You Never Knew Me (Never 1)

“I agree you’re not a pretty girl, you remind me of the backside of a horse. But you do have a nickname, cheese girl,” says Octavia, as she saunters on over.

She’s fluttering her lashes at all of the guys, reeking of desperation. I could have sworn she had a boyfriend already.

“Look darling, you can insult me all you like and clutch at straws when it comes to ridiculous nicknames, but I’m not ugly. Now unlike you, I don’t live for the validation of guys and I don’t really care what you think about me but at least hit me where it hurts.”

“Leave her alone Avi, Harrison said she could at least have today,” says Britney pulling Octavia away whilst glaring at me. Teenage drama, I cannot wait to be an adult and leave all this nonsense behind me.

“This is why we like you, you’re going to keep things interesting,

” says Ivy and I remind her that I’m only here until this year ends.

“You realise that we have to stay here until year 13 right, we won’t graduate until we get our A-levels. Not unless your parents have given you permission to doss it at college,” comes from Amias, seeming to enjoy the conflict his words are causing me.

I jump out of my seat and I’m hightailing it out of this damn canteen, I’m not paying a lick of attention as I go crashing into green eyes.

His stare is burning through me as he lays his hands on my shoulders, he’s grinning like a maniac and I am in lust overload.

“Why don’t we put those plump lips of yours to good use,” he says as he drops his head down to mine and I’m instantly pushing him away.

“Never going to happen.”

“Shame, would have been fun to get a sample before you leave. Don’t ignore Harrison, girl, if he wants you out, you best be packing your bags.”

He drops a kiss to my cheek before walking over to the rest of the Shepherds, Chelsea is already going mental at him and he’s just smiling away. The one thing I have noticed is that I’ve never seen Harrison with them, but it seems as though he’s a fellow Shepherd, if not the one in charge.

My door has been painted grey as well, with an R painted on the left-hand side in red. I was expecting another one or at least something a little more telling than an R. I don’t even know what to make of this.

“An interesting choice.”

“Oh for crying out loud, before I waste my time asking what you want let me just ask you this. For all the fancy cameras around this damn school what’s the chance anyone will be able to tell me who did this?”

Ivy is looking at me, but she certainly isn’t smiling. She’s calculating and weighing something up, I just don’t know if it will work out in my favour.

“If the Shepherds as you call them, are responsible then I think you’ll find the headmaster will suddenly lose the connection to the cameras on this side. But I know someone who could find out, I guess you’ll need to decide if you’ve changed your mind.”

“Changed my mind about what?” I ask, and her smile tells me I’m going to hate the answer.

“Whether or not you need friends like me and mine. I’d suggest being a little less hostile towards us and you may realise just how valuable we can be.”

She pats me on my cheeks, so condescending, before turning around and walking away.

I think I’m just going to go into my room and wait for tomorrow, it can’t come soon enough.

Three

The school is a combination of two mansions and loads of other ridiculously large buildings that span over a hundred acres of land.

The main mansion houses our living quarters, the canteen, form rooms and a few classrooms.

We’re a privileged lot, but unlike the rest of the prep or boarding schools around, money doesn’t rule this place I just haven’t figured out what does.

I’m not doing the standard full day of lessons yet, but that’s only because of the assessment. Apparently public school opinions don’t mean a lot in places like this. I just need to get through this week and then they’ll know what I'm capable of academic wise.

Today, I have science and I can’t wait. Luckily the science building is right next to the dorms, along with the DT classes. DT basically teaches us to cope on the outside; cooking, art and design and even making clothes. The cooking is a handy one, but I don’t need to be able to make clothes, I’ll just buy them.

Part of me wonders if I should look into becoming a doctor but my people skills are seriously lacking. I haven’t been to the science building yet and Noah is in my class and somehow got chosen to be the one to escort me.

I doubt it’s a coincidence but how did he get it to fall in his favour?