Whatever. Leave it be. I had other things to worry about, like what Jason was doing and where he was. I gulped, thinking back to the image of him on Tank’s phone. It bothered me not knowing how he came to be in Tank’s possession. Did he go somewhere voluntarily? Did someone take him from the house? When Ollie and I pulled up Saturday night, my car was back. And although it was parked in a weird spot, with the keys dangling from the ignition, it appeared normal. So, my thought was that someone had come to the house to get Jason. That means they know where you live. I hated to think what would have happened to Jason if I didn’t show up at the races, all but begging Tank to give an extension on his debt.
My hand wrapped around my hollowed-out stomach as I walked through the threshold of English Prep. All I want is to be a normal fucking teenager.
As soon as I was in front of my locker, my anxiety lessened some. Being in the halls of English Prep felt familiar and comforting. A year ago, I had felt like an animal that had escaped from the zoo while walking these halls. English Prep was vastly different from Wellington Prep. From the stone walls to the hundreds of years of old history, English Prep felt like more of a monarch. The school was ruled by tetrarchs of wealthy breeding—the Powells being one of them. Christian was the King of English Prep—that was his actual nickname, as ridiculous as it sounded—and Ollie was right there beside him. I cowered in the shadows my first few months at my new school, trying desperately to blend in. But being thrusted into a group of royal-like trust-fund babies with their glossy salon hair, flawless skin, and the most pristine uniforms was daunting as I looked anything but. I had a pressed uniform, sure, and an expensive car, but I was the new girl with the red hair and freckles from the opposing school, and if you paired that with the feeling of absolute isolation and a sense of not belonging, I didn’t even come close to fitting in.
Madeline tormented me, and the guys snickered when I’d walk past. And don’t even get me started on the first time I laid eyes on Ollie. My heart lurched; my stomach twisted. Recognition hit me square in the face, but he casually passed over me like I was nothing. As if he didn’t take my virginity at a Wellington Prep party. He did so well acting like he didn’t know who I was that I actually started second-guessing that it was him—my dirty little secret.
Then, of cours
e, as time went on and I spent more time around him due to Hayley, I realized he was faking it the entire time.
Ollie knew exactly who I was, and I knew exactly who he was.
The only beneficial part of being a student at English Prep was that no one knew my history. My last name wasn’t tainted here—and it still wasn’t—although now, Ollie had gotten a little glimpse on Saturday night. He had now gone through yet another tunnel of secrets I held close.
I slammed my locker shut with a scream, the books I held in my hand tumbling down onto the checkered floor.
“Jeez! Sorry, Piper. Why are you so jumpy?”
My hand was still covering my chest as I looked into Hayley’s eyes. I couldn’t quite catch my breath. “Oh my God! You scared me.”
My hands shook as I bent down to grab my things. Hayley bent down and helped, too. “I said hi as I walked up. Christian did, too, when he passed to get to his locker.” My eyes darted down the hall as I placed the last book in my arms. I spotted Ollie instantly as he stood beside his brother and Eric, along with a few other guys from the football team. His hands were wrapped around the straps of his backpack, and I swore I could see their grip harden as we locked eyes.
I almost inhaled a breath as he narrowed his eyes. He tilted his head to the side, his light hair moving effortlessly atop his head. His look was questioning at best. Problem? his eyes read.
My walls went up. No problems here. Everything is fine.
He shook his head disapprovingly and turned his back, shutting me out.
“What’s going on with you?”
“What?” I straightened my spine and adjusted my books so they were level in my arms. Hayley leaned back onto my locker and kicked her foot up behind her.
“You’re acting...unlike yourself.”
I rolled my eyes playfully, pulling down my metaphorical mask. “You know I’m clumsy. I drop my books one time, and you automatically think I’m being jumpy. Everything is fine.” I laughed it off.
She eyed me cautiously but let it go. “So, what exactly were you doing again on Saturday when I came by? You never said.”
Quickly remembering what I’d made up in my head to cover myself on Saturday. “Oh, someone from the soup kitchen needed my help. Her dog got out, and she needed someone to watch her kids so she could go find it.” Stupid excuse, but whatever.
Hayley nodded as we walked over to her locker, which of course was only a few down from where the kings of the school were standing. I kept my back to Ollie. “Oh, so did she find her dog?”
I nodded. “Yep, all is well.”
My face was tight with all the fakeness I was forcing out. All I wanted to do was pull Hayley aside and blurt out where I actually was, but this was my thing. Hayley had been through enough bad shit in her life to last several lifetimes. There was absolutely no way in hell I was dragging my best friend into this mess. She needed a break. Hayley was happy and doing well. She was safe, and that wasn’t something that came easily for her.
“That’s good. I want a pet one day.” She sighed, reaching into her locker. “Anyway, do you still want to do a girls’ night this weekend?” She spun around with a cheerful smile after shutting her locker, the color of life bright in her cheeks. “Would it be okay if we did it at Ann’s? I know she’s older than us and has a career and all of that, but she’s kinda cool, and she’d probably love to hang and watch movies all night with us.” She shrugged, looking down at her books for a second, bashfully. “And I think it would make her feel good that I was inviting a friend over for the night. She keeps stressing that her house is now my house and that she is technically no longer my social worker, so…”
I smiled. “Of course, Hayley. I’ve always liked Ann, even when you hated her.”
She laughed, and I followed suit, forgetting for a moment that Ollie was only a few feet away with his back turned to me.
Hayley smiled before looking past my shoulder. “Did you hear that, Christian? Piper and I are having a girls’ night this weekend, so no interruptions.”
“Fuckkk. I forgot. When is it again?”
She rolled her eyes, a smirk on her face. “I don’t know. Saturday?” She looked at me for confirmation.