The Wicked Trilogy by S. Massery
Margo
Robert suggestsI switch into one of his classes. Since I’m still in a smooth-everything-over mode, I readily agree. I don’t necessarily think I’d be good at it, but painting is better than doing homework in a study hall.
Monday morning, bright and early, he slides a wrapped box across the kitchen island. “For you.”
I unwrap it slowly, savoring the pull and release of tape. I can count on one hand how many presents I’ve gotten from people other than my social worker’s obligatory Christmas present. When it’s revealed, I can’t stop the wide smile from spreading. It’s the set of paints I had bought for him the other day, plus brushes.
“Everything you’ll need,” he explains.
“You were planning on me saying yes,” I accuse.
He holds up his hands in surrender. “Guilty as charged. Some art will be therapeutic for you.”
“Even if I suck at it?” I ask.
He smiles, holding the front door open for me. “Yeah, even if you suck at it. But honestly, I don’t think you will.”
I follow him to the office, relieved to not have to stand around in the courtyard. If Savannah is back, I don’t want to talk to her. Or be confronted by her. Or look at her.
Robert talks to my guidance counselor, having her switch me out of a study hall that was slowly boring me to death and into his class. He walks us out and claps. “Perfect! See you at the end of the day.”
“See ya,” I mumble, heading back to the courtyard. It took a lot less time than I expected. I doubt Riley is here yet.
I walk into the courtyard and stick to the edges. Caleb and his crew are throwing around a football, taking up a huge space. I spot Savannah and her new friends in the corner. Some of the cheerleaders are smoking, cigarettes dangling from their fingers. My eyes almost bug out at the sight of it.
She’s the cool girl. The one who rebels in the name of fashion. Short skirt, long legs, uniform shirt unbuttoned one too low. A hot-pink lace bra peeks out of her shirt. I imagine she has guys drooling over her, but all she can focus on is Caleb.
I have a niggling suspicion that she’s the mysterious texter. The texter who has blissfully remained silent for the past week. She may be the only one vicious enough to warn me away to my face. Well, except for Caleb.
I sit on a bench and pull out homework due at the end of the week. The bell rings with no sign of Riley, and I take a deep breath. I gather my things. My textbook slides off my lap and hits the gravel. I go to grab it, and a polished shoe steps on its spine.
“Hey—” I stop when I see who the shoe belongs to.
Caleb. There’s darkness in his eyes, and I want to crawl away from him. How many times do I have to remind myself that he isn’t the boy I knew? That something changed him for the worse, leaving this monster in his place?
“Thought I told you to leave.”
I grimace. “Did you?”
I tug at my book, but it’s useless. He leans his weight on it, crushing the spine.
Maybe he’ll do that to you, Margo. If you don’t listen to him.
I bolt to my feet, finding myself inches away from him.
“What’s your problem?” I demand. “Why are you such an asshole?”
He laughs. It goes straight through my chest, decimating me. His hand winds around the back of my neck, keeping me in place. It isn’t like I have anywhere else to go, with the bench right behind me and him at my front.
I shiver at his palm against the back of my neck. I hate it—I decide that I hate him, and it’s about time my body caught up to the anger he’s been dishing out.
“Go run to Savannah,” I mutter, staring at him. “Take whatever your problem is out on her.”
He chuckles. “I have, Sheep. I broke her, and she still follows me like a wind-up doll.” He tilts his head. “I have a feeling if I broke you, you wouldn’t do that.”
“What?”
“Let’s play a game.” He leans down, until we’re eye to eye. “First one to fold loses.”
“What—”
He pulls me forward by my neck, slamming his lips to mine. I fight him for a second. I struggle against the unyielding pressure of his lips on mine, but he captures my wrists behind my back with his free hand.
Hate radiates through me. He’s kissing me, but it’s all anger and fire. It’s hot and stupid, and I want to burst into tears. I want to back away, to scratch his eyeballs out. His hand squeezes the back of my neck.
He was the boy I used to love. I was ten. I was smitten. The thought of him was all that kept me afloat during the first year and a half of foster care. But now he’s someone else, and I want my old friend back.
I can get my old friend back. For an instant, I give in to the kiss. How can I not?
