by Bea Paige
“This is bullshit,” I growl. I really, really don’t want to give him my phone. “No one said I couldn’t have my phone.”
“Well, boo for you that you didn’t read the rules and regulations properly. Hand. It. Over,” he growls, his meaty fingers wiggling.
“What about everyone else? Have you taken their phones too? If I’m being mistreated because I’m new here and don’t know all the rules, I’ll make sure Mr Carmichael knows how much of a prick you are.”
“Mr Carmichael wrote the rules, missy. It must’ve slipped his mind when he had you all to himself in his office,” Bobby sneers, showing nicotine stained teeth. His eyes run over me, and my skin crawls. Definitely a pervert.
“Fine, take it,” I snap, throwing it at him. He doesn’t know about my spare phone in my bag and I’d like to keep it that way. I’ve had enough phones confiscated from me to know that I always need a spare. Eastern knows I have two mobiles. The one I gave to Bobby is the one I use generally, but the other one stuffed in the bottom of my bag in the back of my wardrobe is what we call the hotline. When I ring him on that he knows something serious has gone down. Bobby catches it, shoving it into his back pocket with a grin.
“Good girl,” he says. Those two words are filled with innuendo and make my skin crawl. “Off to bed now, and make sure you keep this door locked. You never know what kind of miscreants could end up entering the wrong room by mistake.”
For a second it looks as though he’s going to step further into my room, but then the sound of someone shouting from down the hall catches his attention and he backs out.
“You want to remain on the right side of me, darlin’,” he drawls, before rushing off to see what the commotion is about.
I get up quickly and slam the door shut, locking it before grabbing my chair and sliding it under the door handle for good measure. Sitting on my bed, I put my head in my hands. My day has just gone from bad to worse. Not only am I stuck between two warring gangs, my best friend is on the run and I’m living with a pervert who has the keys to my room. Fucking great.
12
The next morning, I head to the dining hall at 9am readying myself for another food missile to come hurtling towards me as I walk into the room. This time, however, there are canteen staff milling about and the two crews I was introduced to yesterday seem to be behaving. Good. I’m not averse to conflict, I’ve dealt with that for most of my life, but I could do with a bit of peace given I spent most of last night trying and failing to get hold of Eastern. I’m shattered and worry burns a hole in my stomach at the thought that he’s in trouble and making it worse by not handing himself in.
Grabbing a tray and filling my plate with sausage, scrambled egg, and bacon I head over to the table where the two girls from yesterday are now sitting together. I know the rest of the people in the room are watching me, I feel the heat of their gaze but do my best to ignore it. Bram and Red are sitting with their crew chatting in hushed tones. Ford is nowhere to be seen. On the opposite side of the room, Monk and the HH crew are a little rowdier but at least their attention is on one another and not me. I don’t see Sonny either. Knowing him, he probably pulled one of the other girls and is busy dealing with all that testosterone, I imagine.
“Mind if I sit here?” I ask, plonking myself down without bothering to wait for a response.
Both girls look up at me. The blonde with the pink streak gives me a wary smile before shrugging, whilst the neat freak girl with the perfect dark hair and pressed clothes raises an eyebrow.
“Why bother asking if you’re going to sit down anyway?” she responds sharply.
Her accent isn’t like mine, i.e. common. Her voice is clipped, her vowels pronounced. She sounds educated and from money, if you know what I mean. What is a girl like her doing here? I always thought money could buy you out of any situation.
“Last I heard it’s a free country.”
“You weren’t invited,” she snaps, meeting my gaze.
There’s no fear in her eyes, just annoyance, some weariness and a defensiveness that tells me she’s had her fair share of shit from people in her past and is over it. Ignoring her snappiness, I answer her previous question. “Because like you two, I don’t belong to either of those crews,” I respond, cutting up my sausage and eating a slice. Miss Prim and Proper raises a perfectly shaped eyebrow at me, as if to say that she thinks that’s exactly where I belong.
