F*ck You: Knox Academy - Term One

by Jaye Cox

  “Hey,” Kalen whispers, his face popping into view. The bed dips under his weight and I carefully roll over onto my side. Kalen is stretched out beside me, mirroring my position, head propped up on his arm. He’s looking at me intently, brow creased with concern. “How are you feeling?”

  “Bulldozed,” I say through a dry mouth. “Was all that stuff you said true?”

  “I’m sorry, Amelie,” he says, dropping his eyes. When he meets my gaze again, it’s full of pity.

  “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “I didn’t know how.” I don’t know what to say to that. Sure, we slept together and we’ve been close – my feelings for him are maybe even genuine – but I have my secrets too, so I can’t be mad at him for having his own.

  “What happened?”

  “You passed out. Went down like a sack of shit, actually. Sawyer moved like lightning to catch you,” he adds darkly. There’s no mistaking his jealousy. My heart soars, but I’m careful to keep my expression neutral. “The twins lost their shit and eventually stormed out. Sawyer helped me get you in the car. Once he knew you were okay, he took off.”

  “Wait, car? Aren’t we in your room?”

  “Yeah we are. My room at my mum’s house. There was no way I was leaving you in that house with that woman! Amelie, you didn’t see her. She went postal. Completely lost her shit and started smashing the place up, screaming. You wouldn’t have been safe there.”

  I blink at him, processing, slowly. I don’t know what to say. I’m uneasy being in Maggie’s house – there’s no love lost between us – but I expect that Kalen did the right thing by pulling me out of there. Kalen only knows a little of my history with Laura. Unlike the twins, who know everything.

  “Amelie, baby,” Kalen coos softly. He reaches out to tuck a strand of my hair behind my ear. “You had me so scared. I was so worried when you went down like that. I swear my heart stopped until Sawyer confirmed you had a pulse. You scared us. All of us.” I highly doubt it. I’m pretty sure the incubator was ready to dance gleefully on my grave after I ruined her big reveal. “Even the twins,” Kalen adds.

  “It...it made me realise how I feel about you. I really like having a sister—”

  “I’m not your sister.”

  “You’re about to be,” he argues.

  “As if the twins will ever let that wedding happen,” I scoff, and Kalen almost cracks a smile. I’ve never seen him so serious before. His easy going, young boyish face looks lost, yet earnest. It makes my heart pang in my chest and I don’t want to think about that.

  “Amelie, I like having a sister, but what I feel for you is so much more than that.” My heart starts to beat a little faster, wondering what’s coming. He’s going to kiss me, I’m sure he is. “Amelie, I’m falling for you. Real bad. I think I’m in lo—”

  “Kalen! Don’t!” My hand flies out to cover his mouth, like my small fingers can stop the can of worms he’s about to open. “Don’t say it!”

  “But it’s true. I’ve never felt like this before.” He looks so solemn that I don’t dare contradict him.

  He leans in and kisses me, and I let him. He’s saved me from Christ knows what with Laura tonight, and I don’t have the heart to rebuff him. Nor do I want to. I understand how Kalen’s feeling, because as much as I want to deny it, I’ve been thinking and feeling the same thing.

  When I don’t push him away, he rolls on top of me and deepens the kiss. He wastes no time bringing his hand up to cup my breast.

  “Kalen…” I warn.

  “Sssh, let me make you feel good,” he murmurs against my lips. And it sounds so good – the idea that someone in this world wants to take care of me – that I find myself relaxing into his touch. Melting into it, in fact.

  Kalen sees this as a green light, and he slips his hand under my shirt. When he reaches my breast, he gently pulls down the cup of my bra, freeing my left breast to his warm touch. My nipple instantly pebbles beneath his dexterous fingers as they lightly tease it. I groan in frustration; it feels good, but I need more.

  “Fuck you feel good, sis,” Kalen murmurs and I instantly tense and freeze.

  “Kalen—” I try to push him off.

  “Relax, Amelie, I’m just messing.” He grins down at me with mischief in his eyes, and I breathe out slowly and nod for him to continue.

