Wrong Crowd (Kingsley Academy Book 1)

by Lisa Helen Gray

A bed is set in the middle, and it’s not a double, but it’s not a single. It’s somewhere in between. The sheets again are pristine, white, matching the curtains. The throw pillows are a light peachy colour, adding more light to the room.

  Two small tables sit on either side of the bed, both with peach lamps, a box of tissues, and complimentary chocolate.

  The room is beautiful. There’s even a dressing table with drawers to put clothes inside.

  “Wow,” I murmur, trying to take everything in.

  The driver from earlier taps on the glass door, dropping a suitcase just inside. “Here’s your bag, Miss Farley.”

  Shaking out of it, Selina smiles, grabbing her suitcase and throwing it on top of the covers.

  “Thank you, Luke.”

  “Where would you like this one?”

  “We’ve got it. We’re just heading to Ivy’s room now,” Lucca says, taking my case off him and nearly dropping it. “What the hell did you pack, Ivy? An arsenal?”

  I scrunch my nose up. “I didn’t pack.”

  Selina claps her hands. “Enough of all that. Let’s go see your room.”

  Well, okay then.

  Numbly, still a little stunned at the luxurious style, I follow. This is how the rich live. They can’t just grab a tent and pitch it for the night. No. They need electric, comforts, a bed.

  Selina talks my ear off as we follow the twins. I don’t hear what she’s saying, and I don’t think she’s noticed. I look to the middle of the circle, to the big fire pit in the centre, surrounded by logs for seats. Even that looks glamourous, and all they did was cut down a tree or two.

  I’m so out of my element here.

  When we walk past the hot tubs, I grimace a little. I wonder if that’s why Selina packed me a swimsuit, even after knowing I don’t swim?

  There’s only a few, a wide decking separating each of the five tubs. And there are huge barbeque areas set up with patio sets everywhere, some outside each pod or tent.

  “Here you go,” Ethan hollers. “It’s a single, but you’ll be okay.”

  I try not to look freaked out as I step around him, swallowing my gasp at the size of the room.

  Selina made it sound like a tent would be sleeping out in the wild. This is huge. And I wouldn’t call it a tent because I’m pretty sure tent parts aren’t made of wood and metal. It even has windows for Christ sakes.

  And the bed… The bed could easily fit ten people inside.

  I spin around, finding the twins gone, and their groupies. My eyes bug out at Selina. “This seriously can’t be for just me?”

  She scrunches her nose up. “The bed looks like heaven, but I dunno. If it rains, won’t it come through?” she asks, looking up at the fabric that makes the tent.

  I laugh, flopping down backwards on the bed, and let out a contented sigh. “It really is heaven.”

  “And you don’t have electric like we do,” she mutters, searching the room. I also have a lot more furniture. There’s even a wardrobe inside, as well as two, two-seater sofas. “Wait, I think this device thingy is what you plug stuff into. I think. I don’t see any plugs, but there’s a wire.”

  I roll over, finding what she’s found, and chuckle. “Lift the first flap.” She does, chuckling to herself when she finds a plug. “This is too much.”

  She claps her hands once again, rushing over to my case by the door and pulling it over to the bed.

  “Time to get this party started,” she gushes, unzipping my case.

  What could possibly be in there that could start a party? Balloons?

  My eyes widen in shock when she pulls out bottles of purple liquid, blue liquid, pink liquid and clear liquid. Wait, does that bottle have a unicorn on it?

  “I am not drinking all that,” I tell her, my voice high-pitched.

  She waves me off. “Someone will drink it. But tonight, we party. Tomorrow, we can sunbathe by the lake while the lads fish.”

  “Fishing?” I ask, my ears perking up.

  She snorts, rolling her eyes at me. “You can’t seriously want to go fishing. I hear you have to touch maggots.”

  I grin at her. “Sorry, but if they’ll let me, I’d rather fish. I’ve never been.”

  ‘Whatever. I’ll have a book to keep me company, and a hangover.”

  “I’m still not drinking.”

  “Just one? Please?” she asks, batting those lashes at me.

  “One. But nothing strong. I want the weakest shit you’ve got, and I want it diluted.”

