Okay. She doesn’t care that he’s calling me pretty.
Why does my heart have to race so fast around this boy?
“Maybe he flirted a little. But only because he thinks it’s a challenge that I’ve never been kissed.” I close my eyes at the admission.
Why can’t I keep my mouth shut?
“I shouldn’t have said that.” I shake my head, bravely opening my eyes.
Both of them are looking at me with similar expressions. Their eyes are wide and their jaws are hanging open.
“What?” I ask.
“Are boys idiots at your old school?” Dastian asks.
“Uh...” I’m not sure how to respond.
“Seriously,” Missy says. “If I was a dude, I’d be hitting on you right now.”
“You’re insane.” I push a piece of hair behind my ear. “There isn’t anything special about me.”
My hair is dark brown and straight. It barely will even hold a curl, though I wish it would. And my eyes are also brown, which is boring. Well, except on Dastian, but that’s different. His eyes are dark and they’re beautiful. Mine are light brown, almost hazel, but not quite. Everything about me is average, except my height. I’m definitely short. I’m still hoping I’ll grow a few more inches, but I haven’t added even one inch to my height since I was thirteen.
“Just take my word for it,” Missy says. “You’re gorgeous.”
“Not as pretty as you,” I counter.
She grins, shaking her head. “You don’t see it, but I do.”
“I’ll tell Logan to stay away from you,” Dastian says, removing his arm from around Missy. He doesn’t say anything else as he turns around and walks toward Logan.
“He’s not seriously going to tell him that, is he?” I look toward Dastian and Logan. They both look my way, causing my cheeks to grow warm.
Missy laughs. “I think he really did, but he’s doing you a favor, trust me. There are a lot of boys in this school that would make a good boyfriend for you. Logan Griffin isn’t worth your time.”
I’m inclined to believe them, but I still can’t believe that Dastian just went over to Logan and told him to stay away from me. That’s insane.
“Why does Dastian even care?” I ask, turning away from Logan and Dastian to look at Missy. “He’s dating you.”
“It’s because Ellis was his best friend,” she answers.
I furrow my brows. “Who is Ellis?”
She cocks her head. “Uh, Ellis Lockwood. Your brother.”
My eyes widen. “I have a brother?”
“Had,” she clarifies. “He passed away during the summer.”
My chest aches at her words. “I didn’t know.”
I had a brother and he died. Right around the same time as my mom did. How insane is that?
“Dastian doesn’t like to talk about it,” Missy says. “But he’s going to be protective of you because of that.”
“Oh.” I put a hand to the base of my throat, not knowing what to say or even think.
Today has been a crazy day.
I glance back toward Logan and Dastian. They’re both still looking my way, so I quickly look away, feeling awkward.
“You really haven’t been kissed, have you?” Missy chuckles. “The boys here are going to love you.”
Stop calling me that.
A few minutes after Missy leaves me to hangout with Dastian, I’m feeling awkward and about to head back to my dorm when Blaine approaches me. He’s the one who invited me, so I feel like it’d be rude to not stay a little longer. He’s got a boy with him that I didn’t meet before.
“Hey, Cinderella,” Blaine says as he approaches.
I narrow my eyes. “Stop calling me that.”
“If Blaine knows that you don’t like the nickname, he’ll keep calling you that, just to annoy you,” the boy beside him says.
I grin, thinking he must know Blaine well. “Hey, I’m Hensley.”
“I know.” He grins. “Everybody knows you. I’m Will Mullens.”
Will is adorable. He’s only barely taller than me. I don’t meet guys who are so close to my height very often, since I’m so short. He has messy brown hair and big brown eyes. He’s smiling widely. I don’t know him yet, but I get the feeling that he’s just always smiling.
“I heard Dash and Logan were fighting over you earlier.” Blaine nudges me with his elbow.
I roll my eyes. “Hardly. Dastian just heard that Logan was flirting with me and he told him to stay away from me. Missy said it’s because he’s protective over me because Ellis was his best friend.”
