Savage Games: An Academy Bully Romance (Bastards of Boulder Cove Book 1) Read online

  He’s right there; it is an impressive view. Rolling hills and sharp peaks that kiss the sky. A mix of greens, while autumn colors of fire red and burnt orange manifest in the distance. It’s something straight off a postcard, but the Academy itself is nothing I want to write home about. Therefore, I grumble at his words.

  A guy interrupts Dad’s spiel about this outlandish place, joining us with a broad smile on his face. He’s about the same height as Crew and Jagger—roughly six-foot—with a smaller frame. Not skin and bones, but also not muscled and toned. He looks young, and I assume he’s a student here since he’s wearing a teal polo shirt with the Boulder Cove Academy logo stitched on the pocket. “Good evening,” he says, extending a hand to my dad, “I’m Elias, and I’ll be Scarlett’s tour guide.”

  My head immediately shakes no while Mom gives me a ‘knock it off’ look. “I appreciate that, but I’ll be fine.”

  “Scarlett,” Dad scoffs, “you really should have someone show you around. It’s easy to get lost here.”

  “Dad,” I say with contempt in my tone, “I’ll be perfectly fine. Besides, I have a roommate, and I’m sure she’ll show me the ropes.”

  Dad blows out a heavy breath. “Have it your way.”

  Elias nods in response, eyebrows raised. “Okay, then. I guess I’ll just load up the cart and leave your things outside your dorm room.”

  “Thank you very much, Elias,” I say, kindly.

  Hugging myself, I look around and take it all in. It’s much colder than I expected. I credit the chill in the air to the abundance of trees and mountains hiding the sun. It’s dark here, almost eerily so.

  Chills shimmy down my spine as soon as the car door latches shut. With them comes a weight on my chest that’s suffocating.

  I never intended to attend Boulder Cove Academy, let alone enroll for my final year of high school. Most of the kids who come here do so during their junior year. I’ve always done things ass-backward, though, so why should that change now?

  “This is where we say goodbye.” Mom pulls me in for a hug, a tear falling down her cheek and onto the shoulder of my black Led Zeppelin tee shirt.

  I’d love more than anything for them to come up to my room and help me settle in, but it’s against the rules—no communication with anyone outside of the Academy during our stay here. That’s just one on a long list of ridiculous rules. I’m sure I’ll break a few of them during my time here. Who am I kidding? I’ll end up breaking them all and getting me and my family abolished from the whole damn Society.

  Now, there’s an idea.

  Mom steps back, and I place my hands on her shoulders, looking her in the eye. “I’ll be fine.” I’m not sure who I’m trying to convince, her or myself.

  Her head lifts, and she nods, wiping away the moisture from her eyes. “You will. And like your dad said, this is a good thing. You’re going to come out of this stronger than ever.” Her eyes slide over to my dad, who’s helping Elias load my bags onto a luggage cart. Nodding to the left, she takes my hand and pulls me around the car. “Listen, Scarlett.” Her hushed tone is unnerving. “Find your person. Stick with them. Never leave the dorms alone at night. Respect the staff and…” She stops, lips pursed.

  The contempt in her tone, along with her worrisome expression, has me on edge. “And what?”

  “Be wary of The Lawless. It doesn’t matter that you know them outside of the Academy, they will not be the same people here. Times have changed since your dad and I attended, but the Lawless know their power and they use it to their advantage.”

  I almost laugh. Times have changed? No, Dear Mother, times have not changed as much as you’d like to think. The new Lawless—aka Crew, Jagger, and Neo—have always known they’d take the throne at BCA, considering their parents were also at the top of the Society’s hierarchy, along with my dad. All of our dads grew up together, the same way Crew, Jagger, and Neo have. I’ve always been the girl in their way. Even Maddie was accepted by them—then again, she is part of the Saint family—but for some reason, they’ve always viewed me as a threat.

  Over the years, their egos have only inflated. They’re also the reason I fought to avoid this place. That is until they did everything in their power to get me here. Unfortunately, they got what they wanted.

  “Don’t worry about me, Mom. I can handle the Lawless.”

