Left In The Dark

Prologue

Logan

They’re laughing. All eyes are on me as I enter the cafeteria and the instigator sits in the middle of the table, whispering in the ears of the two people next to him.

“Someone’s got dirt stains on his knees and hay in his hood again. You out there sleeping with your pigs, farm boy?” Hayden, the captain of the football team, laughs while slugging an arm around Blake. Blake Mitchell makes sure to make me the laughing stock wherever I go.

Blake sniffs the air, wearing an evil grin. “Sure smells like pig shit.”

The table erupts in laughter and I do my best to ignore them, hurrying past their table with my tray shaking in my unsteady hands.

Someone spritzes the air with body spray and pumps out two more squirts, sticking the bottle out closer to me.

“Much better,” they say, but I don’t look back to see who it is.

Not that I’ve memorized all their names, because I haven’t.

Much like their personalities, they’re all dull and similar.

It’s their looks and money that have everyone else wanting to be a part of their crowd so badly.

Meanwhile, I just want to be left alone. I want to get through my last year of high school and never look back once I leave for college. Spending the majority of my time studying and staying ahead of my work has really paid off, giving me a higher chance of getting into my first choice of college.

My friends hated it whenever I’d ditch them early on weekends and choose the library over playing video games at Jimmy’s house. Jimmy has been my best friend since the sixth grade and we’ve already agreed to be roommates while attending the same school.

“Dude, you were reading in the courtyard again, weren’t you?” Reese says, moving his backpack from one of the chairs.

“You know him. He always chooses nerding out over everything else,” Jimmy muses, stealing my cornbread. I would’ve let him have it anyway since me and gluten aren’t exactly friends.

I look back at the laughter aimed my way, and Blake’s jock boyfriend oinks at me. Their friends all follow behind him and start shoving their faces into their corn like animals.

“Ignore those assholes,” Lydia says, flipping them off.

“Seriously,” Jimmy agrees. “Fuck them. We only have two months left and then we’ll never have to see them again.”

“I’ll never understand why they have to torment you so much,” Lydia grunts.

“Cause Blake is clearly obsessed with Logan here and can’t admit it.” Jimmy shoots daggers over my shoulder, mouthing something I can’t make out.

“I doubt that’s it. I’m clearly just an easy target for guys who love finding someone to shit on in order to feel better about themselves.”

“Maybe it’s both reasons.” Reese lifts his shoulder and I shift my attention to my food, moving my spoon around in my chilli before finally taking a bite.

I go for seconds as my friends chit chat around me, and as I’m laughing at one of Jimmy’s ridiculous jokes something mushy, wet, and cold is dumped over my head.

“We thought we’d save some of our slop for you,” Blake says in a mocking tone, pouring mixed veggies down the back of my shirt. One of his friends nearly falls to his knees from laughter, lifting his hand to his face.

“I mean, that’s what my uncle says he does with their leftover food. Saves it for his piggies,” Hayden snarks, standing over me with a carton of milk, but as he’s about to tilt it over, a teacher appears.

“That’s enough, Mr. Benson and Mr. Mitchell. You’re both coming with me. As well as your friends.” She shoots one of them a look when they snort into their hand.

“Always being punished while trying to help out the least fortunate,” Blake fake whines before grinning down at me.

“To the principal’s office. Now, young man,” she warns and he rolls his eyes, stomping forward. His boyfriend follows, giving me a look of warning on his way out of the cafeteria.

You’d think I’d be relieved that someone stopped it from going further and that they were actually being punished for what they did, but if anything I’m more worried about what they’ll do next.

Leave a skunk in my locker again? Fill my car with more hay?

Or maybe they’ll add more spiders in my gym clothes.

I hate it here and I hate them. Two more months. That’ll go by fast, won’t it?

Jimmy lays a hand on my shoulder, eyebrows pointed downward. “It’s my fault for wanting to eat inside today.”

“We’ll go out somewhere behind the building tomorrow, where we know they won’t go. One thing Blake and his buddy’s hate is going out of their way,” Lydia huffs.

“Nah, you guys should be able to sit wherever you want. You don’t have to eat out in the heat on the ground because of me.”

Reese looks up from his tray, smiling. “That’s what friends are for, isn’t it? Besides, I sure could use some more sun.” He holds out his pasty arms and we all laugh.

“He ain’t wrong there,” Jimmy blurts. “We don’t need him blinding other people while we’re hanging out at the lake all summer.”

