“You’re going to look hot,” Tabitha said.
“I don’t care if I look hot,” Daisy said. “It’s cold out.”
The high school was already completely taken over by Halloween. Streamers, banners, spider webs, and all manner of decorations had exploded into each classroom and the halls.
Tabitha loved it. She loved everything to do with Halloween, even if her bestie wasn’t the most well-receiving of it.
It was lunchtime and even though there was a chill in the air, they rarely sat indoors to each lunch. She wore a sweater to ward off the cold.
Anthony, Miles, Rachel, and Markus were already at their table. Simon had decided to cut class to go and get stuff ready for tricks he wanted to play. Blaise, Constance, Damien, and John were also present. They were outsiders. They didn’t have MC parents, but they were close to them. They’d developed friendships with them along the way, and even though they didn’t wear the leather cut, they had their backs.
“Look at the little rebels,” Miles said.
“Bite me.” Tabitha glared at her brother.
Miles just burst out laughing. “I can’t believe Whizz called our dad. That was fucking cold!”
“Don’t I know it,” Tabitha said.
“It’s not funny,” Daisy said. “I’ve had my computer taken from me. I’ve only got my cell.”
Tabitha looked toward Anthony. While her Simon was back in Piston County, she got her kicks out of watching these two. She didn’t know if she was rooting for them, or wondering what would happen if they never got together. All of that was a problem for another day.
She had other things on her mind.
“Did I tell you some chick is trying to hit on Simon?”
“Piston Simon?” Miles asked.
“One and the same.”
“Are you thinking we need to take a trip to Piston County?”
This was what she loved about her brother. No matter how much laughing or joking he did, he always had her back.
“I think it could be. What do you guys say, a trip to Piston County?”
“Is this just for you guys?” Blaise asked.
This always put her on edge with the outsiders. It was hard.
“I don’t see why not,” Miles said. “You got to get your parents to agree to a sleepover and visiting another town.”
“Then I’m out,” John said. “At times, I’m lucky they haven’t thrown my ass in boarding school.”
Miles laughed. “We’ll send you postcards.”
“I’d like to,” Constance said. “My parents don’t give a shit. I’m up for getting out of this shithole.”
“Hey, this shithole is family,” Markus said.
Constance looked at him, brows lifted. “Yeah, for you, who lives in a nice place with a dentist mother. Not for me with a mom in and out of rehab and a dad who won’t let her move on. This is family to you, not to me. I’ve got you guys, that’s it.”
“You need some help with that shit?” Miles said.
“What shit?”
“Your family.”
“Nah, I’ve got it covered. It’s fine.”
“You need help, you tell us.”
“Will do.”
Tabitha looked at Miles, who continued to look at Constance. She had already turned away. After a few seconds, Miles averted his gaze but caught her staring. She offered him a smile and he glared. “The fuck you looking at?” he asked.
“I don’t know. You tell me.”
“As interesting as all this is, Dogs are approaching and Ryan looks mad,” Daisy said.
Glancing at her friend, she followed her gaze, and sure enough, the Dogs were on their way.
They all got to their feet. She and Daisy stood by Anthony’s side. They all had each other’s backs.
Some of the kids ran off in the opposite direction, clearly not wanting to be in the line of fire.
Tensed and ready, Tabitha watched.
Luke was at the head of the group. He always was. Ryan by his side.
“Do you think we were going to let that slide?” Luke asked.
“You don’t bring Quad business here,” Anthony said.
“Anything you got to say, you do so on Quad territory. You upset about getting your face rearranged, don’t be taking on fights you can’t win,” Miles said.
“Ah, they have to hide behind all the nice little rules. They’re a has-been club, baby. We should ignore them. They’re not worth our time.” This came from Daniella. She was a Dogs kid and considered the queen in her group.
Tabitha hated her. Daniella was a coward and had a reputation for taking her opponents from behind. It was the only way she could get ahead.
“We’re weak, as opposed to the Dogs who are made up of easy pussy and whores?” Tabitha asked.
Daniella glared at her. “Takes one to know one.”
“Don’t talk to her like that,” Daisy said.
“And what are you going to do about that?” Daniella asked. “You’re the fat useless one of the group. You’re not even a real Skull. You’re a kid no one wants, and I bet your ass is going to be passed around.”
Tabitha couldn’t allow this to spiral out, so she did what any self-respecting friend would do. Daniella had stepped close to their group, thinking school grounds made her safe. She reached out, grabbed her hair, pulled her close, and slammed her face against the bench tabletop, smearing food from the trays that were left.
“You want to say that again?” She lifted her head up and slammed it back down.
