Chapter 1
Dread fills me as I stare down the corridor of Aston Creek High. I’ve hardly stepped through the front doors before their bitchy whispers hit me.
“Who the fuck is this slut?”
“She looks like trash. What the hell is she wearing?”
“Who does she think she is?”
I can’t help but glance down at my outfit; black cropped tank, high waisted jeans, and my jacket tied at my waist. I don’t know what that chick’s problem is, but I look fucking good and I don’t need her approval to know it.
I narrow my eyes at them, letting them know that I’m not the girl they want to fuck with. I’ve been through more than these bitches will go through in their whole life.
Coming here was supposed to be a fresh start, a new beginning. Here, I could put the horrors of my past behind me. I guess I was delusional in thinking that, but then, maybe there’s still a chance. It wouldn’t be high school if the girls didn’t try to intimidate the new kid.
I should figure out who their queen is and take her down, then the rest of them should fall in line. It shouldn’t be too hard. After all, I’m not here to make friends. I’m in Aston Creek to graduate and get the fuck out of here so I can move on with my life.
I take my first step down the corridor and feel my brother at my back. “Just try to make some friends, yeah?”
I scoff at his positivity. He’s always been the glass half full kind of guy and it’s times like this that his attitude makes me want to hurl. I don’t know where he gets it or how he keeps his spirits up, especially if you take into consideration the fact that we were dealt a shitty hand at a too young age. What I do know is that if he thinks I’ll be trying to make friends, then he clearly doesn’t know me well enough. “Can’t make any promises, little brother.”
Blake groans and steps around me before walking down the corridor backward. “Fine, but I won’t be coming to bail you out when you leave your mark on some skank.”
Blake stares at me and after a lifetime of having him always get his way, I give in. “One friend. That’s all you’re getting out of me.”
I roll my eyes as my brother gives me a cheesy grin. “Love you, Skylah.” With that, he disappears into the crowded bodies, probably more than ready to claim his role in this school. Blake has always been my protector even though I’m supposed to be his. I love him for it, but sometimes he needs to back off. I can handle myself more than he could possibly know.
Taking a deep breath, I face the music.
The whispers continue to follow me with each step I take and I do my best not to lash out and put each of them in their place. “Nessa ain’t going to like her. She looks like a fucking bitch,” the whispers continue.
“Fuck, look at those full lips. I’d like to see them wrapped around my cock.”
“She’s already walking around here like she owns the place. We’ll have to shut that shit down, put that skank in her place.”
At that last one, my gaze snaps up to a petite blonde who stares at me with venom. She stands with a girl whose back is to me with her long auburn hair swept over her shoulder. I narrow my eyes at the blonde and she instantly sinks back into her locker.
I try to smother my grin. There are girls like her everywhere I go and after fighting this fight for so long, I’ve quickly realized that they’re not worth my time. They pack a nasty bark but when it comes to their bite, they’ve got nothing but a set of fake nails that they’re terrified of breaking. Hell, I wouldn’t be surprised to find these two have cheer uniforms and pom poms in their lockers.
I walk past them, not bothering to waste my time on them. Something tells me this place has much bigger fish to fry.
I scan through the numbers on the lockers, looking for mine. My aunt and uncle were nice enough to come down here last week and collect mine and Blake’s welcome packages to ensure we were more than ready for day one at Aston Creek High. Though maybe they’ve forgotten what high school is really like because starting at a new school, mid-term is like a death sentence.
Blake won’t have any issues fitting in. He’s always been the popular jock. He’s a junior but he’ll be deemed royalty within a few days, he might even be crowned king after they see his skills on the basketball court. It certainly didn’t go unnoticed that all the bitchy whispers were aimed at me. I don’t think Blake even got a mention, but if he did, it would have been the horny girls wondering how quickly they could get him into a supply closet.