The Secret Girl

by Stunich, C. M.

  “Well, I imagine you were careful not to get caught?” he asks, tossing a look with a raised brow over his shoulder. “So am I.” He turns back around and moves into the bedroom, sitting on the edge of the bed with a sigh and rubbing his big hands down his face.

  “Where'd you get the key?” I ask, and Ranger looks up, his nostrils flared with anger.

  “It was hanging around her neck—along with the noose.” He wrinkles up his face, like he knows he should be telling me this stuff but doesn't want to.

  “Did she …” I start, biting my lower lip as the twins take up spots on the window seat, and Church leans against the wall next to me. It smells like mothballs and cedar in here, like this room hasn't been used for a very, very long time.

  “Leave a note? Yeah.” Ranger ruffles up his dark hair and glances over at Church. The President of the Student Council turns to me and meets my eyes with his honeyed gaze. He's not smiling or ice cold right now, like maybe this is his true personality. It's the first time I've ever seen it.

  “Dear JR, I think they know about us. There's not much left I can do. If you want to meet me, you know where to find me. I'll be waiting with the angels. Love, J.” Church pauses and crosses his arms over his chest. “The way she signed her J, it had to be her that wrote it.”

  “Wait, waiting with the angels?” I ask, and Ranger makes this sound of frustration, not necessarily at me, but like he's had to explain this a hundred times to a hundred different people.

  “There used to be a pair of angel statues in the woods. That's where she met with her boyfriend. I keep telling people that; I've been telling them that since I was fucking eight years old, and nobody wants to listen.” Ranger reaches over and puts his hand on the metal bedpost, spinning the small decorative metal ball on the end with his fingers.

  “How would you know about that?” I ask, and he glances up at me before shrugging.

  “Spencer's brother. He used to rule this school. He had maps of everything, like some Harry Potter type shit. No magic footprints, but those things are crazy detailed. Anyway, he used to take Spencer and me around to play hide and seek and shit. The angel statues that were there for years disappeared the same day that Jenica died.”

  My mind is spinning with possibilities, and I sit down hard on the edge of the bed as the twins swap M&M’s. Apparently Tobias likes green better, and Micah prefers blue. See, told ya they were easy to tell apart.

  “You seem to know so much already,” I start, trying to figure out what, exactly, is different about me that poses a threat. There's only one thing I can think of. “It must be something to do with my gender.” I look up. “The reason these people are after me, that is.”

  “But what is it about that, that makes you a threat and not me?” Ranger asks, glancing my way.

  But I have no idea how to answer him.

  Not one fucking clue.

  Later that night, when I'm sitting in my room in my pjs, I glance over and notice the decorative metal balls on the ends of my bed posts. When I scoot over next to one and start to twist it the way Ranger did, I notice it comes right off. There's nothing inside this one, but there is an empty space where something could be.

  Just for fun, I check both the end posts, the top right … and then the top left. Inside of that one, I strike gold.

  There's a key with a heart-shaped bit at one end, thick chunky skeleton teeth on the other, and a small pink ribbon wrapped around the center. It's even hanging on a thin, pink cord.

  I let it dangle in front of my face.

  It looks just like the key around Ranger's neck, except that it's gold instead of silver. It even has the same ribbon detail, and the same cord.

  “Holy. Freaking. Shit.”

  I'm off the edge of that bed and out the door, racing down the hall, the steps, and across the landing until I reach Ranger's room. I've seen him come out of it enough times to know I'm at the right spot.

  My fist bangs on the wood for just a moment before he opens it … and I find Spencer staring right back at me.

  Uh-oh.

  His entire face shuts down when he sees me, and I realize we've managed to squeak by an entire week without discussing that hug.

  Also, I'm wearing super baggy pjs with long sleeves, but … I feel a tad exposed without my bindings, without my shoes, without underwear. I mean, I know Spencer can't see that I'm not wearing panties, but I know I'm not wearing panties, and that's all that matters.

  “Making a midnight booty call to your lover, huh?” he spits out, sneering at me.

