The Forever Crew (Adamson All-Boys Academy, #3)

by C.M. Stunich

No way in hell is my future husband going down in those tunnels, with or without my other, you know, future husbands. Not over my dead body. Oh. Ow. Ouch. Bad metaphor. Over my living body.

“We’re saying that unless something changes, we want to make this our thing.” “We’re not going to pressure you, or just wait around for you to pick. We’re here, for the long haul.” Spencer exhales and then reaches up to touch the side of my face with a gloved hand. “That’s the biggest part of your birthday present, Chuck. We’re committing to this.” He taps the ring that Church gave me. “All of us, and you, for as long as you’ll have us.”

Did I just get a reverse harem ending? Yeah, yeah, I think I just did. I just hope that this really is the happy ending to my story, and not a blip in a horror film set on a course for disaster.

“You have to be extreme to consider blood sacrifice a normal part of growing up, so it is possible that they saw the baptism as problematic.”

“Also, please stop buying me bras and underwear. I have plenty of it,” I say, giving both twins and Spencer a look. “Oh, that’s not because you’re poor, that’s because we like buying you bras and underwear,” Micah adds with a loose shrug of his shoulders,

No, Chuck, no, no cult talk tonight, I remind myself as the guys walk me down the stairs like a princess. I really feel like one in that moment, too, much like I did the day they took me to the fairy-tale suite in Disneyland.

“I have caught for you a fox, a little fox that plundered the vineyards,” he says, and I know right away that it’s Mark’s voice speaking from behind the mask.

“And the fox’s name?” asks the man at the front of the congregation, his voice sparking just a hint of recognition in me. “Eugene Mathers,” Mark replies smoothly, lifting off his mask and rising to his feet.

“I have caught for you a fox, a little fox that plundered the vineyards,” Aster Hayes repeats, pulling off her mask and rising to her feet in a mess of silk and tulle. “And the fox’s name?” the leader asks, without a hint of emotion coloring his words.

“Jason Lambert,” Aster replies easily, making my breath catch. So, she was the female attacker all along—at least one of them, anyway. That means she danced with me on Valentine’s Day, and then tried to kill me on the same night. How messed up is that?

“I have caught for you a fox, a little fox that plundered the vineyards,” the boy says, and even though I know I’ve heard that voice before, I’m having trouble placing it. It’s got to be Gareth though, right? Our detective work was solid. “And the fox’s name?”

“Spencer Hargrove,” the boy says, and my heart shatters to pieces. Spencer?! My head whips around, but I can’t find him anywhere. That is, until I force myself to sit up as far as possible, straining against the ropes, and find that there’s another altar opposite mine.

“I have caught for you a fox, a little fox that plundered the vineyards.” “And the fox’s name?” the leader asks again. “Charlotte Carson,” Selena McConnell says, rising to her feet and removing her mask. She glances back at me, but her face is devoid of any emotion whatsoever.

“The McConnells have disappointed the Fellowship this year. Your sister did not make these sorts of mistakes.”

Pink and yellow princesses, knife-fighting in the woods. The east coast is so weird, you guys. What would my California friends say about all of this?! Hella fucking lame, bro.

“How are you feeling?” he asks me, putting one of his hands over my blanketed feet and giving my toes a squeeze. “I’m okay,” I say as the twins sit on either side of me, releasing me from their maniacal hugging. “Plus, I get to tell everyone I meet from now on that I survived an attack from a rich, powerful cult.” Church’s lips turn up into a smile, one that actually reaches his eyes for once.

“I was afraid I’d never get to see you in that wedding dress,” he says, making my dad bristle. “Same,” Spencer agrees, glancing briefly Church’s way before turning back to me. “I would’ve died if you had, Chuck.”

“God, we hated you so much when you showed up at Adamson. Now we’re all, like, clinically obsessed. What have you done to us?” “I’m like a splinter—once I’m in, you can’t get me out without bleeding!” I say, trying to be funny but totally and utterly fucking it up because I’m a shitty comedian.

“We love you, Charlotte,” he says, and then pauses, like something’s just occurred to him. “I love you.” “I love you, too,” Micah says, drawing my attention back to him. “More than I feel comfortable admitting. Because, you know, I don’t want to get committed or anything.” “You’re committably in love with me?” I ask, sniffling.

“I’ll get the shake,” Church says, slipping out the door, but not before stopping to smile at me. “And anything else you want. Anything.” He steps out and closes the door as I laugh, putting my face in my hands as Dad steps into the room and starts to yell headmaster-y things at the boys. Ah, life is good, isn’t it?

It’s nice knowing that I don’t have to pick between the boys, that there’s no ultimatum, no expiration date for our relationship. We’re just going to take things slow, and see what happens. If it works forever, then we’ll date forever. If it doesn’t, then that doesn’t matter either because we’re a forever crew.

“You know I’m only looking at you like this because I’m proud of you,” Archie says, and I feel my little icy Grinch heart get all warm-y and shit. Yes, I said warm-y. I’m a shitty poet, so sue me. “You’ll always be my everything, Charlotte Farren, whether you like it or not.”

First, we graduate. Next, we travel. Then, we do college. And all the while, we grow, and change, and love, and make mistakes, and learn.

“I think there are no best moments in life. We’re all just lucky to be alive, period. And if we’re happy here, in this little corner of time, this slice of forever, then that’s enough.”

This is Chuck Carson, the secret girl, with her ruthless boys, her forever crew, signing out. Peace, love, and pink cupcakes, my friends. Always remember: hug like you mean it, love with your whole heart, and naked-bake something every once in a while. Over and out.