“What about students who come from no money?” I asked with a roll of my eyes.
Abby giggled. “There’s no such thing, at least not in this school.” She got a serious look on her face again. “Richard Wilder has been crushing other companies as Awake grows. Kingston and Maverik have been slowly moving toward the top of the hierarchy since they’ve been here. It helps that they’re both hot, great at sports, smart, and their dad is a billionaire.”
I gave an irritated sigh. Was everyone a member of the Wilder fan club except for me?
“But there’s a bunch of guys that have seen their fortunes decrease as the Wilders’ increase. They’ve also been pushed down the social hierarchy as Kingston and Maverik got promoted to kings of the school,” Abby whispered cautiously.
I shrugged. I didn’t care about how one group of rich assholes hated the other; they were all the same to me. “Can I just stay invisible to both groups? I don’t want to get involved in any of that.”
The whole feud seemed pointless and stupid to me. Who cares how many generations your family has had money for? I swear, rich people cared about the pettiest shit.
Abby seemed disappointed at my lack of response. “We shouldn’t be talking about this here, anyway.” She straightened up abruptly and put her happy face back on. “Do you want to peek in at the ice rink before we go downstairs to the dance studio?”
I shrugged, surprised at how quickly Abby could change gears. “Sure.”
Kingston told me to head to the ice rink when I was done, but I could just stop in and let them know I was going to lunch with Abby. It would serve them right if I just disappeared, and then they had to explain to their father how they lost me. My smile faded when I realized how quickly that could turn on me.
“Any chance you have a car?” I asked her. How amazing would it be if I didn’t have to wait for them to bring me home at all?
Abby pouted. “Not yet. Daddy said I can have whatever I want when I turn seventeen, but that’s not for another three months. You?”
“I grew up in NYC,” I told her. “It’s more of a pain to have a car than it is useful.”
“But now you’re here,” she said slyly.
“How’s the Uber service around here?” I laughed.
We stepped through the doors that led to stadium-like seating around the rink. “If you want to go out on the ice, you have to go through the locker rooms,” Abby explained. “They technically have free periods where anyone can skate, but Katie and Maya don’t like to share.”
“The figure skaters?” I guessed.
“Yup.”
We walked down the aisle stairs to look through the plexiglass that formed a barrier between us and the rink. Kingston and Maverik were on the ice with three other guys that I’d never met. They were too busy skating, shouting insults, and shooting hockey pucks around to even notice us watching.
“The skinny guy facing off with Kingston is Ali,” Abby said as she pointed him out. “The dark-haired one that’s a little shorter than Maverik is Matt, and the tall blond is Erik. They’re like, the gods of the hockey team. Well, except they’re missing Kash.”
“That explains the egos,” I said softly.
Abby giggled, and Kingston caught sight of us standing there. “Hey, sis! Is that your hot tour guide?” He skated close to where we were standing and eyed Abby appreciatively. “Looking good, Abs.”
I rolled my eyes. “Actually, it’s my hot bestie who I’m about to have lunch with.”
Kingston pouted. “Awww, Mav wants us to finish drills, so we’ll have to meet you there.”
“That’s fine. It gives us plenty of girl time,” Abby said with a smile. “See ya later!”
We started to walk away, but Kingston shouted after us. “Don’t start making out without me!”
“He’s such a perv,” I complained, shaking my head in amusement.
“But a hot perv,” Abby laughed. “I can’t believe Kingston Wilder was flirting with me! I’ve always been invisible to him.”
I looked at her doubtfully. Kingston seemed like the type to go after every girl who was even mildly attractive, and Abby was gorgeous.
“Do not tell me that you’re into him,” I warned her. “He’s an ass when it comes to girls. I’d never let my best friend be subjected to his shit.”
“I know,” Abby sighed. “But don’t you wish you could be the one to get him to settle down?”
I shook my head. “Guys like that never settle down. They just learn to hide their cheating better.”
“Pessimistic much?” Abby joked.
“Realistic,” I corrected her. “Let’s check out the ballet studio,” I reminded her. “And then to the sushi you promised me.”
“Right this way, my dear,” she teased me.
The dance studio was unimpressive, but functional. Abby mentioned a stage in the drama building that was sometimes used for performances, but I was too hungry to care about a stage. I’d been skipping a lot of meals since I came to Bedford, but Abby was a fresh breath of air that made me feel more like the old Katya. I felt relaxed and comfortable around her, as opposed to anxious and on edge – which is what it felt like living in Richard’s mansion.
I shouldn’t have been surprised to see that that cafeteria was far from ordinary. There were different chef stations around the room who would make you whatever you wanted from the ingredients that they had on hand. It had been a while since I had a really good meal and had been able to enjoy it, and the scents floating through the air were tempting.
Ryan’s words about not living life because I was so focused on ballet floated through my
