AllFreeNovel
Share Us
My neck twists, brows squeezed together. “I’ve heard about the hierarchy ladder, but I didn’t think it was a big deal.”
The hierarchy ladder is supposedly this secret thing among students that The Lawless enacts. Basically, they create cliques for the juniors and the seniors and are assholes to the newcomers. I never paid much attention because I wasn’t here for the first year.
“Um. Yeah,” Riley drawls. “It’s absolutely real. The Ladder Games are savage, which is why most students forgo them. There are a few who choose to play because the stuff they made us do as Rooks was deplorable. For those who do, you play the games for a week, then get moved up to Punk status. It’s not much better, but it’s definitely not as bad as being a Rook. As long as you don’t massively screw up, you enter senior year as an Ace.”
“Wait. What does that mean for me? I’m an Ace, right?”
Riley shrugs her shoulders, her attention shifting to the girls’ showers as she points them out. There are a dozen small spaces, each separated by a white vinyl curtain. “Hot water doesn’t last long, so you’ll want to make your showers quick. And always wear shower shoes. I prefer Crocs, but it’s your choice.”
Ignoring everything she says, I return to the topic of the ranks. “Tell me about these ranks. What exactly do Rooks, Punks, and Aces do?”
Riley reaches into the pocket of her jean jacket and pulls out a bag of Skittles. Ripping off the top, she dumps a few in her hand, then pops them in her mouth. “Well,” she says, chomping on her candy, “Rooks are like slaves. It’s brutal. We cleaned up after all the parties. I’m talking vomit, feces, dirty condoms. Basically, whatever we’re told to do, we do it. It’s only for a month, though. As long as you don’t screw up, you’re automatically promoted to the next rank. Punks also cannot approach Aces and we’re pretty much The Lawless’s bitches. Whatever they want, we make it happen. Neo makes the smart Punks do all his schoolwork. Pretty sure the guy has never done a single assignment himself.”
Riley offers me some Skittles, but I shake my head. “What a douchebag. This isn’t school. It’s a fucking prison.”
“It sucks, but it doesn’t last forever. Senior year, we all started out as Aces, as long as we didn’t have any strikes against us the prior year. We have it made compared to the juniors.”
“So, when do these ranks all take hold?”
“Tonight. It’s the reasoneveryonemust attend The Gathering. Including you.”
“And what about you? Did you play the games?”
Riley winces. “No way! I’d rather be someone’s bitch for a month than subject myself to that level of cruelty. People have literally died playing those games. Two, to be exact. Possibly three. One guy went missing, like, eighteen years ago and was deemed dead, even though they never found a body.”
“I have never heard of a more ridiculous thing in my life. Yet, I’m not surprised in the least. Those guys will do anything to empower themselves—even if it involves putting others’ lives at risk.”
These aren’t just accidental deaths. If people died during The Ladder Games, that’s straight-up murder. The Lawless from all years here should be held responsible for putting on this horror-fest.
“In their defense, it’s not just them. The games and ranks have been around for years. If I remember right, Neo’s great-grandfather set them in place.”
“Of course he did, with all his sovereign bullshit.” Neo’s dad is the former mayor of Essex, and currently the state governor.
Riley nods, dropping more Skittles into her hand before going into a bathroom stall. She closes the door, but I continue to talk while she pees.
“Why didn’t my parents warn me about this?”
Her voice rises, so I can hear her over the flushing toilet. “At the party tonight, The Lawless will do their welcome ceremony, at which they’ll explain the rules. They’ll also clarify that the ranks are not to be discussed outside of The Academy. The concern is that it will deter students from attending. They’ll give some bullshit story about how hierarchy is necessary to prepare us for our futures as Blue Bloods.”
She comes out of the stall and washes her hands in one of the row of sinks.
“Fucking A,” I spit out, “if I could go back in time and slap some sense into our ancestors, I’d smack them hard.”
“It’s the price we pay for the safety net of our future.”
“Screw that. I’d be perfectly content controlling my own damn future.”
“Would you, though? Think about it, Scarlett. Not just the stability, but the protection. We have privileges that outsiders only dream of. A full ride to an accredited private university. No outside law enforcement. Financial stability. With the connections made from The Elders, we are untouchable.Our kidswill be untouchable. I mean, do you really think Neo’s dad would have the position he does now without cushioning from The Society?”
“Absolutely not. But there are other jobs. Normal people struggle for their success.Thisisn’t normal.”
“Normal or not, it’s the way it is.”
Jesus, they’ve corrupted Riley just like every other student in this place. If we're so safe, we wouldn’t have to worry about what The Lawless has planned for us. We wouldn’t be cleaning up their messes and doing their schoolwork for them. We are touchable—but only by them.
ChapterFour
CREW
