Ruthless (Black Mountain Academy) - Mila Crawford Page 0,8

table to grab my book and head out the door.

The pool was peaceful, and I abandoned my desire to read in favor of closing my eyes and sitting at the edge with my legs dangling in the warm water.

“It’s nice to see some new blood in this old place,” a melodic voice said from behind me. I turned to find a pretty, petite girl, with soft blonde hair falling to her waist in loose ringlets. She was wearing cargo pants, a midriff top and spiked heels. Like a young, No Doubt-era Gwen Stefani. She took off her heels, and began rolling her pants before dipping her feet in the water.

“Hi, I’m Tamlin Sinclair. You must be Madison?” She offered me her hand, smiling sweetly. We shook and I noticed how her fingers looked just like her mother’s, long, slender, and delicate.

“Nice to meet you.”

“God, my feet are killing me. Heels definitely were created by men.”

My eyes drifted to her heels, spikes probably six inches long. “Those do look pretty deadly,” I smiled.

“They so are. But you have to look the part. Some days, I wish I could just wear my Nikes and sweats. So tell me, Madison, how do you like living here?” Her question, though completely normal, made me uneasy.

“It’s lovely,” I murmured, not sure what else to say. Then her phone buzzed. She lifted it and read the message, her smile growing and her eyes sparkling with delightful mischief.

“Boyfriend?” I asked, before instantly regretting it.

“How’d you know?” She breathed.

“I don’t know,” I lied. Her reaction to the text gave her away, she might as well be wearing a neon sign that screamed boyfriend in flashy red font.

“He isn’t really my boyfriend. Well, he is, I guess, a boy that is my friend, but I’m not sure if he wants more. He’s older and, well...it’s complicated.” She laughed nervously.

“Isn’t everything,” I said softly.

“You know, you sound just like Kyler.” She chuckled. “You’re like the bright, sunny version of him.”

I thought back to the first day at the library, not seeing a single similarity.

Maybe she was on drugs. In the movies, all the rich kids are always on drugs. Poor kids did drugs too, but our drugs were dirty. We couldn’t afford the high-class designer stuff.

“He was charming,” I lied again, causing Tamlin to roar in laughter.

“Now I know you’re a liar. Kyler is not even remotely close to charming, but he is my brother and I love him. Don’t let him scare you, he talks a good game but he’s really not that bad.”

“It’s complicated,” I offered, as my lips turned of their own free will into a smile, thinking Tamlin might be my first chance at a friend here.

6

“Even broken in spirit as he is, no one can feel more deeply than he does the beauties of nature. The starry sky, the sea, and every sight afforded by these wonderful regions, seems still to have the power of elevating his soul from earth. Such a man has a double existence: he may suffer misery, and be overwhelmed by disappointments; yet, when he has retired into himself, he will be like a celestial spirit that has a halo around him, within whose circle no grief or folly ventures.” ― Mary Shelley, Frankenstein

Kyler

I parked the bike by my guesthouse, the other parking spots occupied by Monica’s most recent charity case.

I really hated all of these people coming and going on the property, not that it really made a difference to me, unless they were taking up one of my parking spots. I just had to put up with it for a short while anyway and then I was out of here.

I looked over to the pool and saw Tamlin talking to someone. I was about to turn in, thinking my sister was probably talking to one of her dumb, bimbo friends, when I caught a glimpse of the little mouse sitting beside her.

I wasn’t sure why that made me take pause, but I couldn’t help watching her. She smiled at my sister, and her head fell back as they laughed, her ponytail bobbing back and forth. She looked so free, which irritated me. I didn’t know what it was about the little mouse but she intrigued me and before I knew it, I abandoned the guesthouse and headed for the pool.

“Hey, Tammy. What’s up?” I asked my sister, ignoring the little mouse. I could see her fidgeting, her hands nervously twisting into her hair, trying to tuck back an invisible