Just Drop Out (Hannaford Prep, #1)

by J. Bree

While I don’t believe in ghosts, I can feel the souls that linger here. It’s probably just my guilty conscious giving me the heebie-jeebies as I look over the corpse of my opponent.

“Welcome to the Twelve. You’re replacing the Hawk. Who do you choose to be?” Free.

I could have that too. I could make myself a queen of my own empire. I could rule the streets and never go hungry again.

My eyes land back on the Jackal, and I lift my chin until I no longer feel like I’m looking up at him. “I am the Wolf.”

Lower families? Sweet lord, here we go. I assume with just how low my family is, I'll be in the damn basement. That suits me just fine.

How do you inform the privileged that you're just trying to survive when they can't see the danger from their vantage point?

My leg is mottled with red and white raised skin after all the operations to put it back together. I have a burn on my hip that I can't think about without triggering my PTSD, and then there's the two perfect circles on my shoulder. Bullet in, bullet out.

I don’t like the way Joey speaks about me, like I’m a thing to possess. It takes me a minute to realize why it feels so wrong, but so familiar. That’s exactly how Matteo talks about me.

I’ve never been kissed before. It’s disgusting. I might never kiss a guy again, if it’s always like this.

They all know Joey staked his claim on you as well.” Staked his claim, like I’m a slab of fucking meat.

Despite what the spoiled kids here think, I don’t actually need the money.

I could have Joey taken out of my life as permanently as I wanted. It amuses me that Ash and Harley warn me about him. If only they knew who I really was.

After a terse ‘of course,’ Mr. Trevelen hangs up and then he looks at me like he’s never seen me before. He looks at me like he’s let a monster into his school. He has.

“If you fuck any other guy, Joey will probably kill you both.” It's become so commonplace to use the word ‘kill’ flippantly.

Avery slips her hand into his, and that’s when I know I’m in trouble. That I’m about to be tormented by them again. Avery Beaumont is always the calm before the storm.

There are things I know better than most about myself and the ways of the world. A night of no sleep won’t kill me. A week without food won’t kill me. Finding my mother's dead body rotting on my kitchen floor won’t kill me. A bullet to the shoulder won’t kill me. The bullying at Hannaford Prep won’t kill me.

The small amount of weight I had put on is quickly disappearing off my body, and I miss my boobs already.

He’s staring at me how he looks at Avery, like I’m something precious, and my mind scrambles to figure out why.

It’s disturbing. I hate crushes so much, because they really do crush you.

I’m the Wolf, for fuck’s sake, but I feel hot shame wash over me whenever I think about him. He really does think I’m a sad little groupie.

The banter didn’t feel fun anymore; it hasn’t felt fun in a long time. Now all I can hear is the possession in his dulcet tones. He’s speaking to someone he thinks he owns. I won’t ever let him own me.

Silly girl. I’m feeling a little dazed as I think to myself, I should really teach that girl to punch properly.

I wish I had what she has. I wish I had people who love me and watch out for me. I wish I had real friends. I wish my life wasn’t empty.

“This isn’t payment, it’s a white flag. And an olive branch. I want to be your friend.” I stop dead in my tracks.

I might regret it later, but I nod. “Friends it is, then.” “Best friends.

I’m going to be working over summer break, so I’ll just take an extra job to cover his break.” “Take an extra—what the hell is happening right now?”