Masked Truth: Harrington Hills Academy: Book One

by Mae Reese

  “Tucker” Weston sneers at the guy I was just ogling “looks like your parents finally paid for you to get a decent fucking education.” I can hear Brock and the other guys from the football team laugh at Weston’s imbecile attempt at degrading the new student.

  Tucker just chuckles, pushing himself off the lockers and taking a step towards us, his eyes briefly flicking to me before hardening back on Weston.

  I take a minute to take him in. He is tall and has at least four inches on Weston who is almost six foot. His muscular frame is evident under his well-fitting uniform, the fabric stretching across him like it is wanting to touch him as bad as I am.

  Wait, huh?!

  “Trust me, Montgomery, if we didn’t have to be here we wouldn’t be. But you can bet your ass that you and your group of douchebags aren’t going to push us around while we are here. We only have one year here together. How about you stay out of our way and we will stay out of yours. Then everyone will get along just fine” Tucker says, his green eyes getting darker the more ominous his tone towards Weston becomes. Weston takes another step closer, dragging me with him so that we are a mere six inches from Tucker.

  “Oh, don’t worry. Pretty soon you’ll be running the other way whenever you see me or any of my ‘douchebags’ walking the halls so staying out of each other’s way shouldn’t be an issue” he says, his jaw ticking with the strain of trying to keep his composure. I can feel the muscles in his arms tightening across the expanse of my shoulders.

  Tucker laughs humorlessly and looks over his shoulder at another guy, a blond with a smirk that suggests he loves to cause trouble and who is no less hot than the one standing before us.

  Damn they sure do make them hot in Townesville don’t they?

  The little tête-à-tête is broken up when the first bell rings, causing everyone who had been watching the standoff with bated breath to start moving and making their way to class.

  “I mean it Tucker, stay the fuck out of our way” Weston says before turning us both to head down the hall where my first class of the day is, pausing and turning his head over his shoulder “and keep your fucking eyes off my girl” he growls out causing my cheeks to flame.

  Chapter 4

  Skylar

  Sitting down in the seat next to Maisie near the back of Mr. Franklin's English Lit fourth year class I let out the sigh I had been holding since I stepped out of Weston’s Range this morning.

  “It isn’t that bad, Sky” she says leaning over and placing a leather-bound journal with a lock on it on the edge of my desk. Taking the key from around my neck I knew she was wanting me to open it.

  Maisie and I both learned a long time ago that there are always ears around us, nothing we say stays with us within the walls of the school or out in public. In the middle of freshman year, Maisie showed up with a leather journal with a lock on it as a way for us to ‘pass notes’ privately and without others overhearing our conversations. The boys had only once questioned it, but quickly shut up about it when I threatened to withhold blow jobs from Weston.

  I opened the journal and tried not to laugh at the first words scrawled across the page assaulted my eyes.

  Holy FUCK those boys are gorgeous!! I swear I needed a panty change after watching that Tucker kid stare at you. Not only did he undress you in his mind but bent you over in front of the locker and banged the hell out of you.

  Shaking my head and grabbing my pen I reply: They’re trouble. Hot as hell, but trouble all the same. I slide it back towards her and she snorts, grabbing the pen from my hand to jot out a snarky reply, stopping when the door opens and in walks the objects of our penning.

  Closing the book, Maisie glances at me with a quirked eyebrow mouthing ‘locker bang’ at me before cackling loudly as my cheeks heat.

  “You’re such a dick” I mumble to her as the boys make their way to our row and walk down, apparently eyeing the seats directly behind us.

  I make myself busy by grabbing my notebook and a new pen from my bag, avoiding the new additions by doing so. Getting caught staring at Tucker twice in a thirty minute time span would definitely get back to Weston, and also ensure I would have to amp up my sugary sweet sucking up to keep his jealousy at bay. The last thing I need is for Weston to tell Linda dearest that I am not being the perfect girlfriend.

