“Careful, man.” I grab Sol’s arm as he shuffles out of the car.
He laughs sheepishly and wrenches his arm away. “Damn, I’m not an invalid. I can walk.”
That’s hard to believe since just a few days ago, he was on death’s door.
When I got to the hospital that night, Sol refused to see any of us. His mom was bawling her eyes out and Zane had barely managed to calm her down.
All three of us left the hospital ready to do whatever it took to make things right.
There was no other alternative.
Cadence Cooper had to go.
For all the effort I put in before this, getting Cadence out of Redwood was, surprisingly, easy.
Maybe a little too easy.
Once we snuck into the system and changed Cadence’s grades, Christa made the call to her dad. He sent the order right away and Principal Harris delivered the verdict.
No fuss.
No drama.
Or so I heard.
I haven’t been to Redwood in a few days. The first two, I was sick at home, fighting off a flu that came out of nowhere. After that, my brothers and I went to the hospital, banging on Sol’s door until he stopped being an idiot and agreed to see us.
He’s been cleared to go to school for half day, but he still has to go to the psych hospital for a check in regularly.
“It’s been a while, Redwood,” Sol says to the main building. He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath.
“Been a while for us too,” Finn comments. He arches an eyebrow at me. “Almost felt like some of us were avoiding this place.”
I ignore my brother’s dig at me.
So what if I didn’t want to see Cadence off? I’m pretty sure she would have punched me in the mouth if she ran into me and then I’d be in pain and she’d be in handcuffs.
I’m not going to apologize for what I did to kick her out. Life isn’t a walk in the freaking park. Sometimes, hard choices have to be made.
Cadence didn’t belong at Redwood Prep in the first place. Plus, she had her chance to accept the money and go somewhere else willingly.
She didn’t.
Every choice has consequences.
She made hers.
“Hey, Sol.”
“Sol.”
“Sol, you’re back.”
Students stop and take notice as we saunter through the hallway. It feels good to have Sol walking beside me again, where he belongs.
“Man, this place is a lot fancier than I remember,” Sol says, stopping in front of his locker.
Zane slings an arm over Sol’s shoulder. “We’ve got assembly today. The text went out on our school app.”
“They’re going to announce that you’re back. You gonna be okay?” Finn asks in a sober voice.
“They’re not going to,” Sol glances down and pulls at the sleeve of his sweater, “say why I was gone, are they?”
“No one knows except us.” I nod at me and my brothers.
“And maybe Jinx,” Zane says.
I give him a dark look.
“What?” My brother shrugs. “That creep seems to know everything.”
Christa floats by, flanked by two of her dance team members. She’s wearing her cheerleading uniform and has her hair up in two ponytails.
“Hey, boys. You excited about the rally?” The greeting is aimed at all of us, but her eyes linger on me.
Zane laughs and punches me on the arm. “I don’t think she’s talking to us, bro.”
My expression doesn’t change.
“Dutch,” Christa calls my name pointedly.
I do a chin-up nod and look away from her. She helped us out for her own selfish reasons. I’m not going to feed her delusions by making her think we’re a thing now.
Her smile drops and she scowls at me.
Finn pulls his lips in to hide his laughter.
Christa doesn’t take my rejection well. “So you’re just going to ignore me now?”
“Pretty much,” I say coldly.
Christa’s eyes turn hot as flames. She looks like she wants to say more but, when she notices her friends eyeing her, she huffs at me. “You think you can use me and get away with it, Dutch? Think the hell again.”
I watch as she stalks off, her pride hurt and her skirt fluffing around her butt cheeks.
Sol leans in to whisper, “What’s up with you and Christa? I heard she was all over you when you came back from tour.”
“Our dear brother’s tastes have changed.” Zane flashes me a smile. “He likes his girls redheaded and mysterious now.”
Sol’s eyes widen with interest. “You got yourself a girlfriend?”
“She’s not my girlfriend,” I correct him.
Even if I wanted her to be, Redhead dipped before I could get her name or her number. The manager at the lounge wouldn’t give me her information and I knew that tricking her into showing up wouldn’t work again.
Kicking myself for not getting her name at least, I went looking for the security guard she’d been talking to, thinking he might have a lead, but I couldn’t find him either.
After all my efforts failed, I gave up, tucked my tail between my legs and went to Jinx.
‘All will be revealed in time’ was her response.
Freaking scam artist.
Now I’m back to square one.
Redhead is in the wind. She might as well have been a dream.
Finn slaps my shoulder when the bells chime. “Time to go.”
I’m walking in front when I feel Sol lagging behind. Finn notices too. He catches my eye and juts his chin at Sol. Zane hones in on our silent communication, sees where Finn is watching and arches an eyebrow at me.
I wave for them to walk ahead and slow my stride so I’m in step with Sol. “You okay, man?”
“Yeah.” He scrubs the side of his face. “It’s just… a lot of things have happened since I was last here. It kind of feels like culture shock.”
“You belong here, Sol,” I say intently.
“Hm.” He tosses me a thoughtful look. “I heard there was someone who took my place at the start of the school year. How’d you get her to quit?”
Something that feels a lot like guilt slides through my chest. But that can’t be right because that would mean I actually felt something other than resentment for Cadence.
I didn’t.
I deal with the guilt fast and lift my chin. “Don’t worry about that. All that matters is you’re here now.”
