Page 10 of Wicked Dreams

That’s a small comfort.

“What about you?”

“Me?” She presses her hand to her chest.

“You’re intriguing, too. A bagged lunch—an apparent no-no—and a key to the library? I don’t remember you from when we were kids.”

She stifles a smile. “You wouldn’t. I transferred in when my family moved to Rose Hill a few years ago, but I’m a junior this year.”

Ah. I drag my finger along the hem of my skirt. “So you’re familiar with everyone. Can you explain Caleb? We used to be friends, but now…” I shrug.

Riley sighs and digs into her lunch. “He’s the captain of the hockey team. Everyone wants him—the girls around here would cough up a lung to get a chance to talk to him. You might remember his dad had his own company?”

“Yeah.” I never knew the specifics. At ten years old, I didn’t really care. I was more concerned about my dolls than grown-up business.

“The company grew super-fast, and his dad sold the managing percent probably around the time that you were here. The family still gets royalties from the company because of that deal. Which means they’reextrarich. Caleb can do anything, and the school would bend over backward to kiss his ass. Actually, they’d kiss his ass and then name a building after him.” She makes a face.

“Fun.”

“He and his friends are untouchable. Royalty,” she continues. “His closest friends are Liam, Theo, and Eli. That’s who he was with when I intercepted you, by the way. Everyone falls at their feet, even the teachers. They will do anything to protect their power—although I like to call it their reign of terror.”

“Who are they terrorizing?”

“Me,” she half laughs. “Only Eli, though. The rest tend to leave me alone. The hockey boys of Emery-Rose Elite have a dark side.”

I grunt. “And now Caleb has his eye on me.”

Riley considers that, while I contemplate her. Is there a reason beside the obvious for helping me? Could she really be that nice? At this point, she hasn’t shown a hint of using me for information, or for a leg up in the social standing by finding something embarrassing about me. Or personal.

The urges to either pull my cards tight to my chest and freeze her out or immediately make her my best friend war inside me.

“Tell me about you,” I say instead. “Siblings? Best friends? Favorite class?”

Between bites, she fills me in. She has an older brother but no best friends. She hasn’t found a home with a clique at ERE, but besides being bullied by Eli Black has managed just fine. Favorite class? Math.

I groan at that.

“Show me your schedule,” she says, putting her things back in the bag. “I’ll get you to class so you aren’t late. The bell is going to ring in a few minutes, and it’s kind of like a stampede when they open the doors.”

“Thanks.”

We go out into the hallway. There are a lot more people here. I crane back to check that Riley’s still with me and smack into a hard, muscled back. I stumble away, an apology on my lips.

Caleb Asher turns around. My damn heart kicks into gear. I know he doesn’t like me based on this morning’s treatment, but I don’t think my body got the memo.

His eyes go to Riley, who appears beside me. Back to me. “Run along, Appleton.”

She gulps, then visibly straightens and pushes her shoulders back. “No. I need to show?—”

“I’d be happy to helpour friendget to class.” He scowls at her. “Shoo.”

I sigh. “It’s okay, Riley. Thanks.”

It’s not her fault he’s proving to be an asshole.

As soon as she’s gone, he steps into my personal space and forces me away from his friends. My back touches the wall, and I find myself with nowhere to go.

Again.

---