3 Book High School Romance Bundle: A Kiss at Midnight & Prom King & Under My Skin

by Zara Rivas

  "God, your brothers are so cool," Torrance said, in awe.

  "I know." I adjusted the layout on our project a little bit. "You don't think they've put motion sensors in the school since the last time we broke in, do you?"

  "Nah." She stuffed a cold slice of pizza in her mouth. Mouth full, she said, "We haven't ever left any signs of damage."

  "I guess," I said, distracted by the thought of getting caught. "I don't suppose they would do anything like that unless there was a big break-in."

  "Exactly." She sprayed a bit of pizza on the table.

  "Gross, Tor," I complained, and she grinned and chewed with her mouth open for my benefit.

  "Ugh," I laughed, "where'd you learn your manners? A day-care?"

  "Yup," she said happily.

  oOoOo

  Late that night, I couldn't sleep. I didn't have any idea why, because I hardly ever had trouble with insomnia, but it just wasn't happening. I flipped my phone open in the darkness of my room and scrolled down until I found Finn's number. I debated for a second about whether or not he'd actually be awake, then thought screw it and hit the call button. He picked up on the second ring.

  "Hey sis, what's up?" He sounded wide awake.

  "Can't sleep," I mumbled into my pillow, and he chuckled.

  "What's on your mind?"

  "Nothing really, just not a good night for sleep." I rolled over onto my back and stared at the ceiling. "Oh hey, if you see Dominic tomorrow, give him the keys to Carroway. I have a feeling you'll forget. He's on a date," I added slyly.

  "About time. What's the mischief this time?"

  "Torrance and I need to get into the newspaper room, and we definitely don't want to be interrupted during school."

  "Newspaper room? Are you going to print awful stories about someone, sis?"

  "Only someone who deserves it," I said darkly.

  He sounded thoroughly amused. "What've they done to you?"

  "They've broken rule one at Carroway: don't mess with a Lexington. I'm just teaching him a lesson he needs to learn good and hard," I said innocently.

  "Him, huh?"

  "Yeah. Name of Xavier Sinclair. Real douchebag."

  "Sinclair? Wait, not Emma Sinclair's brother?" he asked, sounding startled.

  "No idea, why?"

  "Her and Dominic used to go to school together."

  "Really? Do you know anything about the Sinclairs?" I asked, curiosity piqued.

  "Not really, you'd have to ask Nic. Apparently she rivaled him in popularity. From what I remember, she was a complete sweetheart. One of those beauty and brains types, but no superiority complex."

  "I know how that is," I joked, and listened to him scoff.

  "Again with the ego."

  "You know it's true."

  "I might, but I'm not going to give you ego points by telling you that."

  "Whatever, you know it's true," I repeated with mock arrogance. "But anyways, back to the Sinclair situation. This dude somehow got a whole bunch of stupid moronic boys in school to come up to me and ask if I'd be their Valentine. I've nicknamed them the Valentiners."

  "Sounds like a good band name," he said offhandedly. "This one's using dirty tactics."

  "I'm just surprised anyone went along with it. I may have reduced a freshman to tears," I added as an afterthought.

  "Why? He actually like you or something and got shot down?"

  "No, nothing like that. He was just intimidated."

  "Oh, well that's okay then." I heard him shuffling papers around and opening and closing drawers. "Aha! Got your keys. I'll text Nic to remind him about them."

  "Thanks, Finn. What time is it anyway?"

  "Around two in the morning. You're going to feel like a zombie tomorrow."

  I snorted. "Thanks for the comforting prediction. You're still going to be home Friday right?"

  "Wouldn't miss it."

  A few seconds of comfortable silence passed.

  "Finn?"

  "Yeah?"

  "Do you think—" I swallowed. "Do you think Logan will bring Daphne with him?"

  He sounded tired when he responded. "I don't know, Sloane. I hope so, but it's hard every time he does."

  "Yeah." Sadness permeated my voice and I tried to fix it but I knew Finn would see straight through any pretenses. "It really is."

  We talked about nothing much for a few more minutes, but the conversation had picked up a lot of dead weight and we both knew it. We hung up with the promise of seeing each other soon, and I tried to go back to sleep.

  It didn't work. I eventually got up and decided to start on a new painting, using simple geometric shapes to try and portray a flower. After a certain point, my body resigned itself to the fact that it wasn't getting any sleep, and I snapped wide awake. I felt cheered by this; it meant I wouldn't be a total wreck at school.

  I decided to go out of my way to look good for the day, since I had a lot of time to get ready. I clicked on my curling iron and carefully applied thick black eyeliner around my eyes, shaking my head ruefully when I saw I'd layered it on a bit too much. I didn't want to resemble a raccoon. Wetting a q-tip with makeup remover, I fixed it, leaving it thick but not overwhelming. Curling my hair didn't take too much time because my hair was naturally wavy, but I took extra care that it looked great, following every curl with a spritz of hairspray. I pulled on my uniform, eying the long skirt with distaste, and went digging through my closet from the one that I'd, ahem, modified the year before. It was slightly shorter and more fitting.

