Evergreen Academy - The Complete Series

by Ruby Vincent

  She really won’t change her mind? She’s going to turn her back and let this stand when we both know it’s wrong. She—

  “Did you tell anyone else you didn’t finish the assignment?”

  I blinked. “What? No.”

  Strange’s gaze sharpened. “Alright. Here’s what we’ll do.” She lurched to her feet and my head swiveled to follow her as she hurried to the door and locked it. “You’re sick today. Horrible bug that hit you suddenly and forced you back to bed. It couldn’t be helped; you had to miss class.”

  I bobbed my head, barely believing what was happening. “Right. Awful. I’ve been throwing up for hours.”

  She nodded curtly. “Final midterm grades aren’t due until the end of spring break. If you get me that paper by then, you’ll get whatever grade you deserve.”

  Happiness swelled like a balloon inside me. “Thank you, Professor. Thank you so much.”

  “Miss Moon, I must impress on you the seriousness of the situation.” She advanced on me and grabbed my shoulders in a grip that made me wince. “You were sick. That is what you tell everyone.”

  “I will. I promise.”

  “And you must give me the paper by next Friday morning. If there are any more problems, I will have no choice but to give you that zero.”

  “I understand.”

  “Good.” She released me and stepped back. “Now get to your dorm before classes let out.”

  She didn’t need to tell me twice. I darted out of English and beat it back to my dorm. I didn’t waste a second on texting Sofia and telling her I needed her laptop. My tears were gone. The encroaching darkness that descended when Ryder claimed his kiss was pushed back. I was not leaving this school. Ryder, the Knights, and the Spades had met their match.

  THE CAMPUS WAS A GHOST town over spring break. Ninety percent of the freshmen evacuated the dorms including the Knights. Only Sofia and I remained, but this break was not nearly as fun as the first. After getting through the rest of midterms—and enduring the shit-eating grin on Ryder’s face—I threw myself into the paper. Sunup to after sundown, I rewrote every line, comparison, thought, and conclusion on Aldous Huxley’s sixteen novels. I typed my last period at four a.m. Friday morning, three hours before my deadline.

  “I’m done.”

  Sofia jerked awake. “Huh? What?” She blinked blearily at me from my bed. “Val, you finished?”

  “Done.” I pulled up my email and attached the paper for Professor Strange. I hit send riding a wave of triumph that made the last week of sleepless nights and sore typing fingers worth it. “I can’t wait to see that fucker’s face when they announce the grades.”

  “I’d love to see that too... but I’m not eager to see what comes after it. Val, you know he’s not just going to give up. No one is.”

  “That’s okay.” I rose from my desk and slipped under the covers. I was long overdue for some sleep and I planned on spending the weekend doing only that. “He may not give up,” I continued, “but neither will I.”

  MONDAY MORNING DAWNED early but not bright. The sky was heavy with dark clouds and the damp in the air seeped into my hair as I stepped out of the dorm. I kissed my teeth as my efforts with the flat iron immediately went to waste and tried to smooth down the frizz.

  “Don’t you have bigger things to worry about?”

  I twisted around. I hadn’t noticed the group of people posted up beside the entrance.

  Isabella peeled herself off the wall. “I hear you’re not coming back next year. We’re finally going to be rid of you.”

  “But it would be nice if you didn’t draw it out,” Natalie chimed in. “Don’t wait until the end of the year. Leave now.”

  I gave them my back and walked off. I had nothing to say to them. However, they weren’t done with me.

  “I’ll help you pack your bags,” Airi said as the three of them trailed me. “While we do, we can take care of that fuck you owe me. I’ve already paid you.”

  Their laughter rolled over me like smoke. Honestly, their vileness would make it that much more satisfying when they found out I wasn’t going anywhere.

  I crossed the quad and walked into the main building. I didn’t miss the looks on passing faces as I went to my locker. I may not have said anything, but word had spread the Knights had succeeded: the heartless virgin whore bitch, or whatever they were calling me these days, was on her way out.

  I stopped in front of my locker and spun the dial.

