Chapter 6
CHAPTER 6
JARED
“M ind telling me why Professor Richardson went to bat for the little mouse today and told me to check my facts about the definition of rape and consent?” I ask, dropping into my seat by the pool.
I called a meeting for the Kings after school, but I’m one of the last to arrive. I had to talk to the swim coach about the upcoming meet, the normal bullshit where he reminds me of what’s at stake. Trust me, I know.
It’s not easy being one of the best swimmers on the team, there’s a lot of pressure. I’ll make captain next year, and then keep the title through senior year. Every step is another milestone made possible. There’s a large amount of things I want to accomplish while at Carlysle Prep, but first I need to deal with the bullshit in front of me.
Nothing is too far to make our way of life possible, but I need to know if there needs to be a correction to the information shared between us.
“That would be because the article I wrote used a great deal of fiction,” Theo explains. “I didn’t have time to tell you since right after she saw the newspaper, I had to head to class.”
“What about later?” Ignacio asks. “Not once did you disseminate that information.”
His voice is cold, detached, which signals how pissed he is. There are reports that his father carried her out of the school, passed out. Someone also told Elijah that there was blood on her thighs, but I don’t know how true that is.
“You’re right,” Theo says, sighing. “I may have hyper fixated on the end goal.”
Grabbing his laptop out of his backpack, he fires it up. We wait as patiently as possible, knowing he’s giving us the intel we’ve asked for, but that it’ll take time for him to hack into it.
“The Brevard county prison system should probably update their firewalls,” he mutters, turning the computer toward us. “The notes attached to his case at the public attorney’s office should also do the same, since I also was able to access the official documents for his case. He spilled his guts to his attorney. Do you want the recording or just the cliff notes?”
My stomachs rolls before I grit my teeth. “Cliff notes, please.”
I want to get rid of this girl, I don’t want to be contemplating murder for a piece of shit I have no business caring about. She needs to disappear, because my heart has no place to grow for anyone.
Elijah and Ignacio nod with tight nods, and Theo begins.
“Colton told his lawyer that he started dating the little mouse’s mother because she was pretty and sucked dick on their first date,” he says. “Julia Thomas worked a lot of hours, and he would surprise her with flowers or some bullshit when she came back to the apartment. He doesn’t say how he had her schedule, which is odd to me. Anyway, the night he assaulted Rachelle, Colton broke in through the window in Julia’s bedroom to wait for her.”
“Fuck, I wonder if Dad knows what shitty taste she has in men,” Ignacio mutters.
“I did some digging on that too through her social media account,” Theo says. “I had a little time before you got here, after all.”
“I thought you were doing research for school, asshole,” Elijah says.
“You know what happens when you assume,” Theo grunts. “Can I continue?”
“Yeah,” I mutter. I have a bad feeling this is going to be really bad.
“So he said he got tired of waiting and heard Julia’s kid in her room, listening to music, tapping on the keys of her laptop while she was getting her homework done,” he says. “Colton got tired of waiting for his girlfriend, so when he heard the daughter go to bed, he decided she’d do just as well.”
“How long ago was this exactly?” Ignacio asks, no emotion in his voice still.
“A year and eight months ago,” Theo says, turning the screen toward himself to make sure. “She was fifteen, and Colton crows about how there was blood on his dick when he fucked her.”
“She was a virgin,” Elijah says, eyes widening for a moment before adopting a bored look on his face.
None of us are using her name, a way to distance ourselves from this horror. We do a lot of fucked up things, but this is where we draw our line. The kid who sucked us all off in a round robin was hard the entire time, his dick bobbing against his stomach.
He was a homophobic dick who needed to learn exactly how much he loved to suck cock.
“Yep,” Theo says. “Colton says the girl screamed even though he tried to shut her up by shoving a pillow over her face. Julia heard the stifled noises and went to check on her daughter, and found her boyfriend instead in the bedroom.”
“Fuck,” Ignacio says.
“It gets better,” Theo says grimly, which means exactly the opposite. “He simply asked her if she wanted to join and continued what he was doing. Julia grabbed the lamp and beat the fuck out of him, and then apparently had to pull Colton off and out of her daughter.”
