Beverly Hills Prep Academy The Complete Boxset : A Light Bully Romance

by Melissa Adams

It takes my mind off the fact that I should've been out with Reece on our first date.

  I spend the night in Chaz’s bed again: I love sleeping in his arms, he makes me feel safe.

  Gabbie calls me on Sunday to check on me: she saw the Facebook post and she knows that I wouldn't post that in a million years.

  She's convinced that Marlene and Kylie have something to do with it because she saw them whisper to each other at the party on Friday night.

  But I don't know, half the cheerleaders hate me because I’m involved with the A-Team and I’m the captain’s rally girl.

  I wouldn't really put anything past most of those girls.

  The situation is made weirder by the fact that the A-Team is as popular as ever, despite their dangerous reputation.

  Most parents wouldn't let their daughters date any of the guys after that trial and the scandal that it caused but I see the way every girl at school looks at my guys.

  Monday morning comes way too soon. I don't think I’m ready to face Reece or Max.

  And talking about Reece, he’s really pissed off. Not just with me, but with Chaz and Pryce too.

  When Chaz drives by his house to pick him up for school, we wait for a while and ring his doorbell when he's nowhere to be seen and doesn't reply to any of our texts.

  His housekeeper tells us that Reece drove himself to school.

  So he's avoiding us all.

  In class he doesn't even look at any of us and when lunch period starts, he leaves the classroom in a hurry in an obvious bid to avoid us.

  Pryce and Chaz offer to get my lunch while I go to the bathroom: I think I’m getting my period a bit early.

  Probably this whole situation with Reece put some extra stress on me, so I’m not that surprised.

  When I’m done in the bathroom, I walk the empty hallways on my way to the cafeteria, completely lost in my thoughts.

  So I jump when I hear someone holler behind me.

  “Yo, rally girl!”

  Max runs to catch up with me, but I ignore him.

  I keep walking without looking at him.

  He must get frustrated with it because he pushes me into an empty classroom, locking the door behind him.

  “Abi ...”

  “I see you remember my name after all.”

  He sighs and takes a step towards me, keeping his brown eyes fixed onto mine.

  “You really don't like me, don't you?”

  I fold my arms against my chest in a defensive stance, trying to keep him as far away from me as possible.

  “First off, I think I told you before that my name isn't rally girl. And the fact that you keep calling me that, doesn't put you in my top ten favourite people at school. Secondly, Max ...”

  He seems not to be listening to me again, because he whips his cell out of his pocket and shows me that disgusting post with the stupid poll that made my relationship with Reece implode.

  “I might not be your favourite guy but the whole school wants to see us together! So I’m not the only one who's convinced that we’d make a gorgeous couple.”

  I lower my eyes: this isn't getting me anywhere.

  “Max, I don't even fucking know you and for the little contact we’ve had so far—”

  He interrupts me by stepping closer to me and grabbing my hand.

  All of a sudden, we're almost chest to chest.

  “About that Abi ... this is really why I asked you in here. I ...”

  I can see what Pryce means when he says that Max and Reece are very similar.

  They both come on way too strong to the point of being intimidating and a little scary.

  But I don't budge.

  Ms Webber said something that really resonated with me last week ‘Fama crescit eundo, minuit presentia fama.” (Translation: a rumour grows while it's spread but diminishes with presence.)

  It's true in all recent aspects of my life.

  If you listen to the rumours, I’m the big, bad slut.

  When in reality, until a month ago, I hadn't even been kissed.

  The A-Team are these evil, dangerous guys, these bullies.

  In reality no one has ever been more caring and sweet with me. Even Reece, in his own twisted way.

  Max is this confident, smart ass, spoiled rich guy who has the whole school at his feet, begging for his attention.

  In reality, he's the one desperate for attention to the point of having to bully me to make me talk to him.

