Pretty When She Cries - Black Mountain Academy

“Are you sure about this?” Court asks.

“Yeah, I think so.” My eyes nearly vibrate out of their sockets.

“Um, are we just going to stand here all night then?”

“No, of course not.” I check my phone again. Jared still hasn’t responded to my messages, and we had a plan for tonight. But I can’t chicken out now. We’re here, and I’m just hoping once we’re inside, Jared will follow through like he promised.

“You know I’m only doing this for you,” Courtney groans as we approach the door. “One hour, right?”

“Yes, just one hour.” My entire body feels like it’s gone into rigor mortis as we step onto the landing.

“Do we knock or ring the doorbell?” She yells the question over the loud ass music filtering through the open windows. “My party etiquette is as dead as my soul.”

“Let’s just go in,” I suggest with more courage than I actually feel.

Court opens the door, and two drunken guys nearly trample right over us as they stumble out. I’m half expecting one of them to yell that we don’t belong here, but they are so out of it they don’t pay us any mind as we step inside.

Like most of the houses in Black Mountain, Alistor’s is huge and impressive. Right now, it’s stuffed wall to wall with so many people it’s a literal fire hazard. The place is chaos. People are dancing, drinking, fighting, and nearly getting it on everywhere I look. It reminds me of the party at Landon’s. Bitterness coats my tongue as my hands lock into fists at my sides.

“Where to?” Courtney’s eyes bounce around the room in horror. She already looks like she wants to vomit. She really doesn’t people very well.

“Um…” I scan the crowd for Jared. It’s so loud in here I can’t think. “I don’t see him. Maybe we should check out back.”

Court follows my lead as I wind through the throng of bodies, heading for the French doors that lead to the backyard pool. Anyone who’s someone in Black Mountain has a pool. It’s a popular hangout during parties where girls can use the excuse to flaunt their designer bikinis while all the guys drool over them.

Once we’re outside, I drag in a breath of fresh air and relax a little when I see the back patio is full of people too. Jared has to be here somewhere.

“Uh, Kail.” Court tugs on my sleeve, and when I follow her gaze, irritation bubbles up my throat.

“Ouch.” Someone whispers in my ear from behind me, his fingers grazing my elbow. “I bet that hurts the ego a little.”

“Go away, Landon.”

I can’t face him. Not when my fake boyfriend is humiliating me in front of everyone by cheating on me with another girl. I recognize her as one of the cheerleaders at BMA. She’s tall and thin and gorgeous, and there’s no way he could have mistaken her for his quarterback boyfriend from Maple Grove. I’m confused and stunned, unable to look away as he writhes all over the girl in the pool, practically sucking her face off. My cover is officially blown.

“Why would I leave?” Landon chuckles darkly. “The entertainment just arrived. Maybe I should get the popcorn.”

“Maybe you should go jump in the deep end and see how long you can hold your breath.” I glance over my shoulder and smile sweetly.

“Funny.” He crosses his arms, cocking his head to the side as he studies me. “Is someone a little pissy that their boyfriend has his tongue down another girl’s throat?”

“It wasn’t a joke.”

In a moment of extraordinary bravery, I grab his arm and thrust him forward, and he loses his balance, stumbling straight into the pool with all his clothes on. His fall splashes me and everyone else nearby, but it’s totally worth it to see the infuriating smirk disappear from his face when he comes up for air.

“More foreplay, Kail?” He swipes the water from his hair and peels off his wet shirt, tossing it onto the pavement. “I know you live for these moments when my attention is on you, but you don’t have to go to such extremes.”

I know I shouldn’t look. God, I don’t want to look. But his abs are right there, and they should be illegal. I hate him. It isn’t fair that he gets to look like that when he’s a terrible person. I force my gaze up to his face and try to focus on that, but I don’t know what I’m even doing. I’m supposed to be talking to Jared right now. But if my fake boyfriend has noticed me here, I couldn’t tell. This wasn’t the plan. I was going to come here tonight and kiss Jared in front of Landon, and show everyone our relationship is rock solid. And then, I could quietly collect an abundance of damning evidence to shame my enemies with later. Now everything is falling apart, and I can’t quit glaring at Landon’s wet body.