Daniella cried.
She didn’t have to worry about the Dogs rushing her. Her guys would keep everyone at bay, and that was why she landed a few more blows.
“Teacher coming.”
Her guys moved, and she threw Daniella at her people, blood coming from her nose and a cut on her head.
Tabitha felt no remorse. Taking hold of Daisy’s hand, she quickly looked all concerned.
“What is going on here?” Mr. Rivers asked.
“I don’t know. She slipped,” Daisy said, speaking up first. This did surprise Tabitha, but then her friend would always have her back.
“Yeah, man, she was coming onto Anthony, offering to suck his dick. I didn’t realize the Dogs weren’t packing good meat,” Miles said.
“That is enough from you,” Mr. Rivers said. “Daniella?”
Tabitha waited.
If she squealed, it would make their club look weak, and The Skulls would win.
Seconds passed.
“I slipped.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah, I slipped. I fell. You need to learn to get decent cleaning crews on this shit,” Daniella said.
Mr. Rivers looked insulted. “If that is all.” He turned on his heel and backed away.
“This isn’t over,” Luke said.
Tabitha shrugged. “You can count on it.”
The Skulls didn’t move. The Dogs were the first to leave, and she breathed a sigh of relief.
“Badass, Tabs.”
“You’re going to pay for that at the Quad,” Daisy said. “It’s not going to be good.”
“Don’t care. She had it coming. Anyone who talks shit to you like that needs to be taught a lesson.” Tabitha stopped talking as Anthony stood in front of Daisy. He reached out, cupped her cheek, and she waited.
No words were spoken.
Time stood still.
She nibbled on her lip, waiting.
Anthony stepped away, and the moment was gone.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Tabitha said.
Daisy frowned. “What?”
The bell rang and lunch was over.
Tabitha sighed. “Time to get to class. Meet me before last period.”
“PE, yay,” Daisy said, hugging her friend. “Don’t go hitting anyone else.”
“I won’t.”
They all headed back into the school. She loved how people stepped out of their way. The Skulls were feared even if the Dogs liked to think they owned the school.
Anthony and Miles left first, each of them dispersing down a separate corridor to their class. She now had English, and she entered the classroom, going toward the back, near the window.
She loved sitting near windows, staring outside at the passing world.
There was nothing more comforting to her.
Time passed.
Slowly.
She jumped as a book was slammed down on the table right beside her. Turning, she saw Luke sitting right beside her.
“This seat is taken,” she said.
“Not today.”
“Leave.”
“Not happening.”
“You think this is going to go well for you? My crew will eat you alive.”
“And after that little show, I figured you were a hard-ass who didn’t need anyone at her back.”
“I don’t.”
The teacher watched them and she knew she couldn’t allow this to happen.
“Go on, try it. You think any of the teachers are going to interfere with our stuff? They’re too fucking afraid to be caught up in the line of fire.”
“You want to declare war here?”
“We were at the Quad. You shouldn’t have been there.”
“There’s no such rule to state only one of us can be there at any one time. Don’t try to make possessive claims that don’t belong.”
“We were having fun.”
“No one would take on your psycho. Our psycho did, and you don’t like it.”
Luke grabbed her arm and before she could stop him, he dragged her right out of the classroom. No one stopped him.
This was one of the few classes she didn’t share with her crew. The only class with Luke.
Fuck!
“Let go of me.”
This guy was strong. She wasn’t used to being overpowered. The few guys she had fought hadn’t been this strong, or they’d gone easy on her because she was a girl.
He threw her into a bathroom and she caught herself up against the wall, putting her hands out to stop her from impact.
She turned and glared at him. “Are you feeling like a big tough guy?” She slapped her hands together in applause. “Look at you, throwing me around.”
He advanced on her, his hands slamming either side of her head. She didn’t flinch, didn’t even move.
“I’m trying to make it to graduation alive,” he said.
“You’ve got two whole years to keep on fighting. We’ll go easy on you.”
“Dammit, Tabby, not this again.”
She slammed her fist against his gut, but he didn’t show any sign of that even hurting. “Do not call me Tabby.” There was only one person who called her Tabby, and he was in Piston County right now.
Luke smiled. “Why, what are you going to do about it?”
He was pulled off her and she saw Anthony waiting. He threw Luke against the sinks.
No words.
Just actions.
Luke got to his feet with a laugh. “I should have known you’d be here.”
“You think you can make a move on our girl and get away with it?” Miles came in.
Tabitha was even surprised to see Daisy standing there, arms folded. They all looked pissed. Rachel was there, Markus, even Constance, Blaise, Damien, and John.