  But even that isn't exactly true, because when he’s way too close to me for comfort and my breathing is speeding up when I have nowhere to go to avoid his nearness, when his last step makes our chests touch, he surprises me with his words.

  “Abi, I’m so sorry. This is why I asked you here, to apologise to you.”

  “You didn't ask me here. You cornered me and locked the door.”

  “I know. I’m sorry for that too but if I’d asked you, would you have followed me here?”

  “No.”

  I concede.

  “I just wanted to say that I’m sorry about how I behaved on Friday night. I was a real asshole. I had no right to demand anything more than a kiss. I had no right to call you a whore when you rejected my advances. I was no better than Reece, Chaz and Pryce. I hope you can forgive me.”

  So, this is one of the weirdest apologies anyone has ever given me.

  He’s sorry about being a douche but his way of saying sorry is as douche like as the behaviour he’s apologising for.

  And he's insulting my guys at the same time.

  “Max, I don't know what to say. I guess I forgive you for calling me a whore. What I find hard to forgive is how you behaved afterwards. That fight with Reece, the way you act around him.”

  “Abi, don't you understand that I’m trying to protect you? Why do you trust them? What have they done to deserve it? They’ve treated you like shit like everyone else. They aren't good guys, Abi. Take it from me. After what they did to my ex-girlfriend ...”

  “Max, it's because they believed those fake Facebook posts. They believed that I spread those rumours. But they never forced me to do anything I didn't want.”

  He sighs.

  “I don't believe that you posted that shit either. But as for Reece and the others ... I want you to be safe, Abi. You didn't see Emily that night. She was violated, she didn't want any of it. I hadn't even slept with her. She was a virgin and they took ...”

  I shake my head.

  “But I believe them when they say that they didn't do anything, Max. How can you not? You’ve known them forever.”

  He shakes his head, trying to keep from shedding the tears that I see shining in his eyes.

  “Because she chose me. You don't understand. Reece and I have always been competing in everything. And when he couldn't win Emily’s heart, he couldn't accept it. I’m not saying that he set out to do it but with the right amount of booze and drugs ... and Pryce and Chaz would follow Reece anywhere. That's another thing we always fought about. We’re leaders and we’ve always fought to get the other two to follow.”

  “Pryce and Chaz aren't idiots and you need to give them more credit than that. They’d never do anything they think is wrong. They’ve proven that to me a few times. And they were acquitted for that night. Someone else must've entered that room and assaulted Emily.”

  Max shrugs.

  “They were acquitted because there wasn't enough evidence to convict them. But there was no proof that someone else was ever in that room until I arrived and saw ...”

  “If you can believe me, why can't you believe them?”

  “I don't know. I just don't. But I didn't come here to discuss Reece and the others. I came here to apologise to you for being a fucking asshole. And I promise that I’ll try to be better if you give me another chance to be friends.”

  He extends his hand for me to shake.

  “I promise I won't call you rally girl anymore. Friends?”

  I hope I won't regret it but I shake his hand.


  “Friends.”

  Maybe I can convince him that the guys didn't do anything wrong.

  Maybe I can redeem myself in Reece’s eyes by repairing the A-Team.

  14.

  The Art Of War

  Reece

  I HAVEN'T SLEPT IN days.

  Since Friday night, when that disgusting post hit Facebook at the worst possible time.

  And to think that things were going so well, aside for getting into that fight with Max, of course.

  But Abi wasn't mad at me and that moment we had in Chaz’s kitchen was perfect until I saw that she's been lying to me this whole time.

  She’s been hanging out with us to be popular and now she's exactly where she wanted to be: she can choose between us or Max.

  Well, Max can have her!

  They're made for each other, lying, conniving bastards, untrustworthy pieces of shit.

  It’s Monday morning and I almost decide to skip the whole day, stay in bed and finish the thirty year old bottle of rum that has kept me company all night.

  But then I think about how Chaz and Pryce believe Abi’s bullshit and that I need to see ‘em and talk some sense into them.

