Between (Tory's School for the Troubled Book 1)

by Katie May

How are you still hungry? We just ate.

  “Are you calling me fat, Beautiful?” I teased, resorting to calling him the old nickname we used as kids. He rolled his eyes, pinching the underside of my arm. “I just need dessert. Lots and lots of dessert.”

  Smirking at him, I began to walk backward, out of his room and down the hall.

  “Brownies and cupcakes and cakes and ice cream.”

  He rolled his eyes heavenward, but the quirk of his lips betrayed his amusement. He could try to hide it all he wanted, but he knew I was hilarious. I made myself laugh daily.

  “And pies and pizza and turkey legs and—”

  A soft, muffled sob interrupted what I was going to say next. Turning in the direction of the sound, I saw a group of guys huddled together. They were maybe a year or two younger than me, baby fat still prominent on their faces, and they all threw back their heads together in a bone-chilling laugh.

  It was only then that I saw her.

  It was a girl, younger than me, with her dark hair twisted into two long braids. Her head was down, a posture that indicated her as demure and apprehensive. One of the guys was going through a pink backpack, pulling things out and throwing them on the ground. He grabbed a handful of crisp bills, said something to his friends, and pocketed them.

  I saw red. It covered my vision like a garnet sheen, a thick theater curtain being drawn closed. My hands curled into makeshift claws.

  Before I realized what I was doing, I was charging forward. Beau helplessly grabbed at my arm, no doubt trying to place himself in front of me, but allowed me to take the lead.

  He recognized my kick-ass expression.

  “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” I snapped, pushing through the men until I was directly beside the girl. Beau stood beside me, towering over the other guys with a glacial glint to his eyes.

  When none of the guys responded to me, I turned toward the one who held her backpack.

  “Give that to her. Now.”

  He lowered his chin submissively, but his eyes were hard. Defiant. I had the distinct feeling that only Beau’s presence stopped this asshat from retaliating.

  Lips pursed, he thrust the backpack into the girl’s hands. She staggered back a step, and I reached a hand out to steady her.

  “And give her what you took.” I narrowed my eyes at him. Turning toward the shitbrain beside him, I nodded toward the papers on the ground. “And you, clean up what you dropped.”

  He obediently dropped to his knees, muttering beneath his breath, while the apparent ringleader pulled out a wad of bills. The girl snatched it from him and shoved it into her front backpack pocket.

  I waited until the other young man picked up the papers before placing my hands on my hips and leveling them with my best glare. Beau had once called it my mom glare. Half disapproving. Half murderous.

  “What is wrong with you guys?” I met their eyes, one at a time, each guy displaying conflicting emotions. Guilt. Rage. Anger. Only the leader appeared unperturbed, almost bored. He lazily shoved his hands into his pockets.

  “She’s a freak,” he said at last. The girl flinched, leaning into me as if I was capable of shielding her from this grueling, dangerous world full of assholes and bigots.

  “Excuse me?” I took a step forward.

  Without responding, asshole and his friends stalked down the hall, whispering to themselves. I was stunned at their brazenness. Sure, I knew bullying still existed, but I never imagined it would happen like this. At my old school, people were cowards and relied on social media and rumors to fuel their hate-filled tendencies.

  “Are you okay?” I asked the girl. She was so tiny, so frail. Her cheekbones jutted out, and her light blue eyes had dark shadows beneath them.

  “Between,” she whispered. I furrowed my brows.

  “Huh?”

  “Between.” Her tiny hand gripped my wrist in a vise-like hold. I winced at the initial stab of pain. “Between. Once you escape one set of monsters…you find new ones.”

  4

  Bianaca

  Romance books lied.

  The greatest smell in the world wasn’t male sweat or their cologne or some shit like that. No, the greatest smell in the world was a buffet with noodles and chicken and chocolate cake.

  My mouth watered, salivating like the thirsty bitch I was.

  After her ominous message, the girl had hurried away. Beau placed a hand on my shoulder, gently restraining me from going after her, and led me toward the school’s cafeteria. I was grateful he was there with me. Without him, I would’ve been wandering in circles for weeks. The school was huge. Hallways led to more hallways that led to doors that led to even more hallways. It was a labyrinth, one you could get lost in.

