Chapter 14
CHAPTER 14
IGNACIO
M y eyes search for Rachelle whenever possible on Monday morning. My head is on a swivel, as if I’m looking for trouble or someone to fuck up, but that’s not it at all. If some asshole steps out of line, I’ll be happy to correct them, however, I’m sick to my stomach about Rachelle being at school at all today.
Sunday didn’t get much better for her, and she woke up that night screaming with a nightmare too. I fell asleep against the wall by her door, because I knew I wasn’t welcome inside. I’m not a safe person for her.
I never will be due to this damn bet.
“Why are you so on edge?” Elijah asks, leaning on the locker next to mine. “The little mouse up to something?”
“You could say that,” I mutter. I don’t like lying to my best friend, but we’re no longer working on the same team.
Somewhere along the way, Rachelle has become important to me. It was a slow and excruciating process, yet here we are.
“Any ideas as to why she hit me?” he asks.
“Something I did reminded her of her rapist,” I say, my lips barely moving.
Elijah stills, swallowing hard. “I didn’t think about that,” he mutters. “This is going to complicate things. Does anyone else know?”
“Nope,” I tell him. “Complicated is an understatement.”
“Did she run and tell your father?” he asks, forcing his body to relax so he almost appears boneless. We’re very good at playing pretend. It reminds me that we need to figure out what his parents’ company actually does, because one day he’ll be following in their footsteps.
In a way, I can understand the spiral Rachelle is in, I’m just better at channeling it into other things. Control is a conspiracy the world tells you is within reach, except nothing is further from the truth.
All we can hope for is to pull as many other people’s strings as possible so the lie is never found out. It’s what my friends and I excel at.
“Not exactly,” I say. “This game may end sooner rather than later if we aren’t careful.”
“What aren’t you telling me?” Elijah asks.
“There are just a lot of places to jump from at my house is all,” I sigh, closing the locker door.
“You’re fucking with me,” he snarls. “We can’t talk here, Nacio. Dammit.”
“We just need to decide how far we want to go before the tether breaks,” I say. My heart is pounding even if I seem completely calm. Even if I wasn’t starting to feel something for the little mouse, my continued existence is tied to hers.
If she dies, my father will kill me. Dad is completely in love with Julia, and in the small glimpses I’ve allowed myself to see, Rachelle is one of the only reasons my stepmother lives and breathes. She may have made mistakes when she brought pieces of shit into her daughter’s life, but it’s clear to me that Julia won’t back down when it comes to her.
The wire connecting me to the people in my life is so thin, I’m feeling hard pressed to walk along it. Elijah knows me so well, it’s going to get him to buy what I’m saying. The only way to ensure that he does is by being as cruel as possible in my delivery.
“What’s the timeline that the other Kings had?” he asks, his eyes slowly taking in the hallway. We could move from our position here, but it would be noticed.
Right now, people are tracking us so that they won’t get in our way, much like you would a predator, but otherwise are all involved in their own lives. Our next class begins in ten minutes, and is one of the longer breaks we have.
“Dead, fucked, ruined, or all three by senior year,” I murmur. “She’s unstable, getting her to kill herself less than a month in when we’ve barely done anything will be seen as failure.”
“We need a meeting at lunch,” Elijah grunts. “I’ll let the others know.”
Pushing away from the lockers, he disappears to find the others. Our phones are locked up during the school day. Mrs. Hartwell is taking her position as interim headmaster seriously. At this rate, the school may not hire anyone else until the next school year.
Shutting my locker door, I sling my backpack over my shoulder as I lope through the hallway. As I walk around the corner, my eyes narrow as I see Dale Haelton shove Rachelle into the wall. She’s arguing with him, appearing so damn small against his six foot frame.
I wasn’t the only one to notice her name on the swim meet newspaper piece last Thursday, and it created waves through the school. Liliana spent last week cleaning house, insisting that she was tired of the newspaper being viewed as an easy club to be involved in.
I don’t blame her one bit, and my father was very proud to see Rachelle is now a reporter and writer for the newspaper. Seems like such a small thing, but it’s a coveted spot to have, especially since she’s also taking the photos for the article. Jared looked fierce in the image she chose for it.
I think none of us know what to do with the little mouse who surprises at every turn.
Dale is two inches away from Rachelle’s face now, and the crowd parts as I stride toward them.
