“Mark told me last night that you’re having dinner at their house on Friday. I want you to tell her to invite me.”
“I can’t do that.” I started to move and she fell in step beside me.
“Why not?”
I was aware of the stares and how everyone parted for us. It was always like that when I walked beside an Academy Elite. The crowd parted for them like magic, but I knew it wasn’t. They were the top of the food chain and they had the incisors to prove it. Half of those that watched were scared of Amelia and, as a stab of pain pricked me, of me as well. I’d had my share of confrontations with this school.
“Hey! Back to this conversation!” Amelia snapped her fingers in front of me. She pulled me into an empty classroom and slapped a hand on the door. “Why won’t you have Malinda invite us?”
“Because it’s a family dinner.”
“He told me Becky was invited.”
“That was all Malinda. Becky was there when she came over last night. I didn’t do that.”
“So undo it. I don’t want you to go unless I’m there too.” Her chin jutted out and she crossed her arms over chest.
I glanced down and expected her foot to start tapping. When it didn’t, I groaned. “Oh, come on, Amelia. What is your problem?”
“You have a thing for stepbrothers.”
“I am dating Mason.”
She shrugged. “Who’s to say you won’t want two of them?”
“Do you really think I’m going to go after Mark? He’s your boyfriend.”
Her eyelids shuddered, and her head dipped down an inch. Her voice softened. “He doesn’t want to be exclusive.”
These Elite girls. I was going to kill them. I forced my voice to be calm. “Look, I promise you that I’ll never make a move on Mark. Now, I can’t promise he won’t, but I will never reciprocate. If I did, I will come to school with a tee shirt that says, ‘Slut who sleeps with stepbrothers.’ How’s that for a promise?”
“Really?” Hope shimmered in her depths.
I wanted to bang my head against the whiteboard.
“Well, okay.” Her shoulders loosened, and she dropped her arms to her side. “You would do that, wouldn’t you?”
“I hope you mean the tee shirt.”
She nodded and gave me a quick grin. “Thanks, Sam. Adam’s right. You are pretty cool. Cooler than Miranda right now.” She started for the door, but drew back. “Oh, hey. You might want to steer clear of Cass today.”
“Why?” Everything went tense inside of me.
“Just because.” She gave me a bright smile now. “She’s a bigger bitch than normal lately, and Adam might’ve said a few things about you this weekend.”
She started for the door, but I slammed a hand against it. “Like what?”
“Oh, um, how he was stupid to have lost your friendship, and he might’ve insinuated that you’d be a good candidate for the group…again.”
“You’re kidding me. Isn’t she dating Peter?”
“Yeah, but she’s still got a thing for Quinn. You know that. She’ll always have a thing for him, and we all know he’ll always have a thing for you.” Amelia beamed at me before she slipped through the door. It closed abruptly under my arm, and I frowned. How had she done that?
The morning passed without much drama. Becky was back to her bouncing self between classes and only looked down once between classes. I looked up and narrowed my eyes when I saw that Adam had passed us by. I fought the urge to slam her head in the locker. Instead, I sighed, “Are you really feeling guilty for being friends with me?”
She didn’t say anything. Her head was still down, but her shoulders shrugged up and down.
“Did you know that he’s going to try and be my friend again?”
Her head perked up and the corners of her mouth lifted. “Really?”
“It’s the word on the street.”
She frowned. “I haven’t heard that.”
“My source is higher than yours.”
“Oh.”
Then someone stopped by us, and Becky’s eyes rolled inwards. Her cheeks flushed, and I caught her shoulders as she fell against the locker. When I turned, I wasn’t surprised to see Amelia and Cassandra. Only they’d have that impact on her.
“What?” I fought back a snarl.
Amelia’s smile was easy, but Cassandra’s was strained. “We’re eating at The Parker for lunch. Do you want to come?”
Amelia held up two fingers twisted around each other. She made sure Cassandra didn’t see and wiggled her eyebrows up and down.
“If Becky comes too.”
“Of course.” Cassandra held out a hand. “This way. We’re splitting the cars. You two can come with me.”
As we started towards the parking lot, I jerked Becky behind me. She stumbled over her feet, but picked up her pace by the time we got to the cars. I glanced behind as I saw the rest of the Elite had fallen in step behind us. When Cassandra led the way to her Mercedes, I saw the hierarchy then. She was the new Queen. When I took a peek towards the back, I saw that there was no sign of Miranda in sight. We ducked into the backseat of Cassandra’s car. Amelia and Emily got into Mark’s brand new truck. Adam and Peter were with them. When I caught his gaze, Adam winked with a cocky grin. Becky inhaled next to me, and I knew she’d seen.
