Empire High Betrayal

by Ivy Smoak

  “Oh and there was that one time when she tried to kill both of us,” Kennedy said. “That was loads of fun.”

  “No,” Justin gasped.

  “Yeah, at homecoming. She drugged me and then abandoned Brooklyn naked in the middle of the city.”

  “I was wearing underwear,” I said. I could feel my cheeks turning red.

  “What?” Mrs. Caldwell said and turned to me. “Why didn’t you tell me any of this?”

  “I…I thought you knew,” I said. “Didn’t Matt tell you?”

  She pressed her lips together. “No. No he did not.”

  That was news to me. Why wouldn’t Matt tell his mom about Isabella? “Why did Matt tell you I was staying with you?”

  “Because of the issues with your father.”

  I bit the inside of my lip. That made sense. His parents hated my dad. It was a good excuse for me to move in with them if I hated my dad too. But because I was trying to escape a psychopath? That made me a considerably worse houseguest. I didn’t blame Matt for lying. I was just relieved I was able to stay with him. But a heads up would have been nice.

  “I’m sorry…”

  “No reason to apologize, sweetheart,” Mrs. Caldwell said. “It doesn’t matter why you’re staying with us, I’m happy to have you. I just feel bad because I already invited Isabella to the Halloween party. This is a disaster. She’s already RSVP’d. I can’t take it back.”

  “Of course you can,” Justin said. “Go snatch her invitation and rip it to shreds just like she did to Brooklyn’s clothes.”

  Mrs. Caldwell laughed. “If only it was that simple. The last thing I need is to upset the Pruitts.” She seemed to realize what she said and shook her head. She wrung her hands together and I wasn’t sure if it was because she was worried about how I’d react to her comment, or if she was actually worried that there would be some kind of repercussions for upsetting my father.

  “It’s okay,” I said. “Isabella’s not allowed to talk to me. It doesn’t matter if she’s at the party.”

  “Really?” Mrs. Caldwell looked so relieved.

  “Yeah, it’s fine.” I didn’t love it. It basically meant Isabella would have full access to the only place I truly felt safe. I might as well have been living with her.

  “Just make sure to lock your bedroom door,” Justin said with a laugh. “Now where were we.” He snapped his fingers. “Sandy from Grease. That tight little black number. You’d look divine, Brooklyn.”

  “That’s perfect!” Kennedy said.

  Mrs. Caldwell smiled. “Oh, I love that movie. You really would make a perfect Sandy.”

  I’d watched Grease with my mom half a dozen times. She always used to stand up and make me dance with her to all the songs. I didn’t know whether I was smiling or about to cry. “Yeah, that sounds good to me.”

  Justin clapped. “This is going to be perfect. Fingers crossed Halloween doesn’t end with you naked and alone in the middle of the city.”

  I half laughed half groaned. “I will never get in a car with Isabella again. It’ll be fine.”

  “It’s showtime,” Justin said and spread his hands. “Let the shopping begin!”

  Chapter 21

  Friday

  Kennedy disappeared behind a rack of clothes and I followed her out of earshot of Justin and Mrs. Caldwell. The clothes were all glamorous. But I really didn’t know a thing about fashion. I’d leave all that to Justin. What I really needed was to talk to Kennedy. We used to hang out all the time, and now that I was living at Matt’s we didn’t get to see each other nearly as much. And there was a question I needed to ask her that I didn’t want anyone at school to overhear.

  “Hey, have you heard from Felix at all?” I asked.

  She shrugged. “No. Why?”

  “I really need to talk to him. I’ve texted him a few times, but he never responds.” Besides, it would be better to talk to him in person. Even though he hadn’t been to school all week, I assumed he had probably heard the rumors about my engagement ring. Everything that happened at Empire High seemed to travel like wildfire. Except for Felix’s whereabouts.

  “Felix’s parents mostly live abroad and sometimes he disappears for a couple weeks at a time when he visits them,” said Kennedy. “I don’t think he gets international texts.”

  “Oh. So he’s visiting his parents?”