  A smile parts her lips. “I don’t doubt that for a minute. You’re one of the strongest girls I know, Scarlett, and you’re destined for great things.”

  If only that were true. When you’re made out to be something you’re not and everyone believes it, you start to believe it, too.

  Crew, Jagger, and Neo are the reason for my demise. They had this diabolical plan to get me to the Academy, so they could toy with me. They’ve never liked me because of their jealousy of my friendship with Maddie—even when we were kids, they’d find ways to prove I was beneath them, especially Neo. Maddie’s loyalty lay with me, and he hated it. After her accident, his hatred for me spread and grew like an invasive weed, making itself comfortable in every crack and crevice of my life.

  Even miles apart, Neo tried to screw with me, while using his minions to do his dirty work. The worst of it started with a cheat sheet for our exams they shared to my social media sophomore year. When my punishment for that wasn’t good enough, they hit harder. A couple weeks later, three thousand dollars’ worth of stolen school property was found in my locker. That was my first high school, the one I attended with them and Maddie. I was expelled the next day. As for punishment by law enforcement, my parents handled it.

  In a matter of days, I went from being a socialite to a shrinking violet. The thing is, I sort of like dead flowers, and no one will ever change who I am or what I intend to become.

  My second expulsion, at the end of my junior year, was the fire, which brought me here.

  Dad returns and reaches into the trunk of the car, pulling out my snowboarding bag. “Take this.”

  My head immediately shakes no. “I won’t be needing that.”

  He tries again. “Just take it. You never know when you might need it. The mountains here are a dream for someone with your skills on the slopes.”

  My gaze is lost on the mountains over his shoulder. They might be a dream, but they aren’t my dream. Not anymore.

  Dad drops the bag to his side and blows out a heavy breath before disappearing behind me.

  “I’ll miss you,” Mom says, wrapping her arms around my neck for one last goodbye.

  “I’ll miss you, too.”

  Dad and I say our goodbyes, and he apologizes again for not getting me into a better dorm room. Apparently, since I’m coming in late, the rooms were full and no matter how big of a donation he made, my accommodations couldn’t be upgraded. I’ll be staying in a simple dorm, much like a college one, with a communal bathroom and kitchen.

  Before I know it, I’m standing there alone, in front of the massive building, feeling like the ground could swallow me up and no one would even know I was gone.

  I’m lost. I’ve been here twenty minutes and I’m already fucking lost.

  Pinching the map in both hands, I try to pinpoint my location, but it’s useless. I don't know what this means. The Foxes' Den is the girls’ dormitory I’ll be staying in, which I should have run into at least a quarter mile back.

  A drop of wetness hits my cheek, and I curse Mother Nature. “Dammit!” I dig the toe of my black Converse shoe into the dirt path, kicking up soggy leaves and rocks while throwing a little hissy fit.

  Everything is fine. I’ve got this.

  Okay. I passed Falcons’ Nest, which is the other girls’ dorm, and it looks like a luxurious mansion.

  I stayed on the path as the map instructed me to do.

  Then I took a left.

  “Son of a bitch.” I walk forward a few steps until I see another dorm. Only the wooden plaque out front does not say Foxes' Den. Instead, it says Vultures’ Roost, which is one of the boys' dorms.

>   I was never supposed to go left. I should have gone right. Dammit, I should have just accepted Elias’s help.

  Stupid, stupid maze of a campus!

  Spinning around to backtrack and try this again, I come face to face with a couple of girls wearing teal plaid skirts with matching polos and knee-high socks.

  “Lost already?” the tall blonde says as she pops open an umbrella. She’s like something straight out of a Cosmo magazine. At least three inches taller than me, tan legs, and flawless skin surrounding her bright blue eyes.

  “I…yeah, I think I am.” I squint at her. “Do I know you?”

  “No. But we know you. Everyone does. You’re Scarlett Sunder. Forgive me for my lack of manners.” She extends her hand. “I’m Melody, and this is my best friend, Hannah.”

