by LJ Byrne
Erin writes: I think we leave it to our future king. Make her love you and then dump her. Are you game, Ryder?
Ingrid says that I’ll be ugly, but Erin claims that would be even better. Ingrid suggests maybe I’ll jump off a bridge. Xander finds the thought disgusting, but he says that there’s a rumor that I’m pretty. Ryder responds: You’ll secure my position? If I take her, screw her, and dump her?
My stomach curls when Erin agrees. Their crude words make me cringe.
Ingrid writes: I’m all for it if I see tears on her face when you’re done with her.
Xander asks if it is open season on me and whether he can take a shot. After a short debate, it’s agreed that Ryder will try first.
Erin decrees that if Ryder can break my heart and ruin me, she’ll ensure he is the next King – she alludes to Ethan threatening Ryder’s position. The next set of posts occur on the first day of school. Erin has seen me from afar and writes that she thinks I’ll be sweet enough for Ryder’s taste. Through my tears, I see Arthur declaring that he wants me after Ryder is done with me. Cage says he doesn’t want to wait. Daniel wants to drug me and have his way. Ingrid mocks Ethan’s protectiveness and says I must be a virgin. There’s a gross description from Cage about sex with virgins.
Ryder writes: She’s mine. No one else gets to touch her until I’m done with her.
Ingrid responds: You can have her any way you want, but don’t forget I’m your future queen.
Ryder replies: How could I forget?
Concern erupts from Erin when Connor shows interest in me, and Erin demands Ryder put an end to it. Ryder agrees and promises Connor won’t ruin Erin’s fun. There are a few more posts, mainly from Ingrid and Erin, both demanding that Ryder humiliate me when he throws his party for Ethan. It’s decided by Erin that she’ll only be satisfied if Ryder seduces me. Ingrid demands pictures.
I close my laptop, crying violently for a bit. Eventually, my sobs subside. When Ethan comes knocking on my door, I don’t respond. My door is locked, and, after a while, he gives up. I can’t face Ethan. I can’t show him all of this. It would devastate him if he knew I was targeted because of him.
It was a game. I should have known. Ryder reeled me in by running hot and cold. He threw epic nonsense my way and I believed it. Now his request to see me before his party makes sense. He would’ve seduced me and then thrown me in front of everyone. I want to believe I would’ve held back, but I don’t know. Maybe he would’ve forced me. Just the thought makes me shudder.
I continue to sit in the darkness as seven o’clock rolls around. Not long after, Ryder begins to text me, asking me if I’m on my way. My phone buzzes and I see his name flash on my phone. His messages get increasingly worried. I get incoming calls from Darcy, Brittany, Celeste, and Ethan.
Ryder messages me again. Please tell me you’re okay. I’ll wait for you. Ethan’s here and he doesn’t know if you’re at home.
I ignore Ryder. I text Ethan that I’m ill and will talk to him tomorrow. I grab a backpack and stuff it with my laptop before I fall asleep fitfully.
010101
I ask the driver to wait for me as I arrive at Ryder’s in the morning. I promise him extra money if he stays. I see Ryder’s car and another one that I don’t recognize, so I know he’s here. The butler lets me in without question, indicating that Ryder is upstairs.
I wander up to Ryder’s room, pausing when I hear voices. Like a creep, I press my ear to the door and listen.
“…why now?” Ryder asks. I hear him pacing.
“It’s simple.” Ingrid. Her voice grates on my nerves. “There is no way I’m not going to be Queen. And now, you’ll be King.”
“My position was never threatened!” Ryder snaps. “There is no one who comes close.”
Ingrid’s laughter sounds cruel. “Only if Daddy doesn’t take it all away.” When Ryder swears at her, she adds, “It doesn’t matter. I’m here. Let’s do this. Or is it Mira?”
“You know where I stand with Mira,” Ryder snarls, coming to a sudden stop.
Ingrid laughs again. “You love adding notches to your belt. You should’ve added her. Or couldn’t you do it because she’s so sweet and innocent? Tell me, Ryder, what made you hold back?”
I clutch my stomach. Oh, God. His promise to Erin and Ingrid to ruin me. Since he failed to ruin me, is this some other sick thing to stay in Erin’s good graces?