I still need to find out more about Ellis. I wonder why Henry never said anything about him, but how do I bring up his dead son? It seems insensitive.
“You met Missy?” Blaine’s eyes widen.
I nod. “She seems nice.”
I still hate that she’s nice.
Why do I have to have a huge crush on a guy with a girlfriend? What is wrong with me?
“We know Dash well. He wouldn’t be protective over you because of Ellis,” Blaine says.
Will nods. “It’s true. He’s my best friend too and he didn’t say a word when Logan flirted with my little sister last year.”
I don’t know what to think of that, so I change the subject.
“Did you guys know Ellis well?” I ask.
Both of them frown at the mention of him.
“Yeah, uh,” Blaine rubs the back of his neck with his hand, “he was one of our best friends. It’s been Dash, Will, Ellis, and me since I can remember. It’s weird being back at school without him.”
I don’t know what to say, so I keep my mouth shut.
I’m sad that I have a brother I never got to meet. I wish my mom had told me the truth so I could’ve met him.
Both Will and Blaine look away and I can tell they’re very uncomfortable.
I can’t imagine losing a friend like that. It must be so hard on them.
I chew on the side of my lip. “My mom died recently. It’s why I’m living with Henry now.”
Though I wouldn’t consider staying one night in his house before being shipped off to boarding school to be ‘living with him.’
They both look at me.
Will offers me a smile. “I’m sorry about your mom. Were you close?”
I nod. “Very close. It’s just been her and me for as long as I can remember. Her death was completely unexpected.”
“How did she die?” Blaine asks.
“She was shot. The police don’t know anything. They think it was a mugging because her purse was missing.” I rub at my chest, willing the ache to go away. “My mom didn’t have a lot.”
“I’m sorry, Hens.” Blaine frowns.
He didn’t even call me Cinderella.
“What’s with you and nicknames?” I ask, wanting desperately to change the subject away from death.
Will grins. “He only gives nicknames to girls he’s crushing on.”
Blaine glares at Will. “Shut up, I do not.”
My cheeks grow warm.
Ah, this conversation is so awkward. I wish there were somewhere for me to hide.
Almost as if reading my mind, Logan walks up and joins us.
“I’ve been looking all over for you.”
“Me?” I ask, realizing he’s turned toward me and not Blaine or Will.
“Yes, you.” He turns to Blaine and Will. “Mind if I steal her away?”
Will and Blaine both shrug, saying nothing.
I wave at them. “I guess I’ll see you guys later.”
Logan leads me away from them a little way, motioning for me to sit on an empty bench. He sits beside me and I’m not quite sure what to think about him. I’ve had multiple people tell me to stay away from him.
“So... you and Dastian?”
My eyes widen. “Uh, no.”
He raises an eyebrow.
“Seriously. I just met the guy today. Plus, he’s dating Missy.”
Logan lif
ts one shoulder. “I’m just checking. Everybody knows he and Missy are going to be breaking up soon. The only reason they’re still together is because he doesn’t want to hurt her feelings and she doesn’t want to dump him after he just lost his best friend.”
So there is hope.
I want to smack myself for even having the thought.
“But I don’t know that,” I counter. “I just met everybody today. I thought he and Missy were kind of cute together.”
Okay, that’s a lie.
Not that they aren’t cute together, they are. I just don’t want them together, which makes me feel really, really guilty.
“Good,” he says.
“Good?” I raise an eyebrow.
“I kind of like you. It would suck if the one girl I’m actually interested in was already taken.” Logan pushes a piece of hair behind my ear.
I swallow hard as my skin tingles from his touch. “Everybody told me you don’t do relationships. They said I should stay away from you.”
“Who is everybody?” he asks.
“Uh, Missy and Dastian.”
He cocks his head. “I told you Dash was into you.”
I roll my eyes. “He is not.”
