by Ruby Vincent
Derek’s jaw dropped at the sight of me. His reaction was almost as delicious as his response. I’m pretty sure teachers weren’t allowed to spank naughty students, but we weren’t going for accuracy.
Walking inside the dining room, I spotted Landon seated at our table with three apples in front of him. There was no one else there, so I had no clue who he stole them from.
“Landon.”
He saw me and his face lit up. “Hey, baby. How—”
I swooped in and gave him a searing kiss. The boys the next table over wolf-whistled.
“Damn. What was that for?”
“I spoke to Derek.” I sat in my own seat, heeding of the lunch monitor’s watchful eye. “He told me the truth about the Network and the expansion. I feel like such an idiot for thinking you could be involved in something questionable. Why didn’t you say something?”
Smiling, he took hold of my chin and pulled me in for another kiss. “Because I agreed with you, Zee. I want all the tier stuff Jonathan Grayson is trying to pull off, but I don’t want more battle schools. Because of you and Moon, I know what life is like for an F. They can work harder to find recruits instead of forcing more kids into this situation.”
“I love you so much right now, Landon Foster. I want to take you into the nearest broom closet and have my way with you.”
He jumped up. “What are we still doing here?”
Laughing, I dragged him back down and snuggled into him. “Can I ask you something?”
“Anything?”
“What kind of future do you see for us?”
“Our future?”
“Yeah.”
I held my breath, body tensing. The passing seconds were murder on my nerves.
“Well, I see us at Somerset University. Me pre-law and you a math major. I see you helping me with late-night study sessions by stripping off a piece of clothing when I get an answer right. I’m very much looking forward to that.”
I rolled my eyes. Of course, there is lots of sex in this future.
“I see us making our own way. Building our own life. A couple of kids for sure. They’ll be the best-dressed preschoolers you’ve ever seen.” He draped his arm around me. “What do you see?”
I leaned back to smile at him. “I see the same thing, baby.”
Our lips met.
“Guys!” Michael skidded to a stop next to us. He hadn’t changed out of his running clothes. His shorts molded to his muscled frame and drew more appreciative stares than I liked. “You’re not going to believe this. Come with me.”
“What’s wrong?”
Michael’s handsome face was pinched. “For All. He struck again and... it’s worse this time.”
“Oh no,” I breathed. “Is someone hurt?”
“Come.”
We needed no more prompting to trail Michael outside. In front of the basketball gym, a group of kids gathered peering through the doors. For some reason they didn’t go in.
Michael pushed through them, his grip firm on my wrist. “Excuse us, guys. Zee, look.”
I looked around him. My eyes flared.
The gym was destroyed.
Popped basketballs covered the floor, mixed in among trash and rotting food. Covering my nose, I took the horrid scene in. The basketball nets were shredded and a hammer stuck in the middle of the scoreboard told of its destruction.
“I checked the other gyms,” Michael said gravely. “The wrestling mats were torn apart. Dye was put in the swimming pool. The soccer balls were popped and the goals ripped up. The only thing that wasn’t hit was the track. For All has officially taken it too far. If they find him now, the administration will have him arrested.”
I couldn’t deny it. I was looking at thousands of dollars’ worth of damage. For All would not come back from this.
I didn’t ask why he did this. The why was spray-painted beneath the ruined hoops.
END THE BATTLE SYSTEM
“HOW DO YOU THINK HE did it?”
I picked at my food. My appetite was gone and with it went my desire to talk about For All. The whole situation made me sick.
My new lunchmates didn’t feel the same. Everly didn’t approve of me sitting with my mixed group of friends at breakfast and dinner, but she could only do something about it during lunch. My class sat with me every lunch period, even if I changed tables.
“Annie stayed late in the wrestling gym last night until right before the doors locked,” Lauren said. “Everything was fine, no one came in, and she didn’t notice anyone outside.”
“Something like that took all night,” Isla put in. “I bet he hid in one of the locker rooms, waited for everyone to go to bed, then trashed the gyms.”
Murmurs of agreement went around the table.
“This is too much,” May said. “They’ve shut down everything but the track. Why won’t For All give it a rest? Doesn’t this guy see no one is on board with his lunatic crusade?”
“He’s clearly not going to stop until he gets what he wants.”
Everyone stared at me. It was a minute before I realized I said that out loud.
“It’s true,” I finished. “If he was willing to let this go, he wouldn’t have escalated this far. I’m afraid of what he’ll do next if he doesn’t get what he wants.”
Everly shook her head. “Whittaker isn’t going to end the system.”
“I know,” I replied. “That’s why I’m afraid.”
The girls fell quiet. We ate the rest of our meal in silence.
It was a subdued group that entered Mrs. Munoz’s class.
“Come in, everyone. Take a seat. We need to have a discussion before we begin class.”
“It’s about For All,” Adeline stated. “What are Whittaker and Argyle going to do to stop him?”
