Untouched (Bay Falls High, #1)(9)

“I would never do that, Claire,” I said.

“Everyone says that.”

“Everyone?”

She grinned. “I was young once too.”

“Young and rich?”

“Young and dirt poor,” she said. “Maybe a taste of this life will keep you hungrier than you were back at that apartment.”

I looked at the key fob in my hand and then had to go track down which vehicle it belonged to.

That wasn’t hard though because there was a man standing at the luxury SUV. He offered to drive me and I declined.

I tossed my bag across the giant front seat and looked at myself in the mirror.

No makeup. Hair cheaply pulled back. But my hair was washed with super expensive shampoo and smelled like real honey. I had the nicest clothes I owned from my poor life on, which was nothing but comfort for me.

And with that, I was off.

I had to show up to Bay Falls High and go straight to the office.

Claire made it very clear to go to West. That’s what she called it.

West.

Because apparently there were two buildings. And they were far apart in distance and far apart in who went there. I laughed when she told me but she didn’t laugh back.

So what did that mean… there was a war between two schools?

A bunch of rich kids going at each other?

Over what?

Such stupid questions to ask myself considering what happened on the beach.

Which haunted me at night.

The smell of him. The feel of his touch. The sound of his voice. The fierceness of his words. A warning that made me shiver, yet I didn’t listen, did I? I didn’t have amnesia… and I wasn’t homesick…

I was moving from the ocean water into the raging fire.





The building had an old feel to it yet it was updated throughout the inside. Everything was new but felt like it was two hundred years old. It smelled clean. Perfect. It was like the building was untouched yet it was full. The entire place a contradiction. But maybe that was how the rich kids went to school. To give that feeling that they were old fashioned and worked hard and struggled like the rest of the world.

I stood in the office where it was super bright.

A woman sat behind the desk who ordered me to just stay put. She moved her chair from the desk to another desk, to a computer, to a printer, then back to the desk. Almost robotic. Wearing diamond earrings, a diamond necklace, fancy glasses, fancier clothes. Even the secretary was rich, huh?

There was a tall, old looking door with frosted glass and the word PRINCIPAL on it.

When the door opened, a girl walked out, dabbing the corners of her eyes with a tissue.

“I’m really sorry for what happened,” she said, blubbering.

Her eyes met mine and I could tell right away she was full of crap.

“It’s okay, Beth.”

The man behind her was tall, skinny, bald, with the kind of glasses that were made to look so clear like they weren’t really glasses. Like they were supposed to be invisible. But they weren’t. He almost looked like some CEO of a tech company. Not the principal of Bay Falls High.

“It’s the hormones, Mr. Jacobson,” Beth said.

“Even still,” he said in a stern voice, “I don’t take kindly to someone telling Miss Berthwood that she’s going to have a spork stuck somewhere private.”

Beth nodded. “I’ll go apologize to her. In person. Is she in the cafeteria?”

“Why don’t we just hold off on that,” Mr. Jacobson said. “I’ll speak to her and let her know that it, uh, was, uh, a bad time of the month for you…”

“You can say it. I have my period. And I have a doctor’s note to explain how hard it is for me. I should have just stayed home. But I value this place so much.”

“Okay, Beth,” Mr. Jacobson said. “Let’s just get this day started and move forward.”

She nodded. “Thank you.”

Beth stepped forward and dabbed her eyes again.

She moved by me with a side eye glance and a quick wink.

Suddenly her tears were dried and the tissue was in the trash.

She stopped at the desk. “Excuse me, Laura? Can you write me a pass so I don’t take hell for missing my first class?”

I tried to take in what was happening, even though it wasn’t my business.

My attention moved to Mr. Jacobson as he spoke my name very clearly.

“Tinsley Ditkiss.”

I cringed.

My face turned red.

“Call me Ti,” I said.

“Right,” he said. “Why don’t we step into my office and chat?”

“Whatever,” I said.

I hooked my thumbs to the straps of my bag and looked over my shoulder.

Beth stared at me.

Say or think one word about my last name, bitch, and I will make you bleed worse than what was happening between your legs.





I studied my locker and wondered if it was worth the time or effort to do anything to it. And if so, what? Put up a picture of me and Ruby? Or me and Amelia? Or a picture of Mom? That one made me snort with laughter to myself. Hell, maybe I could just keep up the mysterious new girl act for the entire time I was at Bay Falls High. Keep the realest of truths close to my chest, spill what I wanted, and see where that took me.