Page 3 of Disobedient Pawn

I had my eye on Rylan for like a whole year, and he never noticed me once. I would pass him in the hallway, and he never looked my way. I tried to sit near him in class, and when the teacher said to pick our groups, he would never include me. He was too busy dating all the puck bunnies that followed the hockey team around.

Whatever. I didn’t need or want him. I didn’t need anyone.

L: Yeah, fucked up timing for sure. Do you know where your new house or school is yet?”

R: Nope, not a clue. I tried looking up Wayward Academy, and nothing came up. It’s like the school doesn’t exist, which is also sus. How can a private school not come up on a map or an internet search?

L: Well, it is a PRIVATE school. LMFAO

I smirked at the joke.

R: Very funny.

L: Hey girl, I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you today. My mum couldn’t get the time off work, and…shit, I loved your mum. I’m so sorry.

R: You need to stop saying that. You’ve apologized for two whole days about not being able to come.

L: I know, but you’re my best friend, and I couldn’t be there when you needed me the most.

R: You’ve been there for me when I needed you. Today was hard, but I knew I was going to be whisked away, and we wouldn’t have had any time to talk. Besides, the service was very long. You would’ve H.A.T.E.D it.

L: You know me so well. LOL! #truth

The tall, pretty stewardess coming along and offering drinks smiled as she reached my seat. She held out a tray that had an assortment of snacks.

“I’m good, thanks,” I said.

“Would you like a beverage? I’m sure Mr. Collier would be fine if you wanted a glass of wine.”

My eyes flicked to where my father sat, sipping his drink and laughing about whatever. Sighing, I shook my head. I didn’t expect him to be sitting on the plane bawling his eyes out, but sipping wine and laughing seemed like he was spitting on my mum’s memory.

“Just a bottle of water if you have one.”

“Certainly, I’ll be right back.” If I didn’t know any better, I’d say she had walked right out of the movie Stepford Wives. It was next-level creepy how she smiled perfectly and walked away. She returned a minute later with my bottle of water and announced that the plane would be leaving shortly and for everyone to put their seatbelts on. Even though I knew this moment was coming, my stomach flipped and twisted into a knot.

Laying my head against the window, I watched as the plane slowly taxied out to the runway and didn’t notice as Mr. Collier stepped up beside my seat. I jerked as my eyes found his in the small window.

“What do you think you’re doing,” I asked as he picked up my backpack. Turning my head to glare at him, I reached for the bag and expected him to try and pull it away from my grip, but he let go, and I hugged it to my chest.

He lifted an eyebrow at me, his stern jaw set in a hard line as his lips pressed together. “I don’t like disrespectful people, but I will let you get away with it because you just buried your mother.”

I wanted to say, aw gee, thanks but held my tongue. The little time I’d spent around this man was already far too much. So, of course, he sat down and put on his seatbelt. At least the seats were big, unlike the ones Lizzy complained about when she went to Mexico for vacation. I slid as close to the wall as I could and looked out the window. Of all the seats on the plane, why did this man have to sit beside me? I was pretty sure owning it gave you privileges like choosing where you sat.

“Have you flown before,” Lawrence asked as the jet made the final turn to the runway.

“Yup,” I said, not bothering to look at him. I hadn’t, but it didn’t matter. I wasn’t telling Count Dick anything. I didn’t want him to have something else to talk to me about.

The engines got really loud and reminded me of a car getting ready to drag race off the line. They revved, and you could feel the power as the walls vibrated slightly.

“Does flying bother you?”

Why was he still talking? “No, should it?”

“You’re going to want to tone down the attitude where you’re going,” Count Dick said. I looked over my shoulder as the plane raced down the runway, and I was pushed back into the seat from the force. “Wayward Academy doesn’t like insubordination.” I lifted my brow at him. What the hell did he know of my new school? I couldn’t find anything. How did he? “My son attends the school,” Lawrence said as if answering the question in my head.

“I’m not worried.”

“Is that so, and why is that?”