Page 63 of Delinquent (Academy of Misfits 1)

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As the weeks crawl by and the weather turns cooler, fights continue to break out around the school between the opposing gang members. Over the last day or so there’s been whispered talk about an organised brawl at the Tower between Ford and Camden to settle the score once and for all. The dislike between them is thick and toxic, causing the atmosphere around the place to worsen a thousand-fold.

Just this morning at breakfast, Mr Carmichael went apoplectic after finding out that two kids had to be sent to the hospital last night to fix broken bones. He pushed for someone to come forward. No one admitted to anything. No one said anything. Even though the crews are enemies, the rule on the street remains the same in this setting just as it ever did back home: no one rags, ever.

Believe me, it’s a stupid fucking rule. Aside from that one time on the field when Monk hit Pink, I didn’t tell any of the staff about what happened later that week with the stunt Monk pulled. I won’t either. I want revenge onmyterms.

By the end of his rant, and ten minutes of waiting for someone to step forward, Mr Carmichael realised that he was dealing with a bunch of kids whose skewed sense of loyalty remained fierce. You can take the kid out of the street, but you can’t take the street out of the kid. Of all people, he should know that. But it would seem he’s forgotten his roots no matter how much he tries to convince us all otherwise.

Every single one of us had fifty credits deducted.

Fifty bloody credits.

Now my overall score is back down to one hundred and ninety. I’ll need to earn back the fifty credits I lost and gain an extra ten more to get my day trip out of this place. I’m desperate for a whole eight hours where I can do whatever the fuck I want. Granted, I’ve escaped Oceanside to visit the Tower, but that’s not the point. It’s a risk every time I do that and whilst the thrill of getting caught is part of the fun, I do actually want to spend time outside of Oceanside without having to keep looking over my shoulder.

Honestly, I need tobreathe.

It’s begun to get a little stifling in here.

“Penny for your thoughts?” Sonny asks, plonking himself next to me in the art studio where I’m sitting now.

“You’d have to pay a lot more than a penny,” I retort.

If only he knew. The truth is all four of them consume my thoughts and it’s driving me fucking mad. Camden has barely acknowledged me since the afternoon in the maze. But I know he’s got his eye on me. I feel it every time I walk into a room. That hasn’t changed.

Danger is creeping up on me, I feel it like a nightmare that I can’t prevent, but this time I won’t leave myself vulnerable again. Camden appears to be losing his hold on Monk and his wolves and I’ve no doubt Monk is going to go after me soon. When he does, I’ll be ready. I have a plan and I’ll have Ford to thank for that. Well, I hope so anyway.

After lunch, I’ve arranged to meet Ford in the outhouse that borders the edge of the sports field. The space is used to store the sports equipment, but a portion is empty and that’s where we’ve agreed to meet so he can teach me how to hone my fighting skills. I’ve not told anyone about our arrangement, least of all Sonny. A nervous kind of energy runs through me at the thought.

“Asia, shit. If I knew kissing you would make you clam up like this around me, I might’ve thought twice about it.”

“I’m not clamming up. I just have stuff on my mind, that’s all.”

“Is this who you have on your mind” he asks, tapping his finger on the portrait of Eastern I’m sketching.

“Yeah,” I admit.That and three others, including you. Though I don’t say that thought out loud.

“Who is it?”

“My best friend, Eastern,” I explain. The tight expression on his face relaxes.

“Ah, phew. There’s me thinking I had more competition.” He grins, then his face falls when my grimace gives my feelings away. “More than friends then?” he asks, trying to be all cool and relaxed but failing miserably.

“It’s complicated. Let’s leave it at that.”

Sonny taps his fingers against the table, then puffs out his cheeks. “I know I should respect your wishes and all, but I kind of want to know who I’m up against. Don’t tell me a guy as pretty as that is built like a brick shit house,” he responds, playfully. Though it isn’t really playful, not when he’s looking at me so intensely. “The list is getting longer and longer. I need to up my game.”

“What are you talking about?”

“There’s me, your best mate Eastern, andFord,” he adds with a little growling noise.

“Ford isn’t interested in me like that…” I insist, ignoring the flutter in my chest. Although, the way he’d looked at me that night he and Camden caught us kissing told another story.

“I told you before, Ford likes you. The guy might be a closed book, but I’m not an idiot. Neither is Camden. He sees it too.”

“How so? And more to the point, how do you know what Camden does or doesn’t see?”

“There’s something about you, Asia. Don’t you notice how they both watch you?”

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