Charity Case (Kings of Knightswood Academy Book 1) Page 6

  She nodded, leaning her head against my shoulder. “You should have told me though.”

  “I can’t believe you actually came here,” I said. “You hate this school.”

  “I love you more, Paris.”

  My heart swelled at her words. Zoya could be spoiled at times but she always cared for me. She came to Knightswood just for me.

  “Why do you have to stay in this place?” she asked. “I was hoping we could share the same apartment in the dorm building.”

  “I wanted the cheapest accommodation they had,” I lied. “Clara has already been so generous to me. The tuition must already be too high. I’m just trying to keep a lid on the things I owe her.”

  “You shouldn’t worry about that,” said Zoya, sitting up straighter. “She agreed to be your guardian. If she can’t handle looking after you, she should have just let my mom take you to our home. She already spoke to Dad and he said you could stay in our mansion.”

  I shook my head, grabbing Zoya’s hands. “Tell Aunty Cathy that I’m absolutely fine. Clara is not stingy at all. I’m the one who wants to pay her back. I don’t want to be a charity case.” The last two words burned my throat as they came out of my lips.

  Zoya took her phone out and dialed a number. “Send a cleaning service and someone to fix up a room for a student,” she said on the phone. “I am sending the photos to you now. Has to be done up by this afternoon!” Cutting off the call, she smiled. “Let’s go look around the campus.”

  “Who did you call?”

  “Javier.” She began snapping pictures of every corner of the room.

  “I can do it on my own,” I said as she busily tapped at her phone’s screen.

  “Let Javier handle it,” she mumbled. Putting back the phone in her blazer’s pocket, she pulled on my hand. “You just said this was the school of your dreams. Let’s go check it out while Javier takes care of the rest.”

  I hesitated but Zoya forcefully tugged at my hand, making me get to my feet. “All right, then,” I said, giving into her. “Let’s go take a tour.”

  9

  Paris

  It was a warm September day with a cool breeze blowing all around us. The campus of Knightswood Academy was even more picturesque than the photos printed in the brochures. Surrounded by rolling green hills, it was situated in the Pennsylvanian countryside.

  I breathed in the fresh air deeply. With the sun shining down on me, I decided to forget about Liam’s jibes and focus on the opportunity I’d been given. Zoya held my hand as we crossed the grounds to reach the school building.

  “Where is the science department?” I asked as we hummed and checked the campus map on her phone.

  “It’s to the right,” she said, staring down at her phone. “Want to check it out?”

  “Yep!”

  Instead of going inside the main school building, we headed away to the east where a group of brick-red buildings stood crowded together.

  “This place is big,” said Zoya, looking up from her phone.

  You think? I wanted to say. While Kensignton High had a single room dedicated to the physics lab, Knightswood Academy had an entire three-storied building to house its laboratory. My inner nerd squealed inside me.

  “You look like you’re at Disneyland,” said Zoya with a chuckle.

  My lips curved into a smile. It felt like a strange reflex after days of crying and sobbing.

  “All right, come on,” said Zoya, tugging at my arm. “Let’s go check out the actual school area. You’re going to have English and Maths classes there.”

  I relented, letting her lead me back to the main building. That morning, I’d only visited the administration wing. Taking an elevator, we headed to the fifth floor.

  The corridors were empty at that time of day. Doors to the classrooms were closed and I could hear the teachers’ voices filtering through them.

  I walked down the hallway with Zoya, taking note of the numbers assigned to all the classrooms. We just turned around a bend when her phone started shrieking with Ariana Grande’s latest hit. Zoya jumped, hurrying to pick up the call before some teacher came out to find out the source of the noise.

  After a quick talk, she put her phone back in her pocket. “The delivery guy isn’t sure where to put my TV,” she said with a pout. “I think it’s best I go see what he’s up to.”

  I nodded. “Go ahead. I want to hang out here for a while.”

  “Okay, meet me near the cafeteria for lunch. We’ll go in together.” With that, she sprinted away, her skirt flaring around to flash me her panties again.