  We’ve been taken for a shitty ride by a girl before and we don't need that on our senior year.

  We’re here to graduate high school, get into a good college and get the hell out of dodge, away from our shitty families and the superficial, fake lives everyone seems to be content with around here.

  I put my school uniform on and I decide to drive to school.

  I honestly can't handle a ride with Chaz, Pryce, and Abi right now.

  When I get to the hallway, I avoid my locker because Abi’s is right next to it and I’m sure that she’ll need her Latin Literature book, since we have Ms Webber's class on first period.

  I’ll get mine right before the bell I decide, turning around to go hide in the boys bathroom but crashing against someone instead.

  It’s Lissa and I grab her forearms to stop her falling.

  She’s carrying a cake box and I save that from falling to the ground too.

  I’m about to scold her for not looking where she's going but of course, she sees the whole event under a completely different light.

  “My saviour!”

  She's batting her eyelashes and she takes a step closer to me but thankfully the cake box is between us.

  “I’d have been devastated if the cupcakes in the box had got ruined! After all, they're for you.”

  I must look confused because she explains that as my rally girl, she decided to get me red velvet cupcakes to thank me for the great game on Friday night.

  “I remembered that they're your favourites!”

  She beams and I don't have the heart to tell her that they were my favourite when I was nine years old and that my mom used to bake them for me.

  So not only have I not eaten a cupcake in years but only the idea of eating one makes me a little sad.

  I mutter a thank you and begin walking away but that's the trouble with Lissa: she’s clingy as fuck and she loops her free arm into mine chattering away and following me until it's time to go to class.

  So much for having time to think.

  Classes drag on but I try to follow the lectures to have something to do rather than stare at Abi’s beautiful blonde hair in the second row.

  I catch Chaz and Pryce glaring at me a few times but I ignore them too because I can't forgive them for believing her and letting down their defences, exposing all of us to being used and hurt again.

  So when lunch period starts and Lissa catches up to me again, I don't even try to get away from her, grateful for having a buffer that keeps everyone else away.

  We sit at the old A-Team table and I scan the room noticing my brothers in line for their lunch but there's no sign of Abi.

  My head is pounding with a raging hangover and I know that if I have any chance to survive practice later in the afternoon, I need to carb up to try and soak up all the alcohol that's swirling around in my empty stomach.

  So I eat three slices of pizza and then when Lissa offers me a cupcake, I decide fuck the bad memories and let's line my stomach with more sugary, starchy food.

  But if I was accusing Abi of slyly spreading false rumours to become popular, Lissa certainly isn't against getting everyone’s attention.

  Though at least I appreciate that she doesn't hide the fact that my popularity is as important as my other qualities in her eyes.

  So when she insists on feeding me the cupcake and rubs her finger on some of the frosting from my upper lip to lick it off, I resist from rolling my eyes and let her have her moment.

  The cupcakes are actually delicious and imbued with some kind of red syrupy liquid that trickles down my lips and chin after a particularly big bite.

  Lissa scoots closer with her eyes fixed on my lips and I know immediately that she wants to lick the syrup off my mouth.

  I’m about to move away from her when the cafeteria doors open and Abi walks in with Max right behind her.

  He says something I can't hear but she laughs and he guides her towards the football team table by putting a possessive hand at the small of her back.

  Chaz and Pryce are sitting at that same table and they look as surprised as I am to see Abi walk in with Max.

  That table is right near mine and she sits down right opposite me.

  Once her eyes meet mine, everything happens very quickly: she looks displeased to see me with Lissa but since I’m equally fucking pissed off that she’s been getting friendly with the enemy, I stop trying to resist Lissa’s attempts to kiss me.

  I actually pull the cheerleaders’ captain towards me and meet her lips in a sloppy, syrupy kiss in front of the whole school.

  Lissa is really into it but I keep my eyes fixed on Abi: two can play this fucking game, bitch!

