Page 4 of Snitches and Serpents

Keeping a discreet distance from them, I trail them down another road while my mind churns.

What the fuck is Elle doing here? Don’t tell me that she’s a student at Bercester U. The odds of that are?—

My stunned thoughts are cut off as Elle walks into the sorority house that I’m pretty sure the blonde girl belongs to. I sneak up to the building. Jumping a short fence, I skirt around the house and glance through the windows.

A jolt shoots through me when I see Elle in one of the upstairs windows.

For a few minutes, all I can do is to stand there and stare at her.

But the more I stare, the more it becomes clear that she is unpacking a suitcase. The room she is in is her room. She’s a student here. At Bercester U. Living just two streets away from me. Walking around in her pretty little skirt as if she didn’t ruin my entire life two and a half years ago.

I flex my hand as cold fury rolls through me.

If she had just kept her fucking mouth shut, or simply said that she didn’t see anything, I would be a normal engineering student at Bercester U right now. Studying. Partying. Having fun experiences. And a bright future to look forward to.

But because of her, because she just had to rat me out, I’m now trapped under a fucking mountain of debt and bound in servitude to a crime lord.

The rage inside me twists into wicked anticipation as I watch Elle move around inside the room upstairs. A cruel smile curls my lips.

Maybe this was fate. Maybe this was the universe finally giving me a lucky break after years and years of misfortune.

Out of all the universities in this country, Elle Summers picked this one. My university.

And now, the power scales are very different.

The mayor of Bercester is not her father. In fact, her influential parents are four entire states away from here. And she is no longer surrounded by her loyal group of equally rich and powerful friends like she was back in high school.

And most importantly, I am no longer a quiet and well-mannered student without friends or anyone to back me up. I no longer let people walk all over me.

Quite the opposite. I have become someone who takes pleasure in asserting my own power over others. Someone who enjoys watching people break down and beg for mercy that will never come.

Elle Summers ruined my life.

And now, I’m going to show her exactly what I do to snitches.

3

ELLE

It feels as if the shadows are watching me. But then again, I always feel as if someone is watching me. As if someone is constantly monitoring my appearance, my behavior, my performance. Looking for mistakes. For cracks in my perfect façade. I know that I’m being ridiculous, because my parents are not even in the same state as me anymore. But I still can’t shake the feeling that someone is watching me.

I try to block out that strange sensation and instead focus on the conversation next to me.

The other girls from my sorority are seated on blankets around me. All across the park, other sororities are similarly spread out. As if it’s tradition to spend this final afternoon before the semester starts lounging on the grass and soaking up the sunlight while getting to know each other.

I shift my weight slightly on the blanket while nodding politely at what Brandi said. The change in position causes my white skirt to slide up my thigh, so I quickly readjust it until it’s lying perfectly over my leg again.

Once more, I get the overwhelming sensation that someone is watching me. The steel bands around my chest tighten. But I flick a quick glance down my body, and everything looks perfect. So even if someone is watching me, there is nothing unacceptable for them to find.

“Alright, girls,” Brandi says, suddenly raising her voice. “The sun is starting to set, so it’s time to head back to our house and get ready for the first day of the semester tomorrow.”

Several people clap excitedly. I do the same, since that seems to be the required response. Brandi nods approvingly at us.

Fabric rustles in the warm air as we all stand up and start folding up the blankets. On the horizon, the sun is slipping lower, painting streaks of red and purple over the sky. Once all the blankets have been folded up, I straighten and brush my hands down my clothes to smooth them down.

“Do you have everything ready?” Brandi asks us as we all start towards the road. “All your books? Your schedules? Your maps of campus? Groceries for breakfast tomorrow?”

I stop short.

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