Luke held his hands up. “Wow, can’t even have a conversation without everyone. Is that what you all do? One big fucking orgy?”
Anthony struck him again.
Tabitha put a hand on his shoulder. He gave no sign of being distressed or pissed off. This was Anthony. Calm. Like it was merely an action. Nothing more.
Daisy stepped forward. “Walk away.”
Luke glanced at Daisy before returning his gaze to hers. Tabitha folded her arms, waiting. She always thought Ryan was the stupid one.
“I suggest you leave school for the day,” Miles said. “We wouldn’t want anything bad to happen to you.”
“And you’re saying it would if I stay here?”
“We can’t guarantee your safety,” Daisy said.
“What you did was stupid,” Tabitha said.
“No, but I also know someone in class has it in for the Dogs. Don’t you see it? The school is divided. I was just curious to see which way it would fall.”
“Don’t fuck with my sister and get out,” Miles said.
Luke smirked. “Until next time, Tabby.”
She went to defend her name but Daisy was there, holding her back.
Luke left the bathroom and now Tabitha turned to her friends.
“What the hell?” she asked.
“Don’t talk to us like that,” Miles said. “Do you have any idea what he could have done to you? How hurt you could have been? Next time, you don’t go with him willingly.”
She laughed. “You think I went with him willingly?”
“He’s strong,” Anthony said.
“I had it handled.”
“Did you?” Daisy asked. “From where I was standing, it looked like he was the one in control. You, you were waiting for him to strike.”
Tabitha shrugged. “You can believe me or not, I don’t care. I’m telling you I had it handled. There was no way he was going to get past me.”
“Why does he want to know about the school?” Rachel asked, coming further into the room.
“We better head back to class,” Tabitha said.
“We need to meet up about this,” Miles said, looking toward Anthony.
“Agreed,” Daisy said.
“No!” Tabitha sliced her hand through the air. She’d heard enough. “Have you ever thought this is exactly what he wanted? Luke … he’s not like Ryan. If this was fuckface, I’d say we’ve got to worry about his deal, but he’s not. He’s different. We all know this. No, I think this is him fucking with us. Trying to distract us. We don’t bite. That’s what we do.”
“You’re sure?” Daisy asked. “You seem to know Luke better than anyone.”
“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing. Wow, you’re the one who has told us you keep an eye on shit like this. No need to be a bitch.” Daisy shook her head and stormed out of the bathroom.
Tabitha winced. She had told the crew that, and now, fuck, she’d been mean.
“I’ll let you deal with that problem.”
One by one, her friends left until there was only her and Anthony.
“I didn’t mean to bite her head off.”
Silence.
She tapped her foot, impatient. “For fuck’s sake, Anthony, tell me what you’ve got to say and then we can move on.”
“You’ve got to learn to be careful,” he said. “I don’t trust the Dogs. We know their club is wrapped up in illegal shit. When we’re old enough, the club will be ours, unless you’ve made your decision about moving to Chaos Bleeds.”
“The club will be yours, Anthony. I’m not going to be your old lady.”
He wrinkled his nose.
“Nice to know what you think of me.”
“Be careful and make it right with Daisy.” He stepped out of the bathroom.
Alone, she wrapped her arms around herself, wincing. Being thrown against a wall had hurt. She’d have a few bruises.
Leaning against the same wall, she tilted her head back and stared up at the ceiling. The Skulls, the club, this wasn’t supposed to be so complicated.
“Fuck it, it’s too soon to make any kind of decision right now.”
Out of habit, she washed her hands, dried them, and headed back to English. Luke was still there and the teacher paused as Tabitha entered.
She kept her head held high and made her way to her window seat, right next to Luke.
Sitting down, she waited.
The teacher continued to teach the class.
A piece of paper was slid across to her.
She ignored it.
Luke pressed a finger on top.
Picking it up, she opened to find his note.
Are you okay? I didn’t mean to hurt you.
There was no way she was going to justify an answer. Closing the note, she slid it right back to him.
Watching the teacher, she couldn’t hear what he was saying. Holding her pencil, she copied everything off the board and she’d have to go over everything with Darcy, who was no longer in school because she was happily married to Ink and was still in recovery. She was another friend she wished was still in school.
She stifled a yawn but the note was slid right back to her.
Don’t ignore me. It’s rude.
Was this guy for real?
She didn’t respond.
Again, he scribbled.
If you don’t respond, I’ll make another scene.
She responded.
Make a scene. I don’t care.
Are you okay?
This is pathetic. I’m not talking to you.
