“Do you have to go to work today?” I raised my eyebrows inquisitively. “You didn’t get much sleep.”
“Yeah.” She sighed and poured a cup of coffee. “I took off yesterday because I wanted to have an extra day—I can’t ask for another one.”
“It’s not like they need you.” I shrugged. “Otherwise you wouldn’t be looking for another job.”
“No, but there are a few things I still need to wrap up before I clean out my office. I’m still under contract for two more weeks, so they can pay me to sit on my hands if they want.” She took a sip of her coffee and sat down. “I should be able to leave on time though, so we’ll get you a new cell phone this afternoon.”
“Thank you.” I nodded. “It’s been weird not having one.”
“A little break from technology isn’t a bad thing. There was a time when people weren’t connected twenty-four-seven.” She laughed under her breath.
“The dark ages? Before my time.” I shook my head and laughed.
“I know you were kind of taken aback by what I told you about school—but it’s something we are going to have to discuss for real if they offer me that job.” She took another sip of her coffee and put down her cup. “There’s a signing bonus for this new job, so I can keep the lease on this place until you graduate.”
“I just…” I sighed. “I know I’ll be on my own when I go to college, but I wasn’t really expecting it so soon. I haven’t mentally prepared for that.”
“You really are an angel, aren’t you? Most kids your age would be doing cartwheels and back flips if their mom told them they were going to get to live by themselves in high school.” She looked down and smiled. “You’ll do fine on your own. You’ve never been the type to get in trouble…”
“That you know about…” I grinned.
“Oh, I’m sure you have a few secrets. I was a teenager once too—in those dark ages you mentioned.” She laughed. “But, you’re way more mature than I was at eighteen. If my parents left me alone for several days, I would have thrown a party—this place is spotless.”
Because I didn’t spend a single night in my own bed while you were gone—until last night.
“Give me some time to think it through. I did the research too, and you’re right—Bradford Academy’s curriculum will set me back if I try to transfer to a new school. I’m definitely not repeating my senior year if I can avoid it…” I sighed and took a sip of my coffee.
Staying in Los Angeles was both a blessing and a curse. I had two really good reasons to stay—finishing my senior year at Bradford Academy and the man I had fallen for. The flip side was that finishing high school at Bradford Academy meant a lot more run-ins with the Bradford Elite. I wasn’t sure what happened with Bianca, but I doubted that she was going to sulk for long. Things that would bother other people rolled off her like she was coated in Teflon. Eventually, she would recover and turn her attention back towards me. Then I would be nothing more than property once again—for the rest of the school year if I couldn’t figure out a way to get my hands on her phone and delete that damn video.
“Hey…” I walked up to Candice at her locker. “Any news?”
“Oh, hey!” She closed her locker and smiled. “Nothing major—just more rumors. Some people are saying that Bianca could be pregnant!”
“If a virus is scared of her, I’m pretty sure a baby doesn’t want to grow there—do you think she could even love her own child?” I raised an eyebrow.
“I don’t know, but I’m sure it will be quite scandalous—especially if she doesn’t know who the father is.” Candice shrugged.
“It would have to be Romero’s kid, right?” I leaned forward to open my locker. “She’s been dating the quarterback for a while now…”
“Maybe.” Candice nodded. “Oh well, I’m sure there will be a dozen new rumors by lunch.”
I saw Amy and Jillian when I walked to my first class, and once again, there was no sign of Bianca. I wondered where she actually went if she wasn’t hanging out in the hallway with her crown on display while she tormented people. By the time I got to the class that we shared, my curiosity was piqued. If she wasn’t in the hallway, she might be alone—and if she was alone—I would have a much better chance of getting her cell phone. I couldn’t take all three members of the Bradford Elite on my own, but I might be able to take Bianca. I didn’t relish in the idea of starting a fight, but if it was the only way to get her cell phone, a few punches might be necessary. After everything she had done to me, that would be a pretty mild response if the opportunity presented itself.
She is at her weakest right now, and I need to take advantage of it…
After class was over, I was the first one out of my seat, a split second before Bianca. While the rest of the students were talking and grabbing their books, she made a dash for the door, and I wasn’t far behind. Bradford Academy had a pretty relaxed atmosphere and gave students a little break between classes. Most of us used that time to grab a burst of caffeine or a snack from the cafeteria, while the Bradford Elite used it to torment people in the hallway. Bianca seemed to have other plans because she walked towards one of the side entrances and stepped outside.
I didn’t get close, but when I pushed the door open, I saw her walk to the side of the annex building. She was all alone and out of sight—it was the best opportunity imaginable if I wanted to take her cell phone out of her hand. I crept over to the annex building and did my best spy impression as I pressed myself to the wall and peeked around the corner. Bianca was leaned against the wall, and she had a lit cigarette in her fingers—but no sign of her cell phone. It was always glued to one of her hands, so I waited—but all she did was smoke.
Screw it. I can take Queen Bianca on my own. I’ll make her unlock her damn phone for me if I have to.
“Bianca…” I walked around the corner and glared at her.
