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“This is where we say goodbye.” Mom pulls me in for a hug, a tear falling down her cheek and onto the shoulder of my black Led Zeppelin tee shirt.
I’d love more than anything for them to come up to my room and help me settle in, but it’s against the rules—no communication with anyone outside of The Academy during our stay here. That’s just one of the long list of ridiculous rules. I’m sure I’ll break a few of them during my time here. Who am I kidding? I’ll end up breaking them all and getting me and my family abolished from the whole damn Society.
There’s an idea.
Mom steps back, and I place my hands on her shoulders, looking her in the eye. “I’ll be fine.” I’m not sure who I’m trying to convince, her or myself.
Her head lifts, and she nods, wiping away the moisture from her eyes. “You will. And like your dad said, this is a good thing. You’re going to come out of this stronger than ever.” Her eyes slide over to my dad, who’s helping Elias load my bags onto a luggage cart. Nodding to the left, she takes my hand and pulls me around the car. “Listen, Scarlett.” Her hushed tone is unnerving. “Find your person. Stick with them. Never leave the dorms alone at night. Respect the staff and…” She stops, lips pursed.
The contempt in her tone, along with her worrisome expression, has me on edge. “And what?”
“Be wary of The Lawless. It doesn’t matter that you know them outside of The Academy, they will not be the same people here. Times have changed since your dad and I attended, but The Lawless know their power and they use it to their advantage.”
I almost laugh.Times have changed?No, dear Mother, times have not changed as much as you’d like to think. The new Lawless—aka Crew, Jagger, and Neo—have always known they’d take the throne at BCA, considering their parents were also at the top of The Society’s hierarchy, along with my dad. All of our dads grew up together, the same way Crew, Jagger, and Neo have. I’ve always been the girl in their way. Even Maddie was accepted by them—then again, she is part of the Saint family—but for some reason, they’ve always viewed me as a threat.
Over the years, their egos have only inflated. They’re also the reason I fought to avoid this place. That is until they did everything in their power to get me here. Unfortunately, they got what they wanted.
“Don’t worry about me, Mom. I can handle The Lawless.”
A smile parts her lips. “I don’t doubt that for a minute. You’re one of the strongest girls I know, Scarlett, and you’re destined for great things.”
If only that were true. When you’re made out to be something you’re not and everyone believes it, you start to believe it, too.
Crew, Jagger, and Neo are the reason for my demise. They had this diabolical plan to get me to The Academy, so they could toy with me. They’ve never liked me because of their jealousy of my friendship with Maddie—even when we were kids, they’d find ways to prove I was beneath them, especially Neo. Maddie’s loyalty lay with me, and he hated it. After her accident, his hatred for me spread and grew like an invasive weed, making itself comfortable in every crack and crevice of my life.
Even miles apart, Neo tried to screw with me while using his minions to do his dirty work. The worst of it started with a cheat sheet for our exams they shared to my social media sophomore year. When my punishment for that wasn’t good enough, they hit harder. A couple weeks later, three thousand dollars’ worth of stolen school property was found in my locker. That was my first high school, the one I attended with them and Maddie. I was expelled the next day. As for punishment by law, my parents handled it.
In a matter of days, I went from being a socialite to a shrinking violet. The thing is, I sort of like dead flowers, and no one will ever change who I am or what I intend to become.
My second expulsion, at the end of my junior year, was the fire, which brought me here.
Dad returns and reaches into the trunk of the car, pulling out my snowboarding bag. “Take this.”
My head immediately shakes no. “I won’t be needing that.”
He tries again. “Just take it. You never know when you might need it. The mountains here are a dream for someone with your skills on the slopes.”
My gaze is lost on the mountains over his shoulder. They might be a dream, but they aren’t my dream. Not anymore.
Dad drops the bag to his side and blows out a heavy breath before disappearing behind me.
“I’ll miss you,” Mom says, wrapping her arms around my neck for one last goodbye.
“I’ll miss you, too.”
Dad and I say our goodbyes, and he apologizes again for not getting me into a better dorm room. Apparently, since I’m coming in late, the rooms were full and no matter how big of a donation he made, my accommodations couldn’t be upgraded. I’ll be staying in a simple dorm, much like a college one, with a communal bathroom and kitchen.
Before I know it, I’m standing there alone, in front of the massive building, feeling like the ground could swallow me up and no one would even know I was gone.
* * *
I’m lost.I’ve been here twenty minutes and I’m already fucking lost.
Pinching the map in both hands, I try to pinpoint my location, but it’s useless. I don't know what this means. The Foxes' Den is the girls’ dormitory I’ll be staying in, which I should have run into at least a quarter mile back.
A drop of wetness hits my cheek and I curse Mother Nature. “Dammit!” I dig the toe of my black Converse shoe into the dirt path, kicking up soggy leaves and rocks while throwing a little hissy fit.
Everything is fine. I’ve got this.
