Page 11 of Sinister Legacy
“Staring at the killer girl isn’t going to win the dare,” Hayley teases, pulling out the chair beside me in the cafeteria. She puts the tray down—tomato soup, a sandwich, and a bottle of water—then sits down. “When are you going to do something about it?”
“A girl was just murdered, and you care about the dare?”
“Well,” her smile is teasing, “life moves on, as the saying goes.”
Ava, wearing a pink top with white lace detailing at the neck, pulls a face as she tries the soup. “I don’t believe for a second that it was a home invasion.”
Seated beside Kit across the table, Kara eyes her. “Why not?”
With a careless shrug, Ava places her spoon back down and shoves her tray away. “It’s too close to the anniversary and execution of Jimmy Hill.”
I frown. “What makes you think the two are related to this girl’s death?”
“Besides, she was a bitch,” Hayley says, pointing her spoon at Ava. “She had it coming.”
Dragging a hand through his unruly, blonde hair, Jasper slouches in his chair. He looks like a zombie after this morning’s gym class. If there’s one thing Jasper hates, it’s exercise. He still manages to keep a trim physique, though. “Speaking of dares. I’m gonna move in on Mrs. Wadler this morning.”
Kit chokes on his water, and Kara beats his back when he starts to cough. “I can’t believe Ava challenged you to sleep with your married English teacher.” He trains his amused gaze on Ava. “I think I have you pegged wrong. You come across as all shy and innocent with your cute little tops and your low pigtails and braids, but you’re a psycho at heart.”
“Why? Because I challenged Jasper to fuck his English teacher? It’s the class he struggles in the most. Mrs. Wadler takes no prisoners.”
Breathing a laugh through his nose, Kit shakes his head. “At least it makes for good entertainment to watch Jasper crash and burn.”
“It’s a fucking shame you’re in a relationship, or I’d challenge you to fuck the receptionist.”
Kit turns green. Beside him, Kara snorts a laugh. “She never smiles. The way she stares at you with those beady eyes…” Kit pretends to shiver.
“Even I want to watch you try to seduce her,” Kara says, chuckling in Kit’s oversized hoodie. “I might offer you a hall pass this once.”
“I’ll just close my eyes and imagine it’s you, baby.”
Hayley pretends to barf while Jasper slams his palm down on the table.
“Whipped motherfucker.”
“Jealousy doesn’t look good on you, Jasper,” Kara says.
“Jealous? It’ll be a cold day in hell when I tie myself to one pussy.”
Half-listening, I watch Keira, seated on Liam’s lap, pick at her food while her friends are deep in discussion. I know that dead look in her eyes.
No one else sees it.
Liam is blind to it. Too consumed by his own ego to see that his trophy girlfriend—the subject of too many true-crime shows on YouTube—is slowly dying inside.
I’m intrigued as fuck.
I want to play with the darkness in her gaze.
The atmosphere in the cafeteria is muted. Jessica, a loud, attention-seeking girl, was part of the popular cheerleaders, and her absence is loud. I never paid her much attention, but even I notice it. The way the school’s jocks don’t fill the cafeteria with raucous laughter for once.
I could get used to it. It’s just a shame a girl had to die for silence to descend on Blackwoods’ prestigious high school.
Soft fingers on my thigh disrupt my thoughts, and I look down.
“How did you manage to sneak a knife into school?” Hayley whispers, tracing the sharp blade inside my pocket.
“I have my ways.”