  The boys take the empty seats behind us and I can feel the air shift immediately. The hairs on the back of my neck stand on end and I know without a doubt Tuckers eyes are on me. The silent intensity I feel sends a shiver down my spine so I focus on the paper in front of me to avoid my traitorous body which is currently screaming at me to turn around and soak up all the hotness that is Tucker.

  “Hey, Jessica Rabbit… do you happen to have another pen on you?” The boy who had taken he seat behind Maisie leans forward asks her.

  “Did you not bring one?” She asks with a bit of snark in her voice, cocking an eyebrow and looking over her shoulder at him.

  “I did, I just would much rather have that one that’s been between those sexy fucking lips…” he trails off, pointing at the pen Maisie was chewing the top on.

  I can hear Tucker chuckling behind me but I don’t dare to turn around. Maisie, however, has more balls than me today and swivels in her seat to face the flirtatious blonde behind her.

  “Let me get this straight. You came to a new school and in the first twenty minutes you not only picked a fight with the quarterback of the football team but also hit on the biggest defensive ends girlfriend? Do you have a death wish or are you just not particularly fond of that pretty face of yours?” She quips, cocking her head to the side.

  “So you think I am pretty?” He smirks, a small dimple forming in his cheek with the motion.

  “Fuck off” she huffs, turning back around and facing the front of the room.

  Out of the corner of my eye I can see the blonde turning his smirk to Tucker and having a silent conversation with his friend.

  Mr. Franklin picks that moment to walk out of his office and stand at the podium in the front of the room, effectively drawing my attention to him and all his old-man-professor glory.

  “Morning folks. Let’s start this year off right. Just because you’re seniors doesn’t mean you’re slackers. Everyone take a pop quiz and pass the stack back. This should all be easy knowledge for you” he says over the collective groans of the classroom.

  “Oh for fucks sake” I mumble, causing Maisie and Tucker to laugh.

  “Is there a problem Mr. Tucker?” Mr. Franklin asks from the front of the room. I glance over my shoulder, eyebrows raised in a silent apology.

  “No sir” he says saluting him with his fingers and directing a smirk and me.

  I turn back around and grab the papers from the person in front of me, taking mine and handing the last one back to Tucker. Leaning forward he grabs the quiz from me, his fingers softly brushing the top of mine. A shock zips through my hand at the contact. I must not have been the only one either, as a small line forms between Tuckers drawn brows as if confused. He glances up at me, the look of confusion still gracing his gorgeous face. I can feel the flush taking over my own face and I turn quickly before he notices and focus on the quiz in front of me.

  Finishing the quiz within twenty minutes I turn it over and reach for the journal that Maisie shoved in her bag as soon as Mr. Franklin started passing out the tests. I flip it open and scrawl about my summer with Silas and Granny, zoning out as I do. I am so zoned out in fact that I don’t even notice the bell has already rang and the students are filing out of the classroom, depositing their tests in the box on the teachers desk as they go.

  I close the journal and pinch the lock together, handing it to Maisie before I gather the rest of my stuff.

  “Hey” I hear softly behind me. I turn to face Tucker who is already standing, his book bag slung over one of his broad shoulders.

  “Yes?” I ask when he doesn’t continue.

  “I didn’t catch your name earlier” he replies.
>
  “Probably because I didn’t throw it.”

  “Well, ok. Care to tell me or is it some secret I have to work for?” That smirk is firmly back on his face, obviously he knows it’s charming and uses it to his advantage often.

  “I choose the second option” I reply, tossing my book bag over my shoulder and grabbing my quiz off my desk. I slip it into the box on the teachers’ desk with Maisie right behind me. We walk out into the hall and towards our lockers but I slow when she loops her arm through mine and leans down and whispers “he was totally staring at your ass as you walked out the door.”

  Chuckling I shove her off and veer off to my locker which is across the hall from hers. I grab my books for my next class and give Maisie a little finger wave as I take off without her as she heads the opposite way for her gym class.