  His mammoth cock is pressed against me and I groan. “Kiss me, idiot.”

  “Anything you say, baby.” He plants his lips against mine and kisses me with enthusiasm. I love kissing Kalen; his kisses match his personality exactly. They’re fun, playful, unexpected. He never finds a rhythm and he keeps me constantly chasing him, like I’m playing catch-up. It leaves me breathless, frustrated. When he pulls away again, I growl at him.

  “Patience, sis. Mum’s out. We have all the time in the world.”

  “Kalen, I’m warning you; don’t call me that!”

  “Why? You know it turns you on too,” he teases. His hand slides down my abdomen and to the waistband of my jeans. He flicks the button open easily and continues his journey south. “I bet you’re dripping for me, sis,” he whispers against my lips, and God dammit, his words do make me burn hotter.

  His fingers hit their mark and he grins down at me with mischief in his eyes.

  “I knew you loved it,” he brags.

  “Dick,” I gasp as he pushes a finger into my wet folds.

  “Patience, little sis, you can have my dick soon enough.”

  “I see you got started without us,” a cold, bored voice calls out.

  Panic – shame – fills me and I scramble to right myself. Something similar may have happened on Halloween but today I’m stone cold sober. I pull my top down and yank Kalen’s hand from my jeans. He laughs and sticks his fingers in his mouth, eyeballing me as he sucks my juices from his fingers like it’s the best lollipop he’s ever had.

  “Nice of you to join us,” Kalen grins over at Onyx and Slate standing in the doorway. Onyx looks close to murdering someone – standard – but Slate won’t meet my eyes. He’s squirming uncomfortably…and sporting some serious wood. Whoa. My eyes widen in shock. I didn’t expect that.

  “Told you she lied about that video,” Onyx drawls.

  “Fuck you!” My temper flares and I scramble up from the bed. The fucker just laughs; a hollow, cruel sound. Why? I thought we were getting somewhere...friendly almost.

  “Only if you beg me, sis,” he smirks.

  “Nice one!” Slate chuckles, without humour. Then he approaches the bed and high fives Kalen. What the fuck? I thought he was talking to Onyx, not Kalen. Why are they high-fiving? Why won’t Kalen meet my gaze? Was this planned?

  “Oh God,” I say, lurching on my feet. I feel sick. They’ve just played me. “I have to go.”

  “How? Your little princess limo isn’t here, and you have no idea where you are,” Onyx snaps. “Besides, I bet our mum will be real happy to see you here.”

  “What?” Kalen asks.

  “Didn’t she tell you? She told tales to dad and got mum put on probation.”

  “Is that true, Amelie?” Kalen demands turning to me.

  “Get out of my way!” I cry as I try to push past Onyx in the doorway, but he grabs me and prevents me from leaving. His grip is an iron manacle around my wrist. I struggle, but I can’t break free. This isn’t good. Old memories swim before my eyes, threatening to resurface. He pushes me hard enough that I fall back onto the bed, and then he closes and locks the door behind him.

  “I think it’s time we had a little fun with our new baby sister, don’t you Slate?”

  “Yeah, let’s give her a real Knox family initiation,” Slate grins, and for the first time, I’m more scared of him than Onyx. When they come closer to me, I can smell the alcohol on their breath and realise that, whatever was building between us over the last few weeks, it’s gone. This is not a safe place for me. These two are wasted.

  “Stop!” I yell, squirming under Slate’s weight as he holds me dow
n. I try to kick, but Onyx plants himself on my legs and pins me. Slate straddles my chest and I can barely breathe. Panic rises. I don’t want a repeat of last time.

  “Kalen!” I plead looking at the golden-haired boy who has frozen, ashen-faced on the bed beside me.

  “Don’t talk to him!” Onyx growls. “We warned you about that before. Slate.” Onyx gives a nod and Slate’s hands tighten around my throat. Only this time, it’s nothing like when Sawyer did it. With my chest already compressed and my throat constricted, the panic hits instantly. My fingers scrabble uselessly at Slate’s, trying in vain to prise him off me. Think, Amelie. How do you get out of this?

