“Daisy, meet Toby Macintosh. I’ve assigned him to be your guide during your first week here. He’s in most of your classes. I figured since he’s also part of our scholarship program, you’d have something in common.”
“Hey ya, girlie.” He waves at me.
“Girlie?” I raise an eyebrow in return.
“Well, you should get going,” Principal Fallon says. “You don’t want to be late for your first day at school.”
All right. I guess I’m dismissed.
I get up and collect my civilian clothes, sticking them in my already overfilled backpack.
When I turn, I find Toby watching me curiously. He seems friendly, but I can’t let my guard down. Fringes, even low-level ones, can be quite nasty toward Norms.
“So, shall we?” I point at the open door.
I wait until he slips out first. I’m not giving my back to anyone in this school if I can help it.
Once we’re in the hallway, I’m seized by a bout of panic. The school is no longer empty. A few students are now mingling, and they’ve all turned to stare at me. Worse, I spot Phoenix and his friend, the guy with the longish curly hair who didn’t speak much at the diner. Phoenix is grinning like the cat who ate the canary despite the small bandage on his forehead. He breaks eye contact with me to lean closer to the petite blonde girl next to him. He whispers something in her ear, and her gaze immediately zeroes on me. Her frown and narrowed eyebrows tell me Phoenix has already started his revenge.
Shit. Here we go.
“So, first we should get your backpack unloaded. It’s too late to swing by the library to get new books, so we’ll have to share mine,” Toby says, seemingly oblivious to the hatred aimed my way.
“Okay,” I say, too low for my liking. It’s almost like the stares are coercing me into the role of prey.
No way. Remember, Daisy. You can’t show weakness.
When I walk past Phoenix, I lift my chin higher and ask in the sweetest tone, “How’s your head, darling?”
Phoenix narrows his eyes to slits and flares his nostrils. The girl next to him decides to play his defender and jumps in front of me, invading my space. “What did you say, Norm whore?”
Conversation ceases immediately, and next to me, Toby makes a distressed sound in the back of his throat.
I take a step forward and stare down at the Idol bitch, who is much shorter than me. She’s not that high on the Idol power scale. Maybe she’s not even an Idol, just a Fringe who’s strong enough to do something unpleasant to me. Well, let’s see how things go.
“Who are you calling a whore, dwarf?”
Her brown eyes widen and her eyebrows arch. “How dare you talk to me like that.”
Someone yanks me back. Toby.
“Okay, everyone, let’s all calm down. We’re right outside of Principal Fallon’s office, and no one wants to get detention, right?” he says in the most diplomatic way.
I fight a snort. What’s the likelihood the principal will send any of these entitled kids to detention? She didn’t when that smug son of bitch invaded her office and caught me half naked.
“Relax, Cherise,” Phoenix says in a smooth voice. “She’s not worth the trouble.”
The girl’s murderous expression morphs into disdain. That is, before she glances at Phoenix and turns into a puddle of goo. And she had the audacity to call me a whore.
“Come on, Daisy. Let’s go.” Toby steers me away from Phoenix and his groupie.
It’s not until we round the corner that I exhale in relief.
Only it’s too soon.
Toby and the hallway disappear, and a vision of me naked in bed with Phoenix hovering over me invades my brain. Not only that, but my traitorous body wants him. Out of nowhere, I’m panting like a horny dog. Phoenix moves closer and parts my legs using both hands, spreading them wide. He blows a hot breath over my throbbing clit, and I let a loud moan.
“Daisy, are you okay?” Toby asks.
The image vanishes and I’m back in the hallway. But my horniness hasn’t dissipated. My heart is beating erratically, and there’s a cruel aching between my legs. The fucking asshole gave me blue balls.
Toby is in front of me, looking all worried and shit. “What happened?” I ask.
“Uh, I was going to ask you the same thing. One moment you were quiet, and then the next your breathing was coming out in bursts.”
I touch my face, finding it hot.
“Toby, do you know what Phoenix’s gift is?”
