36. Know the Enemy
Know the Enemy
Harper
“You stay with us as much as possible.” Luke drives Caden’s car. Caden is in the passenger seat, and Eli and I are in the backseat. Jack and Nico are coming separately.
“Of course.” I pluck at Luke’s away jersey that I swim in. It’s another way to claim me. But I’m okay with it.
“Don’t go to the bathroom.”
I roll my eyes. That’s unreasonable. “I won’t go alone.”
“If we’re not there, go to Coach Turner, stay with him.” Luke keeps barking out orders, but I know it’s because he’s worried. And he cares.
I’m worried too, but I can’t let it show. At least not in front of Luke. I put my hand on his shoulder.
“I promise to be careful. No one will have the opportunity to get me alone again.” I drag in a breath. Because I seriously don’t want Zach to get me alone. I have no idea what his plans are, but they can’t be good.
Mom had to fill in tonight for the person who took her shift when she was gone. Or she would have sat in the front bleacher, ready to intervene in a second. I’d feel better with her here.
“Don’t underestimate Sidney.” Luke stops at a light, and his eyes meet mine in the rearview mirror. “She’s got something planned.”
“She hasn’t confided in Ashley.” Eli takes my hand and holds it on his thigh. “But Sidney’s rule is almost over.”
I’d feel bad about it, but it’s time. She’s not even loyal to her friends. Choosing Zach over the Cheermonsters was the wrong move.
We pull into the parking lot. We’re early, but the carnival is still going on, so there are a lot of cars already here. The school has the spots next to the locker room marked as reserved for the football players.
Once we’re parked, we get out of the car. The air is a little chilly tonight, but it should be a good night for the game. I wish the game was the only thing I needed to focus on.
Luke steps around to the trunk and gets out my duffle with my shoes and makeup. My dress hangs in a linen bag on a hook in the backseat. I grab it, and Luke hands me the rest.
Luke captures the back of my neck. “Anything goes wrong, you wait for us to find you.”
I search his pale blue eyes and swallow. “Okay.”
His thumb rubs my jaw before he draws me in against him. His solid chest and beating heart press against the side of my face.
The hope is that things will actually happen at the dance when the guys aren’t distracted with the game. But that’s not realistic. Tonight they’ll be distracted, and I’ll be away from them for part of the night, changing.
Back in the locker room. A little tremor rolls through me.
“Come on.” Caden holds the door open for us.
I drag in Luke’s soft seductive scent and just want to curl into him for the rest of the weekend. Fuck the game. Fuck the dance. Just find a place where the five of us can hole up and let this all blow past us.
Eli touches my back. “Better to get this over with, kitten.”
He’s right, and I hate that. I nod and let Eli lead me into the school. When we reach the locker rooms, Penny and Kenz stand against the brick wall. They straighten and smile at me.
“We’ve got bodyguard duties.” Kenz grins, and I settle a little more inside.
“See you on the field, little nympho.” Caden tips my chin up and kisses me like we’ll never see each other again. I fall into his kiss, clinging to his t-shirt.
When he breaks off the kiss, he smirks. “I’ll be collecting on that promise later.”
I smile back. At least tonight I’ll be surrounded by my guys. The party is at Caden’s, and that’s where we’ll be sleeping.
Eli catches my neck and lowers his mouth to hover over mine. His warm breath ghosts over my lips. Anticipation swells inside me.
“Be good, kitten.”
He claims my mouth, and everything inside me catches fire. We could have spent the hours after school doing something beyond strategizing and more self-defense training. But it was probably a smarter way to spend our time.
When he steps away, Luke draws me back into his arms. He searches my eyes. “We need some alone time, princess.”
“We had some alone time, Death.” Remembering the classroom. Tingles chase through me.
“I can’t wait for college.” He takes my lips.
I can’t wait either. We’ll be able to spend all our time together and not have to worry about parents or ex-girlfriends or jealous guys.
He presses his forehead to mine and just takes in a breath before heading off with the others into the locker room.