  Black spots begin to dance before my eyes, and I know that I’m about to pass out for the second time today.

  “Guys, stop!” I hear the fear in Kalen’s voice.

  Inspiration hits but I know I’ll only have one shot at this, so I wait a moment longer. Everything clears and I can hear Sawyer’s calm firm voice in my head walking me through the steps. I got this.

  Slate leans in a little to watch my face and opportunity strikes. I power the flat base of my hand upwards with all the force I can muster, into the bottom of Slate’s nose. The chaos is instantaneous.

  A shower of blood rains down on me, Slate screams, his hands flying from my throat to his injury. He jumps off me and races to the mirror to inspect the damage that I’ve done. Onyx follows him. And me? I just lie on the bed gulping in air like a fish out of water, trying to regain my strength.

  “Amelie-” Kalen reaches out for me but the second his skin makes contact with mine, I jerk away like I’ve been shocked.

  Still struggling, I leap to my feet anyway and race for the door. Kalen calls me again, his distress and anguish clear in his voice, but I don’t stop. No one tries to prevent me from leaving as I turn the lock, throw open the door with a crash, and bolt from the room and house like my life depends on it.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  I rage. Before, I was shaken up, afraid, betrayed. Now I’m angry. Raging. I cannot believe they played me like that. I really thought there was...something...developing between us. Now I know it was all a lie. I just don’t know why. Kalen’s betrayal, his inaction, hurts the most. Although what Slate did…the memories his actions brought back…

  No. I’m going to stick to my rage and cling to it like a life raft. I need to get away from this Godforsaken prison school once and for all. I’ve lost sight of my mission to get sent home, stupidly starting to think of this place as home. I’ve been so foolish. I need out. Now.

  I’d been warned before about trying to get sent home. Told it was futile, that there was nothing I could do that would get me kicked out. I’m about to call their bluff on this bullshit.

  I sneak across campus dressed all in black, it’s the early hours of the morning and I don’t plan on getting caught before I’m good and ready. There’s no one around. I don’t even see Baxter skulking in the shadows like so many times before.

  As I slip into the main building through a window that Kalen had once told me is always unlocked, for once it doesn’t take me ages to find my way to Monty's office. I think I’m finally finding my way around. A frisson of pride shoots through me but I temper it down; I don’t want to be proud of anything to do with this school. Apart from getting kicked out of it.

  Another excellent life skill my brother and Smalls taught me a long time ago, was picking locks. I’ve always been a whizz at it, but I genuinely expected Headmaster Knox’s office to have better security. I was still in single digits when I could pick a lock like that, blindfolded.

  It takes seconds and I’m in. Why doesn’t he have better security? He’s too trusting. He treats everyone like they have a clean slate coming here, but that’s about to bite him on the ass. My eyes scan the escape routes even though I’ve been here before – old habits die hard and all that – and I do a sweep for cameras. None. The old man is far too trusting.

  I cross to his desk and boot up his pc. While it loads, I check his desk drawers – all unlocked and full of pointless crap and stationery. Who puts pens and highlighters in a drawer? I check under the desk carefully, tapping and checking for loose or hollow areas, but find nothing. His filing cabinet only contains financial records. That in itself is strange. Where are our files? I know for sure that this place is old-school and has a paper trail, so where is it being held? A quick scan of his bookshelves reveals nothing. The only interesting thing in the whole room being the photo of him with his sons. No picture of Laura anywhere. Wouldn’t a guy want a picture of his fiancé in his place of work? Especially when he’s punching above his weight. As much as I despise my mother, I know she’s attractive and out of Monty’s league. Why isn’t he bragging about that?

  The computer loads the password login screen and I drum my fingers on the desk. Hacking is not my thing. I idly wonder if I should give it a go, or just call in backup. I finger the phone in my hoodie pocket, turning it over and over as I debate what to do...I’m going to try.

  I type in everything I can think of: his name, birthday, Laura’s details, his son’s. Combinations of those. I guess dates. I try family, Knoxfamily, onebighappyfamily, familyoverblood and just random stabbed letters on the keyboard.