“Shut up! Don’t mention her name.”
“Touchy, touchy.”
Silence. “You know why…”
“I promise,” Ingrid coos, “Ryder, you can end this. You’ll have everything. King. The girl. Money. You just have to keep your end of the bargain. I imagine certain people will be grateful.”
More silence. Finally, Ryder speaks hoarsely, “I want you to stay away from Mira. Leave her alone. She doesn’t deserve any of this.”
“Agreed.”
Another long pause. “This is... I just… You swear?”
Ingrid makes a weird sound in her throat. “Yes, I’ll give you everything.”
More silence. “Come here.”
I try not to gag as I hear light footsteps and then the sounds of kissing. The unmistakable sounds of clothes being removed and heavy breathing keep me frozen in horror. I feel like a pervert.
“Come on, baby, I’ll make it better,” Ingrid says as I hear a zipper followed by the thump of pants falling to the floor. “I can make you feel good. I can make this good.”
Tears stream down my face as my heart hammers painfully. This is what it feels like to be humiliated. This is what it feels like to have your heart stomped on. Something inside me shatters.
“You know what I want, Ingrid,” Ryder whispers. “Keep your promise.”
The sound of two bodies shuffling on the bed spurs me to action. I push the door open gently but with enough sound so that Ryder hears me. He jerks upright in bed next to Ingrid, who is borderline naked. His blue eyes widen in horror.
“I admit, you got me, Ryder,” I say bitterly, my tears clear on my face. But I’m no longer crying. “You almost made me believe you were sincere.” I choke on my breath, but when I speak again, my voice becomes harder, stronger. “You can have him, Ingrid. You’re perfect together. A match made in heaven.”
“Mira, no!” Ryder jumps out of bed. Well, who knew? He’s a boxer boy. When he reaches for me, I slap him hard, shocking him. The red mark on his cheek fuels my tirade.
“Why? What did I ever do to either of you? All this work just to humiliate me and hurt Ethan!” I don’t care how loud I get or who hears me. “I read all about the deal you made with Ingrid and Erin! Ingrid sure knows how to pick her targets. I can’t believe you went after Celeste, Darcy, and Brittany too. You’re not Royals. You’re monsters! You play with people because you’re not human!”
“I can explain, Mira,” Ryder says, his hands out in supplication. Are those tears? What a joke!
I shake my head, my eyes catching Ingrid’s smirk. She doesn’t bother to hide her body. “You don’t have to. I saw everything on Discord.” I give him a scathing look. “Why is Connor being left out of the fun and games? Didn’t think he was worthy? Or didn’t think he’d play? What made Daniel worthy but not Connor?”
Ryder tries to reach for me again. “Mira, please. Listen to me,” he pleads.
I knock his hand away. “You have no idea what I’m capable of,” I hiss, stepping back, and I know that every ounce of my hate is in my face. “You disgust me. Both of you. You deserve each other.”
A tear slips from his eyes. “No, don’t,” he chokes out. “No, let me—”
I walk back slowly. “You two better get back to business. Don’t keep your queen waiting. Don’t call me, Ryder. You don’t exist in my world anymore. You’re pathetic. I hope you both burn in hell.”
I hold his eyes until I reach his bedroom door, and then I run to the car waiting for me. If he manages to put his pants on to chase me, I never find out.
I don’t retur
n home. I send my compiled video files and my suspicions to Uncle Robert via email. I tell him that I’ll be in touch, but I need to leave Royalton right now. I tell Ethan I’m sorry I’ll miss his graduation and to give my love to Darcy, Brittany, and Celeste.
Then I turn off my phone. I purchase a burner phone and a one-way ticket to Washington. I don’t look back.
THREE MONTHS LATER
The Internet gave us access to everything; but it also gave everything access to us.
--James Veitch
There are no secrets on the internet.
--Paul Babicki
010110
During the summer, I contact Aunt Erika and Uncle Robert periodically. My cowardice isn’t the stuff heroines are made of: I ran to escape my problems. I break. I cry. I come to terms that everything with Ryder was based on a bet, a lie. I hide to lick my wounds. To the rest of Royal Bridge Academy, I can’t be found. No matter how much Ethan begs his mom, she gives me privacy and peace. Ethan knows the gist of it. I sent him screenshots of the Discord channel for him to read.