I’m strong enough to admit that I used to think about what grown-up Caleb would look like. What he would sound like, feel like. It’s nothing like this bitter agony.
My body softens, letting him mold me. It’s a relief for him to take over, for his lips to part mine. I wait for his tongue to sweep into my mouth, for the rest of the symphony to strike up in my mind. Him winning is bliss and sugar, and I’m drunk on it in less than a second.
And then he’s gone.
He releases me, taking a quick step back. He winces and swipes at his lower lip.
“You lose, Margo.” A glint of a smile flies across his face, but then it’s gone. “You know what that means?”
My body is shaking.
I lost a game I had no chance of winning—big surprise. Caleb has given me a handful of punishments in the span of a week. I recognize that. Even kissing Savannah on Saturday was some sort of payback.
“It’s going to cost you.”
My knees give out. My ass hits the bench painfully hard.
He watches me for a moment, and then he leaves.
I can’t stop trembling. I raise my hand to my lips.
That was my first kiss.
A first kiss, stolen away by a bully. By a boy I thought I used to like. By a boy I used to dream about. It rattles me more than I want to admit, and I stare at the ground for a long minute. He kissed me. Claimed me like I’m no better than an object he’s writing his name on.
No.
It can’t happen like that. I’m not a puppet, dancing when he jerks my strings. I’m not soft—my childhood has seen to that. I will not bend to him.
And I will certainly not break.
Eventually, I lift my textbook and shake off the dirt from his shoe. I stuff it and my notebook into my bag, skipping homeroom and heading for my first class. I lean against a locker, waiting for the bell to ring.
My phone buzzes in my pocket.
Unknown: Stay away from Caleb.
I groan. Of all the things—of all the people for my stalker to be obsessed with, it has to be Caleb. I don’t bother answering it. Instead, I turn it off and put my phone in my bag. The bell rings.
In a matter of moments, the hallways are flooded with students. I wait until the classroom is empty, then slip into a seat. The golden boys come in after everyone else, but no one has taken their seats. They sprawl out in their chairs, laughing with each other.
Caleb is silent, burning a hole in my spine like normal.
The teacher comes in, closing the door with a purpose, and everyone shuts up. “We’re going to start a history project that will carry us through the semester.”
Someone raises their hand. “We get partners?”
“Do we get to pick?” another asks.
“The project? Yes. Partners? Maybe. I’ll allow you to submit three names to me at the end of class, and I’ll be making final decision on the partners at the end of the week. Moving on…”
“Better see my name on your paper, Sheep,” Caleb says behind me. “We’re inevitable.”
I can’t hide my shudder. It’s stupid that I can still taste him on my lips. I drag the back of my hand across my lips, and he kicks the back of my chair. I do it again, and he kicks harder.
“Stop,” I hiss.
“Make me.”
“Mr. Asher,” the teacher calls. “Are you paying attention?”
“Trying to, ma’am. Wolfe here is quite distracting.”
The students snicker.
“Margo?”
“Sorry.” What else can I say? Nothing that would get me out of this.
The students’ attention slowly drifts back to the teacher, and the rest of the morning speeds by. I only see Caleb or his friends twice more, and I finally run into Riley in the hallway before lunch. She grabs my arms, hopping up and down.
“I’m so sorry I missed this morning,” she cries. “I overslept, and then my brother wanted a ride, and I had to have my mom call and get permission for me to come in at second period. Are you mad?”
I blink at her. “Mad? Why?”
She leans in. “For leaving you to fend for yourself.” She makes a face, her lips twisting. “Never mind. Your dad—er, Robert brought you in?”
“Per usual,” I say. “We switched around my schedule a bit. I’m taking a painting class of his now.”
She hums. “I don’t know anyone in that class. Maybe you’ll meet a cute, emotional artistic boy who will take you out for coffee with paint on his fingers. His idea of romance will be asking if he can paint you—”
“Fat chance of that.” I snort. “Have you noticed no one will talk to me? No one even looks at me unless Caleb is pointing me out.”
The fact is, my newfound invisibility doesn’t bother me. I’d guess he’s trying to ice me out, make me feel like he’s the only one in the world who would pay attention to me, but… I don’t care. I hate it when he sees me.