Blinking, I realize that Colton hadn’t pulled out at all while being beaten. I’m unsure if I should be impressed, disgusted, or a mixture of both.
“If he was passed out, how do you have that information?” Elijah asks.
“Julia gave a statement at the police station, as did her daughter,” Theo explains. “Julia describes the shock and rage she felt while she beat the shit out of Colton. The girl’s statement isn’t anywhere that I can find, so I’m unsure what it says. A week later, her daughter spent time in a psych ward on a seventy-two hour hold.”
“Wonder if this will send her back,” Ignacio grunts.
“If she does, do we use it?” I ask. “How far are we willing to go on this?”
“As far as necessary,” they say in unison, though the response is a little lackluster. I don’t blame them, I’m struggling to pull myself back on course.
“Then, we keep pushing. What’s the status on Liliana and the little mouse? Are they still speaking?” I ask.
“She’s at my house,” Ignacio says. “The cameras showed her sitting in my living room with her. One of my father’s men was inspecting the girl’s leg. The only thing I regret is that there’s no sound so I can’t hear anything, it’s all visual. I don’t know where she got a sharp implement from while at school.”
The cameras are ones his father isn’t aware of. Ignacio put them in this year when Emil was out of town in January. Most of the staff was also off, so it was child’s play to have them put in.
It makes me wonder if that’s also when Emil went to visit the little mouse’s mother in Florida. I have no idea how long they actually dated before getting married last month. Either way, the relationship moved very quickly for someone so suspicious of everyone.
I wonder what he knows about the little mouse and her past, and if it matters to him that she’s damaged. Rachelle isn’t the perfect doll, shiny and sweet.
Isn’t that what fathers in power want? Theo has two younger sisters, and they’re perfect dolls. They’re both in boarding school in England, because it’s easier for his parents than to bother with raising them. The girls at our school strive for nothing less than perfection as well.
So why is Emil protecting the broken trailer trash?
“Cutters keep razors with them at all times,” I murmur, shrugging as I reenter the conversation. I had a psych class last semester as my elective. It was eye-opening. There was even a section on pedophiles. “I wouldn’t be surprised if she had one in her bag with her.”
“Well, it doesn’t appear as if Liliana is on the outs with the little mouse then,” Theo sighs. “We wanted to cut her off from any support and failed.”
“Not entirely, she’s a walking pariah at school now,” I remind them. “Even if anyone disbelieves the article, the fact that it was printed is a clear warning to give her a wide berth.”
“Lili is going to need to learn that her name only goes so far,” Ignacio growls. “I know she likes Rachelle. It’s clear with the way she’s all over her.”
“We need a party,” I say suddenly, biting my lip. “I know we don’t usually like doing them…”
“My birthday is soon,” Elijah mutters. “My parents wouldn’t care if I threw a party for it, they’ll be gone that weekend anyway.”
“Are you sure?” I ask. “We could do it here. It’s why my parents set up this backyard area.”
“You want to separate them, right?” Ignacio asks. “Lili’s has always had a crush on me. If we can get some drinks into both of them…”
“Fucking either one of them and getting caught in the act would be great,” I agree with a dark chuckle. “Your birthday is in three weeks, I’m sure Liliana will be locking down the little mouse as soon as she can.”
“They need to be separated, no matter the cost,” Ignacio says.
“Well then that’s settled,” Theo says. “Miss Hailey will probably be fired for this, guys. It’ll suck not to be able to pull her strings anymore, but weak willed teachers are a dime a dozen.”
“How do you know she’ll be fired, and will she squeal about who put her up to printing the article?” I ask.
“She didn’t even squeal when I fucked her,” Theo says, rolling his eyes. “I don’t think she will now either. The sex tape I made will keep her mouth shut.”
“Miss Hailey is one of the teachers I haven’t fucked,” I say. “She’s got great tits.”
“They’re real too,” Theo says. “Oh well, here’s my sex tape to tide you over.”
Hitting a button, the video begins to play, and I smirk as I watch Miss Hailey’s tits bounce as Theo fucks her like a damn animal.
Her whimpers are adorable, but she definitely doesn't squeal. I think we’ll be just fine.
