Broken Trust : Pacific Prep

by R. A. Smyth

  Hawk: Don’t make us come get you.

  Well, I sure as hell don’t need them turning up at my door and disturbing the whole dorm at this time of night. God knows there’s enough drama involving me at the minute, I don’t need to add to the rumors.

  Not giving a flying fuck that I’m wearing a pair of boxer shorts, I throw on a hoodie and stuff my feet back into my boots, cursing out every single Prick as I storm out of the dorms and over to the canteen, throwing the doors open and glowering at the lot of them as they sit at their usual table. It’s well after midnight, yet each of them looks better than the last. How is that fair?

  Hawk’s scowl only deepens as he takes in what I’m wearing, while Cam’s face pinches when he sees me. I have to admit, that hurts a little and I quickly glance away, finding Mason staring at my legs, and West with a slight blush in his cheeks which he hides by ducking his head.

  “What is this about?” I bark, sitting down on the opposite side of the table, feeling all of their eyes on me. It’s unsettling, and I struggle not to squirm under the weight of their gaze, but I’m not about to let them know how on edge I am about all of this.

  “It’s about what happened today.” Hawk’s growl makes it clear he’s still fucking pissed about this morning. Yeah, you and me both, buddy. “You can’t say no.”

  “Excuse me?” My eyes snap to his. He’s got to be fucking joking, right? “In case you missed it, I already did.”

  Cam mumbles something under his breath that sounds suspiciously like nobody could have missed that, but Mason jams his elbow in his ribs, shutting him up.

  “We’ll announce it to the school tomorrow. You’ll be expected to sit with us at breakfast, come to parties with us, and basically do whatever we say. You belong to Cam, so he’s the only one who can fuck you, but it’s in your best interest to just do as you’re told.”

  Slamming my hand hard against the table, I jump to my feet. “I belong to no one,” I snarl back, having barely heard the end of his sentence over the rage building inside me and the panic swirling in my head. I’m pretty sure most of it is shit he’s just tacked on for me. Outside of breakfast and parties, I rarely see the girls with the guys, unless they’re willingly draping themselves all over them. But then I guess I’m the exception to all the other girls. The only one who doesn't want to be here.

  A slow, cruel grin spreads across Hawk’s face and I swear to fuck, if it’s the last thing I do, I’m going to wipe it off him. Make it so he can never fucking smile again. “You do now, trash. Now run along, and don’t be late tomorrow. You wouldn’t want to miss your first breakfast with the Princes now, would you?”

  My hands clench into tight fists as I grit my teeth, fighting back the urge to dive across the table and strangle him with my bare hands. Violence isn’t the answer, and it will only get me kicked out of here. No, I have to play this smart. If he thinks he can forcefully keep me around, then fine, I’ll make every second a living hell for each of them.

  With my lip curled up in disgust, I flick my gaze between them, silently communicating the promise of pain, death, and destruction. Hawk only smirks back, rising to the challenge, while Cam still looks pissed. I’m beyond giving a shit that I hurt his feelings, though. Boo-fucking-hoo. Grow the fuck up and get over it. Mason is as impassive as ever, his penetrating gaze analyzing my every movement. I swear he can read every murderous thought flitting through my mind right now. West is the only one who looks uncomfortable, unwilling to meet my gaze.

  “Fine,” I snarl through gritted teeth. “But if you think you’re going to get to me, you should know, I give as good as I get.” With that, I turn on my heel and storm out of the hall without a backward glance.

  ***

  I toss and turn all night and the next morning I’m a ball of nerves, my hands shaking frantically as I struggle to button my shirt. Closing my eyes, I take several deep breaths, trying to steady myself. I’m being fucking pathetic. This is nothing I can’t handle. Hell, this doesn’t even make the top ten of fucked-up shit I’ve survived. I can do this. I’m going into battle and I need to fucking prepare myself.

  Snapping open my eyes, I’m pleased to find my old mask in place, the one I tucked away when I walked through those gates. This old thing has gotten me through everything I’ve had to face so far in life; I know it won’t let me down now.

