Trick Me Twice: An Enemies to Lovers High School Bully Romance Page 3

  “Okay.” I returned my attention to my screen, scrolling back to the beginning of my essay so I could read through everything I’d written so far. As a group of people entered the room, Lena leaned towards me, lowering her voice.

  “You need to have fun. I mean it. This is your last year at school, and you don’t want to have regrets.”

  I sighed. “I know, and I’ll try.”

  “Good.” Her voice was satisfied. “I’m glad you’re coming.”

  “Me too.” I think. How had I been talked into this? Lena was right, though. This was my final year. And if I couldn’t do this, how was I going to manage when I was at university at the other end of the country?

  Engrossed in my work, I didn’t notice the large body sliding into the seat next to mine until the scent of spiced cedar hit my nostrils. Lena remained oblivious on my other side, headphones on, tapping at the calculator next to her keyboard as she chewed on the end of a pen.

  “Done with your essay already? It’s not even due until Monday.”

  I jumped, swinging my head to face Carter so quickly that my ponytail flew around and smacked me in the side of the face. He smirked, and I felt my cheeks heat. Counting to ten in my head before I replied, I wrestled my thoughts under control, the mix of apprehension and awareness that I felt at his presence churning uncomfortably in my stomach.

  “Some of us like to be ahead of the game,” I said primly, turning back to my screen.

  Out of the corner of my eye, I could see his lip curl, and he opened his mouth to say something, but suddenly another body was sliding into the space between our seats, breaking the connection between me and Carter and allowing me to breathe. I looked up to see Dylan Rossiter smiling down at me, and I returned his smile with a relieved one of my own.

  “Hey, Raine. I’ve been looking for you. Would you still like a lift home after drama club on Monday?” He stared down at me, his soft brown eyes full of warmth. Dylan was also in the drama club, where he worked on set design and helped out behind the scenes. After Carter had left me crying in the hallway yesterday, Dylan had caught me wiping away my tears, and, concerned, had immediately asked me what was wrong. Not wanting to get him caught up in Carter’s drama, I gave him a vague explanation of needing to find a way home from drama club on Mondays, otherwise I may have to drop out. He lived in the opposite direction to me, but he’d told me that he might be able to sort something out.

  “I’d love one.” I eyed him hopefully.

  “In that case, I’ve got you. Wait for me after drama club.”

  “She doesn’t need a lift. She’s coming with me.” Carter’s voice came from behind Dylan, his tone daring me to disagree.

  “But you— But I—” I spluttered, caught off guard. What was he playing at? He’d made it crystal clear that he wanted me to find another way home on Mondays.

  Dylan’s face fell and he glanced at Carter, taking in what was probably some kind of threatening expression on his face, before turning back to me. He mouthed sorry, then mumbled, “Oh, okay. If your situation changes, let me know.” Then he fled the room, leaving me staring at Carter in disbelief.

  “What was all that about?”

  Carter stared at me silently for a moment, before he turned his back on me, leaning over to talk to his friend Kian, who was sitting on his other side.

  A frustrated huff escaped me, and I glared at the back of his head. What was his problem?

  4

  Adjusting my costume, I attempted to suppress my rising discomfort as I eyed myself in the mirror. In the end, I’d put together this particular outfit because it was the exact opposite of everything people would expect from me, and therefore, I’d hopefully be able to remain incognito if I ran into Carter and his friends—or anyone from Alstone High, for that matter. I was banking on the fact that other local schools were attending, and no one would imagine that I would show up. Plus, the whole idea of me attending the event was to push me out of my comfort zone, and this was most definitely set to do that.

  The mascara I’d applied somehow made my lashes look long and lustrous, framing my hazel eyes and making them appear bigger and more intense, and the toner I’d put in my hair earlier had made it look darker, richer, redder, rather than the usual light brown. Supposedly the toner washed out easily—I hoped so anyway. I didn’t want anyone to see me like this at school on Monday. Shaking my hair free of its ponytail, I picked up my curling wand, and half an hour later it hung in soft curls down my back. After slipping on the green fabric mask that covered my eyes, I was ready.

