The Pact: Rebels of Ridgecrest High (Book 1)

Jace didn’t return any of my texts or answer his phone all of Sunday. His car wasn’t there either. I know he’s mad about the kiss with Grady. I’m a little upset that Grady didn’t give me a head up. I told him as much this morning when he gave me a lift to school.

I’m supposed to be having dinner at their house tonight, but I can’t with Jace not talking to me. I told Ella that something came up; I can’t make it. She was sad, and I felt guilty. But I need to fix what’s happened with Jace and me. He won’t even let me explain that the kiss didn’t mean anything. I don’t feel that way about Grady.

“Hey, what’s up with Jace this morning?” Hunter greets me, putting his arm around my shoulder and grinning down at me. At least he’s not upset with me. Well, maybe he will be.

“I kissed Grady last week. Jace found out Saturday, and now he won’t talk to me.”

Hunter blinks a few times, as if he’s trying to register what I just said. He’s so cute right now. “You kissed Grady?” His puzzled expression has me laughing.

“Why’s it so hard to believe that he kissed me?”

He shrugs. “Nah, I just thought…huh? So, Grady? Was he a good kisser?”

Hunter’s playful banter has me smiling. I love this. I’m upset that Jace doesn’t want to be part of it. Hell, Friday was amazing, and I’m upset that nothing happened. But now to stop talking to me without even letting me explain?

“Did he give you butterflies?” he whispers into my ear. His hot breath tickles my neck just before he pulls back to study my face.

“No. Not like you do.”

I smile to myself as his warm body presses close to mine. I love his warmth, his strength, against me like that. I look up at him under my lashes, and he bites his lip, groaning as he rolls his eyes back dramatically. I smack his chest, and he bursts out laughing.

“I’m glad. I was thinking, fuck, another contender. I can’t be responsible for all the heartbreak here when I make you mine.”

I laugh. Hunter can always pick me up and make me feel better. But the butterflies in my tummy tell me I want him to make me his. But it’s not right, not while Jace is upset with me. I need to fix that before I can move forward with anyone right now.

Hunter walks me to chemistry. Great. I will have to see Jace, and I don’t want him to say something hurtful. I just can’t take it right now. I got my period this morning, so I’m a little crampy and hormonal. And I might burst into tears if he is mean. I’m allowed to have a sad, sulky day now and then, and today is looking like that day.

I walk in, ignoring where Jace is, and sit beside Roman.

“Hey, how was your weekend?”

He just nods and doesn’t speak. Shit, is he upset with me because of Grady too? God, I wish that kiss hadn’t happened. But at least I know I don’t feel the same way about Grady as I used to. Sometimes, a crush should be left in the past. The spark isn’t there. But it is with Hunter, Jace, and my quiet Roman.

I notice his hands are bandaged.

“Shit, are you okay? Did you get into a fight with your dad?”

He shakes his head as he pulls his hands away from the table so I can’t see them anymore. Fuck. That’s not good. How is he gonna play football with his hands like that? At least there a bye this week. But will he be ready next week?

“You ready for our study session tomorrow?” I ask, trying to change the subject.

He looks at me now, but it’s as if he isn’t seeing me. Rather, he’s looking through me. His breathing quickens, and I notice his body trembling. What did I say wrong? Oh, god, Roman.

“No, I can’t study with you anymore.”

And, in the blink of an eye, he’s back to staring ahead. His body is still and breathing normal. What the hell just happened?

“Is it the conversation from Friday? I know you don’t see me that way. It’s fine. I just wanted you to—”

“No,” he cuts me off. His voice is low and deep, but I hear the warning in it not to push him.

And I won’t. I swallow the lump in my throat. I knew he didn’t want to kiss me again, that he didn’t want anything else with me, but I thought we were becoming friends. It’s been a slow start, but we’d made progress. At least, I thought we had.

Lunch comes, and I make my way outside, but Roman isn’t there. I let out a breath and look to the sky. “Fuck,” I mutter to myself. This is worse than I thought.

“Yeah, fuck.”

I turn just in time to see chocolate milk flying through the air. It hits me, dripping down my face and hair. I stand there, my mouth open in shock as I look over at Britney, who has her hand covering her mouth to stifle her laugh.

“Oh gosh, I tripped with my milk bottle open. It was an accident.”

I lick my lips and the chocolatey flavor hits my taste buds. Summer snickers from beside her and takes a photo. I put my food down on the ground and shake my hair and clothes. Fuck, this is gonna smell bad with the heat today.

There are a bunch of students around, some are laughing, some staring. And I realize I didn’t bring my spare clothes today. I forgot in my rush to get to school and confront Jace, which didn’t happen, anyway.

