Maddox (Ravenwood Academy #3)

1. Chapter 1

Chapter one

Jinx

I don’t want to be around anyone. Clicking the door to my dorm felt like a relief if only it could stay that way. Weeks have gone by, but the thoughts have never left me. I thought I was strong enough to get around every day. However, that was a joke.

The school halls remind me of Dad, and I haven’t stepped foot inside his office since the last time. I told Florence she was on her own with the new dean. Regarding the new dean, Allan has been brought on board, and I strongly encouraged him to consider hiring a new music professor.

Von needs to go. I’m tired of his shit. It’s time to clean up this school if only a new board member cleanup were allowed. That would also be on the list.

A pointed tap on my window pulls a smile to my face, Edgar. I push the window open and wait for him to hop in. With a shake of his head and, I swear, a pissed-off look, he jumps onto the counter.

“Kraa.”

“Yeah, I got it.” Still no patience. At this point, I’m pretty sure the fucker will never get any. I open his treat jar, and he does a little dance to where I’m standing. After digging out a few treats and laying them out for him, I watch as he snatches them, eating them whole.

“Don’t be such a pig.”

He cranks his head in my direction and makes his little bubba sounds. The glare he gives me, if he weren’t such a cute bird, I would throw him out. It's peaceful having the dorm to myself. I asked the boys to drop me off so that I could have some alone time with my cello. I'm feeling a bit disappointed that I didn't get that spot in the symphony again. I just need some space to process it all.

I clean my dorm while Edgar naps his treats off. I’m trying to keep my mind off things, wondering when this fog will lift so I can return to normal. When I think everything is under control, I stumble upon something of Dad’s, and my world crashes again. The last time that I went to the house was before the funeral. I don’t have it in me to go through his things. It also doesn’t help that Serena still calls every other day.

Today was the will reading; as I had imagined, that didn’t go well. It’s another reason why I need to be left alone. Serena sucks the energy right out of a person. She should’ve believed me in the first place, and that she would have walked away with nothing. Marrying a person because they are well off isn’t a good reason. I’m glad Dad saw that because Serena is a snake, and even now, she’s trying her hardest to take what isn’t hers. I’ll never give her a cent; she’ll have to kill me first.

“Kraa.”

“Sorry, mister.” I turn to Edgar, who is now awake and is tapping on the window to be let back outside. “Give me a minute. That patience we’ve been talking about. You need to work on them.” I head back to the counter to open the window. Just as I'm about to push it open, Edgar suddenly raises his head and looks towards the door. I turn to see what caught his attention but don't hear anything.

“Get your ass outside. Come back when you feel the need to harass me again.” I push the window open for him, but he doesn’t move. He continues to stare at the door.

“Only because I love you. I’ll check the door.” My heart knocks against my chest when I take a step forward. If it’s true about what they say about animals, I hope he sensed nothing. With slow, light steps, I make it to the door, unlocking it as quietly as possible. I take one last deep inhale and swing it open.

Nothing, no one is there.

“Edgar, you fucker. You scared me for no reason.” As I start to close the door, something catches my eye. A bundle of sheet music and a single black rose lay in front of my door. I peek around the doorframe, but the hall is empty. Maybe one of the guys dropped it off for me?

It’s nice that they are listening to me and giving me the space I desperately need. I toss the sheet music on the coffee table, move to the sink, and find a glass. I’m not one to keep vases around; I hardly ever receive flowers. Placing the single rose in the water, I admire it. It’s nice to get flowers occasionally, even if they eventually die. It serves as a gentle reminder that lovely moments are fleeting, urging you to treasure them while you can. They have a way of slipping away effortlessly, slipping through your grasp.

Edgar flies over and lands next to the flower. It’s a small reminder that one day, I’ll lose him too. We both stare at the flower for a short time. When I look at Edgar, he’s already staring at me.

“What are you thinking about, my feathered friend?” He cocks his head to the side, blinking. “Yeah, that’s what I thought. The window is open, and you can get on with your day. Thank you for the visit.”

Once he hops back to the window, he doesn’t waste any time flying away; he lets out his kraa when he reaches the trees and disappears. I hope one day Edgar finds a mate. He can’t always be coming around, no matter how much I enjoy it. He’ll be lonely one day.

