Rowdy Boy (A High School Bully Romance): Black Mountain Academy

by Clarissa Wild

  “It’s fine. Half the school does,” she says. “Just as long as you don’t become one of those screaming groupies, I’m good.”

  I laugh. “Hell no. That’s so not me. If I ever get that desperate, I give you permission to slap me.”

  Now she’s the one to laugh. “I’ll hold you to that.”

  “Good,” I say, and I take a sip of my drink, which burns my throat so hard it makes me cough and spill half on the ground. “Jesus.”

  Mel laughs even harder. “I was wondering what your reaction would be. It’s always fun to see.”

  “Fuck, that was a trap, wasn’t it?” I try to swallow back the tears. That was some thick alcoholic juice.

  “Nah, they always make it that way for the bonfire. Spice things up, you know.” She winks and bumps her hips against mine. “So what do you say we go for a swim?”

  “Hell yeah.” I put my drink down next to my bag. I’m not supposed to leave it unsupervised, but there’s no way I’m taking another sip of that bomb.

  I follow her to the lake, which is teeming with people. Everyone’s dancing in the water, making out, throwing balls, having fun. I recognize a lot of people from school, who also happen to have classes early in the morning. A lot of people must be here without the permission of their parents, which makes it even more exciting. Old Monica would’ve jumped at the opportunity, so I want to give this my all and enjoy the evening like I’m supposed to.

  And as Mel wades into the water to join the party, I make a running start and jump in so hard the water splashes everywhere. It’s invigorating, and seeing everyone laugh and smile is the icing on the cake. This is what I used to love, to be at the center of attention. The good kind. And when the music blares from the speakers, I’m in my element, dancing to the rhythm and jumping up and down in the water.

  The night has now covered the land in pitch-black darkness, with only the bonfire lighting the area. There are tension and excitement among the partygoers, and some of them bump into me on and off, causing me to go under quite a few times. I don’t like how it feels, like I can’t breathe, so I quickly move away from the biggest crowd and watch them dance and bump each other. There are people kissing and swimming, probably fucking too, and I’m not sure I want to be part of that right now.

  That’s when I spot them. Students … from my old school.

  They’re here? At this party?

  Who invited them?

  Or did they always go here … and I just never knew?

  Questions flood my mind as the memory of everyone looking at me while I walked those hallways with shame fills me with anxiety.

  I wanted to leave it all behind, but I can’t. No matter how hard I try, my past will always follow me.

  With a racing heart, I swim off, not wanting to stick around until someone recognizes me or talks to me. I need to get the hell away from that crowd.

  “Monica?” Mel’s voice makes me stop and turn around in the water. “Where are you going?”

  I stutter, not wanting to tell her the truth. “I, uh … I’m just going for a swim.”

  “You okay?” She frowns.

  “Yeah, I’m fine,” I reply even though I’m not. If I don’t, I’m going to have to explain everything, and I don’t want to revisit those memories anytime soon. “I just wanna see the rest of the lake.”

  “Want me to come?” she asks, but someone’s already calling out her name.

  “No, you go back to the party.” I smile. “I’ll be fine, I won’t be gone for long.”

  “Okay, but I’m sending out a search party if you’re gone for more than an hour.”

  I laugh. “Thanks. Appreciate it.”

  She smiles. “Just don’t get lost, okay? I have a ride to get us both back home tonight.”

  “I won’t. See you later,” I reply. “Have fun!”

  She swims back to the crowd while I flounder farther and farther away. No way I’m staying there after what I saw. Especially with some partiers from both schools, tapering off into the bushes while wildly kissing and touching. I’m sure more goes on here than just dancing and drinking, but I don’t wanna know or see, that’s for sure.

  I swim off into the distance to try to calm my agitated heart and mind. Beyond the beach, the lake is so vast, and there are tons of tiny alcoves hidden by thick bushes and trees, as well as magnificent rock formations scattered all around. I just wanna admire the beauty of this place. And even though the music in the background makes it anything but serene, it’s peaceful to swim around nonetheless. I’ve found a new appreciation for being all by myself, and I don’t mind at all, considering where I am.