  “Move!”

  The shout was accompanied by a cry, a thud, and then the thunder of oncoming footsteps. I got my locker open only for it to be slammed in my face. I stared at the olive hand covering my locker number. “Good morning, Ryder. Something I can do for you?”

  He leaned in, putting his mouth to my ear. “How the fuck did you do it?” he growled.

  “Do what? You’ll have to be more specific.”

  A hand grabbed me and spun me around. Ryder was blocked by the paper he shoved in my face. “How did you pass?”

  I found my name on the list and went down the line.

  A. A. B. B. B. A. A.

  And then right under English I: B.

  “How did I pass?” I repeated. “I studied my butt off same as you.”

  The paper crumbled in his fist and I got my first look at him. Ryder couldn’t be described as cold or lifeless now. Over his shoulder, Jaxson, Ezra, and Maverick watched, each with different expressions. Jaxson looked annoyed, Ezra politely indifferent, and Maverick confused.

  “You lost your paper. You said you were out!”

  I shrugged. “Turned out I didn’t lose it after all. It’s amazing what a call to tech support can do. Now if that’s all...” I made to go around him and his hand flashed out.

  Ryder shoved me back, slamming me against the locker. My head bounced against the metal and I cried out.

  “Ryder!” Maverick surged forward and grabbed his shoulder.

  He violently threw him off. “Fuck off, Rick!”

  The stars didn’t have a chance to clear before his hand was on my throat. I gasped, hands flying to my neck and clawing at him as he squeezed.

  “I tried to do it the nice way,” he hissed. Fire burned in his eyes—twin pools of molten silver that struck true fear in me. There was no hint of mercy in those eyes, and there was no bit of surrender in mine. Black spots danced in my vision as his grip got tighter.

  His hand was a steel band wrapped around my throat. I gave up trying to pull him off and lashed out, raking my nails across his face.

  “Argh!”

  I sucked in deep lungfuls of air as Ryder’s hands flew to his face. He staggered back into Maverick’s grip.

  “Hold him,” Jaxson ordered.

  Maverick didn’t need to be told. He wrestled Ryder’s arms down and pinned them to his side. Ryder struggled viciously to get to me. The angry, bleeding marks on his face only served to make him more frightening. I didn’t want to know what he would have done if Maverick let him go.

  “Get him the fuck out of here,” said Jaxson.

  Maverick hauled Ryder up and dragged him away while he shouted awful things at me.

  Ezra swept his eyes over the people watching; his face was deeply pale. “None of you saw a thing. You got it?”

  Fervent murmurs of agreement echoed through the crowd as my shaky legs quit their efforts to hold me up. I collapsed to the ground in a heap, still clutching my throat.

  “Get out of here. Now.”

  Our audience dispersed, racing off in a dozen directions like they couldn’t get away fast enough.

  “I’ll go after Ryder,” said Ezra. “You take care of this.”

  “Okay.”

  I jerked when a hand touched my back. “No,” I rasped. Tears leaked from my eyes as I tried to crawl away. “Stop!”

  “Relax.” Jaxson put himself in front of my path and took my face in his hands. “I’m not going to hurt you.” His thumbs swiped across my cheeks, wiping away my tears. “Come on. I’
ll take you to the nurse.”

  I didn’t have a chance to protest before he was scooping me up in his arms. He cradled me to his chest and took off. If I wasn’t so weak I might have fought to get away but as it stood, all I managed to do was bury my head in his blazer and cry.

  Jaxson didn’t say a word as he carried me to the nurse’s office. Nurse Runyon leaped to her feet when we came in, demanding to know what happened, but he ignored her and set me down on a cot. Jaxson swept out of the room and it was just the two of us.

  “What happened, dear?” She fluttered around me feeling my head, then pulling a blanket over me, then finally running to get me tissues. “Are you hurt? Did that boy do something to you?”

  I couldn’t respond. I hadn’t stopped gasping since Ryder let me go.

  Scratch, scratch.

