Fallen Crest Public

4




Sam headed inside with her friend. Watching them, I wasn’t sure what to think of Heather Jax. It made more sense after meeting Monroe from Roussou. The girl wasn’t a part of this school’s hierarchy. That was fine, I just wasn’t sure if that would help or hurt Sam. I’d have to wait and see.
“Heads up,” one of the guys warned. “Hoe walking.”
“Screw you, Ethan,” Kate snapped. “You’re showing off to get in Mason’s good graces, but we both know the shoe was on the other foot last night.”
Last night?
I didn’t want to turn around. I didn’t want to deal with Kate yet. She and her three friends had been the main companions for the guys, but that stopped when I found out about her agenda to destroy Sam. She went after my girlfriend so I went after her. Well, I tried. Sam was adamant about handling this battle on her own so I did what I could. The girls were no longer friends with our group. They were exiled, but I heard the anger from her and I knew she wasn’t going to lay down and take it.
I knew about Parker and Nate, but it sounded like there was more. I wondered what else Kate was up to?
Logan laughed. “So desperate, Kate. The look doesn’t fit you.”
“Keep laughing, Logan. You’re going on the list.”
He grinned now.
I laughed to myself. She stepped wrong, and judging by the quiet intake of breath, Kate knew it as well. The easygoing air surrounding the group was gone. Knowing that look, I turned now and saw my little brother getting ready to go in for the kill. There was a certain look that came over him. His head would straighten. His eyes would narrow and roam up and down the target. No one knew what was he doing, but I did. Logan was searching for weaknesses. If he couldn’t see one, he’d sense for one. It was something we learned over the years after we’d been screwed over by adults too many times. We went with our gut.
I waited for his next move like the rest.
“What list are you talking about, Kate?” Logan’s voice grew soft. He was going in for the kill.
Kate seemed frozen, and the rest of her crew had varying reactions. Parker grimaced, her eyes darting to Nate’s before looking away. Natalie took a deep breath and Jasmine moved back a step. All of them recognized the tone, they just weren’t used to being on the receiving end.
“Come on, Logan,” Kate tried to laugh it off. “I was kidding.”
A smirk came over me, but then it vanished. As I watched the scene unfold, I saw Logan decide to give her a pass.
No. That wasn’t going to happen. “No, you weren’t.”
All heads jerked in my direction. My gaze caught my brother’s in a silent mocking, and a spark flared in Logan’s. The message was received: Kate couldn’t be let off the hook, no matter what. I wasn’t surprised when I heard him add, “What list are you talking about? Come on, Kate. I’d like to know how I rate getting on some list?”
She let out a shaky laugh, glancing between us now. “Seriously, come on, guys. Mason. Logan. I was joking.”
“No, you weren’t.”
She turned to me and her eyes widened. A glimmer of fear showed. “I came over to see if you needed help.”
My eyes narrowed to slits now. “With what?”
“With Tate.”
“You think we need help with her?”
She peeked at Logan before turning back to me.
Too late. I caught the slight smugness. It mingled with her fear, but I caught it. “What was that?”
“What?” An innocent mask slipped over her.
I shook my head, pointing to her face. “That. That look you gave Logan.”
Logan’s head straightened. His interest was piqued.
“What are you talking about, Mason?” She was growing cockier now. “I’m trying to be a friend. We used to have your backs. Remember?”
One of the guys muttered, “Oh shit.”
Even Nate laughed at that. “Since when? What are you talking about, Kate?”
She turned to the rest of the guys. All of them were looking at her in disbelief. Except Logan, he was grinning widely, leaning back against his Escalade. He shook his head now. “You’re digging yourself a hole. Stop talking. It might help.”
Jasmine hissed behind her, “Don’t you talk to her like that—”
“Like what?” Ethan shot back at her.
That stopped her. All the wind she had ready to let loose fell flat. Her eyes darted to his, and she couldn’t look away.
Ethan leaned back against the car beside Logan, and shoved his hands into his front pockets. His shoulders hunched forward, but his gaze never left hers. They were dead-locked as he added, “You’re going to tell us what to do? You’re going to tell me what to do, Jaz?”
“Stop.” Her throat moved as she visibly swallowed. “Ethan—”
“No, Jaz. You picked your side. We’re not friends with you guys anymore.”
Her shoulders flinched as if he’d punched her.
He nodded in my direction. “And you know why.”
She didn’t turn and look. She only took another deep breath before her head went down, and she shuffled backwards. Natalie touched her arm softly, and then sidled beside Kate. She whispered something to the other girl, quiet enough so no one else could hear, and Kate’s only response was a heavy nod.
