Chapter 20
Ronan was wrong. Usually, I was invisible. It was my superpower. Being able to fade into the background of any situation. Sometimes it felt as if my entire form was translucent. But that was what kept me safe.
Kids at my old school didn’t talk to me. Teachers didn’t even call on me. I ate lunch alone in the library or outside under a tree when the weather was nice. I turned in my homework on time and aced my tests, but I didn’t stick in my teachers’ minds.
That wasn’t going to be the case here. But it wasn’t because of me. It was because of the guys that surrounded me as we made our way toward the large stone building. Every set of eyes traveled to them.
I understood the fascination. They were enchanting. Not just their masculine beauty, but a certain energy they had humming below the surface.
There was one thing I knew for sure: If I wanted to survive Castle Prep, I needed away from them.
Trace and Ronan glared at every single person whose gaze dipped to me. People instantly averted their eyes, but it wouldn’t dampen their curiosity.
Colt dipped his head. “I’ll show you your locker and then take you to your homeroom.”
I nodded quickly. “Maybe it could just be you?”
A look of hurt passed over Dash’s face.
“I just—I think people will stare less if I’m only with one of you.”
“She’s right,” Ronan said. “Come on.”
Trace instantly peeled off as if relieved he was off the hook.
Dash hesitated, but Ronan grabbed the back of his blazer and tugged him away.
I breathed a little easier as many of the students’ focus followed them.
“It’ll be okay,” Colt whispered. “After the first week, people will get used to you.”
I wasn’t sure that would be the case if I stuck around the guys.
Colt showed me to my locker, which had an electronic lock that he programmed with a code for me. “Your books are already in here.” He grabbed two textbooks and slid them into my backpack. “That will cover you until lunch.”
“Thanks.” I could feel eyes on us, and the sensation had me wanting to crawl out of my skin.
Colt led me down the hallway, keeping me against the fancy lockers and blocking anyone from potentially knocking into me. Eventually, he slowed outside a classroom. “This is your homeroom. I’ll meet you after to show you to your next class.”
I quickly shook my head. “I’ll be fine.”
“Lee—”
“No.” The single word was quiet but firm. “I appreciate everything you’re trying to do for me, but I’ll do better if I can just start to blend in.”
“You don’t know where you’re going.”
My mouth curved. “I’ll figure it out. I’m not completely helpless.”
Colt pulled me into a hard hug, and I ignored the twinge of pain along my ribs, which were still healing. “You’re the strongest person I know.”
“I’ll be okay. It’s just school, right?”
He huffed out a breath as he released me, handing me a phone. “Text me if you need me. I put all the guys’ numbers in your phone.”
I shook my head. “This is too much.”
“It’s for your safety. Not having a cell phone is reckless.”
I sighed. “Pushy.”
He grinned. “You say pushy. I say charming.”
I chuckled. “See you later.”
A look of worry swept over Colt’s face. “Later.”
I hurried into homeroom and breathed a sigh of relief that I was one of the first people there. One girl sat in the front row, closest to the window. A guy sat in the back corner.
I took a seat in the second to last row, just off-center. I’d found that you didn’t want the front or last rows. The front had the teacher’s gaze automatically going to you. But the back was where the teacher looked for troublemakers. Near the back and just off-center was the invisible zone.
The chair next to me squeaked as someone sat. A guy with reddish-brown hair grinned at me as he slung his backpack on the floor. “Hey, you’re Leighton, right?”
Crap. Had my presence already circled the gossip mill?
The guy seemed to sense my unease. “Ronan told me you were in my homeroom. I’m Connor. Welcome to Emerald Bay.”
He held out a hand for a fist bump. I tentatively reached out my fist for a knuckle bump. I waited for one of those weird imagination-running-wild visions to hit, but nothing happened.
The breath whooshed out of my lungs in relief. “Nice to meet you.”
“You, too. Bet it’s crazy starting somewhere new your senior year, and it’s not like Prep is your typical school experience.”
I winced. “It’s definitely different from public school.”
Connor chuckled, and the sound was warm and comforting. “Understatement of the century. But I’ll show you around if you need.”
“Thanks. I really appreciate it.”
Connor didn’t seem to garner quite the same attention as the guys. Maybe I could have some real friends here. Just ones that weren’t the center of everyone’s focus.
More students piled into the room. A group of three girls entered. The girl at the front of the pack flicked her glossy, mahogany hair over one shoulder as she used the aisle as a runway. Her hips sashayed from side to side.
“That’s Chloe, Grace, and Mimi. You might want to stay clear of them,” Connor whispered.
“Not really my speed,” I whispered back.
Chloe dropped into the seat two rows in front of me, making an exaggerated motion of crossing her long, tanned legs. Grace and Mimi took the seats on either side of her. Chloe laughed, leaning over to the Asian girl with flawless skin, and whispered.
As she did so, she revealed a tattoo of a compass on the back of her neck. I blinked, taking in the beautiful artwork. Something about it pulled at me.
“Quiet, please,” a man in a suit called as he dropped a stack of paperwork on his desk. “This isn’t social hour. I want silence for the next forty-five minutes. Sign the sheet on your way out to mark your attendance.”
I breathed a sigh of relief. He wasn’t going to make me stand up and introduce myself as the new student. My invisibility was safe for another hour.
I stayed in my seat as the homeroom cleared out. Chloe scowled at a boy who dared cut in front of her as if her glare alone could set him on fire. Yep, I was steering clear of her.
“What class do you have next?” Connor asked.
I glanced down at the piece of paper. “English Lit.”
That was one I was looking forward to. It had always been my favorite subject.
Connor nodded. “That’s not far from here. I can walk you.”
“Maybe you could just point me in the right direction?” I asked.
He chuckled. “Sure. Turn right out of this classroom. Then another right. And the room will be on your left.”
“That sounds like even I won’t be able to screw it up with my horrible sense of direction.”
Connor shook his head, grinning. “Give me your phone.”
I reached into my bag and grabbed my cell, handing it to him.
As he leaned over to take it, his nostrils flared, and his eyes widened. “Whoa.”
My brows furrowed. “What’s wrong?”
He coughed, pulling back. “Nothing. You just, uh, smell really good.”
I blushed. “Uh, thanks.”
Connor focused on my phone, tapping in some information. “Now you have my number, in case you get lost. And I sent yours to my phone.”
“Thanks,” I said, taking the phone back and standing. “I really appreciate your help.”
“Anytime.”
I headed to the front of the classroom and printed my name on the sign-in sheet. The teacher didn’t even look up.
Connor gave me a wave as he headed out, and I turned in the opposite direction. The halls were already emptying, and I picked up my pace. The last thing I wanted was to be late for my first real class.
Rounding the corner, I slammed into a massive form and was suddenly hurtling backward, arms windmilling. Just what I needed. I was going to knock myself unconscious on my first day.