Broken Hill High (Broken Hill High 1)

I stand awkwardly in the doorway. How did this become my Thursday night?

I make my way into the house, feeling completely out of place. I mean, this home is just as big as mine, but it has a bit of a weird layout, not to mention the fact that I feel really awkward.

I walk through a hallway and come out into the kitchen to find Trish Ryder in the kitchen, standing before the stove. “Um, hi,” I say with a little wave when she doesn’t notice me.

Her head whips in my direction before her eyes widen in surprise. “Oh, Tora, honey. What a nice surprise,” she says as she places a pot on the stove and wipes her hands on a dish towel. “What are you doing here? Is everything alright?”

“Yes,” I smile. “Everything’s fine.”

“I sent Nate to check on you,” she tells me.

“Yes,” I say with a groan. “I know. That’s why I’m here.” Her eyebrows furrow as she looks to me in confusion. “Nate doesn’t believe I’m capable of looking after myself, so he kindly suggested I stay here.”

“Oh, no,” she says with a knowing sigh. “What did he do?”

“Kidnapping would be putting it mildly.”

She presses her lips together and walks forward. “Well, you’re more than welcome to stay,” she tells me. “It must be very lonely being in that big house all by yourself.”

I think about it for a moment and how Nate coming in unannounced had scared the crap out of me and made me realize that maybe I can’t quite handle being by myself. “Yeah, I guess,” I say.

“Alright,” she says with an excited smile. “That settles it. You’ll stay here until your parents return home. I’ve always wanted another girl in the house.”

“Thank you,” I say with a laugh.

“Now, it’s been a while since you’ve been here. Do you need me to show you to your room?”

“Do you mind?” I question. “I already got lost walking from the front door to here,” I admit.

Trish presses her lips together and shakes her head in exasperation. “Did Nate not show you in?”

“No,” I scoff. “Though, I wasn’t expecting anything different.”

“Oh dear,” she says before leading me out the kitchen. “I apologize for his appalling behavior today. I don’t know where he gets it from.”

That much is clear. His parents are the nicest people on the planet, in fact, just being here with Trish for the last few minutes reminds me of just how much I liked her when I was growing up. Surely Nate’s bad attitude isn’t something that’s in his genes. It’s just not possible.

I grab my bag before following Trish up the stairs. The more stairs we climb, the louder the music gets from up here. She leads me to a door and pushes through to a beautiful guest room. Super modern with a personal bathroom. Exactly what I’ll need… for the night that is. I intend to escape as quickly as I can. Maybe I’ll get Brooke to take me back home after school tomorrow.

I drop my bag into the room and look to Trish who points down the hallway to a closed door which has music blasting from the other side. “That’s Jesse’s bedroom at the end,” she tells me before pointing to the one directly across from me. “And this is Nate’s room. I’m sure the boys will help you with anything you need.”

“Thank you,” I tell her as I eye Nate’s door.

How did I end up in a room right across the hallway from him? Was I an awful person in another life? Is this punishment for something I’ve done?

“Alright,” Trish says. “I better get back to dinner. I hope you’re hungry.”

With that, she disappears down the stairs and I find myself once again, standing awkwardly in the Ryder home.

With nothing else to do, I close the door and practically lock myself in my new room.

Chapter 5

I hear Trish calling out for dinner and I reluctantly get to my feet. This is going to be the worst night of my life. Sitting around a table with both Nate and Jesse while their parents dote on what good little boys they are. Not to mention, I’m going to have to eat whatever it is she’s served up, rather than just grabbing some frozen veggies out of the freezer and heating them up like I’ve done every other night.

I pull the door of my room open at the same time both Nate and Jesse do. Nate’s eyes find mine and I instantly look away with a scowl. “Whoa,” Jesse says from down the hallway, and I swear, I can practically hear the smirk in his voice. “Do we have a house guest?”

I look back over my shoulder at the irritating sixteen-year-old, not wanting to be rude and give him a little smile. He hurries and catches up to me before throwing his arm over my shoulder. The three of us walk down the stairs and I’ve never felt so out of place in my life. “You let me know if there’s anything you need,” Jesse says in a sleazy tone. “I’ll be more than happy to lend you a hand. Hell, I could lend you my bed if you want.”