Beautiful Dirty Rich: A Dark High School Bully Romance (Blood and Diamonds Book 1)

by L. A. Sable

  The whole interaction is a little sickening. I can’t believe that I ever thought rich people were different from everyone else. Somehow I just assumed that they'd be more refined or enlightened. But teenage boys are gross, no matter how much money they may have.

  But if they’re talking about sex, then they’re definitely not paying any attention to me. Aside from Jayden, who appears to have staked his entire personality on being a player, I doubt that any of them have had thoughts of sex and me coexisting in their heads at the same time.

  Hopefully, it means they’ve forgotten that I’m even here.

  “All right, class,” Ms. Lake says as she moves back in the center of the circle. “I assume that all of this side chatter means that every group is ready to present.”

  Present?

  As if all of this had been perfectly staged, she points to Asher. “Who from this group wants to read the passage you selected for the rest of the class?”

  The room feels suddenly cold, as if the temperature has dropped by fifty degrees. The air of benign neglect that I'd felt from the guys before has transformed. When I look up, Asher is staring at me with that harsh light I’ve come to recognize burning in his eyes. This close, it feels like more than just hatred but I see nothing good in his gaze.

  “Goldie is the only one with a copy of the book,” Asher says, voice dark. “Seems like she’s the only one who can do it.”

  The other guys in the group just stare at me, faces completely expressionless.

  Chloe smirks when I catch her gaze, as if she’s waiting for the punchline. “You don’t have a problem reading out loud, do you?”

  They can’t know, I tell myself, even as the whole class turns to stare at me. My records are confidential and should be sealed. But the sly smiles and knowing grins that I see circling me like sharks in the water scenting blood makes that prospect seem entirely unlikely.

  “What are you special needs?”

  He hadn’t called me retarded or slow, but the venom in his voice is the same as anything from my worst memories. I’d heard both things more times than I can count in elementary school before I figured out how to work with my learning disability instead of against it.

  Kai leans over his shoulder and speaks in a stage-whisper that’s loud enough to carry through the entire room. “You’re not supposed to call them that, I don’t think.”

  “Got it," Asher says with an air of fake gravity before turning back to me. "What are you intellectually disabled?”

  “That’s enough,” Ms. Lake says, but there’s no force behind it. She doesn’t have control of this classroom and she knows it. “Can you read the passage please, Ms. Murphy?”

  But now I’m stressed out and embarrassed, making it even more difficult to overcome my reading difficulties. A bright beam of light from the nearby window shines into my eyes, practically blinding me. Some words spin and dance in my vision, while others quiver as if they’re vibrating with energy.

  This is my worst nightmare, standing up in front of a class while everyone waits for me to read something aloud. Some people are afraid of flying or snakes, but this is it for me. And I just can’t do it. Back in public school, the teachers knew me well enough to avoid putting me in situations like this. But not at Black Lake, where most of the adults seem completely oblivious to just how evil teenagers can be.

  Tears burn in my eyes, making my vision even blurrier. And I can feel my chest rising and falling faster and faster with each breath that I take as my heart rate increases to a frantic rate, the first signs of an emerging panic attack.

  I won’t cry, even as the shame washes over me in a way it hasn’t since I was a child. And I don’t understand how they could have possibly found out about my learning disability.

  “Maybe we should call you Lexie, instead of Goldie,” Asher says with a smirk as the rest of the class titters around me. “You know, for Dyslexia.”

  Charlie’s face is the only one that I see in the crowd wearing an expression aside from disdain. I can tell she wants to say something, but can’t. And I don’t expect her to paint a target on her own back for me. I wouldn’t wish anybody else into the position that I’ve found myself in. It’s not even like I think the Diamonds planned this before class started, they’re just ready at every possible opportunity to do whatever it takes to humiliate me.

  The sound of a phone alarm going off is like being saved by the bell. Students get up and gather their belongings. Ms. Lake struggles to be heard over the sudden noise as she shouts the assigned reading for next class.

