Page 228 of Filthy Elites

“How nice,” she says with far too much interest. “What’s his name?”

“Uh… Dare. Chase. I don’t know.”

Mom frowns. “You don’t know?”

“I mean, I do know. Everyone calls him Dare, but his name is Chase Darington.”

Her eyebrows rise. “Chase Darington? As in, Darington Enterprises?”

I nod. Dare’s father—also Chase Darington—started out as a residential developer, then moved into commercial. Now, he dominates both markets, and virtually anything anyone builds in this town goes through him. “Yeah. That’s his dad’s company.”

“I didn’t realize you were friends.”

Since we’re not and I don’t want this blending of the truth to get out of hand, I drop her gaze, nod, and head for my bedroom. “I better go put these away.”

“Do you need time to study them? I can entertain myself for a while if you do.”

“No, it’s fine. I can look them over tomorrow.”

“Are you sure?”

No.

“Yes.”

She flashes me a smile and I flash one back, then I run to my room to stash the notes I know I won’t even have time to study.

FIVE

Aubrey

The next day,it’s back to business as usual.

My boss texts me and asks if I can cover the closing shift after school. Despite my decision not to prioritize work right now, I say yes. Another medical bill came in the mail today, and I’m running out of credit limit. I’ve been paying the minimum payments and hoping like hell the credit limits would last as long as I need them to, but I live in constant dread of the possibility that they won’t.

Much to my own annoyance, I find my thoughts drifting to Dare more than once while I’m at school.

I hate that I’m letting him get in my head when I know he was only joking around—Chase Darington would neveractuallyflirt with me. Why would he? He’s dating the queen bee, and while she may be rotten to the core, she’s definitely prettier than me.

Still, I find myself watching for him in the halls.

I know it’s ridiculous. Itell myselfit’s ridiculous. I even get a little meaner with myself, rationalizing that yeah, it’s all fine and great to imagine Dare actually gives a damn about seeing me becauseI’mthe one who needs a bright spot in her life.

It’ll never be him, though. Logically, I know that.

Chase Darington isn’t a nice person. I’ve never had a run-in with him—obviously, since he didn’t even know my name before this weekend—but I’ve witnessed enough of his bullshit over the years, heard stories of even worse things than I’ve seen. He’s the kind of guy who messes with people’s lives just because he’s bored. He’s every bit as evil as Anae, and I wouldn’t be fooled byherflashing a smile and pretending to flirt with me, so I shouldn’t let him do it, either.

It doesn’t matter, anyway. I don’t have time for their bullshit games.

There’s no reason to feel disappointed as I make my way out of the building without once encountering him today. We have English class together, but he sits over with a couple of his and Anae’s friends while I sit in the back of the class near the door. I don’t even think he knows we have that class together because he doesn’t look my way.

I used to sit in the front row of every class. Getting good grades mattered to me, and I liked the lack of distractions in the front row.

It’s not so much that good grades stopped mattering to me, it’s just they’ve become less attainable lately. I’m spreading myself so thin this year, I don’t have time to waste on shit that ultimately won’t even matter. I don’t know what I want to do with my life at this point, but I’m sure I won’t use at least half the stuff I’m expected to memorize and recite back in some stupid standardized test.

I even considered dropping out, but Mom freaked when I suggested it. I know I don’t have much of my high school career left, but it’s the time commitment I’m struggling with.

Baymont High is a competitive school. It’s difficult to coast here. If I dropped out now, so much of my time would free up. I could work and still have plenty of time to spend with Mom. Next year, I could get my GED, and then I could get back to college or whatever I end up doing next.

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