  “Going somewhere?”

  I almost gulp in some water. Fuck.

  On a big rock that leans over the water to my right, Cole is casually sitting there with a smile on his face.

  How long has he been spying on me?

  “Didn’t mean to scare you,” he replies, his muscles flexing as he moves closer to the edge.

  “I wasn’t scared,” I reply.

  He snorts and stands up, towering over me. “Sure about that?”

  “Definitely,” I lie, but I’m not about to let him have this petty victory.

  He wants to make me feel small. Insignificant. Bullied.

  “Is that why you almost drowned when you heard me?” he muses.

  My jaw drops. “Drowned?” I scoff. “You wish. You’re pathetic, Cole.”

  “That’s a word I don’t hear a lot.” He runs his fingers through his smooth, black hair, water dripping down the bird wings tattoo on his buff chest. It almost looks like he came walking right out of a photo shoot. That’s how handsome he is. And he knows, judging from that arrogant grin.

  “You know what I do hear a lot?” he says. “That people think you’re a scaredy-cat.”

  “A scaredy-cat?” I frown. Where the hell did he hear that? I shake my head. He’s just trying to get to me. “You’re just making stuff up now.”

  “I’m not.” He approaches the edge even farther. “You think changing schools will stop gossip from reaching others? Girls talk. And they told me you’ve changed.”

  Okay, enough. I don’t need to hear him talk about how other girls spill the beans to him because he’s so popular, and girls want to get close to him.

  I try to swim on, but I can’t escape his voice.

  “You can swim away, but you can’t run from the truth, Mo,” he says. “You’re running away from who you are.”

  “You don’t know shit about me,” I retort.

  “I know you used to love parties. And boys.”

  That makes me stop.

  I turn and look at him. He’s taunting me, tempting me to come to him. And I’m this close.

  “I told you …” He cocks his head, strands of tousled black hair tumbling over his darkened eyes. “People talk.”

  “Who?” I growl.

  But then I realize … it must’ve been someone at the party. Someone who recognized me.

  His brow rises, and a familiar smirk appears on his face. “I could tell you … or …”

  “Or what?” I make a face. “I don’t negotiate with extortionists.”

  “It’s not a negotiation,” he says, lowering his eyes at me.

  I gulp. I don’t know what this guy is planning, but it can’t be good.

  “Truth or dare,” he says, and he licks his lips in such a mischievous way that it makes my heart palpitate, and I don’t know if it’s in a good way or a bad way.

  “Why would I?” I reply.

  He grabs the tree branch hanging over his head and says, “Because you want to.”

  His light green eyes flicker with passion, as though he relishes the game of tricking me.

  My nostrils flare. This guy has balls.

  But if I say no … I’ll only prove what these people from my old school said about me. I’ll only give Cole more reasons to talk about me to his friends. To everyone who would listen. He could ruin my reputation within seconds. And
that would mean a quick game-over for my new start.

  “Do I really have a choice?” I raise a brow at him.

  He knows damn well the power he holds, and he loves using it to his advantage.

  “Guess they were right about that too …” he says.

  “About what?”

  “That you weren’t afraid to back down, even when you should.” He releases the branch and sits down on the rock only to slide down into the water, without ever taking his eyes off me. “Even when you know it’s going to end badly for you.”

  I swallow hard. I don’t know where he got this information or how anyone would ever know me so well … unless it was Sam. No, no fucking way would she ever spill the beans on me, let alone attend a party like this. That isn’t like her, but then who did Cole talk to?

  He wades through the water, coming closer and closer until my heart beats in my throat and my lungs feel constricted. Even in the darkness, his eyes still glimmer provocatively, and it feels as though he’s fucking me with his eyes. It makes me cower underneath the water until it covers my chin, as though it’ll hide the fact that my body is leaning toward his.

