Page 44 of Cruel Elite (Princes of Ravenlake Academy 3)

“I can help if you want. Haley insisted we do our applications together, and she has given me a mountain of unrequested tips for how to impress.”

I almost laugh. It must be nice to have someone to bank your future on.

The thought appears before I can really inspect it, and it surprises me.

I don’t want anyone to tie me down. Haven’t for a long time. I’m just as confident that Caleb and Haley will break up before college as I am that the sky is blue and my mom is an alcoholic.

It’s nothing personal. Just statistics.

Once upon a time, I thought about getting out of Ravenlake, making my way out East, and joining a band.

My dad taught me the guitar, but he would have shit himself if he knew I wanted to live the struggling artist life. That was part of the appeal.

Everyone has all of these expectations about me, ideas about who I am and where I’ll be one day, and I like the idea of surprising them all. Maybe even disappointing them.

That would show them to expect anything from me again.

I’m not their fucking dancing monkey.

“No, thanks. I’m fine,” I say with a tight smile. “My uncle can basically get me in anywhere I want. I’ll be good.”

“Okay,” Caleb says, his brow lower and more solemn than normal. “But Haley wouldn’t mind helping you out, either. She’s really good at this stuff.”

“Just apply to Columbia with me,” J.C. says, pulling the hood on his sweatshirt up and slouching down in his chair, his eyes glued to the screen now that Caleb has hit resume. “We would be absolute lady killers up there.”

Caleb shakes his head. “If women start going missing on Columbia’s campus once you arrive, I’m turning you into the police.”

“They’ll be calling the police themselves, wondering who stole their self-control.” J.C. lifts an arm in the air and points down at himself, cocky as ever. “They won’t be able to resist.”

Caleb jumps all over that opportunity to rip into J.C. Usually, I’d join in, too, but I’m not really in the mood.

Too busy wondering what life after Ravenlake might look like.

15

Penny

Old movies are playing on the television, I have a glass of iced tea, and the house is empty, except for Delanie sleeping in her bed upstairs.

I couldn’t be happier.

Momma and Stepdad Steve went out for the night—a Barber Engineering Company function, which is basically the most important function happening anywhere in Ravenlake.

Anyone who is anyone in town works for Barber Engineering or has some connection to them.

Stepdad Steve is some kind of engineer, though I don’t know the specifics. I don’t really care to know.

My real dad used to work there, too. He was the Chief Financial Officer. Mom actually met Stepdad at a few of the events when she attended with my dad.

At the wedding, she claimed it was love at first sight.

When I later reminded her that she was still married when she met Steve, she hissed for me to shut up.

It’s not like it was some big revelation or anything. She and my dad weren’t exactly lovey-dovey with one another.

They never kissed or touched that I saw. I caught her rolling her eyes at his stories more times than not.

Even when he got sick, mom barely paid him any mind.

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