by J Bree
I need a drink.
Maybe going to this party won’t be the worst idea I’ve ever had.
Lauren is nice enough to take the lead in the warm up and I can fake my way through. Dahlia is to busy watching Blaise to contribute much but I don’t blame her. The second I hear his voice my skin prickles with goose bumps and I mentally weep over my misfortune at going to school with him.
“Ash is going to murder Rory. Well, if Rory is lucky it’ll be Ash. Otherwise Harley will do it and Rory will actually die.” Lauren whispers to Dahlia and they giggle together.
“Who the hell is Rory?” I ask. Ms. Umber is busy teaching one of Avery’s flunkies proper breathing techniques so I’m not worried about my class marks.
“He’s Avery’s new boyfriend. He’s in our grade but he’s, well, not as bright as you so you wouldn’t have any classes with him. He plays football.”
A jock. Of course she would date a football player. I glance over at Avery and find Blaise frowning at her and talking in quiet tones. I can clearly read the disapproval in the tense lines of his shoulders.
“Why will they kill her boyfriend? That’s pretty misogynistic, they all date too.” Dahlia and Lauren share a look and then lean in towards me.
“First of all, the guys don’t date, they sleep around. And Avery is the centre of her brother’s life. He does not cope with any sort of sharing unless it’s Harley and Blaise. Last year she kissed one of the upperclassmen at the end of year party and Ash broke the poor fool’s jaw. Broke it.”
He did not seem like the type to rule over his sister. It was jarring to think of him like that. My face must give my thoughts away because Lauren gives me a half smile. “Cillian is a dickhead. He told his friends he would bag her and her fortune and it got back to Ash. He was already pissed about the kiss and when he heard that he took Cillian out. When Cillian came back to school this year Harley had a… chat to him and then Cillian changed schools.”
Fucking rich people.
I shake my head at them in disbelief. Imagine the arrogance to be able to affect another kids whole life just because they hurt your sisters feelings. The things that had happened to me without any sort of justice were staggering. My mom’s neglect. Her death, beatings in foster care, seeing the Game as the only way out. I look over at the perfect princess Avery and I’ve never hated the girl more.
“Don’t look at her like that unless you want to die, Lips!” Lauren whispers urgently. I school my features into something more placid and we start taking notes from Ms. Umber again.
When the class finally wraps up and I’m packing up I hear a gasp behind me right as another body slams into my own.
My bag spills out onto the floor. I glance behind me to see who the hell knocked me and find Harlow, the girl who stood up Ash.
“Get out of the way, Mounty trash! Bottom feeding scum like you should bow at the feet of the elite students who actually matter.”
It takes every ounce of willpower but I don’t react to her at all. After a full minute of me just staring at her, like she’s the piece of shit she is, Harlow makes a noise low in her throat and flounces off. The room empties out while I pick up my books and move on to my next class.
Nothing seems amiss right up until I get back to my room to change out for dinner.
My stomach hollows out when I see my keys sitting in the lock on my door. I know I didn’t leave them there. Someone has once again had access to my room.
It takes until the early hours of the morning before I’m confident nothing has been taken or left in my room.
I hate this fucking school.
Chapter Eight
Picking an outfit for a party I don’t want to go to with rich kids I hate to be around is its own special form of torture. I’m not going to wear a dress on a cold night in the woods, though I’m sure I’ll be the only girl who doesn’t, and my selection of jeans is tiny. Finally I go with a dark distressed denim and I pair them with a lacy top, Doc Martens, and I throw my hair into a high ponytail. A do a smokey eye and nude lip colour because despite my Mounty status at the school I can make myself look great if I need to. I give myself a once over in my mirror and try not to let the dread creep in. Going to Joey’s party is a dangerous idea. I have no real friends or even allies. I don’t have Matteo there to keep an eye on me, which is a first. I’ve never gone out drinking without him. He’d bought me my first ever bottle of vodka when I’d moved into the group home and then he’d held my hair while I’d puked my guts up for hours after finishing it. One thing was certain, I would not be getting drunk tonight. As a final precaution I slip my Matriarch serrated knife into my pocket. It’s easily the most expensive thing I own and it’s gotten me out of trouble more than once.