  But I’m still frozen in place at the center of the room, hands shaking as I hold open the book. Even my own handwriting in the margins, usually easier for me to read, dances and twists like tiny snakes on the paper.

  Asher sidles up next to me and speaks with his voice pitched low enough that his words only reach my ears. “This is your last warning, Goldie. Get out while you still have legs to carry you. Next time there won’t be anyone that can save your ass.”

  He’s gone before I can respond, not that I have anything to say. I’d really convinced myself that there was nothing they could do to make me feel bad about myself, but he’d found it. And I hate myself for being so weak.

  Ms. Lake’s expression is sympathetic as the classroom slowly empties, but she doesn’t try to reassure me. She makes a big show of gathering papers on the oversized mahogany desk in the corner and averting her gaze when she catches me looking at her.

  At least I know how things are going to be.

  Charlie comes up beside me and tugs on my arm until I stumble back towards the couch where I’d left my bag. I’m not sure how long I would have stood there like an idiot if she hadn’t gotten me moving.

  “Are you okay? That was brutal.”

  It takes a minute for me to find words, or the strength to speak, and I can’t seem to stop my hands from shaking. “I just don’t understand how they found out. My school records are supposed to be confidential.”

  “You do remember where you are, right?” Genuine concern colors her tone and I realize that Charlie is really worried about me. “The Diamonds have all the power here. One of them probably went to the Dean and asked for a copy of your records.”

  “You’re joking. They can’t just do that.”

  “We’re not in Kansas anymore, Dorothy.” Charlie’s smile is wan as she makes an intentionally bad joke. “The rules of the real world don’t apply here. Never forget that.”

  I won’t forget again, because none of the Diamonds are going to let me.

  Chapter 10

  The next week or so passes without incident although I feel constantly on alert for the next potential attack. All the Diamonds — even Asher and Chloe, who seem to be the two that hate me most — have been ignoring me. Aside from a snide comment here or a glare there, it’s basically been like I don’t exist. Which is just fine with me.

  After spending hours cleaning up my room, I was able to salvage a few pieces of clothing that had been overlooked by Chloe’s rampage. I still only have the one school uniform skirt and blazer, but enough shirts to get through most of the week without needing to do laundry. And most thankfully, between sharing with Charlie and the school library, I’d cobbled together the books I need to complete my assignments. Chloe may have knocked me down, but I’m not out.

  I still haven’t had a chance to do any real research into the girl who died on campus last year, even though the question of what happened still burns in my brain. I’d done a quick internet search, but nothing came up. It’s like everything about her has been erased and it would take real digging to find more information. Between classes and the heavy load of assignments, there’s been little time for anything else. Not that I want to knock good old P.S. 119, but I’ve never been assigned this much homework in my entire life.

  Ms. Lake hasn’t assigned any more group work since the day they outed me as dyslexic, probably because she realizes how terribly that would go. If she can’t protect h
er students, at least she can avoid setting up humiliating situations in the first place. All the discussions are with the entire class and there’s little opportunity now for cross-talk. I just wish she’d come to her senses sooner.

  Mr. Cardill has become my favorite teacher. He’s the only adult that I’ve seen at this school who seems able to control the worst of the Diamond’s behavior. Nobody would dare trying anything in his class.

  Of course, he also teaches my least favorite subject: Diving.

  Chloe and her minion, Grace Khan are in the class with me, but mostly they’ve seemed content with pretending that I don’t exist. Which is just fine with me and I’m happy to return the favor. The first couple of days weren’t so bad as we went over the rules of the pool and general mechanics of diving. But now, Mr. Cardill is actually expecting us to get into the water.

  “I’ll have you start with the lowest platform,” he assures me as we gather at the far end of the pool nearest the bleachers. “And I just want you to slowly walk through the mechanics of a basic dive, nothing special. It’s just like we’ve been talking about the last few days. Just focus on proper form.”

