I fight to keep my eyes glued to the solid chest in front of me, but the pull is too strong and my stare is forced to his. I inhale deeply as I take in the sight. With him right in front of me, I can’t help but appreciate the view.
Sexy. Straight up, no denying.
Dark hair with darker eyebrows and caramel colored skin. Strong and solid, with eyes like ancient jade and the sharp edges of a monarch, he’s damn near close to rugged perfection.
He glares.
Of course, it adds to the sex appeal, because why wouldn’t it.
I’d roll my eyes at myself if I didn’t think it would give my thoughts away.
“I’m diggin’ this no glasses thing,” I tease. “You should ditch ‘em more often.”
He’s not amused, and those full lips of his part to speak. “You better learn quick what’s allowed here or you’ll be begging for a transfer before we’re done.”
“Not my style.” I keep my eyes steady. “If I want it, I take it. If I want it ... consider it mine.”
Somehow, his frown seems to intensify as he crowds my space more, his giant ass body dwarfing mine. “This is our school, Snow. Our town. You’ll pay for the little stunt you pulled with Royce’s ride. And you’ll learn. Around here?” One strong brow jacks up. “We make the rules and you follow ... like a good little girl,” he whispers all dirty like.
It’s sexy, I’ll give him that but he’s patronizing me, the shithead. Even still as he pointedly drops an impassive gaze to my chest, my tight black tank doing nothing to hide the rack my mother cursed me with.
I remember she was so proud when I finally “grew a pair,” said no man could resist a build like mine. Sick bitch.
‘Course they became a problem when her men suddenly wanted her daughter more.
The vein in his jaw ticks and I snap back.
“I hear you, big man,” I whisper and his porcelain eyes glide back to mine in slow motion. “You’re strong, I’m weak. You’re the king, and I’m the peasant. Anything else?”
His muscles flex against me, his pupils dilating, and silly me, it’s enticing.
I almost want to push him further.
“Yo, Maddoc,” his handsy friend calls. “Perkins is on his way.”
“Maddoc” as he was called, purposely waits until the principal steps around the corner before moving back.
Mr. Perkins looks from me to the guys and rushes my way.
“Ms. Carver,” he draws out. “Everything all right?”
“Everything is grand.” I give a big, bogus smile.
He doesn’t believe me but accepts the lie and turns to the trio.
“Boys,” he spits. “Why don’t you ... go get yourselves some food. I’ll make sure Raven here finds what she needs.”
There’s a bit of a stare-off happening between the four, but it’s the big man who speaks up first. “Why don’t you kiss my ass and go back to your office where you belong?”
My eyes widen and I fight a grin, but these boys aren’t smiling.
It’s clear, they don’t respect the man.
“I need to speak with my new student,” he growls their way.
With cocky smirks in place, they back away with heads held high, letting him and everyone else around know who’s in charge.
I’m guessing they’re all already aware, but regularity and all that.
With a swallow, the principal turns back to me. “I may have neglected to mention the trouble here.”
“I can handle it.”
“But you shouldn’t have to.” He steps closer, a glaze I’m far too familiar with lighting up his eyes. Some call it compassion, I call it manipulation. He wants me to think he’s a caring, open door for me to seek out should I need a helping hand. A perception confirmed when he speaks again. “If you need anything, anything at all, or if they bother you ... just let me know.”
Yeah, I bet you’d be all too willing to meet my every need.
I don’t bother hiding my eye roll or disgust as I step around, completely ignoring his fake fretfulness. I head for the doors leading outside, but before I can step through, my eyes catch a pair of olive ones openly studying me in the wings.
He holds my gaze, his full of a burning curiosity that only breaks when someone yanks the door open from the other side.
I don’t look back, finally making my exit into the crisp air.
I run through what just happened, knowing one thing for sure. The principal’s a sleaze. His words were simple, but his eyes were gelled with want.
I’m not surprised, most males in a power position are. I swear, there’s no such thing as an honest, flat out ‘good’ man.
So quickly roped in by desire, they’re willing to throw all morals out the window, and in the end, take what they want. I, for one, won’t roll over.
And as far as these boys go, if they think I’m at their disposal, they’ve got another thing coming.
Raven, that’s her name.
Ripped jeans and a tank that wouldn’t fit my bicep, her figure’s on full display. A full grip of tits, a nice fat ass, naturally earned, and hair that about teases the curve of her hips. It’s as black as her name, a deep dark raven in color.
Her skin’s a pale, milky white, lips a deep pink but free of fake color. And with eyes a stormy grey, she’s more than a fucking wet dream – she’s a porn star come to life.
She’s like a real-life Snow White, only better. More hair to pull on.
Fucking trouble.
Like we know everything that happens around here, we knew she was coming, but I sure as fuck didn’t expect a temptress in Timberlands.
I look to the side finding both Royce and Captain staring after her, and it’s confirmed. She’ll be a problem.
We don’t have room for problems. Especially not the kind involving pussy.
She’ll need to be put in check, and quick.
Cops. Awesome.
Three of them, a K-9 unit even, line the curb nearest the female Bray house.
I can tell the others walking toward the house are on edge, and I get it.
