If I had known my first week at Fair Oaks Preparatory Academy was going to be so disastrous, I would have begged my Aunt June for us to stay in Virginia. But Grandpa Bo was sick, so we made the twelve-hour drive in her Kia Sorento, only stopping for gas along the way.
That was almost a month ago, and with my junior year at Fair Oaks about to come to an end, I was going to do the unthinkable. I was going to stand my ground against my childhood friend turned enemy.
I wished he would just talk to me.
I tried that approach, but it ended up with insults thrown at me, so I had to do something different because I wasn't going to take his shit any longer.
And the name of my bully?
Kingston Blake, as in the heir to Blake & Co. The largest shipping and container company on the East Coast. He had placed a target on my back. A target for all his followers at school to take aim.
I had somehow pissed off the son of the next multi-billion dollar company, and I had no idea how or what I had done.
Was it fate that he would be the first person I ran into on the school grounds?
Who knows.
But I refused to apologize for something that I didn't remember.
How could I show my face again after what I did?
His words were cold and angry, but I hadn't the slightest idea what he meant.
The soft March wind brought the salty scent of the ocean into Maddy's backyard. It had turned chilly as a few strands of hair flew across my face. The breeze sent shivers through my body as our first encounter came back to me. I could still feel the frost in his words when he swore he'd make my life hell for coming to his school.
Fair Oaks was originally an all-boys preparatory school for the sons of the elite in the Northeast. The rich sons of Boston were born into more money than I could imagine.
I was hoping to never run into Kingston again. But I had underestimated his popularity. I underestimated the power he had over the school.
The name-calling, I could tolerate, but once he splattered paint all over Ladybug, I had to stand up. I would do everything in my power to stay at Fair Oaks Prep. And Kingston was going to wish he never placed a target on me to begin with.
My Aunt June had given half of her retirement fund to send me to Fair Oaks Prep. And since she hadn't found a job yet, my shifts at Jake's Store and Grandpa's pension were somehow keeping us afloat. I didn't want to deal with Kingston and his bullshit. I needed to stay at Fair Oaks Prep and graduate, or I would have wasted my Aunt's retirement fund for nothing.
So far, Kingston and his friends, along with Sophia and the entire cheerleading squad, had it out for me. Sophia's dislike of me was still a mystery, but I had a feeling it had to do with Kingston's sudden interest in me.
And doing what young teenage girls do, she spent her free time tormenting me in sick ways. A box filled with dirty tampons stuffed in my locker had me on the verge of vomiting my entire lunch during my first physical education class.
I knew it was her, even though I couldn't bring myself to confront her.
No matter what she or Kingston did, though, I would fight back, and I had a plan. A fucking genius plan.
The wind whipped up, and I craved the heat from the bourbon Maddy had served me earlier.
Her backyard was a retreat, with tall trees and low-hanging vines draped along her house. She had a huge fire pit and plush lounge chairs situated around it.
She had said this was her favorite place to hang out since we'd become friends, so I figured this would be the perfect place to tell her my plan.
If only she didn't look like I had just told her I wanted to rob a bank, I'd feel better somehow.
The way her brows knitted up had me wondering if she was gonna take me seriously.
"Don't think too hard, Maddy. It's a brilliant plan."
This would be crazy if we could pull it off, but I had a sneaking feeling we could make it happen. From the few times we spoke about the Kings, I could tell something happened with her and one of them, and I hoped whatever it was would make her say yes to my plan.
Madison Peters was taller than me, with long straight black hair that stopped mid-back. Her blue eyes contrasted my dark almonds. And at times, she reminded me of Cher from the 1970s.
She was gorgeous and had an addictive smile to match her sweet personality.
All the girls at school looked like they belonged on some high-end fashion runway. While I stood out with the ends of my shoulder-length hair dyed pink and large cat-eye glasses.
I wasn't there to join any cliques, but Kingston had made it known that he didn't like me. And I became the one person the entire school treated like trash because of him.
I'll never be able to get the smell of actual trash out of my truck's interior because of him.
Transferring schools was out of the question, so I decided to fight back and knew where to start.
