CHAPTER SEVEN

-•PRESLEY•-

After the meeting with Nathan's dad—my actual boss as Nathan would say, I headed back to my room. The room that was assigned to me was surprisingly spacious inside, it was definitely much bigger than the room I had back when I lived with Robert.

The clothes that filled the drawers were strangely close to my size. It was like the gang already knew I would be staying here.

They probably did. They probably knew almost everything about me.

The Creeds had given me a new backpack and general school supplies yesterday. The only things I left Robert's house with were the clothes on my back. It was a royal pain to know that all my school work was lost forever. I had to learn to adapt, though. I knew that now.

I sighed as I picked up my backpack and made my way out the door. I wished I hadn't cried in front of the boss or Nathan back in the office. I felt weak for bursting into helpless tears when the boss raised his voice at me. I really thought he would show some leniency to me but I was wrong. Now I would have to let down Mrs. Dean to avoid letting down the gang.

My gang.

Nathan said he would be waiting for me in the garage to take me to school as the boss instructed. There was only one problem, I didn't actually know where the garage was. I decided to look for Haley in the dining hall but instead I encountered Red. I didn't quite get why everyone called him Red, there was nothing red about him. His hair was a dark shade of blonde and his nose looked like it had been broken more times than I could count.

"Oh hey, kid," Red said enthusiastically as I approached him. He stood talking to a tall boy with brown almond shaped eyes.

I smiled up at him despite my sorrowful mood. "Hey, Red," I said with a small wave. "Can you help me with something?"

"Anything, kid," he grinned.

"I'm pretty sure he'd dance around naked if you asked him to. He's been going on and on about how you saved his life," the boy with the almond shaped eyes said, smirking.

Red shoved him. "Shut up, Kyle."

They both made a show of play fighting but then stopped to tell me directions to the garage. I thanked them and mentally repeated the directions in my head so I wouldn't forget. When I turned the last corner of a hallway, I found myself in the doorway of the garage. There were dozens of expensive looking vehicles, including the one that was used to abduct me.

Nathan stood leaning on the passengers door of a black jeep. He looked deep in thought as his eyes were trained on the floor below him. When I took a step forward, his green eyes snapped toward me. He opened the passengers door and signaled for me to get in.

Once I was in the car, he shut the door and made his way to the drivers side. When he pulled the Jeep out of the garage, he kept his stoney face concentrated anywhere else but me.

When we made it out of the gate of the facility, I saw him glance sideways at me. He tightened his grip on the wheel and pursed his lips. His diamond studs glinted in the morning light. Nathan looked like he was debating something, but I hadn't the faintest idea what was running through his mind.

The facility, I learned from Haley, was forty minutes away from my school. Normally it would take a mere five minutes for me to arrive there but I wasn't complaining much. If Nathan drove me to school everyday, I don't think I'd ever be late. He drove like he was racing every car on the street.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Nathan run a hand through his pitch black hair. He blew out a breath.

"How long does your school nurse want you to stay on Friday's?," he asked, voice slightly hesitant.

My full attention was on him now. "She only wants me to stay at least thirty minutes," I replied eagerly, nearly bouncing in my seat. If Nathan would let me stay, I wouldn't have to disappoint Mrs. Dean and she would stay oblivious to the fact that I recently  joined a gang. Business as usual.

He turned to look at me, a look of consideration in his eyes. He drummed his long, slender fingers against the steering wheel. He turned his attention back to the road and seemed to make a decision.

"Thirty minutes only, understand? No more than that or else the boss will notice and not even I will be able to keep you from a beating," he said sternly.

I beamed at him. I felt a wide smile spread across my lips. "Okay, I promise. No more than thirty minutes, got it."

He nodded once in response without looking at me but I saw a slight twitch of his lips. The rest of the car ride was silent but I couldn't have been happier. Mrs. Dean was like a member of my family, she believed in me when know one else did, I couldn't just leave her hanging like that, not when she was counting on me to help her.

When we arrived at my school, Nathan pointed out who was in the gang. He wanted me to remember their faces just in case someone else tried to impose faultily as a member of the Creeds. I paid attention to everything he said, not wanting to miss a beat.

When he finished explaining, I gathered up my backpack and opened the door to exit the Jeep.

"Wait, don't leave yet," Nathan said, fishing something out of his pocket.

With gushing admiration, I fixed my eyes on the pack of mints that he held out to me.

"As promised," he said, expression showing nothing as he handed them to me.

I felt uncomfortably bare without my mints to keep me company, now that I had them, I felt like I could conquer the world.

I peered up at Nathan with sincerity. "Thank you," I said quietly.

He shook his head. "It's not a gift, you requested it in our negotiation, all I did was keep my end of the deal."

Just as I was about to respond, the school bell rang.

"I think that's your que, kid," he said, casting me an amused expression.

"Don't call me that, you don't even look that much older than me," I protested, arms crossed.

"I'm not the one in high school, now am I?," he asked, smugness written all over his sharp features.

I huffed out a frustrated breath and leaped out of the Jeep. I was starting to think that there was no way to win with him.

"Remember, thirty minutes," he called out.

I nodded and waved hastily as I practically raced to my first class.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Lunch break used to be brutal in my first year of high school, but after a while, I noticed that I liked being alone. As long as I was left alone, no one asked too many questions, I didn't have to lie about why there were so many bruises that littered my body. It was just easier that way.

As I sat at the cafeteria observing the students who I once thought could eat me up alive, I couldn't help but chuckle at how inferior they looked compared to members of the Creeds. These high school students were no match for sharp edged gang members.

I wasn't as hungry as I usually was because for once, I ate a decent meal the night before. That was definitely one of the perks of being in the gang, food was never going to be an issue and neither was money. Nathan had given me my first paycheck which consisted of two thousand dollars. I had never seen so much money in my life. When he handed it to me, I immediately tucked it safely into my drawer. If I kept getting money like that on a weekly basis, I'd have enough money to pay myself through college.

"Hey, are you saving this seat?"

My head snapped up to meet a pair of eyes that resembled black coffee, a sparkling smile shone down at me. The boy who stood in front of me looked like he belonged on the cover of a magazine. He looked like he shouldn't have even noticed my existence.

"M-me?," I stuttered pathetically.

He cocked his head. "Yeah, you," he said, never breaking his smile.

My cheeks felt warm. "Oh, well, no. I'm not saving it for anyone," I said.

He pulled out the chair in front of me and sat down. "I'm Ross, by the way," he said, extending his hand for me to shake it.

I shook it. "I'm Presley," I said with a small smile.

"You're a sophomore?," he asked, inspecting me.

My cheeks heated further. "No, I'm a senior," I corrected quietly.

He grinned. "Me too. I just moved here from Florida."

I smiled. "I hope you're into cold weather, because the sun doesn't shine like Florida here."

He laughed. "Yeah, I noticed that. If I'm being honest, it's a nice change."

His skin looked perfectly tanned, like he bathed in the right amount of sunshine.

"You know the area?," he asked. "I could use a tour guide," he winked.

"Oh, um, I don't really get out much, I probably wouldn't be the best at it," I stammered helplessly. If I accepted, Nathan would surely murder me, but not before the boss did.

He nodded. "I get it, your busy. Maybe some other time," he said, grin plastered unwaveringly on his face.

"Yeah, maybe," I said softly, a small smile creeping it's way into my lips.