“Well, he’s one of the most powerful telekinetics in school.”
“Yeah, besides that.”
“I’m not one hundred percent sure.” Toby glances around in a cagey manner, and then he leans closer. “But word on the street is that he can put thoughts in people’s heads, make them see things that aren’t there.”
A sliver of dread runs down my spine. So that’s what the vision was. Phoenix’s retaliation.
The Idol games have begun.
12
Rufio
I’m ten minutes late for math class, and Mr. Atkins is already preparing to rip me one. But I’m too smart for the D&D-obsessed nerd and stopped by the nurse’s office on the way here. With a wolfish grin, I show the balding man the yellow slip between my fingers. He whisks it from me with a glower, quickly reads the scribble on the paper, and turns it into a tight ball.
“Take a seat, Mr. Kent.”
I drop into my usual spot, in front of Morpheus and next to Phoenix. As soon as Mr. Atkins gives his back to us, Phoenix turns to me. “Where the hell have you been?”
“I needed a pick-me-up after I saw my mother.” I twitch my nose. Silver-voltage is an awesome drug, but fuck, it makes my nose itch like crazy.
“We’ve met the new girl. The Norm.” Phoenix’s eyes swim with mischief.
“Don’t tell me you already fucked the imbecile,” I grumble, trying to maintain an unaffected expression. But damn, I’ll be real pissed if Phoenix got to her first.
Norms are fleas, but pussy is pussy, and one of the cruelest games is to string a girl along and then break her hard. I curl my hand into a fist, remembering the conversation with my mother. We don’t see eye to eye most of the time, mainly because she’s a cunt, but she’s right about the Norm student. We can’t let the Knights’ propaganda take root in Saturn’s Bay.
“No. Not yet anyway,” Phoenix replies with a sly grin. “But don’t you want to know her name?”
I shrug. “Sure. What’s her name?”
“Daisy.”
Phoenix is watching me from the edge of his seat. For the life of me I don’t get why he’s acting in that bizarre manner. I give him a droll stare. “Is that name supposed to mean anything to me?”
Morpheus lets out a loud sigh. “For fuck’s sake, Rufio. Where is your brain? Daisy is the waitress you wanted to kill on Saturday.”
I jolt in my seat and turn around. “What?”
Something hard hits the back of my head, then clinks on the floor, bouncing several times before rolling away. A metal ball.
“Mr. Kent. If you’re going to gossip with your friends like a little bitch, I suggest you do so outside of my classroom.”
Massaging the back of my head, I turn around, glaring openly at the jerk. He’s lucky that attacking teachers is completely forbidden. It’s a zero-tolerance policy. One strike and you’re out. Not even my mother’s influence would be able to get me out of trouble. The same rule doesn’t apply to teachers, though. They can and constantly do use their gifts to keep students in line. So I divert my anger toward a much more satisfying target. Daisy.
I can’t believe she’s here, in my domain. She was terrified of us, so it’s truly surprising that she would come to Gifted Academy, a school dominated by Idols. She must have a death wish. I can’t help the grin that unfurls on my face.
“Oh, look who’s in a good mood now.” Phoenix chuckles.
“Yeah, I wonder how long that’s going to last,” Morpheus chimes in.
He doesn’t reply, but a moment later, dark spots appear in front of my eyes. Suddenly, my entire vision goes black and the most awful sense of despair takes hold of me. My lungs stop functioning. I can’t draw air in.
The sensation vanishes just as fast as it came, and I can see and breathe again. I inhale deeply while I wait for my heart beat to return to normal. When I’m in control, I slowly turn in my seat. Morpheus is looking at the big screen in front of class with a neutral expression on his face.
“You son of a bitch. You used your powers against me?” I whisper-shout.
He looks at me calmly. “You called me mummy-boy. I told you what would happen to you if you ever used that nickname again.”