My face drops and Jimmy narrows in on me. “Don’t worry, my dad showed me this section that hardly anyone knows about, and I doubt they’d step foot in a private area where other people are unable to see how fabulous they are.”

My shoulders relax and I chuckle, grabbing the napkins Lydia hands me.

“I know it’s not much.” She sighs. “You can probably wash more of it off in the bathroom.”

“I have an extra set of clothes in my locker that I keep there for track,” Jimmy says. “I won’t need them today. We can go grab them on the way to the restroom.”

“Yeah, that’d be great. Thanks, man.” Food falls from my body as I slowly stand up, and my friends tell everyone off who laughs as we rush toward the trash cans to dump our trays.

Lydia and Reese head for the vending machines while we go in the opposite direction to get Jimmy’s spare clothes.

The bell rings just as we reach the bathroom, and I tell him to go on while I hurry out of my dirty clothes.

Not wanting to get food all over the inside of my backpack, I toss them in the trash and head for class.

Social studies is a breeze, but I can’t say the same for my last two classes. In one, I have to deal with Blake tossing notes my way with barnyard jokes, and in the other, I suffer through his boyfriend tapping the back of my neck the whole hour.

I rush out into the hallway as soon as the bell rings, not bothering to stop at my locker and going straight to the parking lot. I pause at the back of my car, anger burning through me at the words “Pig Boy” spray painted on my back window.

I look around me, opening my trunk and tossing my backpack inside. When I don’t see the people I’m more than sure were responsible, I slip into my car and drive home.

A text comes in as I’m pulling up to our front gate, and when I look down at my phone, Jimmy’s name flashes on the screen.

Jimmy: Movie night at my house at 7 tonight. Stephen is going to be there and says he’s looking forward to seeing you. You better show. I’m not tolerating all his theater talk for nothing.

My heart jumps into my throat. I’ve had the biggest crush on Stephen Fuller since freshman year, but our talks have never gone past being friendly.

Maybe the fact we’ll be leaving soon will change that.

Or maybe I really am the loser Blake says I am and no one will ever want me in that way. But hey, a guy can always hope, right?

Smiling, I text my friend back.

Me: I’ll be there.

Jimmy: Good. Make sure to wash that food out of your hair real good too. I swear I saw a pea hanging out by your ear last hour.

I bark out a laugh, getting out of my car to open the gate. Once on the other side, I jump out and close it before the goats try to escape. Wouldn’t be the first time.

Slipping back into the driver’s side, I send Jimmy another message.

Me: Don’t worry. I’ll be taking three showers before coming over, and I’ll even wear jeans without dirt or grass stains.

Jimmy: I wasn’t aware such a pair exists. I see how it is, saving them for people you deem more worthy. You’re lucky I already accepted you just the way you are a while back.

Me: Yeah, and you’re lucky I’ve accepted your ass.

Smiling, I pocket my phone and head toward the house, hauling ass down our long dirt driveway. Dad is outside working on a fence, and pays me no mind as I enter the house, too busy focusing on his task with his headphones in his ears.

A savory smell leads me to the kitchen where Mom is singing to a Dolly Parton song in her floral apron. Her eyes widen when she sees me and she wipes her hands on a nearby towel. “Hey, hun. How was school?”

“Eh. It was alright. Always better to be home, though.” I reach for a biscuit and she swats at my hand.

“Go wash those hands of yours first.” She gives me a once-over, brows pulling tightly together. “And what in the world is in your hair?”

I tug at my short strands, shaking out two kernels of corn. “Must have missed my mouth during lunchtime.” I force a smile, but it’s obvious by the downturn of her lips that she can see right through it.

With a worried expression, she turns back to her food cooking on the stove top. “I wish that principle of yours would do something about those boys.”

“I think we’re way past that, Mom. I won’t have to worry about it for too much longer, though.”

She ruffles my hair, lips turning up in a slight smile. “No, I guess you won’t. You’ll be off getting your education and on your way to becoming a successful adult while those boys stay exactly where they are.”

Doubtful. At least when it comes to Blake.

Guys like him always win in life no matter what.

His dad owns four successful restaurants, and they live in one of the biggest houses in town with all their fancy luxuries.

He doesn’t need to go to college like me.

Not when his dad pretty much already has him set for life.

Being an only child helps too. Well, it helps in his case.

Not so much in mine. My dad keeps begging me to stay home and help with the farm.