“Shit, Mila.” Hunter comes running over. He looks to me then to Britney. “You threw your milk on her? God, how old are you? Six?”

Hunter is mad. I can’t fight Britney here. There’re too many eyes and cameras. I just smile and run a finger down my cheek and lick it.

“Mmm…sorry you wasted your milk. Tastes great.”

Britney snickers and calls me a whore under her breath. I ignore her as I let Hunter lead me past the crowd that’s gathered to see what’s happening and to my locker.

“I would give you something from my gym bag. But, yeah…” He scratches the back of his neck.

I scrunch my nose up at him. “You haven’t washed anything in there?”

He shrugs and gives me a goofy grin.

“Hunter, you need to wash those things. Chances are, things are growing in there. At least throw out the old food.” I grab my bag from my locker, I can’t stay here. Not like this.

“Do you want me to give you a lift home?” he asks, and I give him my best I’m okay smile.

“Please. I need a shower.”

I text Dad to let him know and sign myself out. The pitying looks from the office staff don’t help my souring mood at all.

The drive back to my house is filled with silence. I don’t want to talk about it. It’s been a weird day, and I need some time alone to process it. Jace isn’t talking to me, Roman seems angry at me, and Britney got me…finally. Wasn’t expecting milk, I’ll give her that.

The only one talking to me right now is Hunter, and I’m grateful for that. He doesn’t know how much I need him right now.

“I’ll stay if you want me to. But I gotta get to practice later.”

“No, go. I’ll be fine. I think a bath might do me good, anyway. I have some bad cramps.”

Hunter stares at me like I grew two heads. Oh, god, what’s with boys acting weird around girls with their periods?

“You have your period?”

I nod.

He cocks his head and smirks. “You want my shorts?”

I hold my belly and let out the biggest laugh of the day. The memories of that day at the lake flood in, and I hug Hunter as best I can without getting the sticky milk on him.

“God, that was an interesting day…and a more interesting first kiss. You’re the only one who took his shorts off.”

He laughs harder now, and I can’t stop myself either. It’s funny.

“Well, they didn’t know how to do a first kiss right. Shorts off is the best way to kiss.”

We finally stop laughing, and he pulls back to look down at me. His big brown eyes search my face as he gives me a sweet smile and kisses my forehead.

“If you need anything, call me, and I’ll grab it for you. Chocolate, ice cream, tampons. You name it, I’ll get it for you.”

“Thank you.” I choke back tears. He’s being so perfect right now, and my head is too fucked up to ask him to stay. I need to relax and think about how I’m goin to approach Jace over all this. And plotting how to get Britney back is something fun to do while in the bath.

I let out a deep breath and turn to the bathroom. I don’t turn the water on until I hear him close the front door behind him. Then I let out the tears.

It’s late and dark when I’m woken by the buzzing sound of the walkie-talkie.

Jace? I rub my eyes and look over to my windowsill. I hear something coming through. Is he trying to talk to me? I check my phone; it’s after midnight.

I move to my window and open the curtains, trying to see over to his room, but it’s dark. Maybe my walkie-talkie is picking up someone else talking? The sounds coming through aren’t clear. But then I hear a moan and “oh yeah.”

That voice is clearly Jace’s. Is he jerking off in his room and broadcasting it to me? That’s not how I thought he would want to talk to me again, but I’ll pay along if it means he’s talking to me. I bring the walkie-talkie up to my mouth…

“Oh, Britney,” he says, and I freeze, looking down at it in my hand. He…what? Britney. I look over to his room. The blind is clearly open, but it’s dark in there. I can’t see anything. My nose is pressed so close to the glass of my window, I can feel the chill in the air outside.

Suddenly, his room lights up, and I see him standing fully naked at the end of his bed, his hand is wrapped around hair. The hair is attached to the girl on his bed on all fours, sucking on his cock.

Britney Montlake.

His eyes meet mine, and I feel like I’ve been slapped as I shuffle back in shock. I watch as he moves his hand closer to where her mouth is wrapped around his hard length. She is bobbing up and down, and his hips move in time.

Slurping sounds come through on my end, and I throw the walkie-talkie across my room like it burned me.

“Oh, god, Britney.”

The sound echoes around my room as I scramble down to stop it before my dad walks in to see what’s happening. When I threw it, the volume dial must have increased to max.

All I can hear is them…

“Just like that, god, you know how I like it.”

I want to vomit.

Why? Why would he do that? To get back at me over the kiss?

I close my curtains and rip the batteries out of the walkie- talkie. I never want to use them again. He has tarnished something that held such great memories from our childhood.

I hate Jace Montero.