I’m seething, but I can’t offer a retort for that. If he had been any other student—Idol or not—he wouldn’t even be talking right now. But a long time ago, Morpheus, Phoenix, Bryce, and I made a pact, an unbreakable vow. We would always have each other’s backs no matter what. Being the strongest Idol kids on the block drew us together at first. But it was what happened to us on that island ten years ago, the things we had to fight to survive, that bonded us for life.
Grumbling, I return my attention to the screen, but all the equations on it become a blur. Only one image is vivid in my brain: that fucking Norm waitress. I can’t wait to get my hands on her.
It turns out I don’t have to wait long. The classroom door opens and the girl of the hour comes in, all flushed and shit. She’s prettier than I remember, or maybe it’s because she’s not covered in diner grime and I can actually pay attention to her flawless skin and luscious brown hair. Her lips are full and naturally red. She’s not wearing any makeup. She’s too fucking perfect for a Norm, which makes me hate her even more.
I drop my gaze to her chest, noting that her shirt is too small for her. Her boobs are straining against the fabric. One sudden movement and the top button will slip from the hole.
“Oh, I think this is going to be my favorite class from now on,” Phoenix says.
“Can I help you?” Mr. Atkins frowns at Daisy.
“Yes. I’m supposed to be in this class.” She hands a note to our teacher.
He scans the piece of paper briefly and then sighs. “You’d think that with all the tuition money this institution gets, they’d be able to hire people who weren’t complete morons. Have a seat, Miss Woods.”
She looks over the classroom, and I have to give it to her, she’s holding her confident mask pretty well. Let’s see how long it’ll last. Her gaze finds mine, and then she finally gives a sign of weakness. She flinches. But she quickly switches her attention to Phoenix, and her entire demeanor changes. She narrows her eyes and clenches her jaw. It seems that whatever Phoenix did ruffled her feathers already. I’m back to being pissed. I’m the master torturer here, not him.
She begins to walk down our aisle. There’s an empty chair at the end of my row.
Phoenix kicks the chair in front of him where a Fringe guy is sitting. “You. Get up.”
He turns to Phoenix with round eyes and mouth agape. “What?”
“Are you deaf? Vacate this chair at once.”
“Where am I going to sit?” the kid whines.
“Don’t fucking care. Move. Now!”
Seeing that Phoenix isn’t joking—for once—the Fringe collects his stuff in a hurry and bolts out of the chair. Since the seat Daisy was aiming for was the only one available, I don’t need to look to see that Fringe boy is now occupying it.
Her expression falls as she stares at the now-empty chair in front of Phoenix. He leans back in his seat with a big fat grin on his smug face.
“Any time now, Miss Woods.” Mr. Atkins barks, forcing the girl to finally take the empty chair.
She doesn’t glance in our direction as she pulls a notebook from her backpack. The two bitches sitting in the row next to Daisy’s snicker. No one here takes notes on paper. Tablets and laptops are the way to go. Daisy simply ignores them. Like that’s going to make them stop picking on her.
Phoenix leans forward and gets really close to Daisy’s ear. “Did you like that little image I sent you earlier?”
The girl stiffens. “Do you make it a habit of broadcasting all your wet dreams to everyone?”
“My wet dreams? Oh, sugar. You were the one who got all hot and bothered. I can still smell your arousal.”
She curls her fingers tighter around her pen, and her jaw muscle twitches. “Whatever lies make you sleep better at night.”
“All right. That is enough!” Mr. Atkins whirls around with his hands on his hips. “Miss Woods, you seem to be in a chatty mood already. Why don’t you solve this problem for me?” He points at the projector screen.
“Uh, on a piece of paper?” she asks, and several people laugh.
Mr. Atkins looks at the ceiling. “‘On a piece of paper,’ she asks. I swear to all the fucking gods. One day I’m going to blast you idiots to smithereens.” He glares at her again. “No, Miss Woods, use your damn tablet, laptop, whatever, and log into my class.”
She opens and closes her mouth like a fish out of water. Before she can let everyone know she doesn’t have any of those items, I say, “Here, use mine.”