  “Yeah, probably. What do you need to talk to him about?”

  “I just want to clear the air.”

  Kennedy lifted up a pair of pants that could only be described as genie pants. I wasn’t even aware that pants like that were made outside of costumes. But the material was definitely not cheap polyester.

  “Do you think he still likes you?” Kennedy asked.

  “I don’t know.” Not if he’s heard the rumors. I really, really wanted to talk to him in person before he heard about Matt. “Do you still like him?” I’d been dancing around this question with her ever since we’d met. She’d denied it. She’d changed the subject. She’d laughed. But I never quite believed her.

  “Nunca. Have you read all those contracts your dad gave you yet?”

  Nice try, Kennedy. I wasn’t letting her off the hook that easily. “No, I’m still going through them.” I’d been through the whole dating one. There wasn’t really anything weird in it. And for some reason it made reading the other considerably less appealing. “Just a nunca on the Felix thing?”

  “Yeah, it’s a nunca from me. These would be perfect, wouldn’t they?” Kennedy asked and held up the genie pants.

  “Yes…but let’s circle back to my question real quick. Are you sure you don’t still like Felix?”

  “And these would be great for your costume,” Kennedy said and pulled out a pair of leather leggings.

  They would indeed be perfect. But she was avoiding the question. “Kennedy, I think if you have feelings for Felix…”

  “Oh, are we talking about boys?” Mrs. Caldwell asked. “Tell me everything.”

  Kennedy laughed. “There’s not much to tell. Brooklyn keeps trying to set me up with this boy at school. And I keep telling her I’m not interested. Rob on the other hand? I very much like him.”

  “Robert Hunter?” Mrs. Caldwell asked. “Well, that’s perfect. He’ll be at the Halloween party too. I’ve always wanted to play matchmaker.”

  “He will be?” I asked. Did Matt and Mason know that?

  “Of course. The Hunters come every year. Robert and James practically grew up in our house. They’re over all the time. The last few weeks have been so busy for them, I haven’t seen them much. But they all already RSVP’d. It’ll be so good to see them.”

  “Mhm,” Kennedy said and glanced at me. Her face screamed what the hell is happening?

  I shook my head as discreetly as possible.

  “I’m going to figure out a way to give you and Robert a moment alone at the party,” Mrs. Caldwell said. “Oh, the hairdresser is here. Do you two have any idea what you want to do for your new hairstyles?”

  I kind of liked my hair the way it was. But Mrs. Caldwell looked so excited. And I was trying to prove that I belonged in this world just as much as Isabella. I thought about all the girls at Empire High. “Maybe add some layers?”

  “That’s a great idea,” Kennedy said. “It’ll give your hair more volume. And I’ve always wanted to try highlights.”

  “This is going to be so fun,” Mrs. Caldwell said. “Let me go check in with the hairdresser. I hope she brought those books of hairstyles. I always love flipping through those.”

  “Does she not know that her sons are at war with the Hunters?” Kennedy asked.

  “No. Matt and Mason think that by not mentioning Rob and James that they’ll just disappear. As if erasing a lifetime of friendship just happens. Especially because their parents are friends. I think.” I didn’t really know that for a fact. But they were neighbors. Where I grew up, all neighbors were friends. So, it was probably true.

  “So Isabella and the Hu
nters are coming to this party,” Kennedy said. “This is going to be kind of amazing.”

  I laughed. “It’s like a ticking time bomb.”

  “As long as I’m not the one that explodes, I’m happy to watch all of it unfold.”

  My phone buzzed.

  “You talk to your man,” Kennedy said. “And make sure you try these on.” She shoved the black leather leggings into my arms. “They’re going to be perfect for your costume. I’m gonna go ask the hairdresser to make me look like J-Lo.”

  I laughed and pulled out my phone. But it wasn’t Matt. The text was from an unknown number: “Hey, Brooklyn. Can we talk? I can meet you out back by the pool. See you in an hour?”

