by Ivy Clyde
I took a deep breath and exhaled out. My shoulders slumped in defeat. Zoya had seen right through me.
“Come on,” she said, grabbing my hand and tugging me towards the vast garage of the school.
The garage was unlike anything I’d seen before. The cars parked in neat rows had to be worth millions of dollars. In the darkened area, their surfaces shone like polished diamonds. No wonder the academy had top-notch security in place. Just the cars alone would fetch a fortune.
“I’ll get the car around,” said Zoya. “Wait by the exit.”
She disappeared among the rows of vehicles there while I stared at the glittering cars around me.
Zoya’s shiny black Lamborghini came to a stop beside me. Opening the passenger side door, I climbed in.
As the car picked up speed, I slid the window down, letting the fresh, cool breeze lift the strands of my hair away from my forehead. Zoya grinned at me, her thick dark locks swaying in the wind.
“Now for some music,” she said. Our favorite song blasted through the stereo. Soon we were singing and shouting our way through the empty highways of the countryside. It made the hour-long ride pass by quickly.
Dusk fell by the time we reached the city limits.
“Call Jonathan and tell him we’re here,” said Zoya, slowing down the car as traffic swelled around us.
She tried to act nonchalant but I knew she was dying to see him. Jonathan was our senior at Kensington High and my closest neighbor. Zoya had a crush on him for the past two years. They’d been flirting with each other lately but they weren’t official yet.
“Why don’t you go back to Kensington High?” I asked Zoya. Guilt was spreading through me as I realized how much she’d sacrificed to come to Knightswood Academy. Not only did she hate the school, but the bullies were also back. “Things will be so much better for you there than at Knightswood. I don’t think being my friend here will bring you any favors.”
Zoya glanced at me. Her cheerfulness dimmed as she looked back to the front. “I want to overcome my fears,” she said, gripping the wheel. “Brianna, Holly, and Gianna tormented me before but I was too weak to protest and just ran. These past few days I feel like I can do it with you on my side.”
“But it won’t be easy, Zoya,” I said. “I don’t really have a choice but to stay at the academy. Clara has already paid for the tuition and I believe it can open far more gateways for me in the future than Kensington High ever could. I don’t want to be a charity case for the rest of my life.”
“Yeah, and I don’t want to be a pushover,” said Zoya. “It’s easy to breeze through the corridors of Kensington High when I am the richest kid there. No one can touch me. But that’s not the society I’ll be joining in a few years. My future will be filled with bitches like Brianna and Holly. If I can’t stand up to them now, I’ll forever stay scared.”
I squeezed her knee. “We can face whatever they throw at us,” I said. “We just need to remember why we’re there in the first place and all will be tolerable. Besides, we’ll always have each other.”
Zoya turned to me and smiled. “We can do this!”
Parking the car near our favorite diner, we climbed out. The glow of street lights illuminated our way forward but a strange feeling crept over me. Walking around these alleys and streets at night always heightened your senses. Mine was just a little more tuned after living here all my life.
I texted Jonathan to meet us at the diner.
The familiar smell of frying pancakes and bacon hit me as soon as I stepped into the restaurant. The aroma of freshly-made coffee hung heavy in the air as I followed Zoya to our favorite table. Our uniforms attracted the crowd’s gazes immediately.
“What can I get you?” asked a large, smiling woman. She was Mrs. Debbie Banks, the owner and manager of the diner. I’d known her my whole life. “Whoa! Look at you two!”
“Hi, Debs,” I said. “Our usual, please.”
“What happened to you, Paris?” she asked, looking anxiously at me. “You’ve lost so much weight. Are they even feeding you right?”
I nodded. “They are great,” I said, thinking of Clara and Ruben.
She didn’t look convinced at all. “I’m just glad you’re here. Just sit tight and I’ll see if I can’t fill in those hollow cheeks.”
“Thanks, Debs.”
Just as she left, Jonathan came down to our table and seated himself beside me. He looked the same as usual. His black-dyed hair was long and shaggy. Silver ornaments glittered at his ears, neck, and fingers. Jonathan was the main singer in a local band and a hunky dude. Girls at our old school would willingly kill us to have a spot beside him.