  The Uber that I’d splashed out on roared away, and I turned my attention to the huge wrought-iron gates leading into the two-hundred-acre space of greenery and sports facilities that made up Parton Park, where Fright Night was already underway. I stopped dead outside the gates, taking it all in. Rides and stalls in bright neon colours were set up in large clusters throughout the grassy open area that was normally used for casual sports games and summer picnics. A large Ferris wheel stood tall at the near end, and at the far end where the grassy area ended, before the skatepark area began, stood a haunted house, the entrance a huge, sinister-looking gaping mouth. Sweeping lights illuminated the huge space, and thumping music boomed from speakers all around us. A steady stream of people moved in through the gates, and the scent of popcorn and candy floss hung heavy in the air.

  Despite myself, a smile tugged at my lips. Maybe this was going to be fun, after all.

  I spotted Lena, aka Harley Quinn, near the gates, loitering by a shooting stall where you could win a prize if you managed to shoot a set of moving targets. Looking as edgy and gorgeous as she always did, she was watching a guy dressed as Captain America take shots at the targets over and over again, each time coming close but missing. Every now and then, he’d glance over at her with a flirty wink, but she remained impassive.

  After having my ticket scanned at the gate by a guy dressed as a skeleton, the bones made from some kind of glow-in-the-dark material, I made a beeline for the shooting stall. Sidling up to Lena, I spoke in her ear. “Got your eye on Captain America?”

  “No way.” She snorted, still staring at him. “I’m counting how much money he’s putting into that game. So far he’s paid twenty-five quid and hasn’t managed to hit any of the targets yet.”

  “I’m sure those games are rigged,” I mused.

  “Probably.” She turned to me, and her jaw dropped. “Fucking hell, Laurent! You don’t even look like you!”

  “That’s the point.” I couldn’t help smiling at her reaction, even as I shuffled awkwardly from foot to foot.

  “You look fucking hot. Stop fidgeting.”

  “I can’t help it, I feel weird,” I admitted. “I’m not used to this. Any of this.”

  Her blue gaze assessed me, and she nodded. “I get that. I know it’s hard for you.”

  “How are you so confident?” Maybe she had some tips.

  “Honestly? I literally don’t give a fuck what any of these people think of me. You should try it sometime. It’s liberating.”

  “I wish I could.” I sighed. “Remember, you’re school royalty, though. You’re a Drummond. Not only that, you’re badass.”

  “I am,” she agreed with a smirk, propping her hand on her elbow and posing with her baseball bat, before she laughed and rolled her eyes. “Not really. I just don’t care what people think. Wanna play one of the games before we meet up with the others?”

  “Yeah.” I smiled, relaxing at her words, grateful she was easing me into tonight’s celebrations. I had so much trouble letting anyone get close to me, but I wanted to let Lena in. I needed a friend. Someone to confide in, to be myself with.

  “I never lose at these.” She tugged me across to the hook-a-duck stall, waving to a couple of her friends that were standing nearby drinking bright blue slushies. I recognised them from my Economics class, but there was no recognition in their eyes as they casually scanned me.

  The girls and the game were both forgotte
n as the music suddenly cut out and all the lights dimmed. A hush descended over the entire park, as from the PA speaker system, a sinister, crackling voice announced a five-minute countdown.

  “Countdown for what?” My heart was suddenly thumping way too fast, and I swallowed hard.

  “Halloween games, probably. I think Carter and his friends were planning something for tonight.” Lena waved an unconcerned hand. “Come and meet my friends.”

  Carter? I was just about to ask her to elaborate on the games comment when a loud, insistent beep sounded from somewhere near her waist, and she dug her phone out of the pocket of her jacket.

  “Shit,” she muttered, her face falling. “Raine, I’ve gotta go. I’m sorry.”

  “Go? You can’t leave me all alone here!” I was panicking.

  “Fuck, this is the worst timing,” she muttered. “Listen to me. You’ve got this. Join the fun, be somebody else for the night. Look how dark it is now—no one will have a clue it’s you. I didn’t even recognise you to begin with. You’ll be fine.” Her eyes met mine, and she stepped closer as her voice softened. “I’ll introduce you to my friends before I go, okay? I won’t leave you alone if you’re not happy.”