I didn’t mean to hurt you.
It takes a lot more than being thrown into a wall to hurt me.
I’m sorry.
You’re sounding like a pussy now. I’m bored.
She slid the note over for him to read. Before he could respond, she snatched it back and tore it up. There, done.
The bell rang, and Tabitha was more than happy to get the hell out of there. She met up with Daisy and they hugged. Her best friend couldn’t stay mad at her for too long, which she was thankful for. So long as she had Daisy, she’d be fine. Her best friend meant the world to her.
****
Eva, her mother, had gone all out in the Halloween decorations this year. Standing at the front gate, she laughed at the gravestones and the coffins with arms peeking out.
“You think this is too much?”
“Not at all. In fact, you better have a whole lot of candy ready. I just know we’re going to get a lot of visitors.”
“It was Angel’s idea. Each of The Skulls with a yard have decorated the whole house.”
She wasn’t surprised about it being Angel. Being the club president’s old lady, she’d brought it on herself to start working toward a better image to all of the people of Fort Wills. Angel worked so hard. She offered charity runs throughout town, helped with fairs, created food competitions, and anything with a fun edge, she was there.
For the most part, it worked.
“Look at you,” Eva said, holding her arms out.
“Mom, don’t.” She stepped into her mom’s arms, accepting her kiss to the cheek.
“You look stunning.”
She’d gotten a costume of an eighteenth-century woman, complete with a corset. To help turn it into a Halloween costume, Daisy had helped her to tear the fabric, adding on some fake blood, and of course, there was more risqué with her boobs pressed tight and up.
She looked good.
She knew she did.
“It’s a good thing Simon’s busy. Dad wouldn’t let you out because he’d know all the kinds of naughty you’d get into.”
“Oh, enough with you, Tate,” Eva said.
Tate, her older sister, laughed.
“What do you think?”
“You know I think you look beautiful, and you do.” Tate came toward her, hugging her tightly.
Once again, Tate was heavily pregnant. There were so many babies being born, it was hard to keep up with all the latest developments.
“Is Daisy ever going to come down?”
Just then, Daisy, complete in a nurse’s uniform and long white socks, came downstairs.
Tabitha knew she was going to have to talk with Lash or Anthony about Daisy. When they’d been changing, she’d caught sight of Daisy’s back and had seen a couple of bruises. One of which looked like it came from a foot, which said it had to be her biological dad. There was no way Whizz would do something like that, and no one at school would even dare touch her. They would have known if anything happened to her.
With the nurse’s uniform, there were slashes across her arm, her face was heavily made up, and her long brown hair had been curled. Anthony was going to lose it.
“Wow, I mean, wow,” Tate said.
Daisy stood, wrapping an arm around her middle, where more exposed flesh with claw marks lay.
“This is stupid. We’re sixteen. Do we need to dress up?”
“We’re going to be,” Eva said. “I’m manning the door here until nine, and then at the clubhouse, there’s going to be one hell of a party. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”
Daisy raised her brow, looking toward Tabitha.
“Do not think we won’t be back to check on your guys. We will. If you’re not home when we get back, your asses will be on the line.”
Tate rolled her eyes and laughed. “Keep an eye on Simon for me, will you? Ugh, I’m sounding like a mom myself.”
Tabitha laughed. “I will, and I hate to break it to you, you are a mom.”
“I know but I remember when I was cool. When I didn’t ask for my son to make me a grandma before my time.” Tate shook her head. “Get out. Get out before I have a meltdown.”
Tabitha grabbed two jackets as she laughed, but stopped, looking back at her mom.
“Mom, do you have any pictures of Lexie pregnant?”
“Of course.”
“Do you have any where she was pregnant with Simon?”
Eva seemed to freeze. Even Tate coughed on her drink.
“Honey, why do you ask?”
“Simon and I were talking. It’s nothing. I’m just curious.”
“Lexie and I didn’t know each other well enough when she had Simon.”
She nodded.
“Have a good night.”
She and Daisy left the house, heading down the yard, where ghoul and ghost sounds came from the trigger sensor.
“That was odd,” Daisy said.
“What?”
“She referred to Simon as having him, not being pregnant with him.”
“Why is that odd?”
“I don’t know. Don’t you think they acted weirdly?”
“I do. It was strange, wasn’t it?”
“Why do you think they’re behaving that way? Do you think Simon is adopted?” Daisy asked.
“Nah, he looks exactly like Devil. Remember?”
“True.”
“Lexie can also have a lot of kids. We know, we’ve taken care of half of her population.”
Daisy laughed. “What is with all the secrecy though?”