All the fight had left her.
I waited, watching the entire thing fold out. I didn’t take pleasure in this, but I wasn’t going to let Kate get a pass, not when I knew she was just starting. The chances were high that she already had a plan in place, and I wouldn’t have been surprised if her next move was to go inside and say something to Sam. She’d pick a public arena, let everyone know that they shouldn’t become friends with Sam, or they’d have to suffer the consequences of dealing with her.
As she jerked her head and headed inside, her friends followed behind her. She glanced over her shoulder, and met my gaze for a single heartbeat.
I saw the rage. I even understood it, but when she caught the warning from me to let it go, her rage doubled. The look only lasted a second, but it was long enough. We both knew neither of us would budge.
It was war.
Kate thought she was fighting Sam, but she wasn’t. Kate was fighting me. She just didn’t know it.
I became aware of Logan next to me. “What was the look she gave me?”
We watched the girls go inside. “She’s smug about something. I didn’t like it.”
“About me?”
“I don’t know.” I glanced at him. “Any reason she’d be like that about you?”
He frowned and shrugged. “Not that I can think of anything, but I know she thinks she can get you back.”
“I know.” I didn’t care about that. I wanted to know what she was thinking when she looked at my brother like that. Studying Logan, I knew he was telling the truth. He was clueless, but that made me wonder even more. Did she have something planned to hurt him? Hurt Logan. Hurt Sam. Hurt the ones around me?
I didn’t know. Yet.
Logan added, “She thinks that if she destroys Sam, you’ll go back to her. Doesn’t she?”
“Yeah.”
Logan started laughing again. “New definition to the phrase ‘dumb bitch’.”
My gaze lingered on the door, even after it closed behind them. Logan thought this was going to be fun, but he had no idea. It was going to get ugly. I knew it, and I was ready for it.



As soon as I was through the doors, Heather linked her arm with mine and pulled me close. Dressed in faded jeans and a loose black shirt, I had to grin when the V-neck dipped low. She didn’t mean to, but she oozed sexuality. I had a feeling Heather Jax would look provocative in a grocery bag and she had no idea. Her eyes weren’t clueless. They were sharp and focused as she asked, “What was that about?”
“Your ex-bestie.”
She froze in mid-step, but was jostled from someone passing by and jerked me to the side for a split second. “Sorry.” She patted me, withdrawing her arm at the same time. “Tate was out there?”
“She gave Logan googly-eyes.”
Heather grimaced, side stepping a group of freshmen girls before swinging back to my side. “And let me guess, Mason didn’t like that, did he?”
“No.”
She rolled her eyes. “Tate’s a bitch. I side with your boyfriend on this one. If she’s already looking at Logan, who knows what she’ll be capable of doing later.”
“You make her sound like a villain.”
“She is.” Stopping at a locker, Heather wheeled the lock and opened it. Putting her books inside, she added, “Whatever Tate is saying, don’t believe her. We didn’t really talk about her before, but there’s more to the story then whatever Mason told you.”
That didn’t sound good. “He told me that she dated Logan and, two years into their relationship she hit on him. There’s more than that?”
A hollow laugh came from her. “Oh, a hell of a lot more. Things that Mason and Logan don’t even know about.”
I narrowed my eyes and moved closer. The hallway was packed. A lot of people were watching us, or me. A sudden wave of nervousness came over me. I had pushed aside the normal first-day-of-school-jitters with seeing Tate in the parking lot, but they were back now. They came back hard, but when I grinned at a few girls, they rolled their eyes and turned their backs to me. If that wasn’t subtle, I didn’t know what was. I was not welcome here. Glancing at a few others, they stared right back. I tried smiling at a few more, but I got varying responses. None welcoming. A few others continued to stare back as if I hadn’t smiled at them, while a couple narrowed their eyes at me. The ones who turned away, bent forward to whisper with their friends. I had a feeling this was my welcome to Fallen Crest Public. I’d have to get used to it.
Heather took out a textbook and a notebook. Shutting her locker, a tired expression came over her as she faced me, but then it was gone in the blink of an eye and replaced with caution. Her eyes locked on something behind me, and I turned, my gut already knowing who it was going to be. Heather was tough and spunky, but only a few things or people could affect her like that.
And I was right. The Tomboy Princesses had arrived.
Kate was leading the pack with the three others close behind.
“I really hate those girls,” Heather murmured to me.
Me too, I thought as I locked eyes with Kate. Me too.