  No. I could do this. I was here, and I was going to at least try to stay. I attempted to channel her confidence. “I’ll stay for a bit. That’s all I can promise at this point. Don’t worry about introducing me. I kind of like the thought of staying anonymous.” As I said the words, I realised I meant them. There was something liberating about no one knowing who I was. I could be whoever I wanted to be tonight.

  She studied me closely, then, seemingly satisfied, flashed me a quick smile. “Good. Stay safe, and call me if you need me, okay?”

  I nodded firmly. “I can do this.” I watched as she slipped away through the gates, leaving me standing alone next to the stall. Taking a moment to get my bearings and plan what I was going to do next, I headed over to the chain-link fence that ran down the side of the part of the park we were in.

  My newfound confidence evaporated as soon as it had arrived. I was suddenly too hot, despite the fact that “skimpy” didn’t even cover the costume I was wearing. Leaning my head back against the cold metal of the fence, I closed my eyes, breathing deeply, trying to calm my racing heart.

  This was ridiculous. Something like this shouldn’t be so difficult. Why was I so awkward? Why did I find it so hard to be around most other people?

  A new determination filled me. Enough was enough. I was going to be a normal, sociable human being for one night in my life. I was going to mix with everyone else and have fun, even if it pushed me out of my comfort zone.

  Taking a deep breath, I opened my eyes.

  For a split second, time seemed to stop. My whole body stilled, poised on a knife edge, waiting for the cut.

  Then, it happened.

  “This is an emergency broadcast announcing the commencement of the annual Fright Night. When the siren sounds, let the games begin. Good luck to you all.”

  As the unnecessarily dramatic, robotic voice faded from the speakers, smoke began swirling through the night air, and the sound of a siren blared all around me. Strobes lit up the area in sharp flashes, illuminating the surroundings for milliseconds at a time before plunging us back into darkness.

  Beyond the rides and food stalls, in front of the haunted house, stood a group of masked, hooded figures, dressed in black. The masks glowed with neon LED lights, creating sinister slashes over their eyes and mouths. Most of the guys had green, yellow, or orange masks, but the three centre figures had red, purple, and blue masks.

  I immediately knew who they were. The three kings of Alstone High.

  Kian, Xavier, and Carter.

  The guy in the blue mask seemed to stare right at me, and it felt like my heart stopped. Without a shadow of a doubt, I knew it was Carter. I edged closer to the chain-link fence, trying to stay out of his sight.

  The sirens suddenly stopped.

  His attention was locked on me.

  He ran.

  I did, too.

  5

  “Ready?” Kian’s voice was muffled behind his mask. Looking around at the circle of guys, I grinned.

  The introduction, in the style of an announcement from The Purge, crackled from the speakers, and I was fucking ready. Waiting for the sirens to sound so I could collect my prize.

  My focus zeroed in on a girl leaning against the fence, staring in my direction, and my breath caught in my throat.

  Fuuuuck.

  I recognised the costume—the villain Poison Ivy. Those curves, though? Should be illegal. Full, perfect tits, a tiny waist, flaring out to hips that gave her the very definition of an hourglass figure. My gaze trailed over her toned legs and waves of reddish-brown hair that fell down her back and shoulders. Her lips were full, too, and her eyes, although partly hidden by the mask thing she had on, were sparking with the challenge. Her costume was basically a leotard, covered in green leaves, and she had on tan knee-high boots covered in some kind of green material.

  I’d never seen anyone so sexy in my life.

  I was temporarily stunned.

  “She’s mine,” I hissed to Xavier and Kian, indicating my head in her direction.

  “Fuck you, Carter.” I felt Kian’s glare from behind his mask, but I’d seen her first. “Fine. I pick…her,” Kian relented after it was clear I wasn’t about to change my mind, pointing towards another hot as fuck girl, dressed like an angel.

  “Done. I pick her.” Xavier pointed towards the Dodgems where his ex-girlfriend stood with a group of her friends, and I knew both Kian and I were rolling our eyes behind our masks.