“Not a clue, but it makes me want to find out.”
“Do you think I should try some hacking?” Daisy asked.
“Well, well, well, you’re in a good mood. It’s about time.”
“Don’t spoil it for me, then. Yes, I’m in a good mood. I am happy.” She took a deep breath. “I don’t like my costume but rather than be pissed about it, I’m going to embrace it.”
“Will you be dancing tonight?” Tabitha asked.
“If you ask.”
“And what if Anthony asks?”
“Don’t. We’re friends. That’s all this will ever be.”
“But if you and Anthony get together, that would put you in Angel’s position.”
“Tabitha, that is going to be your place. You’re the queen here. If Tiny had still been the president of the club, Miles would probably be the first one in line.”
“Don’t forget they have to prove themselves, and my brother isn’t like Anthony. He’s too hot-headed.”
“You and Miles are certainly hot and cold. Did you see the way he looked at Constance?”
“So you can see it in other guys looking at other girls, but not when they’re looking at you?”
“Don’t start. Anthony and I are friends. We’re not going to be anything else. Stop pushing it.”
Tabitha linked arms with her friend. “I will stop for tonight, but one day, you’re going to see just how right I am.”
“Until then, let’s just have a lot of fun.”
“You’re talking about fun. What have you done with my best friend?” Tabitha giggled, resting her head on her shoulder.
“I’ve decided it’s Halloween and I’m going to be taking a personal day off. I’m not going to think. I’m just going to be like every other sixteen-year-old who has finally gotten off grounding.”
“You’re going to drink way too much and make sure our parents wished they never let us out of the house.”
“You’ve got it.”
They both laughed and giggled together. “I love this.”
“Me too,” Daisy said with a sigh.
They got to the edge of the road and they didn’t need to go far as Anthony arrived, complete with the crew. Miles, Simon, and even Michael were all in the back of the truck.
“You’re driving tonight?” Tabitha asked.
Anthony was dressed as a doctor zombie. Her brother looked like a pirate, and Michael just looked the same. She couldn’t see Rachel’s outfit or Markus.
“Get in, sis, come on. Don’t leave us standing around. We’ve got chicks to go find.”
Rolling her eyes, she opened the door. “Doctor’s first,” she said, helping Daisy up into the truck. Her best friend looked like she wanted to say something else. “Fun, remember?”
Daisy climbed up, taking the seat right next to Anthony. She followed inside, closing the door.
“Did you bring any booze?” Tabitha asked.
Miles stuck his head through the window. “Please, we know what our parents are like. Hypocrites to the end. We snuck it into the school.”
Tabitha chuckled.
“Who’s driving tonight?” Daisy asked.
“Don’t worry about a thing. We’ve all got a plan.” Miles patted her arm as if that was in any way offering comfort.
“He knows that freaks me out, right?”
“It’s my brother. Don’t expect anything he does to make any kind of sense.”
They were all laughing, apart from Anthony, who was focused on driving or not irritating Daisy. She didn’t exactly know what. Her cell phone was concealed in one of the secret pockets she was told about. She missed Simon. Most of the Halloweens, he was around to keep her company and she found today was hard for her. She wanted to be with him. Tapping her fingers on the doorframe, she tried to look forward to the party.
It was hard.
“Tonight is going to be kickass!” Miles screamed from the top of his lungs as if the whole world was supposed to hear him.
“Has he already been drinking?” Daisy asked.
Anthony nodded.
“It’s going to be one hell of a night,” Tabitha said.
Arriving at the high school twenty minutes later, Anthony parked the car on the edge of the lot, giving them plenty of room to make an escape if needed.
Climbing out of the car, Daisy needed a little help as the skirt was so short and she didn’t want to show off her panties to the rest of the world. “You had to pick the most risqué and daring skirt around,” Tabitha said.
Daisy chuckled. “You helped me to pick.”
Screams, laughter, and music all came from the school.
Staring up at the imposing building, Tabitha experienced the yearning deep in her heart for Simon. She always tried to ignore it because usually the fear of having to deal with questions, to have answers, to know what she wanted, was tough. To have Simon, she was going to have to make a choice.
“It’s going to be crazy,” Miles said, taking the lead as they headed into the school. There were already couples making out on the hoods of their cars.
Daisy put a hand through hers. “I hate this.”
“Fun, remember?”
“Yeah, well, I don’t like scary things.”
“I thought you loved Halloween.”
“I do. Movie marathons, silly candy, and names for food. I like the kiddy stuff.”
“This is going to be fun.”
They entered the school and a life-sized zombie doll dropped down from the doorway, causing Daisy to scream.