  I still couldn’t understand how Beau got sent to a school for troubled teens. He was eighteen and had never gotten in trouble a day in his life. The one fight he had been in, with Dick the dick, lasted only five minutes, and Dick had been too scared to press charges. It just didn’t make sense. Beau was the light to my darkness. The voice of reason to my crazy ideas.

  I would get the information out of him…after I got food. Filling my plate with sweets, I waited for Beau to grab his own food. He garnered quite a bit of attention with his chiseled good looks and charming smile. I didn’t blame the girls for staring, for smiling at him, for asking him his name. My stomach churned, but I forced myself to remain calm.

  Just friends. Just friends.

  “Hello!” a chirpy voice greeted. The newcomer was an unfamiliar female with dark brown hair and tanned skin. She flashed me a smile. “I’m Ali! What’s your name?”

  “Um…Bianaca.”

  “Nice to meet you, Bianaca,” she said. “I’m on the New Student Committee with Maria. If you have any questions, don’t be afraid to ask.”

  Without another word, she hurried toward Beau, no doubt to repeat her spiel. Or proposition him. It had happened before—people using me to get to him. Hell, my only female friend in high school had admitted to it. Beau was charismatic, and the female population, as well as half the male one, was not immune.

  Movement from my peripheral captured my attention, turning me away from Beau. Or perhaps I had always noticed them, a lighthouse in a roiling sea. A flicker of light in the inky darkness I had grown accustomed to. I hadn’t realized at the time how strongly we were connected, how our souls screamed for each other, recognizing the kindred spirits in each other that others overlooked.

  I spotted Kace first, the flirty guy from the receptionist office. He was sitting beside the asshole from earlier today, facing me, and making a house out of his waffles and french fries. Yup. You heard me right.

  The weird guy from the fireplace was across from them, leaning back in his chair as if he gave zero shits about anything. They were three of the most gorgeous guys I had ever seen. Such male hotness should be banned. It was not healthy for my ovaries.

  Beau stepped up beside me, Ali still talking his ear off. Apparently, there was a certain criteria required to be on the New Student Torture Squad or whatever the fuck they called it. Perky (and I didn’t just mean their breasts) and talkative. Huh. Two traits I didn’t possess.

  “I do have a question for you,” I interrupted Ali, pointing toward the godlike trio. “Who are they?”

  Her eyes flickered to them, and a dreamy, wistful expression softened her features.

  “That’s Kace, Tanner, and Aiden.”

  Aiden. That was the name of the asshole who had forced his way into my room.

  “Hmmm…” I trailed off, considering the three men with appraising eyes. Kace’s auburn hair and lean frame. Aiden’s piercings glinting in the artificial cafeteria lighting. Tanner’s broad shoulders and leather jacket.

  Ali snorted. “Don’t get your hopes up. They don’t date. Ever.”

  “Ever, you say?” Because, really, I was always up for a challenge.

  And I needed a distraction from Beau. Perfect, smart, funny Beau who made my heart thunder
in my chest. Not just thunder…but turn into a whole fucking thunderstorm, complete with rain and lightning and the whole shebang.

  Stupid, traitorous heart.

  Without waiting for her to respond, I walked to their table, Beau following behind me.

  It was Kace who saw me first, smiling at me over the top of his food castle. Tanner swiveled his head marginally, met my gaze, and then turned back toward his uneaten tray of food. It took Aiden a moment longer—he was obsessively stabbing at his sandwich (no surprise he had a penchant for sharp knives)—but when his eyes met mine, they grew cold. Pinpricks of fear raced down my spine, but I moved with a confidence I didn’t actually feel toward their table.

  I sat in the empty seat between Kace and Aiden, ignoring the startled looks the entire cafeteria gave me. One would think I had pissed on the fucking queen by their reactions.

  Or kings.

  Beau, after a moment of hesitation, sat beside Tanner.

  Silence.

  Long and pronounced.

