Stuck With The Four Hotties

“I don’t scare easily, I promise,” I say, and then a giant spider drops from the ceiling, and I scream again, dissolving into laughter. Windsor grins at me and holds his arms out, shedding a few dry ‘tea’ leaves from his costume.

“What do you think, milady? Didn’t I tell you I’d treat like you a princess? This whole place, this whole party, it’s for your pleasure.” He takes aContent is property © NôvelDrama.Org.

sweeping bow, and then stands back up. I’m grinning like crazy, but even as I’m writing his words off as being silly, I’m loving them, too.

“Did you get the pumpkins?” I ask, and he gives me this saucy look, like what do you think, your majesty? We head into the backyard to find more decorations hanging from the trees, giant spiderwebs stretching across the roof, and a series of tables with orange and black tablecloths. They’re covered in pumpkins, paint, carving tools, and all sorts of pattern books.

Since we skipped out on the school party this year (we’re third years, so like, way too cool for a party in the gym), we have time to hang out and carve jack-o-lanterns together before the other students show up.

Windsor sits beside me, turns his pumpkin around in a circle, sighs, and then glances my way.

“Love, I haven’t the faintest clue what you want me to do with this thing.” I grin, and reach over his lap to grab the pattern book lying next to him. Instead of simply letting me grab it, he pulls me into his lap, and we both just sit there for a minute. His mouth’s near my ear, and I shiver when he whispers against it. “I hope you enjoy your Halloween party.”

“I’m already enjoying it,” I whisper back, and then I help him pick a pattern from the book, pin it to the side of the pumpkin, and trace the lines with the little pinwheel. When it comes time to start cutting the top off and cleaning out the pumpkin’s guts, he ends up just wrapping his arms around my waist and letting me do the work.

I don’t even care. I love it.

I think the other boys are jealous. At least, I know Zayd is for sure. He brings me cider, and then cookies, and then sits super close to us on the left side. I don’t mind though. What I do mind, even though I try not to, is watching Lizzie and Tristan carve pumpkins side by side.

It scares me.

Even though it shouldn’t.

I focus instead on Windsor, and what’s turning out to be a spectacularly crappy jack-o-lantern. Doesn’t matter. Once it has the candle inside of it, and it’s all lit up, it’ll look great … from a distance.

We line the drive with our creations, and then open the gates for the crowd.

Everything is just fine until the ex-Bluebloods show up.

I exhale as I watch Harper, Becky, and Ileana step in through the open front doors, dressed as … well, I’m not really sure what they’re dressed as. They all look like dominatrices to me. Then I realize they’re all wearing badges, and holding batons, so I’m guessing they’re sexy cops?

How … original.

Harper sees me straight away, and smiles. Her new lush locks of strawberry blond hair flowing behind her. I swear to God, if it’s the last thing I do, those extensions are coming out. Bet they were pricey, too.

“You crashed my party, so I figured I’d crash yours, too,” she says, coming right up to me. I don’t back down, my tattoo throbbing (okay, so I know I’m imagining it, but I swear I can feel it), and the list burning a hole in my purse. If I close my eyes, I can see it.

Revenge On The Bluebloods of Burberry Prep

A list by Marnye Reed

The Girls: Harper du Pont, BeFky Platter, and Ileana Taittinger Their Cronies: Anna KirkpatriFk, Ebony Peterson, Gregory Van Horn,

Abigail Fanning, John Hannibal, Valentina Pitt, Sai Patel, Mayleen Zhang, Jalen Donner, Kiara Xiao, and Ben Thresher

The Plebs

Before I graduate Burberry, I will see every name on this list crossed off, burnt to ash, and blown away in the wind. Assholes. Every single person on that list (except the Plebs, but I have no idea how I’m going to deal with them) was on the boat at the lake.

Every. Single. One.

They were going to let Harper break my fingers and take away my ability to make music forever. They were going to let Greg and John and Ben sexually assault me. As far as I’m concerned, they’re all culpable. Besides, all the girls were in the pool that day. It wasn’t one pair of hands that pushed me under, it was many.

Many, many hands.

“Welcome,” Windsor says, appearing beside me, that special glint in his eyes that scared me from moment one. From the very first second he met the Bluebloods of Burberry Preparatory Academy, he was ready to thrown down. Looking at him now, I see that same focused energy that reminds me of a wolf on the prowl.

Windsor York is looking for prey.

“We hope you enjoy Marnye’s party,” he continues, grinning as Harper gives him a strange look. She knows something’s up, but she also knows that if she doesn’t make an appearance here, she’s done for. Ileana and Becky exchange looks behind her, but they don’t say anything before they move off to get drinks.

The other ex-Bluebloods-I’ve just started calling them the Company in my head because, like, Harper and Company makes sense to me-have already filtered into the crowd and disappeared.

My stomach twists as I see Kiara Xiao glaring at me, her angel costume leaning a bit more toward the devilish side, if you catch my drift. I’m not slut-shaming or anything, I’m just saying I don’t think angels wear tiny white bikinis and cowboy boots.

“Hey,” Windsor says, reaching up to brush his thumb acr

oss my lips. “Don’t let them get to you.”