“It’s okay to be jealous of what you have, right?” Penny waves her hand in front of her face. “Obviously, I don’t want exactly what you have, but five guys who worship you has to be intense.”
“Now.” I blow out a breath and turn to my friends. “Now, we’re all on the same page. We didn’t start that way.”
Kenz chuckles. “Come on, we need to get you set up in the girl’s locker room.”
I stroke my hand over the dress bag draped over my arm. “What if they fuck with my dress?”
It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve owned, and I desperately want the guys to see me in it. Someone already ruined one of my dresses.
“They better not,” Kenz snarls. “That’s too far, and even the Cheermonsters have to know that.”
“Besides, we’re taking shifts.” Penny walks beside me over to the door. “All five of us will alternate until you come down. That way your dress remains in pristine condition.”
“You guys don’t have to—”
“Yes, we do.” Penny sighs and opens the door. “This is your chance to be part of the high school experience. We’re not letting any bitches fuck that up.”
We walk into the locker room, and my stomach churns. My gaze darts to the laundry room. If Caden hadn’t come for me...
“Hey.” Kenz grabs my shoulders. “We’re here. No one is going to get through us to you.”
Penny checks out the locker room. “No one’s really in here anyway.”
It’s too early for most people to be at the school. The guys need to get ready for the game, and they didn’t want me to drive alone to the field.
I can do this.
“Come on, H.” Kenz wraps her arm around my shoulders and leads me into the locker room. “Most people don’t want to fuck with the horsemen.”
I nod. She’s right. They’re still top dogs of the school. It’s just a matter of time before they take down Sidney and Zach.
“Have you been watching the videos?” I ask Kenz and hang up my dress.
“If I have to watch another session of Call of Duty...” She shakes her head. “Is that all guys do? Play video games and talk about fucking girls? I mean, they include the random comment about drugs, but seriously, is that all there is?”
I laugh. “Pretty much with that group. I’m not sure it’s worth watching them, but there’s always the possibility they’ll mention something or say something we can actually use against them.”
“Well, I have last night’s activities to go over.” Kenz smiles. “At least it’s shorter since they had the bonfire.”
“Pay attention to see if they talk about lighting it.” I lean back against the row of lockers. “Maybe we can get them suspended if it’s proven they did it.”
“On it.” Kenz winks.
“Will seems excited about our date tomorrow.” Penny rolls her eyes.
“Did you want to go with someone else?” I feel bad knowing she’s doing it to help Luke.
“Not really.” Penny straightens and pastes on a smile. “Some boys ignore me because they’re afraid of pissing Luke off. Most of the guys who pay attention to me just want to get back at Luke, so there weren’t any real offers.”
“Boys suck.”
Penny laughs. “Yes, they do.”
“Will seems like a good guy.” I put that out there, because from what I know he’s nice.
“I’m worried this is just his way to humiliate me for what happened.” Penny sits on the bench and sighs. “It’s not like I was the only one that laughed at him, but I’m sure it hurt. Not my finest hour.”
“I don’t know what to tell you.” I sit beside her. “If it were me, I’d apologize and hope for the best. But you’ve got to do what you feel comfortable with.”
“There’s so much to worry about.” Her brown eyes meet mine. “With you. With Zach. Luke’s worried our dad will want me to move back in with him, but I haven’t heard anything from our father.”
That’s odd. “It’s only been a couple days.”
“And my dad really didn’t care if I was there or not.” Penny shrugs and drags in a breath. “It doesn’t matter. I just need to see if Mom will let me come home.”
I forget that Penny’s world is turned upside down too. Sure, she knew that Luke was her brother, but everyone else didn’t.
“Thanks for being here.” I also can’t forget that she got drugged instead of Luke.
Smiling, she meets my eyes and takes my hand. “I’m glad I am.”
“What next?” I ask, looking at both of them.
“We wait until the guys come out. You go with them, and we watch the dress.” Kenz shrugs.
“So we might run into the Cheermonsters?” I don’t know what to make of them right now. The cheerleaders. Sidney isn’t a mystery. She’s out for me and willing to do anything to get Luke back.