But his words still cause my heart to race.
“Why would they say that about you?” I ask. “Missy said it too.”
“Dastian probably said it because he likes you and he sees me as competition.”
“Not even close.” Because there is no way that Dastian likes me. Not when he has a girlfriend like Missy. She’s gorgeous. I don’t care what Logan says, there is no way he doesn’t like her.
“I haven’t had a girlfriend, it’s true. I just haven’t met a girl I was into enough to commit to her.”
I’m not sure if I believe him. Either Logan is a hopeless romantic, or he’s the player that everybody says he is.
“You don’t believe me, do you?” he asks.
“I don’t know you well enough yet.” I chew on the side of my lip.
He grins. “Then I guess I’ll just have to get to know you and prove that I’m a good guy.”
I have a feeling getting to know Logan could be a very, very bad idea for my heart.
“Sure,” I say, not meaning the words at all.
I will stay away from Logan Griffin. I have to.
“I think I’m going to head back to my dorm,” I tell him. “I’m tired.”
“Can I walk you?”
I start to tell him no, but then I remember I need to climb back through the window. Truthfully, I’m not sure if I’m tall enough to even reach it.
“Okay.”
Logan leads me from the clearing, toward the path. On the way there, I pass by Dastian, who is talking with Will and Blaine. Our eyes meet for a moment and my heart races. Why do I feel so guilty for going with Logan? Dastian frowns at me as we pass by, like he’s disappointed in me. Which is silly, right? Because he has a girlfriend. And I am single. I shouldn’t feel guilty for letting Logan walk me back to my dorm room.
The pathway is dark and Logan pulls out his phone, lighting up the path with the flashlight. He grabs onto my hand, which shocks me. I wish I could see him in the dark.
Neither of us says a word until we reach the sidewalk and all I can think is, I wonder what he’s thinking. Does he actually like me, or is this all one big game to him?
“I don’t want you to hate me because of what Dash and Missy said.” Logan’s deep voice breaks the silence. “Maybe I do have a player reputation here because I’ve never had a girlfriend. I never wanted to get into a relationship with somebody unless I was sure about my feelings. I’m not saying I want to be your boyfriend, Hensley, but I would like to get to know you. I think you’re incredibly gorgeous and nice. I think we could be friends, maybe more than friends one day.”
I chew on the side of my lip. “I actually kind of like that. We should definitely be friends.”
“Good.”
I can do friends.
“But I still want to kiss you,” he says.
I laugh. “We’ll see.”
I like the idea of kissing Logan.
Maybe someday…
Chapter Three
I’m in trouble.
Class doesn’t start for two more days, so when I wake up, I decide to familiarize myself with the campus. With my map in hand, I head toward the building where my classes will be held. The last thing I want to do is be lost on my first day.
After figuring out where my classes are, I begin looking at different clubs that I can join. I’m not the most athletic. I always thought soccer or cheerleading would be fun, but those kinds of things cost money. I didn’t want my mom to have to spend money on uniforms. I always felt too guilty to ask. She already sacrificed so much for me. Now that money isn’t an issue, I’m a senior. I feel like it’s too late to join the soccer or cheerleading teams. I don’t even know how to play or cheer.
A girl walks up beside me at the club signup board, and I glance over at her. She’s deliberately not looking at me.
The girl has black hair and big black eyes. She’s wearing an oversized hoodie, but she’s small. She’s even shorter than I am.
“Hey,” I say to her. Normally I wouldn’t start a conversation with somebody, but I’m trying to be brave today.
She looks startled as she glances up at me. “Uh, hi.”
Right away, she looks down again, her cheeks turning pink.
“I’m Hensley.” I’d like to at least know her name.
With her head down, she says, “I know.”
Of course she knows. Everybody knows. “What’s your name?”
“Lily Park.” She looks up again, making eye contact. “I’m here on a scholarship.”
I push a piece of hair behind my ear. “I’m here because my biological father doesn’t want to deal with me.”
