Chapter Four
Mondays sucked balls, generally speaking. But this one was different. It was worse.
I sat in the school parking lot, staring at the gothic castle-like structure that was Elmwood Academy.
Kenna rode with Grayson to school after pestering him for twenty minutes to hurry up. Eager didn’t begin to describe how Kenna felt about returning to the Academy. She wanted to get there early enough to check in with the main office for her schedule and of course surprise her old friends.
Not that it would be much of a surprise.
Everyone would be talking about the return of Kenna Edwards after she was gone for two years, thanks to Saturday night. The entire school would know by now.
I was grateful for Grayson letting me borrow the Jeep. The thought of seeing Easton after school filled me with so much trepidation. He deserved to know that I wasn’t his biological daughter, but honestly, it shouldn’t be me who had to tell. The bitch of the year would be too wrapped up in herself, her feelings, and her perfect little life imploding to give a shit about her ex-husband.
What Grayson didn’t know, what no one knew, was after I finished that devastating conversation with Easton, I planned to hunt for an after-school job. I hadn’t told Grayson about the part-time job mostly because he wouldn’t like the idea. Neither would Brock.
The Edwards had been so generous to me, and although they were my biological parents, it felt weird relying on them for everything. I needed my own money. Everyone was talking about college, filling out applications, yet I didn’t even have enough money in my bank account to cover the application fees, let alone the tuition.
I was sure the Edwards would want to pay for my education. Imagine sending three kids into college at the same time! A frightening thought. But for them, they didn’t even blink an eye at the cost.
Now all I had to do was get through the school day. Not such a difficult task unless you were me and there were people you dreaded seeing.
Like Ava. And Carter.
I thumped my forehead on the steering wheel, contemplating skipping school and going straight to Easton’s mechanic shop. I’d rather spend the day with a bunch of greasy old dudes than in a school of rich pricks, the Elite excluded. They were the only rich pricks I could stand, and of course, Mads. She didn’t count as a rich prick. I should probably add Kenna to the list of people who were acceptable at the Academy, but if I removed the sister aspect and just thought of Kenna as another girl… I didn’t think she and I would have been friends.
It pained me to admit that, even to just myself.
Before I started the Jeep’s engine again and backed out, I grabbed my bag off the passenger seat and got out. Slipping the key fob into a little zipper pocket on my backpack, I flung the strap over my shoulder and scanned the parking lot, looking for a certain Land Rover.
He wasn’t here. Not yet.
I sighed, disappointed. I wanted the comfort of his presence. His reputation created a shield around me, and that sounded so nice right now.
Looks like I would have to bear the masses on my own.
I felt the eyes and heard the murmurs. It was no surprise that my peers would be interested in Kenna’s return.Where has she been?Why is she back?I could almost hear the questions burning in their heads as I strolled down the hall to my locker.
It was weird not having one of the Elite walking beside me. I’d gone my entire life not being shadowed, and yet a few months at the Academy and it became odd not being followed about.
Wrong. That was so wrong.
And yet, I didn’t give a shit.
I wanted my Elite. They were mine. So where the hell were they?
Digging out my phone, I turned around the corner about to send a group text. I mean, I couldn’t just yell at Brock. I was irritated with all of them. God, even my brother abandoned me. But he had Kenna to deal with, I reminded myself. So maybe I would let him off the hook. But the others… they’d be getting an earful from me.
My fingers were flying over the keys, boots clattering on the stone floors when my ears heard someone say, “Like mother, like daughter. Trashy liar.”
I snapped my head up so fast and jerked to a stop right beside two girls I recognized from the cheerleading squad. I couldn’t remember their names. Didn’t give a shit to care what their names were. “What the fuck did you just say to me?” I gritted out.
The airhead hadn’t spoken directly to me but to her friend. She might as well have said it to my face. It was loud enough for me to hear. I was done ignoring the snide comments. I wouldn’t stay silent any longer. The only way to get respect at this school was to be the top bitch. I wasn’t sure I wanted respect. And I didn’t want to be the top bitch on the cheerleader pyramid, but I didn’t know if I had a choice. These girls at the Academy were shoving me against a wall, figuratively, and if I didn’t do anything about it, figuratively would become physically.
Ava might have been knocked down on the hierarchy, but another bitch would step up and take her place. That’s how high school worked.
“Look for yourself,” she sneered, her eyes moving over my shoulder.
I spun around, heart pounding in my chest before I even saw what she was talking about, because I already knew I wouldn’t like it.