Silence. I leaned forward, my fingers tightening around Ayaz’s wrist.What’s she doing?
“This is some of the money I took from my untouched trust fund last night. I only gave half of it to Hazel, because I was going to keep the rest for myself. I didn’t want to share.” Courtney held up wads of bills, letting a few notes flutter on the breeze before being torn off the edge of the cliff by the relentless ocean. “Iearnedthis money by being Courtney fucking Haynes. It’smine. Why should any of you have it?”
Courtney stepped up to Sadie and shoved the cash into her hands.
“I remember you, Sadie Lancaster.” Courtney struggled to form words now. Tears streaked her cheeks, sticking strands of her perfect hair against her skin. “You have the most beautiful hair. I didn’t like you for stupid reasons that don’t matter, and I’m sorry for what we did to you. This money doesn’t make up for it, but I hope you’ll accept it along with my apology.”
Sadie glanced down at the cash. For a moment, I thought she’d throw it back in Courtney’s face. Instead, she tucked it into the pocket of her grey shift. She beamed at Courtney, and that smile held equal parts contempt and respect.
Courtney stepped into the crowd, shoving wads of bills into the hands of the other maintenance staff. “This is yours more than it is mine. I want you to have it.”
When all the money had been given out, Courtney raised a single hundred-dollar bill between her fingers. “Hazel, would you do the honors?”
I stepped forward, raising my palm toward the note. Courtney nodded. I let my palm form a small flame, the light a beacon against the graveyard gloom. While the students sucked in their breath, I moved the flame slowly to the note until it touched the corner and caught.
The bill burned through in a moment, letting out a faintpsstas it became ash. Ashes and dust – that was what tonight was about. Burning away the past, once and for all. It just fucking sucked Paul had to die to make it happen.
Courtney turned to me, her eyes blazing. “When we meet John Hyde-Jones in the real world, he will pay for what he did to Paul. And to you. I’ve done some shitty things to scholarship students over the years, but what we tried to do in your room that night… it was the worst. Sometimes, it’s safer to be on the winning side, even when no one but the monsters win in the end.”
Something in her voice told me John was her monster to slay, as well.
I cocked an eyebrow. “That how a rich bitch apologizes?”
Courtney shrugged. “If that’s what you want to call it, gutter whore. Now, what are you still doing here? You have to go spend my college fund on criminal misdeeds.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
The next day, Monday, the dorms and corridors were so quiet you could hear a pin drop. The story of Paul’s death and John’s escape passed in whispers between the students.
“Urgent meeting in the senior common room after classes today,” I whispered to Tillie and Greg as we walked to homeroom. “Pass it around.”
Mr. Dexter didn’t notice John’s absence as he rarely bothered to take roll now. But during the next period, the two empty seats in the second row couldn’t escape the attention of Dr. Morgan.
“Where are John and Paul?” she asked.
No one said a word.
Dr. Morgan met my gaze. I tried to articulate through super-subtle shaking of my head to drop it. It was a good test of her trust – she lowered her eyes to her lesson plan and kept going as if she’d never asked.
Trey, Ayaz, and Quinn flanked me in the hall between classes, but Ms. West didn’t show her face. I dared to hope that she wouldn’t notice their absence, especially if the teachers didn’t spill the beans.
We stopped by my locker to collect my chemistry book, and I realized I needed the bathroom.
“Go ahead without me,” I told the boys, and I headed toward the nearest bathroom. I needed to hurry – Dr. Atwood was a stickler for punctuality and unlikely to award me a hall pass.
I shoved open the door of the toilets. Quinn made to follow me in, but I slammed my foot down on his.
“You’re not coming in here.” I rolled my eyes. “Be serious.”
“I’m always serious. We promised we wouldn’t leave your side,” Quinn pouted. “Besides, it’s not like I’m not familiar with the inside of that bathroom. Courtney, Amber and I once—”
Ayaz shot him a warning look, and Quinn snapped his mouth shut. I kicked his foot out of the door. “I don’t care what you and Courtney did, but Hazel Waite pees in peace. I’ll just be a minute.”
With Ayaz restraining Quinn, I managed to get the door shut. A quick glance around revealed a single occupied stall near the door. I walked right to the end of the row and kicked open the stall, enjoying the hyacinth scent that wafted from the pristine bowl.This is the one thing I will miss about this place when I’m soaring across the stars.The bathrooms at Miskatonic Prep were palatial, with marble floors and fancy skin products and little rolled-up fluffy hand-towels. Although this stall door didn’t lock properly so I had to hold it shut with my boot.Some things never change—
My stall door banged open, wrenching my knee painfully. I jumped up in surprise, glad I hadn’t peed all over myself. “Quinn, get the fuck out—”
Someone grabbed my arm and twisted it behind me until red spots appeared in my eyes. I yelled as my chest slammed against the wall. A hard body pressed against me, pinning me in place.
