The old-fashioned building made Jenna feel like a lost interloper in a cold and harsh land. Her heels clicked on the stone flooring as she followed her stepbrother, clinging to him like a liferaft.
'So much for not needing his charity,' she thought, feeling like the world's biggest fake.
Her earlier resolve that she could survive on her own had vanished as quickly as her breath in the cold air.
"The heating is being replaced," Kenny explained, seeing her shiver and hug herself. "You'd think the brainiacs running this place would do it in the summer but nooo."
"This place is a joke," Kai chimed in. "They're lucky I haven't burnt this shithole to the ground."
"You should," Jenna muttered. "At least it would be warm."
As the group chuckled at her comment, she felt the tiniest bit of validation. Was it possible she might fit in with these guys?
Looking up and down the corridor, she figured it was her only option. The other students that passed did not seem to like her stepbrother's group much, and by the looks they were flashing, they had tarred Jenna with the same brush. In their eyes, she was already one of the bullies.
She never stood a chance of being anyone but Kai's stepsister. He was too well known in this place.
After a brief stop to sign her in at the front reception, she noticed that the staff did not seem to like her stepbrother much either. The girls behind the glass exchanged looks as the group approached. They seemed to relax when Kai explained the reason for their visit.
"I've printed your timetable and log-in details off. Since you're new, I've been asked to place you in the same classes as Kai," the reception lady explained. The look on her face was apologetic, veering on worried. She leaned in closer with a thin smile and whispered, "If you decided to swap to other classes after a while, that wouldn't be a problem at all."
Jenna thanked her, trying her best to look confident as she backed away. Thumbing through the pile of leaflets the woman had passed her to peruse her timetable, she found a domestic abuse crisis leaflet shoved into the wad.
Nothing up until this point had unnerved her quite so much. Even the office staff were scared of what Kai might do to her.
When Kai glanced back, she shoved the pamphlet into her pocket and smiled in a manner that was probably suspicious.
Thankfully, Kai frowned but didn't say anything, and they continued to the classroom without any issues.
Walking into the room, other students glanced up with sharp eyes before quickly turning away. They seemed both curious and cautious about her.
Also... they seemed scared of her.
'But I'm not even really related to him,' she thought. 'Why would they all assume that I'm as bad as he is?'
Jenna scanned the seats, hoping to see a kind face. Anyone would do.
Nobody stood out to her.
One guy didn't even lift his head from the table until Kai kicked his chair. When he did look up, Jenna was mesmerised.
With jet-black hair, chiselled cheekbones and full, heart-shaped lips, he made Julian look plain in comparison.
His eyes shone like a wolf's as he glared up at Kai; blue, clear and predatory.
Just for a moment.
Then his face transformed with fear as Kai grabbed a fistful of his shirt and yanked him from his seat.
Beautiful, but no longer wolf-like, he dangled from Kai's fist like prey. His body, though perfectly proportioned, was slender, with little muscle and no way to fight off a monster like her stepbrother.
Jenna's heart must have stopped beating. It felt like time had ceased altogether as she stared at the scene before her.
'Leave him alone,' she wanted to scream. She felt the urge to pick up the nearest chair and bash Kai around the back of his head.
Then it was over, and the beautiful boy crashed to the floor.
A second later a voice boomed from the doorway. "Okay, let's have you in your seats!"
The teacher, a man in his forties with slicked-back hair and horn-rimmed glasses, made no comment on the obvious bullying.
'This is why they get away with it,' Jenna thought, 'The teachers just don't give a crap.'
Jenna figured he wouldn't have acknowledged the new student in his class if she hadn't glared at him."New girl," he uttered, "I'm Mr Burton. You can sit anywhere there is a space."
Jenna tactically took the empty seat beside the black-haired boy and jumped as Mr Burton slapped a book onto the desktop.
'Turn to page 15,' he said.
Throughout the lesson, the teacher's face and tone of voice did not change once. He didn't make a joke, become excited by the topic or even smile once.
Back in her old school, her teachers were all brilliant. They loved their subjects and did their best to instil that love in their pupils. Jenna realised it wasn't just her friends, mother and boyfriend she missed. She missed everything about her old life.
