“Doesn’t matter what they did to me. Renata broke Toby’s arm though. Would that warrant her expulsion?” I ask Principal Fallon.
She doesn’t answer until we’re inside the building. Just like outside, the students here stare as we walk down the hallway. I wonder how many of them are disappointed I’m not dead.
“Like I said, those girls will be punished, but that’s not something you should worry about,” she finally replies.
Her dismissive answer clues me in on one thing: whatever punishment they receive will be mild. And that knowledge pisses me off.
“With all due respect, Principal Fallon, those Idols tortured me and attacked my best friend. I’d say that makes it my concern.”
I sense Bryce’s stare, so I turn to him. “You disagree?” I ask him.
The corners of his lips twitch up. “No, not at all.”
Principal Fallon, however, doesn’t offer a retort. I want to ask again what she plans to do with those bullies, but we enter the infirmary next, and Drusilla and her posse are pushed to a corner of my mind for the moment.
The nurse is not at her desk but behind a curtain, which I can only assume is the treatment area. She’s talking to Toby, and unaware that she has company, she continues the conversation.
“You’re very lucky she didn’t pulverize the entire bone, Toby. What were you thinking, charging an Idol like that?”
“I had to do something. Cherise was drowning Daisy.”
Bryce presses his fingers deeper into my waist while his body becomes tenser.
“Ellen, how is Toby?” Principal Fallon asks.
The curtain is pulled to the side, and a tall woman with short, curly brown hair appears. Her expression is grave as she pulls off her rubber gloves.
“One broken bone. I suppose it could be worse, considering who inflicted the pain.”
Her gaze switches from Principal Fallon to me. She gives me a quick once-over, and then she says, “I thought you fell from the third floor. How come you’re standing there without a scratch?”
Bryce steps aside, letting go of my waist. I miss his proximity immediately and berate myself for it. Since when do I depend on anyone for comfort? I can’t deny I’ve developed unfamiliar feelings for him, but whether I’m falling for the guy or not, it’s no excuse for my weakness.
“I healed Daisy,” he says.
The nurse arches her eyebrows. “I didn’t know you could that, Bryce. It’s a handy gift. Need a job?”
I can’t tell if the woman is joking or not.
Toby joins us in the small reception area, his arm in a cast. Now he and Rosie match.
Son of a bitch. I hate bullies. An ugly feeling brews in the pit of my stomach. I want those bitches to pay for hurting him. Maybe I should let Bryce do whatever he wants to them since I can’t.
“Daisy. You’re alive.” Toby breaches the distance between us and hugs me with one arm. “I can’t believe it.”
“Me neither.” I’m careful not to hurt Toby further. After a moment, I ease off the embrace and turn to Bryce.
He’s looking at Toby in a funny way. I hope he’s not jealous.
“If you’re done with Toby, I’d like you to check Daisy,” Principal Fallon says.
“Of course.” The nurse turns to Toby. “Take the medication I gave you if the pain is too much.”
“No problem, Ellen.” He shakes the plastic bottle with pills inside.
“Toby, we called your parents. They should be here shortly,” Principal Fallon says.
“Why?” His voice rises to a shrill. “I’m fine.”
“It’s school policy.”
He pinches the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes. “They’re going to pull me out of Gifted Academy.”
“Let’s not worry about that now.” Principal Fallon pats his shoulder, then steers him out the door.
Boy, that lady is cold.
Once he’s gone, the nurse says, “What’s up with you crazy Norm kids challenging Idols like that? Do you like to live dangerously, is that it?”
“Maybe we’re just tired of being treated like dirt,” I retort angrily. “Besides, I’m the only crazy Norm here. Toby is a Fringe.”
“Where did you get that notion from?” The nurse’s eyes go rounder as if my statement is news to her.
“Wait? Are you saying Toby is not a Fringe?” Bryce asks before I can.
“No. Toby is a Norm,” Principal Fallon replies, then turns to me. “Didn’t I mention there was another Norm student on a scholarship here?”