At least, that is what I’m assuming.
“Your biological father?” She raises an eyebrow. “You don’t just call him dad?”
I shrug. “I just met the guy a couple weeks ago. For now, he is just my biological father.”
She nods. “Well, since you’re new, you should know that people here don’t really like me.”
“Why?” I ask, shaking my head.
“Because I live a vastly different life than them.” She looks down at her well worn Converse. “My parents aren’t rich. I’m only here because I’m smart. My parents moved from Korea when I was just a baby. They did it for me. So I feel like I owe it to them to try hard at all this, even if I’m a freak. High school doesn’t last long.”
My eyes widen. “You’re from Korea? That’s so cool.”
She grins for a moment but quickly lets the smile fall. “My family is poor.”
I don’t know why she is insisting on telling me this.
“Want to get some coffee?” I ask her. “My biological dad gave me this credit card. I haven’t bought anything yet, but I feel like buying coffee for a friend would be a good first purchase.”
She grins again. “Did you hear what I said? About my family?”
“Didn’t you hear? I’m Cinderella.” I shrug. “This is all new to me.”
Lily laughs. “Okay, fine. I’ll let you buy me coffee.”
“Great.” I smile, glad that I’ve finally talked her into hanging out with me. “It’s not often I meet somebody shorter than me.”
She narrows her eyes at me as we make our way toward the on campus coffee shop. “I might be short, but I am fierce.”
“Of that, I have no doubts.”
I like Lily. Maybe because she isn’t like the other kids. I’m sure it’s got to be hard being at a school like this on a scholarship. High school is hard enough without having vast economical differences from fellow classmates.
We chat a little on the way to the coffee shop, but we mostly stay quiet. Lily seems deep in thought and I don’t want to interrupt whatever she’s thinking so hard about.
When we get to the counter, we orde
r our lattes and take a seat at a booth in the back. The place is pretty crowded and everybody is staring at me. I don’t recognize anybody.
“Everybody is staring,” Lily whispers as she slides in next to me.
“Because I’m Cinderella,” I remind her.
She lowers her head, letting her hair make a curtain around her face. It makes me wonder how things have been for her at this school. Has she been bullied by others? If so, I plan to make that stop. If nobody else will stand up for her, I will.
A young girl brings out our coffees. I take a sip, waiting for Lily to relax a little bit. She does eventually look up at me, but her cheeks are bright red. Whatever she sees, she must not like. She groans and looks back down. I’m about to ask her what is up when a figure appears at our table.
When I look up, I see Braelynn standing there, but she’s not alone. Beside her, there is a girl with light red hair. She’s taller than Braelynn by a few inches, and she has her chin jutted up in a similar fashion to her blonde friend. Her light green eyes are narrowed at Lily and me.
“I shouldn’t have known you’d find the one freak to hang out with.” Braelynn crosses her arms over her chest. “Your new BFF is the poorest girl in this school.”
“But wait. Didn’t Cinderella used to be poor?” The redheaded girl laughs way too hard at her own joke.
Braelynn pokes out her bottom lip. “Ah, Emerson, we need poor people. Who else would clean our mansions for us?”
Lily keeps her head down, but I’m not going to sit here and let them talk to her like that. I stand up from the booth, getting right in Braelynn’s face. Her eyes widen and she and Emerson both back up.
“All the money in the world won’t buy you a better personality.”
Lily laughs behind me, but she quickly forces herself to stop.
Braelynn opens her mouth to say something else when Logan comes sauntering up.
“Hensley, I was hoping I’d run into you.”
Braelynn huffs. She and Emerson both turn and walk off, leaving me with Lily and Logan. I turn to Logan, smiling at him.
“Hey.”
“Can I join you guys?” he asks.
I nod, sitting down by Lily. He sits on the opposite side.
“I meant to get your number last night,” Logan says.
Rich Kid Prep: Book 1 Page 3