Dynasty Boys

Chapter 13

Elle

I kissed Carter.

The thought was still settling in my mind as I stood there in the boys' locker room, stunned, trying to collect myself. It had only been a few minutes since Carter had walked away, leaving me alone with a mess of thoughts. The shock of everything that had happened. The kiss, the anger, the confusion had left me dazed. But slowly, I felt the fog start to lift, and I regained control of my body, forcing myself to move toward the exit. This time, there wasn't any sexy jerk blocking my way.

I made my way to the girls' locker room, my head still spinning. I needed to change and head home, away from the chaos of today. I couldn't go back there, not now. Lila must've stayed in the gym, and she'd fill me in on what happened after Carter "kidnapped" me. I still couldn't shake the worry gnawing at me.

Was that kid okay?

As soon as I stepped into the locker room, my gaze immediately landed on Billie. Her presence was like a storm cloud in the room. I could tell just by looking at her that she was ready to cause trouble, and the familiar weight of dread settled in my stomach. Her eyes burned with anger, and if looks could kill, I would've been six feet under by now.

"Well, well, well, look who it is," Billie sneered, her voice dripping with venom. "Watch out, girls, don't get too close. She's the angel of death. First her parents, now Jackson. She's like a curse. Anyone who goes near her dies."

Her words landed with a sharp sting, and she wasn't alone. About five other girls, her pack joined in, their laughter echoing off the lockers, high-pitched and cruel, like a chorus of hyenas. Why did she have to bring up my parents? And Jackson... I realized then that Jackson must've been the kid who had overdosed during gym class. My stomach turned at the thought.

I forced myself to breathe, to ignore her. I had to get out of here. I walked toward my locker, not making eye contact, just focusing on the simple act of grabbing my things. I didn't have the energy to fight her today. Even if I did, it wouldn't matter. She'd run crying to her parents, and they'd have my head on a platter. Expulsion was exactly what she wanted. She wanted to rule this school, and for some reason, she saw me as a threat.

Billie snapped her fingers loudly, the sharp crack echoing in the room. She locked eyes with me for a moment, her smirk growing as she turned her head dramatically to the side, clearly expecting me to react.

But I didn't. I just grabbed my bag, my fingers trembling slightly as I shoved it into the locker. My heart was pounding in my chest, but I wasn't going to give her the satisfaction. Not today.

"What are you, mute? You're such a little girl! You can never say anything back to me, it is from genetics ? Or what? Maybe your mummy was like this with your daddy... " Billie uttered the words with that smug, insufferable smirk plastered across her face. The moment she spoke, I felt the anger rise in my chest like a tidal wave. I tried so hard to ignore her, to shut out the sound of her voice, but it was like a spark to dry tinder. I couldn't take it anymore.

"What did you just say?" The question came out sharper than I intended, my voice low but laced with raw fury. Even though I knew exactly what she'd said, I needed to hear it again, to force her to repeat it. People only asked twice for someone to rephrase their words, not to repeat the same insult.

"Oh that gets you talk huh? Did I touch your weakness—?" She started speaking, but before she could finish her sentence, my fist collided with her plastic-like face. The sickening crack echoed in the locker room as my hand made contact, and I stood there, seething, my entire body trembling with a mix of fury and adrenaline. My heart raced, pounding in my chest as I glared down at her.