“You’re nothing!” he screams. “How dare you steal my article and my spot on the paper.”
“Maybe if you were doing what you were supposed to, Liliana wouldn’t have had to kick you off,” I say, my hands slamming over his ears.
Gasping, his eyes widen, and I know all he’s hearing is the ringing in his ears. Plucking his fingers off Rachelle, I push him away to prop him against the wall as he covers his ears in pain. I wasn’t gentle, nor did I mean to be. The dickweed deserves a little hearing loss, God knows he never has anything to say unless it’s to hear himself talk.
Maybe he’ll keep the bullshit inside of his head instead.
“Walk with me, little sister,” I grunt, jerking my head away from Dale.
Eyes wide, her feet start to move almost as if she doesn’t realize that they are.
“What was that about?” she asks.
“I told you, no one fucks with you unless it’s us,” I tell her, my hand heavy at the base of her back as I walk her to class.
Next year, we’ll be in more of her classes. Theo is already working on ensuring that happens. It’s more difficult since she transferred in as late as she did. The idea is always to push further into her life until we’re all she sees.
Now, I’m certain that we’re not doing the right thing. Rachelle was such an easy scapegoat to choose for our bet. New, poor, and pissing me off at every turn because she’s stealing my dad away from me.
The reasons are petty in the face of the demons that actually live in her head. It’s fucking child’s play. Yet, this is the path that we’re on, and I don’t know what to do about it. The previous Kings wouldn’t appreciate us refusing to do what we’re meant to do.
“That’s not the gift you think it is,” Rachelle says, pushing her hair over her shoulder.
“What’s his issue, other than the fact that you’re clearly a better writer than he is?” I ask.
Ignoring her surprised glance, I continue moving through the hallway toward her class, telling myself it’s easier to deposit my stepsister where she needs to be than to wait for someone else to fuck with her. I don’t have time to babysit today.
“How would you know that unless you read it?” Rachelle asks.
“It’s the school newspaper, Little Mouse. Everyone reads it, and I always make sure to read the parts where my friends are spotlit,” I grunt.
This isn’t anything more. She can’t believe that it is. Rachelle doesn’t even have to know that I didn’t read the article until last night on my phone while I sat outside her door.
“Mmhmm,” she mutters. “You’re very confusing.”
“Was the gun to my head yesterday confusing?” I ask, moving behind her so my lips are against her ear. It’s crowded in this section of the hallway, since the restrooms are here as well.
“Honestly? Yes,” Rachelle admits. “Your father barely knows me.”
“And yet, he wants to give you his name,” I murmur. Dad was serious about that, and once Barrett left, he sat Julia, Rachelle, and I down to discuss it. His name, a trust fund, and as much safety as he’s capable of giving her.
Carlysle Prep School and the Kings are the only domain that he has limited access to. That’s the agreement the parents have with the school so they can craft our minds into the finest the world has ever known. It’s also why the Kings came into existence, to put a stop to shit that may fuck with the code the school has.
The bet came later because secret societies have a way of getting twisted over the years. The Kings promise things that people want, and we want freedom. It’s why we were so excited for this when we were chosen. They’re more powerful than even our parents, which while they knew, we have to jump through a lot of hoops in the meantime.
Not every set of Kings actually complete their bet, and leave the school in shame. It’s happened a time or two, and that group goes on to lead mediocre lives. We don’t want that for ourselves.
But the price is so much higher now. My thumb secretly rubs her back, and I can feel the muscles there twitch. Something tells me she’s not often touched, despite the fact that she’s dating one of the most affectionate people I know.
“There’s a lot he talked about last night,” she says softly, sighing. “I’m doing better today but?—”
“Lie to other people, but not to the one who sat outside your door and listened to you scream,” I say. At her startled eyes as she twists to look at me, I shake my head. “Eyes front, little sister. Pay attention to where you’re going.”
“I’m surprised you didn’t pick my lock again,” she mutters.
“There’s a camera outside your door now,” I tell her. “No, keep walking, good girl. Dad set it up when you went to your room. His exact words were that I needed to respect your boundaries unless I heard my name. He didn’t say I couldn’t sleep outside your door, though.”
“I think that’s pushing the bounds of the argument,” she says. “You must do very well on the Debate team.”
The fact that she knows that makes my lips twist as we get closer to her class.