  She rummages through my case, pulling out two bottles of lemonade. “Sorted.”

  “Did you pack me any clothes?” I ask, looking into the case. I sigh with relief when I see some clothes and pyjamas. “I am not wearing that swimsuit.”

  “Why not?” she asks absently, concentrating on opening the bottle of pink stuff. She pauses, looking around the room. “Shoot. We need cups.”

  “I’m not wearing it. Is it even my size?” I ask, my throat suddenly dry. There’s nothing there. Like, nothing. The red bikini is barely a scrap of material.

  “Of course, it will,” she tells me, searching through one of the cupboards by the door. “Ah-ha.”

  Bringing the cups back over to the bed, she hands them me. I mutely take them, still nervous about the bikini.

  *** *** ***

  I’m not self-conscious about my body. I look how I look and I’m okay with it. I’m not one of those girls who stands in the mirror and thinks my nose is too pointy, my lips are too thin, my forehead is too wide. I don’t think I’m fat, and honestly, I wouldn’t care if I was. I don’t care that I’m slim. I am who I am and I won’t apologise for that.

  But standing in a bikini, a see-through shirt over the top, my nerves are haywire. I place a hand over my stomach, wishing it would calm down.

  “Are you sure all the other girls will be wearing one?”

  Selina’s drink spills over edge of the cup, dripping down her arms. She hiccups, laughing. “No. They won’t be wearing that over it,” she tells me, her eyes glazed over.

  I take the cup from her hand, leaving it on the dressing table. “Okay, cupcake, that’s enough until later.”

  I let out a giggle at the cute pout she gives me. “Party pooper.”

  I shrug, not caring. “You’ll thank me later when you only vomit two bottles up and not three.”

  “You are phenomenal, Ivy Monroe. Always helping me out. You’re cool. You know that, right?”

  I laugh, pulling her out the door, forgetting about this damn bikini that barely covers my tits. “And you’re drunk, and here we are.”

  “I’m so glad you’re here. I know we’re technically cousins, but you’re like a sister.”

  I wouldn’t go that far, but she’s right, we are close; as close as I’ve ever let anyone, anyway.

  We head into the clearing where the fire pit is and the barbeques are burning. My stomach rumbles, crying for a cheeseburger. Selina, however, has other plans and pulls us over to the hot tubs.

  “Let’s get in one before everyone fills them up. I’m not about to get in one with some skank who hasn’t washed her lady parts.” She pauses, her nose scrunching up. “Actually, I’d prefer that than a sweaty ball sack. They’ve been out in the sun all day.”

  “Maybe we shouldn’t go in one then,” I tell her, trying to persuade her not to.

  “It will be fun. And I know you can drown in an inch of water, but I’ll be there. I’ll save you.”

  “No offence, but that doesn’t reassure me.”

  We walk up the stairs onto some decking, heading for the empty hot tub. There’s a group of people in the one next to us.

  Selina steps into the hot tub, looking saucily at the other hot tub beside us. It’s going fine, completely fine, up until she slips, heading face first into the hot tub.

  I reach forward to grab her, but hands behind me push me in, panic seizing me. Luckily, it’s not deep, and I manage to scramble to my feet without drowning.

  I spin ar
ound, shoving wet hair out of my face and ignoring the howls of laughter around us. Selina’s still coughing, unaware of what just happened.

  “Are you for fucking real?” I yell, glaring up at Danielle.

  Hand on hip, she looks down at me in the hot tub. Her gold, glitter half-suit clings to her body. I say half-suit because I’m pretty sure it’s meant to be a full suit. But the entire centre of the swimsuit is missing, showing off her tits, stomach and pubic bone. A gold chain hangs down middle like a necklace.

  She’s going into chlorine water, not a photoshoot.

  Danielle laughs with her friends. “You going to be okay in there, or would you like me to get you a paddling pool?”

  I tilt my head to the side. “You’re offering to lift a finger? Too much sun?” I pronounce slowly.

  A few people chuckle, and she gets this stormy look on her face. “Whatever, tramp. They’ve got some food scraps if you’re hungry.”

  I place my hand over my heart with a mock gasp. “You’re still thinking of me. How will I ever repay you?”