Glancing to her right, she couldn't stop herself from stealing a glance at the boy in the next seat. He must have sensed her eyes on him because he turned to face her. When their eyes met, he took Jenna's breath away. She quickly turned her eyes toward the window, trying to pretend she had just been innocently glancing about the room.
"Jacob, collect the books," Mr Burton said.
When the gorgeous boy stood, she finally knew his name.
'Jacob.'
As Jacob turned, Jenna could stare without him knowing and she took full advantage. She stared at his backside as he walked up the aisle and watched as Kai pushed his own pencils onto the floor.
"Oi! Pick that up you clumsy little prick," Kai shouted.
Jacob paused. He had to know it wasn't him who had strewn Kai's stuff across the floor. Yet, he mumbled a sorry and bent to pick them up.
As his hand reached the pencil, Kai stamped his foot down.
Jacob winced in pain but did not make a scene.
'He must be afraid to,' Jenna thought. And she was scared too, but the anger rising up inside overtook it.
She jumped from her seat and kicked Kai directly in the ankle.
"Ouch!" he cried, looking at her like she'd gone insane.
Maybe she had.
"You dropped them yourself, you clumsy fuck," she blurted in her own defence before she could stop herself. Once the words were out, she regretted it.
Seeing his eyes glimmer with rage, she wanted to pluck those words from the air and shove them back down her throat. But it was far too late for that.
She swallowed, slinking away from him.
'Oh shit. I've really gone and done it now.'
Jenna didn't know what to say. Everyone was staring at her in horror, including Jacob.Mr Burton tutted loudly. "My next class is waiting to come in. Let's move it on out of here."He raised an eyebrow at Jenna as she passed but said nothing about her violent outburst. The look seemed to say, 'You know you just fucked up, right? But I'm not gonna save you.'Nothing was going to save her now.'Maybe I could just run home and hide under my bed,' she thought. But without Kai to show her the way, she'd probably just get lost and murdered.A stampede of students trapped her against the wall. After they passed, Jenna went to move but got instantly pushed back. Kai knocked the air from her lungs as he slammed her into the concrete wall."What. The. FUCK?"Jenna, too winded to talk, just stared helplessly."Who the hell do you think you are?" he asked."I... I just... I'm sorry... I didn't--" Jenna stammered, knowing there was nothing she could say to placate him.A hand appeared on Kai's sh
Kai was already pissed off when he walked into his English class. That little bitch.He saw her cowering in the corner, flashing him fearful glances. The terror in her eyes pleased him. She should be scared. He was going to make her sorely regret her actions.But not now.She'd managed to find the only person in this school who he wasn't prepared to mess with. Not after last time.Kai wasn't prepared to go into a fight he might not win. It was a waste of energy.He swanned in past the teacher and as usual, failed to hand in any homework."Homework, Kai?" she asked.Kai stopped and pursed his lips. He turned slowly. "You said I could have a break from homework on account of my nan dying, remember?"Mrs Connell sighed heavily and gave him a look that wasn't unfriendly, just... annoying.She was the only teacher he got on with, mainly because she was desperate to be mates with the students--even the bad ones. He figured she had been a friendless nerd in school and wanted to validate
Jenna didn't dare listen to music, turn on the tv or even look at her phone. She was worried any noise might mask the sound of his return, and she wanted to be ready to hide. Not that there were many places to hide in her room. After shutting the door behind her she had noticed there wasn't a lock. Propping a chair against the door would work... but she had no chair in the room. This room had been the home gym until being converted. It wasn't big enough to fit much more than a bed and a wardrobe, but Harry had made an effort to decorate it beautifully, with posh lighting and a few paintings that looked expensive.He told her she could change it any way she liked, making it reflect her personal style, but she was happy to keep it as it was--stylish and smart. That wasn't so bad, right?When the lock on the front door finally clicked Jenna almost had a heart attack. She sat back on her bed, hugging one of the large fluffy pillows and holding her breath. He stomped about the kitchen f
