Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 80055 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 400(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 267(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80055 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 400(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 267(@300wpm)
Like the whispered words I heard today of the Monster Boys wanting little old moi. Yep. The gossip rumor mill had been swirling all day since I’d been surrounded by all four of them. It didn’t help that Gael had puckered up, and even if my virginal lips wanted to kiss him, I hadn’t.
They were dangerous. Not that danger was a problem. It was part of my life twenty-four seven.
What hadn’t been in my life was their attention and because of them, I didn’t know how my father was going to react. There were so many more interesting ways he could make me pay. My dad was a master manipulator and he knew how to make it so he didn’t break any rules. He once told me the world was full of loopholes, all you had to do was exploit them. Weakness was something my father constantly looked for. I didn’t know how to handle this side of him now. The part where he wasn’t the king of his castle.
It was what Caleb, Vadik, Gael, and River had done last night. All four of them, or more importantly their fathers. They’d come into his home and took his control. That had to have consequences, and it was always those who didn’t deserve it that took the brunt of the punishment.
I had a feeling he’d use my brother.
Arriving at the changing rooms for physical education, I took my gym clothes and went to the bathroom. After sliding out of my uniform, I changed it for the gym stuff the school demanded we wear.
Once dressed and my hair was tied back, I left the bathroom. Only Nancy remained, tying up her shoelace.
“Hey,” she said.
“Hey.”
“So, it’s turned out to be a crazy year, right?”
I looked at her. We didn’t do small talk.
Nibbling on my lip, I kept on staring at her until her face went a nice shade of red.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you didn’t talk.” Nancy let out a little giggle.
“I do talk and you know that. What I want to know is why you’re talking to me.” I folded my arms across my chest.
“Not everyone is a bad person.”
“We go to Crude Hill High. You know what our parents are capable of and what they do behind closed doors. Everyone here is a bad person or related to someone bad. There is no innocence here.”
“Why are you being such a bitch?”
“No, I’m being real. You don’t want that reality check? The only reason you’re talking to me now is because four guys turned up at my locker. I’m sure your cheer group want all the details, if not to offer me a spot on the squad, right?”
Again, the deep red color intensified.
I burst out laughing. “They sent you because they know you’re the nicest of them all. I get it, I do. They want all the gory details and the chance to find out how to snag one of them for themselves. You become the wife of one of the Monsters, you have it made, right?”
Nancy stumbled over her words.
“Don’t call me a bitch when you were using me and what’s more, don’t allow yourself to be pushed into a fucking position you don’t want.” Slamming my locker closed, I was done.
I liked Nancy. She was the nicest of the entire school. Too nice, but it also meant she was easily manipulated, which made her at the bottom of the making-friends list for me. None of the people at this school were worth lowering my guard for.
Arriving out at the track was our gym teacher, Mr. Avery. He held a clipboard in his hand.
I stood at the end and shouted out my attendance when he got to my name.
All four of the Monsters were in my gym class.
This was new. I’d never been to gym with them here before. Shaking that weird feeling, I focused on Mr. Avery. He was one of the few teachers who didn’t seem to pretend he was better than anyone else.
The watch he wore was worth more than his salary could afford. He probably had a long list of bribes for turning the other way when dealing with some of his football players.
The football team was good and a few of the players would have made it as professionals. A couple whose families had allowed them to even went on to have amazing football careers. An odd occurrence, but it happened.
Nancy joined us and Avery chewed her ass out for her tardiness. I wasn’t happy about it. I didn’t like that she was so easily used.
In this school, we had to keep our guard up, to fight our corner when the occasion called for it.
“Hello, beautiful,” Gael said, the first to approach.
I ignored him.
A couple of the cheerleading squad held their hands up and talked behind them as if that covered the fact they were gossiping.