  I give her hand a subtle shake while my eyes skate from Melody to Hannah. The two girls are like night and day. One tall and blonde, the other short and brunette, but both are wearing the same cringey uniform that I’ll soon be wearing myself. “How do you know my name?”

  “Everyone’s been expecting you, Scarlett. When word got around that a newbie from the Aima Chapter was coming in late, we were all beside ourselves. A girl who knows the Lawless, up close and personal.” She claps her hands together excitedly. “We’re all expecting some juicy secrets.”

  “Oh. I don’t know them well, so there’s nothing to tell.” It’s a lie. The truth is, I know them far more than I care to admit. How could I not? We grew up in the same chapter and attended all the same functions.

  I know Jagger is an adrenaline junkie and always seeks out a thrill, whether it’s climbing the tallest mountain or hooking up with the girl who shot him down—not that it happens often. He’s a catch in the eyes of the female population.

  Crew is the one that everyone gravitates toward because he’s witty and cute—at least, that’s what he wants everyone to believe. I used to think he was one of the good ones, but he proved me wrong there.

  Then we have Neo—dark, mysterious, and the biggest asshole of the bunch.

  Our Society is comprised of over a hundred chapters all over the nation. Each chapter has anywhere from a dozen to three dozen families. Our chapter, Aima, is on the smaller scale, but one of the more well known, considering the founder of The Society was an Aima.

  Melody gives me a look, as if I’m holding back pertinent information. “Oh, I’m sure you’ve got some stories to tell.” She adjusts her bag on her shoulder while holding tight to the umbrella she doesn’t bother offering to her friend. “We have to get going, but we’ll see you tonight?”

  I sweep away the rain dropping on my arms. “Tonight?”

  “The Gathering.” She says the words like I’m supposed to know what the hell she’s talking about. When I shake my head, she continues, “The annual kickoff to the school year party at the Ruins. Everyone attends.”

  “Oh,” I click my tongue on the roof of my mouth, “hard pass. Large crowds aren’t really my thing.”

  “Scarlett,” she drags out my name with a big smile on her face, “you just have to come. It’s the perfect chance to get to know your tribe. After all, that’s what this place is all about.” Her eyes dance around the forest. “Embracing our privileges as Blue Bloods. Learning the ins and outs in order to lead the next generation.”

  Embracing our privileges? More like being pushed into a pit of flames. I didn’t ask for this. I’m here because my parents forced me to attend. I know my future rests in the hands of the Society, but it doesn’t mean I’m ready to embrace it—or that I ever will be.

  Giving up the fight, I tell the girl what she wants to hear. All I want to do is find my room, make my bed, and lie in it for the next eight months. “I guess I’ll see you later, then.”

  “Wonderful.” She turns to walk away, Hannah following. “Oh,” she hollers over her shoulder, “Foxes' Den is that way.” She points a finger in the opposite direction I was heading.

  Folding up the map in my hand, I say, “Thanks.”

  She seemed nice. The brunette, that is. Quiet is my type. The blonde was as fake as the smile I put on my face. Now let’s hope my new roommate is also on the anti-social side and the school year will be smooth sailing.

  Chapter

  Three

  SCARLETT

  I’m breathing a sigh of relief when I see a large building, similar to the main one where my parents dropped me off. It resembles more of a Roman cathedral than a campus dormitory, but I dig the vibe. Ivy vines climb up the sides of the five-story building and there are stained-glass windows scattered all over, each one etched with its own design. A wooden plaque out front has the words Foxes' Den engraved on it.

  Home sweet home.

  I walk up the four brick steps to the large wooden door and pull the U-shaped handle. It’s a heavy door and I’m grateful I didn’t have to lug my bags here myself.

  Once inside, I look around, taking in the wide-open space. From the wall of stainless-steel mailboxes on the left, to the large stairwell in front of me, all the way up to the five indoor balconies. The vaulted ceilings occupy a stained-glass skylight that lets in only a hint of dim lighting due to the branches that hang over the building.

  I’m making my way up to the second floor, when a few girls come jogging down the stairs. They’re all wearing the same BCA uniforms Melody and Hannah had on. Those skirts will definitely take some getting used to. I don’t think I’ve worn a dress or skirt since I was like seven years old.

