Dynasty Boys

Chapter 6

Elle

My first day wasn't that bad, aside from the hateful glances I received. I overheard some students gossiping about my scholarship, and it reminded me just how quickly news spread in St. Williams Knight.

My phone, which had been tucked in my pocket, beeped. I pulled it out, frowning when my eyes landed on a strange text:

"You didn't realize it yet, but I'll get you in the end."

I froze. My hands trembled uncontrollably, and the phone nearly slipped from my grip for the second time that day. Who could have sent this? The number was masked, making it impossible to trace. Nobody had my number. Well, except for my grandma and Carla, but I highly doubted they'd send something like this. Suddenly, a thought hit me, and I had to steady myself against the lockers.

The murderer...maybe he wants to finish what he started.

My breathing quickened, and my vision blurred. I glanced down the hallway, but it was empty.

Maybe it's just a stupid prank...

I stood there for a few minutes, struggling to steady my breath. Finally, I managed to calm myself, adjusted my backpack, and headed to the cafeteria, trying to shake off the anxiety gnawing at me.

It was lunchtime. The cafeteria was packed with students, laughter, chatter, and the clatter of trays. My head started to throb. I was so tired. But then I spotted Lila in the corner, waving at me, and my mood lifted instantly. I could feel a few eyes on me, and just as I feared, I overheard someone speaking loudly:

"Her parents died, and now she's living with her grandma..." The guy didn't even try to whisper. His words cut through the noise of the cafeteria.

"Damn, we need to be careful. She was probably the one who killed her parents. I mean, look at her, she looks like a psycho." A girl laughed, and I had to fight back tears. Their words stung, but I couldn't let them get to me. I had to be stronger than these spoiled children.

"Hi Elle! How are you?" Lila greeted me when I reached her table. She stopped mid-sentence when she saw my face. I wiped away a tear quickly, muttering a few soft words.

How could she still want to be friends with me after all those rumors?

"Elle... Please, don't listen to them. They're trash," Lila hissed, her eyes narrowing at a group of girls laughing and staring at me. She grabbed my hand and smiled at me. "I'm with you now. I know we just met today, but I feel like there's a bond between us."

Lila was an angel. Her words were the strength I needed. I took a deep breath, wiped away the last of my tears, and said, "What can I eat? I'm in the mood for carbs... and a cola. Oh, and I really need my daily dose of chocolate!" I forced a chuckle, showing them I wasn't bothered by their comments.

While we ate, Lila told me about her life. She'd lived in Haverhill her whole life. Her dad was a CEO, and her mom was a housewife. She also had a little brother named Daryl. Lila was trying her best not to bring up my parents, and I was grateful for that. I wasn't ready to talk about them yet; the wounds were still too fresh. But as I tried to enjoy my lunch with her, my mind kept drifting back to the message I'd received earlier.

"Then there's Billie. The popular, mean girl. She's really a demon... Oh, there she is." Lila's eyes darted behind me. I turned to follow her gaze, and of course, I saw the brown-haired girl from English class.

Billie.

I glared at her as she made her way to a table where a boy sat, his platinum blonde hair covering most of his face. He was strikingly handsome. Billie leaned in and whispered something to him before flashing a smile. After a few exchanges, she turned on her heel and joined her "minions."

"Who... who is that?" I asked, never taking my eyes off the mysterious boy.

"Ahh, that's Madden Knight. He's Carter's twin brother. He's... someone to avoid, too. Not in the same way as Carter, but he's weird, really strange." Lila dragged out the last word in a tone of tired defeat.

As if he heard us, Madden looked up, and his eyes met mine. He didn't seem as intimidating as Carter, but his eyes were the same shade, dark, intense, and unreadable. I blew a strand of hair out of my face and took a sip of my cola.

"Honestly, he seems kind of nice, but I haven't had a real conversation with him, so I'm not sure," Lila added, scanning the cafeteria.

Before I could respond, the cafeteria doors swung open, and everyone fell silent. Carter and his friends waltzed in, confidently heading to an empty table in the center of the room. My gaze lingered on them, and I found myself staring at Carter and Vaughn.

Lila confirmed that Vaughn was the dark-haired guy with piercing green eyes. Carter hid his darkness behind twisted smirks, but Vaughn Bates barely smiled, rarely joked, and didn't care to hide how vicious he could be. He wore the same uniform as everyone else, but somehow, it looked more expensive on him. According to Lila, he had a drug addiction.

Sawyer, on the other hand, was the joker of the group. His hazel hair was long enough to be tugged at by a girl's fingers. He was also the smallest of the group. Lila mentioned they all played football and were pretty much untouchable in this town.

"You should be careful, Elle. They're no good. You have to believe me when I say they own this town. Together, they make a cocktail of trouble. Carter's family owns the school, for your information. In St. Williams Knight, we don't usually get new students in the middle of the year. That's probably why Carter's glaring at you right now," Lila murmured softly, almost inaudibly.

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After school, I went straight home. Lila tried to convince me to go shopping with her, but I was too drained from the day. It had been full of surprises, and I just wanted to relax. I told my grandma about my first day, but I left out the part about the boys and the mysterious message. The truth is, my grandmother, Isabella, had already warned me that people would talk about my parents.

Later, I was reading a book when my phone buzzed on the nightstand. I grabbed it nonchalantly, not surprised to see a text from Lila. She wanted to pick me up the next day to go to school, knowing I didn't have a car. I smiled to myself before replying to her text and placing my phone on the nightstand. Then, just as I was about to slip into bed to sleep, my phone beeped again. I was sure it was another message from Lila, but I was wrong. My breath caught in my throat the moment I glanced down at the screen, and read the  new text message.

" You look adorable in your night-dress but take it off and touch yourself."

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