Chapter 12
TWELVE
With a deep sigh, I slump down on the bench, staring out into the lake. It’s chilly outside, the stormy, grey clouds above me, not a single trace of sunlight to be seen. My breathing is uneven, and I can’t remember the last time I’ve done so much physical labor — if ever.
One of the employees of the camp, a coordinator named Mike, was the one who gave me the clothes for the day. The task was to clean up all of the trash that was scattered around the camp. I didn’t manage to pick up everything, not even half, but I still have another seven hours to go.
My nose is red from the cold, and it seeps right through my uniform. The lake is as beautiful as ever, a little sandy shore next to it, with benches, small tables, and chairs all around.
My cheeks feel like ice, and even blinking is starting to become a chore. I’ve filled four bags of trash, and they’re big. It’s nauseous to even think about how poorly these kids were raised if all they did was just litter.
“You alright over there?” Mike asks, approaching me and taking a seat next to me.
“I’m okay, just taking a break,” I smile.
“You did great,” Mike returns the smile. “Rest up. Lunch break will be in about an hour and a half. Soren’s already finished.”
Slowly, I turn my head to look at him, eyes widened, and brows lifting all the way to my hairline. “Excuse me? How is he done already? Did he have less work than me?”
Mike shakes his head with a small chuckle. “No, not at all. He just called some friends, and they helped.”
“I didn’t know that was an option,” I frown. “I would’ve done the same thing.”
“Well, depending on when you finish with the trash, the next task will be to clean all the cabins. You can call some of your friends to help, if you’d like. Technically, I should report all of it to the Dean, but given how hard you’ve worked, I’ll turn a blind eye to it.”
I lift a brow. “I’ll think about it. What am I supposed to do with the cabins, exactly?”
“Well, everything’s prepared more or less. I’ve split an equal number of cabins between Soren and you, so you need to change all the sheets, wipe all the dust, and such. Oh, bathrooms, too. Then sweep and mop the floors, and you’re good to go.”
“How many cabins do I have, exactly?”
“You’ll have thirteen,” he winks. “Soren will have seventeen.”
I laugh. “Why?”
“Well, the circumstances of why you two are here are different. I’m on your side here, Sophia.”
“You are?” I chuckle, looking up at the sky. “Well, no matter. I’ll be off to finish the job for the day.”
Mike’s eyes fall behind me, and it’s silent for a couple of minutes. Then, he pushes himself off the bench, stretching. “Looks like someone’s here to see you. You can take a break if you need it.”
I turn my attention to the direction where he’s looking, my gaze softening when I see Damien approaching me. He’s holding two cups of coffee, a wide grin on his face.
“Hi, Soph.”
“Hey,” I pat the spot beside me on the bench. “Please, tell me one of them is for me.”
Damien’s grin widens, if possible. “Of course, it is. Here,” he extends one, and I take it with gratitude. “Black coffee, no cream, no sugar.”
“You’re a lifesaver.”
“I can’t guarantee it tastes good, though. I picked it up by the main cabin, straight out of the machine.”
A small laugh slips from me, and I take a sip of it. He’s right — it tastes terrible, but for some reason, it slides down my throat with ease. It’s probably because I haven’t had a single cup since coming here, and I usually have between three and six a day. I’ve been missing my caffeine.
“You were right,” I smile. “But thank you for the coffee. Why are you here, anyway?”
Damien shrugs, lifting the paper cup to his lips, taking a sip of the coffee. His eyes fall on the lake, his blonde hair messy. “I just wanted to see you. You know, to keep you company. I know you’re stuck with Soren here.”
“Don’t remind me,” a grimace etches onto my face, and Damien smirks. “It’s like I’m stuck in a horror movie or something equally as bizarre. I’m just waiting until he strikes again.”
“Again?” Damien asks. “Sophia, has he done anything to you since you came here?”
“No, that’s not what I meant,” I explain.
There’s no way I’d tell Damien about what happened last night, or anyone, for that matter.
That’s a secret I’m taking to the grave, and no one will ever find out about it.
I’ll move on with my life and pretend like it never happened.
“But you know what the two of us are like; it’s only a matter of time before one of us strikes. ”
“Oh,” he nods. “But you seriously need to tone it down. It can’t be healthy. I mean, you two are adults, why are you acting like children?”