“I’m the best,” I grunt. “You look tired, what are your plans after school?”
“I’m not sure,” she says. “I need to develop some photos, but if I can do them during lunch, I will.”
“You can’t skip lunch,” I say immediately. Rachelle didn’t eat anything after her therapy appointment, either, even when Julia asked her if she could make her one of her favorite foods.
It seems silly for her to offer that when we have a chef, but I could see how worried her mom is. If it meant marching into the Chef’s domain, she was willing to do it. Unfortunately, Rachelle refused and said she’d rather have some toast.
There’s no fucking way she’s not eating yet again.
“I don’t know why you care,” Rachelle breathes. “When I’m out of it, my stomach knots up. It makes it really hard to eat.”
“I don’t. There are Michelin star chefs in there who will bend over backward to find something for you to eat,” I growl. “This is ridiculous. I’ll throw you over my shoulder and drag you there if you aren’t at lunch.”
“Looks like you do care,” Rachelle sasses, leaving me as she strolls into class. She’s impossible. Rolling my eyes, I prowl through the hallways to my class.
My stepsister is definitely stronger than she thinks, I just need to make sure she survives through her senior year. No problem, right?
* * *
“Dude, you’re late,” Theo mutters, leaning back on the bleachers as he closes his eyes against the sun. It’s another beautiful day, and we’re all planning to enjoy it. The winter months lasted too long in my opinion.
I meant it when I told Rachelle I would check on her, and it wasn’t until I watched her go in with Liliana and order food that I left. So yes, sue me, Mr. Future Litagator.
Curbing my tongue, I shrug.
“It couldn’t be helped,” I grunt, sitting down. “We need to discuss the terms of our bet, how long we want to draw this out.”
“Elijah said that she had an issue this weekend, and then she freaked pretty hard at the party. What gives?” Jared asks. “One second I was watching her riding your hand, the next she was running for the stairs.”
“What spooked her?” Theo adds. “She was fine when we were on the dance floor.”
“Trauma,” I say. “If she can’t see who’s touching her, apparently she starts to believe it’s her rapist.”
“Oh,” Jared says. “Oh fuck. I don’t think I like that. Like, I’m all for fucking with her, pushing people to the brink, but I prefer when they consent before they suck my cock.”
“Or hop on my dick,” Theo agrees. “So, she just, what, had a nightmare or two? What’s the deal?”
“I almost had a jumper situation,” I explain. “Yesterday, things were really weird when I got home after spending the night at Elijah’s. Julia was crying, Dad was acting twitchy, and apparently my little sister wouldn’t eat. Rachelle did have nightmares Saturday night after the party, but also disassociates and hears voices. When I pushed her to tell me about what was really going on, she climbed to the third floor to get away from me. Rachelle was really in her head, which made me run upstairs to push her for answers. Instead, I caught her leaning away from the ladder, seconds away from letting go and splattering on the ground. I finally got her up onto the terrace. None of this can be used against her, guys.”
“This is prime material, though,” Theo says, bored. It’s not his fault, I think he’s a bit of a sociopath. He picks the wings off of butterflies just to see if they’ll scream, after all.
“Dad pulled a gun on me,” I finally add. “If what I tell you gets out into the public, a college entrance board, anything, I’m a dead man, guys.”
“What the fuck,” Elijah says. “He’s got a thing for the little rabbit, huh?”
“Let’s not say anything like that ever again in regards to my dad,” I remind him, rolling my eyes. “He calls her his daughter. He doesn’t want to fuck her, Elijah.”
“I didn’t mean for it to come out like that,” he mutters. “I got a call from Dad last night, and I think the way he talks rubs off of me.”
“Anything we need to know?” I ask.
“Not yet,” he says. “So are we done, picking a new bet or what?”
Elijah is deflecting, and I glance at Jared raising my eyebrow. His head bobs once to tell me he noticed, while Theo frowns in our friend’s direction. This is why I have to use a mixture of truths and misdirection, otherwise it’ll be too easy for them to pick me apart.
“I submitted her as our sacrifice at the beginning of April,” Jared says. “We’re stuck. The charter says that the person we choose has to be completely destroyed by the end of senior year, and can’t expire before the end of junior year.”
“We have to adjust what we’re doing if she’s this fragile,” Theo says, dropping his head forward to look at us all. “It’s interesting to see what her triggers are, since she’s got this fire inside of her. It’s almost a shame we’ll have to break the little mouse completely at the end of this.”