When we wheeled into the parking lot of The Parker, the ritzy restaurant shouldn’t have been a surprise. The sign I saw as we walked in, however, was. There was a large image of James Kade hung behind the hostess counter.
Cassandra must’ve caught my gaze because she stepped close. “You didn’t know your new stepdaddy owned this place?”
I turned heated eyes on her. “I hope you’re not expecting me to use my name for a seat.” My smile slipped to a snarl. “Because hell will freeze over before I do that.”
Her smile was forced, but she raised a hand in the air and snapped her fingers. “Not at all.” The hostess zeroed in on her with a gracious smile and menus in hand. “Miss Sullivan and her friends. We were expecting you. Follow me, please.”
We were shown to a back room and had our own staff of attendants. No order was placed, but dishes and drinks were served the second we sat down. I found myself seated between Becky and Mark and expelled a silent sigh in relief. They were the two I got along with the most. Emily was across from me, but Adam and Peter sat beside her. While Adam’s eyes were filled with too much warmth, Peter had yet to acknowledge I was in the room. His eyes darted away, and a strained look crossed them every moment we might’ve spoken. The silence was awkward, but Adam or Mark would jump in where a statement was dropped that Peter should’ve made.
Nothing important was discussed among the Elite. I wasn’t sure if it was because of my presence or in spite of it. Towards the end, everyone grew silent when Miranda White made her entrance. She wore a yellow dress with a white pea coat wrapped around her form. Despite the chilly air, she wore classic white sandals with enclosed toes, and a frosty smile on her face. She wrung out her gloves and laughed. The sound took over the room. All eyes were on her, and she knew it.
She struck a pose with a hand on her hip. “I know you guys didn’t intentionally exclude me—” Her eyes fell on me and she froze. Then her mouth fell open, and she screeched with a hand pointed in my direction. “Are you kidding me?!”
Cassandra sent me a dark glare but shot to her feet. “What are you doing, Miranda?”
“You invited her but not me?” Her chest rose up and down at a rapid pace. “I can’t believe this! She’s the reason why Logan dumped me. You—” She started towards me with a growl, but Adam stood and pushed her back.
“Stop, Miranda.”
Cassandra added with a smirk, “It’s not a good look for you.”
“Adam, you hate them too. What are you doing with her?! She is one of them. They can’t be trusted—”
“Mason and Logan can’t be trusted. Sam’s different.”
Cassandra rolled her eyes. “And it’s not like yo
u didn’t do this to yourself, Miranda. You screwed one of them for two months.”
She tried to surge out of Adam’s hold, but he held her back. She screeched, “You all did! And I dated Logan. I dated him. There’s a huge difference.”
Amelia stood. “Not from what I heard.”
Miranda paled and fell quiet. She started to tremble. “What…what did you hear?”
Amelia looked bored as she inspected her fingernails. “That Logan Kade screwed you for two months. He used you, but he never liked you. Tell me something, did he ever actually take you on a date?” When Miranda staggered back, Amelia’s sneer was in place. “Like I said, he wanted to take you down a peg, and it worked. Look at you—”
Cassandra snorted beside her. “You’re pathetic. We don’t want you here anymore.”
Miranda turned and pleaded. “Peter…”
He shot from the table and stormed out. He never looked at her. Cassandra started to laugh. “Are you kidding me? He’s mine, Miranda. You’re the laughingstock of our school, of the town. All of our parents have heard what happened to you. You’re a shell of what you used to be and who can we blame for that? Logan Kade did this to you and it was his intention from the beginning.”
Adam said quietly as he still held her arms in place, “He did it to protect Sam. We’ve all heard about it.”
Her eyes filled with hostility and they snapped to me. “You!”
I stood in slow motion and knew my face was guarded. I lifted my chin, holding her gaze as I narrowed my eyes. “My turn now? Let’s have it.”
I was aware of Becky’s presence beside me. Something kept tapping on the table.
“This is all because of you. They’re right.” She looked shattered as she admitted it. “They’re right. Logan did this to me to protect you. He knew I could hurt you…and…I…it’s all because of you.”
I threw my hands in the air. “Are you serious?” I felt like Logan in that moment. “You’re more stupid than he told me you were. None of this had anything to do with me. I was a side benefit. They did this to you—they—not just Logan, but they. Logan, Mason, and Nate. All three did this to you because you—” I clamped my mouth shut and drew in a staggering breath. I felt my blood drain from my face as I realized what I had almost done.
“Because why, Sam?” Adam prodded in a soft voice.
I tore away and grabbed my coat.
“Sam?” He started to meet me as I rounded the table. When his arms would’ve caught me, I sidestepped and pivoted around. “Sam!”
