Page 547 of Filthy Elites

I’ve just crossed the gate and started to walk on the lawn when Chase storms out of his house, making a beeline for me. His amber eyes flash with a degree of fury I hadn’t yet encountered.

I wish that it didn’t make him look hotter, but his dark edge calls to me in a primal way. I fight my instinct to speed up and get in the house, choosing to stand my ground to show him I’m not afraid. A bald-faced lie. “What do you want now?”

I sound bored. Perfect.

“Who was that?” he demands.

“None of your business, that’s who.”

His mouth is a thin line, and he’s glaring down at me like he’s hoping I might burst into flames. “It seems being a slut is hereditary. Are you so desperate for cocks, Erica?”

My mouth opens and closes.

It’s dark. How would he even have known a guy dropped me off? He must have been watching. Closely.

I can feel a smile curl at the edges of my lips. “Oh my god, Chase. You’rejealous.”

His brooding silence and his foreboding scowl tell me I nailed it. He probably saw Damian kiss my nose. In the dark, from a way away, that might have looked like more. It’s downright hilarious. Laughter bubbles out of my throat.

Chase steps towards me, threatening as ever. “No one feels possessive of the school urinal, and you’ve seen just as many dicks. You’re nothing but trash.”

“Am I? Damian doesn’t think so. He loves my mouth as much as you do. And my hands.” My voice drops to a whisper. “And my dripping wet cunt.”

I know exactly what I’m doing: waving a red flag in front of a bull.

Chase hates that he wants me as much as I do, so he fights it, which always gives me plenty of time to escape.

I flee inside and lock the door.

ChapterNine

I havefun at the geek club. At the start of the session, Bella introduces me to the four members I don’t know, Benjamin, Oscar, Penelope, and Sandra. They’re confused, but not openly rude, if only because my presence means their budget will be increased.

“What aspects of science do you enjoy most?” Oscar demands haughtily.

In my old neighborhood, his tone would have been asking for a right hook, but I let it slide. I tend to prefer words to fists, and my goal today is to be accepted by this band of misfits. “Marine biology.The Little Mermaidwas my favorite growing up, and I’ve always been fascinated by water. I went snorkeling a few times.” When I was young, my mother used to date a surfer from LA. He cheated on her constantly, but he let me use his family discount. “But I’m better at applied physics than anything else, really.”

“She’s beating my grades in two classes,” Rose chimes in excitedly.

Their surprise is predictable and more than a little insulting, but to be fair, I don’tlooklike a nerd. I look like Audrey’s little sister, with darker hair. My mother was never one of those parents who tried to make their teens stay as young as possible. When I wanted to wear nail polish, she showed me how to apply it, and promised to do my right hand for me until I learned how to do it myself.

It’s more than parenting choices, though. The westside makes us grow up faster. No one questioned Morgan’s claim that she was eighteen when she started working at the strip club two years ago, but most of the boys and girls in front of me look like, well, kids.

I wonder what it says about Chase and his pals, with their ridiculously broad and tall frames. As soon as it occurs to me, I banish him from my thoughts. Why the hell am I thinking about him right now?

“You’re joining late, but maybe you could still present a project at the science fair?” Sandra looks around at the other members.

“There’s a science fair?” That’s news to me.

They nod eagerly. “Every January. It’s not just our school, dozens of schools in the states participate, and we get visits from colleges and big companies looking for bright minds to follow. It could make your future.”

My jaw drops. Why haven’t I heard about this before? I’m pissed my biology or calculus teachers didn’t bother to say a word. But I know why. I’m the girl from Westside, and no one thought I’d care about anything but blowing cocks and snorting coke. “What are the requirements?”

“You can present solo or group projects. There aren’t requirements as such—it just needs to be innovative. We’ve been playing around for the last three months, so most of us have a project in mind now. You’re a little behind, but there’s still time.” Bella smiles kindly. “It’s less important for us sophomores and below, but college recruiters pay attention to what seniors do.”

Everyone discusses their ongoing projects, and then get going at their various work stations.

The science club commandeers a physics lab. Benjamin and Oscar slouch in front of two laptops, typing code at the speed of light. Bella and Rose work together on an equation, arguing the validity of each other’s conclusions every other minute. Sandra is mixing a chemistry solution under a hood I opt to stay far away from. Benjamin’s soldering something at the end of the room. Occasionally, a teacher pops in, glances at us, and heads back out without a word.

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