  “Little girl,” Aiden drawled at last. He leaned back in his chair and linked his hands behind his head. The movement pulled up his shirt, revealing a sliver of golden skin. “I take it you misunderstood my earlier warning. Or you’re just dumb.”

  At his words, Beau’s eyes zeroed in on Aiden’s face. He did not look pleased.

  “Or maybe…” I attempted to recreate the same nonchalance he had. “I know exactly what I’m doing. How can I prove I’m innocent if I never get a trial?”

  Without breaking eye contact, I brought the gooey brownie to my lips. He watched, mesmerized, as I bit the end off, using my tongue to wipe away the remnants.

  “So what were we talking about, boys?” I asked smugly. Aiden shook his head, as if coming out of a daze, and turned toward Tanner.

  “We were actually discussing the best ways to get a woman to orgasm,” Tanner said, eyes locked on mine.

  Oh.

  Shit.

  Behave, I mentally scolded my libido. I knew what they were doing. I recognized their intimidation technique as one I had just used, though on a much larger scale. I would be damned if I let them affect me. Mentally, at least. Physically, on the other hand…

  Feigning nonchalance, I asked, “How would you go about doing that?”

  Tanner’s eyes shone with a wicked gleam, and Kace began to laugh beside me.

  “Depends on the girl,” Aiden said slowly, pulling my attention to him. His eyes watched me, watched my face, gauging my reaction. Every tick, every movement, every breath. There would be nothing that would go unnoticed.

  Keeping my face impassive, I nodded for him to continue.

  “I would start by kissing those soft, plush lips. Nibbling on the bottom.”

  “That’s where we’d vary, brother,” Kace said from behind me. “I would start on the neck.”

  I felt his fingers brush at my blond tresses, pulling them away to reveal the back of my neck. His finger, as light as a butterfly’s wing, glided across the smooth skin.

  “And then my hand would lower down,” Tanner continued. “To those pale white thighs.”

  I felt something brush against me beneath the table. Tanner’s feet.

  It took every ounce of willpower not to squirm.

  “I would kiss a trail down your neck.” Kace’s voice was a mere breath. “To your breasts. I would take one of those pink, perfect nipples in my mouth.”

  “And I would take the other one,” Aiden added. “You would be marked by my saliva. Those nipples would ache until it bordered that precarious line between pleasure and pain.”

  “What about him?” Tanner jabbed a finger in Beau’s direction. My best friend was unnaturally still, eyes wide. It looked as if he wasn’t even breathing.

  “Where would you like him, pretty girl?” Kace teased. His damn finger was still brushing the back of my neck. Heat shot straight to my core at the contact.

  “He can take her lips,” Aiden supplied with a wicked grin. “I imagine you would like that, wouldn’t you?”

  Now I was the one who wasn’t breathing.

  “I would finally reach your beautiful pussy, wet and ready,” Tanner continued the narration. His eyes were molten gold, piercing me and rendering me immobile. My breath shuttered. “My tongue would lap up those delicious juices as if you were the holy grail. God, I bet you would taste delicious.”

  “And I would kiss the underside of your breasts, my hand sneaking out to pinch that nipple of yours.” Kace’s hand pinched the back of my neck to emphasize his point.

  I closed my eyes, head rolling backward. An involuntary moan escaped my parted lips. Damn them. And damn my own mind for giving in so quickly.

  Aiden carefully grabbed my chin, pulling my face toward his.

  “And you would come screaming our names. Like I promised.” He grinned. I imagined that would be how the devil smiled. “And I wouldn’t even have to fuck you.”

  My body was on fire. My veins. My chest. My damn pussy. The thought of them, all four of them…

  “That’s an interesting rhetorical,” I managed to say with a calmness I didn’t feel.

  Aiden looked like the cat who ate the canary, but there was one thing he didn’t know about me. I never, ever, became the victim. The mocked. The butt of the joke. As my mother always said, if you don’t like the narrative, change it. Only you could dictate your story.

  “Aren’t you going to ask me?” I kept my voice light, licking chocolate from my fingers.

  “Ask you what, pretty girl?” Kace questioned. His signature smile was back on his face. I wondered if it had ever left.