Joey arrives at my door a little after our 10pm curfew and he’s dressed in a crisp white shirt and pressed black slacks. I try not to flinch away from his eyes as he slowly inspects every inch of my body like I belong to him.
“Wow. I thought after seeing your nudes I’d seen everything you had on offer but you clean up good, Mounty.”
“Gee, thanks.” I make sure my tone is as dry as fuck and he laughs.
“Come on now, I didn’t mean anything by it! I’m just giving you a compliment, jeez. Let’s head down, the underclassmen should have it all set up by now.”
He holds out his arm and I reluctantly slip my own into it. He smells like something expensive and sinful but it does nothing for me. I can’t be in his presence without seeing him slapping that kids tray and covering him in scalding soup.
We walk out of the girls dorms and even though I know he practically owns the school it still shocks me that the teachers we bump into just turn on their heels and walk away without a word. It should be an instant expulsion for him setting foot up here but he’s untouchable.
There’s a crowd already forming, flowing down and out of the building, a mass exodus into the woodlands and towards the free booze. I’m sure I’m the only one who really cares about the free part. It’s colder than I though it would be and I curse at myself for not throwing on a jacket. I don’t recognize any of the faces around me because there aren’t a whole lot of freshmen here. I do see quite a few of the junior boys that have approached me for sex and my face sets like concrete into an icy look.
“Don’t worry about them, Mounty, let’s get you a drink to loosen you up a bit. You can’t dance if you’re that pissed off.” Joey’s tone is thick and smooth, I’m sure it did wonders on that bitch Harlow. He tugs me over to the small clearing and begins to pour drinks from a loaded table. He does a pathetic job at it. Truly terrible, I could have wiped the floor with him at any bar in the state. I glance around and see a sound system pumping out shitty pop music that makes me grit my teeth but there’s already drunk girls dancing in tiny skirts. I was right about the dress code. Joey hands me a cocktail that’s some godforsaken mash up of a daiquiri and a mojito and I down the whole thing in two gulps.
“Atta’ girl! Another?”
“Fuck no. You may be rich but you’re shit at this.” I push him out of the way as he roars with laughter. I swipe a bottle of tequila and drink it straight. I hear the tinkling of laughter that says Joey’s friends have arrived and they’re enjoying watching the poor girl drink. He steps away to greet them and I feel the sinking sensation of unease pooling in my stomach but I drown it with another swig straight from the bottle. I need to have enough of a buzz to survive this but I’ll have to ride the line carefully. I can’t lose my head or I might lose something else.
Joey walks back over to me and says, “Dance with me.” It’s not a request, he holds out his hand expectantly.
I’d rather choke but I take it anyway and let him lead me to where the other students are grinding on each other in time with the beat. I take the tequila with me and Joey grabs the bottle to have a swig of his own. I don’t want to drink from the same bottle as him but when he lifts the rim to my lips I have no choice but to take it. His arms drop to my waist and he p
ulls me in tight against him. I hate every single thing about this but I go along with it.
I can feel the haze of alcohol start to dig in and my limbs grow warm and loose. Joey twirls me in his arms and as I turn I see the girls around us staring, glaring at me. They all want to be where I am. They all want Joseph Beaumont.
Rich kids have nothing on the parties at Mounts Bay.
There’s music and dancing, I’ve seen two blowjobs and one girl bent over a fallen tree with a guy pumping away behind her, but overall it’s pretty tame. I’m enjoying my buzz and I’m surprised to find I’m enjoying the eyes that follow me around the party. Being here with Joey means no other guys approach me but that doesn’t mean they don’t watch me dance. I’ve always loved jumping around and swaying and gyrating to music and it’s even better with tequila coursing through my veins.