“I’m Pink,” the girl with the pink streak says, interrupting the awkward conversation. “My mum named me after her favourite colour, but everyone assumes it was because of the singer. Except she didn’t release her first song until four years after I was born.” Her voice is kind of tinkly, like a bell summoning fairies. It seems to go with the pretty, cute look she’s got going on. She grins, pointing towards my hair. “Like the blue, suits you.”
“Thanks,” I mumble, not used to being complimented, least of all by another girl. Most interactions I’ve had with girls at my previous schools and around my estate have been less than friendly. “I’m Asia.” Pink smiles, her gaze flicking between me and Miss Prim and Proper. She lifts her chin, looking pointedly at her friend as though to say; ‘talk to her’.
“So, what’s your name?” I ask eventually. Pink gives me an encouraging smile whilst the other girl just sighs heavily. Jesus, I wouldn’t have bothered sitting with them if I knew it was going to be this much effort.
“Kate,” she responds curtly.
“And what’s a girl like you doing in a place like this?”
“Girl like me?”
“Yeah, someone who’s about as street as the Queen of bloody England.”
She rolls her eyes, but I see a spark of mirth in them. Pink snorts, her laughter completely different to her pretty voice. In fact, it’s downright indecent; deep and throaty. She sounds like one of those sex-line women, not that I’ve called many sex lines… okay, so maybe once because Eastern dared me. It was a funny, if not expensive call. Eastern and I lived off that conversation for weeks.
“I’m a genius hacker. Broke into my private school’s computer system and messed with the results of some fellow students’ exam papers… The bitches deserved it,” she shrugs.
“Nice!” Pink says, grinning.
Hmm interesting, so my instincts were right about her. She’s been on the receiving end of some shit nasty enough to want revenge for it. Maybe she isn’t so bad after all?
“And doing that got you sent here? Sounds like a pretty minor offense to me,” I say.
“I might also have messed with the school accounts a little bit. I had a nice summer break spending the money.”
“Whoa!” I exclaim, genuinely impressed now. This chick is a genius hacker.
“Proper little criminal, aren’t you, Kate? You really can’t judge a book by its cover,” Pink exclaims, her smile widening. “So why here of all places?”
“My parents are on the school board of my previous school, Brompton Prep. They paid back the money and managed to get me out of juvenile prison and sent here instead. One year here, then I return to Brompton, reformed and ready to face my real punishment.”
“What do you mean, real punishment?” I ask.
“Let’s just say that this is just a reprieve and leave it at that.” Her eyes flash with pain, but she shuts it down quickly.
“Fair enough. Not my business,” I reply, turning my attention to Pink. “So, what about you? What did you do to end up at Oceanside?”
“Kleptomania. I like all the shiny things. Actually, I like things full stop. I guess I shoplifted one too many times. Everything I’m wearing was lifted.” She pulls a face that sits between a grimace and a grin.
“You actually chose to steal that stuff and wear it? I thought you were colour blind or something, or a little funny up here,” Kate says, tapping her head. She’s genuinely miffed about Pink’s choice of clothing. Pink and I burst out laughing at that.
“Nope, I’m fully compos mentis. I just happen to like
things most people don’t,” she shrugs, stabbing her fork into a piece of bacon and eating it. She looks at us both then and smiles sweetly. Both Kate and I look away.
“Whatever floats your boat,” I respond eventually, a small sign of solidarity for the girl who’s shown me that not every person in the world is an arsehole. I like her individuality. She’s a lot braver than me in some ways. I mean, I like colour, but I often stick to one bright shade pairing it with anything black. Pink loves to mix it up. Her silver headband and green polka dot shirt clashes with her bright orange mini skirt, not to mention her silver-toed trainers and several glittery necklaces. She’s a walking Christmas tree, and she doesn’t give a shit.
“So, between us we have a graffiti artist, a hacker and a klepto. Who’d have thought it,” I say, finding myself grinning despite everything.
“Looks that way,” Kate responds, her lips lifting a little at that.
Pink takes a gulp of her orange juice then glances over my shoulder, her cheeks reddening a little. “Ah, shit,” she says.
“What?” Kate and I respond in unison.
“It’s Ford… and Sonny,” she responds, pointing. The way she says his name has me smarting a little. Is there history between them both? Her pink cheeks tell me that there might be.