  After a few seconds, she rises noisily from her chair and begins walking out of the cafeteria but to exit the room, she has to pass in front of me.

  When she does, I see clearly the tears in her eyes and I grab Lissa's butt, making sure that she sees it.

  She stops in front of me like a deer caught in front of headlights and I break the kiss, challenging Abi with a look.

  “Asshole!”

  It’s just a whisper but loud enough that I can hear it.

  “What? Are you unhappy that Lissa is an excellent rally girl? I’ll be honest with you, Abs, I didn't appreciate the rally girl tradition until I had a bitch girlfriend to bring my morale down. But I guess we’re both better off this way. After all our peers have voted for you to fuck Max and we all know that all you care about is being the Queen of BHPA. Why don't you post another poll to ask the school what's the best position to lose your v-card?”

  There are several loud gasps in the room and I push Lissa out of the way, standing up and looking around before I say loudly enough that everyone can hear:

  “Yeah, you heard me. She isn't fucking the A-Team. That was just a lie to get everyone’s attention.”

  I leave the room without looking at her anymore: her and Max are really well suited.

  The cafeteria doors shut behind me with a loud noise and I walk down the empty hallways as fast as I can.

  Fuck, school!

  I’ll go home and finish that bottle of rum and try to forget that this stupid day ever even started.

  I hear footsteps hot on my trail and I don't even have to try to guess who they belong to.

  Chaz and Pryce catch up to me in the student parking lot, just before I open my car door.

  A heavy hand lands on my shoulder, forcing me to turn around and I know it belongs to Pryce before I even meet his steely grey eyes.

  “What the fuck was that?”

  He’s shaking with rage and Chaz looks just as furious, his jaw is ticking and his stance is just as menacing as Pryce's.

  I’m not afraid of ‘em.

  “Kissing Lissa in front of Abi was already fucked up enough but are you fucki
ng nuts? You told the whole school that she's a virgin!”

  I shrug and retort that it's a two way street.

  “So she can tell the whole school that she’s fucking us and now all of a sudden her privacy is important? Or is it a problem only because this time it's the truth?”

  Pryce is yelling. But Chaz's voice is a low, dark drawl.

  “She didn't tell the school anything. She has nothing to do with those posts or the rumours. Or have we hung out with a different girl than you have? Have you not noticed how caring and sweet she's been with all of us? I’m sure she must've heard all the fucking gossip about every single cheerleader and football player during those ‘mandatory spa days’. Have you heard her telling us even one thing?”

  “So what? Are you impressed that she only gossips when it serves her? Or finally getting your dick sucked again has messed with your judgement that much? Huh?”

  Chaz shakes his head.

  “Reece, you don't know what the fuck you're talking about! Stop talking about her this way!”

  “Or was I not correct and one of you did get to fuck her last weekend? Was she even a virgin, do you think? At this point she could've lied about that too!”

  Pryce grabs both my shoulders and levels a hard look on me.

  “I won't break every bone in your face only because I know that you're hurting and I can smell the booze on your breath. Sober up, and use your fucking brain! You were first in our class and got a perfect score in the A-Class exam. So I know you're not an idiot, you're only acting like one. You hate Max because he didn't believe us! How can you do the same thing to Abi? She said that she didn't post that shit and didn't spread those rumours. It’d hurt her reputation as much as ours! Maybe even more. Think straight and when you're ready, you better do the best grovelling you’ve ever done, asshole. Because I’m not losing my girlfriend and I certainly ain't losing my brother over some stupid Facebook poll. Got it?”

  “Fuck you!”

  Pryce shoves me against the side of my car and with a swift movement, gets my car keys out of my pocket.

  “I was gonna drive you home but you know what? You can call yourself a fucking Uber. You're certainly not gonna drive home drunk. Chaz’ll drive your car to your house after school. Chaz, let’s go before I change my mind and I kick his ass. Let’s go find our girlfriend!”