“This is of course about this morning’s incident. Despite our hopes, it’s become clear the security measures we’ve put in place aren’t enough to stop these attacks against the school. It may have seemed like the principal was ignoring For All, but in reality, he was exploring every other option but the ones we have to adopt now.”
“What does that mean?” May spoke up.
“It means that as we speak, security is conducting a search of your rooms.”
“What?”
The first cry set it off. The room erupted into shouts, arguments, and calls of invasion of privacy. Mrs. Munoz let it go on without comment.
“Are you finished?” she asked when the girls quieted down. “Good. As you know, the rules state that we can search your rooms if the need arises and that time has come. The guards concluded the damage to the equipment was done by a blade. The student could still have this weapon on them. I’m sure you’ll agree our first priority is locating and confiscating it. Yes?”
A shiver skittered up my spine. The grave faces of the girls spoke to the same feeling. No one else shouted about their rights.
“We hired assistant coaches last year to watch over your practices,” she continued, “but we still offered leeway by leaving the gyms open throughout the day and lending select Elite students’ keys. All of those keys will be reclaimed, and from this point forward, no one is allowed into the gym without supervision.
“Finally, the destruction of school property was extensive. We’ll spend thousands of dollars to replace the scoreboards and equipment. Money that will come from this year’s senior trip fund.”
“No,” Lauren moaned. “You mean our trip to New York is canceled?”
“I’m afraid so.”
“Fuck,” Everly cried, uncaring of our teacher. “It’s not fair. We didn’t do anything wrong.”
“I’m sorry, ladies. Our athletic program is just as important as our academic one. This has to be our first priority and the money must come from somewhere. We can’t hold battles until everything is fixed and replaced.”
“Which is what he wanted.”
Munoz inclined her head. “I’m certain it is. And he got his wish. The last thing I want to mak
e clear to you before we begin is that what happened today is a criminal matter. If the search of your rooms doesn’t turn up the culprit, we’re handing the matter over to the police and they will interview you.”
“Well, none of us did it,” Everly replied. “We already know it’s one of the boys. Mrs. Munoz, we have to save the trip. Can we do something? What if we get our parents to donate money? We could do a bake sale? Or a fundraiser?”
“Good idea, Miss Mackenzie. Why don’t we brainstorm at the end of the day?”
The girls perked up. The biggest thing on their minds was spending their last year together cruising around New York and why wouldn’t it be? According to them, For All was just a bitter F boy that had nothing to do with them.
Melody sought me over their heads. The look on her face matched mine. We didn’t know how this would end or how far he would go, but a knife-wielding kid with something to prove was all of our problems.
“THEY TORE MY ROOM APART,” Cole said. “Whittaker had them upend the couch, remove my mattress, look in the toilet and behind the television. He’s not playing around.”
I cuddled in tighter. A frigid wind whipped through the clearing that night, teasing the trees and slapping our heated cheeks. It didn’t help that we were naked. Soon, it would get too cold for us to meet out here.
“He can’t afford to play around. For All has a knife. One student has been killed on campus. He won’t let anyone else get hurt.”
Cole kissed my temple. “Are you okay on the girls’ side? I don’t like you so far away with all of this going down. At least as Zeke, I could keep you in my bed where you belong.”
“It’s you I have to worry about. You and the other guys.” I lay on his chest and listened to the steady thump of his heart. There was no better music. “For All has to be a guy, and he’s not shy about attacking the Elite Class.”
“New For All hasn’t tried to hurt us. Stink bombs, bloody messages, and computer viruses are nothing compared to sabotaged bleachers, poisoned contact solution, and drugged water bottles. If he was truly willing to do anything to get Whittaker to give him what he wants, he would have switched to personal attacks a long time ago.”
Fear choked me, edging out all the high from having sex. Cole’s point was terrifying for its truth. We once had a For All that was willing to do whatever it took to achieve his endgame, and my boys were hurt in the process. What if New For All decided that was his only option?
“Cole, don’t say that.”
“Think about it, Zee. New For All took over in our sophomore year. That means he’s either a senior or a junior by now. He’s running out of time to have his demands met and Whittaker is no closer to giving in. What happens when he gets desperate?”
“Cole, please. I can’t go there. The thought of him hurting you...”
I trailed off, biting my lip hard.
“Hey.” Cole held me tighter. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. You shouldn’t be scared, Zee. No one is going to mess with us. Whittaker upgraded the locks. Sondheim roams the halls. And Michael, Landon, and I learned our lesson about leaving our stuff around. We’re safe, Zee. I promise.”
“I just want this to stop,” I croaked. “I want the battle system to end, too, but this isn’t the way.”
“It will stop. They’ll find him and it will all be over.”
I took a deep breath, held it, and then let it go. I repeated it until my heart slowed. Cole wanted me on the boys’ side to protect me. I wanted to be over there to protect them. My boys would not be caught in the crossfire of For All’s crusade.
“Want to talk about something else?”
“Yes,” I said. “We can talk about where we’ll meet up. It’s getting too cold to be outside.”
He blew out a breath. “I was thinking about that too. I was one of the lucky ones with keys to the pool. That’s gone, so there goes my plan to chase you around the locker room.”