  “Truth or dare, Monica …” he repeats. “What’s it going to be?”

  “Only if I go first,” I retort, staying put despite his sexy body towering over mine.

  “Bold,” he replies. “But I’ll play. Truth.”

  “Who told you all those things about me?” I ask.

  He smiles. “Wrong question to ask … But fine, if you really care that much, her name was Jenny.”

  My eyes widen. Jenny. As in best-friend-of-Layla-the-bitch-Jenny? That same Jenny who bullied Sam and did despicable things? That Jenny?

  “Looks like you two know each other,” he says.

  And if I fucking know those whores from Falcon Elite Prep.

  If I ever see their faces again, I’d probably punch them so hard someone would have to call an ambulance. They deserve every inch of pain for what they did to Sam … for what they did to me.

  “She doesn’t know anything about me,” I say through gritted teeth.

  “Enemies?” His eyes narrow. “Good to know.”

  “Forget it,” I say. I don’t want to give him even an inch of power over me, but I guess it’s already too late for that. “Is she here?” I ask because if she is, I’m gonna give her a piece of my mind.

  He raises a finger. “My turn.” The smirk that follows is insufferable. “Truth or dare, Mo?”

  I sigh out loud and fold my arms. Guess I’ll have to postpone my search for Jenny. “Fine. Dare.”

  He seems disappointed. “People say you’re too afraid to try something new. So I challenge you to jump off that ledge.”

  I snort. “What? That rock you were standing on? Easy.”

  He points up at a much, much larger one. “That one.”

  My whole body turns frigid just from the height. Fuck. Am I going to do it or am I going to be a chicken, just like Jenny told him I was?

  Fuck Jenny. She might’ve been there watching me when Layla did all that shit to Sam and me, but she does not know me. And whatever the fuck he heard coming from her mouth is a blatant fucking lie.

  So I push past him and march out of the water, heading straight for that rock. I climb all the way to the top and look down at him, smiling right there in the water. It’s really fucking high.

  “Are you scared?” he yells.

  I shake my head. I wasn’t ever scared of anything, way back when … back before all this happened …

  I want to remember what it feels like. What it is not to fear a single thing in this world. To feel invincible and on top of the world.

  So I scream out loud, “Here I fucking come!”

  And I take a run and jump out into the nether.

  It’s quick but fast, so fast I can barely breathe, and then I hit the water feet first. The cold water rouses my senses, and the rush of adrenaline that follows feels so damn good.

  Cole cheers me with a few claps. “Knew you had it in you.”

  “Oh, shut up,” I reply, splashing some water at him.

  But it doesn’t faze him. Instead, he wades closer and closer until we’re right in front of each other again, my heart still beating out of my chest.

  “Truth or dare,” I say, as my eyes struggle not to follow all the tiny beads of water trickling down his tattooed chest.

  “Truth,” he replies, his voice as serious as the look on his face.

  “Why do you bully me?” I ask.

  He lowers his head to meet mine. “Because I need you to hate me.”

  I gasp. “But … why?”

  That familiar smirk pops right back up onto his face. “One question, Mo.”

  Fuck. I wish I’d asked a better one.

  “Truth or dare.”

  “Truth.” I don’t think I’m gonna like this, but I’m not up for another one of his dares.

  “You felt something when I kissed you, didn’t you?”

  My heart swells.

  Fuck.

  I had not expected that.

  Don’t get lost. Monica. It’s not real. None of it is. He’s a player. Someone who toys with hearts and minds. Someone who likes to win just for the sake of it.

  “No,” I reply, trying to shake off this dread.

  The look on his face is dead serious now. “Don’t lie to me. That’s not how this game works.”

  “Prove it,” I retort, glaring right back at him. “Prove I’m lying.”

  His hand reaches for my face. I don’t flinch, the mere touch of his hand on my skin enough to make me freeze. His palm cups my cheek, and I melt into him as his thumb brushes my lips, pulling one down as he slides farther and farther.

