31. Chapter 30
Arianna
“First day of senior year. Are you ready to rule the school with me Ari?” Leyla had shown up to my house way earlier than she would any other day of the year. She wanted to make sure we got there before the bell rang so we could make a grand entrance and she could hold court.
I was also pretty positive that she wanted to see Bradley’s walk of shame. After the scene he’d made at the bonfire, Potter decided he hadn’t appropriately been brought down enough, so he created fake medical records showing he was riddled with STI’s and leaked them on social media.
“Ley, I love you and you know I will be by your side, but I have no intention of being queen bitch. I’m married now, and even though I thankfully don’t have to get pregnant right away, I feel like I’m past that part of my life.”
Leyla scoffed. “Says the mafia princess that can have someone taken out in a matter of hours.”
I buckled in as she peeled out of the driveway. “Technically not a mafia princess anymore. I’m Mrs. Givenchy.”
Leyla gagged. “That sounds like my mom and grandma. And we both know that getting married didn’t make you less murdery. You’re still a Vitale at heart.”
She wasn’t wrong. I’d still call in a hit in a heartbeat to protect her. But that didn’t mean I wanted to deal with all the high school drama. I turned my attention to Karly in the backseat. “Ready for your first day of high school?”
Karly shrugged. “I guess.” Karly was pretty much the exact opposite of Leyla. She had no interest in the social scene and was one-hundred percent invested in her education. One day, she hoped to be a doctor.
Leyla checked her makeup in the rearview mirror when we stopped at the light before the school. “You don’t need to be nervous, Kar. Pott and I rule the school so no one is going to mess with you. You also have Ari and Brennan that will have your back if need be.”
“You can hang out with us before school and at lunch. That will help your social status if you’re looking for that. And if you’re not, that’s fine. You can still sit with us to make sure everyone knows we’ve got your back.”
She rolled her eyes. “I’ll pass. I don’t want to be brought into all the drama.”
I couldn’t really blame her there. Where Leyla and Potter went, drama was sure to follow.
When we parked, I saw Karly relax as she saw her best friend was already there, waiting for her by the door. “Bye guys.”
“Wait.” Karly turned and looked at her older sister. “I’ve got plans after school so Potter or Brennan need to take you home.”
“Ugh. Fine.” Karly stormed off and Leyla and I got out of the car and headed towards her perch on the ledge by the stairs.
This is where she would reign supreme for the rest of the school year.
Charlotte, no surprise, was already there.
“Rumor has it that Shawna and Andrew are official. There are also rumors going around the football team that Jack has claimed you as his.” Leyla smiled at that.
She might have seemed like a strong, independent woman, and she was, but she definitely liked a man that would dominate her and had an alpha personality.
“Also, the release of Bradley’s medical records has pretty much decimated his chances of hooking up with anyone this year.
Even the girls willing to give him a chance after Shawna’s claim are now out since seeing the proof. ”
As soon as Ley took her spot on the ledge, Potter came walking towards us from the parking lot. When he came to a stop in front of us, he gave a little bow. “Queen Leyla.”
She rolled her eyes and flipped him off. “Fuck off, Pott.”
Potter chuckled, then turned his attention towards me. “I’ve got to drop by your place after school to talk to Tuck so I thought I’d offer to give you a ride.”
Leyla smiled. “That works great for me. I was hoping to go to pound town with Jack before going home and Mom is expecting me at four.”
Potter looked at Leyla with a smug look on his face. “You didn’t get enough dick at the bonfire?”
She just raised an eyebrow at him. “Did you?”
“Touché.”
I had never been one to clit block my bestie, and today wouldn’t be the day I’d start. “I’d love a ride home, Pott. Meet here after school?”
He smiled at me and nodded, then his attention flicked over my shoulder and without another word, he was gone.
“Incoming.” That single word from Charlotte had Ley and I looking towards the parking lot.
Jack walked towards us, his eyes locked on Leyla, cocky smile firmly in place. “If it isn’t my queen, sitting on her throne where she belongs.”
I swear to God, her cheeks pinked. I scooted over to the side a little, giving him room to hop up onto the ledge beside Leyla. As soon as he was seated, he wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her close.
