Dynasty (Boys of Winter 1)

In the end, Knox and I walked away with three grand, and while I felt like the biggest asshole taking off with that kind of money, I also knew that it came down to my survival. I offered half to Knox, but he laughed and told me that he shits that kind of money. I realized that the whole exercise for him was all about having a little fun and maybe being nice to the pathetic, new chick.

Not wanting to leave the whole stack of cash here when Kurt is bound to be home all day, I shove the whole lot of it into my backpack before slipping straight out the bedroom window. Screw sticking around to say goodbye. They’ll know I’m gone when my bike rumbles through their house.

As my boots hit the ground, I pull my backpack over both arms and avoid the little yappy dog on my way to my bike. I smile at her as she comes into sight, the flare of the sunlight against her shiny chrome sending waves of excitement through me. God, I'll never get over how lucky I am to have this bike. She’s so damn pretty. I’m just thankful that the drunken prick who I won it off was nice enough to give me a crash course on how to ride it before taking off with his equally drunk friend.

I bet he woke up the next morning and regretted ever going out that night, but screw it, he’s never come looking for it and I’ve never asked questions.

After climbing onto my bike and feeling the familiar rumble of the engine beneath me, I take off, leaving another thick, black line on the driveway.

I have a bit of time to waste, so I head to the grocery store to grab a few things I can hide in my room. With my backpack full of easy snacks, I stop by the local cafe to order a decent breakfast. It’s not often that I get to eat a good meal before school, but if I can make a habit of it, I’ll be one hell of a lucky girl.

After wasting just enough time, I get back on my bike and head to school. As I'm sliding into the back of the student parking lot of Ravenwood Heights Academy, it's 8:50 on the dot, and the bell is a distant echo.

I sit back on my bike, watching the students around me, every single one of them just standing there, ignoring the bell, and staring at me as though I was lost. In reality, maybe I am. I really don’t belong in a school like this.

I let out a sigh and reach forward, cutting the engine of my bike. Without the familiar rumble, the silence of the crowd seems so much louder. If I hadn’t done this a million times before, I’m sure I’d be anxious as shit, but as it is, I just don’t care anymore. Though, a part of me is secretly hoping that this is the last ‘first day’ that I’ll ever have to suffer through.

After climbing off my bike and removing my helmet, the girls around me seem to hiss as a slew of whispers begin, just as I knew they would. I groan to myself. Whatever happened to girls supporting girls? When will they all realize that I’m not here to steal their boyfriends?

Just one time it’d be nice to have a girl approach me and genuinely want to be a friend. I don’t have many girlfriends. In fact, I don’t really have any friends. There’s no point. I’m never around long enough to form real attachments, but there have been a handful of girls over the years who have stayed in my heart.

I tuck my helmet under my arm while keeping the impressive skull fully on display and start making my way toward the front gates. Every eye in the school follows my movements, not one person with the balls to actually approach me, and honestly, it’s a bit disappointing. Being such an elite school, I figured that there’d be at least a few kids around here who were brave enough to take a risk.

Just before I walk through the front gates, I look back at my bike to find a group of guys hovering around it and checking it out. Not one of them is touching it, which makes me wonder if they’re being respectful or if they're scared shitless of me.

I go to turn back when the same black Escalade from last night comes tearing into the lot and aims straight for my bike. Gasps are heard around me as the Escalade comes to a screeching halt before squeezing right in beside my bike on an angle, making it impossible for me to get around it. I’ll be stuck here until that dickhead decides to move his car, but I don’t worry about it, seeing as though he doesn’t strike me as the type to hang around after school.