  I walked further down the corridor, finally locating the lockers on that floor. Just as my feet moved forward, I felt a hand grab my upper arm. Before I could get my bearings, I was pulled inside a classroom and roughly thrown against a wall. A scream choked my throat as a heavy hand came to cover my mouth.

  “Stop struggling.”

  My gaze slid up to focus on the person before me. I blinked, recognizing the guy.

  “I’ll let go but don’t shout.”

  I nodded mutely, staring into the silvery-gray eyes of Nikolai Ivanov, Zoya’s stepbrother. He was painfully beautiful with sharply cut cheekbones and luscious lips. My heart hammered against my chest as he glared down at me. I swallowed, struggling to find my voice.

  I pushed away from the wall and bumped against his hard chest. Instead of stepping back, he stepped forward, his chest pressing against my breasts. My breath hitched as warmth crept up my neck and cheeks.

  “I need you to get out of this school,” he said in a low voice. His gaze cut me as he leaned forward, fanning my face with his hot breath. “Go and take Zoya with you.”

  His words broke me out of the heated daze.

  “Did Liam put you up to this?” I asked, meeting his frosty eyes.

  Something shifted in his gaze. “Liam Davenport doesn’t control me.”

  “Then, why?”

  “Because I’m telling you so.”

  “No.”

  “You’re going to be ripped apart in this place. Get out when you can.”

  “Get away from me.” Like he’d just noticed how he was pressed up against me, he took a step back. “I’m staying,” I said in a clear voice, hating the way my heart still beat hard. Why did it react to these assholes? Shoving at his chest, I slid away and moved towards the door.

  “You’re going to regret it, Paris,” he said from behind me.

  Balling my hands into fists, I turned around to face him. He was acting the same way as Liam. What was their problem if I studied at Knightswood? I was practically a stranger to them. It was baffling how they hated me for no reason at all.

  “If you haven’t noticed, I have nothing to lose,” I said through the choking emotions in my heart. “My mom’s gone. My home too. What else can you snatch from me?”

  Surprise flitted through those icy gray eyes, softening them momentarily. However, it was too much for me to stand. Angry tears pricked my eyes, threatening to leak out anytime. I had to get out of there before he could see them.

  Turning around, I rushed out of the empty classroom and hurried back to the elevators before he could catch up to me and bully me some more.

  10

  Paris

  Going back to my cabin, I found the interiors completely transformed.

  The place was clean now. Not a speck of dust remained on the walls and floor. The cot was furnished with new bedding and sheets. I had a new desk and chair as well. The kitchenette was gleaming with new stuff like a toaster and an electric kettle. My little cabin felt homely and cozy.

  The surprise blew away Nikolai’s hurting words and as I stepped inside, a large shape ran into me, hugging me tightly.

  “Easy, Zoya,” I said, smothering a laugh. “What are you doing here? I thought you had to meet the delivery person in your room.”

  “Nah! I was making sure everything was perfect over here.” She let go off me and stepped to the side. “What do you think?”
<
br />   “I love it,” I said, turning to Zoya. “Thank you so much. Did you spend a lot on everything?”

  “Nah! Besides, mom wanted to do something nice for you. She’s been worried sick.”

  I felt guilt settling in my stomach. Aunty Cathy had been at the funeral and I hadn’t even spoken to her since then. My mother was her best friend and she must be hurting from the loss too.

  “I’ll go thank her this weekend,” I said.

  “That’s great! We can get out of here and have some fun. I’ll let mom know.”

  “Where is Javier?” I asked, wanting to thank him too.

  “He left. How about we go to the cafeteria for an early lunch?” Zoya removed the hair tie that kept her hair up in a high ponytail. “I am tired and want a nap. Moving around such a large school really takes it out of me.”

  I chuckled. “Let’s go,” I said, looping my arm around her. “The food has got to be better here than the cafeteria at Kensington.”

  “Yeah. You get to choose from a menu and give your order to a waiter. It’s as fancy as a fine-dining restaurant.”

  “Wow.”