Kai felt a surge of adrenaline as he made a B-line for his target. Poor Jacob. He was going to destroy that pretty-boy face of his.He was almost there, almost had his throat around that poor bastards neck, when he noticed Mr Burton was the teacher on duty today. There was always one teacher guarding the gates, and it was usually doddery old Miss Fisher on a Friday. It was just Kai's luck that the old coot was sick today.Mr Burton gave Kai one of his famous looks."Not today, Kiddo," he warned, cocking his head slightly to one side. No one else would dare refer to Kai as Kiddo. But Mr Burton wasn’t normal. Kai wouldn't mess with Burton any more than he would mess with Damien. Something about the look in that man's eyes just sent off alarm bells in his brain. Kai was willing to bet he'd killed before, either in the army or elsewhere.It could wait. He had all day. And if anything, dragging it out would only make it worse for Jenna. He'd have to listen to her annoying pleas, sure, but
Jenna wasn't sure how to tell Jade and the others.In art class, they surrounded her, faces smiling and friendly, and her heart sank in her chest. She wanted to cry."What's wrong?" Jade asked.When Jenna said nothing, letting her sad face do the talking, Jade nodded sadly and looked away. "Yeah, I thought this would happen," she said. "You know... you don't have to listen to Kai," Damien said."If I don't, he's going to take it out on Jacob," Jenna revealed. She was surprised when Damien shrugged."So let him," he said."I can't let a guy get beaten up because of me," she said. That was the truth. It wasn't because she couldn't get his face out of her mind or even because she was constantly having fantasies about being his girlfriend.'Nothing like that at all,' she lied to herself."You might regret that when you get to know what he's like," Damien warned. "But it's your life, Jenna."With that, they left her alone. Sighing heavily, Jenna looked around the room. Charlene was ther
Jenna wasn't sure how to tell Jade and the others.In art class, they surrounded her, faces smiling and friendly, and her heart sank in her chest. She wanted to cry."What's wrong?" Jade asked.When Jenna said nothing, letting her sad face do the talking, Jade nodded sadly and looked away. "Yeah, I thought this would happen," she said. "You know... you don't have to listen to Kai," Damien said."If I don't, he's going to take it out on Jacob," Jenna revealed. She was surprised when Damien shrugged."So let him," he said."I can't let a guy get beaten up because of me," she said. That was the truth. It wasn't because she couldn't get his face out of her mind or even because she was constantly having fantasies about being his girlfriend.'Nothing like that at all,' she lied to herself."You might regret that when you get to know what he's like," Damien warned. "But it's your life, Jenna."With that, they left her alone. Sighing heavily, Jenna looked around the room. Charlene was ther
"So... how long have you and Julian been dating?" Jenna asked Charlene in a desperate attempt to fill the awkward silence. She found it so hard to talk to the only other girl in the friendship circle--if you could call it that. They were more like a pack of animals than a group of mates."A while... why?" she shot back, curling her full lips in disdain."You seem like a really cute couple," Jenna said, trying her best to be nice despite the other girl's cruel mannerisms. "Looks can be deceiving, right?" Charlene said, making a sour face. This time the mean face was aimed at Julian. "He's banging so many girls on the side I have to double up on the condoms to not get chlamydia."'What a lovely mental image,' Jenna thought, trying not to make a face of disgust. "Why do you stay with him then?" Jenna asked."Jeez, mind your own business much?" the girl scowled and rolled her eyes as if Jenna was the rude one. She tried not to sigh, but it wasn't easy to hold it in.Thankfully, Kai app
Rachel Connell had not relaxed for one moment since 'the incident'.She tried her hardest to mark the mock GCSE papers, but every few questions, her mind would begin to wonder. Kai was all she could think about these days. What if he ignored his dad and reported her to the board?Even with relaxing music playing and a glass of merlot by her side, she couldn't make herself calm down.She knew how lucky she was that the principal was on her side. He wasn't willing to lose a good teacher over a scum bag like Kai. But if it came to it, and they had to appeal to the board, she would need her son to give evidence. Rachel glanced up from her work, pen lid poised in her mouth and thinking as she stared at her son."You'd be protected," she said, pressuring him yet again. "I'd make sure Kai got suspended...""Like that would stop him." Tom tutted. "He's a psychopath, mum! What about that are you not getting?"Rachel rolled her eyes. "He's just an overprivileged white boy who isn't used to not