Chapter 7
Ella
“Honey, the trimmer,” my dad says, waking me from my thoughts. He’s standing on the other side of the pickup, looking at me with concern. I’m usually the one reminding him to load the equipment.
“Sorry.” I pick the trimmer up from the sidewalk and put it in the back of the truck.
It’s Sunday, and my dad and I are heading home after a long day of work.
We worked even longer yesterday, and it was really hot.
I’m exhausted to the point I could skip dinner and go right to bed.
It’s not just the work tiring me out, but the stress of worrying what Briggs is going to do to me when I tell him I’m not agreeing to his deal.
He’s giving me all next week to think about it, but I don’t need a week. I already know I’m not doing it. I just needed him to back off for a few days so I could think of a way to stop him, or at least defend myself.
“Everything okay?” my dad asks as we’re driving home.
“Yeah, I’m just tired.” I look out the window as we pass yet another mansion protected by an iron gate. The house is two stories tall and as long as a hotel. The outside is white stucco, like most of the houses around here, with lots of windows, outlined in black trim.
“It’s not that great if you ask me,” my dad says, noticing me looking back at the mansion. “The guy bought it after his wife took off, although last I heard, they’re still married. His kid’s in your class, isn’t he?”
I look back at my dad. “I don’t know who you’re talking about.”
“The kid who plays rugby — tall, dark hair. He’s a good-looking kid, and big for someone his age.”
“You mean Briggs?” I ask, the mere mention of his name making my stomach feel sick.
“Yeah, that’s him. I couldn’t remember his name. His father owns that big investment firm.”
“I didn’t know they moved. Didn’t they used to live in that mansion over by the Selby house?”
“They did, but they sold it and bought the one we just passed. I’m thinking the old place was what his wife wanted and when she left, he decided to get something new. In my opinion, the old place was better. The new one looks more like an office building than a house.”
“How much do you think it cost?”
He shrugs. “I’d guess around twenty-five.”
“Twenty-five million?” I ask, shocked that anyone would pay that much for a house.
“Maybe more with all the land he’s got.” My dad’s so casual about it, like it doesn’t bother him at all that the people in our neighborhood make that kind of money while we make almost nothing in comparison.
Briggs has all that money and lives in a giant house. He’s popular. Good-looking. An athlete. Isn’t that enough? Why does he think he needs to be valedictorian, too?
“You ever talk to his kid?” my dad asks.
“Briggs? No. I hate him.” I shouldn’t have said that. My dad says you shouldn’t hate people. He says it’s too strong a word and that you can dislike someone, but not hate them. But if he knew how Briggs treated me, I think my dad would be okay with me hating him.
“What do I say about—”
“Yeah, I know. I don’t like him. Is that better?” I roll my eyes, but he’s driving and didn’t notice.
“Why don’t you like him? Did he do something?”
“I don’t want to talk about Briggs. He’s just a spoiled rich kid, like every other kid at school.”
My dad glances at me as he stops at a red light. “Why do I get the feeling it’s more than that?”
“It’s not. I just don’t like him.” I say it casually so he doesn’t suspect anything.
When Briggs made it his mission to bully me a few years ago, I decided to hide it from my dad, and I’m going to do the same now. He can’t do anything about it, so why tell him?
The light turns green, and he continues down the road. “I heard the Kingsley kid got in trouble at the docks last weekend.”
“You mean Finn, or his older brother?”
“Finn, the younger one. I heard the Hensons’ pool guy talking about it when I was doing their lawn last week.”
“What’d he get in trouble for?”
“He was searching through some boats last Friday night. One of the dock guys saw him and called it in. The cops said nothing was missing but I’m thinking he had to be looking for something. Why else would he be breaking into boats?”
“Did he get arrested?”
“He got off with a warning.”
“How did the Hensons’ pool guy find out about this?”
“His brother works down at the docks. He was working that night. He saw the police arrive and saw them take Finn from one of the boats. Sounds like he was pretty drunk, or maybe he was on drugs.”
“Maybe that’s what he was looking for,” I say, thinking about the drugs in my locker. Did Finn put them there? Were they his? Why would he search a boat for drugs when he could just buy them?
“You stay away from that boy,” my dad says as he pulls into our driveway. “He’s nothing but trouble.”
“Trust me, I have no plans to go anywhere near Finn Kingsley. Or Briggs Chadwick. Or Parker Sterling. I can’t stand those guys. I’m counting the days until I graduate and never have to see them again.”