“Yeah, but I didn’t know it was him,” I say, leaving out the fact that Toby has been pretending to be a Fringe this whole time.
I face Bryce, meeting his eyes. He’s just as surprised as I am. I hope he can read in my gaze that I want to keep Toby’s deception on the down low. If the other students find out Toby deceived them, it won’t end well for him.
Please, Bryce, don’t say anything.
He nods a fraction as if he actually heard my thoughts. If he did, it’s not the first time. One more thing for me to worry about. If he can read my mind, what else does he know about me?
Heading for the small examination room, Nurse Ellen says, “Shall we, Daisy?”
3
Bryce
As much as I want to stay close to Daisy, when my mother stepped out of the infirmary to make a call, I followed her. As soon as she puts the phone away, I grab her arm and turn her around. I’m done playing the respectful son.
“Mr. Rogers was one of the most levelheaded teachers in the entire school. Why would he try to kill Daisy all of a sudden?”
Mom looks left and right in a cagey manner. There are a few students roaming about, and they’re throwing long, curious glances in our direction. I’m only feeding the gossip mill, but I’m way past caring.
“Now is not the time to talk about Daisy’s attempted murder,” Mom replies in a low tone.
I laugh without humor. “At least you’re calling it for what it was.”
“You think I’m the worst for what I did to Daisy, but one day you’ll understand my reasons.”
“Right. We all have a role to play on the game board of the gods. Such a load of crap.”
“You know what’s a load of crap? You. You stink. Where have you been?”
Shit. With all that happened, my ordeal at the hands of the Knights got pushed far back in my mind.
“Nowhere.” I let go of her arm and step back.
“Go take a shower. And before you open your mouth to argue with me, I assure you Daisy won’t be left alone.”
“What, you’re going to babysit her now?”
Mom lets out a heavy sigh. “I’ll ask Ellen to escort Daisy back to her room once the examination is over. Does that mollify you?”
Not in the least. But now that she brought my attention to my stench, it’s all I can smell. And I was all over Daisy, drenched in eau de piss. Fucking great.
“Fine. But you and I aren’t done yet. There’s much to discuss.”
I turn around and stride in the opposite direction. When I pass by a group of gossiping idiots who are dumb enough to point their camera phones in my direction, I fry their devices with a snap of my fingers. Asides from yelps, I don’t hear a peep. Good. They still remember who’s at the top of the food chain in this school.
I continue on toward the dorm building, but with each step I take, my muscles become heavier. A great sense of lethargy begins to take hold of me.
What the fuck. I’m never fatigued.
You were never held captive for over twenty-hours unable to tap into your powers either, you idiot. Maybe everything that happened this weekend is taking a toll on me.
After taking twice as long to reach my apartment, I push the door open and stumble toward my room. I yank my clothes off as if I’m drunk and head for the shower. I don’t wait for the water to warm up, stepping under the freezing-cold jet stream. The cold water should jolt me awake, but it has no effect on the bone-tiredness that’s s
wept over me.
It’s not until I begin to see double that I realize this is not merely a case of exhaustion. I’m light-headed, on the verge of passing out. I lean against the wall with my eyes closed, breathing through my mouth and nose. It’s no use. My legs give out from under me, and I fall on the wet tiled floor with a loud thud.
What the hell is wrong with me?
DAISY
"I can't believe it." Nurse Ellen stares at me wide-eyed after she looked at me from all angles. "No broken bones, no signs of internal bleeding. Not even a scratch mark."
I'm down to my underwear, and to say I'm feeling exposed is an understatement. Never mind that the only thing providing privacy is a flimsy green curtain. Anyone can yank it open. I’m surprised Principal Fallon waited outside, though she has seen me wearing less.
Crossing my arms in front of my chest, I shrink into myself. "How can you tell? You only looked at me. Where's the X-ray machine?"
Shaking her head, she laughs. "Oh, child. I don't need machines to examine my patients. All I need is this." She points at her eyes.