  “Yep. It’s one of the very few perks of studying at Knightswood Academy.”

  The cafeteria building was located beside the student dorms. Painted in the same shade of brick-red as the rest of the academy architecture, it was a large one-storied structure. Entering through it, I was surprised to find a clear glass ceiling over our heads. The bright blue sky was visible through it, giving the place an open-air look and making it seem even more spacious.

  “Gives it a Hogwarts feel, doesn’t it?” said Zoya, glancing up too.

  “Definitely. It’s amazing.”

  “Come on!” Taking my hand, she pulled me further inside the cafeteria.

  Since it was still early, the place was relatively less crowded. We found an empty seat by one of the windows and sat down. The menu was set on the table and had selections of salads, pasta and soups. They even had a vegan option.

  Zoya waved a hand for attention and a uniformed server came to our table at once. “We want butternut squash soup and the baked eggplant pasta,” she said, ordering for both of us.

  A bubble of happiness swelled inside me. Sitting in the cafeteria, waiting for our food to arrive, I felt like I finally belonged there. I was a real student at Knightswood. Neither Liam’s nor Nikolai’s warnings would keep me away from graduating. Now that I was really here, I’ll work hard to get the best grades. A new vision rose before my eyes as I saw myself poised like Superwoman with a red cape fluttering behind me.

  “You’re spacing out, Paris.” Zoya waved her hand before my eyes. “Your soup will get cold.”

  Looking down, I saw a bowl of creamy butternut squash soup before me. Chuckling softly, I started on my lunch.

  We were about to finish when a shadow fell across the table. My head turned to the side to see three female students standing there. The one in the front gazed at me with a haughty expression while the two behind her sneered venomously.

  “It’s her,” said the one on the left. The girl had a stick-thin figure and wore a skirt so tiny, it barely covered her panties. Twirling a finger around a curl of blond hair, she stared at me with open hostility.

  I glanced at Zoya who’d stiffened up.

  “Can I help you?” I asked, staring at the strangers.

  “You can start by explaining what you were doing with Liam and Gabrielle,” said the girl on the right. Her skirt was as tiny as her friend’s but she was pretty. Thick waves of blond hair cascaded past her shoulders as she fixed her gaze on me.

  “It’s none of your business,” I muttered, going back to spoon the last of my soup in my mouth.

  The girl who’d stood silently, watching me, slammed a cell phone before me. “Look here,” she said, pointing at it. “What were you doing with them?”

  Someone had snapped a shot of me with Liam that morning. She swiped the screen and a photo of the moment when Gabrielle held my hair materialized on it.

  “Explain.” This girl was taller than the other two. Long, sleek jet-black hair fell past her shoulders to reach her waist. Unlike her friends, her skirt was the proper length. Her uniform was meticulously maintained, not a wrinkle in place. She would have been beautiful if she didn’t have the permanent bend to her lips that gave her a cruel look.

  “Who are you?” I asked instead.

  “I am Brianna Dumas,” she replied. Motioning at the blonde to her left, she said, “That’s Gianna.” Glancing at her right, she said, “And that’s Holly.”

  I nodded. “What do you want with me?”

  She tapped at the phone’s screen. “Why were you with Liam Davenport?”

  I sighed. “I know his mother.”

  Suddenly, I realized the whole place had gone quiet. Every student in the cafeteria had their eyes on our conversation.

  “You’re a new student, aren’t you?” said Holly, moving forward to stand beside Brianna.

  “So what?”

  “So you don’t know that it’s in your best interest to stay away from both Liam Davenport and Gabrielle Romano. Liam belongs to Brianna and Gabe’s mine.”

  A chuckle rose out of me, earning me the glare of all three girls. “You can take them and keep them,” I said. “Liam’s an asshole. Exactly your type, I’m guessing?” I asked, glancing at Brianna.

  “How dare you?” hissed Gianna, stepping next to Brianna. She knocked my empty bowl to the floor, smashing it.

  “Very mature,” I said, glancing at Zoya. She gave me a small nod. It was the signal to get out of here before we could into actual trouble.