I shook my head when I paused in the doorway but caught Miranda’s tear-stained gaze. “Logan didn’t hurt you because of me, but I’m glad he did. You’re a vindictive bitch, and if he hadn’t gone after you, I know you would have gone after me. So yeah, I’m happy. You’ve made others suffer so you’re due for your own batch.” I scanned the group with a hard look. “And fuck all of you.”
“Sam!” Becky yelled after me, but I shoved out the private room and hurried through the restaurant.
CHAPTER FOUR
I slept alone that night and received a few text messages from Mason. The dinner with their mother went as well as he assumed. Horrible. She didn’t like our relationship. Mason didn’t care. I asked if Logan said anything, and he responded with a bunch of curse words. That brought a smile to my face, but I’ll admit that the night was still lonely.
At school the next morning, I was surprised when Peter and Emily sat beside me in my first class. They’d never done it before and when I asked why, Emily grinned. “You’re in the Elite. What do you expect?”
Peter scowled. “We stick to our own.”
He didn’t look happy about it.
“I told you guys to screw off.”
Emily shrugged as the class started. “Wouldn’t be the first time we’ve heard it from someone in the group.”
“What about Miranda?”
Peter clenched his jaw and turned away. Emily gave me an eye roll. “Still in. She knows too much. What do you do?”
And like that, I was in. I wasn’t sure how I felt about it, but it seemed like a done deal. The rest of the school seemed to already know. When I left for my next class, the crowd parted for me. I was alone this time.
Cassandra and Mark sat with me in my next class, and the day followed like that. I was about to head into the cafeteria with Becky when I stopped in my tracks. Lydia and Jessica stood there. They looked like they were headed the opposite way. Jessica froze and the blood drained from her face. Lydia gave me a look that was half a scowl and half a smile. It twisted her features and then Becky tugged on my arm to go around. As we passed each other, I glanced back. Lydia and Jessica both watched us but turned back quickly and hurried away.
That seemed to be the official end of my friendship with those two. They acted like they never knew me for the rest of the day. After my last class, they parted with the crowd, and I was another member of the Elite to them.
In some ways, it was sad to me, but I was relieved at the same time. They loved to gossip about the Elite before, and I wondered if they would gossip about me now. I didn’t care either way, but it felt odd to me.
When I headed to my car, Adam fell in step with me.
“What does it mean now?”
He tilted his head towards me. “What do you mean?”
“Now that I’m a part of the group, what does it mean? Do we hang out and braid each other’s hair?”
He gave me a crooked grin and slid his hands in his front pockets. He shrugged. “I’m not sure about the braiding, but it’s what you’ve already seen. We can sit together or not. We can have meals together, hang out at parties together, whatever. You don’t have to even say hi to us, if you don’t want. That’s your choice. I’m sure we’ll have dinners together every now and then. I know Emily and Mark would love if you’d come to some of those.”
“Peter said you stick to your own?”
A dimple flashed in his cheek. “That’s because Peter has no other friends. He’s not good with the social skills, if you haven’t noticed.” Then he took a deep breath. “So you and Mason, huh? It’s official?” His smile seemed shaky.
I nodded. “Going on three months now.”
“That’s not weird with the folks?”
I shrugged. “They don’t like it, but…”
“He told ‘em to go to hell?”
“More like ‘fuck off.’”
He flashed a grin. “That sounds like Kade alright.” Then he grew serious. “But he’s good to you?”
“He’s good to me.”
Adam nodded and let out a small breath. His shoulders loosened, and he seemed more at ease. “That’s good. I know I haven’t been the greatest friend to you, but as long as he’s good to you. That’s good to hear.”
“And you and Becky?”
His shoulders stiffened again. “What about me and Becky?”
I’d had enough with the small talk. “Can you stop playing with her emotions? Date her or cut her loose. You’re not doing her any favors.”
He looked about to argue with me.
I snapped out, “And you know it.”
He let loose a big sigh and his shoulders slumped forward. “I know, I know. But I care for her.”
“Stop toying with her and stop trying to fuck with my friendship with her.” I waited a beat and held his gaze steady. “Or you and I are going to have a problem. She’s my friend, my only friend.”
“What about me? And the Elite?” He narrowed his eyes.
I never blinked. “She’s my only friend. Don’t mess with that, Adam.”
He gave me a small frown. “Okay. Noted.”
And as I headed to my car and headed towards Garrett’s house, I wondered if it really was noted. My gut told me otherwise and my hands clenched on the steering wheel. Adam wasn’t known for being honest and genuine. I used to think he was, but that image had been shattered awhile ago. Then as I got to the house and let myself in, reggae music blasted through the air
, mixing with the aroma of roasted chicken and the sounds of something boiling on the stove.