Empire High Elite

by Ivy Smoak

  Chapter 29

  Saturday

  Back home, all the dances had been held in the high school cafeteria. But Empire High had rented out the same ballroom where I’d first talked to Matt. Miller’s sedan stuck out like a sore thumb amongst all the limos when we pulled up to the front. It was like a show of wealth that I didn’t understand. If they all showed up in limos, it didn’t exactly make it special. I looked down at my Keds sticking out from underneath my mother’s dress.

  I smiled over to Kennedy when she snapped a picture of me. She was rocking a much more modern dress, but it was second-hand too. I was pretty sure we’d be the only two here not wearing new dresses, and for some reason that made me happy. Kennedy and I were showing up in style. Not the same designer’s dresses and cookie cutter limousines as everyone else.

  Kennedy took a deep breath. “You ready for this?”

  I wasn’t really sure if I was. Operation Felix was in the back of my head. The fact that my dad knew I’d been running down to the staff floor every night was making my stomach twist in knots. But most of all? I knew Matt would be through those doors. And I didn’t know what any of it meant. All I knew was that my broken heart felt like it was being tugged in three different directions.

  I glanced out the windows at the other students laughing and taking pictures. The last time I’d been here, I’d had to go around to the staff entrance on the side. But tonight? I’d get to walk through the front doors. Or… “You know we could just ditch the dance and go see a movie or something.”

  Kennedy laughed. “Oh, come on. This is going to be amazing. I’ve only ever waited tables here.” She unbuckled her seatbelt.

  “Yeah.” It was kind of amazing. We weren’t servers tonight, we were part of the elite. I unbuckled my seatbelt but didn’t move to follow her out the door. “Do you mind giving me just a second to talk to Miller?” I asked.

  “No problem. But don’t take too long, it’s getting cold.” Kennedy slipped out of the car and slammed the door behind her. She didn’t go up toward the ornate hotel doors. She waited for me right on the sidewalk, just like I would have done for her. I wasn’t sure either of us would have wanted to venture into the dance alone. Kennedy was braver than me. But neither of us were dumb. Walking into that hotel alone was just asking for trouble.

  Miller turned in his seat so he could look at me. “You look really beautiful, Brooklyn.” There was something sad in his eyes that I didn’t understand. Apparently I looked sad too, because he added, “is everything alright?”

  “No, not really.” I took a deep breath. I’d lost both my mom and my uncle in the span of several weeks. I was a mess. And I’d been pulling so many people into my mess with me. Just because I needed comfort, it didn’t mean I was allowed to just take love wherever it came from. I needed to make up my mind. But it was so hard when Miller was staring at me like that. It was him. He was the right choice. He was always there for me. He’d always stand up for me. He’d be my rock. Why was life so cruel?

  “What’s wrong?” He reached out and took my hand.

  I squeezed it tight, because I didn’t want to let go. I hated myself for being so indecisive. But this decision was out of my hands. “Mr. Pruitt knows I’m seeing a member of the staff.”

  He shook his head. “That’s not possible.”

  “Trust me, he does. He just told me. He’s been watching me, I think. He knows I sneak out of my room each night and come back around 6 in the morning.”

  Miller shook his head. “I’m the only one who has access to those cameras.”

  “I don’t know what to tell you. He must have access to them too. He said he didn’t know who I was visiting downstairs though. He doesn’t know it was you. And I don’t think he suspects you.”

  Miller exhaled slowly.

  “But he said I had to stop. Or he’d take the time to figure out who it was.”

  “So we’ll need to be more careful.”

  “Do you have any idea how scared I was that you’d lose your job today for sneaking Kennedy into the apartment? I can’t ask you to do me any more favors. I have nothing to give you in return.”

  “I’m not asking for anything in return. I just like spending time with you.”

  I pulled my hand out of his grip. “We have to stop.”

  He lowered his eyebrows. “Is this about Matt? Or what’s his name…Mason?”