  There’s only fifteen minutes left of breakfast when I storm through the dining hall doors, a look of thunder on my face. If I’m going to do this, I’m going to make it very damn clear I’m not fucking happy about it, and hopefully, the dark scowl on my face will be enough to deter some of the weaker kids from thinking they can gossip about me.

  “Ah, there she is,” Hawk calls out, a shit-eating grin on his face that I can’t fucking wait to rip off. “Come sit with us, Hadley.”

  As if I have a fucking choice.

  Casting a quick glance out of the corner of my eye toward the scholarship table, I find all eyes on me, Emilia’s mouth agape as she watches me cross the room to the Princes’ table, sitting down beside Cam.

  “I ordered you breakfast since you’re late,” Hawk says in a sickly sweet tone. Looking down at the plate, there’s a slice of grapefruit in front of me. That’s it. One measly slice of fucking grapefruit. Thankfully, I didn’t undergo my usual exercise routine this morning, otherwise I’d be fucking starving, but even so, who the fuck can live off that all morning?

  Gritting my teeth, I don’t bother to acknowledge Hawk, pretending I’m not insulted by the lack of food, and instead picking up my fork and digging in, ignoring everyone's eyes on me. No one says anything else to me for the rest of breakfast, the others too caught up in talking to their new girl, while Cam does his best to pretend I don’t exist. He doesn’t even glance in my direction, and it’s the longest fifteen minutes of my life; but fucking finally, people start to filter out to class and the Pricks get to their feet. The second I can, I get away from them, and other than having to endure their presence in business class, I spend the rest of the day ignoring their existence.

  Of course, it’s much harder to ignore the rest of the school, and Bianca and the other Princesses corner me that afternoon. Scanning my eyes over their scowling faces, I notice the group size has grown, the club having welcomed each new set of girls into their ranks. Somehow, I don’t think they are here to give me my induction talk and welcome pack.

  “How the fuck did you make Cam do that?” Bianca demands. She stands front and center, clearly the ringleader of this little band of fake royalty.

  “I didn’t make Cam do anything,” I retort, crossing my arms over my chest.

  “Then why would he choose you?” Missy’s eyes run over me with confusion, like she can’t understand what Cam could find so appealing about me.

  “Why would you say no?” another girl demands. I think her name was Cora or something.

  I scan my eyes over all of them, seeing the same question in each of their eyes. “Because unlike you, I didn’t dream of growing up, finding a Prick and living unhappily ever after,” I snap, pushing through the crowd of desperate girls that are never going to understand why I’m not exactly like them.

  “You’re never going to be one of us,” Bianca calls out behind me, causing me to pause, turning around to face her with an incredulous look on my face.

  “Bianca, understand this,” I say evenly, “I don’t ever want to be you.”

  As I turn away, I catch Mason standing in a doorway, watching the whole thing like some creeper in the shadows. I only stare at him for a second before forcing myself to look away, storming on down the corridor.

  The rest of the week goes by in much the same way. Cam doesn’t say a word to me, Hawk takes far too much pleasure from the cheap shots he fires my way, and he’s somehow managed to get the kitchen staff to only bring out fucking grapefruit for me every morning, even if I order something different. I’ve had to stock up on snacks from the shop in the rec center so I can eat something halfway decent
in the mornings before I have to go to the dining hall, but, man, I fucking miss the pancakes.

  The worst part of it, though, is that the scholarship students barely look at me. Any time I smile their way or dare to wave at them, they duck their heads and glance away, ignoring me. What hurts the most is Emilia’s absence. I miss our easy friendship and her daily chatter.

  On Friday, I show up early for computer class so I can sit as far away from West as possible, fully intent on going back to my original plan of teaching myself how to use the stupid software on these machines. Eating breakfast with them is enough torture, and while I know Hawk is the one behind most of this shit, the fact the others just go along with it pisses the hell out of me.

  Picking a seat on the far side of the room, I log in and open up today's lesson plan, only to be disturbed when someone sits down beside me. His familiar scent washes over me and I snap my head around to glare at him. “What are you doing over here?”