  “How I would make a man orgasm?”

  The table went silent. The rest of the cafeteria was mere background noise. We were suspended in this tiny moment, the five of us.

  I met Tanner’s eyes first, an imperious set to my chin. This was a dare, and he could either take it or cower. His eyes flared with a sudden heat.

  “How would you make a man orgasm, Bianaca?” I didn’t miss the emphasis Aiden put on my name. An indication he knew exactly who I was and all I had done.

  Two could play at that game.

  “Well, Aiden…” I had the pleasure of seeing his eyes widen slightly, almost imperceptibly, before I continued on. “I would begin with sweeping his hair out of his face.”

  With steady hands, I brushed at the dark hair grazing his forehead. I made sure to let my hand linger against his skin a moment longer than necessary.

  “And then I would nibble on his earlobe. Slowly. Taking my time.” I turned toward Kace then and gently tugged on his own earlobe. Two fingers, grazing the soft skin. His smile didn’t leave his face, but he shuddered delicately.

  “And then I would kiss him.” I leaned across the table, toward Tanner, and brushed the back of my hand against his lips. He inhaled sharply, eyes fixated on my hand. I leaned forward even farther, giving him an ample view of my cleavage.

  This time, I heard Beau’s sharp intake of breath.

  “After that, I would kiss down his chest to his rock hard cock.” Sitting back down, I grabbed Aiden’s hand. “I would start by stroking it.” Gripping his pointer finger, I curled my hand around it and began to rub. Up and down. Up and down.

  His eyes were wild, feverish. I could see his cock tenting his pants.

  “And then I would put him in my mouth…”

  At my words, he lifted a single brow. Daring me. Taunting me. The bastard didn’t think I was going to do it.

  And I would’ve stopped if I knew that was what he wanted. But I could see the desire, the need, the lust, in his eyes. His emotions consumed me.

  Without breaking eye contact, I swiveled my tongue around the base of his finger, trailing it upward until it reached the very tip.

  Somebody groaned, Kace I believed, and Tanner muttered, “Fuck.”

  I began to suck off Aiden’s finger, smiling in satisfaction when he rumbled deep in his chest. His hand went down to his cock, stroking himself through
the material of his jeans.

  With an exaggerated pop, I released his finger, dripping in my saliva.

  At the end of the day, I had marked him.

  Smiling contently, as if I wasn’t falling apart at the seams and in desperate need of a cold shower, I said, “And that is how I would make a man orgasm. And what do you know? It didn’t require any fucking.”

  I threw Aiden’s words back at him, my smile growing when his eyes narrowed into thin slits.

  “Where have you been all my life?” Kace mumbled in a daze. Tanner was staring at me as if I was a strange and foreign species. A zebra in a flock of sheep.

  And Beau…

  In that brief moment, before his walls went up, I saw nothing but pure carnal lust. Could he want me as much as I wanted him?

  Before I could be certain, his face went blank, once again shielding me from whatever lurked beneath that seemingly apathetic exterior. I tried to swallow my disappointment.

  “I’m done with dinner. Beau?” Beau nodded, standing up to follow me. Smirking at the three boys, I added, “And you’ll be a dear and take care of my dishes, won’t you?”

  5

  Bianaca

  Mom was late. Again.

  She had texted me an hour earlier—an hour after the gym had already closed—to tell me Steve had taken her out to dinner. Some obscure Italian restaurant near the downtown area.

  The only person who remained was Eric Long, the owner and manager.

  Shivering, I tugged my coat closed. The zipper had broken a few months ago, and I hadn’t saved enough money to buy a new jacket. Heaven only knew that Steve and Mom wouldn’t spend money on me. Steve believed in “responsibility” for children and had polluted my mother’s mind. Of course, such responsibility only applied to me, not his own son. Dylan would never take responsibility for his actions.

  Because of Steve’s parenting motto, my car had been taken from me until I could pay for my own insurance. I had to choose between a job and gymnastics. The choice was easy.

  Gymnastics was my life. My escape. My one bright spot in the monotonous darkness that was my life.