The Princess and The Jester: A High School Bully Romance (Westbrook Three Book 3)

by A. D. McCammon

  Donavan.

  Shane has always been a slimy little snake. He was Gwen’s biggest tormentor when we were kids. The fucker was relentless, calling her names like Gwennie Pig and pushing her around. Taking up for her earned me more than one black eye. But I was finally able to put a stop to his reign of terror with Thatcher and Arwen’s help.

  Then Gwen broke my heart and became friends with Shane. Seeing them act all buddy-buddy together was like a knife in the back. She had more of a reason to hate him than anyone.

  My hurt and anger blinded me back then. At the time, it was simply more evidence that she was a manipulative liar.

  But now that’s she’s back in my life, I’m starting to question everything. Whatever is going on between them now certainly doesn’t seem friendly.

  What does he have on you, Princess?

  Does it have anything to do with why she ended things? Or why she’s still keeping secrets from me?

  I’m tempted to march back down the hall and demand answers from her, but I doubt she’d tell me the truth. If she was planning on telling me, she already would’ve.

  There’s only one other person who can clear things up for me.

  I check the time and shoot Arwen a quick text asking for a ride back to my car. Looks like I’ll be paying Shane a little visit today.

  Arwen’s GTO flies down the road, the speakers blasting bitches broken hearts by Billie Eilish. How anyone can stand this much noise before eight in the morning is beyond me.

  She scowls at me as I turn it down. “Jesus, Ari. I can’t hear myself think.”

  “Exactly. Isn’t it great?”

  “No.”

  She sighs. “It might do you some good to get out of your head for a while. You’ve been such a moody little fucker lately.”

  I laugh, flipping her off. “You act like that’s something new.”

  “True.” She smirks. “Since I had to come get your ass before school, are you going to tell me how the hell your car ended up at the mall?”

  Arwen and Saint are both in summer school this year. Only she’s playing catch up and Violet is getting ahead of the game. The little genius will be graduating a year early and walking that stage with us next May.

  “Nope,” I chirp, smiling when her eyes cut to me.

  “Does it have something to do with Gwen?” she asks, and I give her a hard glare, warning her to drop it. “Fine, whatever. Next time you can find someone else to chauffer you around.”

  I chuckle. We both know she’ll always be there when I need her. And the same goes for me with her. “Do you know anything about what Shane Donavan has been up to lately?”

  Arwen shakes out a shiver. “Ugh, that dude is such a fucking creep. But I haven’t heard anything about him lately. Why? Do you think he’s screwing with Gwen?”

  “I’m not sure yet,” I answer, deciding there’s no point in denying my concern for Gwen.

  “I thought he was over his sick obsession with her.”

  The hairs on the back of my neck stand up. “Wait. You thought he was obsessed with her? In what way?”

  “Fuck, I don’t know. Is there more than one way to be obsessed with someone? He just seemed…fixated on her. Think about how much time he’s spent fucking with her over the years. And he hated your ass. Made me wonder if maybe he was jealous, like he wanted her for himself.”

  My head spins from the lack of oxygen. If I hadn’t witnessed Thatcher giving Violet hell because of his infatuation with her, this idea would seem absurd. Thatch had been unkind and sometimes downright cruel to Saint, all to avoid how he really felt. But he isn’t a psycho like Donavan. He’d never do anything to intentionally hurt Violet.

  The same can’t be said for Shane. He enjoyed hurting Gwen; I witnessed it.

  “Oh shit,” Arwen breathes. “Your face just got all dark and ominous. Quit spiraling.” She stops at a red light, her stormy eyes brewing with concern as they meet mine. “Look, the guy is an asshole, not an idiot. You warned him freshman year what would happen if he did anything to harm Gwen. And even if he did suddenly grow some balls, I’m sure we would’ve heard about it.”

  Normally that’d be the case, but something tells me Gwen and Shane are the only two people who know what’s going on. I’m almost certain he’s bullying Gwen in some way. Blackmail, most likely. And I don’t even want to think of the things he’s forced her to do.

