“The commotion I caused?” I place a hand over my chest, not faking my indignation.
“We have a serious problem. There’s a new scholarship student starting today.”
I roll my eyes. “Oh, please. Another one of those charity-case Fringes? How is that a problem?”
In fact, a new low-level Fringe would mean weeks of easy entertainment. After a while, picking on those poor bastards gets old.
“Not a Fringe. A Norm.” My mother’s lips twist into an ugly sneer. She hates Norms as much as I do.
Now she has my undivided attention. “No fucking way. Norms aren’t allowed here.”
“Actually, there isn’t such a rule in the school’s guidelines. Naturally, scholarship cases are decided by the school council. This time, I was outvoted.”
“I thought the decision had to be unanimous.”
Mom leans back in her chair and shakes her head. “It was. I was forced to vote in favor.”
I jump from my chair, feeling the anger mix with my powers. I want to break something into pieces. “How can they force you to do anything?”
“Rufio, sit back down. Don’t go losing your head. When you grow up, you’ll understand that sometimes you have to do things you don’t want to. It’s called being an adult and living in the real world.”
With a hard clench of my jaw, I return to my chair. “I don’t think I’ll ever be able to do that.”
“You will. But just because circumstances force our hands, it doesn’t mean we have to meekly accept them. There are some politicians in Hawk City who have bought into the Knights’ agenda. Equality for all, protect the weak. It’s pathetic, and I’ll be damned if I’ll let that bullshit propaganda take root in Saturn’s Bay.”
“What do you want me to do?”
Mom smiles in a chilling manner. “I had to vote in favor of this Norm girl, but no one on the council can force her to stay here against her will.”
Understanding dawns on me, and my lips curl into a grin. “So you’re assigning me as the leader of her welcome committee?”
Mom nods. “Precisely.”
I lean forward, letting my grin develop into a teeth-filled smile. “Don’t worry, Mom. I’ll make sure her stay at Gifted Academy is as pleasant as walking through hellfire.”
DAISY
It’s hard to keep my jaw from dropping as I gawk at the halls of Gifted Academy. I’ve never seen such ostentatious luxury from this close. Walls covered in dark paneled wood and oil paintings framed in gilded casings surround me. My cheap rubber-soled sneakers squeak as I walk on the marble-covered floors, a loud reminder that I don’t belong here.
Cut the crap, Daisy. You’re a student at Gifted Academy now. You do belong here.
One of the security guards at the gate was chosen to escort me. Maybe he got the short straw or something, because he sure doesn’t look happy doing it. He didn’t say a word, but he eyeballed me plenty. And glared, and sneered. Oh yeah, he’s a Fringe, but he loathes Norms just as fiercely as Idols do. I guess I have to say as most Idols do now. Principal Fallon doesn’t, unless she’s an amazing actress.
The security guard departs as wordlessly as he remained the entire way here once we arrive at the principal’s office. A silver-haired woman sitting behind an orderly desk lifts her gaze from her work to stare at me. She narrows her eyes as if she can’t see me well despite the glasses perched on her nose. Finally, as if a lightbulb lit up over head, her eyes widen and she stands up.
“Oh, you must be the new student. Principal Fallon has asked me to help you get sorted until she returns.”
“Oh, she’s not in yet?” I ask, my anxiety growing by leaps and bounds.
“Well, she is, but she had to step out for a moment. Some minor facility issue that required her presence.”
I nibble on my lower lip, wishing the principal was here.
The older woman walks around her desk and extends her hand to me. “I’m Bethany Walkers, Principal Fallon’s assistant. Welcome to Gifted Academy, Miss Woods.”
“Thank you. Please, call me Daisy.”
Bethany eyes me up and down and then makes a tsking sound. “You’re a little bigger in the chest area than I thought. You might need a medium-sized shirt. Here, try this on and let’s hope it fits.” She hands me a neatly folded school uniform. “You can change inside Principal Fallon’s office.”
“Oh, okay. Thanks.”