There’s no loyalty in these guys outside of one another. Lili lies just on the outskirts of our protection because we grew up with her. Dating the little mouse, Lili firmly threw the gauntlet on the outside of our interests, which makes her fair game to fuck with. I know Lili knows this, can take care of herself, and won’t give up Rachelle.
Frankly, I think I’d be disappointed in the girl I grew up with, and always had a crush on, if I thought there was a chance that she would.
“There’s fire when the world burns down,” I growl. “Sometimes you’re willing to light yourself up along with it to get the job done, and that’s what we’re dealing with with Rachelle. She has no problem throwing herself into the fire, the trouble is finding how to extinguish it. Dale was fucking with her today.”
“I heard Lili threw him and others off the paper,” Elijah grunts. “I stood just outside the room during their meeting. Fuck, the girl is scary when she gets fired up.”
“It’s sexy,” I admit, shrugging. The three of them smirk, nodding, knowing exactly how long I’ve been interested in her. It never happened, and now probably never will.
“We flirt, but keep our hands off,” Jared says. “That leaves terror, gaslighting, fucking with her grades, and so much more. Do we use the mafia angle?”
He’s talking about the men that tried to run down Lili and Rachelle. Dad thinks he’s close to finding exactly who did it, even though Caulder Theron is the one who called for the scare. One of his men was bragging about it at a bar, and his uncle heard.
Portland is a smaller city than you’d think in the grand scheme of things. Flapping lips get cut right off.
“Let’s use it,” I mutter. “Colby on the football team is having people walk her and Lili to their events, but since Dad hasn’t found the guys, it’s an option.”
“Is he close to finding them? I ask for logistical purposes, not because I give a fuck,” Theo adds.
“My dad hasn’t shared where he’s at on it yet,” I grunt. “I know he’s taking it seriously, though.”
“Alright, anything else we need to discuss?” Jared asks.
“She’s getting closer in the ranks for grades,” Elijah growls. “It’s all the teachers are talking about in their lounges.”
He’s like a ghost, always watching and listening. His footsteps are even silent, and I’ve joked that he needs a fucking bell. There are times Elijah is damn proud of his ability to fade into the background, yet others where it frustrated him.
“Then I guess I’ll fuck with her ability to study,” I say with a shrug. “Screamo music pumped into her room may make a difference.”
“So that’s on the table?” Elijah asks.
“Yep,” I agree. “She’ll have to learn to adjust. The only line is sexual touches. The shit she was saying wasn’t pretty. The girl has demons that may rival yours, Theo.”
“Maybe that’s why I’m drawn to her,” he says, so softly I almost don’t believe I heard it at all as he stands. “Let’s get back to school before we’re missed.”
Nodding, we all move as one. I don’t know if this change in plan will help her hold on, but it’ll give her a chance to fight.
I can’t do it for her.
* * *
THEO
Maybe that’s why I’m drawn to her. Damn, I didn’t mean to let that slip out, yet now that it did, it’s all I can think of.
Rachelle slips into a side hallway as our last bell rings, signaling that the school day is over. It’s a funny thing to say, since every student here is always here afterward. Clubs, tutoring or teaching, shelving books for the library or cataloging, these are all things that students do for extra points toward their future.
If they’re not doing one of the above things, then participation in a sport is expected, which means that the fields are busy places. I have a soccer prep program that I’m beginning in the summer to ensure that I’m ready for the fall since the season is over, but I’m otherwise marked safe from playing a sport currently.
Following the little mouse, I emulate the way that Elijah walks so that my shoes don’t squeak on the stone floors. This place reminds me of a castle in many ways, due to all of the secret passageways and towers. I’m intrigued by Rachelle, which isn’t a good thing.
I take apart my computers to be able to know every piece of it intimately. It’s the first thing I do whenever I get a new unit. I don’t get to game or hack unless I can figure it out, and then I reward myself with a bit of trouble. Things that catch my interest have to be willing to be completely dismantled. It’s the exact same way that I became friends with Nacio, Jared, and Elijah.
We played fucked up games, and the stakes just got higher as we became older. Now, instead of jumping from the highest point into the lake, its entrance into one of the most exclusive secret societies in the world. Only the best get selected to become a King, and we rise or fall together.
