by Slash, Ana
And that’s the moment, Ethan stepped up.
Ethan said, “That was crazy today.”
I corked an eyebrow.
I said, “You think?”
I sighed, shook my head and added, “Listen I have about had it with this mess. I don’t see why you all put up with it.”
Lisa gasped.
“We just want to get through school and graduate. We are not competing with them. They have everything, they can ruin your future.”
I raised an eyebrow and looked at Lisa.
I asked, “What?”
She took in a deep breath, exhaled and slid her hair behind her ears.
Then she remarked, “What I’m trying to say is, no one messes with them. If you try, you will get kicked out. They have the funds to buy everything! Besides have you seen the wall of fame?”
I said, “I noticed lots of pictures on the wall at the assistant principal’s office. Is that what you are talking about?”
She nodded and said, “That’s a small piece of the twisted puzzle. If you look closely at those pictures, you will find their family members on the wall. I am talking about generational wealth. They ruled the Academy for ages. They practically own this school. Listen, Killian’s father invested over 70 million dollars to the academy. Mateo, his dad dropped some serious coins too. And of course, Maxim and owns the whole damn town. Your new dad has new money. But remember, he is not really your dad. He’s your stepdad. I don’t think you’re gonna last very long here unless you follow their rules and keep your distance and…”
I cut her off.
“I will do nothing of the sort. I will focus and make sure I get through this. They will pay for what they did today.”
My friends chuckled. I frowned. Why are they laughing?
Susan said, “You don’t get it.”
I said, “Don’t get what?”
“You just don’t understand. You cannot do anything. They are the firm or as they say, the establishment. They own this town. The hot girls have made that clear. I am sorry but there is nothing you can do about it. We would love to help but they don’t know how. Plus, it is only a year just, let it go Bella.”
I turned to Ethan.
“Are you in this too? Do you actually think we can’t do anything to stop them?”
Ethan does not respond.
I sighed.
I honestly don’t get this guy.
Why wouldn’t he stand up to them? The school has rules!
Ethan said, “They are right Bella, just let it go. Avoid them and they will eventually lose interest. I’ve been here since sophomore year. I learned the hard way. They wouldn’t make your life easy.”
I swallowed.
I will not give up.
I hurried out the school’s main exit to meet Mom.
But just the moment I stepped out the door. One of the hot girls walked up and introduced herself as Jessica.
She remarked, “Well next time don’t let your nipples pop out. We don’t want to see trashy tits.”
I turned around, straightened my pleated skirt and march towards her. Standing face to face, I said, “What did you say?”
She swallowed.
I leaned closer.
She said “You are in my space. We don’t take that kind of nonsense here I wouldn’t try anything if I were you. You could get really hurt.”
“Oh really?” I said clenching my fist. She suddenly retreated in fear.
But then I heard my mother call out, “Bella come here.”
I released my fist, sighed and turned around. Lisa stood still.
I said to Lisa,
“You might have done some crazy things to the other students, but you must know that will not be me!”
And with that, I walked down the stairs.
She heckled, “Stay away from our guys. I saw the way you looked at them. Just know they would never be yours. Never ever in 1 million years. You might as well kill yourself.”
I ignored her and got into the back seat next to Mom in her chauffeur driven vehicle.
Mom smiled and asked, “How was your first day?”
I said, “Well it…”
That is the moment, mom’s phone buzzed interrupting our conversation. She slid her hand up and said, “Just a moment Bella.”
I nodded.
She glanced at her device and picked up the call. Her smile turned into a frown.
She looked pained. She hung up the line and turned to me.
She said, “What the hell, Bella, you have some explaining to do. I will deal with you once we get home.”
I thought, Oh no what just happened? Am I in trouble?
8
Mom stayed silent.
But then, she stepped hard on the car’s accelerator.
I thought oh no what’s wrong now? She gripped the steering wheel hard, and I thought great, what now?
She frowned and said, “Your first day in an expensive school paid for by your new dad and you get in trouble? What? Bella, that was the assistant principal she told me everything that happened. I can’t believe it. I expected more from you, Bella.”
Mom kept talking.
I tried to explain.
I said, “If you let me explain what happened, you won’t be so angry, Mom.”
She shook her head and changed lanes suddenly.
“Mom, if you keep driving this way, we will not make it!”
Angered by my words, she yelled, “I don’t really care right about now. I can’t believe my daughter made a fool of herself on the first day of school. You know what? That’s it, I’m taking away all your privileges. No cell phones, handheld devices none of that.”
She kept on yelling.
I sighed.
I knew she would eventually calm down.
So I let her talk.
The moment we got home she yelled, “Get out of the car. Go to your room. I will deal with you later.”
I shook my head and thought, I’m 18 yet she still treats me like a child.
I got out of the vehicle and hurried up the stairs into my room.
