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“The Alphas, they exiled me six months ago.” She looks around as she answers. “They run this school. If you’re not with them, then you’re a target, or like me, they exile you. Most kids they exile drop out, but I’m here on a scholarship and literally have nowhere else to go until I turn eighteen, and they know it. So basically, if you sit here with me, you will be a leper by association, and you’re pretty; you have a chance to be with thein-crowd.” I snort, thein-crowd generally sucks.
“I would rather be a leper than be popular. Honestly, I have zero interest in being fake anymore. It was exhausting. Let them bully me, they can bring it on.” Her eyes go round, her mouth slightly open. “What?” I turn to follow what she is looking at. Maybe it’s the nine guys headed our way, and I scoff as students literally jump out of their way. This is taking popularity to the next level, the kind you read about or watch on TV.
They all veer off and sit at a table in the centre of the room, except one, who makes his way towards us. Luna puts her head down, but I watch as the sea of people move out of his way. “Don’t look at him, it will make it worse.” Too late, he knows I’ve been staring at him. I have nothing to lose, they couldn’t do anything to me that I didn’t deserve.
Falling from the top of the popularity ladder at my last school was a very bumpy ride. When I started drinking and partying, no one wanted to associate with me. I learned way too quickly that even with their families needing a business tie with mine, that their loyalties lay with Zeke, he was loved by everyone. He was easy going and friendly. Yet, they kept a wide berth from me.
“Looks like we have fresh meat.” He says, taking a seat beside me, leaning into my personal space, making a point to smell me. “You even smell fresh.”
“Do you mind?” I snap. “I’m trying to eat lunch with my friend.” He looks over at her and smiles.
“Sorry, Annie, I didn’t see you there.” He turns his attention back to me. “I think you’re mistaken; Orphan Annie doesn’t have any friends.”
“Well, she does now.” I know he saw her; he’s just being an asshole. “How about this, you stand up and go back over to your alpha assholes and leave me alone. I have no interest in whatever games you like to play.” He laughs, making me wonder if he thinks I’m joking. His eyes lock to mine, and that’s when I realise he has two different-coloured eyes. My gaze lingers a little too long before the sound of his voice has me blinking at him.
“Fresh meat, it’s funny you think you have a choice. The second you stepped foot on the grounds, you became the prey, the hunted, and all you need to fear is who is stalking you. Some of us like to play with our food, don’t we, Annie?” He doesn’t wait for her to answer, he just gets up and saunters back to his friends.
“What was that all about anyway?” I ask, and she looks up at me, relieved.
“It’s a long story, but cut short, I grew up with Wilder, he’s the one with the wild, sandy blonde hair. My mum was their maid, and when she died, his parents funded a scholarship so I could come here with him, but he became an Alpha.” She sighs, I can tell they were more than friends.
“The rundown. Diesel, the scary one with the neck tattoo, he’s in charge, then you have Cuyler, the one wearing the bandana is his best friend, the triplets, Ryot, Rogue, and Rebel. Rebel is the one who you just met, they’re next in line, then Wilder. There are a couple of younger Alphas: Huntley, Drixx, and Draven, but I don’t really know much about them.”
“What happened with you and Wilder?” I ask, and she shakes her head. I can see her thinking about what she should tell me.
“Nothing. Honestly, it was Rebel. We hooked up once, and then a week later with no word, I was exiled, and they made my life hell. Just watch your back, they have their eyes on you now.”
The bell ringing has the lunch room in shambles, kids yelling goodbyes to their friends. Luna says a quick goodbye before scurrying away like a timid mouse.
The Alphas have made no attempts to move, and I can feel a bunch of eyes watching me as I walk from the room. When I’m out of sight, I rush as fast as I can to get my things from my locker. I don’t need another confrontation with Diesel before the day is over.
Chapter Two
Diesel
The new girl rushes into class late, and Mr. Masen asks her to find a chair. I watch the indecisiveness in her eyes as she scours the room for a seat and realises that the only available chair is right next to me. I kick the side of Ryot’s leg, he looks up from his phone and smirks.
My eyes don’t leave hers as she straightens her back and walks towards me. I don’t know what the fuck my father is playing at by putting her locker right next to mine. I fought with him for weeks to let Belle switch to that exact same one. He laughed and told me that no girl from a poor family would ever get to put her filthy hands on a locker lined with gold. There is no way in hell this girl is wealthy; I would know her if she was. We would at least be friends online. My father makes sure to make me follow every bitch that has a parent with money.
She takes her seat beside me, shifting herself away from me. I lean back in my chair and rest my arms behind my head, spreading my legs so my thigh rests against hers. Just enough so she knows that I’m in her personal space. How dare she think she is too good to sit next to me. Clearly she will need a run down on who I am.
“Look, Ryot. Seems I will get to play with my food.” I say, and her body goes stiff, the grip on her pen tightens, making me smirk. I might actually enjoy playing with this one, just enough to have her running to Miss Baron’s office, who will call my father and nark on me straight away. She has been looking for an excuse to get rid of me. She succeeded with my cousin, Sax, last year, but good riddance to him. I might like to cause people pain and have them running scared, but he burnt down the old hall which was used for the dance classes. One teacher was left with burns to over thirty percent of her body. My father couldn’t overlook that and sent his ass to military boot camp.
She mumbles something under her breath, causing the girl in front of us to turn and throw daggers at her. She smiles seductively at me, and I lean forward and wrap a lock of her golden blonde hair around my finger.
A few other girls keep looking at the new girl, and I can see her getting angrier by the second. I sit back in my seat and wait, hoping she will snap.
She surprises me when I turn and look at her. “What are you looking at,” she hisses. “Am I wearing something of yours?”
She pulls her cardigan down, linking the cuff around her petite fingers.
“That’s cute, and a bit presumptuous, wouldn’t you say?”
I laugh knowing that I have garnered a reaction as her fingernails dig into her palm, the ugly cardigan still pulled down, covering half of her hands. I wonder what she is hiding under that thing. It’s the middle of fucking summer. Even in the classroom with the room air conditioned, it’s still stuffy as hell.
“No one warms his bed long enough to wear anything of his, new girl. Maybe try my brother. Rebel likes to keep them around for a few days.”
“Fuck you.” She seethes from between clenched teeth.