"You have super vision? Like you can see through stuff?" I ask, not hiding my astonishment.
"Yup. That's why I wanted to be a nurse. It was either that or becoming a bank robber. There's no safe in this world that I can't break through." She gives me a crooked smile.
"Why not become a doctor?" I ask.
Her smile is replaced by a scowl. "Doctors don't care about their patients. They're too concerned about beating the competition. It might be different among Norm doctors, but in my world, doctors are assholes."
"I'm surprised Idols need doctors," I say. "Aren't you guys indestructible?"
She snorts. "Nope. We get sick and hurt as often as Norms and Fringes. The only difference is that our diseases are a thousand times more devastating than yours. It's a good thing you're immune to most of them."
I can't believe she's telling me all this. Not even Dad's diary had so much information about Idols’ illnesses. I erroneously assumed they simply didn't get sick.
"How about Fringes?"
"What about them?" She turns to the small desk in the corner of the room and retrieves a tablet device from it.
"Well, they aren't as strong as Idols, but they have godly powers in them. Are they immune to diseases that affect Norms too?"
"Unfortunately, no. And depending on their level, some of our diseases are fatal to Fringes. Their bodies simply can't handle them."
I bite my lower lip, thinking about Toby. He wants to become a doctor, but the best med schools are run by Idols.
"What's with that frown?" Ellen asks.
"Are there different paths in med school?"
"I don't follow."
"I mean, do Norm and Idol students learn different things?"
"In some institutions, yes. But the best med schools in the country have a unified curriculum. Why do you ask? Do you want to become a doctor?"
"No, not me. Toby does. He wants to attend Prism City University. I heard it’s a top school."
"Oh yeah. And very competitive. It's harder for Norms to be accepted, but not impossible. Since Toby attends Gifted Academy, he has a better chance than other Norm kids."
I wonder if that's why Toby lied about being a Fringe, not because he was afraid of being bullied but because he wanted to increase his chances of being accepted at his dream school.
"Well, I'm done here,” Nurse Ellen tells me. “If you don't have any other questions, you're free to go."
I jump off the examination table and get dressed. My uniform is torn in places and stained with blood. Considering I no longer have the injuries to match, it looks like a Halloween costume now.
Principal Fallon stands up when Ellen heads for her desk.
“So, is she completely healed?” she asks.
“Yes, Jodie. Your son did a terrific job.”
Wait a minute. Son?
The nurse sits behind her desk and begins to type away on her laptop. I turn to the principal with mouth agape.
“Bryce is your son?” My voice rises to a shrill.
The woman raises an eyebrow. “Yes, Daisy. Rufio too, if you’re wondering.”
Oh my God. Of all the things to find out, this revelation has me speechless. My brain is going at a hundred miles an hour.
Principal Fallon glances over my shoulder. “Ellen, I promised Bryce I wouldn’t leave Daisy alone, but I have to handle the fallout of what happened to her. Would you mind escorting her back to her room?”
“Sure. I can do that. Let’s hope no one else decides to toss a student out the window.” The nurse winks at me.
Was that supposed to be funny? I’d be dead if it weren’t for Bryce.
“I don’t need a bodyguard,” I grumble.
Now both women are staring at me like I’m crazy. Right. Two people have tried to kill me today, and one almost succeeded.
“You won’t need one after I’m done with the culprits, but for now, indulge me,” Principal Fallon says.
“Fine,” I reply resignedly, but at the same time annoyed. I sound just like Rosie when she doesn’t want to do something.
Shit. I hope Toby doesn’t tell Rosie about what happened today. I can’t have her worrying about me, not after I promised her I’d be safe here. Keeping information from my sister makes me guilty as hell, but I can’t quit school now. Not because this is the opportunity of a lifetime, but because I sense a great shift is about to occur in our world, and it will start here, at Gifted Academy.
4
Daisy
“You looked truly surprised to learn Bryce and Rufio Kent are Jodie’s sons,” Ellen says.