I sighed, talk about a bad first day.
I heard her talking to my stepdad.
I wondered what they were talking about?
He probably inquired how my day went?
Well, maybe not.
He’s a busy man who runs his own hedge fund company.
He is probably not talking about me.
Maybe, I’m just imagining things.
Mom didn’t take away my devices.
In fact, she simply ignored me for most of the evening.
I figured this is my new reality.
She will ignore me and then make up by buying material things.
She assumes I am happy with material things, when all I want is her time.
I can’t say I blame her though, she’s been through a lot in her life.
She didn’t exactly have the best childhood. She is trying to compensate for the past by her non stop spending.
Honestly, sometimes I feel she takes out her emotional wounds on me.
That’s the moment my cell phone buzzed jolting me back to reality. It was a text from Susan.
I rolled my eyes.
Susan, Lisa, and Ethan didn’t stand up for me.
I was fucking livid. I planned on ignoring her. But then I changed my mind.
I sent a text, “What’s up?”
She wrote back, “Hey, did you get home safe? I saw you with your mom. She looked royally pissed off.”
I replied, “What’s it to you?”
She sent another text, “Calling you right now.”
Honestly, I didn’t want her to call.
I wanted to be left alone.
But when she called, I answered.
“Yes,” I said irritated.
“Wow, what’s wrong with you?”
“Get to the point, Susan. I am studying.”
“Listen Bella it will get better from here. Don’t sweat the small
stuff.”
I scoffed and said, “It would get better if my friends had not walked out on me. What’s it with you guys? I thought you had a freaking backbone? Where I come from, we don’t give up without a fight.”
Susan giggled.
It infuriated me.
What’s so funny?
“You forget we attended the same school?” Susan asked.
I want to say something but I held back.
Finally, when I couldn’t hold back any longer, I said, “Seems you forgot, we don’t let bullies win.”
But that too was a lie.
Earlier at Madison, some students bullied me to the point of almost wanting me dead.
I almost killed myself and what’s crazy, I did not know who started it. It was just one thing after the other. I did not tell my mom.
Then one day I picked up some pills to end the pain.
I thought if I died it would be over. But then my cat knocked the bottle over the sink onto the toilet. I probably would’ve gone through with it, if my cat did not do that.
So now the hot guys in school are starting this all over again and the hot girls are ready to do whatever to make me leave. But I’m not going anywhere, at least not yet anyway.
But I will leave Wexley before winter break.
I said to Susan, “I need to go talk with you later.”
She said, “Okay lets talk later.”
And with that, I hung up.
I barely slept at night, not knowing what the next day held.
I tossed and turned all night. Damn this Elite Academy, damn insomnia and damn the IT boys!
9
The next morning, I woke up a mess. But then, I found the strength to get dressed earlier than usual.
My mom seemed surprised.
She exclaimed, “I’m so glad you’re ready to enjoy school!”
I nodded.
“Mom, Of course! Wexley is great. Oh and mom, I am sorry about yesterday.”
She nodded and said, “Well don’t let it happen again. “
I nodded and grabbed a sandwich.
She said, “Oh, get your things. I will drop you off.”
I did a she requested. We got into the car headed for Wexley
During the drive to the Academy, Mom said, “Oh I forgot to mention, we thought it will be best for you to stay in the dorms next semester, you know, having a child is hard on a new marriage.”
I stared at her.
Wow, she doesn’t want me around anymore?
I shifted uneasily.
She noticed and said, “Oh no don’t take it that way Bella. It’s not like that, I want you to understand someday, you could end up with one of the hot guys from the Academy. Then you will have to make sacrifices too.”
I gasped and said, “I have no intentions of ending up with anyone from the school.”
She nodded and said, “Okay, I still want you to know once you get to be my age you would…”
“Hook up with a billionaire?” I Shot back in anger.
She ignored my words and continued, “A wealthy man, don’t worry, you will understand why in the future?”
I turned and stared out the window.
I wished she understood; I had no intentions of following in her footsteps. I stayed silent through the drive.
Once we arrived at Wexley, I noticed Lisa Ethan and Susan waiting for me. I got out of mom’s car, straighten my uniform and leaned over mom’s window.
“OK, mom I guess I’ll see you later.”
She nodded and said “have a good time. And be good today . I don’t want to hear from the principal or anyone else.”
I replied, “You have my word.”
And with that, I leaned back up and watched her drive off.
My crew looked agitated.
I said “what’s going on? They said don’t look now but Mateo’s coming over here.”
I spun around to notice this incredibly handsome all muscle hunk walking my way.
Holy fuck--
That’s Mateo? He is fucking gorgeous. He walks like he freaking owns the world. I bet he does.
Oh, my God--
He was something else.
He was at least 6’5" tall all muscle, dark luminous eyes and the way he wore that uniform showed off his ripped toned body. Oh yes, it definitely fit him like a glove. I also noticed an intricate tattoo peeking out his collar.