* * *
RACHELLE
God, I’m going to end up in that awful place again.
My lip trembles as I sit up, seeing my sealed leg, my mom, Emil, and Liliana. Fuck.
“Welcome back,” Emil says, sitting back in the seat beside me. There’s not a single emotion on his face, which makes me wonder if there are people in white coats on their way.
Saying nothing, I gaze at my hands as they twist in the blanket in my lap. I don’t know what to say, it’s been an awful day.
“Someone found out at school about Colton, Mom,” I whisper, a single tear sliding down my cheek. “Except, instead of the truth, they printed a lie in the school newspaper. It said I was a boyfriend stealer, that I wanted him to…”
“Stop,” Emil barks, making me flinch. “There’s no way anyone would believe that drivel unless they already wanted to believe badly of you. It sounds like the day started out shitty and then continued to get worse.”
Peeking up at my mom, I see that there are tears in her eyes, but they’re for me.
“I hate your school,” she whispers. “I want to burn it down.”
“Julia,” Emil says, humor in his voice. “Maybe we’ll add arson to the ways that I corrupt you another day, mi amor. Today, we need to figure out our next steps.”
“Our?” I ask.
“One day, you’ll realize that even if I am new to your life, that I’m here to stay, Rachelle,” he sighs. “The cutting is an issue.”
“I haven’t cut in four months,” I mumble, dropping my eyes back to my lap. “My head is all fucked up.”
“Fucked up how?” Mom asks softly.
She’s never asked me that before, never bothered.
“Sometimes, there are these voices that tell me really awful things,” I explain. “They tell me…”
“What?” Liliana asks, getting up to sit on the floor and take my hand. “Tell us so I can remind you that the voices are liars. I’ve never seen the Kings all twisted up inside about someone.”
“Are they,” Emil muses, but I ignore him.
“They tell me that I’m stupid, not good enough, and that no one would miss me if I was gone,” I say, my gaze moving to admire how pretty Liliana’s fingers are. It’s an odd thing to notice, but I’m still pretty spacy. “They tell me to kill myself, so I cut so they’ll shut up. It’s something I can control in a time where I feel like nothing is within my control.”
“How long has it been going on?” Mom asks and I shrug.
“Since Dad died,” I murmur. “I started the night of the funeral. I knew we were going to lose the house, I snuck into his office and saw exactly how overextended we were. I thought I was prepared for the worst, but I wasn’t.”
I can hear my mom beginning to breathe hard, but I can’t hear any crying yet. It’s enough to know that she is, though. Hearing her cry will simply make me spiral, and I’m trying hard to keep it together right now.
“You were forced to grow up really quickly,” Emil mutters. “I don’t think you should go to school tomorrow, but?—”
My eyes fly over to meet his gaze, wondering if this is where he pulls me out of school.
“I think you should go back Monday,” he finishes.
“Emil, are you fucking serious?” Mom snaps.
“Why do you think that the Kings and my son are twisted up about Rachelle, Liliana?” Emil asks.
“There’s this crazy look in their eyes when they look at her,” she says. “They were obsessive when they asked me today where she was. I had no idea, yet they threatened me as if I did.”
“Idiots,” Emil mutters. “A crush, and they’re reacting as if Rachelle has some sort of disease.”
“Cooties?” I ask, finding a smile somehow.
Liliana huffs out a laugh, shrugging.
“Ignacio is her stepbrother,” my mom says. “Even if he wasn’t part of these Kings and terrorizing my daughter, I don’t know if whatever feelings he has are appropriate.”
“The only issue I have with it is that he’s being a dick,” Emil says. “They’re not related, and no one cares about that here.”
“Dick or not, I wouldn’t touch it with someone else’s hand,” I mutter.
Liliana still looks amused as her thumb strokes the back of my hand.
“Rachelle,” Mom groans.
“I could have said much worse,” I remind her.
I don’t mention everything else I’ve witnessed with the Kings or their names, mostly because Mom wouldn’t know who they are anyway.
“There were so many details no one should know in the article. Even with the way it was all twisted,” I fret. “Nothing is sacred to them. What’s going to happen when they find a way to get my psych records, Mom. It would be really great to see those in everyone’s hands.”