“What’s the deal? Has Sonny tried to cop off with you as well?” I ask, not able to help myself.
“Erm, well yes. But, he’s not really my type.”
“What, so you like Ford…?” I question a little too sharply, raising an eyebrow from both Pink and Kate.
“No. Neither are my type. I’m gay,” she says, her cheeks flushing a darker shade of pink.
I don’t know why she’s blushing. I don’t care that she’s gay, in fact it’s a relief, though I don’t really want to delve too deeply as to why that’s the case. “I’m guessing he propositioned you anyway?”
“Both of us, actually,” Kate scoffs, rolling her eyes.
“Both of you? What, as in…”
“Yeah,” Pink confirms. “He thought Kate and I might like to, you know…”
“You’re gay too?” I ask.
“No, but that didn’t stop him from asking us to give him a show… The guy’s a walking, talking hormone. Seriously, the dude needs to get laid already,” Kate remarks.
“Oh, I’m pretty sure he’s managed that.”
Turning, I watch as Ford and Sonny walk into the dining hall together. Not together, together, just side by side. Sonny has the same shit-eating grin plastered on his face, whilst Ford is scowling. I wonder what they’ve been up to. Sonny catches me looking and his grin widens, whilst Ford continues to scowl. My stomach clenches, and my heart suddenly thumps a little too loudly. What is it with those two? More to the point what’s up with me? I don’t react like this normally; that weed I smoked with Eastern must’ve messed with my head.
“Look at them both giving you the eye,” Pink remarks, the smile in her voice evident even though I can’t see her face. I whip back around willing my cheeks not to flush at their attention.
“Not interested,” I blurt out. This time it’s Kate who laughs.
“Yeah, right,” she says. I ignore her knowing smile. She doesn’t know me and therefore she doesn’t know shit.
“I’m not interested.”
“You didn’t join Ford’s crew then?” Pink asks, as she spears some bacon and stuffs it in her mouth.
“No fucking way. What about you two?”
“I wasn’t asked. I’m probably too posh,” Kate responds with a smirk. “Or I just don’t fit in. That’s kind of a problem of mine.”
“And you?” I ask Pink.
She wraps her hair around her fingers and cocks her head. “I’m keeping my options open. Early days yet.”
“You’d actually consider it?” I’m kind of flabbergasted by that. She doesn’t seem the type to join a gang. She’s too… sparkly.
“Nah, of course not, but they don’t know that yet. I’m smart enough not to piss them off on my first day. I mean, Ford seems alright even if he is a bit broody. But Monk, he’s a mean arsehole. I intend on keeping them guessing for as long as possible, then I’ll figure out what to do.”
“Not much of a plan,” I suggest.
“Maybe, but it’s the only one I’ve got,” she responds with a smile, not in the least bit bothered. I’m wondering whether she has any street smarts at all because sooner rather than later, she’s going to have to make a stand like I did and suffer the consequences, or choose a side. I wince. It won’t be good either way.
“Well, if it isn’t my favourite group of outliers,” Sonny says, sauntering over with his breakfast tray. He plonks himself beside Pink, flashing her a grin, then resting his gaze on me. My skin immediately heats up. “How’s tricks, Asia? Pissing off anyone else this morning?”
“Not yet, but there’s plenty of time,” I retort, before chugging back my lukewarm cup of tea and standing. “Well, I’ve got shit to do before class. Catch you both another time?” I blurt out.
“I’ll be here waiting, willing, and very much able,” Sonny says with a wink. I roll my eyes.
“I wasn’t talking to you.”
“I’m offended,” Sonny retorts, covering his heart as though he’s in pain. But I see a flash of challenge in his baby-blues. Great, now I’ve managed to make myself his target. Nothing like wanting what you can’t have. Urgh. He’s going to be like a dog with a bone, I can feel it. Dragging my gaze from his, I look between Pink and Kate.
“Sure, we’ll be around,” Pink says, responding for both of them.
