When We're Alone

Chapter eleven

STONE

Caitlinisbuzzing;she practically vibrates on the way to our bench in the courtyard. It’s clear why as soon as we turn the corner and see the crowd around the lockers running the length of the building next to it. One right in the middle is covered in what looks suspiciously like spunk, and it doesn’t take a genius to work out whose locker it is. It can’t be real cum, though, can it? Unless someone has wanked into a fucking water gun and then squirted it at that height. The crowd’s murmurings pick up and Ava walks through them as they part, looking around apprehensively. She doesn’t look scared, just wary that something might jump out at her. Her eyes scan the crowd, not stopping on me for a second, until she sees what has everyone’s attention. She rolls her eyes. Ignoring the mess completely, she swings the locker door open, swaps her books over as if nothing is wrong, and stalks off, seemingly unaffected by the show and acting like she didn’t even notice she was the centre of attention.

“Well, that was anticlimactic,” Reid says with a laugh as we finally get to our benches.

“Whatever.” Caitlin sneers. “I’m not surprised the Highland slut isn’t fazed by finding cum all over her things.” I’m sure she’s fuming that her prank didn’t get the reaction she wanted.

“You know, technically she’s one of us now,” Mason offers. “It’s not like she still goes to Highland.” What’s gotten into those two? Reid and Mason aren’t joining in on the Highland hate like they normally would, and I can’t tell if they’re trying to wind Winnie and Caitlin’s necks in, or if it’s for another reason.

“Once Highland scum, always Highland scum,” Winnie adds. “And she’s certainly living up to her reputation—she was fucking someone in the library yesterday.” My attention piques at Winnie’s comment. Surely not? She’s not that much of a slut she’d be promised to Lewis and fucking classmates she met days ago in public spaces, is she? Jesus, I hate her.

Caitlin tuts and links her arm with Winnie’s. “She’s here by circumstance, not by choice. She doesn’t belong here. The dirty little slut gets what’s coming to her.” Caitlin and Winnie move into a hushed conversation on how to get back at her, I’m sure. I completely blank them out, my mind going back to Ava, as is usual the past few days. She’s a really bloody good actress, that’s for sure. At the dinner table you’d swear she was a saint. She was dressed the part of perfect prissy princess for the ball, but then lets herself loose on the dancefloor and she’s a completely different person. And now she’s cheating on Lewis with practical strangers. Does it count as cheating if it’s an arranged marriage but the married part hasn’t happened yet? Who knows. Winnie and Caitlin wander off as the bell rings, and Reid, Mason, and I grab our stuff ready to head to our classes.

“How come you two are suddenly sticking up for Ava? You hate Highland as much as anyone.” They give each other a look, and I fold my arms. We don’t keep secrets from each other. Mason shrugs.

“I don’t think she’s that bad.”

“Yeah, she seems kind of badass to me,” Reid agrees.

“How would you know? You haven’t said two words to her.”

“All the shit we’ve put her through, she’s taking it all in her stride so far. Her being here might not be the worst thing in the world.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You clearly like her,” Mason offers.

“No, I liked her body when she was grinding up against me in the club. Not the gold-digging whore she turned out to be.”

“Well, that gold digger works hard. Have you seen her bit of the presentation so far?” I don’t answer, because I haven’t looked. I wasn’t expecting her to have added anything yet. “We’ll catch you later,” he says, and we split up, heading in different directions.

I’m still trying to think of who it could be that Ava’s fucking when I go down to dinner. I shouldn’t care at all—I don’t even like Lewis—but I can’t help fixating on her. I expect to have to watch the sickening saint act all evening again, but Ava’s not there when I sit down, leaving just me, Dad, and her silent mother.

“Where is she?” I ask, nodding my head towards her empty place as I begin to eat.

“Ava messaged to say she couldn’t join us today.” Weird. What’s even weirder is that she doesn’t come home. I know because I stay up, waiting for sounds of her slipping into her room beside mine, but I hear nothing. It gets to the point that I assume I’ve missed her because it’s so late, but when I push her door open, the bed is still untouched. There’s no one around in the morning, not that I tend to see her much before school anyway.

By lunchtime, Reid and Mason have both had their classes with Ava and are talking about her as they come over to the table.

“Jesus, she’s just a girl,” I grumble as they laugh over something she did.

“She’s got some kick, that’s for sure. Can’t wait for her to come to blows with Winnie and Caitlin.” Mason grins.

“Or you,” Reid says to me, and they both fall into laughter again.

The final class of the day is the one with our group project. When I arrive, she’s already there, sitting in the same place Mason got her a seat last time. I’m stupidly pleased to see her, not expecting it to be just me and her here so far, the rest of the class having not arrived yet.

“Your eyes are silver. Does that mean we don’t get angry Stone today?” Her comment floors me but also brings me back to reality. I can’t give her any other side to me than that.

“Why don’t we save the small talk for dinners? Though I didn’t realise hook-ups got you out of them.” Her brow creases slightly, then realisation flits across her face and she smirks.

“They do when they’re as good as last night.” Fuck, that makes me so angry, and judging by the look on her face, she knows it. Who was she with? I don’t want to give her the satisfaction of asking, but where else would she have slipped off to? Even though we’re snapping at each other, I want this time just for us to go on forever. I cave and ask the question that’s burning a hole in my brain.

“Who were you with?”

“That’s none of your business,” she says without taking her eyes off mine.

“Your library hook-up?” Her brow creases again.

“Cole? Why do you care?” Cole fucking Wittenburg? That guy is practically a recluse. Trust Ava to get to him. She has to know of him. He may not integrate himself into our group, but he could easily match me in status if he wanted, beating Winnie, Caitlin, Mason, and Reid by miles. Of course Ava has zeroed in on one of the richest guys from one of the most powerful families here within minutes and used her body to get close to him. I’d expect nothing less.

“I don’t care. Keep earning your nickname.”

“The nickname that you gave me, you mean?”

“I think your actions have earnt it themselves.”

“Sure they did! Asking for a lift home when your bitch of a girlfriend trashed my car makes me a right old whore, doesn’t it? Next time I’ll fucking hitchhike.”

“You know that’s not what I meant.”

“Actually, I don’t know what you’re on about at the best of times.”

At that moment, Mason throws himself down into his chair, slinging his arm over the back of Ava’s. “That’s our Stone, an enigma wrapped in a riddle with some mystery… or however that saying goes.”

I continue to glare, but she’s turned her attention to Mason. Okay. Moment over. For now.