  Both of his eyebrows jump up, his surprise at my anger only infuriating me more. How can he not expect me to be pissy with him? I’ve had the week from hell, thanks to him and his stupid friends.

  “I thought you needed my help.”

  “I’m sure I can work it out by myself,” I snap, ignoring the little voice in my head that reminds me I tried to do that before and failed epically.

  “Sure you can.” He snorts. I don’t respond as I mentally count backward from ten so I don’t smash him over the head with my mouse. “Look.” He sighs. “How about we leave all that crap outside the classroom?”

  “You mean the crap where you’re forcing me to be one of your stupid girls? That crap?”

  Ignoring my attitude, West asks, “Why did you say no to Cam anyway? I thought you two were a thing.”

  Huh, why did he think that? Did Cam say something? Shame he couldn’t have talked to me about us too, before making such a public and antiquated declaration.

  “You can’t just go around claiming girls and demanding they be yours, Wes. People are not possessions, you can’t treat others like livestock to be traded at will.”

  A tense moment of silence fills the air between us as I wait for the verbal lashing that I’ve overstepped my mark, but instead, he surprises me. “You’re right,” he easily agrees. “I can only imagine how it looks to someone who hasn’t grown up in our world, but it’s tradition. Despite how it might look, it’s bigger than us. We actually have very little say over any of this. Did you know most of the senior girls were enrolled here because of us? Because we were here. Everyone who’s anyone in our circle knows the tradition. They enroll their daughters in the hopes they’ll snag themselves a Prince for a husband. It’s all part and parcel of being in the upper class. Hell, each of us will probably marry one of those girls someday. You’re the first person I’ve heard of to fight back, to ever say no.”

  I take a moment to think over his words, navigating my way through the various bomb drops. Parents pimping their daughters out, the Pricks marrying girls they don’t have any respect for. I thought the life I left behind was pretty fucked up, but this one is quickly coming in at second place.

  “I just don’t understand how you can be happy with any of that. How can you be okay with knowing girls are being pushed to be with you? How can you be happy spending your life with someone you don’t even seem to like?”

  “Happy?” West laughs, but it lacks any humor. “Who said anything about being happy? Despite what people think, happiness and money do not go hand in hand. You do what’s expected of you, because that’s what every generation before us has done. As for the girls...well, you’ve seen them. Do they look like they’re being forced to you?” He has a point there. The girls are all champing at the bit to be with the guys of their own free will. “They want us as much as their families want them to be with us; because we’re rich and powerful.”

  “Doesn’t hurt that you’re all built like gods,” I joke, but it falls flat when West simply stares at me, surprise and confusion flitting across his face. I’m not sure what has him stumped, though. Surely he knows how hot he is?

  After a moment he shakes himself out of whatever he was thinking, clearing his throat. “I’m sorry you got caught up in the middle of all of this. I don’t know what’s going on with you and Cam, but I know he’s hurt, and he’s going to take it out on you. Hawk’s also going to do everything he can to make your life hell for the next month. There’s nothing I can really do to stop either of them. All I can do is promise that, in here, we can continue on like normal; leave all that shit at the door.”

  I look deep into his forest green eyes, wanting to believe him. In my head, there are two very different versions of West, the one he shows the world—the one he is when he’s with the others—and this soft, gentle version that he is around me. I want to believe the version he shows me is real and not a ruse, but if I’ve learned anything these last few months, it’s that I can’t trust any of them. However, despite what I know, I want to believe in him. It’s for that reason that I slowly nod my head in agreement. “Okay. We’ll leave the rest of the world outside.”

  Chapter 17

  Hawk: Get your ass to the lake! Now!

  West: It will be easier if you don’t fight it.

  Hawk and Cam are both assholes, and clearly, West doesn’t know me at all. I’ve been hiding out in my room for the last hour, trying to ignore the incessant buzzing of the tablet. There's a party tonight and according to Hawk, attendance is mandatory.

  With a groan, I get to my feet, rifling through my meager belongings. Finding the oldest, rattiest, pair of shorts and a t-shirt with a middle finger on it, an evil grin lights up my face. Well, if they insist on my presence, I’m at least going to dress how I want.