When the bottle has been passed between us and is finally empty Joey pulls away and whispers in my ear, “I need something a bit stronger.”
I hate the feeling of his breath on my neck but I smile and nod like a good guest. He leaves, bumping shoulders with his friends and they take off into the denser section of the woods. I twirl and spin until the song finishes and then I stumble over to a lawn chair set up near the drinks table.
I can’t see where Joey has disappeared to and I’m starting to get suspicious that his ‘something stronger’ is drugs. I need to find a discreet way of leaving this party before he gets back because there is no way in hell I’m going to be around drugs. My mother was a hard lesson to learn but, boy, did I learn it.
I’m pooling the energy to get up and leave when Harlow and three other girls sit down around me. They’re all in tiny dresses, high shoes, and shivering like crazy. I groan and level her with a look. “Well, you’re clearly better at this than we originally gave you credit! Bagging Joey as your first Hannaford fuck.”
Harlow is a tall girl, she has a good foot on me, and I know she enjoys playing basketball but I’m sure that even with half a bottle of spirits under my belt I could beat her in a fight.
“I’m not fucking him.”
The tinkling sounds of their giggles makes me clench my jaw. It’s so fake and grates on me something wicked. “We all know he brought you here. He wouldn’t do that unless he wanted something in return.”
“He can want all he likes, that doesn’t mean I’m going to sleep with him.”
One of the girls, platinum blond and fire engine red lips, leans in towards me and I can smell the whiskey on her breath. “His family is richer than god. Why wouldn’t you fuck him? Maybe your Mounty cunt will bewitch him and you’ll never have to worry about who’s paying for your clothes and shoes again.”
Clothes and shoes. Yep, that’s my biggest concern. I roll my eyes at her and stand up. Harlow’s hand shoots out and she grabs my wrist hard. I freeze and look down my nose at her.
“Don’t fall for him, Mounty. Don’t you even try and get your claws into him.” Her voice is dark as she stakes her claim on him. I shake her off and then walk off in the direction of the school to the sounds of their tittering. I don’t see Joey but that suits me just fine. I’d be able to tell him I got cold and bailed tomorrow.
I can hear the sounds of students having sex as I stumble out of the clearing. It’s such a cliche, these kids could sneak into each others rooms but instead they’re out here freezing their asses off to get laid instead. I try not to look at any of them closely, I have no interest in anyone's sex life, but as I get to the edge of the woods I look up… and make eye contact with Harley.
He's leaning against a tree.
There's a girl kneeling at his feet, her head bobbing as she sucks his dick.
I freeze. I can't look away and Harley doesn't break the eye contact either. He doesn't look shocked to see me or embarrassed. He looks blissed out and smug as the girl goes to town on him. I can't see who it is and I'm glad. My skin feels all hot and prickly. I'm jealous.
I guess I really am broken.
Harley quirks an eyebrow at me but he doesn't call out to me or wave me off, he just stares at me. I can feel my face heating up and beads of sweat forming on my forehead despite the brisk breeze. Why can't I leave? I shouldn't be standing here watching this! But my traitorous body won't move. I begin to pant as a loud moan rips out of Harley's chest and then he shudders as he starts to come. His hand digs into the girls hair and he pulls her head back. I can see the thick white streams of his come as it coats her face. He finally shuts his eyes and I can move away.
I bolt for the school.
I get as far as the light horseman statue at the front of the school before I hear Joey call out to me. I curse under my breath as I turn around and I'm still shaking from watching Harley…finish. Jesus fucking wept.
“Hey! The party has barely started! Don’t bail on me now, Mounty!” Joey’s voice is strange, hyper and excited like I’ve never heard it before. His sleeves are pushed up around his elbows so I can check for track marks and I’m relieved to see none. It doesn’t mean he’s not smoking something but at least he wasn’t injecting heroin. I feel relieved for a second before I remember that my mom used to inject between her toes so her boss wouldn’t find out and then I’m looking at his shoes to see if they look messed with. I don’t care about him at all, I just hate drug so much that I need to know if he’s using. If he is, I’m going to stop playing this little game of ours and freeze him out completely.