  “Ivy, I saved you a burger,” Kaiden rumbles. I didn’t see him walk up onto the decking, and I wonder how much he saw. Danielle’s face is worth it. She looks ready to slit my throat.

  “I could have eaten a burger,” Selina whines under her breath, causing me to giggle.

  “Thanks,” I tell him, taking the burger from him and moving to sit on the side of the hot tub, before taking the largest bite I can, just to piss Danielle off. She looks ready to gag, making me smile around a mouthful. “Yum!”

  Kaiden’s lips twitch.

  Danielle stands up taller, sticking her chest out, and pastes on a smile. “Want me to pop by your tent later, like old times?”

  I look down at my burger, suddenly finding it interesting.

  “No.”

  “But I could—” The twins cut her off when they jump into the hot tub, causing a huge wave of water to splash Danielle and her friends. She screeches, water dripping down her face.

  Unable to hold it in, I begin to laugh at her expression. She turns to me, her face like thunder. “You!”

  I point to my chest, smiling. “Me?”

  “You bitch!”

  “It’s called karma, look it up. Now ba-bye,” I state dryly, waving my fingers at her.

  She grabs Sophia, pulling her away from us.

  Ethan grins at me. “And that’s how you get rid of pests.”

  I shake my head at him. “I thought you two were busy with Legs?”

  Lucca laughs. “Legs! Perfect.”

  Ethan grins at his brother. “She did have long legs.”

  “Looked better spread in the air while I fucked her from behind.”

  “Gross,” I mutter.

  “In the air?” Selina asks, looking dazed.

  “Don’t,” I warn them, before they say anything remotely dirty.

  They laugh, looking up at Kaiden. “You getting in?”

  “Nah, maybe later,” he rumbles, his intense gaze burning into me.

  I try to not let him affect me, but he does, and I feel hot all over.

  Once he’s gone, the twins look to me and Selina, a calculating look on their face. “Let’s get fucked up.”

  “I don’t do drugs,” Selina tells them, revolted by the idea.

  Lucca laughs, shaking his head as he swims over to her. “My sweet, Selina. We don’t either. We are going to get pissed up.”

  Ethan leans over the side of the hot tub, looking down the stairs at a group of lads. “Yo, Grant, be a darlin’ and grab us some beer.”

  Grant looks up from talking to Kaiden, his eyes narrowed into slits when they see me. “Ask Ivy. I’m sure for the right amount of money, she’ll do it.”

  “Yeah, but you’re the bitch. Ivy is high class. Not even all our trust funds could afford her.”

  Grant shakes his head, walking off. Ethan grimaces when he turns back around, looking rejected. “I’m not getting out now. Girls will faint when they see my wet abs.”

  He does have impressive abs.

  Lucca snorts. “I see Lexi by the drinks table.”

  “Flexy Lexi?” Ethan asks, his ears perking up.

  “Flexy Lexi?” Selina mutters in utter disgrace. Even I have to admit, I threw up in my mouth a little.

  “She is flexible. I swear, she made up half of those sex positions,” Lucca drawls, his eyes glazed over.

  “Fuck off, you two, before I drown you,” I snap in amusement.

  They both fight to get out of the hot tub first, making me laugh. Once they’re gone, it’s peaceful, quiet.

  “They aren’t coming back with drinks, are they?” Selina asks.

  I lean my head against the back of the hot tub, closing my eyes. “Not a chance in hell.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  I wrap my white wool cardigan around me, wishing I was a little closer to the fire. It’s warm out, but the wind has a chill to it, and it feels like a storm is brewing.

  I’m in a daze, staring into the flames, but movement on the other side of the fire pit gains my attention.

  Danielle swaggers slightly towards a group of guys, and I don’t need the muscled back to turn around for me to figure out who the leech is trying to feed from. She wraps her arms around his neck, and I watch the muscles in his back tighten. He shrugs her off harshly, pulling away, and her face kicks up a storm.

  “Someone’s pissed,” Selina slurs, falling against me.

  I hold her up, watching as Danielle shoves Kaiden’s chest. He doesn’t move an inch, his body solid.

  She storms off with a girl I don’t recognise, her face like thunder, and when her gaze directs right at me… I smile.