“Theo Holmes, I understand, is very adept at coding,” Emil says. “He has a penchant for sticking his nose into places they don’t belong. While I’m remiss in knowing what exactly has been going on at Carlysle Prep, I do keep tabs on Nacio’s closest friends.”
“Theo is an asshole,” Liliana mutters. “I have a feeling Miss Hailey was pulled into this mess, if they really wanted to pin this on me.”
“It was one of my first thoughts, my apologies,” Emil says formally.
Liliana gives him a curt nod, accepting it. “Mr. Emil, you told me to show Rachelle around the school, and I…like her. There’s no way that I would do this,” she says.
Glancing at my mom, I see the way she’s watching us, trying to figure out if she’s interpreting things correctly. I like Liliana, which is why I was so hurt when I thought she’d been behind things. Trust… still not in the cards yet.
I’m scared I may be awful at reading people. In my eyes, everyone is out to get me, because if I think any different, they actually will be.
It’s a very difficult situation.
“I know,” Emil grunts. “Rachelle, I’m worried about all of these conflicting feelings and the cutting. Not because you did anything wrong, but because these coping mechanisms could ultimately kill you one day. Cutting too deeply in an effort to not feel anymore or gain control when you’re spirally is a high probability.”
“I didn’t mean to,” I whisper. “The knife works differently from my razor blades. It was kind of dark where I was hiding in the tunnels too. The admin team was looking for me.”
“And that’s how you evaded them,” Emil says. “Smart. Mr. Lee is trying to protect his precious school, but doesn’t quite realize how far I’m willing to go to make his life hell. I don’t really care for him or his politics. It may be time for a new headmaster. That’s what I’ll be working on tomorrow and through the weekend, but I need something else to happen too.”
“What?” I ask, my fingers spasming around Liliana’s. I’m terrified of what he’ll want from me, because I’m not in a position to bargain.
“Wait,” Mom says urgently, moving over to sit by me. “Dammit, Emil, you can’t fucking say shit like that to her.”
My gaze raises to meet hers, and I see the anger in her eyes. There are still tears on her lashes, but the other emotion is overpowering those at the moment.
“Honey, he’s not going to back you into a corner,” she says. “It’s not tit for tat even though that’s the way he phrased it, okay? We’re worried about you, Emil just doesn’t know how to express that in a way that makes sense.”
“I keep fucking up,” he mutters. “ Hijita , let’s try again. What I said earlier is not hinged on both happening. I’m going to raise hell with the board as well as the parents because Mr. Lee was a prick to you. Catching you in the hallway when you passed out was one of the scariest moments of my life.”
“Mr. Emil was extra growly,” Liliana says in a stage whisper.
“There was blood and you passed out in my arms, Rachelle. I didn’t know why or how,” he says.
Swallowing hard, I look up at him.
“What are you so scared of so I can make sure it never fucking happens,” he says, his voice cracking. “The look you’re giving me is killing me right now.”
“I was locked up once, why wouldn’t it happen again?” I ask stoically, though I’m visibly shaking.
“A guidance counselor at her school asked some probing questions after some girls commented on my daughter’s appearance,” Mom says. “Rachelle’s nose was badly bruised from the pillow, capillaries broken everywhere. The bruising got worse instead of better. He had the police take her, stating that she was a risk to herself due to issues at home, and I almost lost custody when the Department of Children and Families got involved. It’s no wonder she doesn’t fucking trust anyone.”
“That’s not going to happen again,” Emil growls. “I want you to see a therapist here, so you don’t have to leave the house. The notes won’t be anywhere except what he takes on a notepad, and he’ll be barred from putting them into any electronic devices. Theo isn’t getting his hands on anything you say. I can only imagine how traumatic today was, having things thrown in your face that weren’t your fault. I would like for you to process it with a professional. That’s it.”
“Oh,” I say, blinking at him. “I wasn’t expecting that.”
“And now I feel even worse,” he mutters. “One day you’re going to realize that I’m on your side, Rachelle. I need to remember to explain things better, because we don’t know each other well enough yet. A cage is the last thing I want for you. From fear, mental health, or anything else.”
Taking a shuddering breath, I nod.
