Wicked End Academy

"You're going out with Brian Haner," one of the girls exclaims.

"He's so dangerous! You really shouldn't get involved with him," another warns.

"But not as dangerous as Matt Sanders!"

"Ladies," Marissa calls, silencing the room. "Anyone that wants to have this conversation may join Charlotte and me in the Circle." She walks to my side as most of the girls file into the main room.

"What's the Circle," I ask. She smiles.

"Once a week, maybe more, any girl that cares about the gossip around here meets in the Circle to tell us about anything. Tonight, any of us that know anything about Brian and his crew will be spilling and warning you." I widen my eyes.

"They're fine! They get in fights, but that's nothing-"

"Yeah, nothing compared to what we know about them." She drags me into a room with all of the girls sitting in a big circle. Marissa sits me down and takes the sear to my right. There are about twenty five girls.

"We all know the rules correct," Marissa says.

"What is said in the Circle mustn't leave the Circle," they reply in unison.

"Okay, who would like to go first?" Ten girls raise their hands. Marissa points to one. "Becky."

"We all know Matt Sanders is the most dangerous guy at Wicked End," Becky starts, "but I heard Brian is ten times worse."

"Why," I ask. "What did he do?"

"There was one girl here," another girl, Jessica, says. "Her name was Lydia. They started going out, but one day they were both seen in the infirmary."

"What happened?" I stare at her.

"Have you ever seen that scar on his arm?" I nod. "She cut him with a knife while he was trying to rape her." A few quiet gasps escape from some of the girls.

"Nuh uh," one of them says.

"I swear," Jessica says. "They didn't have any evidence, though, so they sent her to Huntington Center for the Mentally Ill."

"We've all seen the way he looks at you, Charlotte," Belle, another girl, says. "You're not safe with him, he always looks like he's planning something."

"What else has he done," I ask softly.

"He threw a scalpel at Mr. Laine once," Cindy interjects. "For no reason!"

"And he walks up to random girls and squeezes their asses," Allison says.

"Yeah! He did that to me once," Raven responds. "Then he asked me if I wanted to meet him in the second floor janitor's closet! He's such a pig!"

"I can't see him doing any of that stuff," I say.

"He has," Marissa says. "Everyone's seen it."

"The only person worse than him is Matt," Lizzie says, "but even that's a close call."

"Matt has to actually hit someone, but all Brian has to do is give them that menacing glare and step toward them and the kid'll already be on the other side of the school," Naomi adds. "They practically rule this school!"

"But not in a good way," Yolanda says.

"I think he's crazy," Kaitlin tells us. "Seriously insane."

"Just stay away from them," Wendy warns me. "You'll be much better off that way." A bell rings, signifying nine o' clock. We all stand and head to our rooms. I get to mine and shut the door, feeling tears form in my eyes. I take in a shaky breath and change into black booty shorts with a dark red tank top. I slip into bed and fall asleep almost immediately.

I wake up to someone shaking my shoulder. It's Marissa.

"Charlotte, wake up," she says urgently. I sit straight up, looking at her.

"What's wrong," I ask, seeing her hear stricken eyes.

"It's Brian," she gasps. "He's fighting Matt outside!"