“Okay, ouch, my pride just got wounded.”
A wolfish grin appears on his lips. “I’ll make sure to stroke your ego to make up.”
“You’d better,” I tease.
“Anyway,” Damien clears his throat. “I have a favor to ask.”
“Knew it, the coffee was just bribery? Spill it.”
He scratches the back of his head. “Well, this semester has been terrible for me. And I failed two classes.”
“Why did you fail?”
“Couldn’t be bothered to attend them, really.”
My mouth opens, then closes. No words. What am I even supposed to tell him? He sighs, rubbing his temples for a moment, then finishes his coffee, tossing the empty cup into the trash bag next to the bench.
“Oh, don’t give me that look.”
“What look?” I feign innocence, looking away.
“That judgmental look you have going on,” he points to my face.
I roll my eyes. “Well, I am judging you. You didn’t attend exams because you couldn’t be bothered? That’s no excuse. It’s our senior year, Damien.”
“I know, I know,” he groans. “Please, can you tutor me?”
“When are you retaking your exams?”
“Same time as you,” he responds. “So, you can definitely tutor me, or be my study buddy?”
“Fine,” I sigh.
Damien, just like Grace, Soren, Kenzo, and Aiden, attended Saint Valley from elementary school all the way to the academy.
We’ve always been on good terms, our fathers used to work together.
We’ve only gotten closer, especially after junior year of the academy ended, and we spent a summer together in the Bahamas.
He’s a good friend and a great person overall.
“Thank you! I’ll buy you that new bag you’ve been eyeing.”
I lift a brow. “Now, now, how do you know what I’ve been eyeing?”
“Avalon told me you were complaining that it was sold out.”
“It wasn’t sold out,” I defend, taking the last sip of the coffee and tossing it into the trash. “It was a limited edition, and I didn’t see it in time to buy it.”
“If I get it for you, will you tutor me free of charge?”
“I’ll even take your exams for you,” I smile, only half-joking.
Damien grins. “No need. Just tutoring will do.”
“Okay. I’ll call you when I get back, then.”
“Perfect,” Damien stands up, then opens his arms.
With an eye roll, I follow suit, standing up and giving him a hug. He embraces me tightly, and the hug lasts for about thirty seconds before he pulls back, the usual smile on his face.
“Be careful around Soren, try not to burn this place to the ground, and return to the Academy in one piece, alright?”
I roll my eyes. “No promises.”
Damien laughs, then walks off. I give him one last, small wave before turning the other way, picking up a new trash bag, and heading toward the place with a lot of trash.
My body freezes, and I stop dead in my tracks.
Not even four feet away is Soren, with a uniform matching mine.
He’s leaning against the tree, a cigarette between his fingers.
Slowly, he takes a drag of it before exhaling.
His face is as expressionless as ever, but there’s something in his eyes that makes my blood run cold.
He’s always been the stoic, almost brutal type, yet this seems different.
Something I can’t decipher is in his eyes, and his body language is vastly different.
He looks very, very mad.
And I don’t know why.
◆◆◆
Let’s recap on the most interesting parts of the first semester.
“Did you get the email, too?”
Grace groans on the other side of the phone call, shuffling heard in the background. She’s silent for a moment, and when she speaks again, her words mirror my own thoughts.
“Well, that title’s dramatic,” she snorts. “We all know what the most interesting parts of the first semester were.”
“Somehow, I think I’m in the top three,” I chuckle.
Grace falls silent, our breathing echoing through the line. My finger swipes down, opening the email, and then I brace myself with a deep breath. The first part of the email has the Sinners and Saints banner, which is in a deep shade of black, with pink letters and some golden details.
This semester has been one of the most interesting ones. Well, if you ignore the entirety of last school year. There’s just something about this semester that promises the second one will be equally as interesting and filled with gossip.
“She might as well have pointed the finger at me,” I groan, rolling over to my stomach, reading through the article.”
“Oh, she’s about to, I think.”
There are some highlights in the article, memorable mentions, if you will.
One of them is a few students sneaking in weed, and a few others that are alleged rumors between the professors, such as our economics professor, Mr. Dawson, cheating on his wife with Ms. Dana, and getting her pregnant.