  Think! I tell myself. I sit back in his chair, close my eyes and take a deep breath. Snippets of conversations since I arrived here flit through my head: being told I can’t do anything to leave; Elsie saying they have ways of making you comply; the mystery of why I’m in the second year; Baxter talking about me being prey, or hunted, or something; him telling me to pay better attention; the twins saying their father brought me here for a reason.

  It’s me. I’m the clue. I tentatively reach out and type in my birthday. Incorrect Password flashes on the screen in front of me. I sag with disappointment and wonder if I should just give up and trash his office so that he knows someone has been here. My finger hovers on the shutdown button but something makes me type in the date I came to Knox Academy instead. Password Accepted flashes up on the screen and then the pc begins to load. I’m in! I can’t believe it worked!

  I spend ages – it has to be hours – going through his computer meticulously. I can’t find what I’m looking for: our files. I know they exist, where else did the twins find my video? If he doesn’t have physical files, why can’t I find the digital ones? I’ve checked everything – even password protected folders – and they’re not on here. Fuck. Now what do I do?

  I check the time and realise I’ve been here a lot longer than expected. I need to leave before the admin staff come in. I want to get caught, but it has to be by the right people. What to do…

  I need to leave Monty a message, one that leaves him no doubt that it was me in here. But what?

  Inspiration strikes and I grab a sharpie out of his top drawer. I cross to the mirror and scrawl my message across the glass: the bitch will rip your heart out when she leaves.

  Satisfied that my message will be received loud and clear, I leave the office, not bothering to lock the door behind me. As I’m sauntering back across the campus grounds, acting like I don’t have a care in the world, a shadow passes over me.

  “Oh. It’s you,” I say flatly, looking up at Baxter Branson’s serious face. I’m not sure how I feel about his presence, he always seems to appear at just the right time – or the wrong time, depending on how you look at things.

  “I know what you’re doing.”

  “So?” I throw my shoulders back and raise my chin in defiance.

  “It won’t work,” he tells me.

  “I’m sick of everyone telling me that,” I gripe.

  “You were looking for dirt. You weren’t just trying to break in to get kicked out; you were in there too long.”

  “I didn’t see you on my way in,” I point out.

  “I’m around more than you think.”

  “So what am I doing then?” I demand, hands on hips.

  “You’re looking for files. I’d guess the student
files. The question is why. I have my theories.”

  I open my mouth to answer, not sure if I want to confirm or deny, when Baxter suddenly interrupts me.

  “I can help,” he offers.

  “Nothing comes for free around here,” I snap, throwing his earlier words to me back in his face. “What’s in it for you?”

  “I’ll tell you where to find those files and how to get your hands on them, if you agree to give me them when done.”

  “Which files?” I ask warily.

  “All of them.”

  “For the whole school?”

  “Yes. That’s my offer. Take it or leave it. You don’t have to give me your file by the way.”

  “Or Elsie’s,” I add.

  “Deal.”

  “I’m going to need something else from you,” I tell him.

  “You want me to get you out of here, because you’re slowly learning that Monty brought you here for a reason, and you could pretty much kill any student in this school aside from his sons, and he still wouldn’t set you free,” Baxter answers, stealing the words from my mouth.

  “What do you know?”

  “Everything,” he replies.

  “Will you tell me?”

  “I can’t. It’s not part of this deal. But I will have a plane waiting for you to get you out of here and then home, if you take my offer.”

  “Deal,” I don’t hesitate to accept his offer. He’s right; something is going on with Monty and those Knox boys, and he’s not going to let me go.

  I’m angry. What do I care if some secrets are spilled? I plan to find out what the hell those Knox boys have done to land themselves here, and I will use it against them as one last act of revenge before I leave. It’ll teach them to fuck with a Rossi. I need to remember who I am.

  Baxter gives me a dark grin that makes my insides squirm. Shit. Did I just make a deal with the devil?

  ***

  I get called out of first period. I was expecting it, but Sawyer collecting me from my SELF class threw me.

  “In trouble again, Amelie?” Maggie tuts. I throw her a withering stare and don’t deign to answer.