  “Man, I told you: I'm fucking straight. Now go get those snacks I asked for. It's your turn to hit up the kitchen.” Ranger shoves Spencer into the hallway and gives me a look. He must see something on my face though because he steps back to let me in. “We're not fucking. We're just … I don't know, making friends or some crap.”

  “Yeah, whatever,” Spencer growls, storming off and giving us the finger over his shoulder. “If you're gonna do it, make it quick because I won't be gone long.” I watch him go until Ranger closes the door completely, blocking off my view.

  Glancing over my shoulder, I see the pair of beds on opposite sides of the room. If they weren't king-sized and graced with enormous leather headboards, it might look like any other dorm room. There are desks at the foot of each bed, wardrobes on the walls opposite the beds, and a huge, plush faux fur rug in the middle.

  “You guys get a freaking fireplace?” I ask dryly, pointing at the wall between the two beds where the fireplace insert hangs. There's a crackling flame, making the room look all cozy. There are windows above each bed, the curtains parted to reveal the twinkling stars outside.

  When I first got to this school, all the other students looked at me like a total asshole for getting the top floor room. Now I see that the top floor room is the shittiest one.

  “Yeah, so?” Ranger puts his palm on the wall above my head, and leans in, so close that I can smell his leather and sugar scent, this dichotomous mixture of hard and soft that makes my toes curl against the stone floors. “What are you doing here … Charlotte?” he drags my name off the tip of his tongue in just such a way that it feels like both a promise … and a warning. “Spencer's got the wrong idea already, and all that. By the way, when are you going to tell him? He keeps accusing me of trying to get you to suck my dick.”

  “Whoa, whoa, why does he assume that I'm the one sucking dick? Maybe you're the one sucking my dick?”

  Ranger smirks at me and leans in so close that our mouths almost touch.

  “Oh, Chuck, don't kid yourself: nobody thinks that.” He chuckles, and the sound makes me shiver so violently that I almost slide down the wall in a puddle. Ranger reaches out and fingers the lapel on the edge of my pajama shirt. “You're a bottom, hands-down. I knew it the first second I saw you. Me, I'm a top.” He pushes away from the wall, and leans back against the opposite side, his huge body filling the narrow hallway space.

  “I'm not a bottom,” I mumble, but then I remember why I ran all the way down here in the first place and pull the key from my pocket, letting it dangle in the air between us. Ranger lunges forward, his hands covering mine and filling me with this strange warmth.

  “Where did you find this?!” he asks, sounding choked. “I've been all over this campus with a fine tooth comb.” I let him take the key, watching as he pulls the one out of his shirt and holds them together. They're pretty much identical save for the color and a slight variation in the teeth.

  “It was in my bed,” I tell him, “inside one of those decorative metal orbs on the ends of the posts.” Ranger stares at the keys, and then looks up at me, sapphire eyes burning.

  “We need to go check the ones on Jenica's bed,” he says, turning to head for the door. I stop him by reaching out and curling my fingers around his arm, trying my best not to get too excited about those muscles of his.

  “Not tonight,” I tell him, bile rising in my throat at the flash of memory from the other night. “It's t
oo dangerous. Let's go in the morning before school.”

  Ranger tenses up and then pauses with a sigh, raking his fingers through his hair.

  “You're probably right,” he admits grudgingly. “I'm sure I'm on their radar now. It'll probably be my ass in the noose next, hanging in that same horrible tree.” He clenches his fist right around the pair of keys, squeezing so hard that his knuckles turn white. “I'm not much of a morning person though. Sorry in advance if I’m a cranky dick.” He tucks the pair of keys in his pocket, and then looks over at me. “And you need to figure out a way to tell Spencer your secret.”

  “Who says I want to tell him?” I blurt, and Ranger gives me a long, dry look.

  “You two have such serious freaking mojo going on, it makes me sick. Tell him, and just fuck each other, get it over with. Then we can stop with all the pining and whining and moping around that he does.”