“I’m going to need a drink.”
Kids were walking through the halls as there was supposed to be a haunted theme.
“There’s a dance with food and drinks at the main hall,” Tabitha said. “I’m going to head to the bathroom. I’ll join you?”
“Sure.” Daisy kissed her cheek and took off. Her friend knew what she wanted to do.
Anthony was already following after her. Her brother and the others were gone to enjoy their own stuff.
Taking a deep breath, she felt off about the whole thing, not connected.
She watched her friends, hoping Daisy finally realized Anthony’s feelings for her and didn’t dismiss them.
Still, it was a hard one.
She turned and headed toward one of the bathrooms. It was empty, and she went straight to the sinks, turning on the water and splashing her neck rather than her face.
Looking up, she stared at her reflection. She looked sad.
Stepping away, she made her way into one of the stalls and pulled out her cell phone. Picking the video option, she pulled up Simon’s number. There was a chance he wouldn’t answer. He did warn her how involved he planned to be with Halloween. She wished she’d offered to go and see him, but with the grounding, there was no way that was going to happen. She was lucky to be going out at all, and she knew if it hadn’t been for Anthony, she’d still be grounded and enjoying a night like the one Daisy wanted.
“Hey, babe,” Simon said, accepting her call.
He wasn’t in his home and she saw past his shoulders, the streets of Piston County where he lived. His home was in a nice neighborhood. She’d visited him a couple of times. More often than not, Chaos Bleeds came to Fort Wills rather than the other way around.
“Hey,” she said, hating how alone she felt.
“What’s up?” Simon’s smile was instantly replaced with concern.
“Nothing.”
“Don’t say that to me. I know you.”
She took a breath. “You know me so well.”
“Always. Talk to me.”
“It’s nothing. Honestly, I don’t get it.” She ran fingers through her hair. “I don’t know. It’s Halloween and I think it has been so long since you’ve been here.”
“I’m missing you too. Where are you?”
“The school bathroom. The others have gone, fingers crossed, dancing and having fun.”
“I command you to have fun.”
She snorted. “You command me?”
“Yeah, I command you. I wish I was there but I’ve got to stick around here and make sure it all works. I want you to have fun. You’ve got a right to it. Take pictures. Send them to me. I want to see it all as if I was there.”
“Simon, come on,” a young girl said. His phone jerked as his arm was pulled.
“Go, I will go and do as you command.”
“Good. You deserve to have some fun and I want to hear all about it.”
“I will, sir!” She saluted him.
“Love you.”
“Love you too.” She hung up the phone and sighed, sitting on the toilet. She pocketed her cell phone and held in a groan as the doors opened.
“He’s just so dreamy. I get that he has the whole bad boy vibe, but come on. I would so do anything for Anthony. I would love to see his head between my thighs, if you know what I mean.”
Tabitha frowned. She didn’t recognize the voice.
“I don’t know how you can make a choice. Think about Luke,” another girl said.
“One of the Dogs?”
“Yeah, I hear he’s a monster in the sack.”
She rolled her eyes. Seriously. They were talking about Anthony and Luke. Ugh.
“What about Miles? I hear Louise had sex with him and she said it was the best she’d ever had.”
She was going to be sick, really throw up.
“Come on, who do you think is better, The Skulls or the Monster Dogs?”
She’d heard enough.
Flushing the toilet, she let herself out of the bathroom to see four girls. Two of which she recognized from class but didn’t actually know their names.
She washed her hands, loving the tension that mounted.
The urge to pummel both of them was strong. Instead, she dried her hands on a towel.
Turning back to the group, she smiled. “It’s your lucky night. I catch you talking shit about my guys or my club again, you’re all going to be mourning the loss of your pretty faces after I mangle them. Happy Halloween.” She turned on her heel and walked out the door, heading toward the dance floor.
She found Miles and Daisy dancing while Anthony was on the sidelines.
Did she have to do everything herself? She was going to have to beat up her brother.
“You didn’t ask her to dance?” Tabitha asked.
“How is Simon?”
“Don’t change the question.”
“I don’t dance.”
“Now you do.” She grabbed Anthony’s hand and pulled him onto the floor. She kept hold of his hands and moved them in a choo-choo train effect.
“You’re mocking me.”
“Dance.” She threw her hands up in the air and danced.
“I don’t think ladies danced like that back then.” He pointed at her costume.
She laughed. “Come on, guys, let’s take a pic for Simon.” She pulled her camera out. Daisy, Anthony, and Miles got in on the action. She stuck her tongue out, and it flashed.