“Hey, Paris,” he said, leaning down to get level with me as he stared at me. “You look like hell!”
“It’s nice to see you too, Jonny,” I said with a pout and turned to face Zoya. She’d already zoned out and was staring at Jonathan with a dreamy look in her eyes.
Jonathan picked up a strand of my indigo-dyed hair. “This is the only thing that tells me you’re not an alien inside that body.”
“I am still the same,” I said. “Ask Zoya.”
“Hmm, what?” Zoya stirred at the sound of her name. “Hey, Jonathan,” she added shyly. “How’s the band and stuff going?”
“All right, I guess,” he said with a shrug. “How’s your new school?”
“Incredible,” I said with a smile.
He shook his head. “Yeah, it’s you all right,” he said with a laugh. Putting his arm around my shoulder, he drew me against him. “Even after all the disaster, you remain the nerd queen.”
I pushed him away, noticing the frown creeping up in Zoya’s face.
Jonathan and I had lived close by all our lives. I knew him before he dyed his hair and his popularity soared through the roof. He was like a brother to me, someone I could count on for anything. Being a year senior to me at school, he protected me from every bully at Kensington High and the neighborhood. We were never romantically involved but Zoya often mistook his affections for me as something more.
Debbie came to our table with another waitress behind her. “All on the house,” she said, laying down a massive tray filled with plates of pancakes, bacon rashers, scrambled eggs, and French toasts. It was like breakfast heaven.
“All this food for us?” I asked, eyeing the mounds of dishes before us.
“Eat up, kiddo,” she said. She brushed away the tears from her eyes. “It’s the only thing I can do for you.”
“This is more than enough, Debs,” I said, getting to my feet to hug the soft, plump woman. “Thank you so much.”
“Make sure you keep coming around,” she said, stepping away.
“Of course, I will,” I said. “This is my favorite place to eat.”
She beamed, bustling away.
It was a while before we were able to get through everything that Debbie brought us. Without Jonathan at our side, it would have been impossible to finish at all.
“I’m stuffed,” complained Zoya, slumping back in her seat. “I just want to lie down and sleep.”
I nodded, agreeing with her. My stomach was full to bursting with all the delicious things Debbie brought us.
“Do you guys have to go back?” asked Jonathan.
I sat up straighter. “Yeah. Zoya will be driving us back to the school.”
He checked his watch. It was close to seven now.
“Is this the first time you’re coming back here since the accident?” he asked, looking grim. His block was closest to our bakery.
I nodded, feeling the old panic back inside me.
“I wish you didn’t have to see it,” said Jonathan, closing his hand over mine. His dark brown eyes shone with unshed tears.
“Let her see,” said Zoya. “It would be painful but Paris can move on from there.”
Swallowing the discomfort rising in my chest, I nodded. It was best to get it over with. “Let’s do it,” I said, getting to my feet.
Zoya an
d Jonathan followed me as I walked down the aisle between the seats of the diner.
Stepping out of the building, I felt grateful for the warmth of my academy blazer. The night air had turned cold, freezing my breath. Walking briskly, I hurried in the direction of our bakery.
Walking around a tall apartment building, I expected to see my old home.
Only…there was nothing left of it.
Under the glow of the street lights, a blackened spot remained between the two adjacent buildings. Only a bit of the back wall remained. The rest of the place was destroyed into nothing. Even the splinters and burnt debris had been cleared away, leaving nothing behind of the ashes of my old home.
A sob rose to my throat as I remembered my mother being inside the bakery when the explosion happened. I could only imagine what happened to her body when the place went down. She was turned into ash just like the rest of the building.
My knees shook and I fell to the ground, pain slicing through my whole body as I imagined my mother’s agony from the fire and demolition. I hope it was quick, Mom, I prayed in my mind.
“Paris.” Zoya’s small voice sounded next to me as she put her arm around me. Jonathan’s heavy, muscled arms came to hold me next. For a long time, I just sat there and wept, held together by my friends.
