by V. L. Silva
Instead of responding he simply rolled his window down, so I did the same. The wind fluttered my hair that had come loose when he’d taken my pin. I turned to him. “I’m going to need my hair pin back.”
“I’ll drop it off at your job tomorrow.”
Twisting sideways, I faced him. “Why not just give it to me now?”
“Because I already told your boss that you left it with me,” he said dispassionately. The indifference was so far away from the extremes he’d been showing me all night. We laughed together, shouted at one another, and now it was like something had yanked the cord from the wall and left him detached from life and far removed from anything that had happened between us.
If he wanted to be free of me then why had he insisted on driving me home? And why keep the pin? Because he’d told my office that I’d left something? His views on honesty were misconstrued and twisted into something that kept up the pretense of truth when in fact it was flawed.
We didn’t talk anymore but he took my directives towards my house and stopped when I pointed out the apartment building.
“You don’t have to walk me up,” I said after I got out.
He ignored me and scanned the neighborhood with the same sharpness he’d used with me. I wondered what he noticed. Could he see the jagged and broken depressions in the concrete? The patch of grass the landlord had the nerve to call a yard? The way stale smoke clung to your lungs no matter how shallow you breathed?
I quickened my steps so he wouldn’t have to carry the scent home. The building had seen better days but it wasn’t a terrible neighborhood, just a little forgotten.
I recognized a few of my neighbors and waved but unlike other nights, no one said anything. Everyone clung to the shadows and kept their heads down. I knew why. The moment we’d approached the neighborhood Axel’s entire demeanor changed. The temperatures around him had dropped right before they picked back up. His steps were deliberate with an undertone of aggression. I could almost smell the pheromones he was emitting.
At the door to the building I punched my code into the keypad and heard him sigh with something that sounded like relief.
Catching the door before it could lock me out again, I turned back to him and tilted my head back to get my final look at him. “You owe me a subscription.”
He didn’t smile but his eyes softened. “Goodnight, Hope.”
“Goodbye.” I walked inside the building and heard the door close behind me as I rushed up the steps.
I quickly undid the locks on my door and rushed to the living room. Moving the pale-yellow curtains back, I spotted his car on the street and waited for him to pull away but then I caught sight of something moving and realized he was still by the building door. He was talking to one of the guys who was standing in the yard.
This far up, I couldn’t hear their conversation but it wasn’t long, and then he was gone.
I let the curtains fall back in place and leaned away from the window.
It was over.
But his essence was like a ghost that followed me as I went through my nightly routine. It stalked me into my dreams and kissed me awake the next morning. My sheets were twisted around my limbs, restraining me to the bed, and I wondered how many more days would I muse over a man I didn’t really know before I would forget him.
I never got an answer.
3
Hope
Two Months Later
Architecture wise, Barnet was a model of what people thought of when they drew out San Diego in their minds. It was an exhibition of classic Spanish colonial and contemporary structures that changed moods depending on the angle of the sun, dousing the landscape in shadows while being humble enough to step back and depend on sunlight and nature to showcase the landscape.
Tucked away like a city on its own hill, Barnet University was a California dream and I had one person to thank for getting me in.
A month after I’d met Axel I’d received a large scholarship from Barnet, a school I hadn’t applied for since freshman year but had always accepted me on the merit of my grades.
The scholarship I’d received was called the Brilliant Futures Scholarship and though nothing in the letter had said it had come from Axel, I knew it had.
Giving me the scholarship was a little underhanded but based on what little I knew about Axel, it all made sense. With his money came power and he was flaunting it. However, what I didn’t understand was why he’d chosen to use that power for me.
My mother and my best friend Amanda had spent two hours debating the pros and cons of accepting the scholarship. Mom thought I should go. Amanda thought I should go, though she hated that it meant leaving her.
I didn’t tell either of them about Axel or what happened at his house so really, they’d never gotten the entire scope of the situation. They were working with what they had while I spent two weeks dissecting and picking apart the acceptance letter and my memory of Axel.
The final decision came down to my future and what I wanted from life. Barnet was attended by not only the children of some of the country’s most elite families, but had a nice percentage of international students as well. My classmates would be the children of senators, celebrities, and businessmen and women who had the power to give me a leg up once I entered the corporate world.
It was called the Brilliant Futures Scholarship and I wasn’t about to throw it away or accept it based on a guy whose smile I could feel all the way down to my toes. If we hit it off, great, but while I intended to thank him for the opportunity my plan was to focus on myself.
But even with my success at the forefront of my mind, other questions couldn’t be ignored.
Why did he want me at Barnet? Maybe he just felt bad about what happened that night and how embarrassed I was. Or maybe he wanted more. Maybe he wanted to use me. Or maybe he wanted even more than that. Maybe he and Diana weren’t an item after all. Maybe he’d taken one look at me and had fallen madly in love.
Or maybe he was just being nice.
There was no denying that he’d orchestrated this entire thing and I was either being really smart or really, really stupid.
The final thing that pushed me into acceptance was thinking about Dad. Dad would want me to go.