  Chapter 5

  Skylar

  “This morning has already been shit” I say as Maisie, Laya, and I stand in line at the cafeteria waiting for whatever high end lunch food they’ve graced us with today. One good thing about our parents paying for a sixty-thousand dollar a year education is that at least we get a meal worthy of such on a daily basis.

  “Tell me about it” Laya cuts in, leaning closer to whisper yell “Did you hear they caught some of the new Townes kids having an orgy in the bathroom during first period?” Her eyes widen as she looks around. Maisie and I both roll our eyes, knowing the gossip mill at HHA is rearing its ugly head early on this school year.

  “I highly doubt that” Maisie says, grabbing an apple from the line and tossing it on my tray. I roll my eyes and put it back, grabbing an orange instead.

  “It’s true! I heard Maria talking about it in biology.”

  “Last year Maria said she saw Principal Vance doing coke at The Cheetah over in Monroe” I say “She's hardly a credible source.” I swipe my student card and head over to the large table in the center with the girls right behind me. The table we have all sat at for the last four years is already filling up with other members of the football players and cheerleaders.

  Grabbing the end seat as Maisie takes the one next to me and Laya the one across for me we continue our conversation. “Besides, if that were true would they all still be here” I nod my head to the corner table where the majority of the Townes kids had gathered. I could see Tucker and his blonde friend both sitting at the end, their heads close together as they talked.

  “I guess you’re right” she says, popping the top on her soda and taking a sip.

  I twist the cap off my water bottle when the seat next to me at the head of the table suddenly becomes filled. Glancing over I find Tucker, his smirk firmly in place.

  “Laura” he says.

  “What are you talking about? Laura what?” I ask, cocking my head to the side.

  “That’s your name, right?” He asks, seemingly proud of himself. His green eyes shining with a little mischief.

  “Not even close” I say, chuckling.

  His eyes tilt at the corners as a small smile plays on his lips. “Tanya? Elizabeth? Martha!” He keeps on.

  “Wrong, wrong and wrong” I shrug, setting the water on my tray. “Do I seriously look like a Martha?” I ask.

  He opens his mouth to reply but is cut off “Hey, asshole. How about you go back to the other table where the rest of the Townes outcasts are?” The deep voice breaks in.

  I can see Tuckers eyes darken before me, his playful smirk falling off his face as he turns. Weston stands behind him with Brock and Samuel Turner next to him. I can see Weston’s jaw is clenched tight, a sure sign that he is holding his temper in.

  “Pretty sure assigned seats only apply to the classroom, there’s a few empty at that table over there” he points off to the side where the Math Club and Debate Club kids usually sit, turning back around and effectively dismissing Weston. If I wasn’t playing my role I would laugh at the aghast look that is currently splayed across Westons face.

  “Get the fuck up” he growls, reaching around Tucker and putting his tray in front of him.

  “Oh, thanks man. I didn’t realize the welcome committee was so friendly” Tucker grabs the apple off of Westons tray and takes a large bite out of it.

  Almost too quickly Tucker is yanked off the seat, the front of his shirt gripped in Weston’s fist. I can hear chairs scraping across the floor a second before the other Townes boys rush to our central table. I stand, not exactly sure what I am going to do but feeling the need to intervene somehow.

  Weston grits his teeth, baring them as he speaks in a low and menacing voice to Tucker “I said to get the fuck up”.

  The Townes boys are standing to my left, waiting for the first punch. I can feel the energy radiating off them.

  Tucker chuckles, shaking his head like Westons anger is nothing but a joke. “Didn't I tell you this morning you and your ‘douchebag friends’ aren’t going to push us around? If I want to fucking sit with Karen…” he looks over at me and I shake my head no before he continues “If I want to sit over here with this crew I fucking will, and unless you want to physically remove me there isn’t a damn thing you’re going to do about it.”

  I can see the war waging in Westons head. I quickly dart around the table and wrap my hand around the fist Weston is using to hold Tucker.