Like them, my stomach muscles used to tighten at the sight of every black and white patrol car, but not anymore. After a while, it was almost a sense of reprieve, knowing they were likely there for my mom’s patrons if not her herself. Usually meant a solid forty-eight hours without dread, but never more than that.
More times than not, I thought about running off. Technically, I could have at any moment and dear mother never would have looked, but I don’t have an ID, let alone a license, and I need it to find work anywhere other than a strip club or dive bar. And with a mother who doesn’t hold on to shit, I have no birth certificate or social security card to even attempt to get my own.
But it’s whatever. One day, I’ll turn and never look back. Seems far, but it’ll be so worth it when it comes.
I shake off the pathetic poor me thoughts as I reach the porch, but before I can step up, Maybell rushes out the screen door right.
She holds it open for the male officer as he fights to get a girl, can’t remember her name, out the door. She kicks and flings herself around, forcing him to grip her upper arms as she has a fit.
Nira, the girl I walked here with that first day, steps up beside me.
“Not surprised. Knew she wouldn’t last,” she mutters.
“How long’s she been here?”
“Couple weeks, but she ditches school all the time and someone said they saw her stealing Maybell’s smokes. But she put hands on Victoria today, so she’s good as gone.”
“Victoria?”
“Do you even try to fit in here?”
I glare at her. “No. I don’t. Why would I?”
She shakes her head, both our gazes following the officer as he attempts to get the girl in the back seat. “Victoria’s my bunkmate. The bitchy blonde that walks around the house with a chip on her shoulder? Been here longer than any of us, supposedly.”
“Oh.”
She scoffs as she walks away. “At
least pretend to be interested, Rae. We’re better your friends than your enemies.”
Friends. Right.
‘Cause befriending a handful of girls who have problems the rest of the world pretends don’t exist sounds like a good fucking time.
No. I can’t afford fake friends and I’m not shopping for real ones, should those exist.
The fact of the matter is, in the end, the only way to walk away ... is to make sure there’s nothing you’re reluctant to leave behind.
To feel is to follow.
And I’ll pave my path along no one’s steps but my own.
“Come on now, Rae. Time for chores.” Maybell waves me inside, but I glance at the girl in the back seat of the car, wondering what her story is, where she came from and what haunts her at night.
Then she flips me off so I do the same, rubbing my middle finger across my tongue with a smile and she grins back but turns away to try and hide it.
I laugh lightly and head inside.
Fucked up kids understand each other, it’s the ones who pretend all’s good who don’t mix.
I toss my sweater on the bed and head for the chore list, finding I’ve got trash today. I make my way through the house, collecting the garbage and head out the back to the small dump bin, finding one of the guys in front of the boys’ Bray house also headed straight for it.
“‘Sup, newbie.” He grins.
I look him up and down. Cute, but too skinny and not naturally. Clearly, the house isn’t drug testing, boy’s on one.
“Not a damn thing, on dump duty, same as you, it seems.”
He nods, looking back to the house where a guy with long hair, maybe early thirties and built like a lineman taps his wrist and nods his chin.
“That your version of Maybell?”
“Yup, that’s Keefer. He’s cool.”
“He know you’re dabbling?”
The guy’s eyes narrow on mine before he allows himself a look, finally meeting my gaze again. “Probably.” He shrugs. “I don’t steal, and I don’t cause trouble, so maybe he ignores it.”
Right then a tall, trim but fit guy comes into view. He hops off the porch and lights a cigarette, not caring that the man in charge is barking at him from behind.
He nods at the guy in front of me, not sparing me a glance, then walks off.
“Be seeing ya, newbie.”
As they walk away I decide that’s the guy – the one that didn’t care to look my way – the connection to anything I might need.
I catalog him to memory and head back, but before I step onto the porch a black SUV identical to the one from school but free of key marks, pulls into the lot. It slows to a complete stop five-feet from me and my skin prickles beneath my sweater. Slowly but surely, it rolls forward again, disappearing down the dirt path at the back of the property line.
I stare after it a moment before it vanishes, leaving nothing but a cloud of dust behind.
“Boys of Brayshaw.”
I glance to my left to find the blonde Nira was talking about also watching the dust as it falls back to the ground.
She doesn’t say anything else, doesn’t look my way, and then walks off.
I head back inside and finish up my task by adding bags to all the trashcans. Once the chores are done, the house sits down to eat, cleaning up after ourselves as we finish, which is when we’re allowed more free time.
I start down the long hallway right as a couple girls start arguing.
“Fuck you! I didn’t steal your shit!”
“I know you did, I saw you come out of my room!”
“Girls! Enough!” Maybell shouts, sliding between the two.
I squeeze behind the arguing duo, and slip into my room, dropping onto the mattress.
A mattress that doesn’t belong to me in a room that’s not really mine and a house that means nothing.
With a dozen complete and total strangers.
But this place is clean, the hot water works, lights are on, and there’s food on the table every night.
It’s definitely not the worst place to be.
Bastard.
I growl, swiping my hand down my arm as I glare at those fucking blackout windows I’m getting real tired of seeing. Finally, the back one rolls down and the handsy fucker, Royce, shows his face.