I focused back on Maddy as I drank the last of the bourbon from my cup. I had a slight buzz which gave me the confidence to tell her my plan.
Her eyes softened. And the slanted 'M' on her forehead disappeared as she finished her own cup.
The rich socialites who attended the school didn't care for things like student council when their rich daddies and mommies had already arranged for them to get into the Ivy League or whatever was close enough.
Getting a diploma from Fair Oaks Prep meant something. Graduating was the golden ticket I needed for a better life. To repay my Aunt. To help take care of my Grandpa.
I didn't want to stay at school because of Kingston. But I needed to stay for myself and my family.
So, I hit Maddy with the plan.
We could win the student election by standing up against Kingston and his followers. The students of Fair Oaks weren't here to be their servants.
And neither was I.
We would make history and bring Fair Oaks Prep into a new era with an entire female leadership team for our senior year.
It was epic.
It would be remembered.
Not Kingston Blake and his precious football trophies.
Maddy's thin lips parted, "Why do you want to be Vice President?"
She was direct like that. She spoke her mind, and there was no guessing what she wanted or didn't want.
The chilly air filled my lungs, and I missed the taste of the bourbon she had snuck from her father's office.
I could tell her the truth.
That I didn't care about the position. I only cared about what I could do with it. I needed the power it would give. I needed to crush Kingston's dream. I wanted to ruin football just like he was ruining my time at school. I couldn't allow him to have me kicked out.
Which was exactly what he threatened.
A breath I didn't realize I was holding escaped me, "I need this as bad as you?"
It came out sounding more like a question.
Maddy squeezed my legs as she stood and grabbed her water bottle from the ground, "I just don't see how we can do it in less than two weeks, plus there is my current running partner,"
I hadn't forgotten Allen. He had been in Maddy's shadow for years, and it was clear that he had a thing for her.
It was time to drop another bomb. I might have been new at Fair Oaks Prep, but I was focused when I had a goal.
She didn't know that I already spoke to Allen and convinced him to let me take his place. All I had to do was get her to go on a date with him.
Easy right?
"So I already sent Allen a text and asked him what it would take for him to let me run with you for the VP spot."
Her eyes widened, "You did what?"
"He said he'll do it if he gets something in return."
She shook her head, "Allen is sweet and all, but he's not going to budge. He wants to run. He wants this as much as I do."
"I don't think so. I think he only wants you."
She crossed her arms high under her large chest and gave me a questioning look. Biting her bottom lip before she spoke. "What are you talking about?"
Maddy was book smart. Probably too much.
"He wants to go to prom with you."
It was obvious to everyone that he had a thing for her. But apparently, she hadn't any clue.
She shook her head. "No, No. He doesn't like me. Pretty sure he's gay."
My abs tightened as laughter took over.
"Please tell me you're joking. Allen worships you. Why do you think he wants to hang out here with us? Trust me, it's not because he's gay."
I smiled as a memory came back to my mind.
"Don't you remember telling me that he got that boner when you guys were dancing at the Valentine's Day dance?"
She had to have remembered. He ghosted her for almost two weeks after the incident, and she was left filling out their submissions for the election.
"Why would you remind me of that!" I watched as she pretended to brush imaginary bugs off her body.
It was time to pull out the big guns.
"Maddy," I spoke gently, holding onto both of her hands before I spoke. "Allen is not gay. He wants to show you a good time, and prom is like a year from now anyways."
"I gotta think about it. I mean, it's my high school prom."
"I know it's prom, but we were planning on ditching soon after anyway," I reminded her.
My first day at Fair Oaks Prep had its challenges, but I had made a friend at the end. Maddy had invited me over to her house, and it's been our after-school ritual since.
"Let a girl think about it for a second," she exhaled before smiling at me. "Fine! Fine. I'll go to prom with Allen. But only if you promise me you will do whatever it takes."
She leaned in, and the flowery notes from her perfume covered us both.
"Seriously, Sasha, I need to win if I am ever going to get into Yale. Got a family tradition to uphold."
Her parents were lawyers and had a practice in town, so I knew education was her top priority. She really was the best friend I could ask for.
Guilt prickled my insides, but I pushed past it.
