Page 2 of The Jester and His Outlaw: Part One

The University of Bleudale is home to some of the richest children in the western hemisphere, or at least in the U.S. There isn’t much I can say for the rest, because politics aren’t my thing by choice. My parents’ money is off limits. Getting good grades to get the hell out of dodge to make money is the plan. I will never become the perfect heir to my father’s green initiative. While I’m all for going green—we are the generation to do it—money will not sway me like my father. He’s a good man, but they can buy him. He’s in it for all the wrong reasons now. There was a time when it actually mattered to him, but unfortunately, his present concern is if he wants Beluga or Sevruga caviar.

They will never buy me. When I make something of myself, no matter what that may be, I will do it on my own terms, even if I’m never swimming in millions and driving the latest and greatest Beamer. I want to be happy, and I’ve learned in this life, money can’t buy all the happiness.

“What are you going to do about Jonas? He’s probably waiting for you at the front gates.” A shiver skitters down my spine, and I grip the steering wheel so hard my fingers hurt. “That bad, huh?” She encourages conversation.

“He makes me so mad. His texts have been getting worse and worse. He’s desperate. Even asked me to fake it with him, act like we are together but we really don’t have to be.”

“Did you respond at all?” I shake my head, thankful I stayed strong enough to resist calling him out on his bullshit, let alone actually talking to him. It didn’t take me long to get over him, and I’ve now realized I didn’t love him to begin with. “He’s probably lost his mind. Good thing you told the guards to keep him away from your place. Who knows what he would’ve done. Perhaps you should’ve brought one of them here with you.”

“As if I don’t get enough attention, let’s add security to it.” Foxy laughs, slipping her feet back into her loafers. I pull the Wrangler into my spot, right up front. My parents paid extra to make sure I had no reason to be late to class.

It would be a lie if I said I’m not a little scared of how Jonas is going to act. He had one hell of a temper and took his possession a little too far. I will not let him get to me, though. He is just one person with no right to my life or anyone else’s. If he can’t handle rejection, that’s his problem, not mine.

My palms are sweating as I scoop my pack from the back seat and toss it over one shoulder. Tugging my skirt down on both sides and swiping my hands down the front, smoothing it, dries the clamminess on my palms. I will not be nervous. Will not fear him. I will not give him my attention.

Foxy loops her arm through mine and urges me forward. “Hey.” She stops, swinging her head to the side to inspect me. Apparently, she doesn’t like the expression on my face because she scrunches her pixie-like features up. “Are you really that afraid of him?”

Am I? The trembling in my hands says I am, though I don’t truly feel like I am. I mean, he hasn’t ever been physical with me. Is he controlling? Yes, but in every way other than outright telling me what to do. Manipulation is his most effective method. His texts were getting desperate, but they dropped off a few days ago. Maybe that’s what has me on edge. I was getting used to his texts when they just stopped coming in. Is this the calm before the storm?

Glancing around the parking lot, I don’t see his truck as Foxy purses her lips in front of me. “Hello? Earth to Charles?” Her annoying nickname has me snapping back to reality. She’s called me Charles for as long as I can remember. She knows I hate the name, and she doesn’t use it often, mostly in times like now, when she needs to get my attention. “Look, if you’re that scared of him, then we will march our hot asses straight to Principal Brooks and tell him to make sure that motherfucker steers clear of you. If we have to, we’ll go to the police station and take out a restraining order.”

My eyes roll back so far in my head they strain, and I have to blink to clear my vision. “Don’t be dramatic, Ashley.” Foxy’s lips flatten even further and she places her knuckle to her hip. Two can play at that game. “I’m not scared of him, and I don’t think he is going to hurt me. We don’t need a restraining order.”Bull crap…Even I can hear the unease in my voice.

“For reals, we are sisters. Always have been, always will be. I understand if you’re a little sketched out over him. He’s an intense sort of guy. You can tell me. We will get through the days together. Just promise me if he starts anything, you make it known, okay? He’s not gonna get away with anything and I’m not afraid of cutting his penis off and feeding it to him. Got it?” She arches a brow, daring me to deny her the chopping of the penis.

“Yes, ma’am,” I say with a sarcastic smile, but we both know I’m serious. We have a way of turning every conversation into something to laugh about. Trauma is good for that.