All four of the Tomboy Princesses stood there. Each wore tight, ripped faded jeans. They weren’t designer brands like the girls at Fallen Crest Academy wore, but they clung like a second-skin, and definitely gave off a sexy vibe. Their shirts were a variation of the same. Kate’s was plain white that was snug against her tight abdominals, and it was evident she was wearing a pink bra under the sheer material. Her dark hair was swept up into a waterfall braid with the ends curled. They had a healthy glow as they fell past her shoulders. Parker glared at me, her dark eyes were hostile, and her lips were pressed together in a snarl. Unlike their leader, her black hair fell loose. It matched her black sleeveless top that rested an inch above her jeans, showing off a good amount of midriff.
Natalie and Jasmine brought up the last of their group, and they were the two that I was the least familiar with. They had similar black hair. Natalie’s was a little lighter with caramel highlights showing through. She was the only one wearing a Fallen Crest Public jersey. It was red with black lettering and had the number eight on the back, the bottom of it tied around her tiny waist. Jasmine was the girliest of the group. Her black hair was pulled into a ponytail that rested high on her head, bouncing back and forth as she followed her friends. Pink lipstick, glitter on her cheeks and pink eye shadow matched her pink sweater that looked like soft cashmere and had a low neckline. Her cleavage was right there, saying hello to anyone who wanted to view the girls.
Heather cursed under her breath when the group stopped before us. She leaned against her locker as I waited. Kate said she’d make our lives hell. First day jitters and surviving my mother’s recent attempt at destroying Mason’s future had combined together. I was angry. I was ready to fight back. I was more than ready for whatever Kate had in store.
“Last chance, Jax.” That was Kate’s greeting. “You can back out now and everyone and everything you hold dear will be left alone.”
“Shut up, Kate,” Heather retorted, shoving off from her locker. She took two steps, sticking her face right up in hers. An inch separated them while her followers surrounded us. As a hush fell over the hallway, I knew all eyes were on us.
Still.
“I don’t like when people threaten me or my friends.”
“She shouldn’t be your friend. She’s a liability,” Kate hissed back at her, breaking their stare-off to glower at me. She smirked. “What’s with you and having bodyguards? Mason. Logan. Now Jax? Don’t you have balls of your own?”
I smirked back. Balls? She wanted balls? I opened my mouth, ready to show her some balls when an amused voice broke into the group, “Kate, are you serious? You’re still doing the bullying thing?”
Tate stood there, books in hand, as she skimmed the group with a bored expression. She rolled her eyes, flicked some of her hair over her shoulder, and shook her head. “What are you going to do after high school, Kate? You can’t bully everyone to do what you want, and why are you even doing it now?” Tate gestured to me with perfectly manicured nails. “Pushing Strattan around isn’t going to do a bit of good. You know that you won’t get Mason back. He’s gone. He was gone the second her mom moved her into his house.”
Kate sucked in an angry breath. “Back off, Sullivan. This isn’t your business.”
“Maybe not, but Heather used to be a good friend and since I’m all about making amends, I can’t walk by.” She arched an eyebrow. “Wanna hear some advice from someone who has gone against Mason and his girlfriend?”
“Go away, Tate. I mean it.”
She shook her head. “Let it go.”
“Can’t you hear, Tate?” Jasmine stepped right in front of her, much like Heather had done with Kate. The petite black-haired beauty looked even smaller standing in front of Tate, who had model-like long legs and towered over. “Kate said to keep walking.”
Tate grinned down at her, like an adult whose child tried to boss them around. “You’re like a mosquito that won’t die. Back up or I’ll swat you down.”
Jasmine bristled. “Don’t talk to me like that.”
Tate lifted her bored eyes again, skimming me and Heather up and down before landing on the leader again. “I’ve been back a week, been around the last weekend, and I already know you’re losing power. You’re deluding yourself if you think you can push your way around like this. Let it go, Kate. We used to be friends and this is friendly advice. Stop going down this path, lick your wounds, and find a different guy to latch onto.”
Heather shifted back, refusing to meet her ex-best friend’s gaze, bumping into me in the process. I sighed and settled back against her locker.
Kate lifted her top lip and bared her teeth. “We weren’t friends.”
“We were in the beginning.”
“When you ditched Jax.” Kate threw a smug look to Heather. “Remember that, Jax? When your best friend stabbed you in the back?”
Tate stiffened.
“Or didn’t you tell her what you did, Sullivan?”
“Shut up.”
“Oh.” Kate’s triumphant smirk spread over her face. “You didn’t tell her? That you slept with her boyfriend at the time?”
“Shut. Up.”
“What?” Heather’s voice had grown quiet.
