by Ruby Vincent
“It was lovely. Mother and I went to Russia to see the ballet. It reminded me why the art is so superior. No one can match the hard work and dedication of a ballerina.” She lifted her shoulders. “Hip-hop was a cute distraction, but that’s all it was. I never took it seriously.”
Nodding, I closed the distance between us. “You said something to me the night we first met. That you become the best by going up against people stronger than you and coming out on top. You said you embrace every challenge, and you know, I actually had a little respect for you after you said that.”
I smirked. “That’s gone now. We both know you took that competition seriously, and that you were gutted when you lost and Mommy pulled you off the team. I beat you, Bruno. How does it feel to lose?”
Isabella’s polite mask disappeared so quickly you would have thought it was never there. She bared her teeth. “You’re much more familiar with the feeling so I don’t have to tell you.”
“Ooh. That wasn’t very nice.” I snapped my fingers. “Get her for that, guys.”
The Diamonds looked at me like I was nuts.
“How do I turn them on?” I asked Isabella. “I’m their leader now. Aren’t they supposed to be my faithful minions?”
“You’re not leading the Diamonds!”
“But that’s how it works. I beat you.” I was having way too much fun riling her up.
“You did not beat me!” Isabella was about as red as her dress. “It was a stupid contest that no one cares about. Let’s see you challenge me in ballet.”
A hand fell on my shoulder. “Everything okay, Moon?”
“Everything is fine,” I said to Kai. “I don’t have time for games this year, Isabella, and as you like to keep reminding everyone—neither do you. How about we stay out of each other’s way?”
She spoke through gritted teeth. “I don’t think so.”
“Suit yourself.” I gave her my back and walked off with my friends.
“What was that all about?” Zane asked.
“I’ll let Sofia tell you about the Diamonds. She explains this craziness much better than me.”
Crazy was the word the boys were both using when we walked into advanced literature. The setup in here was a bit different with tables for two instead of individual desks. My eyes swept the room for a place all four of us could sit until I landed on Ezra.
He looked from me to the spot next to him, making it clear what he wanted me to do. “Uh, guys. I’m going to sit over there.” I was off before they replied, but by the footsteps behind me they were following.
Zane and Sofia took the table in front of him while Kai sat at the one behind. Ezra pulled out my chair for me to sit. “Ever the gentleman,” I teased.
“You said last night you like guys who hold open doors.”
“I’ve dealt with a lot of assholes in my life, so yes, I don’t mind a nice guy.”
“I wouldn’t say I’m nice,” he said lowly. He leaned in until I was engulfed in his piney scent. I loved the way Ezra smelled. “Hope you can settle for me.”
“We’ll see.”
“Sorry I kept you up all night.”
“What happened last night?” I sprang back so fast I almost toppled out of my seat. Jaxson stood over us, grinning away. “Why were you keeping my girl up?”
Ezra gave him a grin so wicked a flush went up my neck. “Why do you think?”
“We talked,” I blurted. “We were up all night talking.”
Ezra didn’t skip a beat. “This time.”
My cheeks were positively flaming. I thought it once, and I knew it now. The prim and proper Ezra was an act.
Jaxson wasn’t fazed. Laughing, he went to take the seat behind us until he saw who he was sitting next to. A scowl took over both of their faces as Jaxson and Kai locked eyes.
What is up with these two?
“Jaxson, do you want to sit next to Ezra instead?”
“Nah, you’re good, baby.” He dropped his bag and sat down as the classroom door opened again. Confused, I looked away at the sound of someone calling for our attention.
“Good morning, class. Welcome to Advanced Literature and Composition. I am Professor Coleman.” The man who stood before us was average in every way. Average height, average build, average short haircut, and average face. “Thank you for choosing your seats and pairing up with your friends.” He smiled. “Now I know exactly who not to put you with.”
Groans filled the room.
“That’s right. Everyone up. You have assigned seats.”
Grudgingly, I picked up my stuff and trudged to the back of the room. Coleman wasn’t joking. He put Sofia and Zane on opposite sides of the room. Ezra was up two rows ahead of me. Jaxson ended up next to Maverick and Kai—
“We meet again.” Kai flashed me a smile as he sat down. I had no trouble returning it. I’d much rather be with him than Natalie, Airi, or Isabella.
“Get a good look at the person next to you. They will be your partner for the rest of the year.” Coleman grabbed the clicker off his desk and pulled up his slideshow. “This semester you and your partner will be working on a single project broken up into four parts. You will read the books Night, The Diary of Anne Frank, and The Book Thief. For each book, you will hand in a ten-page paper.”
I gaped at him. I was wrong about this guy being average. This was top-level academic pile on.
“Your final will be a twenty-page essay and presentation on the Holocaust. You will receive only two grades this semester so failing one will mean you have no chance of achieving the semester requirement. That should properly motivate you to take this seriously.” He swept a stern gaze over us like we were planning to do the opposite. “You and your partner can split the work however you like, but I expect four papers and a presentation. Understood?”
“Yes, Professor Coleman.”
“Good. Then one at a time, come up and take your first book.”
Kai went up first and came back with a copy of Night for me. “How do you want to do this?” he asked.
