going to fix this. I’m not going to let others hurt you,” I told her.

  I was serious about this. I didn’t want to see another innocent person hurt because of the beef that these fuckers had with me.

  “I don't think that’s a good idea Jules, but if you think it’s right…fine,” she said.

  “JJ, I’m not getting you involved in this. I don’t want them hurting you, especially since you’re just an innocent victim. I’m so sorry,” I said to her.

  JJ didn’t say anything. I felt our friendship start to drift away already. Great, the first friend that I had, and already I fucked it up.

  I could take the rotting milk. I could take the cheese. But now, they’re trying to kill others, and if it wasn’t for me being in the right place at the right time, it would’ve been way worse.

  I looked forward, wandering how it would transpire tomorrow. I’d meet with them during lunch, and we’d go from there.

  The next day, I woke up, groggy from being at the hospital for so long. JJ wasn’t back yet, and I remembered what she said. She was scared to associate with me. I don’t blame her honestly, but that didn’t mean it wouldn’t hurt.

  But I’m not going to worry about that. I have to find the Elites. I went to campus, waiting until lunch time, and then, I walked over to Phoenix and his crowd. I could see the eyes on me, and a couple of girls grinning. I also could feel Tabitha glaring at me.

  Glare all you want bitch. I’m not letting another person get hurt.

  “Hey, we have to talk,” I said to them.

  “What do you mean?” Phoenix said.

  “We have to meet up. Listen we can either do this now, or later, but one of your little cronies did something that hurt innocent people, and I’m not going to sit here and take this,” I told him.

  My voice was hesitant. I didn’t know if this would even work. But then, Phoenix smiled.

  “Sure. We can wait till after school for this though,” I said.

  “Fine. After school. Where do you want to meet?”

  “Chem lab. If that’s okay,” he said.

  “Fine, whatever. But I’m not letting you guys get away with this. You’re hurting others. JJ got poisoned,” said.

  He didn’t say anything, but then, a bunch of girls got in the way, blocking me from this. I then sat in the corner, eating my meager lunch with anger in my eyes. They didn’t do anything or even say anything in response. So, I looked at them, anger present in my face.

  I can’t believe this shit. I can’t believe I have to go bargain with some high-strung bastards. I felt frustrated, but I also knew that if I didn’t do something now, I’d get hurt later on.

  After I finished lunch, I continued with classes. For some reason, I wasn’t getting as harassed as I normally did. I wondered if it had something to do with the little chat that I had with Phoenix. But, after school things changed. I went over to the chemistry lab, wondering where Phoenix was.

  “Hey, where are you? We have to talk!” I said.

  “Oh, there’s nothing to talk about,” a voice said.

  Suddenly, I felt my hands behind my back and tried, and I felt something blindfold me. I looked around, but all I could see is darkness.

  “What are you—”

  “You really think you can just barge right in and talk to Phoenix like that? don’t make me laugh. Now pay for your crimes, bitch!” she said.

  Suddenly, I was thrown into a tiny space, the blindfold pulled off of me. All I could see though, was darkness and shelves. The smell of chemicals wafted through the air, and I could feel my entire body start to grow weak as I inhaled the chemicals. Shit, was I gonna die out here? I could feel my head getting fuzzy, my body struggling to stay up as I inhaled the pungent scents.

  “What the hell? Let me out!” I said.

  “Nope. We’re not going to do that. we’ll be taking care of all of your belongings. JJ isn’t back, so I think we’ll head over there now,” Tabitha said.

  I heard the other girls laugh from the other side of the door before I heard them slowly begin to move away. I could feel the chemicals burning my eyes.

  What did they put in here? I looked about, trying to figure out if there is anything that I could use to get out of here. It was no use though. I couldn’t unlock the door, and there was no vent.

  The air was stifling. I wondered what they’d do. I couldn’t believe this. Would they really take all my shit? I didn’t know what else was about to happen, or if I could get out of here

  I just wanted them to stop harassing JJ and others. I just wanted them to let go. I didn’t get my dad involved because I know that if I did things would get ugly.

  But I couldn’t just sit here and take this. I felt like the chemical smell was growing worse with each second. I coughed, trying to get the pungent taste out of my mouth. My head felt dizzy, and I used a shelf nearby to brace myself. I could feel my legs growing weaker though, and as I grasped the shelf, I could feel the weakness in my body.

  What the hell were they going to do with me? I felt like I was being kicked while I was down just being here. I didn’t like this. I wanted to go home. It frustrated me, that’s for sure.