We already left the main school building, and there’s no around to eavesdrop on our conversation.
“No one bothered to tell me.”
“I don’t think the boys want to broadcast to the world that their mother is the principal. You know, they’d lose a few cool points if they did.” The woman chuckles.
“Well, she should have told me.”
We enter the dorm room building, but before we take the stairs to my floor, the nurse’s phone rings.
“Nurse Carstairs speaking.” There’s a pause, followed by a frown. “All right. I’ll see you in five minutes.”
She puts the phone away and turns to me. “I have to get back to the infirmary. It seems today kids have decided to act extra stupid. Are you going to be all right on your own?”
“Yeah. I’ll be fine.”
With a nod, she heads out. I veer for the stairs. It’s strange that, despite what happened, I’m not feeling jittery or anxious. I was attacked, for crying out loud. Shouldn’t I be suffering from PTSD or something?
I sprint up the stairs though. There’s no reason I should risk getting caught alone by a vengeful Idol.
As I approach my room, my eyes scan ahead, landing on the guys’ apartment door. It’s ajar. My stomach coils as apprehension sneaks into my heart. I’m feeling nothing about being almost killed, but the prospect of seeing Rufio, Phoenix, and Morpheus puts me on edge? That’s insane.
Despite that, I tiptoe toward their apartment and look inside. It seems empty.
“Bryce?” I call out.
No answer. I should leave, but something tugs in my chest, almost as if there’s an invisible line pulling me in.
I enter and then veer toward the direction I think his bedroom is. There are two doors. One is closed, but the second is open. The sound of a shower running warns me someone is home.
“Bryce, are you in there?” I walk in.
A queen-size bed takes most of the room, which makes the space a little cramped. The desk pushed against the window is covered with books and loose sheets of paper. On the floor, a trail of discarded clothes leads to the bathroom. The door is cracked open, but the pool of water leaking from under it makes me worried.
Without a second thought, I stride toward it and push the door in all the way. The bathroom is filled with steam, but I can still mak
e out Bryce’s legs sticking out from the shower stall.
“Bryce!” I yank the shower curtain open and drop to my knees.
His head is hanging low, and his long bangs are covering his face. I push them off and lift his chin.
“Bryce! Wake up.” I shake him.
A moan escapes from his lips, but his eyes remain closed.
“Damn it.” I rise again to turn off the shower. Now we’re both drenched, but at least he’s naked, unlike me.
I grab him by the shoulders and shake him harder. “Come on, Bryce. Wake up. You’re scaring me.”
His eyelids peel open, but only halfway. “Daisy? Is that you?”
“Yes, it’s me. Come on, I have to get you out of here.”
Crouching next to him, I drape his arm over my shoulder and try to lift him off the floor. But I have two problems: Bryce is as slick as butter, and he weighs a ton. Damn all those muscles.
“Bryce, please. You gotta help me here.”
“I’m so tired.”
“Well, can you crawl on your knees, then? Because I can’t lift you up and drag you out.”
He rubs his face and then hits his cheek for good measure. “Okay, okay. Try to lift me up again.”
“All right, on the count of three. One, two, three.”
I pump my legs up, straining my muscles to the max. Now that Bryce isn’t a complete dead weight, we manage to stand and get out of the wet stall. Slowly, I steer him to his bed. I have every intention to let go of him as he falls, but he pulls me with him and I end up on top.
He chuckles. “I’m glad you found me.”
He brings his lips to mine before I can reply, kissing me lazily as if he has all the time in the world—or doesn’t have the energy to do more than that. Regardless, my body melts against his, and soon I discover Bryce is not that tired. His cock is very much awake, pressing against my pelvis.
With difficulty, I lean back, ending the kiss. “Bryce, I didn’t come here to make out with you. You passed out. Shouldn’t we call Ellen?”
Bryce reaches for my face and cups my cheek. “Nah. I’m beginning to feel better.”
Ruthless Idols: A Paranormal High School Bully Romance (Gifted Academy Book 2) Page 2