  “No. And absolutely not.” I didn’t even know if I was going to forgive Matt. But regardless, I needed to do this. I owed Miller so much. I clasped my hands together so I wouldn’t reach out for him again. “I appreciate you being there for me. I don’t know how I would have survived the past week without you. But I won’t keep putting your job in jeopardy.” I could feel my tears threatening to spill. This hurt. I wanted to choose him. My heart was screaming at me to.

  “I don’t care about my job.”

  “Of course you care. You said you needed the money for college.”

  “You think I would seriously leave you alone in that house with them and go off to college? I already mentally pushed it back two years.”

  My heart skipped a beat. “Miller, you can’t do that.”

  “And you can’t tell me what to do, kid.”

  Kid. He used that nickname when he was annoyed with me. And every time I heard it was like a punch in the gut, reminding me of my uncle calling me kiddo. What was I doing? Why was I trying to push him away when he made me happy? Why did I have to choose right this second? Why couldn’t I just catch a break? “I really like you.” It was the opposite of what I was supposed to be saying. But it was the first thing I said to him tonight that felt right.

  “I really like you too.”

  I pressed my lips together. “I’m still confused.”

  “I’ve got time.” He smiled out of the corner of his mouth. “And I never asked you to make a decision tonight.”

  “I know, I just…” I ran my hands down my dress. Felix’s harsh words were in the back of my head. “I don’t want to lead you on.”

  “You haven’t. I knew full well what I was getting myself into when I let you climb into my bed.”

  I laughed. “You make it sound so much more salacious than it is.” Just saying the words out loud reminded me that there was more to the reason why we couldn’t be together. “But it’s not just Mr. Pruitt knowing,” I said. “I signed a contract that said I was with Matt. A relationship agreement or something like that. And I didn’t read through it. I don’t even know what will happen if I break it.”

  “Why would you sign something you didn’t read?”

  I shook my head. “I don’t know, Matt signed it without looking at it and I just…”

  “You read all the house rules and signed that contract. That was like a freaking book. It took you days but you took the time to go over all those details. You could have taken a few minutes to read the relationship one too.”

  I didn’t have the heart to tell him I never finished reading the first contract Mr. Pruitt gave me either. Not when he was looking at me like I was crazy. “I’m sure whatever it is isn’t that bad.”

  He sighed. “I’ll try to get a copy without raising suspicion. Next time don’t sign something without reading it. You know how detailed those contracts are. You’re practically signing over your life. For all we know you’re freaking betrothed to the guy.”

  I swallowed hard. What did he mean by that? Signing over my life? It didn’t matter if he was disappointed in me for not reading the contracts. I needed to know what was in them. “Miller, I…”

  A car honked behind us.

  “You should get in there,” Miller said. “You’re already late.”

  I glanced out the window at Kennedy. She was standing there shivering. Crap. I hadn’t meant to make her wait in the cold. “Okay.” I’d confess that I hadn’t read the first contract after the dance. There wasn’t a rush. Besides, I was pretty much stuck in this world. So what if I’d signed a few papers agreeing to that fact? A
s soon as I graduated, I’d still be able to move out. “I’ll see you after?” I asked as I grabbed the door handle.

  “I’m not going anywhere. I have to watch you 24/7, remember? I’m going to go park and then I’ll be right in.”

  I nodded. Right, 24/7. Because Mr. Pruitt did dangerous work. I stared at Miller for another beat. That meant Miller was dangerous too. I knew that and yet…he didn’t seem dangerous to me. Not even a little. But neither did Mr. Pruitt. And I knew for a fact that Mr. Pruitt was dangerous. He’d even told me as much. And I’d freaking signed his contract without reading it. I’m a complete fool. My heart wasn’t just confused anymore. My head was too. What kind of man said he was dangerous and then put his hand to my forehead to check my temperature? It didn’t make any sense.

  “Don’t make me too jealous tonight,” Miller said with a wink, trying his best to lighten the mood.