“I did.” She glances around. “Ah, well, it could be worse.”
“How’s that?”
“We could have to eat lunch in the cafeteria.”
I chuckle. “What am I going to do if you’re ever out sick?”
“Oh my god, you’re right. I should introduce you to Amy, the librarian.”
“You’re on a first-name basis with the librarian?” I ask.
She hustles me toward the library. “Amy is the best. She sometimes steals extra desserts and shares. Or if there’s ever cake in the teacher’s lounge…”
I stand by the door, fidgeting. She unlocks it and gestures for me to enter.
“Oh, I should mention,” Riley says, lifting a shoulder, “Amy is my cousin.”
“That’s how you got a key.”
“Yeah. Yo, Amy! You saw my friend Margo, right? Margo, Amy. Amy, Margo. If I’m ever not here, it’s cool that she still chills here for lunch, right?”
Her cousin stands from her desk and comes over, shaking my hand. “Nice to meet you. Yes, Riley, of course she can. Just knock, okay, Margo?”
“Yeah,” I murmur. “Thanks.”
We take our lunch to our chairs, spreading out our options. We’ve gotten used to trading items, because Riley’s mom likes her to be healthy, and Robert hasn’t figured out my favorites yet.
Lenora and I went grocery shopping on Sunday, which was an adventure in and of itself. I don’t think I’ve ever been in a fancy grocery store until that moment. Organic was the name of the game, even if I couldn’t figure out why. Lenora didn’t give the best explanation, either. She let me pick whatever I would want to have in the house: breakfast and snacks to school, lunch and dinner options.
It was just another piece that made me feel better about settling in.
“Salt and vinegar chips?” I ask.
“Yum.”
“Gross.” I laugh.
“Trade you for… the carrots?”
“Deal.”
We eat in silence, her crunching through the bag of chips and me snapping the baby carrots. After we eat, there should be enough time for me to pick out a new book.
“Eli, uh, was flirting with me,” she blurts out. “I don’t know why.”
“Flirting like…”
“He kissed my neck. It felt good, but I was scared, and he’s still mean—”
“He’s…”
“A golden boy,” she finishes. “High school royalty. I know. But like, I didn’t think I would want him to kiss me, and when he stopped, I was—” She turns tomato-red.
“Yeah,” I mutter. “He didn’t say anything?”
“He told me to run back to you,” she whispers. “And to not forget him.”
“Huh.” I shake my head. “I don’t understand them. Any of them.”
She sighs. “Only three more months of them being low-level insufferable. Once lacrosse season starts in the spring? We’ll be reminded of how much they actually rule the school. It’s okay in the fall, because people kind of forget. And then suddenly they’re playing and winning and sweaty and…”
I wave my hand in front of her dreamy gaze. She focuses back on me with a start.
“Lost you there for a second.” I laugh.
“You just wait,” she murmurs. “You’ll feel it, too.”
“Feel… what?
“The carnal energy. No girl goes unscathed.”
I laugh it off, but my stomach twists. “It’s that bad?”
“Every girl loses their mind. Football is big in the south. But here, lacrosse rules. Well, actually, Liam and Theo play football, too.”
I hum.
“We could go to a football game,” she offers. “It’s a good introduction to the craziness, and I think their games start this Friday.”
“You want to go to a game?”
She bounces on her seat. “It should be fun. Besides, Caleb won’t be there.”
“You mean he won’t be playing.”
“Well…” She blushes. “Yeah. He’ll probably be holding court with Eli. But hey, I’m sure we can get into the party after.”
I stare at her. “Riley Appleton, who are you? Football games and parties?”
Her blush deepens. “I’ve never had a friend to take… and I’ve always wanted to go. But then there’s the whole courage thing, so… please say you’ll go with me? Please, Margo? You can sleep over my house—”
I shake my head. “I can’t sleep over. Foster rule.”
She heaves a sigh, her face falling.
“But maybe…” I throw her a bone, even if anxiety is slowly winding around my lungs. “Maybe Lenora and Robert will let you stay with me?”