  All of us are wearing swimsuits in the bright gold and blue of the school colors, even Mr. Cardill. I know he’s my teacher, and it’s entirely inappropriate, but I can’t help but notice how the tight trunks he’s wearing hug the curves of his muscled thighs and butt. He’s wearing a zippered jacket, but somehow I just know he’s hiding a six-pack under there.

  Stop it, I scold myself. No matter how hot he is, Mr. Cardill is my teacher.

  But there isn’t anything wrong with the occasional naughty thought, it’s all that’s keeping me sane at this point. I can’t fight the feeling that I’m moments away from the next attack or humiliation. No way did the Diamonds forget that they have it out for me. This is just the calm before the storm.

  And I'd had my chance to spill the beans and didn't take it. Trish is back stateside, and she called me last night to check-in. I'd infused as much bubbly cheer into my voice as I could and then lied through my teeth, telling myself that she wouldn't believe me, anyway. And part of me wants to prove that I can handle this place myself.

  “I’ll go first,” Chloe says as she shoves forward. She cast me a haughty glance but makes a point of turning her back on me. “Let me show them how it’s done, Liam.”

  Mr. Cardill raises an eyebrow, not even a hint of a smile cracking his face. “Stick with Coach Cardill. Go ahead, Ms. Devlin.”

  With a switch of her hips that’s clearly meant to be sexy, Chloe saunters towards the multi-level platform at one end of the Olympic-size pool. Without even a moment of hesitation, she climbs the metal rungs that lead to the tallest level. As much as I hate her, I have to admit that it takes guts to climb thirty feet up in the air and then jump off headfirst.

  But she takes her sweet time once she’s on the platform, making a big show of walking through her routine multiple times before she finally performs it for real. I won’t pretend that it’s not impressive. Chloe performs a clean cartwheel and ends up in a handstand on the end of the diving board. Then she flips off into a perfect tuck, spinning multiple times in the air before her body straightens out and she slips into the water with barely a splash.

  Mr. Cardill — or Liam, as I am exclusively referring to him in my head from this point forward because it’s one of the sexiest names that I can think of — comes to stand by my side. “Keep in mind that this is just a recreation class for the Phys. Ed requirement. Chloe is on the competitive diving team, don’t think I’m expecting anything that advanced out of you.”

  I appreciate the reassurance, but I still notice Chloe’s smirk as she pulls herself out of the water. Even in the ugly, school-issued suit, it’s obvious that she has the sort of body most girls would kill themselves for, both thin and thick in the right places with a mane of shiny midnight hair that trails behind her like banner. Classic, popular girl who never had to deal with an awkward phase in middle school, with the added bonus of nearly infinite resources for all the best skincare and hair products in the world.

  “Do you want to try going next?” Mr. Cardill asks me.

  I hesitate, unreasonably fearful of actually climbing up to the diving board. The lowest platform is only about ten feet above the surface of the pool, but I’ve never dived off anything higher than a boat dock. Injury is a consideration, but I’m mostly just worried about making a fool of myself.

  Chloe makes a rude sound. “Grace is still working her dive sequence for the next competition. She can go next while Goldie contemplates her own mediocrity.”

  Ignoring the barb, I back up toward the bleachers so that Grace doesn’t have the chance to shove past me. From what I hear, her family owns every sweatshop in Sri Lanka so the imperious attitude makes sense. The expression on Mr. Cardill’s face is one of long-suffering, but he doesn’t bother to say anything. I get the expression that he’s as exhausted from dealing with the Diamond bitches as I am.

  Grace doesn’t seem to be as interested in showing off as Chloe had, in fact she heads for the lowest platform.

  “I’m going to work through my approach down here,” she calls, answering the unasked question. “Then I’ll try again at regulation height.”

  Mr. Cardill is barely paying attention as he marks something off on the clipboard in his hand. “Okay, fine.”

  It takes Grace forever to complete the dive. She keeps walking backward and forward on the board, at one point even getting down on her knees and then taking the time to undo her hair so she can fix her ponytail. After about five minutes of her hanging out on the board and not doing anything that looks like preparing to dive, Mr. Cardill finally notices how long she’s taking.

