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I guffawed. “He’s King, remember? I’ll probably have to endure an hour of him yammering on about how amazing he is, followed by him making fun of my name. Or how I buy my clothes at thrift shops. Or how I can’t even afford to go here and my dad works for his father as a lowly lawn and pool guy. Or one of the many other things they think about me that’s hilarious. And to top it off, he’s probably dumb as a box of rocks, which is why he needs a tutor in the first place, so teaching him anything will be like teaching a monkey to do tricks.”
“Actually, monkeys are pretty smart. I don’t think it’s that hard—”
“Scarlett,” I said exasperated, “follow along.”
“Right. Sorry.”
We entered the cafeteria, and I scoped our surroundings for the best seats. Once again, I was reminded how unlike Lakeview was to other schools. Pendant lights hung above display cases filled with sandwiches and other premade lunches while the scent of food wafted from the hot lunch line, which boasted everything from all-American school lunches like hot dogs, to carefully curated items like roasted chicken with balsamic reduction and fresh mozzarella. Vases of freshly cut flowers adorned each . Upholstered chairs replaced the hard plastic ones I had been used to at my old school, and in the back, a lounge with a set of plush leather sofas and several armchairs, like something you’d see in a trendy coffee shop was occupied with its usual tenants.
My mouth flattened into a thin, hard line as I watched Topher settle into one of the chairs, not a care in the world as his friends joined him.
Typical. Students were supposed to use the lounge area before school and after hours, but the rules never seemed to apply to Royals.
Disgusted, I turned my gaze away from them and headed for an empty table off to the side and as far away from them as possible.
I sank down into a chair so my back was to them and began to unpack my lunch while Scarlett took the seat across from me. Every so often, her gaze flickered in their direction, and I had to fight the urge to look and see what was so interesting.
“I don’t know,” Scarlett said after a while, “Topher doesn’t seemthatbad.”
I shot her a look that said she was crazy.
“What?” She dropped her sandwich and raised her hands innocently. “I mean, yeah, he’s Lakeview royalty, but he seems . . . different than the others.”
“The only thing different about him is that he thinks the rules don’t apply to him.”
Her brow crinkled with worry as she glanced from him back to me. “Well, what are you gonna do? I mean, you’ll do it, right?”
I unscrewed the cap of my water bottle and took a long pull, thinking about my answer.
I told Principal Bell I’d take the job, but could I really follow through? Tutoring meant sitting across from Topher several days a week. Breathing the same air. Talking to him and spending time together outside of class. It meant swallowing my pride to help him after years of bullying me.
Okay, maybe Topher hadn’t been the one to bully me in recent years. Usually it was JT or Mikey or one of his other cronies. Sometimes randoms even joined in on the fun as if that might garner his approval, but did it really matter? He was an accessory to the crime. He always stood by and laughed as if he couldn’t be bothered to stop them.
I sighed and shoved my lunch away, my appetite gone. “I don’t know. Maybe I’ll hint around to my dad, see if there’s any way we can swing the extra tuition. But if we can’t . . .” I glanced behind me.
Topher sat with one foot propped up on the coffee table in front of him, an arm draped casually over his knee with the other one slung over the back of the chair, looking completely comfortable, so utterly entitled as one of the lunch ladies scurried over to him with his food.
I snorted and turned away. He even had the lunch lady serving him now.
I picked up my spoon and ripped the foil top off my yogurt with a pop and forced a smile. “But if we can’t,” I continued, “I guess I’m just going to have to find a way not to puke in my Cheerios every morning at the thought of spending time with Topher Elliot.”
Chapter 5
PENELOPE
Afterschool,Scarlettdrovemehomeinthesecond-handVolvoshereceivedasagiftforhersixteenthbirthday,ananomalyatLakeviewbecausenearlyeveryotherrichkidgottheirpickofnewwheels.Infact,theschoolparkinglotwaslikealiveadvertisementforPorsche,Mercedes,souped-upMustangs,andBMWsalike.
She pulled up to my house, and I got out, waving goodbye as I walked over our lush green grass. It was as thick as a carpet and perfectly cut. It also happened to be the nicest part of our home. Not surprising, considering my dad was in the lawn business. Our small ranch wasn’t bad per se, but it was in desperate need of maintenance only time and money could provide, neither of which my father had. That, and square footage was sparse. I shared a room with my little sister, Sara, which sometimes sucked, but mostly worked.
I stopped at the front door in need of a fresh coat of paint and unlocked it, then pushed my way inside with a sigh of relief.
Home at last.
I toed off my sandals, noting the sticky heat, then immediately headed for the air conditioning unit in the window. Air wheezed sluggishly from the vent, but when I cranked the temperature down further, it whirred louder and a burst of cold air blasted my face.
Satisfied, I made my way into the kitchen for a glass of water, where I’d start dinner, then settle in at the table to do what little homework I had before getting Sara off the bus.
I grabbed a glass from the cupboard, then turned to the fridge. A note from my father was stuck to the aging appliance that read,Be home by 5:00, Love Dad.