He looks concerned.
I chuckle. “We’re the princes of Redwood, Sol. No one’s going to get in our way.”
That makes him smile a bit.
Seeing that he’s in a better mood, I walk a little faster so we can catch up with my brothers. Together, we take a seat at the top of the bleachers.
Kids clamor to sit around us, keeping a healthy distance away—out of fear or nerves, I don’t know and I don’t care.
I look out over the assembly and feel peace flood my chest.
Sol is back where he belongs.
Balance has been restored.
All I have to do now is find Redhead and I’ll have my queen. Everything will be perfect.
Principal Harris walks to the center of the gymnasium. He’s in a too-tight suit and his belly’s straining against the button. The bald spot in the middle of his head shines like a disco ball in the sunlight.
“Settle down, everyone,” he drones in his dry, thin voice. The man couldn’t sound weaker if he sucked on a helium balloon first. “In this morning assembly, we have a very special return student…”
Zane elbows Sol in the side.
He knocks my brother’s hand away, ducking his head shyly.
“… And I’m sure he needs no introduction,” Principal Harris adds.
Finn leans over to me. “When did Harris become such a butt kisser?”
I shrug. Something doesn’t feel right to me either.
“… Everyone, let’s hear a round of applause for…” Harris tosses a hand at the gym doors.
They break open.
Light blasts from behind a tall figure in a black T-shirt, ripped jeans and sunglasses.
My body coils and I nearly pounce out of my seat.
Dad?
“Jarod Cross!”
The gym erupts with screams and cries of oh my gosh.
“What the hell is he doing here?” Zane demands.
Finn is looking on with wide eyes.
Dad lifts his hands like he’s at one of his sold out concerts. He strides confidently to the microphone. The voice that stole a million hearts and sold four hundred times that in records booms around the room.
“Hello, Redwood!”
The smile on dad’s face makes a scowl grow on mine.
Uneasiness digs under my skin.
Something’s up.
“Did dad tell you he was coming to Redwood?” Zane hisses.
“I thought he was still on tour,” Finn answers.
I keep quiet. Something tells me this isn’t the worst part and I brace myself for the other shoe to drop.
“Redwood Prep has a long, vibrant history of producing excellence in every field but,” he gestures to himself, “especially in music.”
Finn snorts.
Zane rolls his eyes. “Way to toot your own horn.”
Sol laughs softly.
None of us join him.
“That’s why I made it my mission to build the music program and fill it with talents. Like my sons.” Dad’s eyes swerve to us and he raises a hand in our direction.
The entire student body swings around, staring at us too.
I grit my teeth. What the hell is this show about? Why is he really here?
Dad never pulls stunts like this unless he has to cover up something. And since the last horrible secret I had to keep for him, I’m not eager to earn any more.
“And not just my sons,” dad chuckles, “but one very special young lady who happened to get on my radar.”
The door opens again and all of a sudden, the air gets sucked out of the room.
I hear the click, click, click of heels like someone’s closing up my coffin while I’m still inside. My heart slows to match the rhythm of the steps. As she comes into view, my eyes slide up her heeled loafers, to the white socks, the too-short skirt, and the blouse that’s obviously too small for her.
When my eyes crash into hers, everything inside me goes still.
“Cadence Cooper,” dad announces.
The gym falls into shocked silence. Everyone knows we kicked Cadence out of Redwood.
Whispers fire up around us.
Finn gives me a stunned look.
Zane’s eyes are about to roll on the floor.
Sol looks uneasy.
I only take a moment to soak in their reactions before I pin my gaze back on Cadence. She’s looking right at me, her brown eyes narrowed and her lips up in a smirk.
My phone buzzes.
Jinx: Your search for Cinderella requires no glass slippers. The one you want is already in front of you.
I tap on the video she sent along with the message, unable to breathe when I see it.
Redhead. Outside the back-to-school showcase. Taking off her wig.
My heart is racing and I’m on my feet, pouncing down the bleachers before I even realize where I’m going. People duck to keep from being trampled. Dad stops in the middle of his speech.
It doesn’t matter.
I have to get to her.
How is it possible that Cadence is Redhead? Has she been playing me all along?
I can hardly breathe when I get to the middle of the gym. Dad is staring at me. The entire freaking school is staring at me. I look like a maniac on a war path. But Cadence doesn’t look scared at all.
In fact, her smile turns cruel. “Do you need something, Dutch?”
“Who the hell are you?” I hiss, baring down on her.
She steps close to me. Goes toe to toe. In a dark, warning voice, she whispers, “I’m your worst nightmare.”
Jinx: Hello, citizens of Redwood. I’m sending my royal proclamation through our school app for the last time. Going forward, no one’s secrets will be hidden. If you want to know what’s happening with the highest of the elite at Redwood, all you have to do is subscribe to my new app.
Here’s a juicy little tidbit for free. Redwood’s very own Cinderella was seen poofing into the gym on the arm of her fairy god-father. And there was one prince who wasn’t very happy with that.
It looks like a war may be brewing between Prince Charming and his working class love, but this Cinderella is not to be underestimated. Today’s showdown is proof. How will our blonde prince deliver his first blow? Join my app and you’ll be the first to know.
Until the next post, keep your enemies close and your secrets even closer.
– Jinx