It takes me nearly all of three months to decide what to do. I know Aunt Erika enrolled me back at RBA, but I wasn’t sure if I wanted to go back. In fact, I planned on not coming back at all.
I return a few days before school begins. I’m pale and weary, but Aunt Erika doesn’t judge me or get angry. I think she doesn’t want me to run away again. We hug for a whole minute, relief flowing from her to me.
“If you don’t want to go to RBA, I understand,” Uncle Robert says with a heavy sigh. Even though I have evidence that the videos were doctored, it’s still my word against Ingrid’s. And Ingrid has people lying for her. There’s no evidence that Ingrid did anything to me.
I’ve returned because I promised RReagan and Liam that I would. You see, I spent the summer in Liam’s guest bedroom. During that time, I got dragged into Liam’s work on the strange fuel-air explosives file I found and the strange money transfers.
Liam Jacobi is now the newest student transfer at RBA. He’s essentially pulling off a 21 Jump Street: he’s pretending to be a student but really working for the government. So why am I, a high school student, helping the government with suspicious activities? Desperate times call for desperate measures. (Jokes aside, I think the government’s not as efficient as RReagan would like. And there really isn’t anyone that can compare to the way Liam and I operate.)
Ethan rushes home the moment he hears I’m back. Both he and Darcy are at the U. As freshmen, they’re living on campus, but the U is only an hour away. As soon as I see him, I burst into tears. I forgive myself for crying. Ethan’s been hurting too.
“I’m so sorry, so sorry,” he says as soon as we hug. His eyes are suspiciously moist. “Those assholes did that to you because of me. They took it out on you instead of me.” Ethan is full of guilt and pain.
“It’s okay. I’m okay. They are responsible for their actions alone.” I pull back to look at him. “I’m sorry I missed your graduation. I had to get away.”
“You scared the living daylights out of me disappearing like that,” my cousin growls, but his mock anger is ruined by the sad smile. “You’re seventeen, Mira. I worried about your safety and well-being, but Mom insisted you needed space. You had to deal with everything alone. Mom said you were okay, but she wouldn’t tell me anything!”
After I left, Ethan confronted Erin, Arthur, and Cage, showing the posts to their parents. Ethan and Cage came to blows. Ethan won. Erin disappeared like the coward she’s always been. And Arthur’s parents moved him away from the neighborhood.
When Ethan talks about the new Royals, I tell him I don’t want to hear about Ryder. Instead, Ethan tells me that Ingrid denied the posts, said they were fake, and claimed someone was trying to frame her. Beyond that, not much has changed. Ryder is King. Ingrid is Queen. The Court exists. That’s fine. It’s more than fine. I plan to topple a monarchy.
Ethan spends the weekend with me. I know Darcy wants to be here too, but I’m not ready to face her. Although she feels guilty, I make sure Ethan is aware that I don’t blame her. No. This is all on Ryder and Ingrid and Erin.
Lounging by the pool and soaking up the last of the summer heat, Ethan gives me a quick update. Brittany, after seeing what was written about her on Discord, is overseas. The school has her doing a study abroad program, but the plan is that she’ll be back for the spring term. Ethan says she’s currently in France drinking too much coffee and eating too much chocolate. Celeste has been quiet. Nate and Xander took some heat and have been laying low.
I regret hiding from Celeste, Brittany, and Darcy. From what Ethan says, it sounds like they understood the reasons why I disappeared. It was a necessary evil. “It took me a while to piece myself together,” I tell Ethan. “I’m not afraid of them anymore.”
Ethan, dripping from a quick dip in the pool, drapes himself on a lounger under the cabana. “I know you don’t want to talk about him. You should know, if he had completed the bet, I would’ve killed him.” His hands clench into fits. “I would’ve strangled them.”
I shudder. “I don’t need you to protect me,” I say softly. I’m going to fight with my weapon of choice and on my terms – and I know I’m going to win.
A commotion silences Ethan as he glances away from me with a frown. I hear shouts, and then Uncle Robert yelling, “I will call the police!”