  He didn’t have to worry about being jealous. I’d probably only dance with one boy tonight. Matt had one dance to tell me his side of the story. That was it. Everyone else would just treat me like the social pariah I was. It would be Kennedy by my side, no one else. I’d gotten a small taste of what it felt like to fit in. But it would only ever be a taste. I was back to being invisible. Which was actually fortunate because I was an awful dancer.

  “Trust me,” I said. “You have nothing to worry about. Kennedy is my dance partner tonight.” I climbed out of the car to join her.

  She grabbed my arm before I had a chance to wave goodbye to Miller. “It’s freaking freezing!” She pulled me toward the entrance. “What were you guys talking about?”

  “I’m sorry. My head and my heart are really confused and I just needed to talk to him.”

  “Because of Matt or Mr. Pruitt?”

  “What?”

  “Your dad isn’t exactly the evil monster you described. He’s kind of sweet. Or are you talking about the fact that you still have feelings for Matt?”

  God. “All of it.”

  “You know what you need?” She looked so excited and for some reason it made me wary.

  “No…what?”

  “Your favorite.” Her voice was weirdly high-pitched.

  I just stared at her confused.

  “Punch!”

  I groaned. “I will never ever drink punch again in my life.” Numbing the pain wasn’t worth it. It was one of the few lessons I’d learned with my uncle by my side. I’d made a promise to him that I wouldn’t get drunk again. My promise was one of the only things I had left of him. “Never,” I added when she was still smiling. “I mean it, Kennedy. Being hungover was not something I ever want to experience again. Punch is the freaking worst.”

  “I’m pretty sure you said the exact opposite the last time you had it. If I recall correctly you said you loved it. Like really loudly. You screamed it at the top of your lungs.”

  “Yeah…because I was drunk.”

  “Well, we’re at a school dance this time. I’m sure this punch isn’t even spiked.” She winked at me and I didn’t believe her at all.

  Chapter 30

  Saturday

  “Wow,” I said when we entered the ballroom. It looked completely different than the last time I’d served here. There weren’t any tables, just a huge dance floor. There weren’t even any adults in sight. Well, maybe a few. I spotted Mr. Hill yelling at some kids about dancing too close, but I quickly looked away. The last thing I needed was for him to yell at me instead.

  I looked around the ballroom. There were gold balloons everywhere. I wouldn’t have even been surprised if they were somehow made from actual gold. “Do you think we could pop one?” I asked.

  Kennedy didn’t respond. She was just staring at the dance floor where tons of students had stopped dancing.

  It was like someone had lit up a big neon sign saying to quiet down. Heads turned toward me. Everything was hushed. I swore the music volume even lowered. And then the whispering started.

  “What is happening?” I said to Kennedy out of the corner of my mouth.

  “They’re probably staring at you because of that song Matt sung on the float. Just ignore them. Who cares what they think?”

  I wish I didn’t.

  “Come on. Let’s get some drinks.” She grabbed my hand and pulled me through the crowd like the whispers didn’t bother her at all.

  I wanted to be like Kennedy when I grew up. She was so good at brushing things off. I tried to stand up a little straighter.

  I swore I heard someone whisper the word slut. And I had a feeling that some of the whispers weren’t about me. Kennedy gripped my hand a little tighter. She’d heard the word thrown at her too. But the smile remained on her face.

  For some reason I found it easier to be strong for her even though it was hard to be strong for myself. I squeezed her hand back. “You’re right,” I said. “Who cares what they think?”

  We stopped in front of the bar that was usually decked out with alcoholic beverages for adult events. Tonight it was filled with juices and sodas galore.

  James was standing there, drumming his fingers along the wooden bar top. His crown was lopsided on his head, but otherwise he looked more sober than I’d seen him all week. Maybe being the king to Isabella’s queen had finally sobered him up.

  But when the bartender wasn’t looking, James unscrewed the cap off a flask. He looked over his shoulder to make sure no one was looking and proceeded to dump the whole flask into the punch bowl. He shoved the flask back in his pocket just before the bartender turned around.

  “Can I get you ladies anything?” the bartender asked, completely oblivious to what James had just done.