  I looked up at Mrs. Caldwell and Kennedy laughing. I didn’t have time for Rob’s shenanigans right now. He’d been texting me from a different number every night this week, trying to trick me into weird meetings with him. Usually the texts were funnier than this. But I still knew it was him.

  I typed out a quick text. “I’m not home, Rob.”

  My phone buzzed right away. “It’s not Rob. It’s James.”

  I was used to the funny texts from Rob. But now that I knew it was James? It didn’t seem so light anymore. What did James want to talk about? He didn’t mention Operation Disappearing Troll. Was it about something else? I bit the inside of my lip. It didn’t matter. I promised Matt. “I’m still not home,” I wrote back.

  He texted back right away. “But I like being miserable with you.”

  My stomach twisted into knots. Matt said he didn’t care about James’ wellbeing anymore. But he did. I knew he did. And he’d want to make sure that James was okay, even if they were fighting.

  “Are you okay?” I texted.

  “No. I’m miserable. And it’s loud here.”

  “Where are you?”

  “I don’t know. Some club.”

  A club? That meant he was drinking. Or worse. “What club? Where?”

  “Are you coming?”

  “James, tell me where you are.”

  “I like when you’re bossy. Come make me feel better.”

  Yeah, he was definitely drunk. Or high. Or something. I had no idea what his current elixir of choice was. “James, give me the address.”

  “Call me and I’ll give it to you,” he texted back.

  Damn it. “Fine. One second.”

  I walked over to Mrs. Caldwell and Kennedy. They were flipping through books of different hairstyles. I hung the Sandy leggings on the back of one of the chairs.

  “I need to make a call real quick,” I said. “I’ll be right back.”

  “Wait,” Kennedy said. “What do you think of something like this?” She flipped around the hairstyle book she was holding. The model in the picture had these beautiful chestnut highlights in her hair.

  “That would look amazing on you,” I said.

  “Yeah?”

  “Absolutely,” Mrs. Caldwell said. Then she turned to me. “Don’t go too far, sweetheart. Not past security, alright?”

  “Mhm.” I made my way out of the private room. The grand entrance was completely empty. I pressed on James’ number.

  “Hey,” he said. But I could barely hear him over the music blaring in the background.

  “James, where are you?”

  “Where are you?”

  I shook my head. “I’m out.”

  “Are you with Matt?”

  “No. I’m out with his mom. Tell me where you are.”

  “I like Mrs. Caldwell,” he said. “She’s nicer than my mom. Everything Matt has is better than what I have.”

  Oh, James. “Can you please tell me where you are?”

  “What are you and Mrs. Caldwell out doing?” he asked, ignoring me.

  “We’re getting makeovers.”

  The music got a little quieter, like he’d shut himself in a bathroom or something. “You don’t need a makeover, Brooklyn. You’re perfect just the way you are.”

  I bit the inside of my lip. He wasn’t supposed to be saying stuff like that to me. “James…”

  “How do you know if someone loves you or your money?” he asked.

  “I don’t know.”

  “Yes you do. Because you love Matt for Matt. You don’t care about his money. You’re not like Rachel.”

  “I thought you two made up?”

  “Yeah. But I don’t want to be with her anymore. She doesn’t love me. People in love don’t cheat.”

  “People make mistakes.” I’d certainly made plenty of them.

  “I want to be with you,” James said. “Like in the shower. It was like you needed me. I think I like being needed. Rachel doesn’t need me. She just wants the life I can give her.”

  “James…”

  “I won’t kiss you. I just want to sit with you. I can’t remember the last time I was as happy as I was that night. Just sitting.”

  “If I remember correctly, you also got your…you know…bitten. It couldn’t have been that great of a night.”

  He laughed. “That part was not the best. But my dick is fine, if that’s what you’re wondering.”

  “I wasn’t.”

  He sighed. “I’m so fucking tired.”

  Something about the way he said it made it seem like he wasn’t sleepy. More like tired of his life.

  “Can you please tell me where you are?”

  “I’m going to get the fuck out of this city as soon as I can. Is everyone in Delaware as nice as you? Maybe I’ll move there.”