“No. You started this. You came over here and interfered. You’re on the list now, Tate. I was giving Jax one last chance to get away, but it’s too late now. For both of you. You’re all going down, right along with Mason’s latest screw.”
A dry chuckle left me. It acted like a beacon and as one, the rest of the girls turned to face me. I stood from the lockers. I caught movement from the corner of my eye and glanced over. I spotted Logan watching from a distance, frowning. Ethan was with him, and they both seemed unsure of what to do. I gave him a nod and sent him an unspoken message: I would handle this.
His frown deepened.
“You got something to say, slut?” Kate mocked. “Finally?”
“Finally?” I threw back, moving closer, replacing the spot that Heather had been in. Kate was my height, so I could stare her right in the eyes. I did so now, no blinking, no turning away, nothing was going to break our stand-off. “Why break this up? I don’t need television. You’re entertaining enough. Please, keep going. Threaten Tate some more. I’m not a fan of hers. Or even better, try going after Heather again. Go for it.” I bared my teeth. “Fair warning. She bites back.”
She frowned.
I rolled my eyes. “Am I supposed to be scared that the four of you ganged up on me? Or that you’re willing to threaten my friend? You’re making a list? Is that supposed to strike terror in me? Anyone can make a list. I’ve got one, too. Does it make your knees shake?”
I heard a wolf whistle from down the hallway, followed by, “That is so hot!”
Another guy yelled out, “Girl fight!”
Kate wanted to scare me. She didn’t. I’d gone against the best of the beasts: my mother. As Jasmine took another step forward and raised her hand, I shifted so I was facing her head-on. She stopped in her tracks and surprise came over her. Her hand lowered.
“You think physical violence is going to do it?”
Tate started laughing now.
I ignored her. “Go ahead and touch me. I’m not scared to take a hit, but you’re only going to hurt yourself. One bruise and I can go to the principal. It’s not like there aren’t witnesses here.”
As those words left me, Kate grabbed Jasmine’s arm and shoved her back.
“Kate,” she protested.
“Not yet,” their leader barked. “Go to class. All of you.”
Parker gasped now. “You’re letting her win?”
“No.” Kate turned her back to me, but I heard the warning in her tone. “It’s not time.”
“But—”
“Go, Parker. I won’t say it again.”
All three did nothing to hide their disgust with Kate as they left. Parker glowered at me for a full five seconds before she was dragged away by Natalie, the only one who hadn’t said a word. My gaze lingered on her and wondered what she was like. Parker and Jasmine seemed to be the hotheads of the group. They reacted the quickest, but Kate must’ve been their leader for a reason.
Kate rounded back to me. She took a deep breath and shook her head. “You’re not what I expected, Strattan.”
Tate snorted behind her. “You haven’t even scratched the surface, Kate.”
Kate glanced at her. “And you have?”
“I know that Mason Kade wouldn’t be in love with her if she were simple.”
“Maybe.”
Heather burst out then, “Go away. All of you.”
“I was trying to help.” Tate frowned as Kate followed after her friends.
“You’re not.”
For a second, the two former best friends stared at each for a second before Tate’s shoulders dropped. Her head lowered an inch and she lifted one shoulder in a halfhearted motion. “Fine.” She was swallowed up by the crowd that remained behind her. They were all still watching and as I scanned them, a sense of déjà vu came over me. It was like my last semester at my old school, but I didn’t know these people. I hadn’t gone to school with them since kindergarten. I didn’t know the embarrassing stories from middle school or all the cliques.
This wasn’t my school. This was foreign territory to me. That should’ve staggered me, but it didn’t. I had endured Analise. I could endure this.
Heather fell back against her locker with a groan. “I didn’t expect that.”
“I did.” I actually expected more.
She eyed me up and down. “I thought maybe they’d steal your clothes during gym class or something. Maybe write the word ‘whore’ on your locker.”
I grinned at her. “And on that note, I need to go to the office to get my combination. When I registered they didn’t have that for me.”
Heather tried to smile, but the corners of her lips went down instead of up. She glanced in the direction Tate had gone. “Why do you think she did that?”
Because she wants to be friends again. I didn’t say that, though. I said instead, “What boyfriend were they talking about?”
Pain flared over her face. “Channing.”
“I’m sorry.”
She lifted a shoulder and shrugged halfheartedly. She looked away. “Doesn’t matter. We’ve been broken up for a year anyway …”
“It couldn’t have been anyone else?”
Heather looked down now. “No. I’ve only been with him, and we were dating when Tate was my friend. It makes sense now …”
Score one for Kate.
“I’m sorry,” I said again, but I knew it wouldn’t help.
Kate won this round. She hurt my friend.