Elite (Empire High, #2)(64)

Kennedy folded her dress over her arm. “Yeah, I really don’t want to run into Isabella outside of school if I can help it.”

Welcome to my new life. “Her bedroom is on the other wing upstairs. I actually run into her less here than at school.” Now that I thought about it, that was pretty weird. It was like she avoided me here but sought me out in public. A game she played for her father, I guessed. Our father. You’d think she’d pretend to like me here right in front of him. And the more I thought about it, the less any of it made sense. I’d never understand Isabella. And I never wanted to, because if I did I was worried it meant I was truly becoming one of them.

“But you see her at family dinners,” Kennedy said. “I love those stories. I can’t believe your life now.”

“Oh God, don’t get me started on family dinners,” I said with a laugh.

“Can I see the dining room real quick? I want to be able to picture your epic stories of the upper class better.”

“The Pruitts just pulled up,” Miller said as he looked down at something on his phone. “You have about three and a half minutes until they come in. Make it fast and I’ll go get your dress from my room.” He walked away without waiting for a response, suddenly all business.

I wasn’t sure if he was upset with me or not. Maybe he was just tense because he was putting his neck on the line by letting me sneak Kennedy in.

“The dining room is this way.” I grabbed Kennedy’s hand so she wouldn’t keep stopping and staring at everything along the way.

“Why is your dress in Miller’s room?” she asked as we stopped outside the dining room.

“It’s silly. I thought maybe Isabella was trying to sabotage me or something. But maybe she really was worried we’d be wearing the same color.” The feeling of being watched all the time was getting to me. I was even making up evil moves by Isabella. She was horrible. But it didn’t mean she was out to get me all the time. Surely she had other people she had to harass. Her list of enemies was probably quite long.

“The same color dress for homecoming? Oh the horror,” Kennedy said with a laugh. “Which wall did Satan throw the wine on when he got mad?”

I laughed and pointed to the far wall. Kennedy loved hearing stories about Mr. Pruitt, and I loved reenacting all of it for her. I’m pretty sure hearing about my horrid living situation was the highlight of her day. And I was happy to give her all the dirty details because they distracted her from Cupcake. And his assholery.

“He seems legit crazy,” she said.

“Yeah, and you legit don’t want to run into him. I have no idea what his reaction would be. He pretty much banned me from seeing you. And I signed all these papers agreeing to it.” I think. I really should have read that contract.

She rolled her eyes. “How can I hate someone that I don’t even know?”

“Easily when it’s a Pruitt,” I said with a laugh. “But come on, let’s get upstairs. The last thing I need is to get Miller fired.”

She followed me up the ornate staircase. “This place is seriously insane. I can’t believe you live around all this gold.” She ran her index finger along the gold trim of the railing.

“Isn’t that just paint?”

She leaned down and tapped it with her finger. “I don’t think so.”

The sound of locks clicking open echoed around us.

“Hurry,” I whispered and sprinted up the stairs with Kennedy hot on my trail. But when I reached my room I realized that Kennedy wasn’t with me. She had stopped in front of the door down the hall with the new security system.

“What the hell is in there?” she asked as she stared at the keypad.

“I have no idea.”

“You haven’t asked? It’s right by your room.”

“Miller said not to go in. Which I promptly ignored,” I said with a laugh. “But it was locked when I tried to open it. And the next thing I knew there was all this,” I said and pointed to the display.

“That’s really freaking creepy, Brooklyn. What do you think is in there that they don’t want you to see?”

I shrugged. “I’m sure Miller would warn me if it was something really bad.”

“Yeah. You’re probably right.” But she didn’t look that convinced.

I didn’t have time to think about what was behind that door right now. All I could think about was the fact that I couldn’t get Miller fired. I’d never be able to forgive myself. Especially because my heart was still so stupidly confused.

This time when I pulled Kennedy to my room she didn’t protest. I practically pushed her in when I heard the sound of footsteps on the stairs. I was about to close and lock my door, but I heard her gasp.

I turned around to see what she was upset about. My heart dropped to the floor.

“What the hell happened in here?” asked Kennedy.

My clothes. All the beautiful clothes that Justin had organized for me were on the floor in shreds. Thousands and thousands of dollars worth of clothes that were so nice that I hadn’t even touched them. I swallowed hard. It wasn’t just all my new clothes. No. I took a few steps into my room and I felt like I was about to burst into tears. The few outfits that I’d owned were ruined too. The sundress my mom had always complimented. Her old riding boots. My favorite pajamas. Even my black dress shoes that hurt my feet. Everything. It was all torn to pieces.