Page 53 of Take My Crown

“Pretend you’re doing as you’re told,” she whispers in my ear. “Archer’s working on a solution. Trust him, okay? He knows way more than you about working things out between the Houses.”

She steps back and this time she really does walk away, leaving me more confused than ever.

Taylor, Ally’s BFF, comes over to get something from her locker. “What’s up?” she asks. “Worried your boyfriend’s going to lose the race this weekend again?”

“He’s not my boyfriend,” I say. “And if there’s a race this weekend, he’s the one who needs to be worried.”

With Declan still recovering from his injuries, the regular Bomber Derby is put on hold until he is ready to participate again. With Romy in no mood to host parties and everyone needing a distraction from school, we decide to hold a regular street race. No holds barred, anyone who wants to is allowed to participate.

And I want to.

My father raises an eyebrow when I ask him for a motorbike, but he seems pleased I am finally asking him for something. Much as I have sworn I to never take advantage of his money, I’m determined to prove myself equal to the boys.

I have ridden pillion plenty of times–but I have also had lessons from one of my boyfriends while I was living with Katy. What none of the other Houses know is that I am pretty good on a bike myself. Having had a chance to watch Romy and Archer in action, I’m confident I can beat the pair of them in a race–and I am seriously looking forward to it.

As I pull up to the starting line on my Honda Blackbird, I can’t help but laugh at the astonished looks on everyone’s faces.

“What’s the matter?” I ask. “You do know girls can ride motorbikes, right? This is the twenty-first century!”

Romy recovers from the shock first. “I’d hate to see that pretty face all messed up from an accident,” he says.

“Worry about your own pretty face,” I counter. “What about you, Archer? Think you can handle being beaten by a girl?”

“Bring it on,” he shrugs, but his eyes can’t stop roaming over my tight leather clothes.

Carly, one of the girls from my politics class, comes over, helmet in hand.

“Ready, Archer?”

“Sure.”

My stomach clenches as I watch Carly climb up behind Archer to ride pillion in the race. If he is trying to come up with a way to let us be together, he has a funny way of going about it.

“Cheer up, Buttercup,” says Romy. “Archer isn’t worth mooning over. People say I’m the Casanova of the Academy, but the truth is Archer has broken way more hearts than I have. At least with me, everyone knows where they stand. Archer likes to pretend he’s in love, when really he’s just a player.”

“Is that right?” I rev my Honda. “Well, the player’s about to get played.”

A horn blares, the signal for all the competitors to line up at the start.

“Ladies first!” jeers one of the lads, deliberately pulling his bike back to let me go to the front.

“Take care of yourself, little girl. Don’t want you getting hurt racing with the big boys,” adds another.

“That’s for your concern,” I drawl. I don’t to need a head start, but if they are stupid enough to give me one, I’m not going to say no.

The street is a lot more crowded than at the Bomber Derby because of the lesser House members desperate to take advantage of the opportunity to gain some street cred by placing well in the race. There is no doubt going to be more than a few crashes tonight as bikers jostle for pole position, but I have no intention of getting caught up in any of them. I plan on being too busy winning to care what happens to anyone else.

“Are you all ready?” Taylor cries, the self-appointed referee. “Three… two… one… GO!”

A horn blares again. Tires screech as they fight to get traction and as one, we all lurch forward.

Romy comes up next to me, matching my speed.

“It’s not too late to drop out!” he yells over at me. “There’s no shame in staying safe.”

“Take your own advice,” I shout back, opening up the throttle and pulling ahead of him. I wish I could see his look of surprise when I take the first bend way ahead of him, but I’m too focused on the road ahead to risk it.

I hit a straight stretch of road and push the bike as hard as I can, dust flying everywhere. It has been a while since I’ve ridden and I’m loving the sensation of the powerful beast between my legs, completely under my control. This is way more fun than riding pillion.

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