Higher (East Knights book 1)

Margot

Friday 5:30 am

Fuck. The only reason I go to school on Fridays is that if you have a jersey you get to wear a jersey. Which means no uniform. But I'm not too excited to wear Monty's jersey today. I walk over to my mirror prepping my face to cover it with makeup. Great, just what I needed a fucking hickey. I'm interrupted by the sound of my phone ringing. When I glance down at the screen I see the word, dad pop up and immediately answer the phone.

"Daddy! How are you?" I sing with excitement. I haven't seen my dad in 2 weeks. He keeps saying he's gonna be home and then when that time comes he makes up some excuse as to why he has to stay in Boston with his new girlfriend. "Sweetheart, I know it's early I was hoping to catch you before school. I'm not gonna make it home this weekend. Penelope is trying to get some extra money to send to her daughter. I think she goes to your school you might know her. Ivy?" He questions. As soon as the words fall out of my phone I feel nauseous. I say nothing, I take the phone away from my ear and set it down on the table putting it on speaker. "I'm gonna have to call you back later honey, so sorry I'm heading into a meeting. See you next weekend I hope." Next thing I know the call disconnects. And I'm left in silence alone.

My dad never mentions when he has a new girlfriend. Penelope is the first person since my mom, that has made him happy. That he mentioned to me. He told me all about her how beautiful she is, smart, caring. He told me she was a mother and that her daughter was my age. He was so excited for me to meet her. But Ivy, I'm supposed to believe that the same person that makes my dad happy gave birth to the girl who's ruining my life. I mean I guess she's not doing it on purpose. Oh, fuck off Margot.

I shake the thought of Ivy's mom and my dad out of my head and get back to doing my makeup. I'm dreading school today, not only that but the football game, the party, and the fact that Monty is tied to both of those things doesn't make it any more promising. As I finish up my makeup I glance over the hickey covering my lower neck and decide not to cover it, you can barely see it with the jersey on anyways. I should know, I used to spend hours covering up hickeys when Monty and I were together just for you to not be able to see anything in the first place.

Friday 7:35 am

Fuck, there's another tardy. "Miss Right, Class." Coach Lawton says in a strict tone from behind me. "I'm going, where's your star player this morning? No way he made it here before I did." I laugh trying to lighten the mood. "Hasn't shown, what'd you lock him in your house." He laughs back. "You know it!" I say picking up my speed walking to my Marketing class.

"Miss Right, Tardy." Mr. Daniels points to my seat expecting me to sit where I normally do. Instead, I decide to take Celia's seat. She's not here so, no harm is done if you ask me. As I lower myself into the seat I spot Monty walking in with a pass setting it on Mr. Daniels' desk. "Nice of our love birds to join us." Mr. Daniels announces, and Arlin laughs from the seat over from mine as Monty makes his way over. "What are you doing?" His eyes sharply gaze mine. "Sitting down, shhh, it's class time. You already distracting everyone by being late." I joke, Monty doesn't find it funny, instead, his eyes find the bruise located just above the neckline of his jersey. Fuck. I'm so fucked.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" He whispers sternly, grabbing the neckline of the jersey and pushing it down. "Chill out." I respond back, pulling the jersey back over my bruised neck. "Hello, I'm teaching a class up here would you two care to join?" Fuck. Now the whole class is looking at us, and unless I'm exaggerating they're all focused on the bruise covering the bottom of my neck. Monty takes his hands off the jersey and turns his chair back towards the board, but that doesn't stop people from whispering and staring at us for the whole block.

As soon as the bell rings I make a sprint for the hallway. No way am I about to get yelled at for a hickey he gave me. As I pass through the doorway I feel someone tugging at my book-bag. "Monty I'm not in the mood right now." I turn to my side and see him approaching next to me. "My car 10 minutes," he says sternly before walking away towards his locker. Ivy is standing there, I guess I kind of stole her seat today, but I really could care less because she's trying to steal my boyfr-, ex-boyfriend.
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The bell rings for me to go to my second block, but instead of doing so I make my way outside of the school and into Monty's car. We both just sit there in silence for the first 28 seconds. I timed it, we sat in silence staring at the school for 28 seconds. "I told you to cover it up." He says faintly, I can barely hear him. "No one can see it you're exaggerating." I reply back turning to face him. He keeps his eyes focused on the school doors. "Half the class just saw it, Margot, that's more than no one. And by 5th block, it's gonna be half the school that knows about it." I sigh dropping my eyes to his hands. They're holding the keychain my dad got him from Boston. That's his dream or was I guess, to play I don't know anymore. But what I do know is that for as long as I can remember Monty has wanted to play for the Patriots. He said once he makes it to the NFL, he makes it to living. He hasn't been playing the same since he started smoking though, everyone just talks about how bad the team has gotten over the past year, and how Monty is the root of the problem. It's disgusting if you ask me. Monty was the only freshman to make the Varsity team in 10 years when he started here, 2 years later everyone in the school is saying he's the worst thing that happened to the team. I don't believe them, because I know Monty can play I've seen him play, he's amazing, but right now he's not himself.

"Do you have another shirt?" He says glancing over my body before moving his gaze down to his hands. "No," I respond. He's pissed off. He only ever asked me to take his jersey off one time since we broke up. When Celia made a big deal about the fact that we're not dating anymore and that I don't need to be wearing his jersey, but she does. That day Monty made me change, he left school early and took the jersey back home so no one could wear it. Fuck. I didn't mean to make him angry. It's not really that big of a deal, if anything everyone at our school thinks that we're hooking up still anyway.

"If anyone asks, it's not from me." He says point to the bruise that is peaking out the neckline of his jersey. "Yeah, okay." I say covering his hands with mine to keep him from fidgeting. God, I wish he'd just talk to me, yesterday I dreaded talking to him and the day before that even. But right now I just want to hear his voice. His eyes move up to even out with mine. My gaze drops to his lips and then back up to his eyes. "Margot, get out. I'm sick of this game that you're playing with me, with my feelings, I'm not doing it anymore." I sit there in shock for a solid minute before responding. "Doing what? I'm not trying to mess with your feelings." I reply quietly. "Just get out Margot," He says putting his keys in the car and starting it. "Where are you going?" I ask him, watching his tense movements. "Get out." He snaps back at me and I put my hand on the door, getting out of the car.