  “Not everyone. But in general…yeah, people seem friendlier.”

  “Yeah, maybe I’ll go there. One day. I don’t know. I’m tired. You know?”

  No, I didn’t know. That was the problem. All I knew was that I was worried about him. Ever since Matt told me he was scared James might try to hurt himself, I’d been worried. More now than before. Because it seemed like now I was the only one looking out for him. “Tell me where you are, James.”

  “I’m in a bathroom.”

  “That’s not helpful.”

  He laughed. “I meant what I said when I proposed. I don’t think we’d be miserable together. I think you make me happy. I think you’re the only one that makes me happy.”

  “Don’t say that.” My stomach twisted into more knots. It wasn’t fair for him to put his happiness on me. I couldn’t be his person.

  “Why shouldn’t I say it? It’s true.” He sighed. “And you understand my misery too. I like drowning with you. Fuck. I want you even more because I can’t have you.”

  “Just because we aren’t together doesn’t mean we can’t be friends. I’m a pretty great friend, James.”

  “Friends with benefits?”

  “Just friends,” I said.

  “Right. The kind with lots of benefits.”

  I laughed. “Please just tell me where you are.”

  “Will you come? And just sit with me for a few minutes? I won’t tell Matt.”

  It didn’t matter if he would or wouldn’t tell Matt. I couldn’t do that. “I’m going to make sure you get home safe.”

  That seemed to be enough for him. Because he finally gave me the address. I jotted it down and hung up the phone.

  The SUV that drove me everywhere was still right outside. I walked out onto 5th Avenue and tapped on the glass.

  Miller rolled down the window. “Yes, Miss Pruitt?”

  I hated when he called me that. “I know this is a weird request, but is it possible for one of you to go pick up my friend? He’s drunk and he needs a ride home. I don’t really trust anyone else to make sure he gets home safely.”

  “What’s the address?” Donnelley asked.

  “He mentioned that he was in a bathroom in this club.” I handed him the piece of paper I’d written the address down on.

  “That’s close by,” Donnelley said. “I can swing by real quick. What friend?”

  “James Hunter. He has brown hair and dark brown eyes and…”

  Donnelley laughed. “I know Mr.
Hunter. I’ll make sure he gets home safely.”

  Miller lowered his eyebrows. It looked like he’d been trying to ignore me the whole time, but the name bothered him enough to actually make him show emotion. I hated that Miller had seen James kiss me. I hated that we were in a situation where we still had to see each other every day. I hated that I’d hurt him.

  “Miller, will you stay here?” Donnelley asked.

  “Yeah. Sure.” Miller climbed out of the car and slammed the door.

  The SUV drove off and I breathed a little easier. Donnelley would make sure James was safe. I looked over at Miller. I hadn’t had a moment alone with him all week. Not since he’d told me he was quitting.

  “James Hunter, huh?” Miller asked. “Remember when you told me you hated guys like Felix Green and Matthew Caldwell?” He looked so sad. “Now you hang out with all of them. And you’re engaged to one of them.”

  “Miller…”

  “It’s fine. Just an observation, kid.” He leaned against the wall outside Odegaard. “You should probably get back inside.”

  “I don’t want you to hate me.”

  He lowered his eyebrows. “I don’t hate you. I just hate seeing you with other guys. And I hate that I don’t have any way out.”

  “I asked my dad about you quitting. He said you two had a mutual understanding…”

  “A mutual understanding?” He raised both eyebrows. “Is that what he said?”

  “Yes.” It came out as more of a question than a response.

  “Did he throw the term family around too?” he asked.

  “Yeah, actually.”

  “I’m not that psychopath’s family.”

  I winced. First Mrs. Caldwell was worried about upsetting my dad with the whole Isabella invite. And now Miller was calling him a psychopath? I swallowed hard. They’d never seen the side of my dad that was sweet and caring. This was all a big misunderstanding.

  “I’m sorry,” he said. “You know what I meant.”

  “No, actually, I don’t. Miller, if you really want to quit I’m sure he’d let you. You just have to talk to him.”