He catches up to me and throws his arm around my waist, pulling me into his body and I smell it.
Cocaine.
The good shit too, all sweet and floral and none of the chemical scent that comes with poor product. I’m sure anyone else smelling him would brush it off but my mom spent a summer dating a cocaine dealer and he would pack his little ziplock baggies in our lounge in the morning before I would head off to school. The second I smell it on Joey I’m back in that tiny goddamned lounge room getting yelled at by my mom. I freeze and Joey pulls me into his body tightly. “Come back to my room, we can party there instead.” he murmurs.
I’m going to scrub my neck when I get back to my room because he just keeps breathing on me. I can feel the tremble in his arms and I know he's high. I'd never been hugged by my mom without feeling that vibration under her skin. I should leave him, walk off and enjoy my buzz in my room by myself, but stupidly, I feel like I should see him to the safety of his room. I know he would never do the same for me but that didn't mean I had to stoop to his level right? One last kind deed for this dickhead and then I’ll never speak to him again.
“Lead the way.”
I feel him chuckle as the wind drowns out any sound of it. He begins to babble incessantly but I ignore him.
My mom’s addiction made some sort of sense. She had been a foster kid after my grandparents died in a house fire. She herself had only made it out of the blaze in the nick of time and half her body was covered in thick scars. She had never been smart or motivated like I am and she dropped out of school at fourteen. She had worked as a waitress, a dock worker, in the factories, anything she could do to eat and keep some sort of roof over her head. Then she got knocked up and found drugs. I’d never known her sober. The woman I knew was a shaking, cackling, retching, screaming banshee that would beat you if the demons in her head told her too.
Joey’s addiction stemmed from boredom and that made me so angry. All the privilege in the world and he decides to snort cocaine instead of making something of himself. I wonder if the twins know what their brother is getting himself into? Is this why they’re so afraid of him? Cocaine usually made people ecstatic and happy, not the deep and cruel violence of other narcotics but that didn’t mean he was a good person to be around.
We arrive at the boys dorms and climb to the juniors floor. I wonder if Ash is downstairs or if he, too, was in the woods getting off with some girl. I shake my head at myself. Pathetic. It doesn’t matter what any of those boys are doing. I don’t let myself think about Blaise. Seeing Harley was bad enough.<
br />
We stop outside the end room and Joey shoves the door open. No lock. I’m guessing the other guys know exactly what will happen to them if they dare to enter this room. I push Joey’s arm off of my waist and his hand latches over my wrist.
“Come in, little Mounty girl.”
I pull against his grip but his fingers tighten like a vice. He’s easily twice the size of me.
He shuts the door behind us, closing me into his room.
Chapter Nine
Joseph Beaumont’s room is easily the size of the house I used to share with my mom.
It has a kitchen, a sitting area, a giant Cal King bed, and he has a private bathroom, which is the only thing I’m truly jealous of. Joey drags me towards the bed and I go with him begrudgingly. I’m waiting for him to let my wrist go and then I’ll make a run for the door. I size Joey up and I know, without a doubt in my mind, that he would have no problem sexually assaulting me. His drug use makes him a bit of a wild card, I don’t know how hard he would fight me if I tried to shake him off. I could scream but I don’t think that would work all that well. The walls in the dorms are pretty thick, the other boys are probably at the party, and even if someone heard me, it’s likely they wouldn’t want to take on the psychotic Beaumont sibling for a poor scholarship student.
I’m on my own.
Joey sits and pulls me down next to him. His eyes are still dancing wildly around the room, bouncing off of everything they touch. “Have you ever been fucked on a mattress that costs more than a Bentley?” I jerk away from him when his lips touch my ear. What a dumb question. I’d never tell him I am a virgin. I won’t hazard a guess about he’d do if he found out. I decide to just be honest with him and if he attacks me I’ll have to take my chances with my knife.
