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Not only did Emmett lose his chance at turning his family’s legacy into something clean and decent that he could finally be proud of, but he also has to watch the Hendersons take over everything that had always belonged to him. The money and power hurt to lose, but for the first time I can see the deeper side to it. Emmett was prepared to work hard and make Jameson Automobiles a success that was built on honesty and ethical operations. That’s gone now and being flaunted in his face. And the Hendersons are even more greedy and corrupt than his father was. It’s like Emmett has lost his chances at redemption.
He lets out an uncomfortable grunt and digs back into his food. Our silence is overshadowed by the cackles of the Elites echoing through the cafeteria. An outsider might think we’re making too much of their whole display, but we know how they work too well, Emmett better than anyone since he used to play the same games. They’re being obnoxious on purpose, to rub everything in his face. It’s a show of dominance.
Once lunch is over, we walk slowly and quietly through the crowded halls towards our next class. That’s when things get worse. It’s as if Malcolm has sent out the pecking order and everyone has to be sure to reinforce it.
“I can’t believe he bothered to show his face here again,” one girl whispers to her friend as we walk by.
“I heard he lost his mind and tried to kill his mom and sister and pin it on Malcolm,” her friend hisses back. “He was too mentally unfit to take over Jameson. He had to turn everything over to them.”
“Just as well. Malcolm is better looking anyway. And smarter.”
I can see the rage boiling under Emmett’s skin, so I quickly grab him by the arm and yank him into an empty doorway. I pull him into a deep kiss. He’s stiff at first, but soon melts into it, letting everything else fade away.
“We’re in this together,” I remind him as I pull back. “I’ve always been at the bottom of the totem pole around here and I’ve made it by just fine. You can too.”
Some of the tension escapes his face as he loosens into a smile. Slowly a sense of revived hope begins to show through, and he leans back in to kiss me again. Once he walks away for his next class and is out of sight, I break into a determined march for the hall we just passed through. I go right up to the pair of whispering girls.
“Hey,” I bark, catching them both by surprise. “If you’re going to talk shit behind his back, at least get it right. Emmett isn’t crazy, and he didn’t try to kill anyone. Malcolm and Emmett’s backstabbing sister stole everything from him.”
Their eyes grow wide, amazed that I would dare to question whatever story WJ Prep’s new king has sent into rotation.
“Are you crazy?” one of the girls asks, almost as a warning. I can see her secretly pleading with me to shut up for my own sake. Everyone knows what happens to people who are dumb enough to question the Elites.
“I’d be careful what you say about Malcolm,” the other girl adds, taking on a snarkier tone to save face. She says it loud so the others around her can hear. She wants no mistake about who she’s aligning with.
“Malcolm can go fuck himself,” I declare confidently. I have my own story to set straight. I’d like to think I’ve established my own gray area in this whole order of things. They’d like to think I’m blacklisted, but I only have five months left here. And even when I was the Elites’ number one target, I survived. I’m not backing down to them anymore.
My defiance terrifies them. One girl leans in close, grabbing my arm. “Shut your fucking mouth,” she begs. “Do you have any clue what they’ll do if they hear you talking like that?”
I can’t help but laugh. Not only at her assumption that I’m unaware of how things work around here, but at the absurdity of it all. This is a high school, not some medieval kingdom where people who commit treason get carted off to the guillotine. But unlike my first day here, I know better now than to question the very real danger of it all. The Elites have nearly killed me twice now for ending up on the wrong side of their games.
But since that’s where I keep ending up anyway, I might as well own it.
“Oh, I know all too well,” I tell her. “I just don’t care anymore.”
Suddenly the girls straighten, looking alarmed at the sight of something over my shoulder. I glance back and see Malcolm watching closely from the other end of the hall.
“Get the fuck away from me,” one of the girls shouts suddenly. They look me up and down with disgust and quickly walk away. I’ve been blacklisted, right along with Emmett. If anyone is seen talking to either of us for too long, or god forbid acting friendly towards us or helping us in any way, they’ll pay the price for it.
With them gone, I turn back to Malcolm and look him straight in the eye from where I’m standing. He studies me with a questioning look, wondering if I’m going to behave and step back into line, or if he’s going to have to teach me a lesson. I flash him a defiant smile before moving on to class. A move I’m sure I’ll regret eventually, but at this point, I don’t know what they can do to me that they haven’t already done.
2
Chapter Two
Emmett and I meet back at his car after school and e
xchange heavy sighs of relief and a smile. We survived the first day back, and at least now we know what the new gang looks like, even if we have no clue what they have in store for us.
“It’s their last semester too,” I think out loud as we get into his car. “Maybe they’ll be so busy getting ready for everything that happens after WJ Prep, they won’t have time to fuck with us.”
He flashes an unconvinced smirk, as if to say ‘Yeah, that’d be nice.’ But he’s not buying it.
“Let’s not talk about them,” he replies. “From now on, when we walk out of those doors at the end of the day, I want them to be the furthest thing from my mind.”
“Deal!” I agree enthusiastically. “So, what should we do then? Movies? Pizza?”
Emmett and I have delighted in enjoying regular teenage pleasures these past few months. Being a former Elite, he never really got to have fun. He was always being forced to carry out some mission for his father or the WJ Prep crew. I hadn’t known real fun from the moment I arrived here. The Elites made sure of that. But once Emmett was stripped of his place in town, we both got some time to fly under the radar and finally just act like normal teenagers for once.