  “Hey, let’s just drop this ok? Coach will have your ass on the bench if you start a fight” I calmly tell him, knowing that being sidelined for football is about the only bargaining chip I have right now. No football means not being on the field for the scouts, which in turn means not playing ball in college. Darren Montgomery would disown his son if that were to happen.

  Begrudgingly, Weston releases Tucker and steps back.

  You’re right baby, this piece of shit isn’t worth the trouble” he says, taking the seat that he had just yanked Tucker out of.

  I spare Tucker a glance before I turn and head back to my side of the table, returning to my seat. I look up and notice Tucker is staring at me, almost as if he is trying to work out an impossible puzzle. The blonde steps in and whispers something in his ear before glancing over his shoulder at me. Tucker nods once at him and they both turn and leave the cafeteria.

  “Can you believe that dickhead?” Samuel asks, watching after them and taking the seat next to Laya.

  “I swear I am going to teach that fucker a lesson one day” Weston grumbles, tossing the apple that Tucker discarded into the trash can a few feet away. The other boys grunt their agreement before digging into their food.

  I cut my eyes to Maisie who cocks an eyebrow at me before starting in on her lunch.

  ∞∞∞

  Pushing my way out of the locker room and into the afternoon sun with a clipboard under my arm I make my way over to the side of the football field. Coach pulled me aside to talk about a few things before practice so all of the other girls on the squad are already stretching on the grass.

  When I make my way to the sideline I see Weston and Sam throwing the ball back and forth while other groups of boys work with their respective coaches. Weston waves at me and I give a little wave back as I make my way up to the girls.

  “Ok listen up” I say, raising my voice to get everyone’s attention. “I know we held tryouts at the end of July to replace some of the seniors who left us last year but Coach Kerr has asked that we hold another round of tryouts to allow some of the new students to have a chance to join the team.”

  “I thought Townes was an all-boys school?” Abby Michael’s speaks up from the back row, her brown ringlets tied back into a high pony tail.

  “It is, but a lot of these parents pulled their girls out of Westerberry Private so that they could keep both of their children in the same school so along with the boys from Townes, some of their sisters came also” I answer, leaning over and placing my clipboard on the bench.

  “With that being said, we will hold tryouts again next week. Coach has agreed to allow three more spots to open on varsity and three to open on JV” I said, looking over to Beth
any who is the JV Captain. She nods her head once before huddling off with her girls.

  I give Maisie instructions and she grabs a handful of girls to start working with while I pull a group with me to work with.

  We are midway through a new routine when I hear shouting coming from where the football team is practicing. I turn and see Tucker and the three guys who are usually hanging around him standing toe to toe with Weston, the head football coach standing almost in between them.

  I can’t make out the words but I can see the aggravation on some of the football teams faces as coach speaks to them. Weston throws his hands up, gesturing at the Townes kids.

  “What do you think is going on over there?” Maisie asks, stepping up next to me.

  “Well, judging by what Coach Kerr said to me in the locker room I would imagine much of the same except it looks like our boys aren’t taking it near as well as we did. It seems like coach is letting some of the Townes kids play ball” I answer, continuing to stare at the crew across the field.

  Weston gives up, tossing the football in the air towards the blonde who catches it easily and stomps off towards the sideline in a huff.

  “Well, shit, that’s not going to go over well is it?” She asks me.

  I just shrug in reply, honestly not giving a shit if the boys don’t like it. They’re going to have to come off their high horses and play by coaches’ rules if they want to play at all.

  Maisie tugs on my elbow and I return to my group of girls, helping them run through the routine a few more times before I put everyone together to try it out.

  On about the third go round of practicing the new routine I get the same sense of being watched as I did in first period. I glance up, still going through the motions with the rest of the team and see that Tucker has indeed stopped to watch the show along with a few other players.

  ‘Locker bang’ Maisie coughs, breaking me out of my little stare off with Tucker. I flip her the bird and call for everyone to take a lap around the track as I grab the clipboard off the bench and make a few notes on it of things I want a few of the girls to work on.