I felt so different, like an entirely new person. It helped that I was still not taking the pills my mom had been forcing on me with breakfast every morning for years. I felt so clear headed, like somebody had pulled all the cotton out of my ears and opened my eyes wide for the first time ever.
And yet, nobody else could see it. It was invisible to my classmates, to them I was still just Everly Hayes, the weird Oakville High girl who didn’t seem to belong. The girl who was rumored to be fucking the football team. That’s right, the entire team, not just my Kings.
Oh, how I loved hearing things about myself. I no longer felt hurt by gossip, I actually got a kick out of it.
The other thing that had changed, obviously to me but nobody else, was my virginity. I had been with three men since the last time I was in school, and even though I ached while sitting for too long on the hard chairs, nothing else was different.
I was still the same old anxious student, desperate to please and eager to earn the highest marks. Nothing could erase that particular personality trait from my mind, it seemed. I was an A plus student, through and through.
Lunch had suddenly become my favorite part of the day, that had changed. Normally I would hide for lunch, hoping nobody caught me unaware, praying they would all leave me alone.
Now I couldn’t wait to get to my locker and wait for the foot falls of my Kings in the hall as they made their way to find me.
And they did, right away. Archer at first, who slapped my ass as I bent over to drop my textbook off. I shrieked and stood up, whirled around and looked up at him. “Ouch, that hurt, you jerk,” I said playfully.
“Then I’ll kiss it better,” he exclaimed and picked me up, threw me over his shoulder and angled it so he could kiss the spot he’d just smacked.
The entire time I was squealing and kicking my feet, but loving every second of it. When he set me down, I realized we were being watched by half the school. Who was I anymore? When did I become the kind of girl who would giggle like a madwoman with one of the hottest jocks in school?
But did it matter? I loved it.
“Okay, I forgive you,” I fake pouted, and he dipped his head to kiss me. I kissed him back and almost closed my eyes to lose myself in it, when I heard Valen’s voice behind me.
“Oh, come on,” he said and wrapped his arms around me over my shoulders. “Don’t hog all her time, Whitmore. You get way too much of her attention as it is.”
“I do not. That would be Taylor. He soaks her up like she’s gravy and he’s a biscuit,” Archer replied.
“Ew, are you calling me gravy?” I laughed. “Since when did you start using homespun expressions, anyway?”
“I always have, darlin,” he said with a lopsided grin.
“This dude spent two months in Texas two years ago and still likes to break out his cowboy routine from time to time,” Kingston said, walking up to us. “Drop it, Archer, we all know you can’t stay on a horse to save your life.”
“But I am a fun ride, ma’am,” Archer said with a fake southern drawl and he tipped an invisible cowboy hat in my direction.
I had to laugh as we all walked towards the cafeteria together. This was something I’d only dreamed of when I’d started at Covington, and yet, here I was.
I was able to stroll into the lunch room like I owned it, like I belonged there among the super wealthy of our city, or even of the entire state and country. I didn’t, in the sense of matching their wealth demographic, but I finally fit in socially. Only because I no longer cared what anybody thought of me. Even though I still wore my usual clothes, the ones the Kings had bought me over the past few weeks, and even though my hair and makeup were the same, I was different now. I was a new person on the inside.
We lined up and I ordered whatever I wanted, Valen and Archer practically fought each other over who got to pay for it. I chose an avocado salad wrap with sparkling water and a ginger tea. It felt luxurious after all my days of dry PB&Js.
“Let me get that for you,” Kingston said, taking my tray. I smiled and let him, I knew he always felt a little left out when it came to money. He didn’t have the family wealth of Valen and Archer, so he couldn’t use that to protect me.
When he won Dirty Kingdom, he would be given an immense fortune and connections to make it grow throughout his life, but for now he had nothing to give me. So he thought, but he should be secure knowing that what he gave me was even better. He gave me love and security.
He walked in front of me and Archer and Valen walked behind me. We headed down to the back of the cafeteria to our usual table. We passed through groups of other kids, all the social demographics of high school were present. The athletes, the academics, the averages, and of course, the mean girls. Sofia had her eyes locked on me the entire time we walked down the aisle toward our table, her hatred naked on her face.
As we passed, she looked away at one of her friends, Cassie, and I heard somebody say the word, “Slut,” followed by the entire group bursting into giggles.
Kingston hadn’t heard it, but Valen and Archer did.
I stopped and glared at Sofia, raised my eyebrow and said, “You jealous, ho?”
“Jealous of what?” she snorted in disgust. “Your off the rack wardrobe, all last year and all bought with somebody’s Daddy’s money? Or your clown car pussy, with all the guys you’re stuffing in there these days? Oh, or maybe it’s the fact that you’re riding the dick that I rejected?”
I saw red when she said the last part, knowing that Kingston had dumped her ass for me. Knowing that their relationship was a pathetic fake just to give Kingston social clout before Dirty Kingdom.
I wanted to reply, but Sofia kept going. “Or maybe,” she said and looked around dramatically at all her friends. “It’s the fact that you’ve snatched up all our rejected loser guys, the ones that nobody wants anymore?”