Page 1 of Savage Hate
prologue
Silas
Ten Years Ago
I clench and unclench my fists, heat flaming my cheeks as the cacophonous laughter permeates the quad of Ravenwood Academy. Gathering my courage, I continue walking toward the locker room, aware of the hole that’s now cut out of the front of my pants. I wish I had Damon’s swagger, or Jude’s composure, but instead, fury roils just beneath the surface of my skin as I shove the locker room doors open.
Enough.
I’ve hadenough.
I grind my teeth and crack my neck as I walk to my row, unlocking my gym locker and grabbing a pair of P.E. shorts. Stepping out of my pants, I kick them away with too much force, and my foot slams into the metal of the locker.
“Fuck!” I shout, punching the locker a few times until my knuckles are bloody. “Fuck her,” I mutter, kicking the locker again until it dents. “Fuck Lennon Rose.” I wipe my nose and take a few steadying breaths before pulling my P.E. shorts on and sitting on the bench. Putting my face in my hands, I groan. How does she always find a way to humiliate me? How is it that she hasn’t moved on to someone else? Why me? Why us?
I feel their presence before I hear them.
“People are already talking about the game later,” Jude says, sitting down next to me. “By tomorrow, everyone will have forgotten.”
I look up and watch as Damon paces in front of me. “You already know my thoughts on the subject,” he growls, frustration contorting his features. “Revenge is the only answer. She may be more popular than us, but there are three of us and only one of her.”
I sigh and rub my face, standing and grabbing my trousers from their place on the concrete floor.
“She’s not worth it,” I say morosely. “She thinks she can continue messing with me—that one day she’ll break me, but she’s wrong. She’s just a stupid cunt who will go on to lead a miserable life.”
“Exactly,” Jude adds, handing me my backpack.
“Well, we could—”
“I said no,” I answer, turning to Damon. I look between them, willing my features to remain neutral. “It was just a stupid fucking prank. We have one more month until we graduate. One month. And then we can get the fuck out of Greythorn.”
And I never have to see Lennon Rose again.
I ball up my now ruined pants and toss them into the garbage, my fury returning when I think about the fact that everyone inadvertently saw my dick and nuts, thanks to the loose flap in my boxers. A faux pas on a normal day, but more so because Lennon fucking Rose and her minion thought it would be funny to cut a hole in my pants during P.E. class. Even funnier for her, I didn’t notice until a few minutes after.
At least it wasn’t freezing out, so there was no shrinkage happening. Not that anyone would care either way.
The three of us walk out of the locker room, and I ignore the snickers of passing students who haven’t already forgotten what just happened. Jude and Damon head to their classes, and I walk alone to my last class of the day. One more class, and then we can head to Jude’s house and chill with some beer and chips. And I can forget that today ever happened.
I tamp down the anger when I see Lennon sitting at the front of the room, her spine straight, her honey blonde hair falling down her back in loose waves. I look down at myself, at the gym shorts paired with the polo shirt. A few people raise their eyebrows as I sit down, and I swallow the insecurities that begin to rise to the surface.
My skinny legs.
My glasses.
My lack of muscle no matter how many hours I spend at the gym.
My messy hair.
I disregard the feeling of embarrassment at that last thought. Getting a haircut just isn’t a priority, not with Ledger struggling in middle school. I’m his only parental figure since ours are missing in action, away at some religious conference or something. Grinding my jaw, I lean back and check my phone quickly. Between making our breakfast, packing our lunches, grocery shopping, cooking dinner, cleaning the house… I barely have time for homework, let alone a haircut.
My eyes bore into the back of Lennon’s head.
She hasno ideawhat my life is like, yet she uses her free time to torment me. Lennon Rose has a perfect house, a perfect life, an acceptance letter to Harvard… I try to tamp down the jealousy. I don’t want to go to Harvard, but college is out of the question for me. I have to take care of Ledger and make sure he doesn’t turn into a religious freak like our parents. But Lennon? She’s an only child. She has everything and everyone at her beck and call. Not only do her parents own half of Greythorn’s real estate, but everyone at Ravenwood Academy worships the ground she walks on, which is obvious since she was crowned prom queen last month.
Our teacher walks in and begins lecturing, and just as I’m about to look away from that glossy hair, she turns around, giving me a nasty little smile. Her ruby lips quirk upwards, and her deep, hazel eyes pin me with a defiant stare. Her eyes flick to my shorts and then back to my face, narrowing her eyes before snapping her head forward again, dismissing me by flicking her hair with her hand.
Evil.