“Huh?” She looked up in a panic and tried to hide her cigarette, but her face relaxed when she saw that it was me. “Oh, hey Hannah.”
Hey Hannah? Not property? No—insult? This really is the reverse Twilight Zone.
“Give me your cell phone.” I extended my hand.
I might as well just come out and demand it—no reason to play games.
“What?” She blinked in surprise.
“I want that video deleted—from your phone and from your cloud.” I narrowed my eyes. “You’re all alone, Bianca. You don’t have your coven of heartless bitches to protect you.”
“I don’t have it…” She took a drag from her cigarette and dropped it on the ground. “If you want my cell phone, you’re going to have to ask my parents for it. While you’re at it, why don’t you ask if I can have my car back too. My father is picking me up after school if you want to have a chat with him…”
Bianca started walking towards me, and I stepped out of the way. Lying wasn’t out of character for her, but the look on her face told me that what she said was true. Hitting her wasn’t going to accomplish anything but make me feel better—I certainly would have enjoyed watching her go down to the ground—but violence wasn’t really in my nature. I would have fought to get her phone and delete the video, but I wasn’t going to start throwing punches if the only outcome was blood. Someone had already knocked the queen of the heartless bitches off her throne—someone with more power over her than I would ever have.
If her parents really care that much, then why haven’t they done anything before now? It seems a little late considering how long she’s ruled this damn school like some kind of dictator.
I made it to my next class before the tardy bell rang, but I was just numb. If Bianca’s parents had her cell phone, then I didn’t have anything to fear from the Bradford Elite—but I had no idea how long that would last. She must have seriously screwed up if they took everything away from her—it was probably why she had to quit the cheer squad too. I wondered if what I had overheard earlier in the week had something to do with it—when she bragged to her friends
about hitting her mother. I would never do that to mine—I loved her way too much. There was also a good chance that she would bury my body in the backyard if I tried—forget losing my phone or my car—if I survived her wrath, I would have definitely been homeless.
Candice had to leave as soon as school was over, but I wasn’t in much of a rush. Normally, I got out of the building as quickly as possible to avoid another encounter with the Bradford Elite, but without Queen Bianca, the other two didn’t seem that interested in messing with me. They probably wouldn’t have attacked me in the locker room and done all of those awful things without her leading the charge. After I finished at my locker, I started walking towards the door of the school. It had already emptied for the most part, but a few students were lagging—including Bianca, who was a few steps ahead of me.
I guess she has no reason to hurry either…
Bianca pushed the door open, and I followed behind her. Instead of walking towards the parking lot, she headed in the direction of the line of cars where parents picked up the younger students who weren’t old enough to drive. That was the only option for people who didn’t ride with someone else since Bradford Academy didn’t have buses. Despite her offer, I had no real interest in meeting her parents—I certainly wasn’t going to ask them to delete the video. Bianca walked towards a blue Maserati—of course, her parents had one of those—but it looked familiar. My pulse started racing—my heart began to beat really hard in my chest—and my head spun. The driver door opened—and my entire world came crashing down around me in one solitary instant.
“Oh my god.” I put my hand to my mouth. “No!”
This can’t be happening…
I was frozen in place, staring as a horror movie unfolded in front of my eyes. The man that stepped out of the car was the same one I had fallen for—Bianca’s father—was Justin. He walked around the side of the car, pulled open the passenger side door, and said a few words to Bianca before she climbed inside. I needed to start walking in the other direction as fast as possible, but my legs wouldn’t move. I felt like a deer trapped in headlights with high beams accelerating at me. He lifted his head—he saw me—and the only thing I did was tremble. I saw a confused look spread across his face—followed by the realization of what he was seeing—what I was seeing—and adrenaline finally overwhelmed the shock.
I ran. It was all I could do. I sprinted across the parking lot, pulled my keys out of my purse, and steadied my trembling hand long enough to push the key into the lock. I didn’t look towards Justin—I didn’t want to know if he followed me. I just wanted to be home—behind a closed door—locked in my room—and under a pile of clothes in my closet. I didn’t want to see the light of day ever again. There was no reason for me to worry about the lie anymore—the truth was uglier than I could have ever imagined. The source of my greatest agony—the girl who bullied me, beat me, and filmed the whole thing—was the daughter of the kindest man I knew—the man I fell for—the man who took my innocence. The Twilight Zone wasn’t reversed anymore—I was firmly in the middle of the most horrific moment of my entire life.
“Hey, you’re home!” My mother walked out of the kitchen as soon as I stepped through the front door. “Ready to go pick out a new cell phone?”
“No, I don’t need one.” I walked towards my room without making eye contact.
“Hannah, what’s wrong?” She immediately followed me and was at my door before I could slam it.
“Mom, this is just—one of those things I need to deal with on my own.” I could feel the shock and adrenaline wearing off—the tears were about to start coming.
“Talk to me…” She put her hand on my door.
“I really—I just can’t. Please, if you love me…” The tears started rolling down my face.
“Okay.” She nodded and pulled her hand away from my door. “I’m here if you need me.”