Nervousness had kept me up all night. This school was different from any I’d ever attended. I wanted to run away but it was too late for that. There was no going back. Enrollment was complete and I had my schedule in my bag. It was time to face the music and discover whatever fate had in store for me.
I pulled the warm air into my lungs and traded some of my anxiety for excitement. I walked boldly through a group of students towards the blue sign that displayed a map with the buildings with their names listed underneath.
There was a pair of girls in front of me staring at the sign and I could tell they were just as lost as me. Knowing I would need to make friends in order to survive, I introduced myself. “Hey, I’m Hope. I’m new. Are you?”
Both of the women were shorter than me, which I was used to. The one closest to my height smiled. Even before she spoke I knew she wasn’t new. The beautiful girl wore confidence like a second skin.
“No, I’m Carolyn Housley, a senior and campus navigator.” She pointed to the words on her shirt. BARNET NAVIGATOR sat in bold blue letters against the gray shirt. “I was just showing Victoria around. She’s new, too.” Carolyn had emerald eyes and long, dark-blond hair with perfectly styled highlights with pale golds, giving her glossy strands life.
Victoria waved. She was an adorable girl with North Asian heritage who was highlighting her cuter assets by wearing a pink headband, a polka dot dress, and matching ballerina flats.
I had my own style that my friends thought was kind of boho chic. I was wearing a white, knee-length, off-the-shoulder dress with kitten heel sandals. I’d bought a Barnet sweater last week and was carrying it in my bag just in case it got cold.
“Have you checked in?” Carolyn asked.
“Yeah.”
I printed my class schedule at home.
“Great.” She picked up a tablet dangling in her hand. “Last name?”
“Malonie.”
She flipped pages back and then brought a pen up to the page. “Hope?”
“Yeah.”
“Great! I added you to my group.” She wrinkled her nose. “You’re stuck with me now.”
I laughed and felt the tension leave my shoulders and neck. Being stuck with Carolyn didn’t seem so bad and hopefully I’d have a friend before the day ended.
“Have you been to Parson?”
“Where?”
She waved me on in a friendly manner. Walking paths had been cut into the square in the linear design of a sun with rays shooting out in every direction. At the center was a large fountain that a few of the students were hanging around.
We took a path that went through an archway that was covered with vines and pink honeysuckles.
“Parsons is the rec center where you sign up for extracurriculars. Everyone at Barnet has to be involved in a group outside of classes. It’s one of the founding rules.” She gave a quote, “The hours that are lost in idleness can never be brought back to be used in gainful pursuits.”
“I agree wholeheartedly.” I’d always been very active. This, I got from my mother. If there was a cause, we got involved. Idleness went against the very foundation of our home.
The pathway was shaded and opened to nooks with stone benches. The canopy of hanging plants allowed some sunlight in that made the area very tranquil and almost romantic. Then the natural tunnel opened and down in the valley was a large grass field divided by a white line. One half was reserved for football and the other seemed open to endless possibilities. It looked like a stadium had been cut into the earth and reminded me of the coliseum. Beyond all that were trees and I wondered how far the campus extended.
To the left was a large glass, domed structure that had to be the rec center. A busy crowd was standing outside. The doors constantly swung open as students went in. Like at the front of the school, I tried to not look for Axel but couldn’t help it. I couldn’t make out the faces of the students very well but even with a football field between us I knew I’d recognize him instantly.
Carolyn was a senior and I was almost tempted to ask her if she knew him and what she knew about him but I refrained. I didn’t want to come across as a stalker.
My navigator pointed out the dormitories on the right. They were set beyond what looked like a cute little village with white houses. I remembered from my maps that the sororities, frats, and staff homes were in that direction. Victoria pointed out one of the larger dorms as her place of residence, before we started for the rec center.
Carolyn and Victoria had fallen into a conversation during my musing but then Carolyn said, “The tablet says you’re a junior. Are you from San Diego?”
She wanted to know why I’d switched schools during my junior year. It was a valid question, an action I still questioned. “I’m from here but I got the Brilliant Futures Scholarship.”
“Ah.” Carolyn turned away and my heart dropped. Was that rejection?
“I had the Brilliant Futures Scholarship freshman year.” She turned back and gave me a soft smile. “I know. This place is expensive, more than some other ivy league colleges. Don’t feel bad. Most of the students here are new money. The world is changing. Millionaires are becoming younger every decade. You’re not alone. While you might encounter some bullying, don’t expect a cumbersome amount of it. Aside from The Clique, Barnet is a no-bully zone.”
“The Clique?” Victoria asked.
Carolyn rolled her eyes. “They’re the high rollers. They’re like the billionaires and influencers club, but honestly they’re not even a real club. Most of them don’t like each other. They exist in civil tolerance until a war breaks out.”
I rubbed the strap on my backpack as I ingested her words. “War?”
“Look, just stay out of their way and they’ll leave you alone.”
Victoria bit her thumb and I could tell it was a nervous habit. “Who is in The Clique?”
“It’s run by Axel and Silas. Powerful. Deadly. Stay away.”