My dad parks the truck and shuts off the engine, then turns to me, smiling. “Speaking of graduation, I have a surprise for you.”
“What is it?”
“I’m flying your grandparents out here.”
“Dad, they can’t. It’s not good for Grandpa.”
My grandparents live in Florida, and my grandpa gets really bad leg cramps when he can’t stretch his legs. In those tiny plane seats, he won’t be able to move and it’s a really long flight.
“I’m flying them first class.” My dad beams. “I’ve been saving for this for months. I was going to wait to tell you, but I couldn’t keep it a secret anymore. My little girl is graduating and I want you to have your grandparents here.” His smile drops. “Your mother would’ve wanted that too.”
He always gets sad when he talks about her, even all these years later. And when special events come around, like my birthday or holidays or my upcoming graduation, he gets even sadder, wishing she were here to celebrate with us.
“Did you talk to Grandma about this?”
He nods. “I did, and they’re thrilled. Your grandfather even talked to his doctor and got the okay. First class will give him more room to move around and he’ll be able to get up if he needs to.”
First class must’ve cost my dad a fortune. That’s money he could’ve put into the business, or into buying something for himself, which he never does. I wish he’d do less for me and more for himself, but he won’t.
I reach over and hug him. “Thanks, Dad.”
“Oh, and I might’ve told them the surprise.”
I pull back, looking at him. “What surprise?”
“About you being valedictorian, not that they didn’t already assume you would be, but I told them anyway. I hope that’s okay.”
“Um, yeah.” I turn and open my door.
“Ella.”
I turn back. “What?”
His brows draw together. “You are going to be valedictorian, right?”
“I think so.”
He eyes me, concern on his face. “Are you saying someone else might be?”
“Maybe. I don’t really know. I mean, it’s not like I’m tracking everyone’s grade point.”
“You get all A’s and do extra credit. There couldn’t possibly be anyone else even close to being valedictorian.”
I sigh. “Dad, what does it matter? I mean, nobody really cares who the valedictorian is. If I am, that’s great, but if I’m not, it’s not the end of the world.” I get out of the truck. “I have to go to the bathroom. I’ll see you inside.”
Racing in the house, I go into my room and shut the door.
Why did I do that? Why did I even hint that I might not be valedictorian?
Now my dad will know something’s up. He knows how much I want this.
I’ve wanted it for years. Even in elementary school, I’d tell everyone I was going to be valedictorian.
So acting like it doesn’t matter anymore is definitely going to make my dad suspicious.
The only reason I said it was to prepare him in case it didn’t happen.
I’ll do everything I can to make sure it does, but I can’t predict what Briggs might do to stop me.
He’s a loose cannon. Anything is possible with him.
Or he’ll make his friends do something. Finn would do whatever Briggs told him to.
I’m sure he’s the one who planted drugs in my locker.
If the principal had found them, I could’ve been kicked out of school, ruining my chances of getting into a good college or getting a scholarship.
If it comes down to being valedictorian or saving my future, my future comes first. I just hope it doesn’t come to that.
“Ella.” My dad knocks on my door. “What do you think about going out for dinner after we clean up?”
“I’m not really hungry,” I yell back. “I think I’ll just go to bed.”
“Can I come in?”
Now he wants to talk. He thinks something’s wrong, and it is, but I don’t want him knowing that.
I open the door. “Dad, I’m fine. I’m just tired. It was a long day.”
“I know, which is why I think I’m going to hire someone.”
“For what?”
“To help out on the weekends so you can do your school work.”
“I don’t need more time for school stuff. I’m caught up on all my homework. I even worked ahead.”
“And your grades are okay?”
“Yes.”
“Then what was all that talk about not being valedictorian?”
“It was nothing. You’re reading too much into it.”
He eyes me, concern on his face. “Honey, you know I don’t care about this, right? It would be nice if you were the one up on stage giving a speech, but either way, I’m still proud of you, prouder than any father could be.”
“I know, Dad.”
He smiles. “How about we stay in and order a pizza?”
“Okay. And hey, you don’t have to hire someone. I don’t mind helping you out and it’d be better if we saved the money.”
He pats my shoulder. “You let me worry about the money. I’d rather have you out with your friends, enjoying your last semester of high school, than helping your old man with his lawn business.”