by Nora Cobb
Justin steps closer. “Whatever he offered you, I’ll do better.”
He’s a little too close. It’s always the quiet ones. “I thought you were decent.”
He shrugs. “I’m better than agreeable if you want to give me a try.” He glances over his shoulder again at Pierce for encouragement. “I like girls with edgy looks.” His brown eyes sweep across the front of my tank top as he places a hand softly on my waist. “Sexy and tight. Are you tight, Astrid?”
His hand moves in a smooth sweep down and cups my ass. He squeezes my cheek like I’m a melon at the store waiting to be manhandled.
“Off me, pinhead.” I slap him hard across the cheek and hope he breaks his neck when his head whips backward. He straightens up and grins at me. His tongue touches the corner of his mouth then traces the edge of his full lips. His gaze is soft as he grins at me hopelessly.
Shocked, I move back when I realize the little creep just got off on being slapped.
Their obnoxious laughter follows me as I hustle back up the stairs. I’m picking up on the gossip as I strut down the hallway. I’m the bitch that sucks dick and then slaps my johns around until they pay me to stop. Well, I’d rather be a badass than a cowering wimp.
I hurry into economics class as the teacher writes his name on the board. This time, I get a seat in the front row by the window, and that will be my spot for the rest of the year—no musical chairs in class for me. I glance over and see the girl from the stairwell. I nod, but she looks away and refuses to move her head for the rest of the class. Fuck her.
The teacher turns around, and he barely looks older than the class, except he’s got a bald spot starting on his crown. He’s not that tall, but he’s slim with curly brown hair and a huge nose. I’m sure he got busted on that in school. Is it payback time? He looks us over with a weary look, and maybe he’s been at Stonehaven long enough to be jaded. He tosses the marker onto the dry-erase board.
“My name is Professor Getz. And I will attempt to teach you economics.” He shakes his head. “True economics. Not the economics daddy and mommy use to rip off the market while the middle class gets screwed.”
He pauses when someone in the back moans. “Mr. Bryce Shelton, we meet again.”
“Professor Getz,” Bryce leans back in his chair. “I enjoy your mistaken beliefs and look forward to dissecting them. Maybe one day you will understand how the economy works.”
“Little prick.” It’s barely audible, but I heard Getz say it. I glance over at Bryce, but he’s smirking as if Getz just paid him a compliment. Nobody says anything, and thankfully, Getz doesn’t make us stand up and say our names then answer a question. He asks questions, and a girl in the front keeps answering them, showing off her knowledge. He sighs as he spins the marker on the surface of his desk.
“Valerie, it’s time for one of your comrades to answer.” He waves a bored hand as he scans the room. He looks right at me and tilts a brow. “You,” he points, “Give me an example of supply and demand.”
I shrug my shoulders without thinking too hard. “If there’s not enough, the demand increases, driving up the price for the item but not necessarily the price of comparable items. If the supply is greater than the demand, the commodity sits, and the investor or business is forced to take a loss. It may gain a little traction at a cut rate, but the business will move on to something new that will attract the desired price.”
There’s a low whistle from the back, but I don’t turn my head. My gaze is on Professor Getz, who reassesses my status in his classroom.
“Very astute…”
“Astrid,” I reply, “Just Astrid.” I glance at Bryce behind me, and his snarky grin melts off his stuck-up face.
Getz chuckles, getting my reference. He tilts back in his chair, satisfied that he might have a class worth teaching this year. Or at least some cheap entertainment. He glances at his watch. “Before I let you loose on the world, you will read Chapters one, two, and three in your textbook or eBook, however you consume your media, and there will be a short quiz that counts toward your final grade.”
There are whimpers and a couple of moans. “I don’t care if you’re seniors,” replies Getz, “I’m still going to teach you, and you will learn.”
I walk past Getz’s desk as he taps on his phone. “Astrid.” He calls me over, and I hurry back when I catch sight of Bryce hanging out in the hallway. Getz pushes his phone aside and sits up, folding his hands on the desk. “I won’t keep you long. Do you have a portfolio?”
“You mean like art?” I ask softly.
He clicks his tongue, and his eyes sparkle, but his lips are set in a firm line. “I’m the faculty advisor for the investors club. The Stonehaven Academy Investors Club. I want you to consider joining. It looks good on a résumé, and you can start a different kind of portfolio.”
I bite my lip in indecision. I wasn’t considering doing more at Stonehaven than I had to put up with. I glance out into the hallway, and Bryce is watching me. But keeping a low profile is no longer an option.
“So we get to keep the money we invest?” I ask, and Getz’s eyebrow lifts to his hairline. “I mean since it’s for school and all.”
“You pay an initial fee, but the school will reimburse that fee at graduation, so you suffer no major losses.” He shrugs his shoulders, looking away, and I’m losing his interest while he’s gaining mine. Bryce is probably in the club, but I need income. I know enough that betting on the fights earns more than fighting. I’ve got what I have in my pocket, but I don’t know when I’ll be getting more. This could be the opportunity that might get me out of Weymouth. My mind races through the pros and cons, but I don’t shy away from challenges. I may not like them, but I won’t back down unless I’m beaten. I haven’t been beaten yet.
