Chapter Two
Amelie
I’m seriously pissed about all of it: first, who starts school that early? Second, what’s the point in making me start at a new school on a Friday? Surely they could have given me today and the weekend to settle in? It’s so stupid.
Looking at the time, I realise I spent the best part of an hour doing my bowtie and shit, so I will have to skip breakfast. Pulling on the death traps this place calls shoes, I grab my academy backpack which is filled with everything I will need for the day.
It feels like it takes ages for Susan to politely direct me to the correct location, but somehow I’m still early.
My stomach grumbles and I briefly wonder if I did have time for breakfast after all.
Oh well, it’s too late now. I find a seat somewhere in the middle, doubting there is any kind of specific seating arrangement.
It doesn’t take long for students to start filing in, loud chatter filling the room.
The uniforms, blazers, and standard issue backpacks make this place look like any elite private school.
It doesn’t look like a gathering of delinquents and criminals to me, at all.
As my eyes scan the crowds filing in, I don’t see Elsie anywhere.
I do however see Kalen, his boy next door charm radiating off him.
I would be lying if I said I didn’t find him attractive.
He is closely followed by two boys, both identical.
The perfect image of my twin sexual sandwich fantasy.
Hot, muscles for days, tall, smiles that could melt the panties off me.
Shit, the thought causes me to clench my legs together.
Maybe it’s a coincidence or maybe not, but Kalen’s gaze flicks to mine the instant my thighs tighten.
He leans in and says something to the guys with dark chocolate hair that he is with before coming my way.
Instead of taking the stairs in the aisle like a normal person, he jumps from seat to seat in each row until he is falling into the seat beside me, propping his legs over the seat in front of him and swinging an arm around my shoulders.
“New girl! Did you miss me?” he asks with far too much energy for so early in the morning. I look at him, watching the way his lips pull up into a smirk and liking the way his blue eyes have a sparkle to them.
“Who are you again?” I look away back towards his friends, but my twin fantasy dies as quickly as it began with the way they seem to be looking at me. I shoot them a look that says ‘wtf is your issue?’ but their expressions don’t shift.
“I’m your future husband,” Kalen declares, loudly, which causes a few girls to turn in our direction, daggers shooting from their eyes.
“Kalen, the only person you would marry is yourself. Why don’t you be a good little boy and run back to your brothers?” Elsie snarks at him as she takes a seat beside me.
Kalen's face morphs into a frown. “Why don’t you go lick some more pussy?” he spits.
“Why, jealous I get more than you do?” she throws back. She looks towards me nervously, like she’s fearful of how I’ll react to the news of her being a lesbian. I don’t care. Why would I?
“Sorry, that would be a no to being your future wife, Kalen. Elsie, I’m afraid you’re way out of my league too.
” Elsie laughs, relieved that I’m okay with her sexuality.
Kalen leans in close. He smells so damn nice that I inhale a little too loudly and I can feel his smug smile as he whispers in my ear.
“Good thing I didn’t come up here just to claim you as my future wife.” He pulls back and hands me a card.
“What the hell is this?” I snap.
“Your uniform is unacceptable. Learn to do your tie, before you end up in detention...weekly.”
He winks at me and walks away, this time taking the stairs. I look at the little card, it’s blue and has nothing written on it. I hold it up to Elsie and she shakes her head.
“Didn’t you read the handbook?” She takes the look on my face as a no.
“Blue slips are the worst - or the best - depending on how you look at it. You have detention with Mr Knox.” The hair on the back of my neck prickles.
Knox, that’s my stepfather's name. “The best part is he is fine as hell - even I think so, and I don’t like guys - but the worst part is he does early morning Saturday detention. You have to be at the back sports oval by 6 am.”
I wonder if this guy is one of the famous stepbrothers...this could be good. She can’t be referring to my stepfather as ‘fine as hell’ surely?
“Don’t get any ideas, all the popular girls have tried to tempt him, but he isn’t interested. If you want an easy lay, your best bet is to just go for Kalen. He’s the easy brother.” I whip my head back to face her.
“How many brothers are there?” I try not to sound too interested.