I pushed my door closed, walked over to my bed, and crashed into my pillow face-first. It was time for an ugly cry—heart-wrenching sobs—and screams that my pillow would struggle to muffle. The most beautiful experience of my life had become rotten bile in my stomach. I didn’t even want to breathe oxygen anymore. I just wanted the world to open up and swallow me whole—hell, it could crush me when that sundered pieces came back together because I didn’t want to live anymore. Justin had become incredibly important to me in such a short time. He was my stability—a place I could retreat to where the Bradford Elite didn’t exist—except that they did. They were a part of his world too—and if I hadn’t lied to him the first time we met, I would have known that from the beginning.
I’m sure he would have mentioned having a daughter that attended the same school I did—and I would have run away as fast as possible when I realized the man who offered to help me was the father of the one who put me in that situation, to begin with.
Fifteen
Justin
“What’s wrong?” Bianca turned her head towards me as soon as I stepped back into the car—I could already tell that all of the color was drained out of my face.
“Nothing. Put on your seatbelt.” I reached for mine and cranked up the car.
“Fine.” She snapped her seatbelt into place and folded her arms across her chest.
My head was spinning out of control. I struggled to process what I had seen. Hannah wasn’t a college student—she wasn’t pledged to a sorority—she was still in high school. I knew she was too young for me, and I struggled with it, but fuck—high school? I would be lucky if my name didn’t end up on a registry somewhere. She went to the same school as my daughter—so even if she was eighteen—it was a disaster waiting to happen. I would have never gotten involved with her if I had known that. I would have called the cops and let them deal with the naked high school student on the side of the fucking road. I was screwed if she told anyone about our relationship and potentially going to jail if she hadn’t crossed the threshold that the law provided for the age of consent.
I can’t believe this is happening—what the fuck did I do?
I kept running through the moment in my head. Hannah looked terrified—shocked—like she had been slapped across the face and somehow stayed on her feet. She must not have realized that my daughter went to her school—she definitely didn’t expect to see me there. I was so consumed with all the drama from my personal life that I kept most of the details to myself. I thought something was wrong early on, but I let my growing desire blind me. I fought to keep my hands off her when I should have been asking more questions—pressing for details—figuring out that everything she told me about her life was a total fabrication. I didn’t even know if the house she asked me to drop her off at was really her home—for all I knew, she actually was trying to break into it. I was a fucking idiot from the start—all because I got distracted by her gorgeous curves. No—I couldn’t even think about them being gorgeous anymore.
I have to forget she even exists…
“I know you’re pissed at me, but are you even going to tell me what awful things the people at the school told you?” Bianca narrowed her eyes.
“I think you know exactly what they told me.” I squeezed the steering wheel so tight that my knuckles turned white.
Somehow, I had to deal with all of that while my head was processing a fucking disaster. My daughter was a monster. Most of the teachers were scared to death of her except for a few—the principal had a long list of things that had gotten her sent to his office, but he was terrified of actually calling us because my ex-wife screamed at him the one time he did. I didn’t know any of that. I had failed as a parent—hell, I had failed at life. It was hard to look at the girl next to me and remember that she wasn’t always a tyrant princess—she wasn’t always her mother’s horrible clone—but, that was just the tip of the iceberg. She took all of her mother’s awfulness and added a multiplier that I hadn’t even figured out yet.
“We’re home. Thanks for the exciting car ride.” Bianca leaned over and reached for the door hand
le when I pulled up in the driveway. “Wish you could stay—not.”
“Don’t open that fucking door, Bianca.” I turned towards her.
“I’m grounded. I can’t do anything but go to school and come home—hanging out with you doesn’t fit into either one of those categories.” She turned towards me and sneered.
“That’s exactly what you’re going to do, but you just finished your last day at Bradford Academy. You’ll start public school next week.” I felt my jaw tighten up.
“What?” She blinked in confusion. “You can’t do that!”
“Yes.” I nodded. “I can. Bradford Academy is for students that want to learn and be challenged. You’ve made it your little kingdom where everyone is terrified to walk through the door. That’s over. It’s time for you to see what the real world is like.”
“I hate you!” She grabbed the door and slung it open. “I hope you die!”
I thought that pulling Bianca out of Bradford Academy was too harsh, but the moment I talked to her teachers, I realized it was the only option I had. Facing the students she had bullied with a shattered crown wasn’t going to undo the damage she had done—it wasn’t poetic justice—it was just a reminder of the cruelty they had endured. I saw the fear in the eyes of her teachers—I saw her principal tremble when he went through the list of shit she had done—the stuff she had actually gotten in trouble for. That wasn’t a light switch that I could flip off by yanking the rug of privilege out from under Bianca’s designer heels. She needed an entire paradigm shift, and she wouldn’t be a tyrant or a princess in a public school.
Oh great, I was hoping to get out of here without having to talk with Regina, but here she comes.
“Justin?” Regina walked over and knocked on my window.
“Hey.” I hit the button to roll it down.
“Bianca said something about you making her quit school before she ran up the stairs. What happened?” She leaned against the edge of the window.
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