  Twenty minutes later and I’m strolling down the embankment toward the fire pit where, as per usual, the four of them are chilling. Mason and Hawk have this month's girls on their laps. West’s girl clings to his arm, trying to get his attention, but her gaze flicks jealously between Mason, Hawk, and Cam. What the hell is her problem? West is a fucking catch, you know, if you’re into stupidly rich, pampered boys. The bitch should appreciate what she has.

  Glancing Cam’s way, I expect to find him with the same sullen look he’s worn all week, but instead he’s hitting on some chick I don’t recognize. Is he for fucking real? I guess this is what West meant when he said Cam would take his hurt out on me, and, damn, the spike of jealousy that zings through me only annoys me further.

  “What the fuck are you wearing?” Hawk snarls, tearing his lips away from what’s-her-name. “You look like a fucking homeless person.”

  I mock gasp, bringing my hand up to my chest. “What? But these are my best clothes. Only the finest for a Pac party, right?”

  Rolling my eyes, I snatch a water bottle out of the cooler and drop into a seat on the other side of the fire, as far from Hawk and Cam as I can get. Stretching my legs out in front of me, I cross my boot-covered feet at the ankle, looking chill as fuck as I unscrew the water and take a long gulp.

  “You’re an extension of us, now. You have to dress the part.”

  The look I give him says everything about how few fucks I give about what he wants, but of course his snarking has drawn the attention of the other girls around the fire.

  “Eww.” The girl Cam was flirting with scrunches up her nose in disgust. “Where did you even find those?”

  I turn to look at her in confusion. “They were a gift, Stew gave me this hoodie.”

  “Who the fuck is Stew?” Hawk growls.

  “The homeless man who let me share his cardboard box house with him for a few nights.” Okay, so not quite the truth, but the gasps of shock and looks of disgust are so totally worth it.

  “If you wear that shit around us again, I’m going to strip it off you and burn it. See if you like walking around naked.” Hawk’s snarl is deadly serious. If he so much as laid a hand on me, I’d make him regret it, but the thought of ending up in only my underw
ear in front of all these assholes has a skitter of fear running up my spine. No fucking thanks.

  It’s not long before Cam takes off to dance with the brown-haired bimbo he’s been flirting with all night. Not that I notice. Hawk is practically fucking his girl in front of us all, while Mason and West talk quietly, both of them ignoring their girls. It’s strange. While West frequently pays little to no attention to his girl of the month, it’s the first time I’ve seen Mason ignoring his. He’s usually all over that, but since I sat down, he’s barely looked her way.

  Spotting Emilia and the others over by the drinks table, unease swirls in my stomach. Heeding their words, I haven’t talked to any of them since Halloween, and I miss hanging out with them.

  “Where the fuck are you going?” Hawk’s growl has me realizing I’m on my feet, as though I was going to go over to them. Which is stupid—they wouldn’t want me anywhere near them.

  “For a walk,” I lie, needing some sort of excuse to cover whatever I thought I was doing.

  “No, you're not. Sit your ass down and shut up.”

  I grind my teeth together, my hand clenching around my water bottle until it crinkles under the pressure as my sadness is quickly burned away in the heat of my anger.

  “I’m not about to sit here and watch you attempt to fuck what’s-her-name with your stunted dick. Trust me, you don’t want anyone to see her fake as fuck orgasm.”

  With a venomous snarl, he gets to his feet, dragging blondie with him as he takes off into the forest. Only when he’s gone, do I let out a laugh, shaking my head.

  “Why do you have to wind him up like that?” West asks, reminding me there was an audience for that little showdown.

  Shrugging, I take another sip of water. “He makes it way too damn easy.”

  He shakes his head, getting back to his conversation with Mason while I sit and watch the scholarship students partying at the far end of the beach. After a while, my gaze comes back to Mason and West. The girl Mason chose, I think her name is Tiffany, has gone off to dance nearby, but every now and again she glances in this direction, scowling when she discovers Mason isn’t watching her. On the other hand, West’s girl stares star-struck at Mason.