  She’s been doing it all night, giving me death glares that is. She even went as far as rallying her friends to cough pathetic insults at me, like I’d storm off and cry like a baby. They either gave me a wide berth, like I was infectious, or pushed into me. It was tiresome and kind of amusing at the same time.

  Danielle’s snide remarks are getting on my last nerve though. I don’t like how close to the truth her insults are getting. It’s clear she knows some bits about my past, and she’s using it as ammunition, but the rest, I think she’s guessing, hoping one might push me over the edge. It’s not going to work though. I’ve been called a lot worse at school, treated horrifically because of the actions of my mum. They don’t need to know that though. I didn’t care then, and I don’t care now.

  Sticks and stones and all that.

  Having a mum like mine will harden you. You need to be tough to survive. And I survived it all.

  Danielle doesn’t know her left from her right.

  I don’t like the feeling I get when she vies for his attention. She went as far as to pretend her bikini top fell, giving him, and a few others, a flash of her tits.

  And she called me a whore.

  He’d shrug her off each time, either acting indifferent, walking away or like just now, shrugging her off like her touch burned him.

  It gives me the warm fuzzies each time.

  Selina snores, and I look down at her, grinning like an idiot when I find her asleep, her mouth hanging open.

  I nudge her with my shoulder, laughing when she shoots up, looking around. “Where did Drogon go?”

  “Drogon?”

  “My dragon.”

  I laugh, wondering what she’s going on about. “Come on, let’s get you to bed.”

  She nods, letting me help her up with minimal effort. She looks around, her eyes barely open. “They’ll bend the knee,” she whispers.

  “Well, okay then,” I mutter, wrapping my arm around her, supporting her. I’ve got not one clue as to what she’s going on about. It’s funny, nonetheless.

  We reach her pod with only two close calls. She’s small, but she’s dead weight when she’s drunk. She’s still muttering incoherent sentences.

  We walk inside, and I place her down on the bed, slipping her pumps off. After, I grab the bin, a bottle of wate
r, and place them next to her.

  “Water is on the side,” I tell her, shaking her a little.

  “Jon doesn’t know much,” she mumbles, slapping her lips together before falling into a deep slumber. Snores fill the air, making me grateful I’m not sharing a room with her. It would drive me nuts.

  And who the fuck is Jon?

  I head out of the pod, deciding to head back to my tent. When I see the twins up ahead with the same flexible girl from earlier, I veer off to the side, to the edge of the forest.

  A hand covers my mouth, another going around my neck, and I scream behind the hand, kicking my legs out.

  “Shh, it’s me,” Kaiden whispers, letting me go.

  Breathing hard, I spin around, smacking him in the chest. “You scared the fucking shit out of me.” I take in a deep breath, glaring at him. “I’ve got Selina talking about her dragon and something about a Jon, and then you creeping up behind me, while I’m in a dark forest, to grab me.”

  He smirks, wrapping his arms around my waist. He doesn’t speak, instead leaning down and capturing my lips. I sigh, placing my hands on his shoulders as I kiss him back. He picks me up, carrying me to the nearest pod and resting me against the side, kissing me harder.

  “I’ve been dying to get you alone all night.”

  I grin, rubbing my hands over his smooth skin. “Yeah?”

  “Yeah,” he rasps, kissing me once again.

  I lick his bottom lip before deepening the kiss, clinging to his hair. His kisses are deep, hot, and I can never get enough of them. He really knows how to use that mouth of his.

  When we break apart, staring into each other’s eyes, I can’t help but feel something pass between us, something more than kissing, more than fucking.

  “What?” I whisper, too afraid to talk louder.

  “You want to go back to my tent?”

  I sigh dreamily. “How romantic.”

  He shakes his head at me, his lips twitching in amusement. “That’s a yes.” He leans in, kissing down my neck, and I let out a low moan.

  From the corner of my eye, I see a flash of white. Squinting, my eyes go round when Danielle comes into view, her hands on her hips, her lips pinched together.

  My stomach bottoms out, panicked that someone has seen us. We’ve been keeping this between us, not wanting to rock the boat. Having other people knowing… it could ruin what we have.