Privilege

Chapter 13

“… I heard that the administration upped the security,” Jeremy leans over and says quietly to Louis.

“Yeah, the place is going to be crawling with the police and security guards,” one of the girls says and blows out a sigh. “It will be impossible to sneak out.”

“They are watching us like hawks,” Linh says. “How are we going to get past all this security?”

They are talking about the Legacy. Of course. Niall’s hands tighten around the history book in his lap and he tries not to snap. He is currently cramming for the history quiz that morning. Or more like attempting to. He has been reading the same line for the last ten minutes all the while trying not to set the whole cafeteria on fire.

“This is going to be the most boring Halloween ever!” Amanda sighs dramatically. “What are we supposed to do? Sit indoors and watch re-runs on the TV.”

“What a superb way of spending Halloween,” Another girl puts in, sarcastically as she inspects her manicured nails.

There’s a sudden loud laugh and then Stacy Stone appears at the end of the table, dangerously close to where Louis is eating breakfast. Everyone’s eyes turn to snap towards her, Niall included. Her raven hair is pulled back from her angular face and she is wearing big silver, straight-drop earrings, too many buttons are undone on her shirt. She looks around at them with clear disdain in her dark, piercing gaze.

"You people are unbelievable," she says. "Poor little rich kids can't have their party? Aw. How pathetic. One of your best friends was just murdered in cold blood, and this is all you can talk about?"

Niall feels a wave of nausea hit him hard and he gasps for breath; no, she did not. Everyone might be thinking, but no one has ever voiced it before. Hearing it in her loud, clear voice makes Niall feel sick inside.

“Shut the fuck up, Stacy,” Louis snaps, his eyes a sea of storm and he rises to his full length to glare Stacy down. Stacy returns his glare with one of her own, her hand on her hips. “Don’t you even dare pretend like you knew or cared about Josh.”

"You're right. I didn't," she says. "So what does it tell you that I seem to care more about the fact that he’s dead than you do?”

Her gaze slides over the table in silent judgment before she turns and strides away. Niall’s stares at Josh’s empty chair, his heart heavier than a concrete slab. He might not know Stacy Stone, but right then he couldn’t have agreed with her more.

“Bitch,” Louis mutters under his breath as he sits back down. “She is going down. I swear to God.”

That doesn’t sound good at all. Niall isn’t going to get himself dragged into whatever Louis has in mind for the poor girl.

He feels eyes on him and he looks up to see a pair of freshmen girls who are staring at him. Niall glares annoyed and they blushes, looking away and scurries off; God, what is so intriguing about him that they have to stare all the freaking time?

Then there’s a sudden change in conversation, and Niall feels his breath come short.

“So, did any of you get interviewed yet?” Amanda says quietly and looks around. Everyone shakes their head.

“I heard they are beginning with the freshmen and working their way up,” Danielle says, and Niall feels a tiny bit of relief; he is a junior and this school is big, that means they won’t be coming for him anytime soon. He has been extremely on the edge ever since Mrs. Jensen announced that the police are going to interview them.

And the more people they interview, the more the Prescott academy rumor mill takes a life of its own. Everywhere Niall goes, everyone is asking everyone else what they know, what they ‘d heard and yet no one seems to know anything. It is all very frustrating. The longer they goes without a clue, the more panicked the vibe becomes, until Niall feels like kinetic energy of the student body might actually cause a nuclear meltdown.