“Well, the first paper isn’t due until the end of the month so why don’t we read the book this week, and next week we’ll figure out how we’ll split up the paper.”
“Cool.”
We cracked it open and got to reading, sitting in silence until the bell rang. The rest of our classes were no easier, and we walked out with so much homework Zane and Sofia said they would come to the library to study with us.
“I can’t believe I was looking forward to junior year,” Sofia griped.
“You were dazzled by dances and winter cabins,” I replied. “That’s how they lure us in to coming back.”
We stepped into Markham’s class laughing. One by one, we rescued our cells out of the phone box. Mine buzzed in my palm as soon as I picked it up.
“One second, guys.”
A glance at the screen brought a frown to my lips.
Unknown number?
I hit open.
555-4653: You didn’t think this was over, did you?
“What?”
“Val, you coming?”
I tore my eyes away. Sofia and the boys were heading for the door. “I’ll catch up.”
They shrugged and walked off while I went back to the message. That was it. Just one sentence from a number I didn’t recognize. A creepy sentence.
What is that supposed to mean?
I tapped in a reply.
Me: You have the wrong number.
That done, I put my phone away and hurried to catch up with my friends.
The library was just how I remembered it. Dim, cool, and filled with the whispers of flipped pages. We found a study table at the back and sat down.
“Want to start with government?” Zane asked. “We have a quiz tomorrow.”
I groaned. “I forgot about that.”
We pulled out our government textbooks and got to work.
“Alright,” Zane began. “What were the effects of tariffs on—”
; “Excuse me?”
We stopped. Standing before our table was Paisley Winters. She gave us a smile that twitched around the edges. “Do you mind if I... sit with you guys?”
Sofia frowned. “What? Why?”
She held up an identical government textbook. “I thought we could study together.”
I shared a look with Sofia. Both our faces looked like they were saying “What the hell is going on?”
“Paisley,” I started, “I think—”
“Are you kidding?” Our attention snapped to Kai. “Now you want to sit next to Valentina? Why, because that fucking mark was lifted?”
Paisley shrank under his fury. “I-I just—”
“That’s it, isn’t it? A bunch of guys tell you it’s okay to act like a decent human being, and here you are.”
Paisley’s eyes grew dangerously bright. “I’m s-sorry, I—”
“She deserves better than you,” he snarled. “Get out of here.”
Face crumpling, she spun around. I quickly got to my feet.
“No, stop!” I grabbed her before she could run. “Paisley, it’s okay. You can sit with us.”
“Are you serious?” asked Kai.
Even Sofia looked unsure. “Val?”
“If I can forgive the Knights, then I can forgive her.” Paisley’s shoulders shook with tears. I rubbed them as I pulled her in for a hug. She grabbed me in a death grip as she buried her face in my neck and sobbed. “I don’t want to be angry and hurt and vengeful anymore. If everyone else is willing to put the past behind them and start over, then so am I.”
I sat Paisley in my seat since Kai was still scowling at her. I took the spot next to him and pulled my textbook to me. “Okay, the effects of tariffs...” I went on like nothing was different, and after a few minutes, the rest of them joined me.
My phone buzzed halfway through Zane’s answer. I slid it over and pulled up the text.
555-4653: No. This is definitely the right number. That was a cute speech you gave. I’ll have to do something about the not being angry and vengeful thing.
What the fuck?
I twisted around, scanning the scattered faces in the library. Everyone I saw was reading, writing, or studying. No one was on their phone.
Me: Who is this?
The reply came in seconds.
555-4653: You can call me Ace. We’re going to have a lot of fun this year, Valentina Moon.
Me: No, we’re not, creep. Get out of my inbox or I’ll block you.
Ace: I wouldn’t do that. That would piss me off, and trust me, you’ll want to keep me happy.
Me: FUCK. OFF.
Ace: I know what you did last year.
The message made me pause with my finger hovering above the block button.
Ace: I know about Scarlett LeBlanc.
The breath whooshed out of my lungs like I had been punched in the gut. Those five words blurred as the phone shook in my hand.
“Valentina?”
How? Who is this?
“Valentina.” A hand grabbed my wrist, making me jump. I looked into Kai’s concerned eyes. “Are you okay?”
“Yes,” I forced out. I dropped my phone into my lap. “I’m fine.”
Chapter Five
I was not fine. I sent text after text to the mysterious Ace, but got no reply after the final message about Scarlett.
What did that mean? What did they know? Why did they say we were going to have fun together this year? And why did I have a terrible feeling that it wouldn’t be fun for me?
I was in such a state by Friday, I jerked out of my skin when someone touched me.
“Whoa, baby. It’s just me.” Jaxson’s voice soothed my nerves like water dousing a fire. I spun around and fell into his arms. “Are you okay? What’s wrong?”
I shook my head. I hadn’t told anyone about Ace. I didn’t know what to tell them. Until I knew what I was dealing with, I was suffering in silence.
“Nothing. It’s just been a long week.”
He stroked my hair. “Do you still want to leave with me this weekend?”
“I want that so much it’s insane.”
His throat rumbled with his chuckle. “Let’s not waste any more time then. My car is out front.”