  “Wait for the siren.” I raised my voice so the others could hear me. “When it stops, go for whoever you want, except those three.” I pointed out the three girls we’d chosen, knowing no one would dare to disagree.

  The siren sounded, and I was ready.

  Smoke permeated every corner of the carnival, thanks to our earlier planning. The boys split off, a blur of dark figures with neon masks, and I grinned. As the sirens stopped, my gaze was drawn to Poison Ivy. Ready or not, here I come, I mouthed from behind my mask, watching her eyes widen as I took off, running straight at her, needing to reach her before anyone else did. Despite my declaration that she was off limits, I knew it wouldn’t work that way in reality. I could feel Kian hot on my heels, his eyes on my girl, rather than his.

  Even from a distance I could see her freeze, her gaze locked on mine. My blood was pumping through my veins, and I fucking loved it. She stood paralysed as I drew closer, and then she finally moved.

  The chase was on.

  She darted behind one of the stalls, running headlong down the side of the chain-link fence. This was almost too easy. I drew back a little to give her a chance to get away—I needed the chase, and catching her would be so much sweeter when she gave in.

  I watched her look wildly around her, no doubt trying to find a hiding place.

  “You can run, but you can’t hide,” I called, and I saw a shudder go through her body. Fuck, yes.

  She rounded the back of the funhouse and down the other side, getting caught up with a group of girls being chased, coming the other way. Now I’d lost sight of her. Fuck.

  There was a flash of green next to the Dodgems, and I increased my pace. She was running blindly now, desperate to get away. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Kian run at her, and she made an abrupt turn, darting around two guys in green masks. A huge figure dressed as a clown appeared in her path, leering at her, and she scrambled back, then flew towards the gaping mouth marking the entrance to the haunted house.

  “She’s fucking mine,” I shouted, lunging at Kian, and he pushed back at me.

  “Not if I catch her first.”

  We stared at each other for a minute, neither of us backing down. Then I pushed away from him and tore inside the haunted house after my prey.

  It was so dark in here. Screams came from all around, echoing off
the walls, as I crept through the maze of corridors. A glowing skeleton lunged at me, and I jumped back in fright. The sound of delighted laughter followed me as I spun, running blindly down another corridor.

  A creepy-looking clown loomed over me, lit by a single bulb swinging from the ceiling, and I shrieked in terror, scrambling to get away. Another clown? Seriously? If there was one thing I hated above all, it was clowns. It reached out an arm towards me, its white painted face stretching into a huge distorted grin, exposing rows of bloodstained teeth.

  It’s only make-up, it’s only make-up, I chanted in my head, desperately trying to convince myself that it wasn’t real. Taking a deep, shuddering breath, I twisted and ducked under its arm, racing down another corridor, desperate to find a way out of this maze.

  A dead end.

  I felt a breath on my neck. “Boo,” someone whispered, and then a body was pressed against mine, pinning me in place, and I screamed for my life.

  “Keep screaming, baby. It makes me hard.” The pressure of my captor’s mask against my skin disappeared as he lifted it away from his face, and then cool metal slid across the side of my neck, combined with the soft warmth of lips.

  Bile rose up in my throat. Kian. His lip piercing was a dead giveaway, combined with the fact that I felt a base, instinctual fear as he held me in place. What would he do to me, here in the dark?

  Overcome with terror, I screamed again.

  Suddenly, his weight was gone, and I was gripped around my stomach and forcibly dragged back down the corridor.

  “You’re not playing fair.” I heard Kian’s voice from behind me.

  “Fuck you. I picked her first.”

  Carter. Carter was the one holding me. For one second, I breathed a sigh of relief, before my brain caught up with what was happening.

  Oh, fuck. I was in so much trouble.

  He dragged me down a narrow corridor and into a wider space, where a single light illuminated a witch stirring a fake cauldron. The witch watched us pass, not bothering to do anything, even though I was clearly struggling. “Help!” I called out. She cackled, before her attention was diverted by a giggling girl running past, hotly pursued by a guy in a mask with yellow LEDs.