“Shawna’s approaching.” I may have been Leyla’s BBF, but I could fully admit that I didn’t have it in me to do what Charlotte did. Maybe it was because I hadn’t been raised to help a queen, but to be one.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Shawna and Andrew approaching, hand in hand. Jack reached out and gave Andrew a fist bump, then the new couple continued into the building.
Before long, it was time to head to class, still no sign of Bradley. I was pretty sure Leyla was bummed about it, but in the end, she didn’t say anything.
As the day dragged on, I seriously wondered why I’d been looking forward to coming back. I hated school. My senior year should have been a cake walk, but I’d failed enough classes over the years that I had to take a full course load, and not just fuck off classes like Potter.
Which meant, I didn’t have any classes with him. Leyla and I, however, had several together. Finally, the lunch bell rang, signalling we were halfway through the day.
Leyla looped her arm through mine as we headed out of the room and towards the cafeteria. “Thank fuck. If I had to hear Mrs. Baker make one more corny math pun, I might have literally died from second hand embarrassment.”
We headed through the line quickly, then went to our usual table. Charlotte and Potter were already there waiting for us. It felt odd being there without Tucker, but I guess that was just my new normal.
“Bradley arrived during third period. Apparently, he got his schedule changed last week, something Potter failed to notice,” Charlotte threw a scathing look at Potter, making her displeasure known, “and now he has free periods first and second.”
Potter rolled his eyes but kept his attention on his phone. “You didn’t ask for updated schedules Friday, so that’s all on you, lady-in-waiting.” Charlotte glared at him even harder, not that he noticed. “Alright, Ley, it’s ready.”
“What’s ready?”
She smiled at me. “The final nail in Bradley’s social coffin. For the first time since the whole scandal, I’m speaking out.” Leyla turned back to her cousin as she popped a grape in her mouth, smile wide. “Do it.”
Phones dinged around the room with the sound of a social media notification. The vast majority of the school followed Leyla on her socials and apparently they had notifications set to let them know when she posted.
Not wanting to be left out, I pulled my phone from my pocket and took a look at what they’d done. There was a picture of Leyla’s clean STI report, which Potter obviously faked since Leyla knew there was no need to get a test.
Ladies, never trust a man at his word. Sex is all fun and games until he infects you. Thankfully, that didn’t happen to me. If you don’t want it happening to you either, follow my mottos. No glove, no love. Wrap it before he taps it. If you want the poon, wear the balloon.
“What the fuck is a poon?” Leyla looked at Potter with furrowed brows.
He smiled. “An old word for vagina.”
Charlotte chuckled, but it was almost drowned out by the sound of everyone reacting to Leyla’s post. Right about that time, Jack approached the table and sat next to her, giving her a kiss on the lips, completely ignoring all the attention on them.
When the cafeteria door opened again, the room went silent. I didn’t have to turn around to know it was Bradley that entered. The only reason everyone would stop talking is so that they could hear whatever drama was about to happen.
Much to everyone’s surprise, he didn’t approach our table.
He just got his food and headed out to the courtyard without saying a word to anyone.
Not that he had anyone to say anything to.
He was going to spend the rest of this year as a social pariah and I couldn’t wait to see just how far he’d fall.
My last class of the day was in the front of the building, so I followed Leyla outside and we said our goodbyes, then I waited for Potter to arrive. Not wanting anyone else to stop and talk to me since my social battery was tapped out, I pulled out my phone and scrolled through social media.
Memes about Bradley were popping up all over and it appeared the Crestwood Prep student body had been busy since lunch.
The minutes ticked by and I was starting to get irritated. Yes, Potter’s last class was in the tech building all the way across campus, but he should have been here by now.
I pulled up the tracking app we all had so I could see exactly where he was. Potter had designed it and the Givenchy family was the only ones that had access to the entire app. It would be hard for someone to hack an app no one knew existed.
It looked like he’d taken a detour on the way back from the tech building and was between the arts building and the football field in one of the only areas of the school without cameras.
I swear to God if I’ve been waiting just for him to get his dick wet, I might just chop it off.
Just like I’d never clit blocked my bestie, I wouldn’t cockblock Pott either, but I mean, a heads up would have been nice. I could have found another ride or stayed in the air conditioning a little longer.