  But I don’t say any of this to Arwen. She’s seemed happy and carefree the past couple of weeks. Something I suspect Aidan’s had a hand in. It’s a side of her I’m not sure I’ve seen. No way am I jeopardizing that for her.

  If I share my suspicions, she’d worry. Or try to talk me out of doing anything until Thatcher gets back in town. But the Shane situation is something I’m capable of handling on my own. It’s something I need to take care of alone.

  Arwen drives through the green light and turns into the mall entrance as I nod my head.

  “Yeah, I’m sure you’re right.” My response doesn’t sound too convincing, and Arwen groans.

  “Why do I feel like you’re bullshitting me? Please tell me you aren’t planning on doing anything crazy?” She pulls up next to my car, the rest of the parking lot completely vacant at this hour.

  “Crazy is a term for the unimaginative,” I quip, winking at her before getting out of her GTO. “You’re still bringing Violet to Gwen’s tonight, right?”

  She frowns as I lean down to meet her stare and then sighs. “We’ll be there.”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  13 years old

  COLE

  Thatcher rolls his shoulders as we walk down the street, the music and commotion from the party growing louder as we get closer. “Are you sure this is a good idea, dude?”

  I huff out a laugh. “Nope, but I’m done letting Shane mess with Gwen.”

  She came home from school crying because that jerk told her fat girls weren’t invited to the party. This crap has to stop. I hear the way she talks about herself, see how insecure she is about her body.

  Gwen is gorgeous, but she’s always got the kids in school telling her she’s not.

  “I don’t get it. You say Gwen’s like a sister to you, but I wouldn’t be willing to get my ass kicked for my sister.”

  Thatcher has been my friend for years now, but I still haven’t told him my true feelings for Gwen. No one knows. They see me as the caring brother figure in her life. Even when I get jealous of other boys paying attention to her, they think I’m simply being protective.

  The truth is, I’m in love with her. Hopelessly and completely in love. Like a big fool. There’s no point in admitting that to anyone, though. We can’t be together. The temporary job my mom took at the Rhodes’ house to help us get back on her feet has lasted almost seven years, and she has no plans of finding another job or place for us to live. As long as she’s working for them, Gwen is off limits.

  Not that it would matter if our circumstances changed. I’ll never be good enough for Gwen. She’s a princess, and I’m nothing more than the poor jester who puts a smile on her face.

  “Your sister is a bitch.” I chuckle. “Gwen is my friend, and I care about her. Anyway, it’s not like Shane hasn’t terrorized us too.”

  The first time I met Thatcher, Shane was harassing him. We’ve been bullied by him for years, though Gwen always seems to get the worst of it. He loves to single her out, taking every opportunity to make her feel bad about herself.

  Thatcher nods, rubbing at the back of his neck. “He definitely deserves to be put in his place, but the coward isn’t going to face you alone”

  “Oh, I know.” I grin. “That’s why I brought you.”

  About six months ago, Thatcher found a new outlet for all the aggression that’s been building in him below the surface. He spends an insane amount of his day running and lifting weights. The guy went from this chubby kid everyone picked on to a buff badass. Needless to say, they don’t bully him anymore. And now, all the girls flirt with him.
It was a full-on caterpillar to butterfly transformation. Only he still feels and acts like the fluffy insect crawling on the ground, hoping no one squishes him.

  Nervous laughter bubbles out of him. “If I keep getting into fights, my dad’s going to send me to boarding school.”

  We’ve been in a lot of brawls together lately. Thatcher’s finally learning how to stand up for himself. He’s done being beat down by everyone in his life. I knew once he figured out how good it felt to fight back, it’d be like releasing a monster.

  I spot Shane and two of his buddies as we step onto the front lawn of Lacey Paterson’s house, and nervous energy courses through me. Thatcher is right. This probably isn’t a good idea. Shane and his friends are twice my size. My momentum stalls, my pace slowing as I consider turning back around. Then an image of Gwen’s pretty face stained with tears pops into my head, and adrenaline pumps through my veins again.

  “Hey, Donavan,” I call out.

  Shane looks up, smirking when he sees me and Thatcher heading toward him. He says something to his buddies, and they all laugh as we stop in front of them.