The principal’s office is less grandiose than I expected, especially when compared to the main building, which resembles a fairy-tale castle. The furniture is all dark wood, accented by earthly hues. The walls aren’t wood paneled, but there are a few art pieces hanging from them. One in particular catches my attention. It’s of an imposing-looking man wearing a suit with the school’s emblem embroidered on the jacket’s chest pocket. I move closer and read the name written on the golden plaque just below the painting.
Principal Benjamin Fallon.
I wonder if the Idol in the picture is Jodie Fallon’s father. I don’t see a resemblance, but that means nothing.
Enough lollygagging, Daisy. You’d better change before the office’s owner returns.
I take my jeans off first and put on the skirt. It’s a little loose at the waist, but nothing a safety pin can’t fix. Unfortunately, I never learned how to sew. Being on the run and all didn’t leave me much time to learn things beyond survival.
My old shirt goes next. When I lift the new one, I can immediately tell it will be too small around my girls. I should try it on anyway. The fabric is cool and smooth, a total improvement from the shirt I got at the garage sale.
Suddenly, the door to the office opens. I shriek, jumping back and covering my front with the shirt. When I see who’s standing at the door, looking smug and more gorgeous than I remember, my throat closes completely and I can’t get air into my lungs.
It’s the blond Idol who came into Poppy’s Joint on Saturday. The one they called Phoenix. Fuck. I should’ve known those preppy boys were students here.
Right now, he’s looking at me like he just won the jackpot.
10
Phoenix
“Tell me again why you want to break into Principal Fallon’s office?” Morpheus tries to suppress a yawn. “You could easily hack into the system and get the intel on the new student.”
“Because it’s more fun this way.” I chuckle.
“When did you hear about the new student anyway?”
“One of the security guards at the gate texted me. Principal Fallon sent her own driver to collect the girl. She must be one of those money-deficient Fringes if she doesn’t have her own car.”
“Great. Another one of those. Man, this place used to have some standards. Now they let any riffraff in.”
“The girl must be a genius.”
“Or well connected,” Morpheus mumbles.
“You mean she must be sucking some powerful Idol’s dick?” I laugh.
“Crude much? Jeez.”
I hear the sound of Principal Fallon’s voice down the corridor. Our diversion worked. We paid a visit to the gym first, and I made sure all the toilets in the boys’ restroom started to spill water nonstop. It’s a simple trick that any telekinetic can do from a distance. I, being a fucking level fifteen Idol, can keep it going on the back burner without needing to concentrate at all.
We’re about to round the corner leading to the principal’s office. I flatten my back against the wall and wait until the sound of Fallon’s heels clicking on the marble floor fade away. Sticking my head out slowly, I check to make sure the coast is truly clear. No one in sight. Perfect.
Right outside her office, I turn to Morpheus. “You know what to do, right?”
“Yeah, yeah. Keep the old gal distracted. Easy peasy.” Morpheus runs a hand over his curly hair and then plasters a fake smile on his face.
I push the door open and put on my most brilliant grin for Miss Walkers’s benefit. “Good morning, lovely. How are you doing today?”
&nb
sp; “Mr. Westbrook, what are you doing here? Isn’t it a bit early for you?” She narrows her eyes. I don’t blame her for being suspicious. Morpheus and I don’t have the best track record when it comes to behavior.
Miss Walkers might look like a harmless old lady, but she’s a level ten Idol, which makes it that much harder to get her to bend to our will. Luckily, the lady has a soft spot for Morpheus.
“We came to see Principal Fallon,” I reply.
“She’s not in at the moment. But you know you can’t simply drop by. If you need to speak to her, you must make an appointment.”
“I told you, Phoenix.” Morpheus glances at me with a knowing stare. He then switches his attention to Miss Walkers and puts on the charm. “You have no idea how hard it is to be his friend, Miss Walkers.”
The scowl vanishes from the assistant’s face and her eyes soften. “Well, at least you’re trying to keep him out of trouble.”
Morpheus approaches her desk and sits at the edge. “Your hair looks different today, Miss Walkers. What did you do?”
