Page 7 of Cruel Prep (Princes of Ravenlake Academy 1)

I pull her into an empty stairwell and shut the door. “So?”

“I did it.” She pushes her hair back over her shoulder. Usually, it is pristine and shiny, but right now it looks wild and windblown from sitting out on the lawn with the DeVry girl.

I roll my eyes. “I know. I saw you. I didn’t ask you here for a status report.”

“Then why did you ask me here at all?” she snaps, her tongue flicking over her top lip, rubbing off a bit of lipstick. “The new girl is a fucking loser. She is irrelevant. I don’t understand your obsession with her.”

“I’m not fucking explaining myself to you.”

Cora’s face flushes the same color as her hair. Even knowing what she knows about me, she desperately wants to be the focus of my attention.

If she knew what I have planned for Lily DeVry, she’d change her mind about that.

“I’m bored, Finn. Tell me what you want or I’m out of here.”

“Leave if you want,” I say, crossing my arms and shrugging. “But if you do, I’ll go ahead and upload a very interesting video I have burning a hole on my flash drive.”

Cora’s eyes go wide. She stares at me in horror.

“Revenge porn is illegal. I could turn you in, you know?”

I smirk, unable to hide my amusement. “Maybe. But not before everyone in school saw you sucking Viktor’s dick like your life depended on it. Your dad is still a deacon at your church, isn’t he?”

Cora mashes her lips together, her jaw squared and set in frustration, and I know I’ve got her. She’s a fuck-up whose parents think she is a good girl. Manipulating her is as easy as breathing.

“What the fuck do you want from me?” she snaps. “I talked to the girl, and she, of course, thinks you are God’s gift to humanity. I talked you up. I made her believe I gave one single shit about her, and we are officially ‘friends.’ I even invited her to your party. Fucking gag me.”

I nod, satisfied. “Good. You’re going to bring her there and keep an eye on her.

“No fucking way.” Cora crosses her arms and shakes her head. “That party is actually going to be fun. Don’t tell me I have to babysit that sad sack all night.”

“You don’t have to,” I say with a shrug. “But again, if you don’t, the party might turn into a public screening of one of my favorite films of the year. The cinematography is a little shaky, but the lead actress puts on one hell of a show.”

Cora’s cheeks go ruddy, and she looks around to make sure none of the passing students overheard. If they did, none of them would stop and say anything. Not to me.

“You’re an asshole, Finn.”

I scrunch up my face as though I didn’t hear her. “What? Sorry? I couldn’t hear you. Did you want me to release the video?”

Her lower lip wobbles like she is going to cry, but she stiffens it quickly. Cora knows better than to show me her weaknesses. I’ll only use them against her. “Fine. I’ll do it.”

She turns and leaves without another word. I stand in the empty stairwell for a minute after she’s gone. I can’t help a grin from spreading across my face.

Tonight is going to be fun.

5

Lily

The rest of the afternoon drags by. I’m about ready to fall asleep on my face when the final bell rings, dismissing us for the weekend.

I zombie-walk with the rest of the crowd through the front doors and spill out into the parking lot. Most of the Ravenlake kids are clambering into Range Rovers and BMWs, peeling out at top speed on their way home to the various McMansions scattered around town.

I make my way over to the dumpsters. Mom and I agreed to meet here after school so we could take the bus back to the motel where we’re staying for the time being.

She’s beat me there. I look up to see her standing next to the large metal bin with a tote bag hanging from her elbow and a sweater hanging over her arm. She has on the black polo and pants that all of the Ravenlake Prep non-teaching staff wear, and I want to suggest that she bring some clothes to change into before we leave, but I also don’t want her to think I’m ashamed of her.

Because, honestly, I’m not. I just don’t want the other students to make fun of her. I can handle them being mean to me, but my mom is a hard worker and a good parent, and she doesn’t deserve to be on the receiving end of ridicule from a bunch of spoon-fed, born-rich assholes who have never worked a day in their lives.

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