  “He pines for me?” I ask, trying not to sound interested. Because I'm not. I don't even care. Seriously. Ranger rolls his eyes, but our conversation's put on hold when Spencer opens the door and waltzes in with a grocery bag full of goodies he swiped from downstairs.

  He gives me this narrow-eyed look with that turquoise gaze of his, and I shiver.

  “What are you two assholes up to in here?” he says, shoving past me and heading over to his bed, so he can flop down and pour out all his treats. I distinctly see one of my granola bars in the mix.

  “You dildo!” I snap, marching over there and snatching the bar off the bed. “I knew someone was stealing my granola bars. I thought it was Nathan the creepy security guard, but of course it was you.”

  “It was Nathan the creepy security guard,” he replies without bothering to look up at me. “I just caught him red-handed. Then I figured if he was gonna make off with them, I may as well take them with me instead.”

  “I call bullshit,” I snort, tucking the granola bar into my pocket. “Food thief.” I raise my chin triumphantly, and Spencer lifts his head up to sneer at me.

  “Asswipe,” he murmurs.

  “Condom face.” It's the only thing I can think of, and my cheeks flush. Spencer just smirks like this is a challenge he's happy to take on.

  “Penis eater.”

  “Slimeball.”

  “Toilet brush.”

  “Shit stain.”

  “Jerkwad.”

  “Ass pig,” I blurt, and Spencer raises one of his dark brows.

  “Okay, that one was a little weird even for me. You win. Although condom face was pretty creative. I might borrow that one to insult the twins with.” Spencer pauses to pull his shirt over his head, tossing it aside and leaving me gaping at the beautiful, flat planes of his chest. He notices me looking and glances my way, his lids drooping and giving off this heavy-lidded bedroom stare. The corner of his mouth curves up in a smirk as he tilts his head to the side. “Like what you see?” he asks, as Ranger makes a noise of frustration, slides his hands over my eyes and then turns me toward the door.

  “Enough gawking. Let me walk you back to your room.” Spencer watches us go, his eyes narrowing as he sneers and turns away. “You know you're going to have to tell him eventually,” Ranger adds as we head back up the stairs. I give him a look, but he just returns it with a steadfast stare. His look brooks no argument. “If we're going to solve this mystery together, we need him. He knows this campus better than anyone. That, or maybe you should just go back to California.”

  “There's nothing that could make me go back there,” I blurt, cheeks reddening. I've never felt more like a fish out of water than I did when I went back to the place I should belong, and felt like nothing more than an outcast. Besides, Mom's in rehab. And my aunt is nice, but … even though she offered to let me stay with her, I think I've always known she didn't really mean it. She's only twenty-eight, and she doesn't want some teenager staying in her house and throwing off her vibe. “Besides, your sister deserves to have her name cleared.”

  We pause near my bedroom door as Ranger takes the keys out again and studies them. He reaches down and tries the gold one on my door, but it doesn't work. The silver key, however, does work on Jenica's door. Interesting.

  “Well, what the hell is this for?” he murmurs, rubbing at the side of his face with two fingers. “Jenica, what the hell were you up to?” His eyes look far away and sad, and I wonder what his memories of his big sister are like. He had to have been, what, seven or eight when she passed? Poor kid. I can't even imagine that sort of pain. I imagine it's similar to how I felt when my mother bailed on me and Dad. Then again, if I really want to see her, at least I know she's still out there. “By the way, I have her journal. Part of it anyway. When I go home for spring break, I'll snap some pics and send them to you if you want to read it.” Ranger looks so immensely uncomfortable, that I lean up and give him a quick peck on the cheek.

  “Thanks for sharing this with me,” I tell him, and he nods once, briskly. The way he eyes me though … it's impossible to get a read on his expression.

  “Sure. I mean, your safety is all wrapped up in this bullshit. Keep your door locked. Do you have a weapon?”

  “I have a crowbar, and a hammer,” I reply cheerfully, and he grins.

  “That'll work for tonight. Maybe tomorrow we'll get you something a little better. I'll have Church text you my number; call me if you need anything.”

  “Good night,” I tell him as I step inside.