“When does the club meet, Professor Getz?”
Chapter 8
Astrid
I need a drink, but I have to settle for carbs instead of cheap beer. I walk with Roni to the dining hall like I’m a lamb prancing toward destruction. I’d bail, but we’re meeting Terri, and I’m the one in need of advice.
Closing my eyes, I sniff the changing leaves on the air. Soon dark greens will transform into blazing reds. I haven’t taken out my sketchbook since I arrived, and I wonder if I should’ve signed up for an art class. Maybe I could drop rhetoric in its place. In my head, I arrange leaves into a composition and miss my old school a little more each day. I must be crazy.
At a distance, Bryce and Justin stand by a low building that they keep disappearing into. They’re having an intense conversation as Bryce steps into Justin’s personal space.
“What is that building?” I whisper to Roni.
Roni follows my gaze and stares at the boys, who look like they’re about to shove one another when Bryce lifts his chin and gives Justin no room.
“The faculty building,” she mutters. “I hate them boys for being so hot,” I know what she means when I glance back at them. They’re both tall and lean with hard muscle, but Bryce has a way of standing that conveys that he expects respect, and he’ll get it too. As we watch, he shoves Justin, who stumbles backward, almost falling.
Justin straightens up and holds his fist out in a way I was taught not to on my first day at the gym. He lowers his hands when the blonde girl comes out of the building and casually drapes her arm over Bryce’s shoulder. I frown. She looks like an accessory hanging all over him.
Charlotte Howland.
Something about her seems familiar, but I can’t imagine her ever going to the Pit. The rich girls stay behind the glass in the old office. But I know I saw her somewhere before Stonehaven. Charlotte and I look about the same height and build, but where I have muscle, she has curves. She is gorgeous, I’ll admit it. With her looks, she must collect men. Pale hair that sets off pale skin that must cost serious money to stay even-toned. I glance down at the scars on my banged-up, gross knees.
Charlotte tilts her head, and her gaze lifts off of Bryce and catches on
mine. The boys don’t notice they’re being watched as she stares back at me. Her pretty looks turn sour as if something with a stench just wafted under her tiny nose. She’s not fond of me, and it shows in her blue eyes as she stares holes into my head. It’s a miracle she’s not spitting fire because I can feel the waves of hate from this far away.
“What do you know about her?” I ask Roni.
“Charlotte Howland is the queen of Stonehaven, and she works to maintain her status. Her dad is a rich doctor at Howland Medical Center. They’ve had their millions since the Mayflower and live in Rockingham in a freakin’ mansion that could house the whole state.” Roni looks away. “You won’t be making friends with her unless you have a trust fund in the millions.”
“Don’t you?” I ask.
“I’m a dollar short.”
Charlotte unlocks me from her laser gaze and throws her head back with a laugh that carries around the campus. She sounds as phony as she looks. Those girlie girls with their perfect makeup and pink clothes make me sick. I cringe at my thoughts. I didn’t envy people before, especially lightweight girls. Why is she rubbing me the wrong way?
“Don’t be fooled,” smiles Roni, reading my mind. “She puts on an act of being a clueless airhead, but that would be a huge underestimation of how good she is at getting people to do her bidding.”
Watching me, Charlotte wraps both her arms around Bryce’s neck and laughs while he peels her off him. I hold the door open for us as Bryce glances over at the door before we disappear inside.
“She sleep around?” I ask flatly.
“Maybe, but she campaigns to pass herself off as a virgin.” Roni shakes her head. “These girls would give a guy their virginity before they loan him a dollar.”
I hold in a snort. “That’s cold.”
I feel odd sitting around watching my former coworkers sweep the floor and wipe the tables—jobs I used to do a month ago. I watch Gary enter the hall to inspect it for cleanliness. He never had to do that while I was working here. Our eyes meet, and I wave a half-hearted hello. Frowning, he nods and disappears into the kitchen. It’s time we started ignoring one another.
“The food is seriously delicious,” I announce, tearing into my alfredo pasta with peas, “the best I’ve ever eaten.”
Roni and Terri gaze at me in wonder, but it’s not positive. “It’s adequate,” replies Roni.
I shrug my shoulders, gripping my fork and shoveling another bite in my mouth. I’m slowly learning that it’s better if someone else talks. I look over, and Charlotte has entered the hall with Bryce and Justin. She gives me a look like I shouldn’t look at her.
“That girl keeps staring at me,” I pause. “I wonder why.”
Terri’s eyes widen, but he keeps them on his plate. “It’s because you keep hitting people.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I ask hotly. “Are you defending them?”
When I finish shouting at him, I realize they could hear me at my old school a town away. I lower my voice—cheeks burning like I touched fire. I hate that I feel that the animosity the other kids are showing me is because I’m clueless.
“Yeah,” Roni scrunches up her face in a smiley frown. “Hitting people isn’t something you do here. Rich kids don’t hit. They hire other people to hit for them.”
