Fallen Heirs (Windsor Academy 3)

She bombarded us as soon as Kingston and I got out of the car.

“Heard what?” Bentley asks, getting out of his Porsche from the spot next to ours.

“Headmaster Douche got fired over the weekend,” Reed explains.

“What?” Kingston asks. “Why?”

Ainsley smiles. “He got caught banging Elinor Jackson in the auditorium.”

“Whoa.” Bentley whistles. “Wait. Who’s Elinor Jackson?”

“A booster’s wife.” Ainsley’s eyes widen. “One of the biggest booster's wives! Rumor has it he demanded Headmaster Davis' termination, or he would no longer write checks to the school, and he’d use his considerable influence with the other boosters to do the same.”

“Damn. Can’t say I’ll miss that asshat one bit.” I shrug.

“Me neither,” Kingston agrees.

“Anyway...” Ainsley continues. “They’re calling an assembly in the gym in place of first period today. They’re going to introduce the new headmaster.”

“Well, that didn’t take long to find a replacement,” Bentley remarks. “Any word on who it is?”

“Someone from another private school in the area, I think.” Ainsley nods her head toward the building that houses the gym. Or Athletic Center as the Windsor snobs like to call it. “We should get in there so we can find seats together.”

When we get to the gym, it’s relatively full, so we wind up standing against the side wall instead of trying to find enough room on the bleachers. Mrs. Fuller, one of the administration ladies, walks up to the podium and waits for everyone to settle down before speaking.

“Good morning, students. As some of you may have heard, Headmaster Davis is no longer with us. He has... decided to pursue other opportunities.”

“Yeah, other opportunities up Mrs. Jackson’s vagina,” Ainsley whispers.

Based on the laughter amongst the student body, I’d say similar comments are being passed around.

“Settle down, boys and girls!” Mrs. Fuller demands. Once the room quiets, she continues. “Now, as I was trying to say, we have a new headmaster starting today, and I’d like you all to give him a warm Windsor welcome!” She motions to the middle-aged man sitting off to the side. “Please say hello to Headmaster Carrington.”

The man joins Mrs. Fuller at the podium and waits for the lackluster applause to end. “Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. I’m very excited to be here. I’ve been headmaster at Cambridge Prep for the last fifteen years, and while I enjoyed my time there immensely, I couldn’t be more excited about this opportunity. I was a Windsor wolf back in the day, and I’ve always wanted to return to the place where some of my fondest memories have occurred.

“It gives me great pleasure that my daughter will also be a Windsor wolf. I know it’s not typical for a student to start so late into the school year, but I’m grateful the board was willing to make an exception so she can graduate from my alma mater.” He searches the audience until his eyes lock on someone. “Go ahead, honey. Stand up.”

Bentley snorts. “Nothing like being called out by your daddy in front of the whole school.”

Ainsley smacks him with the back of her hand. “Be nice, Bentley.”

“Honey, don’t be shy,” the headmaster insists. “Stand up so everyone can see you.”

Everyone’s gaze follows the headmaster’s as his daughter rises from the bleachers. Damn. The girl legit looks like Zendaya’s curvier little sister. She pushes her long, corkscrew curls to the side and stands tall while the entire room stares at her like an animal in the zoo. I can’t exactly blame them—I’m staring too. She’s stupid pretty.

“I wouldn’t want to be in her shoes,” I say. “Gotta give it to her though, she’s holding her head high. That takes cojones in this crowd.”

“What the fuck?” Bentley whispers.

I feel Kingston stiffen beside me right before he throws his arm out in front of Bentley. “Don’t, man. Not here.”

“Ladies and gentlemen,” the headmaster continues. “I’d like you to meet my daughter, Sydney. She’s a senior this year.”

I look to my left and see Bentley’s nostrils flare while Reed joins Kingston in flanking Bent like they think he’s about to flip out or something.

“What is going on?” I whisper to Bentley. “Do you know her or something?”

“Oh, I fucking know her all right,” Bentley hisses. “But what I don’t know is how she’s a senior in high school when she should be a senior in college right now.”