Page 14 of Web of Lies
It’s his turn to snort. “Some crazy guy built his house there. It’s at the center. Dante Van Buren. The dude was nuts, seriously bonkers! He had some seriously fucked up ideas. He thought the world would end, and the dead were going to come back to life, go rogue, or some shit like that. But who knows? That’s the rumors I’ve heard.” He shrugs and continues. “Zepp and Seger, my buddies from breakfast, have the keys to the house in there, so we know our way around pretty well. Most do, though. But most…well, you heard ole Cruel back there. They just want to fuck in peace, I guess. No one wants to do that shit in the apartments, because of tight security. Another piece of advice, they have security walk around the halls day and night, and if they catch you doing shady shit, or bringing guys up to your apartment. Well—you know.” He shrugs again. Maybe having Chase show me around isn’t such a bad idea. Knowing my way around this place is one thing, but the tidbits of advice I’m getting are priceless.
“Any more advice? I certainly don’t want to get into trouble,” I say, eyeing his contagious smile as we walk. I bat my eyelashes a bit, and he chuckles.
“Stay away from Cruel Carter and Piper, that piece was legit. Cruel, I don’t even know how that asshole is still here. He has to be 21 by now?” he shrugs in confusion. “They really are step-siblings. I wouldn’t be surprised if they were actually fucking. Can you imagine Piper during sex?” He laughs at his joke, sparking weird sex scenes in my head of Piper and her ridiculous speech patterns getting down and dirty with ‘ole mean Carter. I can’t even imagine them together.
“Yeah, does she always talk like that?” I ask through a laugh, and he nods.
“I’ve been going to school with her for a long time, and she hasn’t changed a bit. Well—maybe she’s gotten a little harder. I dunno. They’re odd. I don’t pay them much attention anymore. I just stay out of their way.”
“Are—are they dangerous?” I ask, dropping my voice an octave.
When I came to this school, I knew my game was dangerous. But again, reality is always harsher than imagination. I can’t predict how any of this will go. Or how people will react.
He shrugs again. “I mean—I wouldn’t trust them with my soul, but that’s just me.”
We make our way towards the giant football stadium looming in the distance. He smiles as we approach his haven. Like my brother, I can see it written all over his face how much this place means to him and how much this place holds a piece of his soul in the soil, and his happiness in the stands. This football stadium is to Chase as my computers are to me: it runs through our blood, brings us peace, and completes us. No one understands these havens except us.
He spreads his arms wide, introducing me to theVan Buren Football Stadium. It was named after the crazy guy who owned the house in the maze years ago. He passed it down to his daughter who later donated the land so this school could grow.
“And this is my home away from home. We play Friday. You should come! Be my own personal cheerleader.” He cracks a smile at that and turns towards me.
I scrunch up my nose and look toward the stadium—a ghost of the roaring crowd echoes in my ears, bringing vivid memories to the front of my mind. Back in the day, I spent many Friday nights cheering on my brother Bodhi. Large crowds and I have never been on good terms, but I tried my hardest with him and for my family. I love him. Bodhi’s goal has always been to play professionally, and that’s half the reason they attended this school. But to endure it for a practical stranger? Sacrifices must be made.
“Crowds really aren’t my thing,” I say offhandedly, turning my eyes back to him.
He blinks a few times and nods. “I can save you a VIP seat with my sister. She’s kind of—well, she takes some getting used to, but I always save her a seat. She’s not a crowd kind of girl right now, anyway.” He sighs, and sadness settles into his deep voice. Almost like grief has taken hold of his heart. “I’ll save you a seat. If you want it, take it. If not, well, that’s okay too. But I’d love it if you came out. School spirit and all, right?” He cracks a smile, pleading with me to take him up on his offer. I bob my head in agreement.
Maybe a football game wouldn’t be a bad idea. It’d get me to scope out more of my classmates in their natural habitat. Plus, getting close to Ainsley is a must. She’s the queen of this school and Magnolia’s main tormentor. I need to close in on all my enemies, not just the boys, to find any information.
“Besides, after the game, we are throwing a killer maze party. You won’t get lost that night. You might get fucked though.” He winks at me, and I snort at his boldness. “I can even meet you at the entrance, help you make your decision.” He licks his lips, eyes trailing over my body before he can stop himself. Hmm, maybe reeling in Chase was easier than I thought. I expected some work, but this is a piece of cake.
“I’ll go to the game,” I say with confidence, staring out at the football field, “And the party too.” What I don’t tell him is I don’t drink. Or fuck. Well—not yet anyway. By how Chase’s hungry eyes undress me, saying he’ll try at some point. It’s all part of my game, though, right? I might even enjoy it.
“YESSSS!” he pumps a fist into the air and does a little dance in place with that smile on his face I can’t seem to resist. I smile back at him, and he stops in front of me.
For the rest of the day, Chase is true to his word. He takes me around campus and points out each and every building in sight. He gives me brief summaries here and there, but the pointers he gives me are the meat of it all. I wouldn’t have survived here if it wasn’t for him and his weird hints about teachers. Who I can be late for, where to sit in certain classes, and which students to avoid? My guess is he’s a way better tour guide than Piper. At least I don’t want to gouge my eyes out right now, so there’s that.
“Avoid sitting in the front row of Ms. Martin’s class; not only does she spit when she talks, but she sure loves the ladies. Especially those,” he points toward my chest and waggles his eyebrows like the quiet perv he is.
I snort. “Thanks for the warning, and I’ll keep that in mind the next time I’m in science. I’ll keep my boobs to myself.” He swallows hard at the mention of my boobs but keeps going with his lessons.
“All right, it’s been real, New Girl, but I should get going. I have practice soon.” He smiles, pointing back towards the football field in the distance.
“Thanks for showing me around. It’s been surprisingly pleasant,” I say through a genuine smile.
“You wound me! Surprisingly pleasant? I’m always pleasant, just you wait.” He walks backward with his trademark lop-sided grin, never taking his eyes off me. With a brief wave, he disappears into the distance.
When I’m officially alone, I wander around a bit, taking in the campus myself. Our tour only took a few hours, and dinner time is quickly approaching. Everything around here is seemingly perfect in every way. From the brick buildings to their archways, there isn’t a hair out of place.
I make my way past the football field and head toward the forest on the edge of campus—perfect for a short hike. Tall trees line the perfectly placed paths as the air thickens. An elephant compresses my chest the further I walk into the damp forest. The fresh scent of nature tickles my nose as a slight breeze whips my hair over my shoulders, and I stop myself. The bird’s chirp, and nature blossoms, centering my fractured soul.
The sharp sound of a stick cracking behind me brings me back to reality. There are only a few chances in life to close your eyes and escape, and this instance isn’t it, apparently. There may not be actual wolves hunting in these woods, but other dangers lurk waiting to strike.
I take a deep breath and slowly turn around, greeted by a pair of angry brown eyes. Pure hate rests in his pupils, burning fire along my bones. At least that’s what it feels like to me.
He’s only staring down at me, twisting and contorting his face into such a rage. I’m surprised there isn’t steam billowing out of his ears. Obviously, his sex-filled romp in the maze did nothing to curb his frustrations because he looks like he needs to have another round of pleasure for a few days at least. He should consider talking to his partner and remedying that because by the look on his face, he needs a good lay. For all that, anger and such, I heard it’s an excellent way to let off steam.
“You follow me?” I ask, raising my chin.