I think about Wyatt and his mask. Maybe that’s why he conceals his face. Either that, or he’s trying to protect it. I tilt my head as I poke my pasta with my fork. “So hitting isn’t posh.”
Terri continues to stare at his plate as he talks. “People think you have poor breeding because you can’t control your base instincts.”
“Base instincts.” I stare at Terri in shock, and he replies by slurping his squash soup out of his spoon. I back down. He’s not doing anything wrong except telling me the truth.
“So,” I say, avoiding eye contact, “I’m on the bottom rung of the ladder?”
“Actually, you’re standing on the ground,” replies Terry, “The ladder is out of your grasp.”
Roni glares at him unkindly as I stare at his boldness. I want the truth, but that stunned me like a sucker punch. “Terri,” says Roni, “sometimes being too honest will cost you plenty.”
“Sorry,” Terri whispers.
I wave it off. I’m a big girl. “You’re trying to help, and I need the truth.”
Terri finds my words encouraging and immediately launches into a thought-out explanation. “The trouble is you’ve run afoul of the top of the social ladder. Bryce and Pierce are the biggest donors to the academy and have been since their great grandfathers attended. Their families dictate school policy with their bank accounts.”
“What about Wyatt?” I ask softly.
“Wyatt? He can be cool,” replies Terri, “He’s saved my ass plenty of times.”
My eyes widen in shock. “Terri is walking on the wild side. I don’t think you meant the animal?”
“I’m experimenting.” When Terri smiles, his face lights up. He’s a sweet kid, and no one should ever pick on someone so kind. I didn’t know Wyatt could be decent too.
***
“Five hundred dollars?” I blink my eyes when I read Getz’s email sent to all candidates for the investors club. I learned from Terri that the club is invite-only.
I check my wallet, and my cash is dwindling into nothing, which is the norm. Pretty soon the only thing in my wallet will be lint. I sigh, checking my next email. It’s a request to schedule an appointment with the head administrator, Dr. Marianne Rawlins. Not now. If that woman hadn’t gotten ahold of me on the first day, I’d be home right now, or at the Pit earning cash. I’m not into this.
I look around at my blank walls and scowl. I’m just not feeling at home here. My mom was too poor to send me away from home, and quite frankly, I was okay with that. I leap off my bed, and Roni looks up from her textbook.
She’s lying on her bed on her stomach, reading through her textbook and looking cozy wrapped up in a chunky yarn throw. I face-palm my forehead.
“I have readings for my classes. I have homework!” I get up, heading for the bathroom, and someone screams when I open the door. “Sorry,” I call out.
“Knock next time!” shouts a testy voice.
“Lock the fucking door.” I frown, ready to punch it, but freeze. Roni is eyeing me like she’s not so sure about me anymore. The longer I stay at Stonehaven, the less I fit in. My old life was hard sometimes and always stressful, but I miss home. And Mom. And Nova.
“I need a minute.” I grab my jacket and hustle out the door as Roni watches me with growing interest.
Reaching into my pocket, I pull out my phone and start tapping as I run down the stairs at the end of the hall. I wait for her to answer, hoping she’s still at home.
“Girl, where are you hiding?” Nova’s voice relaxes the weird knot screwing up my shoulders.
“You know I’m stuck here,” I tell Nova. “They have a curfew.”
“Are you sure it’s boarding school? Sounds more like juvie to me.” Nova sighs. “You’ve been tricked.”
I laugh. “Look, you going to the Pit tonight?”
“It’s Friday.” I can hear her smile beaming over the phone. “I wish you were coming.”
“I am,” I reply with conviction, “I need cash. Can you talk to Grinder and get me a fight?”
“Sure, but if you don’t show…” Her voice trails off.
“I’ll be there.” I have to be there. I need the cash, and the investors club is the only thing that interests me at this school.
Nova cheers. “Great because I’m going to be cheering you on.”
Chapter 9
Astrid
In the dark, under the covers, I check the time on my phone as quietly as I can. If my phone buzzes, I’ll have a meltdown. Roni took forever to go to fucking bed. It was like she knew I was up to no good, the way she kept glancing over me as I pretended to be asleep.
Around eleven, she sighs and starts turning off the lights.
Crap, I have no time to wait, and I need a plan that will fool her. When she goes into the bathroom, I jump out of bed, shoving my pillows under the covers and pulling the sheet up as if it’s me under there. I’m taking a risk that no one will notice, but I have to do it.
I did a search earlier on investment portfolios. If I can get one through Stonehaven, I’ll have enough money to cover my expenses and take care of Mom. I think about my deadbeat dad and how lame it is that he is calling the shots but still hiding in the shadows.
Getting out of the dorm isn’t too hard using the basement door. Of course, getting back into the building might be a challenge. I push a rock against the door to keep it from locking, but I hesitate. What if some shit happens? It’s bad enough for me to worry about it. I kick the rock out of the way and let the door shut softly. My bike is leaning against the dining hall, and luckily the administrative side of the campus is dimly lit after ten.