  My chest wouldn’t stretch enough for the air to get in, or at least that was what it felt like. A stabbing ache, worse than my throat could ever feel, gnawed inside of me. I knew one thing for sure now. The pain that I had been trying to run away from would never go away. I would never truly be free.

  THE KNIFE GLINTED IN the scant amount of light.

  “Ryder!”

  I raced through the woods. My bare feet trampled twigs and rocks that broke the tender skin but I ignored the pain.

  Ryder struggled with the shadowed person, yelling things I couldn’t hear. He threw them off and then lifted the knife. He turned and looked at me before he struck...

  ...and then I was looking at me.

  The sight of myself running at me, face contorted with fear, confused me until the feel of something in my hand drew my attention.

  I was holding the knife... and there was someone at my feet.

  “Val?” A hand shook me, jarring me awake. “Val, wake up.”

  I shot up and threw the hand off. I scrambled across the bed until light flooded the room.

  “Val, it’s me.”

  “Sofia?” I looked from her to the clock as my racing heart slowed. It read one in the morning. “What are you doing here?”

  “I came to check on you.” Sofia pulled back the covers and crawled into bed. I didn’t hesitate to fall into her hug. “Are you okay? It sounded like you were having a bad dream.”

  “Yeah,” I whispered. “I have a lot of those.”

  She rubbed my back. “I heard what happened today.”

  What happened is that after Ryder choked me out, the nurse spent so much time trying to calm me down she eventually had to notify the rest of my professors that I wasn’t going to class. She called in the doctor on staff and sat with me while she checked me out. Noemi found me in there, demanding to know why I had left her standing in front of my dorm.

  What was I supposed to say? I left early so I would have the pleasure of seeing Ryder’s face when he saw my grades. That turned out not to be such a pleasure.

  “How did you find out?” I asked. “Ezra said no one was allowed to speak.”

  “Isabella told me. She showed up at my dorm after class demanding to know how you got around being kicked out. She’s still on that money thing and won’t believe that I don’t know how you can afford the things you do.”

  If Sofia felt me stiffen, she gave no sign.

  “Her idea now is that you have a rich benefactor who stepped in and saved you at the last minute, so she wants the names of literally everyone you’ve ever mentioned to me. I only just got rid of her so I could come here.”

  I laughed mirthlessly. “You’d think she’d give taking me down one day off considering what happened, but I guess that’s why the girl doesn’t lose. She never lets up.”

  She squeezed me tight. “Val, tell me you reported him. He can’t get away with doing something like that.”

  “There’s no point. It would be my word against his because I’m not stupid enough to think anyone is going to back me up.”

  “But he—!”

  “Sofia, no. This thing with Ryder can’t be settled by anyone else. It will always be between me and him. I’m the one who has to handle it.” I pulled out of her arms and burrowed into the pillows. Between the nightmare and the day’s events, I had invented a new level of exhaustion. “Let’s just get some sleep.”

  She didn’t argue with me any more. Sofia flicked off the lights and snuggled into my side. Despite my words, I stayed awake looking at the darkened ceiling long after she fell asleep.

  I BRACED MYSELF FOR hell, but the days that followed weren’t so bad. Noemi stuck to my side like glue, but even when she wasn’t in earshot no one whispered their usual taunts or tried to pull anything. Regardless of Ezra’s warning, the whole class seemed to know what happened with Ryder, and instead of shooting me nasty looks, they gave me uncomfortable ones.

  Bullying me, sure. Almost killing me was apparently where they drew the line.

  I didn’t question it. If they were willing to back off, then I would enjoy it for as long as it would last. As for Ryder, I hadn’t run into him since it happened, and during my daily trips to the lunchroom, I was careful not to look toward the dais.

  I woke early that Friday and took my usual care in getting dressed. I was smoothing down my blue plaid skirt when Noemi knocked. I picked up my backpack and we headed out for homeroom. I was about to sit in my seat when Sofia brushed past me, knocking into my shoulder.

  “Watch it, Virgin.”

  I watched her go with wide eyes. That was our code. Someone was going to strike? Who? When? Damn this school and locking up our phones!

