Chapter 28
Awol
Harper
I spend Sunday sans horsemen. As soon as I wake up, I close the screen on my laptop and leave my room. Technically, they didn’t say I needed to be on today. I get a few texts on the group chat, but I ignore them.
If they want to punish me on Monday, so be it. I’m just a sick form of entertainment for them. Fuck them.
I work on homework and get started on my paper for English class. When I work on my laptop, I flip the little cover over my camera and mute it. So if they are on, they can’t see me. I doubt they’ll be on. They have lives too.
I need a day away from them.
A day to clear my head and reaffirm my determination to get out of this devil’s bargain I’ve made with them.
It shouldn’t be that hard, but the problem is this isn’t like contract negotiations where someone can easily renegotiate by adding something to sweeten the pot. This is hostage negotiations, where I’m the hostage.
I don’t have a lot of bargaining power in my current position. I have one thing they want, but they’ve already decided I’ll give it to them.
I need to remember the sheer evilness of the horsemen. The fact they want to embody War, Pestilence, Famine, and Death. These are not mere boys looking for a good time. They want utter and complete control and will do anything to keep it.
Not only am I hostage, but part of me doesn’t want to escape them. That’s the part I need to talk sense into. Their attention just makes me want more. It’s not healthy.
In the evening, I call Kenz to see if she can come over to talk, but she’s sick. Which doesn’t bode well for school on Monday. We chat a little, but her throat hurts to talk. That’s the problem with having only one best friend.
“You ready to go to Crusty’s Pizzeria?” Mom stands in my doorway as I put the finishing touches on my statistics homework.
“In just one…minute.” I press the final key to submit my homework. “Now I’m good.”
I don’t bother putting on makeup. I’m wearing dark skinny jeans that fit like a second skin and I pair them with a flowing peasant top. Not trying to be hot. Not trying to get attention. Just being me.
The me I could have been if it weren’t for the horsemen. It feels good to own who I am. To not hide. I feel good after a day without the constant pull of the horsemen. Refreshed even.
My hair is a little wavy from the braids, but I leave it down. We make it to the pizzeria in record time.
After ordering at the counter, we take a seat at a four-top since the two-tops are all taken.
I recognize some kids from school having dinner and some working in the kitchen.
I really don’t expect anyone to interact with me, since the guys have said I’m off-limits.
Besides, they never interacted with me before.
So I’m relaxed and enjoying Mom time. Mom talks about work, and her schedule this week is the same as last week. Mornings. I talk about classes. I’m not worried about any of them yet, but we’ll see how the semester goes…and how big of a distraction the horsemen will be.
Our pizza is delivered. We sometimes get the barbeque chicken pizza, but tonight we went with a classic pepperoni and sausage pizza.
“So we haven’t discussed boys yet,” Mom prods as she takes a bite.
“Not much to say. They exist. I exist. We all go to school together. Maybe some of them want to get in my pants. Maybe I want to get into some of their pants. But right now, I’m happy to just go along my own way and let them figure out my pants are on permanent lockdown.”
“Ouch. Hopefully not permanent.” Wincing, Mom drinks some of her soda.
“Permanently to high school boys,” I clarify. “They aren’t mature enough to deal with the consequences of their actions.”
“If I didn’t know better, I’d think you’re bitter from unrequited love.” Mom laughs.
“Yeah, not going to happen. No love lost here.” Definitely not. I would never be stupid enough to give my heart to any of the horsemen. Could you imagine? They would chew it up and spit it back in my face.
I barely feel the electricity in the air, but I definitely feel something shift in the pizzeria. The hairs stand on the back of my neck and I raise my gaze to meet Caden’s green eyes at the counter.
Fuck. My. Life.
Seriously, can’t I get a break from the prick brigade for one day? Also, will he dare to come over to talk to me with my mom here? Oh, shit, Mom…
“Mom, if someone comes to our table, I’m grounded, okay?”
“What?” She looks around the restaurant, apparently not affected by the horsemen’s gravitational pull. “What do you mean?”
“Just I can’t go anywhere. I’m grounded. I’ll explain later. Please, Mom.” I hold her gaze with mine and hope she can read the desperation in my eyes.
“Fine, but I’ve never really had cause to ground you,” she mutters as she takes a big bite of pizza. “Might be nice to have to parent you even at this late stage of the game.”
Caden enters the dining area, and that’s when I notice the rest of the assholes following behind him. He smirks at me as he sits in a booth a few feet away. Jack slides in next to him, while Eli and Luke sit on the other side. I can feel their glances at my back like lasers tearing at my flesh.
“I take it the table of jocks is the reason for your grounding?” Mom lifts her eyebrows at me as she glances over at the guys. Her eyes widen, but she keeps her glance quick enough that the guys won’t know I’ve pointed them out to her. “Yeah, they would be a good reason to ground you.”
“They’ve made it a point to notice me this year.” That’s about as much as I’m willing to say to my mom. That way, I won’t get in trouble with the guys, and she won’t accidentally cause any trouble.
“Are they bullying you, Harper Lynn? Because I don’t care how big they are. If they’re bullying you, I’ll kick them in the balls myself.”