  “Look, it’s the cowardly lion and the scarecrow,” he cackles. “What the hell are you two doing here? I thought the invite to the party said no losers allowed.”

  “I came here to give you a warning,” I tell him. “Leave Gwen alone.”

  “Did you hear that? The scarecrow clearly never got his brain.” Shane’s gaze flickers between his friends, and they snicker like the good little minions they are.

  When his eyes focus on me again, I crack my knuckles and inch closer. “Keep laughing, asshole. If you so much as look at her the wrong way, I’ll end you,” I threaten him, shouting in his face.

  Shane’s eyes narrow, a hint of fear gleaming in them before they slide over to Thatcher. “Hey, Thatch, you’re a former fatty. Maybe you can help his girl out.”

  Anger floods me like lava as the three of them laugh, none of us anticipating Thatcher’s response. My mouth drops open as he swings his fist, connecting it with Shane’s jaw.

  I laugh right before one of Shane’s friends delivers a blow to my gut. Then we’re all throwing punches. One of Shane’s henchmen attacks me and the other takes Thatcher, allowing Shane to get in the occasional hit while remaining unscathed.

  A girl with dark hair and long legs comes up to Shane. I don’t know or recognize her, but I assume by the flirtatious stare she throws his way that she’s a fan of his. He swaggers over to her, leaving his friends to do his dirty work while he hits on the girl.

  The buzzing in my head from the punch I took to it a minute ago makes it impossible to hear what they’re saying, but suddenly she knees him in the balls.

  He cries out, yelling at her as he falls to the ground. That distracts his friends long enough for me and Thatcher to get in some good hits, both of them going down like dominos.

  “Run!” the girl shouts, rushing in our direction.

  We look at each other then back at her, the shock on our faces morphing into amusement. The three of us laugh as we race down the street, none of us stopping to catch our breath until we’re a few blocks away.

  “I don’t know who you are or where you came from,” I pant, smiling at the girl. “But, oh my god, that was incredible.”

  “It was, wasn’t it?” she snickers. “I’m Arwen, the new girl in town.”

  Come to think of it, Gwen did mention something about a new girl at school. But since Gwen’s the only girl I’m interested in, I didn’t pay much attention to it.

  “Nice to meet you. I’m Cole, and this is Thatcher,” I tell her, patting him on the shoulder. He lifts his chin as she waves, licking away the blood at the corner of his mouth. “I think you might be my new favorite person. Thanks for saving our asses back there, Ari.”

  Her eyebrows knit at the nickname, but she doesn’t correct me. “You two are crazy, but I like it. It’s cool that you were sticking up for someone. Girlfriend?”

  I shake my head. “Just a girl who’s a friend.”

  “Yeah, I know how that goes,” she huffs, giving me a knowing look. “You wouldn’t risk fighting someone twice your size for a girl you weren’t in love with.”

  If my cheeks weren’t already flushed from running, they would be now. I should deny it, the same way I always do. But something tells me this girl would see right through it anyway.

  “Nah,” Thatcher replies for me. “She’s more like a sister. They live together and everything.”

  Arwen eyes me, a smile tugging the side of her mouth. “All right. Whatever.”

  My long legs take the stairs two at a time, the buzz from my fight with Shane still pumping through me. Gwen is going to die laughing when I tell her that Arwen kneed him in the balls. If only I could’ve gotten it on video.

  Gwen’s bedroom door is closed, but I don’t bother knocking before walking in. My brow creases when I find her room empty, and then I hear commotion coming from her bathroom.

  “Princess?” I call, approaching the door.

  She doesn’t reply. Sounds of her upchucking get clearer as I get closer, and my chest tightens with worry.

  I knock and try again to call to her. “Princess, are you okay?”

  “I’m fine,” she sniffles. “Go away, Cole.”

  She’s crying and throwing up, there’s no way I’m leaving her.

  “You don’t sound okay.” I chuckle, trying to sound less concerned than I am. “Let me in so I can help you.”

  “No!” she shouts. “It was just something I ate.”

  I try the doorknob, but it’s locked. “Well, I’m not leaving until you come out,” I say, propping myself on the frame of the door.