“Liliana, I should get you home before your father begins to blow up my phone,” Emil says with a sigh. “Shit, here it goes. He’ll be here soon if I don’t take this. While I typically wouldn’t care, I’d like to keep my home relatively calm.”
Standing, he answers the call as he steps away.
“He’s right,” Liliana murmurs. “Dads worry.”
“It’s what good parents do,” Mom says, standing. “I’ll give you two a chance to talk before she leaves.”
She’s gone before I can open my mouth to say anything, and Liliana smirks.
“Your mom is smooth, I’ll give her that,” she says. “Look, I’m not going anywhere either. I mean, I’m going home, but all of this today isn’t scaring me away, okay? I know I joked about fake dating, but when it happens, I don’t want it to be a lie.”
“Really?” I ask. “I have a lot of baggage.”
“Who doesn’t?” she asks with a shrug. “The thing is that most people hide it really well. Marci Ridewell? She’s got a nasty coke habit. Her friend, Kayla Clark? God, that girl chases dick like it’s her job. The football team rails her before a game as part of their ritual before they play.”
“No way,” I gasp, my hand hiding the curl of my lips. I really shouldn’t be entertaining gossip.
“Oh yeah, I do not slut shame, but Kayla rides that line hard,” she says. “They both hide their issues, very few people know about either. I only know because I had to take over for a photographer during one of their games, and I walked in at a very inopportune time. Kayla was being spit roasted, while another demanded access to her ass. I’m mildly traumatized.”
Unable to help it, I giggle, and Liliana relaxes a bit.
“Much better,” she says. “Can I have a hug?”
Nodding, I accept a hug, finding myself holding her tightly.
“For what it’s worth, I will always be a big proponent of fighting fire with fire,”she whispers, her lips moving against the shell of my ear. “The Kings want to destroy you because they don’t want to like you. Their lives are mapped out, there’s not any room in their eyes for you. If they were less stupid, I wouldn’t mind sharing you, but they don’t deserve your light. What do you think about pushing them to face their feelings, push the envelope?”
“How?” I ask, confused. “Jared particularly hates me.”
“I think he’s the one most fucked up in his feelings,” she says. “If you want to push back and give them a taste of their own medicine, then kiss me.”
“Liliana,” I breathe, biting my lip. I don’t know where Emil and my mom are, but they’re not a factor in whether or not I kiss her.
“What, baby?” Liliana asks, moving back until her nose rubs against mine. “It’s very simple.”
I’ve never had a first kiss, God I’m going to fuck this up.
“This simple?” I ask, leaning forward a tiny bit to slant my lips across hers. Her lips are soft, opening slightly as she kisses me back. It’s sweet, full of promises, with the unspoken words that the ball is firmly in my court.
She’s not going to push me to do something that I don’t want to do.
“Just like that,” she murmurs, pulling away slowly. “I’ll see you on Monday.”
Another promise.
“Okay,” I say, watching her stand.
“Ready, Liliana?” Emil asks, amusement in his tone.
Jumping, she twists to look at him, nodding. “Mmhmm,” she squeaks.
“Don’t forget your bag,” he says. “I didn’t expect to have a conversation about what your intentions are with my daughter, but here we are.”
Daughter…
He doesn’t notice the slip up as he jerks his head toward the front door, and Liliana grabs her backpack and waves goodbye to me. Her cheeks are high with color, and it’s adorable.
Mom walks into the room, pushing me over on the couch.
“He meant that, you know,” she says, laying her head on my shoulder. “I think he wants to adopt you, but is waiting for the right time to ask you.”
“Isn’t that something he should ask you?” I ask, eyes wide.
“No, because I’d say yes. Emil is a complicated man, but has a really good heart,” Mom says. “He’s so used to steamrolling over things, he doesn’t explain himself. Emil is realizing he needs to slow down and needs to move carefully with you. Maybe he’ll ask when you decide he can be trusted.”
Mom doesn’t try to convince me to trust him, she just makes her statement. Feeling a wave of exhaustion, I sigh, snuggling on the couch with her. My breaths slowly even out, and I drift away with thoughts of how exactly I’ll make the Carlysle Kings pay.
I always rebound, even if it’s not the way people expect.