I swallowed and slid my thighs together.
I got so turned on by him. I slid my legs together and bit my lower lip.
Get it together Bella, don’t forget he’s one of the bully boys.
I clutched my backpack. He walked up to me and for a moment there I thought maybe he wants to get to know me? Is that even possible?
He got close and said, “Don’t try any stunts today, I heard about you.”
My eyes widened oh my God. Did the hot boys lock me out yesterday? Did they tell him who did it? He smirked and slid his hand into his backpack. He pulled out a set of automated keys.
Holy fuck--
He was there yesterday? Did he control the doors?
He laughed and said, “I’ll see you around Slu.”
Is that a new nickname for me now?
He walked past my friends and they panicked.
They said, “What’s that about?”
I said, “I don’t know but I think he had something to do with what happened yesterday.”
They nodded and said, “Oh my God I’m so sorry your first week and this is just crazy.”
I said, “Don’t worry about it. I’m just gonna focus on my studies and eventually my moms gonna make changes, she is already tired of my living with her as it is.”
Lisa raised an eyebrow.
She asked, “What do you mean ?”
I said, “Mom wants me out of the house. She wants me in the dorms next semester. I don’t really want that. I enjoy attending school from home. Besides, I know nothing about this institution.”
That’s when Ethan said, “Well I stay in the dorm. it’s all cool, so it’s fun but it can have its moments. I don’t think you will have a problem there. They will probably put you with the ladies anyway so you probably won’t run into...”
He paused.
I thought great, I will run into the bad girls. I must convince mom to let me stay out and go from home.
I sighed.
“Well, I guess we better get to class.”
And with that, we stepped into the building. The awful chants continued.
Slu, Slu, Slu.
I wondered what’s happening? Why are they all calling me a Slu? Jessica bumped into me intentionally my books dropped to floor. I leaned down to pick them up, she placed her heels over my books and said, “Well you are still here hmm? Don’t you take a hint?”
I slid her leg off my book and picked it up.
Then I looked in the distance.
Killian smirked mischievously.
Did the IT hot boys plan this?
My God, I thought it was all in my head.
But then the voices got louder “Slu, Slu, Slu”.
Mrs Banks the chemistry teacher walked up to me.
She said, “Are you okay?”
I nodded. The chants suddenly stopped. But it was too late. My chest hurt.
I gasped and held my chest.
She said “just breathe relax it will be OK. Bella should I call your mom?”
I said, “No it is okay. I feel better now.”
She asked, “Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“Okay lets get to class.”
I walked back in with her and it seemed as though the entire senior class made a decision to teach me a lesson.
They wanted to be accepted into the bad boys’ good books. They kept chanting “Slu.”
Tears welled up in my eyes. I realized, there was nothing I could do about it. Or is there?
10
“They are coming after you with guns drawn,” Susan remarked.
> I said, “I am not going to back down. I am from the school of hard knocks. They will not stop me from getting through the school year. No way, no how.”
We got seated and watched as the teacher walked into the class. The craziest thing happened, everyone stopped calling me Slu. But then a female classmate walked by my desk, leaned in and whispered in my ears, “Slu.”
I gasped. I wanted to say something back but the instructor stood above us. So I left it alone.
I clenched my fist and let it go.
I did not understand why they are doing this?
Trying to figure out why they called me names hurt like hell.
I figured the hot girls did not act alone.
The hot guys were probably in on it.
But then why were the other students following their lead?
I could not understand it at all.
I turned to see Maxim walk in. I averted his gaze. I turned to Susan, I said, “I thought he was a good guy when I met him at the beach.”
Susan sighed and said, “I told you so. Just be glad you did not do anything with him that day. You would have a different story now. “Stay away from him. Just so you know, we are in this together.”
And that is the moment the teacher asked, “Ladies is there something you would like to share with the class? Because we want to know.”
I sighed. The school with all its ancient rules and regulations did not notice the bullying right underneath their nose? The rest of the day was a blur. I could not focus. And to make matters worse, right before the lunch break, Maxim walked up to me.
He asked, “So are we having fun Yet?” I swallowed.
Then I said, “Of course I am can’t you see. Oh I forgot, something must have fallen on your head for you not to notice I am having a blast.”
Everyone gasped stunned I could stand up to him.
I don’t know why the students put up with him. But just know they have messed with the wrong crew. I need my friends to step up we need to tell them off or give them a piece of their own medicine.
Handsome Ethan did not say a word. I will not stand for this. After multiple tests that day, soon it was lunch time. I made up my mind to confront the hot guys. I see them standing at a corner.
I whispered underneath my breath, I am going to talk to them. I frowned and began walking towards them. Lisa gasped and hurried after me. She said, “I would not do that if I were you.”