Kai felt a surge of adrenaline as he made a B-line for his target. Poor Jacob. He was going to destroy that pretty-boy face of his.He was almost there, almost had his throat around that poor bastards neck, when he noticed Mr Burton was the teacher on duty today. There was always one teacher guarding the gates, and it was usually doddery old Miss Fisher on a Friday. It was just Kai's luck that the old coot was sick today.Mr Burton gave Kai one of his famous looks."Not today, Kiddo," he warned, cocking his head slightly to one side. No one else would dare refer to Kai as Kiddo. But Mr Burton wasn’t normal. Kai wouldn't mess with Burton any more than he would mess with Damien. Something about the look in that man's eyes just sent off alarm bells in his brain. Kai was willing to bet he'd killed before, either in the army or elsewhere.It could wait. He had all day. And if anything, dragging it out would only make it worse for Jenna. He'd have to listen to her annoying pleas, sure, but
Jenna wasn't sure how to tell Jade and the others.In art class, they surrounded her, faces smiling and friendly, and her heart sank in her chest. She wanted to cry."What's wrong?" Jade asked.When Jenna said nothing, letting her sad face do the talking, Jade nodded sadly and looked away. "Yeah, I thought this would happen," she said. "You know... you don't have to listen to Kai," Damien said."If I don't, he's going to take it out on Jacob," Jenna revealed. She was surprised when Damien shrugged."So let him," he said."I can't let a guy get beaten up because of me," she said. That was the truth. It wasn't because she couldn't get his face out of her mind or even because she was constantly having fantasies about being his girlfriend.'Nothing like that at all,' she lied to herself."You might regret that when you get to know what he's like," Damien warned. "But it's your life, Jenna."With that, they left her alone. Sighing heavily, Jenna looked around the room. Charlene was ther
Jenna wasn't sure how to tell Jade and the others.In art class, they surrounded her, faces smiling and friendly, and her heart sank in her chest. She wanted to cry."What's wrong?" Jade asked.When Jenna said nothing, letting her sad face do the talking, Jade nodded sadly and looked away. "Yeah, I thought this would happen," she said. "You know... you don't have to listen to Kai," Damien said."If I don't, he's going to take it out on Jacob," Jenna revealed. She was surprised when Damien shrugged."So let him," he said."I can't let a guy get beaten up because of me," she said. That was the truth. It wasn't because she couldn't get his face out of her mind or even because she was constantly having fantasies about being his girlfriend.'Nothing like that at all,' she lied to herself."You might regret that when you get to know what he's like," Damien warned. "But it's your life, Jenna."With that, they left her alone. Sighing heavily, Jenna looked around the room. Charlene was ther
"So... how long have you and Julian been dating?" Jenna asked Charlene in a desperate attempt to fill the awkward silence. She found it so hard to talk to the only other girl in the friendship circle--if you could call it that. They were more like a pack of animals than a group of mates."A while... why?" she shot back, curling her full lips in disdain."You seem like a really cute couple," Jenna said, trying her best to be nice despite the other girl's cruel mannerisms. "Looks can be deceiving, right?" Charlene said, making a sour face. This time the mean face was aimed at Julian. "He's banging so many girls on the side I have to double up on the condoms to not get chlamydia."'What a lovely mental image,' Jenna thought, trying not to make a face of disgust. "Why do you stay with him then?" Jenna asked."Jeez, mind your own business much?" the girl scowled and rolled her eyes as if Jenna was the rude one. She tried not to sigh, but it wasn't easy to hold it in.Thankfully, Kai app
Rachel Connell had not relaxed for one moment since 'the incident'.She tried her hardest to mark the mock GCSE papers, but every few questions, her mind would begin to wonder. Kai was all she could think about these days. What if he ignored his dad and reported her to the board?Even with relaxing music playing and a glass of merlot by her side, she couldn't make herself calm down.She knew how lucky she was that the principal was on her side. He wasn't willing to lose a good teacher over a scum bag like Kai. But if it came to it, and they had to appeal to the board, she would need her son to give evidence. Rachel glanced up from her work, pen lid poised in her mouth and thinking as she stared at her son."You'd be protected," she said, pressuring him yet again. "I'd make sure Kai got suspended...""Like that would stop him." Tom tutted. "He's a psychopath, mum! What about that are you not getting?"Rachel rolled her eyes. "He's just an overprivileged white boy who isn't used to not
Jenna trailed behind Kai and his friends. She still did not see them as her own friends. Julian had barely said a word to her, and Ray never spoke unless spoken to.Only Kenny made an effort to talk to her, and he talked at a million words a minute.He filled her head with pointless gossip about people she didn't know from Adam—people she would probably never get to know.There were very few people that the gang deemed good enough to interact with. A couple of the guys on the rugby team, a few of the bitchier girls from the remedial class and a girl whose brother was apparently some kind of criminal—Sofia. Of all of them, Sofia was the only one Jenna felt herself gelling with. The girl was tough but kind and was the only person who ever stood up to Kai. He ignored her, mostly, but he did not seem to mind her.As the group headed to the benches, Jenna caught sight of Sofia and called her over. Sofia seemed to be a drifter, floating between different friend groups and ready to leave at
Earlier at school, when she had concocted her plan, Jenna honestly believed she could rescue Jacob's work. She had it all figured out. She would wait until ai went out, as he had been doing for the past few nights, then, she would sneak into his room and replace the work with comic pages she had printed from the internet.It was foolproof.As Jenna stood at the top of the stairs, gripping the smooth wooden banister, she realised it wasn't so easy.It was fear that held her back.Fear that he would return earlier tonight. Fear that she would get caught in the act. Fear that she would figure out what she had done.Fear of punishment.Earlier she had witnessed Jacob pleading with Kai in a desperate yet futile attempt to get his drawings back.Kai wasn't willing, or able, to show any compassion.'But I am,' Jenna thought.She tried to convince herself that it was purely her kind nature forcing her to take action. That, or a sense of guilt and responsibility.And those things were true...
When Jenna didn't reply, Jacob turned to his mother. "Mum?" he asked, "Why are you sitting here talking to her like you're old mates?"The mum looked confused. She turned to Jenna."Are you not here to tutor Charlie in maths?" she asked.Jenna shook her head slowly.Another knock at the door prompted the dogs to leap up and start barking. The young woman picked up the baby and got up to answer it, leaving Jenna with Jacob. He grabbed her by the sleeve of her coat and pulled her into the kitchen, which seemed amazingly clean for a household containing two dogs and a busy mother. The work surfaces sparkled and there wasn't a pot or pan out of place. It made her think of her old house.Thinking about her old house made her sad, so she pushed it from her mind and concentrated on the here and now. She had come here on a mission, and she wasn't going to fluff it now."I have your artwork," Jenna explained. "Erm... your comic. The one... the one Kai stole..."She trailed off, feeling like