  Our school uniforms actually weren't that atrocious, considering private schools had a penchant for ugly, ugly clothing. The girls had to wear dark blue or black button-down, long-sleeved shirts that generally fit well, and the skirts were gray-and-black plaid. Not too shabby. The guys had to wear black or khaki pants and a dark blue or black shirt, same as the girls. They weren't the same shirts, of course, or we'd all look funny—all of the shirts were fitted. Shoes and accessories were left up to the student, so I normally wore a simple pair of black or sapphire flats, depending on what I felt like.

  Today would be a black and green day, I decided. Black flats, black eyeliner, black shirt, green necklace, green earrings, green bracelets, green ring, emerald green pea coat. I had small silver bands around both my middle fingers, shaped like ivy winding around itself, which I never took off, but sometimes I wore other rings on the thumb of the hand I didn't use for drawing. Assessing my appearance, I saw that the blue streaks in my hair threw the look off balance a little, but I didn't care. The eyeliner made the color of my eyes pop in an almost unsettling way, and I winked at my reflection before walking out of the bathroom.

  Peeking into Dominic's room silently, I felt a pull around my heart when I saw him sprawled out on his bed, exhausted and fully clothed. I had no idea when he'd made it in. I crept in, taking care not to let the light from the hallway cross his face, and checked his phone. He'd forgotten to set his alarm. I quickly adjusted it to wake him up so he'd make it to class on time, then set it on his bedside table. I pulled a blanket up over him and he shifted slightly. I tiptoed out of his room backwards, and he didn't move again. Closing his door with a soft click, I grabbed my schoolbag and coat and went downstairs to find some breakfast.

  oOoOo

  Avery was nowhere to be found before class, so I made my way to my locker without bothering to hang around in the entrance waiting for her. She'd probably gone in search of Christian anyway. I eyed the gigantic space where the CAP would be displayed before being moved, and I knew I needed to get cracking on some brilliant ideas for it if I wanted to be a big part of it.

  I heard a commotion not far away and picked up my pace. It sounded almost like someone had their speakers going at a crazy high volume, and people were cheering and whooping in the hall. I rounded the corner and stopped dead in my tracks, eyebrow raised and genuinely shocked.

  A group of about twelve guys and girls stood in front of my locker in an arc, wearing the black jackets with the
patch that identified them as choir students. They were singing something I vaguely recognized but couldn't name from memory. They saw me and picked up the volume, making ridiculous gestures beckoning me to come over. I took a few steps forward and blatantly stared, making no movements to get any closer.

  "Can't make you, make you love me baby," they serenaded, "it's my life, what can I do? Can't make you love me, Sloane, I'm just a guy with a crush on you."

  "Avery slid into the crowd next to me, huffing slightly as though she'd been running. "I was trying to find you," she explained. "Britney Spears, can you believe it? Torrance told me about your idea for tonight and I'm starting to think it's very appropriate."

  I took one last look at the ridiculous impromptu choir and turned on my heel and walked away. Avery followed, looking worried, and the choir boys and girls did, too. I whipped around, standing up straight and giving them my most generous smile, tilting my head and emitting waves of innocence. Their singing faltered uncertainly, and stopped altogether after a second.

  "Tell me something," I said sweetly, gracefully stepping towards them once. "Would you want me angry at you?"

  The smallest choir-girl piped up and said, "Hell no."

  "Then scram," I said, keeping my voice eerily polite. They scrammed.

  I turned back around and walked down the hallway for a second time. Avery jogged to keep up, looking positively joyous at this ridiculous drama. The low-grade murmur of insults and threats towards Sinclair probably didn't help her impression that I was about to murder him in a very brutal and public way.

  "What an imbecile," I said irritably, walking quickly. "What a grade A, pissant moronic little fucktard," I continued. "Oh, it's not enough that we have to annoy her to death by having boys follow her around all day and ask her out! He just had to go and block off my locker with a bunch of singing miscreants and how on earth did he manage to get them to do what he wanted, anyway? Pay them off? Because honestly that total jerk wouldn't be able to come up with enough charisma to convince them to do it, considering he has the personality of a deranged cockatiel that's miraculously grown fangs. Honestly, if he ever—"

  "Um, Sloane, I don't think you should—"

  "Should what? Rip his head off? Because I think that's exactly what I should be doing. Unless you have a suggestion that's more violent," I said, looking to her for suggestions. I wasn't particularly angry, just annoyed, and this boy was pushing on my last nerve. Luckily, this plan of mine and Torrance's would be just as public as this ridiculous stunt Sinclair delighted in pulling on me. I rounded another corner and spotted him, all alone. Ahhh, wonderful luck.

  "Avery," I asked nicely, "would you please go to my government classroom and inform the teacher that I'll be late, on account of not being able to reach my textbooks and things?"

