Page 13 of Cold and Broken (The Titans of Founder's Ridge 1)

“Bad. Always start with the bad.” I respond.

“Okay, you’re going to have every one of your classes with one of the guys. The good news is that I’m in four of them. Our first class is senior seminar, basically a study hall with some college prep thrown in.”

She gives me a tour on the way. She points out the gym and field complexes. There’s a science building, a liberal arts building, and a math and languages building. The library and cafeteria are in their own building. There’s a gorgeous quadrangle with sidewalks cutting through between all the buildings and beautiful landscaping are the edges.

We walk into our seminar class and the only two seats that are left are right in front of Connor and Levi. Everyone in the class has stopped to watch us come in. I feel like a baby gazelle walking into the lion’s den. Ivy sits in front of Connor and makes sure to flick her long dark hair in his face. It’s a pretty on point mean girl move and I’m a little impressed. I’ve never been a good hair flipper. I sit in front of Levi.

He immediately leans forward and runs his finger along the side of my neck. “I see you’ve already bloodied your knees for me. Getting them broken in for all the times you’ll be on them for me?”

I turn around in my chair and grab his tie to bring him in close to me, not missing Connor snap to attention. When our noses are almost close enough to touch I whisper with a saccharine smile, “Never in a million years will I touch your diseased dick.”

“Oooh, you wound me, hood rat.” He grabs his heart. “Those pretty pink lips would be lucky to wrap around my c-”

“Do not finish that sentence, Mr. Marsh.” A handsome young teacher walks into the room holding a coffee cup in one hand and a briefcase in the other. “I hope you all had a productive summer, wasting your parents money and falling far short of your potential.”

I look over at Ivy and she mouthsso hotwith a nod toward the teacher.

“Most of you know who I am and I you. Looks like I have one new name on the roster. Lilith Nelson?” He looks up at me.

“Hello.” I say quietly.

Please don’t make me introduce myself.

Please don’t make me introduce myself.

“I think we should have Lilith introduce herself,” Connor says with a smirk.

“Brilliant idea, Connor. You start and we’ll go around the room.” Mr. Hottie says.

“Sure thing.” Connor looks at me. “I’m Connor Volkov, but you already knew that peasant.”

“Connor,” the teacher warns. “Watch it.”

Everyone goes around the room and introduces themselves. I don’t even try to memorize names. There’s no way I’m learning an entire new school’s worth of names. I’m out of here in nine months. When it’s my turn I introduce myself and Levi coughs into his handhood ratwhile Connor does the same sayingpeasant. Hot teacher, whose real name is Mr. Jameson, asks me where I’m from and tells me he went to Northwestern.

The rest of the period goes by fairly quick with Mr. Jameson going through what to expect for the year. Since it’s not an actual class there’s no syllabus, just class guidelines.

I have my next three classes with Connor, Russian Literature, Calculus, and Political Science. Luckily Ivy is in the latter with us. Her presence eases the cloud of tension that exists around us when we’re near each other. There’s also a short girl with bottle blonde hair that clings to Connor like a barnacle. He seems to barely tolerate her but never pushes her away.

* * *

I have to reign in my surprise when Ivy leads me to the cafeteria. Calling it a cafeteria is like calling Buckingham Castle a house. It’s true in theory but a serious understatement. The tables have tablecloths and servers take our orders..

“I know, it’s so excessive,” Ivy says when she catches my expression. “I went to an all girls boarding school before I transferred here and even that place was nothing like this.”

“How long have you lived here?” I ask as I look through the menu, the freaking school cafeteria menu. “Do you live with Levi?”

“Yeah.” She sighs. “My mom married his dad two years ago and we moved in after the wedding. Franklin insisted that I transfer to Founders Prep instead of staying in boarding school. I didn’t really care either way.” She shrugs. “But now I have to deal with Levi and his over sexualized self.”

“What about your dad?”

“He doesn’t care what I do as long as I don’t end up pregnant and keep killing it in the pool.” She looks up and rolls her eyes. “Queen bitch incoming. Prepare for a shakedown.”

Connor’s stage five clinger saunters over to our table flanked by two other girls. She clears her throat with a high pitched dolphin clicking sound. When I don’t acknowledge her she snaps her fingers at me to get my attention.

I slowly look up at the bitch and raise an eyebrow. “Yes?”

“I’m Margaux, this is Leighton,” she points to a willowy brunette behind her, “and this is Darcy,” gestures to a redhead on the other side.

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