  I thought fast. “Professor Markham, I need to use the bathroom.”

  “Go ahead.”

  I hurried out of class and locked myself in the stall. How long should I wait? What if she doesn’t come?

  The door swung open. “Hello? You in here?”

  “Sofia.” I stepped out of the stall and went behind her to lock the door. “What’s going on?”

  “I don’t know.” She grabbed my hand and sat us down on the chaise. “I heard from Eric at breakfast that there was talk of hitting you again while you were down. He doesn’t know who,” she said quickly, no doubt seeing the look on my face. “That’s all he heard from someone else who heard it from someone else—that you need to watch your back.”

  “But I can’t do anything with that. Can Eric go back and find out more?”

  “I’ll ask him.” She cursed. “It would be so much easier if Eric, Paisley, and Claire were on our side, but I’m too afraid to ask.”

  “They don’t matter as long as you’re on my side.” I gave her a hug. “We should go before someone finds the door locked and wonders what we were doing in here.”

  “Be careful.”

  “I will.”

  “SECRET SPOT TODAY?”

  Noemi strolled next to me on the way to the cafeteria.

  “No more secret spot. I eat in my room from now on.” That sounded especially appealing today. I had been fretting through all of my classes wondering what was coming next. I had already been humiliated, sabotaged, undressed, and choked. What more could they do to me?

  At least in my dorm with the security system I once thought was too much, I would be safe.

  I ran into the lunchroom, got my food, and practically ran out. Noemi walked me back to the dorm and said goodbye at the door. “I’ll meet you back here after lunch.”

  “Alright. See ya.”

  I only fully relaxed when the lock clicked shut behind me. Setting my tray on the desk, I woke up my new laptop and resumed one of the movies Sofia and I had been watching.

  I didn’t want to go back, but soon the clock showed one o’clock, rudely telling me I had ten minutes to get to class. I closed my laptop, grabbed my things, and stepped outside.

  I sighed. Noemi wasn’t here yet.

  She must have gotten caught up. I’ll meet her on the way.

  I trekked down the hallway to the elevator and groaned.

  Out of Order.

  Spinning on my heels, I jogged over to the stairwell.
If I didn’t hurry, I would be late. I burst through the doors and crossed the landing. I’ll have to finish that movie when I come back. It was just getting—

  Something unseen grabbed hold of my foot... and I was falling.

  I screamed as the stairs rushed up to meet me. I tumbled head over heels, hitting every part of my body on the way down.

  Chapter Thirteen

  “Miss Moon? Valentina? Valentina, can you hear me?”

  I peeled my eyes open and immediately regretted it. Light assaulted my eyes like two hot spikes. “Wha...?”

  “Miss Moon, it’s Doctor Miller. Speak to me if you can.” I tried again to open my eyes. The white blur above me slowly came into focus. “Good morning, Miss Moon.”

  “Morning?” I cringed. My head was pounding.

  “Yes, you’ve been asleep since yesterday.”

  “What happened?” My fuzzy, aching mind thought back.

  I was in my room, then I left for class and—

  I gasped.

  “Yes, it seems you remember what happened. You took a nasty spill, Miss Moon. Broke your wrist, dislocated your knee, and you got a concussion.”

  “But how?”

  “It was an accident.” Dr. Miller reached behind her and pulled up a stool. We were in the nurse’s office in the room I had been in only days ago. It was a mark of how rich this school was that they could outfit a place for Band-Aids and boo-boos with a proper patient room and licensed doctor on staff. “Now, if you’re up to it, I’d like to ask you some questions. If we get this out of the way, you can go back to resting.”

  It took me a minute to make sense of what she was saying. “Can I have... something for this headache first?”

  “I can give you some ibuprofen, but for something stronger, I’ll need more information first.” She held up a folder I only now noticed she was holding. “This is quite an oversight, but your medical forms aren’t completely filled out.”

  “Oh.” I tried to push myself up and promptly gave up when my body screamed at me. “My mom was supposed to do all of that.”