My heart skipped. Axel led The Clique. I wasn’t surprised. You didn’t have to spend more than a minute with the guy to know he didn’t follow anyone. Of course, he was the leader. I laughed and prayed it only sounded half as nervous as I felt. “Deadly?” I’d agree that Axel was intense but I thought deadly a bit extreme.
We’d started walking again but at my laugh Carolyn stopped. “Yes. Deadly. Both of them.”
My expression must’ve given away that I still didn’t believe her so she sighed, “Have you ever heard of the Marina Maiden Massacre?” She whispered the last part and glanced around like she’d said Candyman’s name and he’d jump out of the bushes.
The Marina Maiden Massacre? Who hadn’t heard of it. It had been international news. A group of wealthy women had died on a boat. One of them had been a model. I’d been seventeen when it happened and hadn’t really cared about things like that at the time. “I know a little bit about it.”
“Well, one of those women was Axel’s mom. His father, Aric King, killed them, poisoned his wife Claire and two of her friends just to get rid of her.”
She could have thrust a bucket of cold water in my face and it would have felt the same. My skin chilled. My lips were numb.
Victoria asked, “Axel’s father is in jail?”
Carolyn shook her head. “No, he fled the country. FBI, Interpol, everyone’s been looking for him but he’s yet to show up. He left Axel without anyone to look after him.”
I didn’t know what to say.
Murder was such a dark thing. As far as I was concerned, it took a heart of stone to commit such an act and a psychopath to take the lives of others as collateral damage.
“And Silas’s dad isn’t much better.” Carolyn stared out for a moment before she batted her wandering thought away.
The need to understand Axel better urged me to keep the conversation alive. “Axel sounds like a victim, not a killer.”
Carolyn laughed. “Trust me. Axel is no one’s victim. We’re all his victims. The FBI harasses him and his aunt all the time. They think they’re hiding Aric King. They might be.”
Would Axel hide his father to help him escape prison for killing his mother?
The entire story seemed far-fetched but I remembered the Marina Maiden Massacre and now I knew someone who’d been affected by it. My connection to Axel put a whole new spin on the story.
“So stay away and focus on your academics.” Carolyn morphed back into the perfect navigator. “If the board believed you deserve the scholarship your junior year then it means they think you have that something special.”
Victoria added, “They also hope you’ll give money back as an alumnus.”
“I figured.” The tension once again abated, I asked Victoria, “What extracurricular activity do you think you’ll sign up for?”
“Oh, I don’t know. Something with student government?” She sounded unsure.
“Well, the executive cabinet was selected the previous year,” Carolyn said. “But there might be other positions but I wouldn’t go for those. It’s usually grunt work. I personally work with public relations and manage the school’s website.”
“I worked with public relations at my last school,” I told her.
Carolyn’s eyes grew so wide she looked like a doll. She grabbed my arm. “You’re definitely working with me. I’m going to take you directly to our booth.”
We made it into the rec center and as promised, Carolyn didn’t deviate from her plan. With all the bodies I could barely make out the tables. Laughter and loud conversations made it hard to hear myself think. I felt like I was in a meat market. There was shouting from the tables. Everyone was trying to gain people for their activities.
Someone grabbed my arm.
“Hey, join the debate team.” A cute guy with curly blond hair
stepped forward. He was about my height with my heels on and able to look me straight in the eye. “We have a boat.”
“Awesome!”
“Can it, Johnny!” Carolyn shouted. “I claimed her.”
I was surprised she didn’t growl at him.
Johnny sucked his teeth. “You always get the best ones.” He eyed me and grinned. Then he turned to Carolyn. “I knew I should have been a navigator.”
She stuck her tongue out teasingly. “Told you. I always have the best ideas.”
Johnny looked at me. “Johnny.”
“Hope.” I took the hand he offered. It was rough.
“Maybe I could show you around later.” There was a question in his brow.
“Uh, hello! I’m her navigator!” Carolyn rolled her eyes. “What do you think I’m here for?”
Johnny gave a cute pout and then a handsome wink. “See you later, Hope.”
“Hope not,” Carolyn sang. It was something Amanda would have said and it made me laugh.
I thought about Amanda and sadness pricked my heart. At least I’d see her once classes were over.
My navigator cut a path through the crowd. She dragged me on into the gym where things got better and worse. There was music, and gleaming wood amplified the voices and howling. I glanced around at the chaos and felt at home. There was so much life in crowds. I’ve always loved being surrounded by people.
We passed the mathletes, a gaming club that looked really interesting and seemed to be really popular, and a culinary club that smelled amazing—and that was where we lost Victoria who promised to meet us at the PR table—before we reached the far back of the setup for clubs that actually kept the school running. Government, sports, and public relations.
They were set up in front of gray bleachers. A few people were sitting around and I recognized the athletes. Supremely fit guys and girls were gathered in various groups. Few people were actually paying attention to their tables and I noticed most of the sports tables were closed. Football tryouts probably happened long before school started so the table was simply decorated with the upcoming schedule and events. You could also buy premium seats. My eyes popped out of my head when I saw the price. It was the cost of my mom’s entire salary.