She claps. “Yay! You talk to them, and I’ll… I’ll find out who’s house the party is at. I’d bet it’s at Theo’s. Word is, he has a giant swimming pool with a slide, and sometimes they jump in from the second-floor balcony. Cool, right?”
“What could possibly go wrong?” I mutter.
We gather our wrappers and toss them in the trash, making our way to the front of the library. Amy has her head ducked down into a book, and she raises her hand as we pass.
“Why does she lock the door during lunch?” I ask in a low voice.
Riley giggles. “I wouldn’t want to be interrupted during my only break of the day. Would you?”
“Probably not…” My voice trails off, and I look down the hallway.
Students are waiting to get into the academic wing. Caleb catches my eye, immediately frowning. His beautiful lips tip down, down, down, until I fear they might slide right off his face. Liam and Theo are horsing around, throwing a football, and Eli is in the middle of them trying to intercept it.
“Why’s he staring at you?” Riley whispers.
“Great question.”
“Caleb!” Savannah brushes past me, headed straight for him. She walks right up to him, unafraid, and touches his chest.
He glances at her, but his gaze switches back to me. His blue eyes sear a hole in my soul.
He touches Savannah’s shoulder and moves past her, zeroing in on me.
“Oh dear.” Riley gulps. “Why—”
He stops right in front of me, impossibly tall.
“Where do you go?” he demands.
“What?”
“For lunch, Sheep. You vanish.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, do I report to you now?” I cross my arms over my chest.
His eyes flick down, lingering on the opening of my shirt for a heartbeat before his eyes trail upward. His movements are slow and steady, everything in complete control.
In opposition, my heart is racing.
“You should,” he says. “Haven’t you heard?”
“Heard what?” I raise my eyebrows.
“That I’m the fucking king of this castle, Sheep. And you’re just that… a sheep.”
“You’re ridiculous,” I snap.
He grins. “Ridiculous.”
“Yes.”
“You think I’m ridiculous.” His voice is getting louder.
Riley edges away from me.
“How?”
I stare at him.
He takes a step closer, invading my space. I try not to show any fear. It snatches at me the way wind grabs at leaves in a hurricane. Without remorse.
His face is carefully blank, but his eyes show the storm inside him. He’s angry, unimaginably pissed, and it’s directed at me. His fury, his fire… I’m on the receiving end of all of it.
It’s easy to see that now, when we’re inches apart.
He grabs my chin, twisting my head to the side. “Look at your friend,” he whispers in my ear. His voice is dangerous.
She’s at the edge of the crowd and won’t meet my eyes. She stares at his fingers gripping my face.
When did people start paying attention?
“She’s the smart one, Margo.”
I flinch. I’m the only one who can hear him this close, and I’m sure he likes it that way. I’m sure he likes to keep me off-balance.
“Let go of me.”
“You’re not having fun?” He drops his hand. He snags my wrist before I back away, reeling me in again. “Come now, Sheep. First one to flinch loses.”
“I’m not playing games with you.” I half expect him to kiss me again. I’m angry at myself for even contemplating such a thing.
“What makes you think we stopped?”
He releases me, walking back to his friends. They’d paused their game to watch us. Caleb gestures to Savannah. She steps forward, throwing her shoulders back and her breasts forward.
I shouldn’t be surprised when he kisses her again.
This time it’s savage, open-mouthed. She presses her whole body into him, her hands fisting his shirt at his waist. Their tongues fight, but it’s a one-sided battle. Caleb is in charge.
Something shifts inside me. Heat floods through me.
That should be you, a voice whispers.
I stare and stare at their connection, and it takes me a minute to realize his eyes are locked on me. Even as he bites and sucks Savannah’s lips.
I cringe at the realization.
He shudders, leaning into the kiss like she’s a balm against a fire. This show—
His friends hoot and holler, my only indication that he’s pulled away. I’ve lost sight of them, my gaze unfocused, but I snap back to the present when the bell rings. The river of students flows around Caleb and Savannah. The former is watching me. The latter stares at him like he just impregnated her.
It hurts. I’m not quite sure why it hurts, because everything else he’s done to me has been so much worse.
Savannah follows his stare. She blinks at me, surprised and then… triumphant.