Jonas isn’t in front of us when we walk into the school, but I hear the growl of his exhaust as he pulls his giant Ford into the lot and kills the engine. Without needing direction, Foxy picks up the pace with me toward the student entrance. There is a line of students waiting to get in because this is the only entrance for nearly half the student population.

Cigarette smoke wafts around us as we step under the awning, the line before us thinning. A tendril reaches the back of my throat, choking me. I cough to expel it from my lungs, but the ashy taste sticks to my tongue like a bad kiss. It’s coming from a couple of guys whose backs I don’t recognize. I make it a point to know of everyone in the school, at the bare minimum, the students in my classes. Doesn’t matter if they’re rich or from the wrong side. I talk to all of them. It’s bothering me that I can't place them.

Like everyone on the first day, their uniforms are crisp and clean and properly tailored. The only thing in disarray I can see is their hair. One head is dirty blonde and curly, the one who is smoking, and the other guy has dark, bronzed hair that falls shaggy-like around his ears and forehead, almost as if he had a hat on or a helmet, the back cropped up short. I recall seeing a street bike in the student lot, out in the far spots. Most guys in the school keep their hair perfectly faded and styled as if the last bit of hairspray is going out of stock yet they have an endless supply.

I can’t help but notice the dark-haired one’s walk. He’s tall, but not as tall as Kai, with broad shoulders and narrow hips. He has sculpted arms but is quite lean. Underneath the sleeve of his polo I can see a tattoo peeking, yet not enough that I can see any real detail. He has his earlobes stretched and the glimpse of another tattoo climbing out of the collar of his shirt. Unlike the rest of us, he is wearing a pair of charcoal colored, beat up Tim’s on his feet, the laces undone like he didn’t have time to bother tying them.

He’s sexy as shit from the back. My tongue drifts over my bottom lip, lingering. Normally I’m not one to eye guys, but Jonas has kept me tied down the last two years. I mean, I’m no nun, but I don’t get around either. Not at all like Foxy. Speaking of, her eyes glue to the back of my victim’s friend, the blonde Adonis. The smoking culprit. Gross.

He is taller and a lot bigger. The guy takes up the space of two people walking through the hallways. Hell, his curly hair needs a room of its own, but it’s still yummy. I’d like to run my fingers through either guys’ hair.

Man, apparently I need some attention of the male variety.

CHAPTER2

Fucking physics.Dread. I hate science. I’m more of an English girl, but I have no choice. If I want to graduate, I have to pass physics. I’m going to need a miracle. After dropping Foxy off at her computer science class, I mosey on to my class and prop myself in the back. I hate having people sit behind me. As the class fills in, I realize I have the same classes with most of the people I’d known since elementary school with a few fresh faces mixed in that I don’t recognize.

Kate, a gorgeous bleach blonde billionaire’s daughter, points to me, squealing like a little girl. She darts across the classroom, and I shudder.Please do not sit next to me. She’s nice, but she never shuts her mouth, and if we have to team up on anything, we’ll both fail because she’ll be leaving the work to me.

“Hey girl,” she exclaims, her excitement getting the best of her. I can only imagine what she wants to talk about. She’s been in love with Jonas since we were kids. I drop my head at all the eyes that turn our way.

“Kate.”

“What the hell happened?” She sits one ass cheek on the corner of my black table and leans in like she’s about to get the gossip of the century, her pleated skirt fanning out around her and exposing the purple in the center of the gray pleats. If I give her this gossip, it will spread through these halls like wildfire. Gossip she won’t get. Not from me, anyway. How she even knows we broke up is news to me. I may be popular and captain of the girls’ hockey team, but I don’t associate with anyone other than Foxy outside of school. Aside from the occasional party, I did well to avoid them this summer.

“What do you mean?” I feign stupid, wishing she would just leave. Despite my bubbly appearance, I don’t want to talk to anyone, let alone rich girls lacking in depth and ability to have an intelligent conversation. She smacks her lips.

“You know what I mean. You broke up with Jonas? Girl, I thought you guys were forever.”Insert internal eye roll. We’re teenagers. Is she that much of an idiot?

“If you thought we were forever, then you don’t know him like you think you do. Maybe that’s why he’s been groveling. I thought for sure you’d jump all over him just as soon as I let him go. Would’ve saved me a summer of dealing with his whining.” Alright, it was more than I should’ve told her. She deserves nothing from me, but somehow she was privy to everything in our relationship. Hell, she could’ve been screwing him the whole time.

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