Page 28 of Fractured Fates

The girl’s violet eyes narrow. “I’m sorry, you’re new, and so you probably don’t understand. I’m Summer Clutton-Brock and when I say jump, you say, how high?”

“Why?” I ask her. My interactions with people my own age may have been limited but I’ve watched enough movies to suspect that this girl is used to the world falling at her feet. That’s not really my style.

“Because,” she says, flicking her head. “And I don’t want that stinky little pig around polluting the air that I have to breathe.”

“Then don’t breathe the air near him.”

She huffs in irritation, her eyes narrowing to fine slits and she takes a step towards me, lowering her voice so the audience can’t hear.

“You’re going to regret this, Pig Girl.”

I simply stare at her, as she straightens up again, a beaming smile of perfectly white teeth forming over her face.

“Come on girls, let’s go. Unlike this new girl, I have no intention of smelling like a dirty little pig.”

Summer sets off, and her band of girls jog obediently behind her.

“Who is she?” I hear one ask as they run past me and into the woods, several peering over their shoulders to look back at me and laugh.

Finally, their footfall dies away, swallowed up by the wood, and I sit there stunned. What the fuck was that? I feel like I just endured five years of High School on speed setting.

The window opens above my head and Winnie pokes her head out.

“Are they gone?” she asks, her eyes darting towards the wood.

“Who? The bouncing bunnies?” Winnie jerks at my words as if they might land us in trouble. “Yeah, they’re gone. Who are they?”

I stand up, realizing the seat of my pants are damp through.

“The cheerleading squad. They run this route every morning. I think they do it just to wake everyone on campus up and remind all the guys how hot they are.”

“Ahh they are hoping to imprint.”

“What?”

“Like chickens.”

“Right,” Winnie says, clearly not following my thinking.

I glance back at the woods. “There are so many of them.”

“Yep, and they pretty much rule the school so best to keep your head down while they’re around unless you want Summer to make your life a misery. She’s head cheerleader.”

“Right. Well, I’m not particularly interested in joining any squad. In fact, sports aren’t really my thing.”

“They’re going to have to be. Arrow Hart Academy is sports mad,” Winnie sighs, “you can’t not take part.”

We’ll see about that. No way in hell someone’s making me wear a pair of those shorts and subjecting my tits to that kind of torture.

“Come on,” Winnie beckons to me, “we’re going to be late for breakfast.” I go to climb inside the window and she points at Pip. “How about him?”

“He’ll be all right out here. I’ll bring him in later.”

“He won’t run away?”

I chuckle. “Pip? Run away? Errr no.” I lean towards her and whisper in her ear. “He’s not that smart.”

Pip grunts as if he heard me and I blow him a kiss, much to Winnie’s obvious disgust.