  "Sure thing, Sloane," she sang, and waved at me. "Toodles!"

  Sinclair saw looked up at our conversation and stilled.

  "Going to run from me, Sinclair? You look like a deer caught in headlights," I mocked.

  "Not a chance, Lexington."

  "Good."

  Chapter Five

  "You know what I'm thinking, Sinclair?" Lexington hissed as she stepped towards him menacingly. He backed up and she took advantage of it, following him.

  "You're thinking about me naked, aren't you?" he said, tilting his head up and relaxing his posture. "Because I'm so charming you just can't wait to jump me."

  "I've met slugs with more charm than you," she snapped. Sloane continued advancing towards him and a good case of nerves tapped him on the shoulder and said 'hello, mind if we settle in your stomach while you get beaten up by a girl?' What's the matter? he thought, internally pushing the thoughts away and struggling with a smile. Worried some spoiled brat is going to get the best of you and no one will be around to see it?

  "Clearly they weren't ordinary slugs."

  A worrying smile twisted at her lips, and her eyes positively sparkled. This did not bode well.

  "You know, Sinclair," she said coyly, reaching up and running a finger along the neckline of his shirt. His head informed him distinctly that it had symptoms of whiplash from her mood change. "I would tell you to watch your back, love." She tilted her head and gave him a dazzling smile, her hand still lightly brushing his collar. It trailed to his shoulder, smoothing his shirt down, and Sinclair was completely and utterly speechless. The smile grew wider, and she patted him curtly on the shoulder. "But we both know it wouldn't do you any good."

  And she walked down the hall away from him.

  He had to shake his head to clear it.

  oOoOo

  "I'm going to grab some food from the line, you want anything?" Avery asked, watching me jiggle my foot rapidly, the only indication that I had a serious caffeine rush going on.

  "Coffee coffee coffee," I rushed out, handing her a five dollar bill. "More coffee."

  "You're going to have a heart attack if you keep this up," she warned, but took my five anyway. "Why so much coffee?"

  "I couldn't sleep last night," I replied, pulling my sketchpad out of my bag and setting it on the table.

  "Ouch, how much sleep did you get?"

  I rolled my eyes. "No, I mean I couldn't sleep last night. Zero. Zip. Zilch. Nada. None. Rien."

  "And you didn't skip. A commendable effort, Ms. Lexington." She sounded like the mayor presenting an award to someone who'd saved a kid from a burning building. I jerked my head convulsively towards the lunch line, pointing out my desperate need for caffeinated beverages, and she took off like a rabid dog was attacking her.

  Henson and Tyler sat down at my table, and Torrance and Adrian followed soon after. I ripped a rectangle of paper out of my sketchbook and carefully wrote a note to Torrance, surreptitiously passing it under the table. I pinched her knee and she snatched it quickly, shooting me an annoyed look. My response was to stare pointedly until she read it. She looked down at her lap for a second as though searching for a stain and then minutely nodded her head. We were so sneaky.

  Change of plans. We aren't just printing. Details after school, it read.

  Nobody at the table noticed anything out of the ordinary. Avery rushed up with my coffee and set it in front of me, panting.

  "Geez Aves, you're acting like I set a pack of wolves after you," I informed her.

  "Oh hush. You had that crazy look in your eyes."

  "Where's my change?" I asked, checking the table to see if I'd missed it.

  She waved a candy bar in front of my face, and I watched it swim in front of my face. Then she tore the wrapper open and sunk her teeth in it.

  "That's attractive," I scoffed. "Traitor."

  "Crazy look," she retorted.

  "Fair enough. Hey," I said suddenly, as though coming up with a new idea. "Do you want to spend the night at my house? I need some help with an assignment."

  "But you never—" Avery started, then caught my expression and changed tones quickly. "Yeah! Sure, sounds good." I heard the silent 'What's going on? You never need help with schoolwork' tacked onto the end of that, and ignored it.

  "Sweet." I took a massive bite of my sandwich and made a happy noise.

  Tyler poked me in the arm with a pencil and I shot him a look. He smirked and did it again and again until I'd swallowed the bite I'd taken.

  "What?"

  "Touchy, touchy. Just wondering when this bartending gig is going to be, and whether or not it'll be paid."

  I blankly said, "I always pay you."

  "Just checking," he said mischievously.

  "Ass," I said, stealing a potato chip from him. "I don't know when it'll be yet, most likely the first weekend of spring break."

  "Sneaky," he said, impressed. "I'll start the rumor so nobody else gets an idea to have a party then. Perfect timing, though. Catch everyone before they go on vacation, but after school's out. Nice."

  "Thanks for putting the word out."

  "No problem," he said, stealing a bite from my sandwich.

&n
bsp; "Oi! I was going to eat that!" I smacked his arm.

  "Want it back?" he asked, mouth full.

  "Eugh."

  "Didn't think so."

  oOoOo

  Dominic threw the keys to the school at me the second I walked in the front door, catching me off guard.