“I’ve got my stuff.” I took my backpack out of my locker and slammed it shut. We turned to leave just as Sofia, Zane, and Kai strolled up.
“Hey, Moon, what are you doing tonight?” Kai planted himself in front of us. “We heard there is going to be a party down at the cliffs. Want to come?”
“I can’t. I’ve got a weekend pass. I won’t be back until Sunday.”
“Where are you going?”
“Mind your business, South Africa.” Jaxson took my hand and pulled me away. Sofia covertly tossed me a wink behind the boys’ back.
“Why are you like that with Kai? You two have been at each other’s throats since you first met.”
Jaxson didn’t look at me, but I could see his scowl. “I don’t like that guy. He’s always staring at you, following you around, and acting like he’s your protector.”
“He’s my friend.”
“He’s into you,” he said firmly.
I gaped at him. “No, he’s not. Kai just got out of a relationship. He’s still hung up on his ex-girlfriend.”
“He’s hung up on getting into your pants.”
Rolling my eyes, I veered to the right and bumped his shoulder. “Why are you being jealous? I’m telling you, he’s not into me, and I’m not into him.” I grinned. “Besides, it’s you I’m going away with this weekend.”
I saw the corner of his mouth curl into a smile. “That is true.”
Thankfully, we dropped the subject of Kai and shifted the conversation as we escaped out onto the front lawn. “What did you tell your mom to get the pass?”
“I said I was going to Sofia’s this weekend. My mom is cool, but I’m not about to tell her I’m going off with a guy. What did you tell your dad?”
“I said I was going off with a girl.”
“You did not!”
He laughed. “No, I said me and Ryder were going to check out a college. The guy was so happy at the idea of me and higher education that he gave permission on the spot.”
We passed through the gates of the school. A lone yellow sports car sat waiting for us.
“No Clive?”
“Nah, I’m driving.” Jaxson held open the door for me. I waited until he slid inside to pick up our conversation.
“Why would he be so happy about you checking out colleges? Are you not thinking of going?”
The engine purred to life under Jaxson’s hands. “My plan has always been to take over for dad. College never seemed necessary.”
I leaned back into the soft leather seats. I thought the nerves would hit me by now. Instead, I felt safe and comfortable. “You’re lucky. You know exactly what you want to do. I wish I did.”
“No, you’re lucky, Val, because you can do anything. You may not know now, but when you figure out what you want, you’ll make it happen. While it’ll be handed to me.”
Our hands moved at the same time. Jaxson laced our fingers over the console.
“Will you tell me where we’re going now?”
“It’s a surprise.” He inclined his head. “Not that the location really matters since I’m not planning on letting you out of bed all weekend.”
Thump, thump, thump.
How he could make my heart gallop up my throat with one sentence had to be some kind of gift. I couldn’t believe we were doing this.
“You can get some sleep,” said Jaxson. “It’s a long drive.”
“I won’t be able to fall asleep.”
I fell asleep.
When I woke a while later, the sun had set. “Jaxson?” I mumbled. I propped myself up to peer at him. At some point he had leaned my seat back. “Where are we?”
Nothing outside of my window looked familiar. Tall buildings had replaced the trees, and people-filled st
reets lit up by traffic lights where there was once nothing but serene nature.
“We’re almost there.”
I set the seat back and relaxed as the city zipped by me. I had no clue where I was, but I wasn’t worried. I knew wherever we were going was somewhere I wanted to be.
Soon the buildings fell away and we turned on a single stretch of road. Hedges blocked the view on all sides for a while. I gasped when we finally got past them.
“Jaxson,” I breathed.
“I said I would take you to the beach.”
An endless ocean spread out before my eyes. My breath caught at the sight of the moonlight dancing on the waves. It was so beautiful.
“We have a house out here,” he continued. “Own the whole stretch so it’s completely private. What do you think?”
“It’s perfect.”
Five minutes later, a white two-story house peeked over the horizon. Jaxson pulled into the driveway while I tried to close my mouth. I needed to stop gawking at everything, but this beach house was incredible. It was all windows which must have been magnificent during the day.
Jaxson let us inside with his key. “How about a quick tour and then we’ll hit the water.”
Water? What about hitting the sheets?
I bit my lip to keep that thought in. I didn’t want to sound too eager. I was, but I didn’t want to sound it.
“Okay.”
Jaxson took me through the rooms. “I had food delivered,” he said when we were in the kitchen. “But I can’t cook so don’t expect too much.”
I laughed. “Don’t worry, I can. We won’t starve.”
The living room, dining room, and bathroom were next until finally we stopped in front of a door upstairs. “This is our room.”
Jaxson pushed into a bedroom that was clearly his. Band posters decorated the walls, and the blue and black décor screamed him. His bed was massive. It took up nearly the entire space.
“So that’s the place.” He turned and shot me a grin. “Ready to go swimming?”
My eyes flicked to the bed. “I didn’t bring a bathing suit.”
“That’s alright. I had that delivered too.” Jaxson darted around his bed and bent to get something I couldn’t see. When he stood, he was holding my bathing suit in his hands. “See. It’s perfect.”