He nods. “Of course they have. You’re the only one who’s transferred in halfway through the year, and you can’t expect people to just wait on you, can you? You can get started this week, if you think that you’re ready. But, for now, you need to go sit so we can all learn, okay?”
***
“And that’s it.” I wave my fork at Madeline. “I honestly don’t remember anything else. I’m pretty sure that I just…blacked out. I had no idea that the other students would be so damn cutthroat here, but I’m screwed, Madeline, I really am.”
We’re sitting in the corner of the cafeteria enjoying our zoodles and fresh marinara sauce, but the more I think about class with Quinn and Mr. Stanfield, the harder it gets for me to chew. I can practically feel my throat closing up, and I swallow hard, trying not to cry.
I promised myself that I wouldn’t cry about the internship. It’s just…it’s my dream.
“Quinn’s really good. He’s got years of experience and has a lot of people in the background pulling strings for him. That’s something that you can’t compete against, trust me.” I can tell that Madeline is trying to be careful with her words. She twirls some zoodles around her fork and then frowns like she’s thinking. “I don’t want you to be really down on yourself, Abby, but unless you can pull something great out of your ass…Mr. Stanfield loves him, so. Yeah.”
“I noticed.” It would have been impossible not to notice that the teacher practically fawned over everything that Quinn said and did in class. I guess that that’s one thing that I didn’t completely block out from the afternoon.
Before she can say anything else, I notice that he’s walking across the cafeteria towards us. Unlike lunch, when he brought his food and sat with us, he doesn’t have anything in his hands. Instead, he’s flanked on both sides by two of the hottest guys I’ve ever seen. They could easily walk the catwalk, but next to Quinn, they seemed to pale in comparison.
The only problem is that none of the three of them look happy about walking over to see me. The one on his right is tall and slim, with a buzzcut that shows off his dark brown eyes. He has a light layer of dust from sculpting on his shirt, so I’m sure that Madeline will know exactly who he is. The other is shorter but dressed to kill. His suit looks custom-made for him, and I realize with a start that it probably was – by him.
Talent is everywhere at Trinity Prep, and I’m just hoping that I have enough to stay here.
Quinn stops right in front of our table, tapping his fingers in front of my plate before he speaks. “I didn’t get a chance to talk to you after class, Abigail, but you need to know that I have the internship with Mr. Stanfield already locked down. He’s a family friend and I’ve been working with him for years, so we have a connection.”
He’s not smiling at all, and I suddenly realize that this is not, in any way, a laughing matter to him.
Taking a deep breath and ignoring the way the other two guys are staring at me, I stand up. Quinn easily towers over me and is wrapped in pure muscle, but there’s a table between us, so I feel a bit braver than I actually am. “Tough shit, Quinn. I’m just as good as you are, and the internship is mine, so you better get used to second best.”
Honestly? I have no idea if I’m anywhere near as good as he is, and I’m probably not, but I’m not going to let that get to me right now. He’s used to having everything handed to him all his life, and that’s got to stop.
“You think that you’re just as good as I am?” He raises a perfect eyebrow and chuckles. “How about this, then, little Abigail? You want to have a contest with me? Raise the stakes a little?”
“The internship is what’s at stake. Don’t you think that that’s enough?” I do my best to sound tough, but part of me really wants to know what he’s thinking. If he weren’t so damn hot then I think that I could better handle myself, but…holy cow.
He shakes his head and then runs one hand casually through his hair. I can’t help but watch the way the muscles in his arm twist with every movement. “I have a feeling that you’re a virgin, aren’t you, Abigail?”
When I don’t answer, he laughs and continues. “So, how about this? We both work on a small piece this week. If yours is the best, then I’ll back off and give you a fighting chance at the internship. But it won’t be, so don’t get excited. When everyone decides that mine is the best then you owe me your virginity. I get to take it anytime, anyplace, whenever I want it.”
What the hell?
This is not what I signed up for when I came to Trinity Prep. No way did I think that I would be gambling away my virginity on the first day of school.
When I don’t answer right away, the impeccably dressed guy at Quinn’s side scoffs. “I told you that she was too much of a pussy, man. You’ll never get to sink your dick in her that way.”
Madeline reaches up and touches my wrist, but I ignore her. I didn’t come here only to have my head smashed into the wall in the bathroom and then be made fun of. “Deal. But on one condition.” Quinn grins at me, waiting for me to speak. My heart is pounding so hard in my chest that I’m pretty sure everyone in the cafeteria can hear it, but I
