Page 20 of The Darkest Note

New Girl’s in that grey area and I know it might not sit well with them to go after her, but it’s what we have to do. WhatIhave to do. For Sol’s sake.

“What if she leaves on her own?” Finn asks.

“You want us to warn her first?” Zane purses his lips.

I shrug. “Fine. I’ll warn her first,” I say to Finn, because he seems the most unsettled. “Give her a chance to walk away for her own good.”

“And if she doesn’t take that chance?” Zane asks.

I focus on the desk where New Girl had been hunched over. “Then I’m going to turn her life at Redwood Prep into a living hell.”

* * *

Dutch: Dig up the biggest piece of dirt on New Girl that you have. I’m prepared to pay.

Jinx: Oh-ho. What has New Girl done to get the kings of Redwood all riled up?

Dutch: None of your business.

CHAPTERFIVE

CADENCE

It’s been a month since I started Redwood Prep and I still get lost in the hallways.

I’d trade the rich wooden decor, pretentious chandeliers and stained glass windows at Redwood Prep for my old high school’s peeling paint, dodgy bathrooms, and easy-to-maneuver corridors any day.

Loud laughter fills my ears. It’s coming from the cheerleaders in the hallway.

They’re all tan-skinned with perfect makeup, white smiles and lean, athletic bodies. They fit so perfectly into this world it almost takes my breath away.

I can’t help staring at them. What would it be like if my only worry was whether my French-tipped nails had dried and if Jacey could stick the landing after the triple touch?

It’s a mean thought.

No one knows what those girls are going through at home, even if their lives look wonderful on the outside.

Still, no matter their own personal battles, at least they can sooth the pain with expensive cars, wild parties, and bling.

I keep my head down when I pass them, doing my best not to get noticed by the ‘Wrecking Ball’ blonde and her minions. They barely flick their gazes over me before dismissing me as unimportant.

I breathe out in relief. So far I’ve managed to fly under the radar, just as I promised Breeze I would. I don’t speak up in class. I haven’t joined any extra curriculars. And I sure as hell don’t talk to anyone.

At first, people were curious about me being new and all. But, with my carefully laid plan, I’ve been awarded the ‘loser’ label and left to my own devices.

I was sure the rest of senior year would be smooth sailing.

Then The Kings appeared.

My hopes for a trouble-free semester crashed and burned when the three gods of Redwood Prep sauntered into Algebra yesterday.

They weren’t wearing crowns and robes, but they might as well have been royalty the way everyone responded to them. It felt like the entire class would stop breathing if they gave the order.

I told myself not to freak out. I figured they wouldn’t pay any attention to the insignificant new kid at the back.

Then a pair of molten hazel eyes knifed me in the gut.

And my world shattered.