  “Seriously?” She groans.

  At least she knows me well enough to realize I’m not fucking around. I’d break into the bathroom if I had to.

  The toilet flushes then it sounds like she brushes her teeth. When she opens the door and sees me standing right there, her eyes widen. There’s guilt written all over her face, like she’s been caught doing something she shouldn’t.

  “Are you sure you’re not sick?” I press my palm to her forehead. There’s not even a hint of a fever, but her puffy eyes are a dead giveaway she’s been crying.

  “I told you I’m good,” she grumbles, pushing my hand away. “Don’t make a big deal out of it.”

  Gwen stomps over to her bed and plops down, her eyes avoiding me as I come to stand next to it. Something’s off with her. She’s been extra moody the past few weeks. Angry one minute and crying the next. Though I’m usually exempt from her wrath.

  “You were throwing up, Princess. What’s wrong? Mom said you barely touched your dinner tonight, too.”

  She shrugs, twirling the ends of her hair around her finger. “Yeah, well…missing a meal or two will probably do me some good.”

  My jaw tics from the sharp pain in my chest. It kills me that she’d say something so hurtful about herself. And that she believes it.

  “What the hell did you just say?” I grit.

  Her eyes flicker up to me, unsure. “Nothing. Forget it.”

  I take a seat on the bed with her, grabbing her chin. “Were you in there making yourself throw up?”

  A panicked expression stretches her features, and my heart sinks as tears cascade down her cheeks. “So what if I was?” she asks, before hiccupping and jerking out of my hold.

  “Are you kidding me right now?” She flinches at the fury in my tone, and I take a deep breath before continuing. “You can do some serious damage to your body.”

  “Who cares,” she sobs, her chin quivering. “I hate my body. I’m sick of being the fat girl.”

  “You’d rather be the dead girl?” I snap. The very thought makes me want to vomit. I’m not sure I could ever survive losing her.

  Her face pales. “You don’t understand. You eat whatever you want and never gain a pound.”

  I scoff, shaking my head. “And I get made fun of for being too skinny. People
are assholes. It doesn’t make it okay for you to hurt yourself.”

  She swipes at her tears, anger bunching her brow. “It’s not the same for you. Your size doesn’t keep girls from liking you.”

  I take her hands in mine, crouching down until she’s forced to meet my stare. “Any guy who can’t see how beautiful you are is blind, and they don’t deserve you.”

  “Please don’t do that,” she whispers. “Don’t pretend like you think I’m beautiful. You’re attracted to girls like Arwen.”

  Her comment throws me for a loop. I met Arwen less than two hours ago, and she can’t possibly know that.

  “Arwen? What are you—”

  She pulls away from me. “Shane told me you left the party with her.”

  God, I hate that asshole.

  It’s always been obvious to him how I feel about Gwen. He might’ve even seen it before I did. Him telling her I left the party with another girl is his way of screwing with both of us.

  “Yeah? I bet he left out the part where she kneed him in the balls and left him crying on the ground like a little bitch.”

  Some of the life returns to her eyes as they shoot up to meet mine. “Really? Why?”

  “I’ll tell you about it later. Right now, we need to talk about you. How long has this been going on?”

  “I don’t know. Why?”

  “Because I’m trying to decide if I need to tell your parents about this.”

  She gasps, her head shaking. “No, you can’t. Please.”

  “What I can’t do is sit back and let you do this to yourself. You’ve got to promise me, Princess. Promise me you’re going to stop this shit.”

  She nods, big tear drops falling from her eyes. “I want to be better. I don’t like feeling this way. It’s just…sometimes I hate myself so much and want to crawl out of my own skin. When I make myself throw up what I’ve eaten, it gives me a sense of control. Like I can change the way my body looks. Like maybe I won’t be the pathetic fat girl forever.”

  The huge lump in my throat makes it hard to take in air, my head dizzy as I fight back my own emotions. “There is absolutely nothing fucking wrong with you. Do you hear me?” Her pretty hazel eyes lock onto mine, the sorrow in them piercing my heart. “Your body is perfect. You. Are. Freaking. Gorgeous.”