Page 17 of Unspoken Truths

I feel as if it’s been days since that happened but it’s not.

“I mean, if a teacher stumbles upon it, they’re in deep shit. That’s why I told you to make sure you shine in front of your teachers,” Liliana says. “Make them give a shit about you. It won’t matter with some of them, but it’s a start.”

Easier said than done.My morning teachers all looked bored, so they got pleasure in torturing us all. I was able to barely manage not to make an ass out of myself by answering questions correctly, but it was a close thing.

I’m going to have to double down on studying and reading tonight.

“Okay,” I say, my head bobbing up and down.

“You’re very rosy cheeked,” she teases me. “Are you turned on from our show in the cafe? I bet they all fuck, Rachelle. Can you imagine all that dick, and all the holes they have a chance to fill?”

The idea makes my breath hitch, while she chuckles.

“You’re so sweet and innocent,” she says. “It makes corrupting you a little more fun.”

“Only a little?” I ask.

“I like the innocence,” Liliana admits, wrapping her arm around my waist and tugging me closer to her. She’s taller than I am at around five foot seven inches, while I’m only five two. “It’s a refreshing change in this world, Rachelle.”

“Yeah, I’m sure it is. Emil told me this was a normal school,” I grumble, the knife strapped to my thigh calling him a liar.

When did weapons become normal to carry at school, especially a private one like this?

“For him, it probably feels as if it is,” she explains. “He went here as well, and so did his grandfather. This is his idea of what normal is.”

“It’s not mine,” I sigh. “White tablecloths and waiters in a school lunchroom isn’t what I’m used to at all.”

“Didn’t it taste so much better though?” she asks. “I don’t know what they serve anywhere else, but brain food is important when you’re performing at the level we are. The athletes all have special meal plans that the chef follows for them. Speaking of high performance, I have to go talk to Miss Haley about a screw up on the school newspaper before it prints.”

“You’re in the Newspaper Club?” I ask, vaguely remembering it was an option when I was going over the handbook of available clubs.

Choosing one to become involved in is mandatory, and I have until Wednesday of next week to choose one before I’m assigned to something.Shudder.

I can’t imagine what the administration will feel is a good fit for me. I’d rather have a choice.

“I’m the editor,” Liliana says proudly, winking. “Everything comes through me first. But, when I was checking over the copy edit, I noticed that there was an error. I’ll catch up with you after school. I don’t want to miss my window before they go to the printers tonight. There’s an online option and a print.”

“Fancy,” I tease her. “I can’t wait to read it, and I typically don’t really pay attention to school newspapers.”

“I promise ours aren’t boring,” she winks, leaning over to kiss my cheek. “Bye!”

Liliana leaves me in the middle of the hallway, surprised as she bustles off. This is going to take a little getting used to. I’m not used to people hugging me outside of my mom. Even then, until recently, those have been very rare with how little I used to see her.

“Trying your hand at being a lesbian, little sister?” Ignacio asks, throwing his arm over my shoulders.

This asshole is only three months older than me.

“Ew. Please don’t ever call me that again,” I tell him, looking over my shoulder. He’s standing slightly behind me, and it’s awkward to look up and over at him. Damn tall man. It should be illegal for a seventeen year old to be this tall. “For clarity, I meant the sister part.”

“Hmm,” he says, brow raised. “So you are a lesbian?”

“I don’t enjoy labels,” I say, shrugging. It’s true, whoever I’m attracted to, is who I’m attracted to. As shitty as my life has been up to this point, I still haven’t experienced very much. I don’t really know who or what I enjoy. “Life is too short to get caught up in them. Liliana is also really nice.”

I don’t state that I’m still feeling her out. I refuse to jump into anything, simply because it’s a new school and sometimes the vipers come in pretty packages.

“She’s not that nice,” Ignacio says, smirking. His arm is heavy, and I struggle to stay upright as he leans further on my body. God, he weighs a fucking ton. “Little sister, Liliana’s father is a stone-cold killer, and so is his daughter. I wouldn’t want to meet her in the dark. The girl collects knives like some collect dolls, and she has ever since she was twelve.”

“Are you warning me, big brother?” I ask sweetly.Let’s see how he feels when he’s called that.

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