  Suddenly, I felt my vision grow blurry. I could see it weakening, and as I continued to maintain consciousness, I could feel my whole body growing tired. I was blacking out, and suddenly, I fell down.

  Then, I heard the sound of the door opening. When it did, I could make out a little bit of a blurry face. Who was it? Did JJ come get me? Was it a luckless faculty member who would be pulled into their games?
Or was it my dad? I didn’t want the last bit to be true. He was the head of security, so it might make sense. Maybe all my thrashing finally got their attention. But then, as I started to come to, I noticed pale skin, dark brown hair, and hazel eyes.

  It was Phoenix.

  I looked at him, and he smiled at me.

  “There you are sleepyhead,” he said.

  “What the hell are you doing here? I waited for you and—”

  “Yeah, I heard that Tabitha locked you in the closet. She’s pretty pissed,” he said.

  “No shit. Why is she doing this? Why aren’t you with them?” I asked.

  I didn’t understand. I thought he got satisfaction out of harassing me. I mean, wasn’t he pissed about the whole thing too? He was the one who decked me the first time he found out. But he shook his head.

  “Listen, I’m okay with the teasing, but when it starts to hurt others, that’s where I draw the line. Harmless fun is harmless fun, but I’m not into killing people,” he said.

  Bull fucking shit. I didn’t believe him one bit.

  “You’re so full of shit. Especially considering the company you keep,” I muttered.

  “Hey, I let you go. I could just throw you back in there till Tabitha is done,” he said.

  “That’s a lie. She’s been done, you just now came to release me,” I said.

  “Listen, lie I told you, I’m not here to kill you. I don’t like killing. That’s not my style. I prefer a fairer way to play,” he said.

  “Well, I’m tired of it. I’m tired of you and your fucking friends hurting me, and hurting others. This is war. Don’t think I’m just going to sit here and quietly take this shit like I’m some dumb animal,” I stated.

  “It’s better if you just keep your goddamn mouth shut Jules. The others are off doing their own thing, and the fact that I even came here alone should be a sign that I’m not the enemy. But, I’m not your friend either,” he said.

  “I don’t believe you’re my friend or enemy either. Listen, I’m going to talk to them. I’m not going to sit here and let you continue to harass me. Let you continue to harass my friends.

  Phoenix scoffed.

  “You’re a fucking idiot. You won’t win,” he said.

  “Well, I’m not going to back down,” I said.

  “Listen, I suggest you don’t say that. I really think you should just give Luca what he wants, especially if you want this to end. He is the type who will continue to bother you until you listen to him. I won’t hurt you, and I have no intention of getting blood on my hands, but I will say, Luca is a different story, and he’ll stop at nothing to get what he wants,” he said.

  I looked at Phoenix. What was he getting at? What did Luca want? I thought torturing me was what he wanted?

  “What does he want? I thought he just got joy out of harassing me.”

  “No, he just wants something pretty and fun to play with, whose also willing too. You do fit the bill,” he said.

  I couldn’t believe this. I had a feeling what type of “Playing” he wanted to do.

  “I’m not sure,” I said.

  “Well, it won’t end until you give them what they want. That’s all I’m saying,” he said.

  I looked at Phoenix. I couldn’t believe the nerve of this man. But then, he chuckled, walking away and leaving me at the foot of the closet.

  “I’m not going to be some fucking plaything for you guys for the rest of my life.”

  I just saw him smirk, and then, he stepped out.

  What the hell was going on?

  I didn’t know how to feel. There was something about the way Phoenix spoke to me, where he had that sweet, charming personality, that had an unbridled fire within him. I felt a strange closeness to it, and a strange attraction to it. What the hell was wrong with me.

  Should I give him what he wants? No, that definitely wasn’t going to be a good thing. I didn’t like the idea behind that. I started to clean myself up, holding my bag and checking for all my stuff. For some reason, they didn’t grab anything in there but sure enough, I started to notice a few of my things were on campus.

  For starters, I noticed my shampoo and conditioner were left in the English classroom. All my bras were strung to the flagpole, and I noticed that my tablet was left in the library. I heard some jeering as I grabbed my things. But I then went back to my apartment to survey the damage.

  Holy shit. My stuff was gone. All of my shit was missing. I left my laptop out, and it was taken. A couple of my electronics were gone too. My phone was the only thing that wasn’t a victim of their thievery.

  I thought about calling my dad, but there was no way that would fly. I’d be a sitting target, and I knew he couldn’t do anything about it, especially if Luca was involved. Which was sure he was.