“No, jeezus, Mom. Calm down. They aren’t bullying me.” Much. “They’ve just been interested in the permanently locked down pants of mine.”
“Ah, nothing you can’t handle, right?” She gives me a look that says say the word and their asses are hers. I can’t help the grin that threatens to spill out at knowing my mom will always have my back.
“Definitely nothing I can’t handle.” I straighten in my seat. “Just boys being boys.”
Even as those words come out of my mouth, I want to hand in my woman card. One small death to feminism, right here in Crusty’s Pizzeria, courtesy of Harper Davidson.
Mom even gives me the side eye at that.
“Meaning I can handle their come-ons, and they’ll take the rejection fine like they should.” I nod to myself like I righted whatever cosmic wrong I just did. The thing is they won’t take rejection fine. They’ll bend me over and spank me in front of our entire school.
Maybe they’ll even make it an assembly so everyone can show up this time.
Fuckers.
I’m really not looking forward to Monday as I’ve given them plenty to punish me over today, but damn, give a girl a break. They’ve been on me for six days. Even God gave it a rest on the seventh day.
For the rest of the meal, things stay relatively the same. I’m aware of the horsemen directly behind me while my mom talks about some of the odd cases of the week, including some interesting X-rays.
The server checks on us, and we ask for a box and the check.
He comes back a few minutes later with a box. “The guy at that table picked up your check for you. You have a nice evening.”
Mom’s eyes widen and she glances over at the guys with a hard look, probably trying to determine what game they’re playing. I put my hand over Mom’s to get her attention.
“They’re all practically rich. I’m sure our thirty-dollar meal isn’t even a speck of their weekly allowances.” I don’t know if I’ll be able to talk her out of this confrontation, but I’m afraid a confrontation is exactly what they want.
Mom drops a generous tip on the table and stands. Please let her be ready to go and not about to—too late, she’s heading straight for their booth with a smile on her face.
I grab the box from the table and try to cut her off, but I’m way too slow.
“Good evening, boys.” Mom’s got on her killer smile.
“Good evening, ma’am,” Luke says. His eyes cut to me. “Harper.”
“I wanted to thank you all for our meal. It was very kind of you.” She’s too sweet. Fuck, I can’t control her any more than I can control the guys. Hopefully she doesn’t blow me up too much.
“It was nothing. Seeing as how Harper was grounded and couldn’t join us out, we figured we’d get your meal.
” Luke’s emphasis on grounded tells me his game.
I’m sure he’d love nothing better than for me to not be grounded so he can move his sadistic game forward.
Finally get me alone with all four of them. Asshole.
“That’s so sweet of you boys. Well, thank you.” Mom smiles. Neither confirming nor denying my grounding. Man, is she smart.
I wish I could tell her everything. She’d know how to get out of this death spiral I’m in. But as an adult, she’d bring in other adults, and then things would get sticky.
“Yes, thank you,” I add. I almost want to stick my tongue out at them. If I didn’t think Mom would notice, I would give them a double bird salute on the way out the door. I already have to explain the creepers in my life to her once we leave.
“I’ll pick you up for school tomorrow,” Luke says. And my house of cards comes crashing down around me.
Mom’s eyebrow rises. “You know Harper has her own car and can get to school just fine on her own.”
Momma didn’t raise no princess, fucker.
“I know, but I like to pamper her.” Luke’s gaze flicks to mine and I hope Mom misses the heat in them before they go back to cold.
“It’s up to Harper whether she drives or rides, but she better be home on time.” Mom’s voice is stern enough to warrant nods from the horsemen. “Thank you again for the meal. Maybe we’ll repay you sometime.”
She walks away before they say anything more, and I hurry to stay with her because I’m not getting caught by one of them. Not here. Not today.
Tomorrow morning will be soon enough. Today is mine.
As I slide into the car, my phone lights up with a notification. Earlier, I put it on do not disturb for the day. I’m sure I won’t appreciate what they have to say, so I ignore it.
Mom gets in. “Well, you go big when you go.”
I shrug. Didn’t really have an option. A few false promises to give me the sense I was making decisions, but not really. They determined they wanted me. They determined I wanted them. They always get what they want.
In the end, they wanted to own me, so they do.
“They’re handsome young men. I assume this is the half of the football team you were talking about?” Mom puts the car into gear and drives us home.
“Not really half.” I look out the window. I’m sure they want my webcam on tonight. I’m sure I’ll do it and they’ll have some sort of punishment to go with it.
Fuck it. If I’m already getting punished, I might as well go big like Mom said.
“I trust you, Harper. I don’t trust any of them, but I trust you. So if you like any of them, I’ll back you up, but if you want me to hate them, I can do that too.”
Smiling, I glance over at her. “I’ll let you know. I’m still not sure I like any of them. But they’re persistent.”
Mom makes a disgruntled noise. “Most men are when they want something. It’s after they get it that they prove who they really are.”
Yeah, that’s what I’m afraid of.
Harper’s Phone
Kenz:
Why do I have to be sick?
Me:
Sorry
Kenz:
How’s the dick parade?
Me:
Planning on getting punished
Kenz:
Fun