He’s a married man, and given that Ms. Dana’s not been showing, it’s either all a lie, or she got an abortion to cover it up.
Either way, I missed this entire gossip bit because it was during the first month of the semester, and I was busy studying.
“Let’s read the top three spots together. Ready?”
“You start.”
Grace clears her throat. “Who would’ve thought that the golden girl, the self-proclaimed queen of the Academy, would cheat on her exams? Looks like this time, daddy couldn’t bribe her way out of a punishment.”
A scoff comes from me. “I didn’t cheat!”
“I know,” Grace snickers. “Do you think we’ll ever be able to find out who’s behind Sinners and Saints?”
“Unlikely,” I mutter. “We’re finishing up. I highly doubt this person will ever be found out, and if they are, it will be long after we’ve graduated.”
“To be fair, we are the juiciest generation she’s had. And maybe she’ll revamp the website and turn it into a gossip channel for the affluent and arrogant.”
“That’d be a hassle, and she wouldn’t get as much information. Then again, I don’t think it’s just one person.”
Grace is silent for a moment. “It never crossed my mind that it could be more than one person.”
“I mean, imagine the number of emails they’re getting weekly. From silly, petty things, to things such as Soren’s sex tape. I mean, one person couldn’t possibly filter them all, write the articles, and send emails almost on a daily basis.”
“I’m now more inclined to try and figure out who it is.”
“Oh? Any theories?”
“What if it’s Lila?”
I laugh. “Please, Lila? There’s a higher chance it would be you or me than Lila.”
“You’re right,” she sighs. “Lila doesn’t really like being bothered by other people’s issues. She’s a softie deep down, but it’s really, really deep down.”
“What about Cassia?” I offer. “You think it could be her? She’s rarely had anything written about her, despite being one of the most problematic people on campus.”
“I don’t think she would’ve leaked Soren’s sex tape, though,” Grace says, then pausing to think. “She’s been obsessed with him for years, and if perchance it were to be discovered she’s the one behind Sinners and Saints, Soren would ruin her.”
“What about that girl from England?”
“Which one?”
“Third year, Melissa?”
A frown etches on my face. “No, I don’t think so. If it’s her, she’s not the one who founded this whole thing. But she’s always so… quiet and reserved.”
“Well, yes, that’s the type we’re looking for, no? Someone who won’t stand out too much, or be in the center of attention.”
“Let’s not think about this too much,” I sigh. “Are you going to read the second one, or should I?”
“You do it.”
I scroll down a little, my thumb pausing right when I’m at the second spot.
Immediately, anger starts building inside of me when I see the image again.
The way it looks more intimate than it was, and the way it seems as though Soren’s kissing me with a thousand years of bottled-up passion, rattles me in ways that I loathe.
“We can’t forget about that little smooch between the Queen and King of the academy.
Or was it a full-blown make-out session?
What else happened after the camera stopped rolling?
Will this end the Sloane and Ford family feud?
Or are they experiencing enemies-to-lovers in real life?
We’d better find out before they graduate. ”
Grace laughs. “Oh, this is golden.”
“Shut up.”
“And for the grand finale,” Grace drawls out just as I scroll down enough to spot the video. It’s still in the raw state I sent it, with nothing covered or censored. At this point, it can be considered a homemade porn video.
“My, my, looks like the heir of the Ford fortune has found himself in a rather compromising position. Who would’ve thought that the brat had it in him?”
I giggle a little. “Of course, that’s the first place.”
“But on a serious note, if someone finds out who Sinners and Saint is, they can be sued for revenge porn.”
“I don’t think it’ll get that far.”
“And if it does,” Grace continues. “You’ll get sued for recording and sending it.”
“Don’t worry, my law team is fantastic.”
“You don’t regret tarnishing his reputation at all, do you?”
“Not even a little bit,” I snort. “But hey, speaking of tarnishing, are you still coming tomorrow night?”
“Yes!” The eagerness in her voice breaks a smile on my face. “I’m not telling Avalon or Lila about our plan, though. They’ll try to talk us out of it. I’m bringing all the goodies.”
“And the sleeping pills?”
“Crushed and ready to be used.”
“Perfect.”