"Don't worry, this will work. Plus, it's time for Kings to stand back and let us plan a real senior year."
I began picking up the wrappers from the snacks we'd eaten, stuffing them in a trash bag.
I didn't have a clue about what happened in the student council. Or what or how I planned senior year activities at a school I barely knew.
He was the only reason I was taking these drastic, long-shot steps. Since the day we ran into each other in the school's parking lot, and he threatened to make me pay, he's been true to his word.
I was nervous about going to a school where the students had trust funds. But I had no idea that a boy who I had thought was a friend could turn so cruel. And I caused it.
Everyone in school might be in awe of Kingston the football king, and bend over backwards because his father was also the richest man in town.
But me? I refused to worship him like the others.
I don't know what happened to the Kingston I knew. I wish I could remember what made him become the person he was known for. The cold, ruthless bully who didn't care who he hurt.
But at this point, there was no point. I had to stand up for myself.
When your own mother doesn't want you, a girl will learn quickly either to defend herself or fall victim to someone else's game.
And I was no one's victim.
As I gathered the last of our snack wrappers, a chill ran down my spine that had nothing to do with the March breeze. I could feel it in my bones – this plan was more than just a way to get back at Kingston. It was a turning point. The moment I decided to stop being the new girl, the outsider, the target.
I turned to face Maddy, my heart pounding with a mix of fear and exhilaration. "You know what? Screw it. Let's not just run for student council. Let's make it a revolution."
Maddy's eyebrows shot up, her blue eyes widening. "A revolution? Sasha, what are you talking about?"
I paced the length of her backyard, my mind racing. "Think about it. Fair Oaks Prep has been ruled by the same type of people for how long? Rich boys with daddy's credit card and more entitlement than actual leadership skills. What if we changed that?"
I could see the wheels turning in Maddy's head. She was smart – scary smart – and I knew if I could get her on board, we'd be unstoppable.
"We don't just run a campaign," I continued, my voice growing stronger with each word. "We start a movement. We reach out to every kid who's ever felt like they don't belong here. The scholarship students, the quiet kids, the ones who are tired of being pushed around by Kingston and his crew."
Maddy leaned forward, her interest piqued. "And how exactly do we do that?"
I grinned, feeling more alive than I had in weeks. "Social media. Guerrilla marketing. We plaster the school with posters that actually mean something. No more generic 'Vote for Us' crap. We talk about real issues. We make promises we can actually keep."
"Like what?"
"Like... I don't know, getting better food in the cafeteria. Setting up a tutoring program run by students, for students. Creating safe spaces for kids who are struggling. Real stuff that matters."
Maddy nodded slowly, a smile spreading across her face. "You know, that's not half bad, Sasha. But you realize Kingston's going to fight back, right? He's not just going to roll over and let us take his throne."
I felt a flicker of fear in my gut, but I pushed it down. "Let him. The more he lashes out, the more he proves our point. We're not just running against Kingston – we're running against everything he represents."
As the words left my mouth, I realized how true they were. This wasn't just about revenge anymore. It was about changing Fair Oaks Prep for the better. About proving that someone like me – someone without a trust fund or a famous last name – could make a difference.
Maddy stood up, her eyes blazing with determination. "Alright, I'm in. But if we're doing this, we're doing it right. No half-measures. We go all in."
I held out my hand, and she grasped it firmly. In that moment, I felt a surge of hope. Maybe, just maybe, we could pull this off.
As we started brainstorming campaign ideas, I couldn't help but think about Kingston. About the boy I used to know, and the cold, angry young man he'd become. Part of me still ached to understand what had happened, what I'd done to turn him against me so completely.
But another part – a stronger part – knew that it didn't matter anymore. Whatever history we had, whatever unresolved feelings lingered between us, it was time to put it aside. I had a new mission now, a purpose that was bigger than just me and Kingston.
As the sun began to set, casting long shadows across Maddy's backyard, I felt a shift inside me. The scared, uncertain girl who had arrived at Fair Oaks Prep a month ago was fading away. In her place stood someone new – someone stronger, braver, and ready to fight.
Watch out, Kingston Blake. The game has changed, and you have no idea what's coming.