“How you doin’, RaeRae?” he smirks, tracing the mud splatters that now cover half my body with his taunting stare.
What? He thinks dirt bothers me? Please.
I slept on the ground with nothing more than an old blanket and pillow at the reservoir for a week once when my mom refused to let go of one of her more ... persistent men.
Guess Royce is used to the prim and proper type who’d fret with a little grime against their skin. Weird if that’s true, since visibly speaking he’s the one who puts off more of an edge with his appearance what with the tattoo sneaking up his neck beneath his T-shirt and running down to meet his wrist, not to mention the small gauges in his ears. His brown hair matches his eyes and is a little wilder on top then theirs, but he keeps the sides trimmed nice. He’s that tempting kind of sexy, but he knows it which is annoying.
Captain, I decided is the least ‘in your face’ type as far as being seen goes. He’s just as captivating as the other two, but his attitude seems to be more subtle. He’s the light eyed, blond of the three, cleaner cut with the pouty, jaded, model look. Perfectly side swiped hair and silky light skin. He’s that silent killer type, seems soft, but he’ll pounce when pushed.
“Better run on back and change. Wouldn’t want anyone to call you names,” Royce jokes.
“Don’t you worry about me. Worry about why Captain is always sitting shotgun instead of you.”
Royce’s brows dip so low they practically meet in the center, but before he can pop off again, Maddoc reverses, positioning the truck so when he peels out this time, my entire face gets covered in mud.
Asshole.
But I hit a nerve with that one.
I consider it a win for me.
When I get to the school, I rush into the girl’s locker room to inspect the damage done and find it’s a lost cause, so I toss my dirty shit in my locker and wear the frumpy, completely wrinkled, loner uniform meant for gym – these are extras from the school left out for kids who don’t have or forget their own and don’t want to be knocked points for not dressing out.
The jokes start instantly.
“What happened, Rae? All night deal with the janitor? No time to go home and change? I mean, if you had a home to go to.”
Original.
I ignore everyone all through the day until I get to PE and a picture-perfect face plants itself in front of mine. The queen bee, always fucking hovering somewhere.
“Nice outfit.” She pops a hip, chewing on her gum like an obnoxious brat, her friends crowding around in anticipation of what, for sure, is to be a roasting session of sorts. Probably even preplanned insults.
“How is it living at the Bray house with no men to share a bed with at night?” Her light eyes trail over my body in these used clothes. ‘Course she’s wearing a sports bra and spandex shorts – something that would never be allowed at any other school, I’m sure.
I don’t entertain her and move to step past, she slides with me.
“What slum did you come from anyway?”
I sigh internally. “Your daddy finally let me out of the basement so long as I promised to play nice with others. But not as nice as I played with him, if you know what I mean.” I wink and her face scrunches.
“Whatever.” Her hands find her hips. “Stay away from the Brayshaws, and out of my way, and we won’t have problems.”
“What makes you think I want anything to do with them?”
Laughter echoes around us. Apparently, every girl in here is intrigued by what this bitch has to say to the new girl.
Even the males who are tucked away in the weight room at the back of the gym pause for the show. They can’t possibly hear from there, but appar
ently they’re content in watching.
“Every girl wants to be a Bray girl.” She rolls her eyes, tightening her high ponytail. “If you don’t yet, you will, but I’m here to tell you to stick to those on your level.”
“You saying the Brayshaws are on yours?” I make sure skepticism is heard when really, I couldn’t care less.
“You saw how he defended me when you showed your trash.”
“Is that what that was?”
Her almond shaped eyes narrow and she steps closer to me. “Keep your path from crossing with theirs. There’s no room for another Bray girl.”
When I roll my eyes, she smirks.
“I don’t know why I’m wasting my time.” She laughs, glancing around to make sure she’s got the full attention of her cronies and those who wish to be but haven’t yet found their in. “It’s not like they’d ever stoop so low.”
When my lips purse her eyes light up.
“I know all about you. Girl from the trailer park who uses her body to get what she wants. Tell me,” she tips her head, “how much does a happy ending cost? Maybe I can help you out, bring in some clients and all that.”
I should beat her ass, right here, right now.
“Ladies.” The teacher comes around the corner, but neither of us break eye contact. “Chloe! Raven!” she booms and it’s Chloe – as she called her - who shifts first, a fake smile in place. “Yes?”
She looks between the two of us with a glare. “Let’s go.”
Chloe flips her hair over her shoulder and skips away, but my feet refuse to move as I glare after her.
Someone told her – maybe the entire school – about my mom.
And when my eyes are pulled right and met with an icy emerald stare that pointedly holds mine before looking away, I know exactly who’s to blame.
I have to face the fact there’s nothing I can do to erase everything I come from, at least not until I escape myself.
I need to let off some steam.
I’ve been hanging around the porch for a few days with my eyes locked on the boys’ home, waiting for the guy from the other day show his face. Finally, two days later, the timing is right and he appears.
He jumps off the porch, bringing a cigarette to his lips as he props himself against the side of the house.
Boys of Brayshaw High Page 3