It’s almost a tragedy that I’m this interested in the girl I’m currently stalking. I want to know everything about her, because what I’ve been able to dig up tells the story of a girl with no fire, grit, or ability to stand up to anyone. Nacio’s story about how she broke apart on Sunday, filled with thoughts of jumping from the highest point of the house doesn’t show me anything different.
And yet, he mentioned setting herself on fire in order to watch the world burn. That’s the girl I want to get to know. Why won’t she show me that person?
Rachelle Thomas is an enigma as she takes a large breath and opens the door to one of the dark rooms. Intrigued, I follow her in, smirking when she turns to say something.
“There’s not enough room in here for you, and I have work to do,” she says. Any relaxation she thought she’d find in here is gone, her shoulders rising to her ears.
Oh is this a real passion? Huh. I want to watch.
“So do it,” I grunt, moving to a corner to crouch in until I find a comfortable position.
“Are you serious right now?” she asks, sighing as she closes the door and locks it. A blue light turns on over us, my lips pursing as I accept that this is soothing.
I’m still intrigued.
“Yep,” I say. “If this is how you’re spending your time, then it’s where I want to be.”
Blinking, I’m glad that it’s dark in here because I sound like a simp. I don’t like the little mouse, this is a fact finding mission. That’s all. Maybe I’ll actually believe it eventually.
“I don’t have the energy for you,” Rachelle says, losing herself in the ritual of getting her items together.
I can appreciate rituals, they’re very calming. However, the little mouse doesn’t get the option of a ritual and centering herself. There’s no peace for her, even if I did promise not to touch her.
“Well, too bad. I’ve always been interested in photography,” I lie. “Walk me through it.”
Instead of getting annoyed, she continues what she’s doing, but verbalizes each movement. It’s almost as if she’s talking to herself. This wasn’t at all what I was going for, but her voice is soothing, so I’ll allow it.
I’m too tall to be crammed into this corner, however I put myself here, so I curl my legs up to take up less space. Rachelle develops the photographs as she continues to talk, and I think she may have forgotten about me completely.
“Why not use a digital camera?” I ask her, interrupting.
“I could, and I may if I’m against a tighter deadline,” she says.
“Well, what are you working on?” I ask her. “The paper won’t print again until next week.”
“I made a promise to someone,” she says vaguely. “I want to make sure that I keep it.”
“So this is outside of your obligations to the paper?” I ask, wondering if I can report her for inappropriate use of school resources. I’m always looking for an edge or ability to expose someone.
It’s funny that I’m watching her systematically expose her film and create her photos.
“Not necessarily,” the little mouse says absently.
“You’re no fun with your half answers,” I complain.
“Yes, I’m sure it’s infuriating for you when you’re the one who insisted on being locked inside here together,” she murmurs.
Crossing my arms, I smirk as I find that fire I was looking for. It’s quiet, understated, and I remember that the mountain doesn’t have to scream in the face of the storm, it merely stands its ground. Rachelle is tiny, having to reach for things that are too high for her.
“Do you usually use this dark room?” I ask her.
“No, but the newspaper dark room is being used right now,” she explains. “Why?”
“No reason,” I smirk. Rachelle doesn’t ask for help, she just figures it out. If I was locked in here with a Carlysle prep girl, she would be whining for me to reach things that are too high for her.
It’s one of the reasons I don’t date girls. I’d rather fuck the teachers, while Jared likes to play nice with girls in class so he can get them to do shit for him. It’s all a game, and has its purpose. When he just needs a release like the day in the cafe, Jared would much rather use one of our mouths to fuck.
Watching Rachelle is a refreshing change, one I didn’t think I’d see. Before I know it, she’s hanging up photos to dry, and she looks relaxed, despite her stowaway. I notice the images are facing away from her and therefore me, making me smirk.
Keep your secrets for now, Little Mouse. I like the hunt, and I’m collecting all the pieces of you that I’ll need for the Kings’ finest hour. Just because you’re pretty, interesting, and smell good doesn’t mean that you’re going to get away from us.
The last piece is because once I pass her as I leave the dark room with her, I’m surrounded by her light, floral scent. It reminds me of a garden, sunshine, and wide open spaces. I should suggest an actual hunt to the guys, I bet she’d be pretty with her hair flowing behind her as she runs.
Yes, I believe that’s exactly what we need.