Daisy stares at the tablet in my hand, and then she lifts her hazel eyes to my face, suspicion shining in them. She can gawk all she wants; she won’t see anything there but a neutral, guilt-free expression.
“Go on. Mr. Atkins wasn’t joking. He can actually blow you to smithereens,” I continue.
“Thanks.” She takes the offering, clearly still leery of me.
“I’m already logged into his class. All you have to do is solve the math problem.”
I lean back in my chair, linking my fingers behind my head. Now all I have to do is wait for her to crash and burn. No way she can solve that problem, not with her shitty Norm education.
But she’s going for it, her answers popping up on the projector screen faster than I thought possible for anyone with her background. She’s done in less than a minute, and I have to blink a few times to make sure I’m not seeing things.
“I’ll be damned. She did it.” Phoenix laughs.
Mr. Atkins is staring befuddled at the screen. “Huh? Well, look at that. It seems your scholarship wasn’t wasted after all. Well done, Miss Woods.”
He levels her with a stern glare. “Just please try to resist Casanova’s charms until after the class is over. No one wants to hear about your wet dreams.”
Daisy gasps loudly right before she dips her chin and hides her face behind her long hair. Her reaction to Mr. Atkins’s comment gives me a great idea. It wouldn’t be fun to just destroy her quickly. A slow and agonizing torture will be way more satisfying.
“What are you smiling about?” Phoenix asks.
“Nothing. Nothing at all.”
13
Daisy
I survived my first day of school. Barely. There were glowers and snide comments thrown my way, but no use of Idol power besides Phoenix’s vision. I’m sure it’ll happen eventually. Leaning against my dorm room door, I rest my head against the smooth surface and let out a heavy sigh.
The plan to navigate the school’s halls without drawing attention was a major fail. I suppose I can’t do meek and quiet. I can’t let people bully me into submission, regardless of their position on the power scale. That makes me a fucking idiot.
I drop my backpack to the floor and head for the window. The sight of a couple of boxes in the corner catches my attention.
“What…?”
Moving closer, I see my name scribbled on the top of one. Inside, I find my personal belongings: old comics and books, a night-light in the shape of an owl, a few CDs, and my older-than-dirt portable CD player. I never had enough money to buy those digital players that can store thousands of songs.
In the second box, there are only clothes and a pair o
f faded red cowboy boots. I pull them out, hugging the footwear like it was a stuffed animal. They’re Rosie’s. We both fell in love with the shoes when we were shopping at a secondhand store a couple of years ago. We didn’t have enough money to buy them then, but I saved enough and got them for Rosie’s birthday. She only took them off to sleep for a whole year. I can’t believe she gave them to me.
“Oh, Rosie. I miss you already.”
I set the boots aside and glance at my bed. It’s a twin, and it’s begging me to try it out. But I can’t sleep yet. I have so much homework to do, plus I have to catch up with the stuff I missed in the past week.
I take my notebook and the books I got from the library and veer for my desk. My hand is already sore from all the writing during my classes, but until I receive next month’s allowance, note-taking by hand will have to do. I open the biology book first, the subject that tricks me the most. I try to concentrate on the text, but I can’t help but replay the events of the day.
Phoenix’s little trick on me, math class, Rufio lending me his tablet. And let’s not forget the death glares their broody friend kept giving me. I thought Rufio was the scariest of the bunch, but Morpheus is giving him a run for his money.
What are the odds that in all the classes in this school, I wound up in the same math class as that trio? I was supposed to be in English class with Toby in that period. At least, that’s what my schedule said. But when I got to class, the teacher told me my schedule was wrong. She gave me the note to present to Mr. Atkins and sent me his way.
I have to agree with the guy’s assessment. How in the world can someone fuck up a simple schedule printout? Damn that Miss Walkers.
Okay, Daisy. Enough procrastination. You have to study.
I manage to read one page before the blaring noise of punk rock invades my small room. It’s so loud that it reverberates through the walls.
Wicked Gods: A Paranormal High School Bully Romance (Gifted Academy Book 1) Page 7