  “Get moving, Ms. Khan. Other people need a chance on the board.”

  “I think I twisted my knee,” Grace says. She abruptly turns back and then climbs down the rungs. “Can I go ice it before it swells?”

  He waves her away with an impatient gesture, but then seems to remember that he should at least pretend to be concerned. “Do you need to see the nurse?”

  “No, I’m just going to sit out for a bit. Goldie can have her turn.”

  “Fine,” he responds with a shake of his head. Then he turns to me with an encouraging smile and urges me toward the raised platform with a hand on my shoulder. “Why don’t you give it a try? First time’s always the hardest.”

  It takes all the effort I can muster to stop my hands from shaking. Not just because I’m terrified of diving, but I’m also trying to ignore the electric feel of his hand on my bare skin, even if it’s just my shoulder. I’ve never crushed on a teacher like this and I can only hope he hasn’t noticed. So embarrassing.

  “Does that nickname bother you?” he asks me, voice pitched low enough that only I can hear it.

  “If you tell them to stop, they’ll just think of something worse. It’s fine.”

  Mr. Cardill looks like he wants to argue but closes his mouth on whatever he might have said next. He’s smart enough to realize that a teacher getting involved will just make things worse for me. It's just nice that he wants to help.

  My hand touches the slick metal rung that’s right at eye level and a shock of cold runs through me. I can’t help but envision myself slipping off them and crashing back down to the tile floor around the pool. Careful where I place my feet, I take each rung literally one at a time, placing both feet on the same one before I climb to the next. Laughter floats to me from the bleachers where I can only assume Chloe and Grace are having a great time at my expense, but I can’t make out exactly what’s being said. Probably better just to ignore it, I tell myself, even as my whole body burns pink with embarrassment.

  Because being in a bathing suit in front of these awful girls isn’t bad enough, it has to be while I do something that I’ve never done before and will probably suck at. I hate to give them any more ammunition in their war against me. Maybe Chloe will figure out a way to sneak her phone past M
r. Cardill and snap some pictures of me belly-flopping into the pool for the Inner Circle so the whole school will see and mock.

  Or maybe I’m just being paranoid.

  Yeah, right.

  It’s been over a week since I’ve had any run-ins with the Diamonds, long enough for me to almost forget that they have it out to get me.

  But I should have known not to let my guard down.

  The board seems higher up once I get to the top than it had from the side of the pool. I hesitate with one foot still on the highest rung, trying to decide how disappointed Mr. Cardill will be if I just climb back down. Maybe I could use the same excuse that Ocean did to get out of having to actually jump off the end of the diving board.

  Chloe had made it look so effortless with her dive that had probably taken years to master. I would end up forced into the one physical activity in which she's a shining star. The universe must find this absolutely hilarious, assuming God is a sadist. Although for all I know, Chloe is good at everything.

  Taking a deep breath, I force myself to climb completely up onto the diving board, swaying slightly as I try to maintain my balance. Even though I shouldn't find it any more difficult to walk in a straight line up here than it is on the ground, it takes more focus than it should to make baby steps down the board.

  “Get a move on, Goldie,” Chloe shouts from the bleachers, laughter echoing off the high ceiling. “We don’t have all day.”

  Mr. Cardill says something to her in response, but I’m too far up to hear it. And I’m already taking a larger step forward, suddenly desperate to get this whole thing over with. Just a few more steps and I can make the simple layout dive that I’ve been practicing all week off the side of the pool.

  But when I step forward and stop, my body keeps moving. As if the surface of the board has completely changed in texture, there’s no grip on the sole of my foot and it slides forward at high speed. Before I can get control of the movement, both of my feet are suddenly off of the board and I’m airborne. My body is too far from the end of the board. Instead of just slipping in a way that launches me in the air enough to clear the end, I crash back down as my back strikes the board with a loud crack.