“Love. How could I forget about something like that? Although, surely you can agree that puppy love and being in love are two different things. You may think you feel one, but then after finding the right person, you can see that you never knew what love could really be. Why confine yourself to a life of mediocrity when you can experience the more exquisite, finer things?” His eyes aren’t as dark now. I think he’s enjoying himself, and I’m finding myself forgetting about our audience as I rise to my feet and lift my head enough to meet his eyes.
“Exquisite and beautiful things can sometimes be deceptive. Just because you believe to be in the presence of true beauty, it doesn’t make it so. It could be the ugliest thing you have ever come upon. You speak of mediocrity and love as though those two things can’t ever go hand in hand.” I move away from the table, stepping closer until all I would need to do is reach my hand out and I could run my fingertips across the light stubble over his chin. “Sure, some people may find it hard to tell the difference between puppy love and actual love, but that’s only because they’ve never experienced it.”
“Have you experienced it?” His voice has dropped low and I can’t miss the way his head has lowered, bringing him even closer.
I look him straight in the eyes, draw on all my strength I have within me to say the only thing I can. “No, but I’ve gotten close.” I move away from him and return to my seat and play with the rest of my breakfast. It’s starting to feel as though this place really doesn’t want me to eat the most important meal of the day. Go figure.
“See you soon, ladies. And prepare yourselves for some big changes in your lives.” His smile seems almost sinister as he steps away and takes the head spot on the Harkwright table. No girl approaches him today, but somehow, I’ve accumulated even more stares. Every look feels as though a thousand little legs are crawling over me. I hate every fucking second of it.
The rest of my week seems to pass in a mind numbingly boring blur. Emmet is still taking whatever girl catches his eyes, and then discarding her like yesterday’s trash. He’s the only one I never seem to hear them whispering about or trading tips on how to handle him. Aeron comes with a warning that you better drink copious amounts of coffee if you want to keep up with his stamina. Shane likes you to call him ‘Sir’ in the bedroom and degrade you with his words while he does you from behind. Tom likes to have fun while being outside or anywhere he could be caught and Tucker, well, I have no idea what Tucker likes other than what I’ve experienced firsthand. The same goes for Emmet, Maddox, and Jake. No rumors have surfaced so far, and I can’t help but wonder why.
I push into the changing room for the swimming pool and I can hear someone crying while someone else is making shushing sounds. I don’t want to intrude on whatever is affecting her, but I seem to be out of luck when a head pops around the corner and a girl stares at me before grabbing my arm and pulling me into a changing cubicle where the crying girl is. I think she’s Twenty-Eight and if my memory is right, then she’s also one of the girls that Emmet has been parading around the place.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to intrude,” I say, holding my hands out in a placating gesture, I really do not want to get involved. Crying people make me ridiculously uncomfortable.
“You’re Luna, right? The girl who the Prince is obsessed with?” asks Twenty, and all I can do is nod and notice she has yet to let go of me.
“Then you need to be here.”
“What are you talking about? You girls avoid me like the plague and now, you want me to help console her? I’m the worst person you could ever pick for something like this,” I say. My eyes dart around, and I wonder if this is another trick to get me alone so they can try to do what Candice failed at.
“Emily, show her. You said that you felt sorry for her and she needed to know what she had in store. Well, here’s your chance.”
Twenty-Eight, or I guess Emily, looks at me through her endless sobbing - yeah, I really hate myself for thinking of her crying like this - before sliding her sleeves up her arm and revealing red marks around her wrist.
“The P-p-prince t-took me to his r-room, he wanted to have s-s…”
“Oh, for crying out loud. He took her to his room, tied her wrists up with rope, and then they went at it. She said it was fine at first until he put his hand around her throat, and she freaked out. Do you know what he did?” Twenty asks, and I’m not sure I want to know. I know Liam was all pretend, but I can’t believe he would do something like that.
“Do I want to know?”
“He got angry, started tightening his grip before pulling off her and walking out. Left her naked, tied to the bed, gasping for air. She couldn’t get free until he came back a couple hours later. He set her free and pushed her out of his room. He didn’t even give her time to get her clothes back on. Told her to keep her mouth shut, or he’d pay her a visit one night and finish what he started.” Emily is crying even harder now, and I can’t even fathom what I’m supposed to say back to something like that.
Although I’m sure it shouldn’t be what came out of my mouth. “Oh.”
“‘Oh’? Is that all you can think to say? Don’t you see the problem here? He’s obsessed with you. What do you think will happen when he orders you up to his room? That he’ll be gentle, maybe even loving?” she says so mockingly, my cheeks flame despite themselves. There’s no need to be so cruel, and all because I didn’t say whatever she was hoping for.
“I’m sorry this happened to you, Emily. I wish there was more I could say.”
“It’s okay for you. You and Daria are getting off lucky. You wouldn’t survive the full Harkwright Academy experience.” Her tears seem to end instantly as she pushes past me, disgust written across every feature.
“Just wait. You won’t last as their favorite. Eventually, you’ll be just as disposable as the rest of us. Can’t say it won’t happen to a more deserving person.” Twenty looks me up and down before following Emily, and to say I’m speechless would be a fucking understatement.
2
When The Cat’s Away
“I can’t believe the school year is finally over,” Caitlyn says as she sits at our table, and I’m not the only one sitting here slack jawed, staring right at her.
“What are you doing?” D asks, and I’m glad she hasn’t lost the ability to speak or ask questions.
“Shane isn’t here, and Sam said it would be okay to sit with you until he returns.” Her cheeks are blushing and she’s wringing her hands. But I’m not hit with the urge to make this easier for her.
I don’t hold any anger toward Caitlyn, but I don’t think I can pretend we haven’t been apart for the last six months, maybe even longer.
“That’s great, but why are you? You’ve got plenty of friends, you weren’t the one alienated by everyone. Maybe you should go back so it stays that way. I’ve got nothing against you, but Lu doesn’t need any more trouble being thrown her way.”
Caitlyn looks at me, I guess she’s hoping I’ll argue to keep her sitting with us, but I won’t stop her from leaving or ask her to stay. Instead, I’m eating my breakfast because I’ll be damned if I miss this one as well.