  “Is that a dare?” he asks with a husky voice.

  I don’t know how to answer without stuttering. My mind is going in circles, trying to tell me how bad this is, that I shouldn’t get close. But all I want is for him to kiss me.

  And when I nod, I’ve sealed my own fate.

  Because with his hands, he grabs my face and smashes his lips onto mine.

  Chapter 15

  Cole

  I kiss her hard and fast, unable to stop myself from going further.

  I tried. Fuck knows I tried so damn hard not to get close to the only girl I’m not supposed to have. The girl who’s irrevocably connected to the one person I hate the most. The same person who warned me to stay away.

  But I can’t. I can’t fucking stay away from this girl, even though I should.

  Even though I’ll probably wreck her …

  I don’t care anymore.

  I fucking wanted, no needed to kiss her right now, so I’m taking what’s mine.

  She’s yearned for this as much as I have. I can taste it on her lips, feel it in her body that’s pressed against mine. Our connection was obvious from the start, but we both knew we were bad for each other. I take and take and take until I had my fill. I use girls like I use the fame, for self-gratification, and she knows.

  It’s why I pushed her around, why I needed her to hate me.

  Because if she lets me in … I’ll destroy her.

  I’ll turn her into a weak, fumbling, driveling girl, just like all the others, until there’s nothing left but ruin when I’m done.

  But this girl … this girl is different.

  I don’t just want to be greedy. I want to give her everything I have. And that’s not something I’ve ever felt before.

  My mouth can’t stop latching onto hers in desperation, almost as if it would kill me not to. I don’t know what it is about her that makes me so frenzied, so hungry for a taste. Maybe it’s the newness, or maybe it’s because she’s forbidden.

  Or maybe my lips can uncover the truth beneath her lies.

  Because no matter how much I desire to claim her as mine and have my way with her, another part of me still wants to know what makes her tick.

  Her eyes shut slowly as I kiss her deeply, my tongue swiftly sliding in to clai
m her fully. I don’t care if she thinks this is wrong; I know she wants it. She doesn’t fight back, doesn’t push me away, doesn’t even flinch as I ravage her and leave nothing unscathed.

  My hand curls around her waist to pull her closer against me, the cold water brushing her skin, creating goose bumps all around. Or maybe that’s because of me …

  A smirk forms on my mouth, and I unlock my lips from hers to gaze at her from underneath my lashes. “Liar.”

  “What?” Her eyes burst open.

  “You felt something …” My tongue darts out as her eyes widen, and the realization of her own attraction to me shocks her to her core. “Truth or dare … Mo.”

  Her lip twitches as she rubs her thumb along the edge, almost as if to wipe off my mark. But my kisses leave more than just a stain on her lips, and she knows.

  “Dare …”

  The word slips from her lips before she realizes it.

  Before she understands the consequences of her words.

  And she covers her hand with her mouth, almost as if to push the word back inside.

  But I heard.

  I definitely heard.

  And I’m fucking ready to convince her.

  Monica

  I didn’t know what I said until it’d already slipped off my tongue.

  Dare.

  The word reverberates over and over in my mind.

  I didn’t mean to say it.

  But my mind was absent.

  Completely stunned by what he just did.

  He kissed me, right then and there, each one of them scorching hot. Demanding. Greedy. Hot. As if his life depended on it, and I craved them all.

  But my heart is betraying me now.

  Cole doesn’t like me.

  Cole doesn’t want me.

  He wants to own the thought of me, like some prize he can put on a pedestal and show off to his bandmates. And I know this … so then why is it so hard to push him away? To ignore his advances and let him go?

  I don’t want to be another one of his victims, yet I’m falling harder and harder for his game of cat and mouse … and I don’t know if I’m prepared to find out what happens when the tug and play ends.

  He’s using me, trying to get to me … but why? What’s so special about me?