  The girls all stop simultaneously and look at me like I’m an alien invading their space. I stop, too, lifting a brow and silently asking if they have something to say.

  Yet, they say nothing at all. That is until I keep jogging up the stairs and the whispers begin. I hear them loud and clear, though.

  “That’s her. The new girl.”

  “Did you see what she’s wearing?”

  “Maybe she’s a lesbian.”

  Cackle. Cackle. Cackle.

  I loudly blow out a hefty hee-haw, mocking them without even turning to look at their expressions. It immediately shuts them up.

  Screw what they think. I have my own sense of style and I like it. I prefer worn shoes and holey jeans. Garbage band tee shirts and no makeup. I’m not afraid to get my hands dirty or run down the sidewalk with bare feet. My point is, I’m not a girly girl and I never will be. No amount of insults will ever change that.

  Once I’m at the second level, I step off the staircase. As I walk down the hall, I search for my bags that should be outside my door.

  The rooms are spread out, which leads me to believe they are spacious. Some of the doors are decorated with cutesy little doormats outside them. I can already pinpoint which rooms belong to cheerleaders because of the paper-cut pom-poms taped to the door.

  I come up to a door that is decked out in pink. Like, a lot of pink. It looks like a unicorn had a massive case of diarrhea in the room and it exploded all over the door. There’s a dozen little pink flamingos spread from top to bottom, glittery cut-out hearts, and…lips. I run my finger over one of them, wiping up a waxy residue. No shit. Someone actually kissed their door like twenty times with hot pink lipstick. That’s demented.

  I wipe my fingers on my jeans and keep walking, observing the numbers. This is 211. I’m in…210. But my bags aren’t there. I turn around and my insides freeze.

  Fuck.

  I’m in the unicorn shit room.

  My stomach twists into knots. I don’t do sweet. Maybe I can switch rooms. There is just no way I can…

  My train of thought is interrupted when the door of room 210 flies open.

  “Heyyyy,” a cute girl with bouncy, blonde curls, wearing a pink dress with a jean jacket, comes barging out of the room. In two seconds flat, she’s in front of me. “You must be Scarlett.” Cotton candy floods my senses, and I feel light-headed. “I’m Riley. Your new roommate.”

  “Yay,” I drawl. “So…nice to meet you.” I take a step back, offering her my hand.


  She looks down at my offering and snickers. “Silly girl. We’re practically besties now.” She throws herself into my arms while I throw up a little in my mouth.

  Still wrapped in her arms, as if we’re old friends, I pat my hands gently on her back. “Okay.” I attempt to break free from her hold on me, but she only hugs me tighter. “All right then. Yup. This is nice.”

  Pat. Pat. Pat.

  Finally, Riley takes a step back but keeps her hands on my shoulders. “What is the name of your perfume? I have to try it.”

  “Umm.” I swallow down the saliva pooling in my mouth. “Dove bar soap.”

  Her head tilts slightly to the left, and she lifts a smile. “Well, it smells magnificent.”

  This has to be a joke. Punishment over. I’ve learned my lesson. No more cigarettes, no more pot, and no more fights.

  “Let's get you settled in, roomie. I brought your stuff inside for you.” Riley takes my hand in hers and tugs me toward the dorm room—our room—that we will share for the next eight months. “We have so much to talk about. Do you have a boyfriend? A girlfriend? Because I’m totally cool with either.”

  “Umm, no. No boyfriend or girlfriend. No friends at all, for that matter.”

  Her eyebrows pinch together as she searches me for humor. “You’re funny. We’re going to get along just fine.”

  Oh, joy!

  She keeps tugging me along until we’re inside the room. It’s a nice size, which is good. Half of the room is decked out in the same color as Riley’s personality—pink. Her twin-size bed is clad in a shaggy pink comforter that matches the square rug beside it. Her walls are decorated with flamingos, which I take to be her favorite. There’s a large corkboard hanging on the wall overtop a desk with pictures of her and what appears to be some of her friends. The entire space looks super happy.