“Sawyer is the eldest, he started teaching here last year. Then there’s the twins, Slate and Onyx, but they’re real assholes. Slate thinks he is better than everyone else and Onyx just looks like he wants to murder anyone who looks his way, and well, you met Kalen.”
I nod. I thought these so-called stepbrothers were supposed to be good boys. Somehow, I don’t think my mother knows her stepsons as well as she’s claiming. Why would they be at Knox otherwise? I don't know anything about them, but they don’t scream ‘good boys’ to me.
“Are there other schools around here?” I ask, thinking that maybe they just came here because it is convenient.
“Yes, a few. Though I have heard stories about the Knox boys and why they come here. You have to be invited here, you don’t get to apply.
There is a board of old people who review each case.
It’s all very hush hush, which is weird really.
It’s a school for kids with a rap sheet.
Rich or poor, money isn’t an issue here.
Maybe the fourth years know more, but us first and second years only get second hand gossip. ”
A bell chimes once, and almost all of the students instantly go quiet and take their seats...obviously a few first years don’t get the memo, or maybe they just don’t care, because they continue chatting regardless.
My new stepdaddy, aka Principal Knox, addresses the whole school: he goes over how important it is to re-read the student handbook and how, by now, everyone should be well acquainted with the rules.
I guess school’s been in session for a couple of weeks already but he obviously feels the need to reiterate the basics for someone’s benefit.
Maybe all his little pupils here aren’t as reformed as my mother made out.
He goes on to say that we are all adults here and will be treated as such, as long as we do as we are expected.
I tune out about halfway through his talk when a younger guy enters the room.
He takes a seat near the other teachers, and I elbow Elsie and nod in his direction.
“Who’s that?” I whisper. Even though I am fairly sure that he is one of my stepbrothers.
Call it a familial connection or sisterly intuition or something.
“That is Sawyer Knox... I told you he was hot.” I nod, my eyes not leaving my oldest stepbrother. These guys are the key to being sent back home, I know they are. I just have to make sure I play my cards right.
After we are all dismissed, Elsie walks me to my first class of the day.
A class called SELF, Elsie explains that it is a class that deals with the struggles for teens today.
It isn’t a long class, but it is a requirement.
The whole school has the same class Friday and Monday mornings after Assembly or whatever they call it over here.
Elsie walks me to my class, then says she will find me for lunch to show me how the system here works, before turning to leave for her own class. I wave her off and quickly slip into the toilet before class, not caring if it makes me late.
Someone enters the bathroom once my cubicle door is shut. I hear her talking for a moment, but when no one replies, I realise she is on the phone to someone. Odd, I thought phones were banned?
“I’m meeting Sawyer at the wine bar in town tonight for dinner.
He isn’t interested - yet - but I’m working on it…
He finally agreed to a date, but I may have to seduce him into a relationship.
His family has money and I’m sick of driving around in that beat up old BMW…
I need a man so I can quit this stupid job with these miserable children.
” I choose that moment to flush and open the door.
The poor girl only looks a few years older than I do.
Her face goes red, and I smile coldly, washing my hands in the sink next to her.
She politely smiles back. As I head for the door, I hear her start talking again.
“My last class is at seven, I do cheer with the girls. Sawyer will meet me there at eight.”
Well spank my ass and call me Charlie. She just gave me an idea for a birthday gift for myself.
Operation 'seduce my stepbrother', part one. I know I’m decent looking, not in a stuck-up kind of way, but I always seem to get attention from boys and men that is usually unwanted.
Lucky for me, I have my fake ID that Smalls gave me last year.
I do turn eighteen on Tuesday anyway, but God knows what the legal drinking age is over here.
Opening the door to my SELF class, I step inside and the door crashes shut with a loud bang behind me.
I can add that to my mental notes: the doors don’t shut slowly or quietly here.
How embarrassing - I have drawn the attention of the entire class.
As if being new and late wasn’t bad enough, I have to make one hell of an entrance.
“Take a seat. Being new is no excuse for tardiness.” I raise a brow and barely contain a smirk, does anyone say tardy anymore?
“Hot damn my future wife is tardy, even the word sounds naughty,” Kalen says loud enough for everyone to hear and titter. “I can spank you later.” He winks at me this time.