Chapter 6
Casey
“Fuck me, that ass!”
“Bet she rides like a fucking champion…”
“I’d give up masturbating forever just to see her naked for a minute.”
These were the comments I heard as I walked past Hunter’s table, and a few members of his group were still sitting at their table in the cafeteria. I flipped them off over my shoulder, ignoring them entirely as I headed to Home EC, which, luckily, was close to my locker.
The room is set up with several mini kitchens, an area with some very outdated sewing machines and various materials, and round workstations.
As I step in, I’m immediately met with hostile glares from the other girls, and I can’t help but feel disappointed.
I guess it really was going to be like The Hill all over again.
I scanned the room as the girls hung out in their respective kitchens, all of them working in their little cliques. Our teacher hadn’t arrived yet, so I took a minute to scan the other students, searching for someone that might hopefully extend an olive branch to me.
There was only one girl who hadn't looked up and glared daggers my way.
In fact, she only glanced at me once with little to no interest, before returning to what she was doing.
She was lounging on the kitchen counter in the back, a cookbook in her hands as she leaned against the wall, and there was no one else with her.
Honestly, as I took her in, I could almost understand why.
She was dressed in black leather leggings, with a rocker t-shirt on…
a band I didn’t know, unfortunately, and a black leather jacket and wedge heel boots.
She looked like she belonged on a motorcycle.
But as I stared at her, I couldn't help but think how beautiful she was. Her hair was almost black at the roots, but the rest was dyed a cerulean blue. Her skin was pale, and her eyes were large and nearly matched her hair. She was tall and willowy, much like Nylah. She had an air of confidence around her that I couldn’t help but instantly respect and admire.
I walked over to her, ignoring the other girls, and headed to the back, deciding to take a chance and trust my instincts.
As scary as she appeared, something about her told me she was a good person…
maybe just misunderstood. It was stupid, I knew, but so far, she was the only one in this room who looks like she gives zero fucks about the new girl.
“Hey, mind if I join your kitchen group?” I asked her as I stopped by the edge of the counter.
Slowly, her blue eyes slid up. For a moment, I felt like I’d made a horrible mistake talking to her, but I resisted the urge to step back.
I smiled warmly at her and nodded my head to the side, indicating to the other girls, “The rest of the kitchens appear to be full.”
The blue-haired girl leisurely took me in, studying me as her eyes scanned down and then up again. Her frightening expression changed then, and she came across as both amused and confused. She raised a dark brow to me, “So… you’re the princess, hm?”
I closed my eyes for a moment, and I felt my shoulders sag. “Seriously? Is that really going to be my nickname here?” I thought only the leader of the Skank Squad and Hunter were calling me that. To hear her say it too, well, it pissed me off. I was the farthest thing from a princess.
She shrugged and chuckled, “There are worse names to be called.”
She had a point. “I suppose that’s true…” I grinned at her. “But I’m hoping the others will get more creative before the day is out.” I glanced over at the rest of the girls who were watching me with pure loathing.
The blue-haired girl smirked, looking from them to me. “They’re parasites. Sheep…” She shook her head and tossed the cookbook aside. “They’ll probably try to make your life a living hell until they realize you aren’t after the title of Queen Bee .”
“And who currently owns that title?” I raised a brow in question.
She shrugged. “Depends on who you ask.” She grinned, “If you talk to the student council and prep, they’ll say Rebecca Thompson…
top of the class, head of the Social Committee, and destined to leave Harley to do greater and better things.
” Her grin widened, “If you talk to the Jackals, they’ll vouch for Celeste Wood,” she grinned at me.
“And I saw that she already kindly introduced herself to you at lunch.”
So that’s the name of that bitch. Good to know , I thought, as I filed her name away. “The Jackals?”
Just then, the bell rang, and an older plump woman with white hair came rushing in, clapping her hands, “Alright ladies! Get to your stations! I want to start the second half of the semester with something sweet! So pick a dessert dish and get going!” She hurried to the back where her desk sat and leaned over her old, worn computer to quickly type something.
I looked back to the blue-haired girl and held my hand out to her, “My name is Casey Cooper,” I told her.
She smiled, her eyes twinkling, and she took my hand.
