She tried not to notice the stares she was getting down the halls; not that she could blame them. They had started the day out as invisible, and now they were walking with the king and his court.
They reached the classroom and Chloe practically ran inside. Amo and Vincent leaned against some lockers close by. Elle was going to go in her classroom; however, Nero grabbed her arm, dragging her back.
“What is it with you running away from me?” He tugged her close to him and held on to her waist.
She tried to free herself, but honestly, it was useless. “Stop it. People are staring at us.” The constant attention from everyone was seriously making her blush.
“So, let them. I didn’t get a thank you, you know?”
“Well, you’re not going to get one now.” He still was not budging on letting her go, even just a little.
Nero smiled. “That was not the right answer. Now you’re not going to like how you’ll be thanking me.”
Elle laughed. “Oh, really? And how’s that?”
“I’ll need a kiss as a thank you.” He grabbed her chin to position her face.
“No, no, no. I am not kissing you. You’re crazy to think I would kiss you in front of everyone.” She felt her face grow even redder. No way is my first kiss going to be here, with him.
“I can wait then. I’ll get my kiss by the end of the day. Oh, and stay here. We’ll be back to pick you up, so don’t even think about leaving without us. Your ass better be right here, understand?”
“Excuse me?” Elle’s body returned to normal. He can’t tell me what to do.
Nero squeezed her tighter. “You don’t want to defy me, Elle. Remember, you owe me a thank you.” He let her go.
Elle was astounded as she stormed into her classroom. Who does he think he is?
She thought he was unbelievable. No way was his mouth coming anywhere near hers. ‘I’ll need a kiss as a thank you.’ Ha! As if!
Elle suddenly realized she had made a deal with the devil.
Chapter Eight
Like a Disney Movie
Elle had lost all concentration at school with everything going on. Her life felt like the twilight zone to her now. Plus, she still had no idea how to handle the whole murder thing. She needed to find out about this boss and see if she could get in the clear.
Then there was Cassandra.
‘Well, she was suspended. Do you know why?’ Elle knew why. It was all because of her in the lunchroom. Cassandra was going to pay her back, and it wasn’t going to be pretty. Forget the boss killing her, Cassandra was going to make sure she was six-feet under the moment her feet stepped back into school.
Elle cringed at an old memory from freshman year.
Cassandra and her two blonde friends stood over her in the locker room. “We heard what happened to your father. Good thing he paid your tuition before the school year started.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, how the hell is he supposed to make enough money in a wheelchair? I know he lost his job. Such a shame that your first year will be your last year at Legacy Prep High.”
Their sadistic laughs ran through her ears. She wasn’t going to listen to her talk about her father that way, though. “Yeah, and it’s such a shame you feel the need to stuff your bra. Can’t you at least stuff them evenly?” Elle knew she had gotten her with that one.
She started to walk off, done with the conversation, when Elle felt Cassandra jump her from behind, making her hit her head on a bench. Cassandra quickly sat on top of her back.
Elle pushed back the throbbing pain in her head. She had to get up.
Elle tried to push off the ground.
“Help me hold her down!”
The other two girls joined in and pinned her arms to the ground.
“Chloe, give them to me,” Cassandra called.
She saw a girl appear from behind a set of lockers through a veil of blood that was draining down her forehead and into her eyes. She remembered seeing her the first day of school and thinking she was gorgeous with her black hair that had a slight wave at the ends and her unusual eyes. She had never thought it was possible for someone to have gray eyes. She stood out among the other girls in her class because she was very short and already had a womanly figure for her age. Elle could tell the girl was uncomfortable, that she hadn’t agreed to what was going on.
“Chloe, give them to me.”
Chloe pulled a pair of scissors out from behind her back.
“You don’t want to be like her, do you?” Cassandra asked.
Chloe shook her head, holding the scissors out, and Cassandra snatched them away.
“Now, bitch, think again next time you turn your back on me.” Cassandra grabbed Elle’s ponytail and began cutting it off. Elle could only cry with each snip. There was no one around to help her, and she was helpless with three girls holding her down.
When Cassandra was done, she waved Elle’s now-chopped-off ponytail in front of her face. “A girl like you doesn’t need long, pretty hair like this anyway.”