  “Good night,” he says softly back, his voice hoarse and far away. More than likely he's wrapped up in dark thoughts about his sister. Can't say I blame him. Ranger waits for me to close and lock the door, testing the knob before I hear his footsteps pad down the hallway.

  I feel a little better, knowing he's on my side.

  Now … I just have to get my dad on the same page.

  I'm sure that'll be fun.

  The next morning, Ranger, Church, and I head back to the girls' dorm while the twins keep Spencer distracted. There's nothing in the metal orbs on Jenica's bed, and as far as we can tell, the key doesn't open anything in the building.

  After that, Ranger stalks off and disappears, leaving me with the enigmatic Church. The only thing I know about him is that he's a caffeine and coffee addict. Today, he's got an iced German chocolate mocha which, apparently, is really just a mocha with some coconut flavoring.

  “All that sugar can't be good for you,” I tell him, but he just puts the straw in his mouth and smiles cheerily, like he really is the golden boy of the school. I mean, there is Eugene Mathers, the star of the football team, but I've only ever seen him a handful of times, and Church definitely has a bigger following.

  “I quite like sugar,” he says, his smile turning into a grin. “Are you concerned about cavities, Mr. Carson? If I were you, I'd be more concerned with knives or nooses.”

  “Not funny,” I tell him, but he chuckles. Clearly, we have different senses of humor. I imagine Church's is much darker than mine. He's probably the sort to laugh at a funeral. He just smiles at me so prettily, crinkling up his eyes at the corners as he leaves me at the door to my first class.

  Just as I'm about to walk in, one of the other boys steps up behind me and cuts a hole in the bottom of my backpack, spilling all my stuff on the floor.

  Including some of my tampons.

  I'm about to start my period, so I had a few with me …

  My cheeks go bright red as the boys howl with laughter, and one of them picks one up off the floor, opening it and letting it dangle by the string.

  “Whoa there, Carson,” one of the guys says with a laugh. I notice Eugene standing in the background, snickering with the others. “You got a fucking vagina or something?” The asshole holding the tampon chucks it at my face, and I catch it in mid-air.

  “I have a girlfriend, dickhead. I'm sure I'm getting more action than you.” The words fall out of my mouth before I can stop them, and several of the boys sneer at me like the thought of me speaking up is just the last freaking straw.

&
nbsp; “The hell did you say to me, you little shit?” the first boy shoves me so hard that I stumble back, tripping on my stuff and falling to my ass in front of him.

  I should stay quiet, maybe cower, and hope he goes away.

  Instead, all this crap that's been happening to me recently sends me into a frenzy. I'm up and on my feet, throwing myself at him before I can think better of it. The other boys stand back and watch, like this is some stupid rite of passage or something.

  My fist goes flying, but the boy just sidesteps me, giving a sharp, aggressive grin before he comes at me, throwing a punch right at my face that I just know is going to break my nose. Or at least bloody it. I grimace, throwing my arms up and knowing it's already too late.

  But then there's a flash of movement, and nothing happens.

  When I crack my eyes open and drop my arms, I see Church standing there, cool and calm, his palm curled around the other boy's fist. Slowly, carefully, he releases him and the other guy steps back.

  “Sorry, Church … I didn't see you there.”

  Church's face is ice-cold, but then he throws up a blinding smile, the skin around his eyes all crinkled up with the pretty little expression.

  “No worries, Mark. I'm sure it was all a misunderstanding, right?”

  “I … well, we're tired of his shit. He gets out of PE. He gets his own room. He waltzes around here and ignores us when we're just trying to be nice to him. He deserves to know his place, right Eugene?” the tampon guy turns and glances over his shoulder for confirmation.

  “Mark's got a point, Church,” Eugene says, shrugging and then giving this patronizing little smile. He's a handsome guy, sure, but there's just something I don't like about him. I thought the same thing the first time I saw him. Now I'm sure of it. I wonder if he's in on any of this mystery BS? I wonder as Church's smile slides off of his face, leaving that empty void where his feelings should be.

  He points at me.

  “Do you see this man?” he asks, and Mark snickers.