A blush spreads across the woman’s cheeks. She runs a hand over her silver hair and then peers at Morpheus. “Well, nothing, really.”
Come on, dude. Distract the old lady already.
I can’t communicate telepathically, which is a shame. But Morpheus gets the message just the same. With a groan, he presses the heel of his hand against his forehead and twists his face into a grimace.
Miss Walkers jumps out of her chair in an instant. “Morpheus, dear. Is everything all right?”
“No, I think I’m going to pass out,” he croaks, then drops to the floor, out cold.
The woman lets out a shriek and walks around her desk. I take that opportunity to slip inside the principal’s office, and lo and behold, I stumble upon the most unexpected sight.
The waitress from Poppy’s Joint is standing half naked in the middle of the room. She yelps and tries to cover herself with her shirt.
“Hello there.” I give her a toothy grin before I close the door.
“What are you doing here?” she asks, wide eyed.
“I could ask you the same thing.” I take a step forward.
“I go here now.”
“Really?” I raise an eyebrow. “So you are the new student?”
She lifts her chin higher. Man, this girl truly has no fear. I like it. It’ll be that much sweeter when we break her.
“Yes.”
“So, you’ve decided to bring Unearthly Desires to our school.” I keep moving closer, stalking really, but the girl holds her ground. “Good. Thanks to that timely blackout, I didn’t get to see what I paid for.”
“And you won’t. Now get the hell out before I scream.”
My amusement grows. “Oh, I’d love to hear you scream.” With a flick of my hand, the shirt she’s clutching to for dear life flies out of her hands, revealing a simple cotton bra and the creamiest, must luscious pair of swells I’ve seen. Fuck, I’m already dying to touch them.
“You jerk!” She tries her best to cover her breasts with her arms. “Return my shirt.”
“Why are you so modest all of a sudden? You were going to take it all off for us before.” I shrug.
Fury sparkles in her narrowed eyes. “Fine. Do you want to see them?” She drops her arms and then reaches behind her back.
My jaw drops. I wasn’t expecting that she would give in that easily. I’m a bit disappointed, to be honest, but my cock doesn’t care. It’s already getting harder from the anticipation. My attention is completely riveted to her rack, so I’m too late to avoid the missile she hurls in my direction. Something sharp connects with my temple. My head jerks back, and pain explodes in my forehead.
Clenching my jaw, I touch the sore spot, and my fingers come down smeared with blood. What the actual fuck. How did she manage to cut me? She’s only a Norm. My vision becomes tinged in red as the wrath of a thousand gods runs through me.
“I’m going to kill you,” I say tightly.
The girl’s eyes widen, and she finally seems to realize she messed with the wrong Idol.
I’m about to turn her worst nightmare into reality when movement at my back makes me stop.
“What the hell is going on here?” Principal Fallon asks.
Ah, fuck. Fun is over. For now.
11
Daisy
“I’m waiting for an explanation, Mr. Westbrook.” Principal Fallon looks like she’s about to murder someone.
I can’t believe I made him bleed like that. Idols don’t get hurt easily, and I’m definitely not strong enough to inflict even a scratch. What the hell did I throw at him? It was cool and heavy with sharp edges.
While she’s glaring at the jerkface, I put my old shirt back on. I have no idea where my uniform button-down went.
The blond Idol turns. “I was just looking for you, Principal Fallon, and that lunatic attacked me.” He points at me.
The principal narrows her gaze. “Phoenix, who do you take me for? Get out of here before I give you detention.”
Really? She’s not going to give him any punishment? What the hell!
“Fine.” He looks over his shoulder. “I’ll see you around, Daisy.”
There’s no mistaking the glaring message in his eyes. He’s going to make me pay for defending myself.
Way to go, Daisy. You now have two Idols gunning for your throat. Terrific.
He slips out of the office and closes the door with a bang. Principal Fallon lets out a loud sigh and glances at me.
