Page 134 of Tis the Season to be Bullied

“Except I have to do it on all fours,” I mutter. I can still feel that leash around my neck. I have to sit in class with students who saw me crawl across a cafeteria and take tidbits from someone’s hand. I glare over at Romi. “How are your olives?”

She grimaces as she pushes her bowl away from her. “You’ve got a mean streak.”

“And you’re as yellow-bellied as everyone else in this place.” I stab a carrot, remember how Mason fed me one, and drop my fork. “You’re right, Iamgoing to starve.”

I don’t know what’s worse—the fact that they treated me like a fucking animal and no one did anything...or thatIdidn’t do anything. Although what could I have done? Knox hasliterallyspanked me before. I don’t put it past him to do that in public. Of the two, walking on hands and knees and being fed tasty treats—except that olive, ew—is a far sight better than pubic corporal punishment.

Right?

Romi points with her fork. “If you promise to finish your food, then I’ll help you with your project.”

“So that’s how we’re going to play this?” I mumble as I inspect my plate. “I get bullied, and we all go on with our lives like nothing happened.”

“You know, Nim…” Romi stares thoughtfully at me as she chews on an olive—ew. “I think you’re finally getting the hang of this.” Her fork becomes a scepter again. “Now eat.”

I do so grudgingly at first, but the more food I shovel down my throat, the more hungry I get. She’s right—I’ve been starving myself because of those three and I’m not that kind of girl. I swear, if I keep going like this, I’m going to end up looking like some of those skinny-as-fuck girls I see pecking around the salad bar who only ever take a stick of celery back to their rooms with them. Which they probably barf up later.

As soon as my plate is clean, Romi goes and lies on her bed, patting the space next to her. “Bring your notebook.”

“You’re bossy.” I grab a spare notebook and fall down beside her.

“It’s too late for a full-on history lesson, so I’m just giving you the basics.”

I nod and write down THE BASICS in my book. Romi rolls her eyes at me.

“So, the First Five were the first families in town. Not the miners, obviously. They don’t count.”

“Yeesh.”

She sits up and starts peeling down her stockings. “We’ll start with the Harts.”

I immediately think back to the first night I arrived in Cinderhart. Didn’t Vicky say we were going to meet the Harts that Saturday?

“Is that a common last name around here?” I ask Romi.

Romi snorts. “Most defnot.” She picks invisible lint from her top, lips pouting. “They’re still into arranged marriages, that’s howpuretheir bloodline is.”

Wow. Vicky was friends with the most influential family in Cinderhart? No wonder my parents were so keen to get overhere. I had no idea I was bunking with royalty. Or close enough, anyway.

“The Harts bought Littlerock from the Appalachians and built the first coal mine over by Jackleg Valley,” Romi says. “When they struck coal, they brought in workers and overseers and stuff to set up a town. Those were the first five families.”

She points at my notes, which is basically HART, MINE, APALACHINS—fuck knows how you spell that—and, FIRST FIVE.

“The Jacksons, the Baileys, the Capellas, the Wrens. And the Harts, obviously.”

“Obviously,” I murmur. “Wait, so the Serpents don’t belong to any of those families?”

“Nope. I only know of two First Fives at the Academy. Eliza Jackson’s a sophomore here. Her room is down the hall. But all the Harts children have been schooled here in the past. It’s like tradition. The reigning Harts—Jet and Ophelia—will be sending their kid here next year.”

I wonder how old the Harts are. Well, Jet, anyway. Was there maybe a chance he was enrolled in the Academy at the same time as my parents? I’m not even sure if Vicky is the same age as my parents, but it would make sense. That’s probably how they became friends.

What a trip.

“Now, the First Five all have members on the town council, and since there are only seven seats, if they vote together, they can get anything they want passed.”

“Do they do that often?”

Romi shrugs. “If I remember correctly, they voted to have the town relocated after the mine collapsed?—”

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