“Dance with me.” She stole Miles and urged Daisy into Anthony’s arms.
“You’ve got to stop playing matchmaker, sis. It’s not fair.”
“You’re not going to touch Daisy because you know he’ll break your legs. Why do you keep insisting on coming between them? It’s not fair.”
“No, what’s not fair is you clearly not seeing that Daisy is oblivious to all the shit you want her to see.”
She and Miles turned in a circle.
“And what, I should just allow them to make their own mistakes?”
“Yeah.”
“What if Daisy starts dating someone else?”
“Then Anthony will either kill the guy or make sure she doesn’t date him for long. You’ve got to stop trying to protect them both. They’re teenagers. Let them have some fun.” Miles hugged her close and she looked toward her best friend.
She was laughing but was in Anthony’s arms. They were so perfect together. She didn’t know why her friend didn’t see it.
“Look at them,” she said.
“Daisy is having fun. She’s already had a drink. Come morning, she’s going to be a bitch again. Let them work their shit out at their own time. You don’t need to keep helping them with this.”
The dance ended and Tabitha moved away from the dance floor. She was thankful Anthony didn’t allow Daisy to go.
She took her cell phone and started to snap pictures to share with Simon later.
Folding her arms, she watched the dancing and decided against being a lone partner. She wasn’t going to be dancing with anyone but Simon. She had promised him all of her dances years ago.
Leaving the main hall, she started to wander down the corridor. Guys and girls were all laughing, drinking, making out, and having fun.
Sure, there was a lot of spookiness going on.
“I didn’t think you’d be left alone,” Luke said.
She turned to see him complete with vampire teeth but wearing leather. His hair was spiked, and blood spatter was on his clothing.
“Are you following me?”
“Nope.”
“Good, then leave.”
“I’m curious as to why you’re all on your own.”
“I’m not on my own and if any of my crew see you with me, they’re just desperate for a fight.”
Luke chuckled. “You think I’m scared of them?”
“What is this?” she asked. “Do you have some kind of secret crush on me, is that it?” She wasn’t in the mood to deal with any shit. Her heart would always belong to Simon.
Nothing and no one was going to change that. Not even this guy.
“You think because I find you pretty I have some kind of crush?”
“Oh, so you find me pretty. Good to know.” She rolled her eyes and kept on walking.
“You’ve got an attitude, you know that?”
“Yep.” She wasn’t about to deny something she certainly knew to be true. She had an attitude when it came to opposing clubs.
The Skulls and Monster Dogs MC should never have crossed paths. She wasn’t an idiot. She knew this. Everyone did, and the only reason they did cross paths was because of the school change. Her parents hadn’t wanted her or Miles to go, but Lash and Angel had no problem sending Anthony.
Everything went fine, so long as the two clubs didn’t mix. So far, their parental counterpart had yet to be caught in the same room. She truly believed for parents-teacher night, the school arranged for different days so nothing bad would happen.
Just because The Skulls currently had a deal going which meant they weren’t involved in any kind of criminal activity didn’t mean they weren’t able to fight. In fact, there were a couple of times she’d snuck down when her dad, Tiny, had arrived back on a couple of the rides where they had to protect people, and he’d been pretty banged up. Bruises and bleeding, all sorts of problems. There had even been a couple of the guys who ended up in the hospital. Tabitha wasn’t an idiot. To the outside world, people believed The Skulls had gone soft. They hadn’t. They’d turned their skills towards actually helping people, rather than hurting them. The danger was still there and they put themselves in it on a regular basis, but again, she understood why. She’d seen some of the women and children, even men who they rescued, who needed their help. None of them were ever in a good way and on most occasions, serious therapy was required as well.
“You know, you don’t have to be a bitch.”
She stopped outside of a classroom and saw more people making out, even as spooky noises played in the background.
“Nice of you to be able to tell me that.” She patted his arm.
“You know Ryan wants to get the jump on Anthony,” Luke said.
This made her pause and turn toward him. “You do know by telling me this, in a way, you’re picking sides.”
“I’m not. I’m trying to get through high school. I didn’t want this, and I doubt you did as well.”
She ran her fingers through her hair. “When?”
“I’m not telling you that.”
“By the jump, I’m guessing you mean he intends to play dirty?” she asked.
Luke nodded.
He didn’t have to tell her.
“Thank you.”
“No problem. You want me to escort you back to the dance floor? It’s not good you being around all by yourself.”
“I’m not. I’ve got you. My little white knight,” she said.
“Be careful, Tabs,” he said. “You never know who is watching.”
“I know.” She stepped past him but paused. “Thank you.”