“I’m sorry you had to deal with Phoenix. He’s a pest, but unfortunately, he’s one of our most gifted students.”
“He barged into your office while I was changing into my uniform,” I say. Being a snitch is frowned up everywhere, even in Norm schools, but I doubt I’ll get into more trouble than I already am with those Idols.
“I suppose he deserved that hit to his head.” Principal Fallon searches her office until she finds what she was looking for. She drops into a crouch near a filing cabinet and retrieves the mysterious object I used as weapon.
“Finally this proved to have more use than simply holding paper down.”
She returns to her desk and places the dark stone object back where I found it. It’s a mini pyramid. It has a lot of sharp edges, but it still doesn’t explain how I managed to pierce Phoenix’s skin with it.
“Finish getting dressed, Miss Woods.” With a flick of her index finger, she makes the school uniform shirt fly from the floor into my hands.
My face becomes warmer, and while I’m glad I don’t blush easily, the embarrassment is here to stay. I put the shirt on faster than lightning. The top buttons strain against my chest, but at least my bra is covered.
So, the principal has telekinetic powers just like Phoenix. Telekinesis is a common power among Idols, and even some Fringes possess the gift. But it’s probably not the only thing she can do. Or all Phoenix can do, for that matter. They’re too high on the Idols’ power scale to only have the ability to move objects with their minds.
Dad’s diary has a detailed list of all the different powers Idols have possessed since their creation. Of course, there’s no way to know for sure if there are certain abilities that were never catalogued.
I shove my arms into the jacket’s sleeves and button it closed. Principal Fallon walks around the desk and points at the chair across from it.
“Please have a seat, Miss Woods.”
She drops onto her plush leather chair, her gaze never wavering from my face. Feeling like a fish out of water, I sit down and smooth the fabric of my skirt.
“How are you feeling?” she asks, her tone calm.
“Honestly?”
She nods.
“Nervous out of my mind.”
“You can’t let the other students see that. I’m not going to sugarcoat it for you. What happened here in my office was just a small demonstration of what awaits you out there.”
“You said I would be safer here than out
in the streets,” I say, accusation lacing my words. Was that all bullshit to make me accept her offer? But what does she have to gain by me coming here?
“And I wasn’t lying. But I can’t monitor my students all the time. You have to show them you belong here. Don’t let them intimidate you.”
“What if they use their powers against me?” I drag my feet back, ready to bolt out of the chair.
“Make sure they don’t,” she replies, keeping her hard gaze trained on my face.
Great. Here I thought having the principal in my corner was going to count for something. She’s pretty much throwing me to the wolves and making me fend for myself.
“You look disappointed.”
“I’m not,” I lie. “I didn’t have enough time to pack, and I don’t know where my dorm room is or what classes I’m taking.”
“Considering your peculiar situation, I’ve assigned you a single dorm room in the north wing. It’s where most of our seniors are.”
“But I’m not a senior.”
“No, but that wing is the only one with single rooms. You’re going to like it.”
I clamp my jaw shut. I’m glad that I don’t have to share a room with anyone, but I know the privilege is not going to go over well with my new classmates.
“As for your class schedule, my assistant will give you a copy.”
“I don’t get to pick them?” I ask.
“I looked over your transcripts from your old school. I’ve tried to put you in similar classes. Of course, they’re more advanced here, and you’ve missed a week already, but I’m sure you won’t have a problem keeping up.”
A knock on the door interrupts the question on the tip of my tongue.
“Yes?” Principal Fallon looks over my shoulder.
I turn to see who’s going to come in. Miss Walkers opens the door a sliver and sticks her head in. “Toby Macintosh is here, ma’am.”
Principal Fallon braces her hands on the desk and stands up. “Ah, good. Let him in.”
A short, wiry young man enters. His hair is as bright as a carrot and sticking up at odd angles. I don’t sense any power rolling out in waves from him, so he’s not an Idol. But he’s not a Norm either. A Fringe, then.
Wicked Gods: A Paranormal High School Bully Romance (Gifted Academy Book 1) Page 6