I watch the tree blow. No matter how often I stare into the woods, it never settles in my stomach. Something hides in there, and maybe it’s the same thing that hides in the school’s basement—Evil. When I finally can’t handle it any longer, I turn away. The sheet music grabs my attention, picking it up. I wonder what kind it is. I’ve never let anyone pick my music unless it was a professor. I’m rather picky.

It’s all music I wouldn’t pick for myself, and I wouldn’t have pictured one of the guys picking either. Playing covers isn’t usually my thing, and I’ve only done it for Maddox once. Maybe he dropped this off.

Me: Thanks for the Sheet music and flower

Maddox: I don’t know what you’re talking about, baby. Maybe one of the twins?

Me: Maybe

Well, I thought it was him for sure.

Me: Did you drop a little gift off at my door?

Ashton: Wasn’t me, Little Swan. What was it?

Me: Sheet music and a black rose

Ashton: Maddox? It sounds like something he would do.

Me: He said it wasn’t him. I’ll try Atticus.

If it were Atticus, I’d be shocked. He doesn’t seem like a gift-giving kind of person.

Me: Are you a romantic gift-giver?

Atticus: No, Little Grim. Don’t ever expect a romantic gesture from me. Why?

It couldn’t be Spencer. We never do this sort of thing.

Me: A gift was left at my door, and it wasn’t any of you guys. Now I’m starting to freak out.

Atticus: What kind of gift, Jinx?

Me: A black rose and sheet music

Only one other person comes to mind, but if it were him, he would’ve sent me a text bragging about his little gift. Unknown loves to prove that he never misses a chance to make my life a living hell, even if I’m already there. He won’t tell me why he chose me even after all these months—three months, and there is still no hint of why he stalks me. I can’t even think of why, and it bugs me daily.

I flip through all the sheet music, looking for a clue as to who would’ve dropped this off, but nothing has come up so far. There has to be over ten pieces alone. Why would they give me so much? A single piece of white paper tucked in between catches my eye.

I carefully remove and unfold it. The words written in red ink almost jump off the page at me.

A single black rose to take a life

A single black rose to make you cry

A single black rose to make you think

What in the fuck. Who would give me this? And why? Is that what the rose means? Oh my God, there are so many questions running through my head I can’t keep track of them. Whoever sent it never bothered to sign it. Why send it if you don’t want me to know who you are? What a coward. I don’t know what any of this means, and I don’t have the brainpower to think anymore.

I gather all the paper. There's no way I’m keeping this music around if it has a hidden message within; walking to the garbage, I toss it all in. Turning to the rose, shivers roll down my back. Roses are supposed to be romantic, not morbid, not a reminder that I have lost a loved one.

I quickly snatch the rose from the vase and dump it in the trash. I don’t need a reminder of the gift. I can’t get the words from that note out of my head. What if the killer left this?

Me: Are you in your dorm?

Pencil: No, but you can hang if you need to, I’m almost finished with class. What’s wrong?

Me: Nothing. Don’t worry. I’ll be in there when you get done.

Pencil: Teeny, don’t lie to me.

I hate that he knows me so well. I can’t hide anything from him, even in text.

Me: I’ll explain when you get there.

I toss my phone on the couch and head into my bedroom. I need to change into something comfy if it’s going to be a best friend kind of night. We haven’t had one of those in months, and sometimes, you need a good get together with the bestie. And lord knows I need a good catch-up.

I grab a black sweater and a pair of leggings from my closet. Don’t get me wrong, I love wearing dresses and skirts, but leggings are the ultimate comfort and one piece of clothing I’ll never give up, that and knee-high socks. I open the top dresser drawer and stare at all my socks. Does one person honestly need this many pairs? I grab the first pair, a black and white striped knee-high length. Spence always keeps his place on the colder side, so this works out perfectly.

Poking my head out into the hall, making sure it’s clear I leave my dorm. That gift has made me paranoid now. What if that person is still hanging around? I quickly jog down the stairs, getting to Spence’s place in no time. I open his door, and I’m met with a disaster. I should’ve known better that it wouldn’t be clean; he needs to get out of this place more. A trip to the city would do it. But I haven’t been in the mood for that, and it’s unfair to him.

While I wait, I get busy cleaning. It’s the least I can do, considering I’m about to drop some news on Spence. This way, all throwable objects are cleaned up. I haven’t updated him on the stalker in a while, but now a mysterious gift has arrived. He’ll have his theories, but they won’t be good. And that’s what scares me the most.

Spencer isn’t scared to speak his mind, either.