Torment Her (Rebels At Sterling Prep #5) - Caitlyn Dare Page 0,25

fucking hard for it.

"Have you mailed your college applications?"

Those envelopes still sitting on my desk taunt me even from here.

"No, not yet."

"Why not? The deadline is approaching."

"I'm aware."

"Where are you hoping to go?"

"I'm sorry, is this meant to be a guidance counselor meeting or an ass-ripping for skipping yesterday?"

"Uh..." He hesitates, his eyebrows almost hitting his hairline. "I like to think of it as more of a reality check."

"With all due respect, I know all about reality. We shouldn't have skipped yesterday, I'm aware. But Lylah got her claws into someone I care about, and my loyalties lie with Kennedy. Always."

"Understood. Keep a close eye on her. She needs to fit in here, not paint a target on her back. I don't want to have to go to your un—” he corrects himself, “father and tell him that I'm no longer able to help."

My brow rises. Is he threatening to go against James Jagger? I might not know all that much about our illusive father yet, but I do know that he's not a man you say no to.

"Kenny will fit in just fine. You just need to keep your zoo animals in order. Cage them, maybe. Are we done? Only, I don't want to be late to class. Got to keep that GPA up, right?" I smirk at him as I push to stand and back toward the door.

"We are. Send those applications, Conner. I know it's a big step. But you'll regret it if you miss the deadline and have to fight for a place. Despite some obvious things since you started here, any college would be lucky to have you."

I tilt my chin, the only thing I'm willing to give him to show I heard his words before spinning on my heels and marching toward statistics.

Kenny and I don't have many classes together, so the only time I get to see her is at lunch or in the few minutes we get as we move between subjects.

Each time I spot her across the hallway, her head is down as if she's trying to vanish into the crowd. I have no idea if she's trying to hide from me or just everyone, but all she's achieving is pissing me off.

"I need you to do something for me," I bark at Christian, the IT nerd who’s done Ace’s and Cole’s dirty work in the past. As predicted, he’s sitting at a computer during lunch.

"Great," he mutters under his breath, but I catch it.

"Careful, or I won't make it worth your while."

"What do you need?"

"Kennedy Lowe's schedule."

"That it?"

"Yeah."

In only minutes he's printing it out for me.

"Appreciate it, man." I slap him on the shoulder, probably a little harder than he was expecting, before stalking out of the room, staring down at the piece of paper and discovering where she's going to be last period.

I slip out of my class a little early. Thankfully, my teacher doesn't even bat an eyelid, other than to look slightly terrified of me as I march toward her.

I know Ace, Cole, and I have a rep around here, but I can't help thinking that it's a little over the top, for me especially. I haven’t exactly lived a life on the edge. I've saved most of the drama for Ace and Cole. My indiscretions don't go much further than occasionally getting high, and fighting. That doesn't mean I'm not as capable as them though.

I'm standing directly opposite her classroom door with my back and foot resting on the wall behind me. A few kids emerge. A couple bother to look up, but most just ignore my existence—fine by me.

I spot her head behind the crowd, and just like earlier, she's staring at the floor, hoping to become invisible. It won't work though, especially with me. I'll always see her.

"K," I say, stepping up to her and stopping her exit. She pauses, her shoulders dropping in defeat, but she should realize that it'll take more than that to get rid of me.

She looks up slightly, her gaze running up my body as if she's committing it to memory before her tired eyes meet mine.

Kenny sighs. "Excuse me," she whispers, stepping around me but not getting very far before I reach for her.

I hold her stare, silently begging her not to do this, not to shut me out and send me away again.

Most of yesterday was so incredible. I had my girl back again, but then I fucked up. I shouldn't have kissed her. I knew that