  “I’ll have some punch,” Kennedy said and stepped forward.

  I opened my mouth but then closed it. Kennedy could drink one glass and I could still keep my promise to Uncle Jim. Honestly, if people were whispering about me being a slut, I’d want a drink too. I’d keep an eye on her.

  “What about you?” James asked me. “Don’t you want some too?” He tried to straighten his crown but it just made it more lopsided.

  “Um…no thanks.”

  For some reason that made him smile. Smiles from James were few and far between. Especially real ones.

  I wasn’t sure why he was even talking to me, let alone smiling at me. Aside from Matt’s performance today and his texts, all the Untouchables had been avoiding me like the plague ever since the truth had come out. Well, except for Mason tonight. He’d been weirdly kind. And he’d hinted that the Caldwells and Hunters weren’t really speaking anymore. Which broke my heart.

  “So no drink,” he said as Kennedy joined me by my side. “How about a dance then?”

  I forced myself not to look over my shoulder, even though I couldn’t believe James was asking me for a dance. Wait…why was he asking me? “Actually, Kennedy and I…”

  “Kennedy is just going to drink this real quick and join you two on the dance floor in a bit,” Kennedy said. She raised her eyebrows and stared at me like I was insane.

  Which was weird because she was the one that was acting insane. James and I weren’t friends. He was nice sometimes. Other times he was just plain cruel. And I didn’t feel like playing whatever game he was currently making up in his head. “Um…”

  “Come on, Brooklyn,” he said and put his arm out for me. “I promise I won’t bite.”

  I glanced at Kennedy who was shooing me away. This felt like some kind of weird trap. But I wasn’t exactly sure how to get out of it without looking like an ass. And after what Matt had done to James? The least I could do was cheer him up with a dance. I looped my arm through his and the smile came back to his face.

  A slow song cut in as soon as we walked onto the dance floor. He pulled me in a little closer. Too close. I could smell his cologne and the mint on his breath. Why was he so close?

  “Is Rachel here?” I asked.

  James’ hands settled on my waist. “What do you think?”

  “Well…if you’re anything
like me…you haven’t spoken to her all week.”

  He laughed. “Yeah, that sounds about right.”

  I looked up at him. There was nothing I could say. If Matt was telling the truth, Rachel had come on to him. Not the other way around. And I didn’t want to ask James about what he thought actually happened. It would just make everything worse. “So you aren’t speaking to her. Or Matt?”

  “Or Mason.”

  I nodded. “Or Mason. Aren’t they your best friends?”

  “Best friends don’t fuck their said best friends’ girlfriends.”

  Fair enough. “Congrats on being homecoming king.” It was a terrible segue, and we both knew it.

  He laughed again.

  It was so strange hearing him laugh. I liked the sound. I wished he’d do it more.

  “It was rigged,” he said. “The homecoming king. I’m sure Mason won. Everyone actually likes him. Well, except for all those girls he screwed and dumped.”

  “I think they make up enough of the student body that he wouldn’t have won.” But now that I thought about it, Mason was the one always high-fiving people in the hallway. He was usually smiling. He wasn’t nearly as silent and brooding as James.

  James shrugged. His expensive tux felt like silk against my forearm. “It was still rigged, trust me. Isabella found out she was going to win queen, by threatening someone I’m sure. And then she manipulated it for me to be king.”

  “I’m sure she didn’t.” Although, I wasn’t so sure. That sounded a lot like something Isabella would do. Threats and manipulation were her first language.

  “No, she told me as much.”

  Oh. “I’m sorry.”

  “Why? I’m the freaking king.” He didn’t look so happy anymore.

  “Well, it looks good on you.” I reached up and straightened his crown for him.

  “It looks better on you. The tiara I mean.”

  I wasn’t so sure about that. But I could feel my cheeks blushing. And I realized my hand was still on his crown. I moved it back to his shoulder.

  His eyes traveled to my flushing cheeks and he smiled.

  For some reason it just made me blush more.