I laughed. “I’m not too fond of locker rooms since freshman year. Your chances of getting lucky in there were slim from the start.”
“Shit.” His smile was tinged with regret as we shared the memory. “Then I better get creative. Michael swears he has a way to sneak you in the dorms but he won’t spill. He says he won’t let you get caught with one of us before he has a chance to be with you.”
“Can’t blame the guy.”
“Yes, I can.”
My unease leaked away. My loving, cranky asshole had that effect on me.
“I’m coming to your place this weekend. We’ll have to get in enough to hold us for the week.”
Cole leaned back to hit me with wide eyes. “Challenge accepted.”
“That wasn’t meant to be a challenge,” I replied, grinning.
“Too late.”
We talked and made love one more time under the cloudy night. When we were spent and warm beneath the blankets, I chanced the conversation I had been waiting for.
“Cole?”
“Yes, Zee?”
“Where do you... want to go to university?”
“Didn’t I tell you?” He shifted onto his side, facing me. “I’m going to Somerset.”
“Really?”
“They’ve got a great swimming program. They took Chris from crazy good to insanely good, and I’m basically a legacy. Coach has had his eye on me since Chris told him my parents produced two of us.”
“That’s what you want? It’s your top choice?”
He nodded like it was no big deal. The joy bursting inside of me said otherwise.
“I’d miss Mom, Dad, and Toby if I went out of state.”
I flicked his nose. “And Christina.”
“Maybe some days.” Cole pressed his forehead to mine, smiling into my eyes. “I’d definitely miss you though. You didn’t think I’d leave you, did you? Play the long-distance game while Michael, Landon, and Derek have you all to themselves? Not a chance.”
“I would have happily done long distance with you, Cole Reed. If there is somewhere else you need to be to pursue your dreams, then that’s where I want you to go.”
“Somerset is exactly where I need to be. Everything I want is right here.”
We kissed gentle and unhurried.
“Can I ask you something else?” I whispered.
“Is it if I want to go again? Because the answer is yes.”
“This isn’t a good angle to kick you up the backside, but it’s coming.”
“I’m already turned on, Zee. You don’t have to tempt me.”
I laughed. “Seriously. I want to know where you see us in the future. After college and all of that.”
“Where I see us?”
“Yes, and not just me and you. Michael, Landon, and Derek too.”
His smile dimmed. “I don’t know. I haven’t really thought about it.”
“You haven’t? But you’re Cole. You plan out every minute of your life.”
He flipped onto his back, staring up at the sky. “Yeah, but you were never part of it.”
I froze. “What does that mean?”
“Not what you think, so don’t freak out. I love you, Zela. I love you so much it doesn’t make sense. It’s like that cartoon love where hearts pop out of my eyes when I see you. Cupids dance around my head and I float off the ground.”
I brushed my lips against his shoulder. “I’m not hearing a problem.”
“Because you’re not a problem. My plan was to get through high school avoiding serious relationships. Didn’t think it’d be a problem since everyone in my class was a guy. I wasn’t counting on your fake wig-wearing ass.”
Chuckling, I cuddled closer. “I messed up the great Cole Reed’s plans.”
“Completely. I didn’t think I’d fall in love with you. I didn’t think my best friend would fall in love with you too. None of this was what I expected, and it’s so much better than my plan. Since I’ve been with you, I’ve accepted I don’t need to have every step mapped out. So no, I haven’t thought about fiv
e years from now. I just think about now. And how lucky I am to be with you.”
“Damn,” I whispered. “He’s far gone.”
“Fuck you,” he shot back, laughing.
“So you really haven’t pictured little blond babies or a big mansion with all of us living together?”
“You mean have I pictured living like Moon?” His voice grew serious. “Honestly, no. One or two blond babies would be nice, and a house for just me and you. It wouldn’t bother me if you were still with Michael, Landon, and Derek, but Adam’s dads are like brother-husbands. They love each other as much as they love his mom. The only one I’ll ever be close to like that is Michael.”
I was quiet as I absorbed his speech.
“Are you upset?”
“No.” I was surprised to find I meant it. “I’m in four relationships, not one. You want us to have a life and family that is just ours. I understand and I want it too. I just hope we can find a better way than me jumping from house to house, family to family.”
“We will, but we don’t have to figure it out right now.” He rubbed my thigh. “We have to go soon. Want to sneak in one more time?”
My smile returned. “Do you have to ask?”
Cole kept me out until the very last minute. We snuck a quick kiss on the quad and then ran for our campus. I burst inside and nearly ran into a wall of flesh.
“Whoa.” Welsh reached out to steady me. “Easy there, Miss Manning. I came to check the door locked properly. What were you doing outside this late?”
“It’s not late. Lights out isn’t for an hour.”
“That may be, but not many students have a reason to walk around an empty campus at nine o’clock at night. Why were you out there instead of in your room studying?”
“For the reason you said.” My tone was even. “I was out for a walk.”