  “Not so fast,” said Holly, pushing me back in the chair. “We aren’t finished with you.”

  “But I’m done,” I said, rising to my feet.

  “What are you all doing?” A familiar voice came from the corner. Liam Davenport stood there with Gabrielle at his side.

  A smile lifted Brianna’s lips immediately as she fluttered to his side. Looking me in the eye, she sidled up to him, clutching his arm.

  “We were just introducing ourselves to the new girl,” she said in a fake, sweet voice. “I had no idea she would be so vicious though. Look what she did.” She pointed at the fragments of the broken soup bowl.

  “That wasn’t me.”

  “How can you say that, new girl? Everyone saw you do it.”

  I looked around at the cafeteria. No one would meet my gaze. Wow…

  “Let’s get out of here,” muttered Zoya from beside me.

  I wanted to argue with Brianna but Zoya’s expression was hard as stone. Remembering her days of getting bullied, I decided to let it be and just go. There was no need to subject her to it again. We were about to pass by Liam when he suddenly grabbed my arm and pulled me back.

  “Oww! What are you doing?” I shouted, trying to pry his fingers off me. His grip tightened painfully as he jerked me back.

  “Apologize to them,” said Liam. His eyes, so similar to Clara’s, glared at me.

  “No way!”

  It only angered him more. Pulling me close, he leaned down to whisper in my ear. “You’re here under my family’s charity. If you want to stay, you’ll do as I say.”

  Behind him, Brianna’s dark eyes glowed with mirth. She was enjoying this little show.

  “I am not apologizing to anyone,” I said, still struggling against him. Our bodies were brushing against each other now and to my embarrassment, my mind went to how hard his abs were. Wrong timing, brain.

  Pulling me to his side, he looked all around the cafeteria. “This is Paris Johnson,” he said loudly, attracting everyone’s attention. “Don’t bother calling her the new girl because she won’t be staying here long. She’s a charity case my mother picked off the street of Kensington. And because she’s my maid, she gets to stay in the cabin by the woods. I couldn’t let the help stay in our dorms.”

  People were trying to avoid my gaze before. Now, they all seemed to stare at me like I was a fr
eak.

  “Let go of me!” I shouted.

  Instead of doing that, he pulled me closer. I was pressed against his hard chest with his hot breath fanning my face. “Get out of this school,” he hissed, so only I could hear him. “Do it tonight or you’ll regret it even more.”

  “No.”

  His eyes blazed with anger as he pushed me away from him.

  “Clean up this mess,” he said, gesturing at the broken bowl.

  “The waiters can do that,” said Zoya, speaking up for the first time.

  “No,” said Liam. “There are rules in this place. The one to make a mess in the cafeteria gets to clean it up. If she doesn’t, the principal will make it worse for her.” His gaze met mine. “You better start cleaning before getting kicked out.”

  Anger spread through my veins, not just for Liam insulting me in front of the whole school but also at the way Zoya’s eyes filled with tears. She’d come to Knightswood for me and this was the first thing she had to endure. Her best friend was being bullied by the son of the woman who claimed to be her legal guardian. She and Aunty Cathy didn’t trust Clara. And Liam was making it worse.

  My body shook with the effort it took not to scream and shout at Liam or the girls who watched me with conniving smirks. Slowly, I lowered myself to the ground.

  “Paris, don’t!” said Zoya, moving towards me but I held up my hand.

  I quickly gathered the shards of the porcelain bowl in a napkin. A small cut appeared on my thumb but I ignored it, gathering some paper tissues to clean up bits of soup that dirtied the floor.

  “There,” I said. My glance fell on Gabrielle who stood behind Liam. He didn’t seem too happy with the state I was in. A frown marred his handsome face but as soon as his gaze met mine, he gave me a small nod. That small gesture gave me the strength I needed to walk out of the cafeteria with my head held high.

  “Paris!” Zoya called out to me.

  I was about to step out of the cafeteria when Nikolai Ivanov came forward to step before me. His silvery-gray eyes were icy as he stared at me. “I warned you.”