“Look what the cat dragged in,” a disturbingly familiar voice sounded from the corner.
Brushing away the tears, I looked over Jonathan’s shoulder to see five guys watching us with malicious grins on their faces. Fuck! They were soccer jocks from Kensington High and Jonathan’s biggest enemies at school.
The three of us got to our feet, watching the five muscular boys move towards us.
“You two stay back,” muttered Jonathan, stepping forward.
“Don’t, Jonathan,” whispered Zoya, tugging at his sleeve.
He snatched it out of her hold. “Stay back.”
“His girlfriend is back,” said Greg, the captain of the soccer team. He hated me for no other reason than being friends with Jonathan. “Look what your mommy did to the neighborhood. Left a fucking mess behind.” He gestured at the remains of our bakery.
“Shut it, Greg,” hissed Jonathan. His fists were balled into tight fists.
“Or what, guitar boy?” questioned Greg, shoving Jonathan back hard.
Jonathan stumbled back but Zoya was there to steady him. Greg moved around them to reach me. Grabbing me by the arm, he pulled me in closer, staring at me with dark eyes. “What’s with these clothes, Paris? This schoolgirl outfit is sexy as fuck but…” He leaned in closer to look at the crest sown on to the breast pocket of my blazer. “Knightswood Academy?” His gaze moved up to meet mine. “Is that where you’re going now?”
“Let go,” I said coldly, trying to get out of his hold. “It’s none of your business where I go.”
“Get your hands off her,” growled Jonathan, wrenching Greg away from me.
“Fuck you!” shouted Greg, punching him in the face. Jonathan stumbled back but attacked Greg just as he turned around to grab me again.
Greg’s four friends joined in the fight and soon Jonathan was being pummeled by all five boys.
“Oh no,” moaned Zoya. “What should we do? He won’t last long like this.”
“Stay back, Zoya.” I picked up a plank of wood and hit Greg and two boys on the back. They gasped in pain and turned around to see me, but it had given Jonathan enough time to get away from them. He was already limping and his mouth was bloodied.
I looked around us. There was no one around at the moment. It was just us and the five guys.
Jonathan stood before me and Zoya, keeping his gaze on the five massive boys. Panic rose inside me, driving away my grief. Survival mode kicked in as my eyes darted around the corners, hoping someone would come by. Zoya and I would be no match for Greg and his cronies and Jonathan alone couldn’t handle all five.
There was a sudden screeching sound behind us. Turning around, I saw two cars coming to a stop near us.
“It’s Nik!” Zoya said excitedly as her stepbrother stepped out of a polished vintage car.
I looked at the person who walked behind him. It was Liam Davenport. His gaze locked onto mine before raking me from head to foot. Relief spread through his features as he came to a halt beside me. “What the hell are you doing here?” he asked, pulling me against his hard chest and staring down at me with an intense look that drove away my panic.
My heart pounded against my rib cage as heat coursed through my veins. While I hated him, I loved the way my body responded to his touch. I shook my head, trying to dispel the stupid thoughts. We were in the middle of a fight.
“You should leave,” I whispered. “These guys are dangerous.”
His gaze narrowed. “Dangerous?” He turned away to look at Greg and his four friends. A scoff escaped his lips.
“Is that the new dick you’re sucking these days, Paris?” said Greg, turning his malicious gaze on me. “You should have come to me, baby. I would have taken care of you.” Even though his voice was soft and inviting, a cold shudder ran through me. Liam noticed it immediately.
He stepped away from me and went to stand beside Nikolai. “Can you handle them, Ivanov?” asked Liam, stretching his arms over his head and cracking his knuckles.
“You don’t have to interfere, Davenport,” said Nikolai in his icy voice. “I can look after my sister and her friend.”
“Wow, you both got some dicks to suck,” said Greg, cackling like an idiot. “Oh well, at least you’ll be of some use after we’re done with these fuck boys.”