I noticed that she had a tattoo on her inner wrist. It was black, but I didn't get a chance to see what it was. She released my hand, stood, and her jacket hid it from my view. “I’m Meredith Nadeau,” she told me.
“And you are welcome to help me bake some rocky road cookies.”
I smirked, glad that at least one student in this school was giving me a chance.
And rocky road cookies were my favourite.
I tossed my books down, followed her to the cupboard where the pink aprons were hanging, and helped her gather ingredients from the pantry and fridge.
Meredith opened the page to the recipe, and we stood side by side, prepping our dish.
“The final group...” she said suddenly, “… and whose opinion is the only one that matters, falls to Vendetta, and they don’t have a Queen Bee. They’re against stupid bullshit like that.”
“Vendetta?”
She nodded. “Don’t be fooled. The Jackals are a gang . Vendetta is a crew . Huge difference.”
“What is the difference?”
She grinned at me. “Gang’s get involved in illegal shit. They try to muscle their way into the school system, but it’s Vendetta that works to keep it out. Think of them as bodyguards. They look out for the best interest of the general populace and for Harley.”
“They sound nice,” I said absent-mindedly as I gathered some mixing bowls and whisks together.
She tossed her head back and burst out into laughter, earning a hard look from our teacher.
Meredith waggled her fingers at her before turning back to me.
“Make no mistake, princess, Vendetta are tough as fuck. They’ve done plenty of crap to earn their place.
They’re the power stronghold in this school and in Harley.
Plus, with their backing…” Her voice trailed off, and she bit her lip like she had said too much.
Backing? Who could be backing a high school group? And why?
Oh hell, no, I want nothing to do with this shit , I think.
“The respect they have isn’t just because of muscle… they’re smart, and they’re careful .” She shakes her head and gives me a hard, warning look, “Whatever you do, don’t cross them.”
I raised my hands up before me. “Hey, I just want to graduate and then get the hell out of this city.”
Meredith stared down at me, watching as I began mixing the dry ingredients. I kept my head bowed and continued what I’d been doing, wondering what her story was.
“Can I tell you something, princess?” she said after a minute, as I started to mix everything together.
“Um, sure?” I stop and look up at her, hearing the serious tone in her voice.
“If you want to survive in this school, you need to pick a side and fall in.”
“What if I just want to keep my head down and stay out of all of it?” I asked as I started mixing the dry and wet ingredients together. “How do I know what side to pick?”
She shook her head. “Doesn’t work that way. You’re pretty, like a shiny new toy. There’s already been talk about you being here.”
I let out a long breath and stopped what I was doing, turning to her, “I grew up here in Harley.”
Meredith’s dark brows rose high on her forehead. I could tell she hadn’t been expecting that. “No shit?”
“No shit.” I went back to what I was doing.
“Huh… well shut me up!” she laughed, taking the dough from me and beginning to spoon out little scoops and spread them onto a pan just as the oven dinged that it was at temperature.
I watched as Meredith stuck the cookies into the oven and forced myself to turn away and start cleaning up, “So, there’s the Jackals, Vendetta… anyone else I should know about?”
“Company, but they attend Harley Public… they’re a bunch of criminal wannabes.
They like to show up randomly and start fights and shit.
Occasionally they get their hands on some firearms, shoot off some bullets, and get arrested.
Dangerous and stupid. A lethal combination.
” Her eyes were shining a little as she told me this.
I felt like she was enjoying telling me the ins and outs of Harley, catching me up to my past. “I guess you could say they are the big three… but of course, I’m sure you know about The Faceless, even from The Hill. ”
“The Faceless…” Yeah, I knew about them.
Everyone in Ashland knew about them. Poor Mr. Bryant.
Those fucking bastards kept him up most nights as he worked his ass off to try and get them locked behind bars, but the system was corrupt, with members from that organization planted in City Hall and the Police Force. “Yeah, I’ve heard of them, alright.”
“Stay away from anyone wearing a Celtic Beasts cut,” she said firmly, “they’re tied into that crime group.” I noticed how she was suddenly wary and even a little fearful at the mention of that MC.
“Are you a part of one of the high school groups?” I asked her.
She smiled. “Of course. Why do you think all of these girls steer clear of me?”
“Are they not involved in any of the main three?”