A Thorn Scorned

chapter 25

"Holy shit! This place is like a media circus!" Sophie says as she walked over to me the first day back from fall break. The parking lot and lawn of Rosewood Academy is crawling with cops and reporters and the headmaster has hired additional security to keep the press out of the halls of our prestigious school. Clutching the strap of my bag over my shoulder, I watch the chaos and looks from the other students in my direction all of which are a series of whispers, gasps and questions.

The return of Alex Carson has made it's way into the local, national, international and social media outlets. Grandfather insisted that I camp out in Philadelphia a few more days and since I've miraculous managed to complete the onslaught of assignments my teacher's sent me a few days ago, I thought it best to face the next portion of my plan. "You'd think I was in a celebrity scandal," I snark as we crossed the parking lot, dodging the press as we pass. It's cold as shit today and I threw a leather jacket over my blazer, tights on my legs and borrowed Sophie's heeled boots. "Grandpa said it was going to be a media circus. He got wind that boosters and parents have been calling since five this morning."

The moment we step through the doors, all conversation cease and nothing but the sounds of our clicking heels echo through the halls. The looks that were once full of disdain in my direction have turned into an almost pitying awe. After all, I'm the girl whose mother's dead, father's barely living and who suffered the worst kind of hell.

"Welcome back, Carson," Kara stands at my locker, her blonde hair falling down her shoulders and for once she doesn't look at me like I'm the trash beneath her feet. "I...I just want to say I'm sorry for being an Uber bitch to you." Huh? I guess tying someone to a chair and frying them with a Taser brings out the nice in someone. Bridget and Candace flank her with mirroring looks and I nod, an understanding between us girls as they retreat down the hall. "What exactly did you do to her?" Sophie asks as she leans on the locker next to mine.

"We had an agreement of sorts," I sigh as I dig through my locker for the one book I need for my class and just as I turn my head to face Sophie, and I spot Luca at his locker, his fingers tapping away on his phone and I frown, desperately wanting to go over to him and see if he's alright.

"Dude's looks like he's been going through midterms times a hundred," Sophie sighs as we link arms and walk down the hall. The first bell rings just as we get to the intersection and prepare to part ways. "I've got practice today, but if you want to hang out until it's over I'll text Zack and he can sit with you after football practice?" She tips her head in the direction her older brother stands with Killian and a group of football players. "I'll mostly be in the library finishing up a few assignments I have left, but I'm sure the guys will be lurking around."

The bell rings again and Sophie gives me a quick hug. "See you at lunch then!" She yells as she darts down the hall lost in a sea of students. I drag my ass to my class and take my seat dead center surrounded by my guys.

My morning classes went off nicely enough. You know, minus the security guard posted outside to ward off any reporters that manages to get inside the building. Every single class my classmates give me looks of curiosity and dare I say sympathy and the whispers of what may or may not have happened to me follow me all the way to lunch.

The cafeteria is chaos as is most days, especially since the student council has won it's lobby for a point system award and you guessed it the most pretentious brats get awarded catered foods, no doubt pissing off the hardworking kitchen staff that most days prepare some pretty good food, or at least I think so and I've had the luxury of eating from some of the best restaurants in Europe for three years.

I grab my tray and add grilled salmon, cilantro rice and asparagus and because I generally skip breakfast most days, I grab a burger and waffle fries and a diet coke. I spot the guys immediately standing out by the senior wall and my eyes connect to the storm clouds in Nate's eyes as he raises his chin just a bit, but the question is there. "I'm okay," I mouth and his gaze flicks to the others, who've all turned at once and my heart swells at seeing them not giving me death stares, but with longing.