bushy brows go up, and his face starts to turn that funny purple-red color. “You told me you had no idea there was ever another female student here. But Jenica Woodruff did let the school board use her for their experiment, and look what happened: she ended up hanging from a noose in the woods.”
“Where did you get that information from?” Dad bites out, but I'm not backing down. If I can stand up to Ranger Woodruff in his pink and white apron, I sure as hell can face up to Archie. “That's confidential, and it's been sealed by the courts.”
“Well, I know all about it. I know Jenica didn’t commit suicide, that she was murdered—”
“That's nonsense,” Dad snaps, but I'm not done yet.
“And I know that she lived in the girls’ dorm, that she moved in just two days before—”
“I've had enough,” Archie says, picking up his phone. “I'm calling Nathan, and you're being escorted back to the dormitory. If that's where you want to stay, fine, but don't think I won't have eyes on you at all times.”
“You're seriously going to ignore everything I've just said?” I scoff with a shake of my head. “I'm not waiting around for Nathan. No way.”
“Don't you dare walk out that door, young lady!” Dad calls out, but it's too late. I'm already turning and running out the door and down the path. I pause to catch my breath at the first bend in the path, still in view of the house but not yet in the woods.
“You need an escort?” Spencer asks, sitting on the same bench that I found him on the day I left for California. He watches me impassively with turquoise eyes, but I nod. Pretty sure Spencer is just a pot dealing jerk. He sells drugs in the woods, sure, and he may or may not be a tad obsessed with his new gay crush on me, but I don't think he's the guy in the hoodie with the knife.
“Thanks.” He stands up, and we start down the hill toward the boys' dorm, past the main building. “You're not going to try to shove your tongue down my throat, huh?”
Spencer scoffs, and gets out a cigarette, acting like he's not at all concerned about getting caught. Maybe he isn't? He is the sergeant-at-arms for the illustrious Student Council. That, and I know for a fact his mom is on the school board. She's some super rich lawyer in D.C. or something.
“You feel this attraction between us, don't lie.” He looks down at me and wrinkles his nose. It turns that pretty, wolfish face of his into a caricature. Like, he literally looks horrified at the sight of me, standing there in a baggy uniform with huge glasses, no makeup, and floppy, tangled hair. Heh. He should see me all dolled-up. This bitch cleans up good. “For the life of me, I don't understand. You're the shortest, skinniest, most pathetic guy I've ever seen. At least that atrocious fake tan of yours is fading …” I gape at him and touch the sides of my face. I worked hard for that tan … “Your glasses, that hair … but really, worst of all is your attitude problem. You walk around like you think you're better than everyone else.”
My jaw drops open.
“In an academy of super rich assholes, I'm the problem?! I'm the one who walks around like I'm better than everyone else?!”
“Yeah, actually, you do.” Spencer and I pause outside the front door of the boys' dorm as he finishes his cigarette. His turquoise eyes are locked on me, and I feel like a butterfly, pinned in place and squirming. “You came into this school wanting to not fit in. That was your choice, man.”
“I …” I purse my lips shut and look away. He's a total ass-fuck, but he's maybe just a little bit right. He doesn't understand though, not really. I look up and meet his eyes, dark with confusion as he looks me over with a squinched face.
“I've never been attracted to anyone like you,” he repeats, shoving his silver hair off his forehead. “I'm usually into … well, girls.”
Laughter bubbles past my lips, but I don't know what else there is to say.
“I have to go,” I tell him, moving away and heading into the building.
Nathan, the security guard, is just now jogging down the path, but I'm up the stairs and locked in my room before he can even catch up.
On Friday,