As he moved forward, both Nikolai and Liam turned back to me. “Stay back,” said Liam as I watched them both. Anxiety curled around my gut. Could two spoiled rich guys be a match against these big, testosterone-charged jocks?
Zoya grabbed my hand and tugged me further back.
Liam and Nikolai stood their grounds as Greg and his friends moved forward to hit them.
To my surprise, they both ducked the blows coming for their faces. Shifting to the side, they kicked and punched the two boys who were about to attack them.
“Woohoo!” Jonathan cheered, moving aside as another body was thrown to the grown by Nikolai.
Both Liam and Nikolai turned out to be experts in martial arts. Their movements were too fluid and too fast to be seen by untrained eyes. No wonder the five boys kept getting hit every time they got up to attack them.
Movement in the corner of my eye made me turn to my left. One of the boys had been creeping towards me and Zoya with a raised baseball bat. I hadn’t even noticed them carrying anything before. With a shout, I shoved Zoya out of the way just as he swung it. He cursed, raising it once again to hit at Zoya who’d fallen to the ground from my push.
“No,” I cried out, throwing myself on her and shielding her body with mine.
Squeezing my eyes shut, I braced myself for the bone-crunching collision of the baseball bat. A second passed. And then, three.
Opening an eye, I found Liam standing over me protectively. The baseball bat lay broken on the ground at his feet. My gaze met Liam’s. Deep anxiety settled in those blue orbs.
“Watch out!” I shouted just as the boy with the baseball came swinging a punch at Liam.
Liam ducked in time and kicked him so hard, he landed on the floor beside Zoya and me. Groaning, he stayed there.
“Come on,” said Liam, pulling me to my feet.
Nikolai and Jonathan rushed towards us. Greg and the rest of his friends had already dispersed after taking a thorough beating.
“Look after your sister,” said Liam. Grabbing my hand firmly, he pulled me alongside him. I turned around to wave at Jonathan. Liam tugged me harder, forcing me to follow him till we reached his car.
Opening the car, he pushed me inside. I stumbled but before I could hit my head on something, he pulled me back, steadying me on my feet. Heart thundering in my chest, I risked a glance at him.
His blue orbs were filled with a strange emo
tion.
Once I was seated, he moved forward to sling the seat belt around me. His warm breath fanned my neck as he secured the clutch on my side.
I wondered if I hit my head and was dreaming. Not only had Liam Davenport saved me and my friends from a dangerous situation, but he was also being amazingly protective.
“Close your mouth,” he said. His face was so close to mine, I could feel the warmth of his breath on me. “I don’t want to run to the emergency just because you were stupid enough to let a fly into your mouth.” That little joke had my mouth drop lower.
He moved away, breaking the moment between us and climbed out. Shutting the door to my side, he walked around and entered the car. Seating himself in the driver’s seat, he drove away from the spot where my home once stood.
After a few seconds, Nikolai drove past us, giving me a glimpse of Zoya in the passenger seat beside him.
Slowly, my lungs started expanding and contracting. My breathing became regular as the car sped up along the dimly lit streets of the city.
Liam was quiet as he drove but I could see the cold sweat droplets gathered on his forehead. His lips were pressed together as he grit his teeth together. The moment when he stopped the baseball bat from hitting me flashed in my head. He’d taken the blow for me and it had been hard enough to break the wooden baton.
Gratitude mixed with confusion swirled within me. Liam had been nothing but an ass to me since the day I met him. Then why would he take such a lethal blow for me? Not only that, he and Nikolai saved both me, Zoya and Jonathan. What were they doing there?
“Thank you,” I said in a small voice.
He glanced at me. There was no aversion or meanness in his handsome face. He truly looked worried for me. Those blue eyes filled with anxiety strongly reminded me of Clara.
Without a word, he turned his attention to the road. It was then my attention fell to the dashboard. We were going beyond the speed limit. With the windows closed shut, I didn’t even realize how fast we were going. The car ran like a knife over softened butter.
We reached the academy much faster than I expected.
Parking the car in the vast garage, Liam climbed out. I heard the hiss of pain that escaped him as he closed the door behind him.