“Cool,” I mutter, feeling more and more awkward by the moment as Sonny’s gaze slides over every inch of me; my skin flushes with heat everywhere his gaze lands. “Stop gawking,” I snap, before turning on my heel and striding from the room. Sonny laughs at my retreating back and I suddenly wonder why I feel the need to run, when usually I stay and fight.
Damn it.
13
It’s my final lesson of my first full day at Oceanside, and only second to group therapy is my worst bloody nightmare…
P.E.
The last thing I want to do on a scorching hot Tuesday afternoon is workout with a bunch of arseholes. I know how this shit goes down, getting physical in some team sport equals hidden jabs and punches. I don’t expect to leave this lesson without a few bruises. Then again, if anyone touches me, they’re gonna get it back bruise for bruise. Striding out onto the open field that sits just beyond the back of the main school building, I do what I always do when out of my comfort zone, I suck it up and fake it. Holding my head high and ignoring the jeers of the Hackers and the scathing looks from the majority off No Name crew, I make my way over to Pink and Kate. Pink is wearing a bright orange shorts and vest combo, showing off her long legs and fit body. She’s talking animatedly to Kate who’s dressed head to toe in black. By the look on her face, Kate dislikes P.E as much as I do. Black joggers and a long, baggy t-shirt aren’t really doing anything for her figure, but like me, I don’t think she wants to draw attention to herself. I’ve also got on a pair of jogging pants but have teamed them with a tank top, my shoulder length hair pulled back in a rough ponytail. I’m not here to impress anyone, I’m here to get this shit over and done with.
“Well, lookie here, if it ain’t the spawn of Hackney’s most famous whore,” Monk sneers as I walk past him. I stop dead in my tracks. My mum might’ve been a junky, but she was no whore.
Motherfucker.
“I heard she coughed you out then straight up fucked a man for her next dose of smack.”
“What did you just say?” I seethe, taking the bait and swallowing it whole. Monk is fishing, and he’s reeled me in good and proper.
“You heard,” he snorts, folding his arms across his chest.
Monk’s surrounded by his crew and they’re all looking at me with a violent kind of hunger. Well, maybe not all. One girl looks just plain scared, though she’s trying to hide it. He meets my gaze with
a mocking smile, looking me up and down.
“What? Truth hurts, doesn’t it?” he continues, stepping forward and getting into my personal space. He’s a big guy, tall with wide shoulders. According to Kate, he’s a year three student. We had quite an interesting chat in our Maths class earlier today, spending most of our time discussing the other residents of Oceanside rather than completing the mental arithmetic test we were given. Ms Collins deducted twenty credits from both of us for failing to complete the test. Fuck her anyway. I hate maths.
“Ain’t got nothing to say?” he sneers.
By now the whole group has gathered around watching us both. Monk’s crew is standing in a semi-circle behind him, whilst the others from No Name crew gather behind me, effectively blocking us off from anyone who might be looking our way. Mr Langdon, our P.E. teacher, is far away on the other side of the field with his back to us, talking to a couple of students that I can’t quite make out. Now that the gap has closed and we’re surrounded, I can’t see them at all. Not that it matters really, I’m not about to wimp out and go running to the teacher for help anyway.
Squaring my shoulders, I stand my ground. If I’m quick I might be able to get a punch in first, but if he hits me, I’ve no doubt it’s going to hurt. A lot. It doesn’t matter though. This isn’t about winning, this is about making a point. I won’t take shit lying down. No way.
“Oh, I’ve got plenty to say, but I’m not sure you’d understand. Ever heard the saying thick as shit?” I retort, gritting my teeth and readying myself to fight. Monk barks out a laugh, but despite his bravado I can see that I’ve hit a nerve. He growls, stepping closer.
“Asia, this isn’t a good idea,” Pink says, suddenly beside me. She rests her hand lightly on my arm.
“I can handle it,” I bite back, not taking my eyes off Monk. I can see the bloodlust in his eyes and know instantly that he’s the type of guy without any kind of morals. Hitting a woman isn’t something he’d think twice about. I glance at one of the girls in his crew; she looks at me aghast and I know instinctively that she’s been beneath his fist more than once. Men like him make me sick and knowing that Eastern is part of this crew makes me feel even sicker.