  JJ was there, her eyes widened.

  “What happened?” she said.

  “The Elites got me,” I said.

  “They didn’t touch any of my stuff,” she said.

  “No. the fight is between me and them. You were just accidentally caught in the firefight,” I told her.

  “You have to do something about this Jules. You can’t just sit there and take it,” she admitted.

  “I know this JJ. I’m going to fight them,” I told her.

  “That’s insane. You know they’re too strong,” she said.

  “No they aren’t. I’ll figure it out. I’ll face them,” I said.

  “I think it’s best if I stay out of this. You seem to know what to do, and I think for my own safety…I should stay back,” she said.

  She scurried away, and I sighed. I knew that JJ was nervous about this, because she understood the types of people we were up against. The elites weren’t just your average little prissies. They were evil, and I wanted to fight them.

  I didn’t think it was fair I was being attacked for something I didn’t even do, for something that happened in the past that wasn’t even my fault. I would need to find all my stuff over the next couple of days.

  I had to figure this out. The tormenting would only continue. I tried to call my mom multiple times, but no dice. I hesitated for a moment, thinking about calling my dad to tell him everything, but I stopped.

  “No…I had to do this on my own,” I said.

  I guess that was the stubbornness of me, but I definitely felt as if there was a lot on my mind that continued to eat away at me like a festering wound. Tabitha wouldn’t stop. She was the queen of the Elites, and Luca was on her side with all of this. Phoenix seemed to enjoy the fun, even though he didn’t like the idea of people actually getting hurt. As for Thorn…he was the quietest of all of them. There was something almost unsettling about him when I thought about the mysterious guy. I know he was the son of a famous daytime talk show host, but it seems like he had his own plans.

  All of these guys, and the girls that followed their trails, were my enemy. I needed to figure out how to deal with this, how to fight it, but I didn’t know how to. There was a lot I didn’t understand, a lot that I struggled to figure out myself. But I guess that’s the way this tended to go. I guess the answer would show up eventually, and that I’d have all of that at some point.

  For now, I needed a plan. I wanted to find someone, anyone who would help me in this endeavor, but for now, the best thing would be to sleep on this. I could tell JJ was fearful, and the truth was, I was too.

  I didn’t know if they were friend, or foe. For now, they were enemies, but I thought about what Luca said. Sure, he wouldn’t kill me, but he could stop short of it. I could end up violently vomiting for days on end because of this guy. None of them were friends, and this was better fought as a lone battle.

  I wouldn’t stop until this war was over, when I’d win against the Elites and bring them down. I swear, I’d take them, even if it killed me in the process.

  Chapter 6

  After the whole rat poison debacle, I felt like there was so much going on that I didn’t know where to begin. I still got harassed b
y Tabitha and her little minions, from getting my lunch tray decked to one of them sticking a rotten banana peel in my locker. This was getting tiring, and honestly, I wanted out.

  But I didn’t want to deal with the fallout that would result from this. I felt like, if I overstepped my bounds too far it would bite me in the ass. I needed a plan, and at least supporters who knew of the bullshit I was going through, and of course were willing to help.

  One day, as I was getting my books out of the locker, I turned to my left and saw an attractive man with sandy blonde hair, blue eyes, and a smile on his face. He was tall, that’s for sure, about a foot taller than I was. He seemed familiar, and I felt like I knew him from somewhere, but I wasn’t sure.

  “Hey there Jules,” the guy said.

  “Hi. Who are you?” she asked. Why was this guy even here? I mean, he was cute, I’ll give him that, but most people knew better than to even say hello to me.

  “My name’s Dane. I saw you a few times. Just wanted to say hi,” he said.

  “Well hello to you as well,” I replied with a small smile on my face.

  There was a growing tension between us. I didn’t know whether he was friend or foe, especially given recent events.

  During lunch, it was the same old same old. I looked at the table I normally sat at, seeing it was occupied by a couple of sneering girls. I sat there, quietly eating my lunch, when I heard one of them speak.

  “Hey Jules. We heard you got another present in your locker. Did you like it?” one of them sneered.

  I ignored them, and the girl looked at me like I had three heads.

  “Hey cunt, we’re trying to talk to you. Why you ignoring us?” she said.

  “Because I don’t feel like talking right now,” I said.

  “Well we’ll make you talk,” one of them said.

  She grabbed her milk, about ready to spill it on my head, when I heard a voice.

  “You want to knock it off? She doesn’t need to listen to you guys,” a familiar voice said.