Chapter 5
CHAPTER
FIVE
LAINEY
“So you had class with the new girl?” I ask Madden, handing him the rest of my blueberry swisher.
“Yeah, so?” He takes a drag, handing it back to me.
“So? Is she cool?”
“Ha, she’s different. The Sharks have their eye on her, though. I heard Crew and Carson whispering at practice earlier, and the way Nash reacted, something tells me she’s about to flip things upside down.”
“Hmm,” I sigh. “She seems like a badass. I wouldn’t mind her spearing a few Sharks.”
Madden laughs, “You know that is a terrible idea. Why would you even want her to get involved? It’s like sending someone to their death.”
I drop the cigarillo, smashing it beneath my Dr. Marten boot, “Don’t be so dramatic, Mad. You know I’ve been handling Nash for years, and I’m not afraid of them. Not anymore.”
He nods, remembering how we became friends, “Just don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
I tug his unruly black hair, messing it up playfully, “Never.”
I stand, walking around the back of this house, some party on the outskirts of town, an Oak Valley party. They know we’re from Legacy, but we don’t cause trouble, and they don’t mind that we’re here. It’s better to be here than at a Legacy party where everyone is bowing to the precious Sharks.
It’s a silly concept, I know, but Legacy is the definition of privilege.
Look it up.
The teachers, the parents, even the damn city leaders are in on it.
And the Sharks? They run the show. No one crosses them.
No one even tries. You’re either in, or you’re not, and for us…
we’re out, and it’s no walk in the park.
They make it hell because no one is against them, and they hate it when you try and make them look stupid, especially Nash.
Madden plays Switzerland, although they know he can’t be trusted because he’s on the outside too. They just need him at shortstop, so they tolerate it.
The Sharks ruined my life without even thinking twice.
Well, Jovie and Nash did. My dad—the town pastor—had an affair.
His perfect reputation and high standing in the community made his lies believable, though, and I would’ve believed him too...
had Nash not made me sit through the video.
That’s right. He locked me in a closet for over twenty-four hours while the video of my dad sleeping with his mom played on repeat.
He is evil.
The purest form of the word.
I hate him. I hate Jovie, and I hate the Sharks. Thank God Madden saved me from that closet. Who knows how long Nash would’ve left me there.
“You coming?” Madden asks, walking back inside the party.
“Yeah,” I nod, following him into the house. I’m not sure whose house it is, but the faces are familiar, and we’ve been hanging at a bunch of Oak Valley parties lately.
I refill my solo cup and turn back around, noticing the slew of popular kids all huddled around a beer pong table in the main living space.
Madden is the—date me to make your daddy mad—type, so the girls flock to him.
He’s a good guy, just gives off the bad boy vibe.
His dark hair, tattoos, and piercings make it easy to judge him.
Looks can be deceiving, though, because he’s the best guy I know.
He’d give the shirt off his back to anyone that needed it, and he writes lyrics that are so good they should be on the radio.
They look at him and see the bad boy, the Shark. I see my best friend.
One of the guys walks my way from the beer pong table, his hair a dark sandy blonde, his arms thick and muscular.
Athlete.
I try to turn away nonchalantly. I don’t want to get involved with these people, not really.
“Haven’t seen you around before,” He smiles, stepping in a bit closer. I place my hand over the top of my solo cup instinctively.
His eyes shoot down, “Smart girl.”
I laugh, “I’m not stupid.”
“Well, that’s good to know,” He flirts, “I’m not stupid either. I’m Drayton.”
I blush, but I know this type. I’m not interested in the popular boy, the big man on campus. Even if he is gorgeous.
I flip my silver hair over my shoulder, “So?”
“So… what’s your name Ms. Not Stupid.”
I contemplate a fake identity, but my big mouth doesn’t agree, “Lainey.”
“Well, Lainey… Do I get to see you at school on Monday?”
“Only if you are enrolling at Legacy.”
He steps back defensively, “A shark?”
Yeah, buddy, your sworn enemy.
I’m a little surprised with how much distance he just put between us, so I make sure one thing is clear. “Not. A. Shark.”
His hand lifts from his side, his eyes closely following it as it reaches my hair that he pushes back behind my ear, sending cold chills down my spine, “That’s the best news I’ve gotten all day.”
I swat his hand away, “Well, good for you.”
I see Madden shrug a girl off of him, and he instantly appears at my side, like always, ready to rescue me if I need it.
“Lewis,” he grits. “What do you want?”
Do they know each other?
“Just talking to my new friend, Lainey.”
Madden’s grip on his cup tightens, busting the plastic, “Don’t say her name. Don’t ever come near her again.”
Drayton steps back, his eyes falling to me, “I thought you said you weren’t a shark.”
I look at Madden, who is still very visibly upset, “Uh, I’m not. We’re not.”
I brush my hand down Madden’s arm to calm him, “Let’s go.”
We step out into the night air, Madden pulling a pack of smokes from his pocket.
“What the hell was that about?” I ask.
Madden just growls, “That’s Drayton Lewis. He pitches for Oak Valley, and I hate him.”
I giggle, “You hate him because of baseball?”
These stupid baseball players and the rivalry in this town.
“No, I hate him because he’s a prick, and he thinks he’s better than everyone else.”
I roll my eyes, grabbing the cigarette from him, “He looks harmless.”
Madden laughs, “If you say so, I see a shark. The same ones that run Legacy, just dressed in Oak Valley clothes.”
Knowing what I know about the kids at Legacy makes Oak Valley seem like a walk in the park.
Madden stills, “Drayton is Nash’s stepbrother.”
What?
An unexpected sense of fulfillment races through me. I can’t explain it or where it’s even coming from, but I’m happy to know that Nash is suffering for once.
The Sharks hate Drayton, and I hate the Sharks.
I hand Madden his cig and march right back inside the party.
“Lainey,” Madden warns, his steps close to my heels, practically chasing me. “If he finds out. It means war!”
The crowd separates as I enter the house. A raging jealousy pulses through me as I spot him with his hand on someone else. I push a petite blonde out of my way and yank Drayton Lewis away from the girl standing next to him.
His eyes pierce into mine, confused but amused. Everyone goes eerily silent. Every single stare trained on us.
I don’t take the time to think about the consequences or about the fact that there will be hell to pay when I go to school. I just kiss him.
He drags his hand up my back, his fingertips causing me to nearly shiver. His tongue matches mine, the most perfect kiss I’ve ever had.
Not that there’s been that many to compare it to.
Several whistles and cheers fill the silence, and I realize I’m causing a scene. I pull away, just enough to speak.
“I’ll never be a Shark.”