Cruel Prep (Princes of Ravenlake Academy #1) - Nicole Fox Page 0,1

for the entire room to hear.

I’d been hoping to stay anonymous at least until lunchtime. Mission failed.

The teacher releases my arm. I hurry to a seat in the back row and slump down as far as I can.

I keep my head down throughout the rest of homeroom announcements. When the bell rings, I pack my bag and try to blend in with the herd as they shuffle from the room.

Just as I walk through the door, the girl in front of me with long, shiny black hair spins around, the ends of her hair whipping me in the nose. Her glossy frown is set as she glares at me, arms crossed over her chest.

“Why are you here?”

“To learn at this fine establishment,” comes my rehearsed answer.

I practiced it in the mirror all last night. It sounds snarky, like I intended, but still could probably do with a little more venom if I really want people to leave me alone.

I don’t want problems with anyone here, but I’m sure as shit not going to let a bunch of rich kids think they can push me around. Besides, I learned in a self-defense class in middle school that most aggressors will back off when they realize their target is willing to put up a fight.

Her eyebrow arches. “Do they not have schools on your side of town?”

“This is my side of town.” As of two weeks ago, my mom and I live less than a mile from Ravenlake Prep. I can see the school’s spires from our motel window.

“You may live here, but it will never be your town,” she sneers. She’s close enough that I can smell her floral body spray. It is thick and artificial, and I want to ask why she doesn’t use her extensive allowance to buy a more bearable scent, but I bite my tongue. Pick one fight at a time, you know? “Not after what you did.”

What I did? God, these people really are out of their minds.

The moment the story of The Incident broke over the summer, people began twisting the details. I so badly wish I could set the record straight. But it’s impossible. Not just because no one believes a word I say anymore.

But also because I don’t even remember exactly what happened. Thanks a lot, concussion. The scant details I told the cops who interviewed me after everything went down were enough to cause way more chaos than I ever wanted.

Best to move on and do my best to forget even that.

I pull my mouth into a smile and give the girl a sarcastic thumbs-up. “Thanks for the warm welcome.”

She snaps something at me that sounds an awful lot like the c-word. I push past her and make my way into the stream of students, but I block it out.

I block all of it out. It’s a skill I’ve had to perfect after The Incident. By the end of this school year, I expect to be a professional.

If I survive that long.

2

Lily

“Welcome, new students!” the woman in the red pantsuit says, pressing a hand to her full bosom. “I’m Principal Cooprider. It’s a pleasure to greet you all on your first day here at Ravenlake Prep.”

I take a look around at my fellow new students. I’m the only senior here at this stupid new student luncheon. Everyone else seated at the long tables is a pimply-faced freshman, and even they are glancing at me with scorn and condescension written all over their faces.

Great. I’m even below the fresh meat on the social totem pole.

I don’t pay much attention to the proceedings. A string of prominent Ravenlake Prep staff is introduced. Athletic director, theater coordinator, blah blah blah. I don’t plan on participating in any of this stuff. My only goal is to make it through this year and then get the hell out of this town and never, ever come back.

It looks like things are about to wrap up, praise the Lord, when the auditorium doors behind us burst open and a tall man strides through like he owns the place.

When he gets close enough for me to see his face, I realize that’s because he does own the place.

Not officially. But Mr. William Foster is responsible in one way or another for just about every dollar that’s gone to the Ravenlake Prep budget. In fact, he’s responsible for just about every dollar that’s gone to the budget of the whole damn town.

Most of the people in Ravenlake, Texas worship at his