Bully King - J.A. Huss Page 0,63
than Mona Monroe. She gives off a certain kind of vibe that none of the other girls have. Like she knows things.
Yeah. Wasn’t she telling me something about that last night?
I can’t remember.
The walk over to the Glass House is familiar now and it only takes a few minutes. But when I get there the place looks totally different.
First, there is a large canvas tent. The sides have been drawn back and tied up, so it’s open all the way around. That’s where all the servers are. But they are not fussing with coffee or breakfast. They are setting up white wooden folding chairs in front of a stage.
Hmm.
The next thing I notice is that all the boys—including Cooper, Ax, and Lars—are wearing suits. I’m talking full-on wedding day attire.
Jesus. What’s going on here? Are people getting married?
And then I notice the Glass House is no longer glass. Well, it is. But inside the curtains are drawn. Did it have curtains yesterday? And all the girls are missing.
“Cadee,” Lars says, walking towards me.
“Hey. You look nice.”
He smiles, then stops and gets serious. “Cooper needs you inside.” He juts his chin at the Glass House. “Isabella has been drinking since five AM and Valentina and Selina aren’t being very helpful.”
“Well, that’s not very professional.”
Lars doesn’t smile. He grabs my arm. Tight. “Just go inside and fucking help. We’ve already got a huge problem. Mona is missing.”
Oh. I suddenly remember Cooper saying something about a drug test. “OK,” I say, jerking my arm out of his grip. “I’ll see what I can do.”
Lars walks off and I look around to find Cooper. I swear he sees me, but when I wave, he pretends he doesn’t. Jerk.
So I just go inside the Glass House and find all the pledges crying. Just like Cooper said they would be. Elexa Simpson is almost hysterical. “Why?” she cries. “Why do we have to do this?”
Isabella is lounging on a loveseat with a sleep mask over her eyes that says ‘I need my bitch sleep’, ignoring her.
“Because,” Natasha Waring says. “It’s the fucking rules, Elexa. How many times do we have say it?”
“I don’t want to do it.”
“Then walk the fuck out!” Selina screams. And that’s a real scream. I’m talking high-pitched and shrill. “We don’t have time for this baby bullshit, OK? We’re behind schedule, Mona is missing, and the nurse will be here in twenty minutes for the blood draw! Now say the fucking script word for word, and get your fucking ass in the room, Elexa! Now!”
That’s when I realize that Valentina is holding up her phone, shooting a video. Natasha is holding a white index card. She thrusts it at Elexa. “Pull yourself together, Elexa. It’s not that bad! Just read the card and—”
“I’m not a virgin!” Elexa shouts. “OK? I’m not a virgin.”
“Oh. My. God-daaaaahhhh.” We all turn in time to see Isabella throw her face mask across the room and get to her feet. She struts over to Elexa, slaps her face, grabs her shoulders, and shakes her. “None of us were fucking virgins, you dipshit!”
“What?” Elexa looks like she wants to laugh, but can’t quite work up the nerve.
“Wait!” Natasha Waring says, raising her hand. “I’m soooo virginal, it’s not funny.”
“Me too,” Sophie Bettington says meekly.
“Well, you two are stupid,” Isabella says. “Our fathers pay the doctor off, dumbasses!”
“So we don’t have to do this?” Elexa says, hopeful.
“You do have to do this!” Isabella shakes her again. “It’s protocol.” She takes a deep breath and the next time she speaks, her voice is low and calm. “Just let him examine you and he will check all the right boxes.”
Oh, fuck.
I suddenly feel very sorry for them. But especially Elexa. Because she says, “Oh.”
And she says this one, small word with hope. Like… when she gets up on that table, that’s all that will happen.
Stop it, Cadee. You don’t know.
“That’s it?” Elexa says. And all the pledges are looking at Isabella now. Begging her with their eyes to lie to them and say, Yes, girls. That’s all that will happen.
But Isabella is drunk. And I’m getting the feeling she’s reliving her ‘exam’ from three years ago in this very moment. “Just close your eyes, Elexa. And think of something else. Because your only other choice is to walk out.”
“I can’t walk out. My father—”
“I know,” Isabella says, somber now. “Trust me. I know.”
“Where’s Mona?” Sophie says. “Why isn’t Mona here?”
“She will be. Soon.” But Isabella doesn’t sound convinced, so none of