“I’m just trying to get through the school year.” He escorted her back to the dance floor and she stepped inside. When she turned to talk to him again, he was gone.
Fine. Ryan was going to put the jump on Anthony. She had the warning clear.
Glancing across the dance floor, she smiled at her friends. She hadn’t drunk anything but it was clear Daisy had. Her best friend was all relaxed.
She doubted for even a second Anthony had drunk anything. The guy was a master of control.
Folding her arms, she waited, watching everything play out. They all looked so happy.
Miles was the first one to come toward her.
“Come on, everyone is heading out by the lake for some fun.” He kissed her head as Daisy stumbled toward her.
“Let’s go to the lake.”
“Are you sure this is a good idea?” she asked.
“Hell, yeah, it’s a great idea.” Daisy took her hands and spun her around.
Bursting out laughing, Tabitha felt a kick to her stomach. She missed her best friend being like this so much. One day soon, she was going to get to the bottom of what was going on inside that head of hers.
“We can’t stay too long,” she said, being the voice of reason for a change.
Daisy snorted. “Come on, it’s going to be a lot of fun. I can’t wait.” She let out a whoop, spinning around, and Anthony caught her.
“No more alcohol for you,” Miles said.
“Spoilsport. For the first time in like forever, I’m being fun and you guys want to take it away from me. No fun at all.” She blew a raspberry.
After climbing into Anthony’s car, Miles settled in the back to keep an eye on Daisy. They took off out of the school and the moment the building was behind them, she took a deep breath. They’d made it through Halloween without a single fight or problem. Progress.
They were headed just out of town toward the small lake that was often the site for families. There were always some kids who parked not too far to make out as it was secluded by the local woods and wildlife. Fort Wills had tried to build itself in the past few years as some kind of wildlife expert, especially since The Skulls hadn’t brought any real trouble to town.
Anthony parked and out they all went. Blaise, Constance, Markus, Damien, and John also joined. Rachel and Simon weren’t too far behind either.
John set up a small fire while Simon produced more alcohol. When he went to give the whiskey bottle to Daisy, Anthony took it from him, offering her some soda instead. Markus turned up the music from one of the cars, and that was it, they were all on their feet, dancing around the campfire. Along with Daisy, Tabitha kicked off her shoes.
Letting the music fill the night air, Tabitha threw her hands up in the air, closed her eyes, swayed her hips, and just let go.
There was no trouble, no danger, no acts, just her. She didn’t have to worry about what the future was going to hold.
She was just a singular person.
Daisy started singing along to the words and Tabitha burst out laughing, joining her. Gravitating toward her, they held hands, screaming out the words, slowing down, staring into each other’s eyes. The grass felt so good between their toes. When the song went loud and shouted, they joined in, stamping their food, emphasizing what they were doing and then both burst out laughing as the song ended and another started.
Taking a deep breath, they collapsed on the ground as the others continued to dance and drink.
“Thank you,” Daisy said.
“What for?”
“For making me come out tonight. I loved it.”
They were laid out on the ground and Tabitha was aware Anthony watched Daisy. He never stopped, not since they were a kid.
Turning her head, she stared at her friend, kissing her cheek. “Anytime. Tomorrow, you’re going to tell me why you’re always so sad.”
Daisy sighed and tears sprang to her eyes. She licked her lips. “It’s him again. He is…” She sniffed. “I don’t want Whizz to hate having me. I know I’m not a great kid, nothing special.”
Tabitha cupped her face. “Shut up. Don’t start. Don’t even for a second think like that. You’re amazing. Whizz and Lacey know how good and lucky they are to have you.”
Daisy nodded but the tears started to fall and then she curled up in a ball and started to sob.
Sitting up, Tabitha pulled her onto her lap and stroked her hair. “I’ve got you.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine.”
“No, it’s not. I can’t stand it, Tabs. Whenever my cell phone rings, I’m scared. I can’t stand him. I don’t want him to be around me anymore. Can’t he just leave me alone? I’ve done nothing to him and all he keeps doing is invading my peace. I don’t know how much I can take.”
Tabitha stroked her hair, holding her close. Staring across at Anthony, there was no doubt in her mind what was going to happen. He watched Daisy.
There was nothing different about his face, but something in his eyes flashed. He’d heard Daisy’s confession, the pain in her voice. The grief and the finality to her. Her father, the man who’d donated sperm, he was going to get one hell of a visit, but she wasn’t going to tell him not to.
If he lived through it, he would get what was coming to him.
No one hurt one of their own and lived to tell the tale.
“It’s going to be okay.”