Page 126 of Tis the Season to be Bullied

“Border’s the other way,” someone yells.

“Back to steal our jobs, are you?”

“Someone call ICE!”

I force my legs to keep going, desperately trying to ignore the comments yelled in my direction. I dart through another set of stained-glass doors, and end up in a massive cafeteria filled with long benches. I cut back, using the bronze plaques to find my way through the east wing. By some miracle, I manage to work my way back to the girls’ dorm room, hiding in every nook and cranny whenever someone comes close. I doubt the Serpents would still be roaming around looking for me, but I’m not taking any chances.

When I get to the second level of the dorms and reach door 213, I nearly faint in relief. But I stand outside for a beat, wondering if I should go inside. What if they tracked down Romi and got her keycard?

What if they’re waiting inside for me?

Chapter 13

Knox

I turn and watch Nim bolting out through the stained-glass doors, my hands on my hips. When I glance at Mason, he at least has the decency to look abashed.

“She’s sneaky,” he murmurs, as if to himself.

“Fuck it,” I say, shrugging. “I have polo practice anyway.”

Silas and Mason walk with me, silent for the most part. We cut back through the guys’ dorms, so we have some semblance of privacy as we make our way to the stables on the other side of the grounds.

“This is no coincidence,” Silas says, his mouth in a moody line as he tugs at a lock of sandy hair hanging over his forehead.

“That’s exactly what this is.” I turn to look at him, frowning. “Or are you suggesting someoneplantedNim here for some nefarious purpose?”

“No one even knows she was there.” Mason shakes his head, glancing back as if he’s wondering if we’re being followed. “Right?”

“Could be the same people who invited her parents to the reunion.” Silas narrows his eyes, staring ahead as if he’s staring into the past. “Someone’sfuckingwith us.”

Mason laughs, and when Silas looks over at him with a deadpan expression, he wiggles his fingers. “Aliens.”

I hold up my hand, bringing them to a halt in the boys’ common room. On such a sunny day, most of the guys are outside enjoying the fresh air. There’s one freshman at the back of the room working on his computer, but he’s wearing headphones. Even if he wasn’t listening to anything, he’s too far away to overhear us. “Vicky was friends with Nim’s parents. They were in more than one yearbook photo together.Shecould have invited them to the reunion.”

Silas doesn’t look happy at this, but he knows we’re right. We looked Nim up that Sunday after we’d met in the woods. She’s a third-generation Cinderhart—Nim’s grandparents on her father’s side moved to the town when they were young and set up a small accounting firm. Her grandmother sold home-baked goods to the general store—éclairs and fancy shit like that.

Nim’s Mom was older stock. She was a fourth-generation Graydon, middle-class folks that kept their noses clean like most of the people living in Pyrite Glen at the time. She met Oscar, Nim’s dad, in high school, followed him to Cinderhart Academy, and they married soon after.

Oscar followed in his father’s footsteps, working at the family’s accounting firm when he’d finished his studies. A company that closed down a year after Nim was born. That’s when the Winters family up and left Cinderhart.

Usually, the story ends there.

Butsomeoneinvited them back. And nowsomeonehasgone and enrolled Nim in Cinderhart Academy.I’m definitely not as paranoid as Silas, but do I agree with him on one fact.

Nim Winters should not be here.

We’ll have to do everything in our power to make her go away.

Chapter 14

Nim

“Hey, Nim. Nim? Wake up.”

I flinch when someone touches my arm and sit bolt upright in bed, blinking warily at Romi. From the cast of light in the room it’s early morning, maybe eight or nine. I croak out a reluctant, “Hey.”

“Morning.” She looks faintly apologetic as she sinks down onto the edge of my bed. “I didn’t want to wake you yesterday. I’m glad you made it back here in one piece.”

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