William laughed as did Dante, Mateo, and Gideon.
“Are you laughing at me now?” I asked.
“You can start comparing when you see it,” Gideon said.
He then leaned forward and kissed my forehead. I swatted at him, wanting him to stop.
Again, he merely chuckled and started to walk away. With the bell ringing, I had no choice but to follow them, which pissed me off. I was the one who was angry, not them. They should be following me, not the other way around.
We arrived at math late, but no one said a word as we took our seats. The morning went by with another hitch. I caught sight of Chloe throughout the day. The makeup seemed to be getting thicker on her face, and all I wanted to do was ask more questions.
Why did everyone have a better idea of what was going on than me? What was it they knew?
Lunchtime was a bust because Heather wasn’t there. Now I wanted my friend more than ever.
At the end of the day, I needed a break from all the testosterone surrounding me. I told them without hesitancy that they were to leave me alone to study. This was why by four o’clock in the afternoon, I was at the library, seated amongst the cult section, enjoying the peace and quiet.
This was where Heather found me. “I got a B.”
I lifted my head. “What?”
“Yep, I got a B in physics. I had to go to the principal’s office.”
I frowned. “That’s not possible. Physics is one of your strongest subjects.”
Heather shrugged. “I smell something funny going on, but apparently if I don’t put in the additional work, I don’t get to keep my scholarship. My placement here was tight with another student, and it was down to a couple of points. If I slip, I’ll be replaced by this other guy.” She sat down on the floor. “And this is why I study so much.”
I was pissed off.
Was this another message from my parents? From the guys? From Chloe? None of it made sense to me.
“Don’t listen to them. We have bad days from time to time. They don’t get to control what you do.” I nodded, hoping I sounded pretty convincing. I guessed not.
Heather sighed. “I’ve been thinking about just quitting, you know?”
“No,” I said.
“All this bullshit hanging over my head, is it really worth it?”
“Your dreams are worth it. You’ve got to fight for it and you know what, I’m fighting for it too. I want to see you graduate here, go to the best damn college in the country, and then you’re heading for world domination. I’ll be your personal assistant.”
Heather chuckled, resting her head on my shoulder. “Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it. This is what friends are for.” I ignored the niggle in the back of my mind. Heather didn’t need me to worry about my actions giving her false hope. What she needed was a friend today.
We stayed at the library studying for two more hours. In the end, I forced Heather to leave so she didn’t start having books for eyes. She needed to learn to relax, to take her time.
The library was staying open for an additional hour, and none of the guys were waiting to pick me up, so I headed toward the dorm, feeling happy and relaxed for the first time in a few days.
On my way to the guy’s dorm, I saw Fred Arson coming from the parking lot.
His family owned a technology firm. Without questioning my next actions, I rushed over, calling his name.
He turned to look at me, eyes open wide. The large glasses he wore stood out on his face.
“Hey,” I said, smiling.
“Hey.”
I frowned. “Er, I don’t know if you know me. We’ve never spoken before. I’m Sian Roberts.” I held my hand out and he took it, giving it a firm shake. “So, I know your parents are like … in the know of everything technology. Do you know a lot about computers?”
“I have to. It comes with the territory.”
“Great. So does that mean you know everything?” I had no idea how I was saying this or even why. Deep down, I knew this was a big fat mistake.
Fred frowned at me. “I’m not sure I follow.”
I blew out a breath, prepared to walk away. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Chloe.
“Hack,” I said.
“Pardon me?”
“Do you know how to hack computers? Files? Databases? People’s lives?” I was sure my frown got more pronounced as I spoke. I didn’t know the first thing about computers.
Fred laughed. “Why?”
“There’s something I want to know more about. Like the underbelly of this school. I don’t know. A secret society, I think.”
He tensed up, and I had to wonder if he knew of anything.
“Have you been watching thrillers?” he asked.
“None. I don’t have a lot of time for movies. I’m just curious. Do you think it’s possible?”