Ryder bursts into the pool area, his eyes frantically searching for me. “Mira.” He says my name almost painfully.
How the hell did he know I was back?
Ethan stands. If I were into dramas, I’d be eating popcorn because it’s old King versus new King. “Ryder! Get the hell out of here!”
Ryder ignores Ethan. Uncle Robert grabs Ryder from behind, and Ethan moves in to help. Ryder struggles between them, his anger rising, his eyes intent on me. “Mira, please, talk to me! Let me explain. Just hear my side of the story!”
I worried that I wouldn’t be able to face Ryder, but now that he’s here, I let the emotions in. There is the inevitable pain. But there’s more now. Anger. Frustration. Looking at Ryder, I almost believe he cares. And maybe he began to care for me, but it wasn’t enough to stop him from his games.
“Go inside the house, Mira,” Ethan says. “I’ll deal with this.” Ethan flexes like he’s Tarzan.
Noppity-nope. I was meek and fragile last year. I am not that girl anymore. I walk right up to Ryder in my swimsuit. “Alright, I’m talking to you,” I say as my uncle and cousin glance at me in surprise.
A spark of hope flickers in Ryder’s eyes. “Mira—”
I cut him off. “But I’m not listening to you. Nothing you could say would make a difference. I’m a person, not a bet, not a tool for revenge.” My voice is cold and steady. “My mother died last year. She was my best friend and losing her gutted me. That alone should’ve earned me a measure of your pity. But pity would have required a heart. A soul.” Ryder inhales sharply. “I may not have earned your pity, but you’ve earned mine. I pity you, Ryder, because you’re a lonely, horrible person, and you’re unlovable. I don’t think you even have a soul.”
Ryder blinks. My words are deliberately cruel, but I have three months of bottled anger inside me. “Give me another chance,” he finally chokes out.
Seriously? He must love verbal abuse. How many chances does he think he deserves?
“You’re pathetic.” It’s Ethan’s disdain that snaps Ryder’s attention away from me. “You’re a lemming, Ryder. A follower, not a leader. I fought for what I believed in when it came to Darcy. You just went with the status quo. Look at you now. I can’t believe I made you King. Nate would’ve been a better choice.”
Ethan’s words hit a nerve. Tugging his clothes back in place, Ryder’s mouth tightens as he straightens. Dark blue eyes return to me painfully. “I’m sorry I wasted your time, Mira.” He nods at Uncle Robert. “I will see myself out.”
“Are you okay?” Ethan asks me as I watch Ryder retreat.
�
��More than okay,” I say. “I feel strong.”
010111
Liam picks me up for the first day of school. In the school uniform, he looks the part of a high school student. We exchange snarky grins as he parks the car – a Range Rover, I kid you not, in jet black – and we step on campus together.
“Mira!” Celeste runs towards me, nearly toppling me in her haste.
Liam’s eyebrows rise with amusement as she rattles off a list of questions. “I’ll tell you everything later,” I promise, grabbing her hands so I can look at her.
It’s only then that Celeste sees Liam. He sticks his hand out. “Liam Jacobi. RBA’s newest senior.”
Celeste blushes – which means she thinks he’s cute – and introduces herself. Her eyes dwell on how close Liam stands by me.
Liam, ever the showman, drapes his arm over my shoulder. “Mira and I got together over the summer.” Liam’s overdoing the boyfriend bit. I try not to sigh. “She’s my girl.”
Her surprise is quickly replaced by a smile. “Wow, that’s…”
I know she wants to say “sudden” or “fast,” but for some reason, she falters.
“Okay, let’s go to the first-day assembly,” I say, on the verge of hysterical laughter.
Liam meticulously entwines his hand with mine, giving me the kind of smile you might give to a dog. He ignores my semi-sardonic glare. We enter the gym, and I deliberately choose one of the front rows. Celeste, my loyal and sweet friend, sits with us. There are murmurs as other students enter and see me. Obviously, most have heard about the whole Discord fiasco because there are speculative whispers and a few chuckles. But it isn’t until Connor enters that I tense. Will he side with me or his cousin? He came alone, not with the Court. That is telling. Blue-gray eyes grow huge, but he doesn’t hesitate in joining us and takes the spot next to Celeste.