But the others? I know Hannah was upset I was with Caden, but she never pretended we were going to be best buds either. Emma is sweet, and Jack considers her a friend. In my world, that speaks volumes about her. And Hannah stood by Emma instead of staying by Sidney’s side.
Ashley is the hardest for me to get a read on. It can’t be easy knowing your parent is having an affair. I get that she’s used to things being a certain way with Eli. She’s also helped us the most, but will she be a better leader than Sidney?
I don’t know. And that scares me.
“Can we talk about something normal?” I meet Penny and Kenz’s curious gazes. “I just don’t want to think about tonight anymore.”
“I might have some totally frivolous gossip.” Penny grins.
“Yes, like that.”
For the next ten minutes Penny tells us about this guy that Nat likes. How there’s this really smart freshman who one of the seniors on the basketball team is getting tutoring from, and everyone’s wondering if they’ll get together.
With every word and laugh, some of that tension unwinds within me. When voices reach us and we hear lockers opening and closing, my muscles tense right back up.
Sidney’s laugh is like nails on a chalkboard. “Seriously, who really thinks that girl could be Homecoming Queen?”
“Maybe you shouldn’t have rigged the election to get her nominated if you’re so worried she might win.” Ashley’s voice is even-toned.
“I just wanted her to know if she’s going to stick around, this is what she should expect.” Sidney scoffs, and it sounds like they’re in the aisle directly behind us. “I mean, it’s not all getting railed five ways from Sunday. There’s a responsibility that comes with being with the horsemen.”
“Do you really want her to step into that role, Sid?” Ashley chuckles softly. “Then what would you do all day?”
“This school will be in my rearview mirror after graduation and none of this will even matter.” A locker slams, covering what Sidney says next.
“So if it doesn’t matter, why are you doing it?” Ashley asks.
Neither Kenz nor Penny say a word as we wait for them to continue.
“To prove a point. Harper Davidson will never be an equal to Luke or any of the others. She’s a glorified pet. A toy they can play with, but when it comes to it, she can’t play their game.”
“And you can?”
Sidney laughs. “I invented the game.”
I shake my head. She doesn’t know what she’s talking about.
“And you’re okay with your boyfriend doing whatever he wants to her?” Ashley sounds a little pissed.
“Zach isn’t my boyfriend.” Sidney must be talking in the direction of the locker. “And if he wants to get his hands on the horsemen’s pet, who am I to stop him?”
I put my hand to my throat.
“Is that really what you want?” Ashley asks.
“Her humiliated? Broken?” Sidney laughs cruelly.
My insides twist. “What do I care about some no name girl who decided to take advantage of the situation with the horsemen? This all could have been avoided if she would have just given it up like a good little pet and hadn’t forced them to date her. ”
Ashley laughs. “You really believe that, don’t you?”
“Don’t tell me you aren’t jonesing for some one-on-one time with Eli right about now.”
“Actually, no.” Ashley sounds a little surprised. “I’m not about taking someone else’s man. And he’s clearly taken. So are the rest of them.”
“Please, she has them under some sort of spell, but Luke will wake up and realize he already had the best there is.”
“Maybe you shouldn’t have slept with his father then.”
Sidney chuckles. “I didn’t sleep with him. We fucked. He wanted some information, and I needed to get off. Besides, he’s the only one who sees my value. He knows that his son and I should be together.”
“And you think Luke would want a girl his dad fucked?”
“Luke will do what his dad tells him to do.” Sidney hums. “He’ll realize that the only person he can truly be himself with is me. Love is for fairytales. He’ll find that out.”
“So what happens when Zach Gray wants more from you?”
“Zach just wants a doll to fuck, and fortunately the horsemen have already created the perfect little cunt for him.” Sidney takes a deep breath. “We need to get out to the field.”
“I’ll be out in a minute. I need to tape my ankle.”
I’m left speechless. My mind spinning with the possibilities.
After a few minutes, someone moves at the end of our aisle. Ashley stands there in her cheerleading uniform, her hair in a high ponytail and her arms crossed.