Our audience.
Yeah, enjoy the show, I thought, scooting my chair loudly back to my seat.
Because fuck him and his command.
He either didn’t hear me move or didn’t care. Likely the latter. His bullying attempt for today was done, making him the center of attention. The king lording over his minions.
At least Dash wasn’t in this class. Handling both princes of this kingdom created quite the headache.
Everyone fell silent, sending a chill down my spine.
Shit. He noticed and now—
“You must be the infamous Trayton Nacht,” Charlie drawled, his shoulders tightening beneath his blazer jacket as he faced the front of the room.
“I’m not sure about infamous” was the reply. Goose bumps pebbled across my skin, the newcomer’s voice deep and masculine with a slight lilt. “And I prefer Tray.”
A glance around the room confirmed I wasn’t the only female affected.
Gleams of interest came from the feminine population, while jealousy mingled with curiosity on the male faces. I couldn’t see the new guy, but he clearly had a physical impact.
Which explained Charlie’s defensive stance.
He didn’t take kindly to men who threatened his position as the hottest guy in the school. Only Dash could share it with him.
Although, some would argue it was Charlie who actually shared the spot with Dash. Not the other way around.
Regardless, this new guy clearly provided some competition.
“Charlie Anderson,” Darlington Academy’s prince informed the newcomer. “Son of Jackson Anderson.”
Silence.
After a long beat, Tray said, “Oh, sorry. Was that supposed to mean something to me?”
My lips quirked up. Wrong thing to say, buddy. But admirable at the same time.
“Owner of Anderson Motors,” Charlie replied, folding his arms. His back was still to me, blocking my view of the new guy. But I could sense the tension rising between them.
“Yeah, sorry, I’m not familiar with the American automotive industry. But congratulations on the relation.” He stepped around him, providing me with my first look at the guy who dared defy Darlington royalty.
Reddish-brown hair.
Square jaw.
Strong neck.
Lack of an understanding on how to properly wear the academy uniform—a leather jacket was not the same thing as a blazer.
He plopped down at the table in front of me, everything about his lazy sprawl saying how he felt about Charlie’s little inquisition. “I do not give a fuck” was practically plastered to the dude’s forehead.
Well, this would make things interesting.
How long would his little rebel act last against the princes of Darlington Academy?
I gave him a week before they recruited him into their circle. He had just the right amount of arrogance to qualify, and his looks certainly guaranteed him entrance to the female elite’s bedrooms. This was all just a glorified interview to see how quickly he succumbed to their power. Once he did, he’d be given a status. And the rest would be history.
Professor Montgomery entered with a flourish, dispelling Charlie’s chance to follow up with the new guy. “Be seated, be seated,” she said, waving her arms around with the words. The woman always did have a flair for the dramatic. With her wiry white hair pulled back in a severe bun, she resembled a strict woman. But kindness lurked in her bright blue gaze.
I adored her and her crazy methods.
Such as now. She narrowed her gaze at Trayton Nacht and snapped her fingers. “Well, on with your introduction, then.”
Straight to the point, as always.
I smirked as he sat up a little straighter and cleared his throat.
Yeah, Montgomery doesn’t play.
“Tray,” he said.
And he didn’t say anything else.
“Tray,” she repeated after a beat. “This is an English class, Tray. We use full sentences. Now stand up and give a proper introduction.”
“Sure.” He pushed his chair away and stood, his height seeming to dwarf me beneath a shadow. Because yeah, he was handsome and tall.
Aren’t they all? I thought with a mental scoff.
He glanced over his shoulder at me, his irises an exotic blend of obsidian and dark chocolate colors. My favorite kind of drink. Not that I wanted to taste him.
“My name is Trayton Nacht,” he said, still looking at me. “I prefer to be called Tray.” He turned back around, facing Professor Montgomery. “Was that sufficient enough? Or do I need to prepare a full biography?”
Several of the students snickered.
I bit my lip, knowing this would not go over well. At all.
Professor Montgomery’s resulting smile confirmed my thoughts. “That is an excellent idea, Mr. Nacht.” She clasped her hands, her eyes dancing around the class. “And as all of you are smiling, I can see you agree. We’ll make this a group assignment, so everyone can participate.”
The snickers turned to groans while I just shook my head.
Idiots.
“Peer interviews,” Professor Montgomery continued. “With a three-to-five-page full-length biography due by Friday.”
As it was Tuesday, that only gave us three days to complete the assignment.
Fan-fucking-tastic.
Tray reclaimed his seat, that lazy sprawl in full effect again. “My life isn’t that interesting. How about a page instead?”
Professor Montgomery arched a brow. “Well, then I pity your partner because the requirement is three to five pages. And you will be writing the biography of the student you interview, not your own biography, Mr. Nacht.”
More groaning from the class.
Tray, however, grinned. “Brilliant. Are we to choose our partners?”
Man, this guy didn’t know when to quit. He’d be in detention by the end of the day if he kept up this pace.
I shook my head just as our professor declared, “No, I’ll be choosing. And since Ms. Cinder seems to disapprove of this assignment, I’ll be pairing you with her.” She gave me a look that had me rolling my eyes.
That wasn’t at all why she’d paired me with him.
She paired us because she knew I wouldn’t let him cheat.
Rude. Looked like I needed to reevaluate my Favorite Teacher Award.
Montgomery began assigning everyone else partners for the project, the class growing reluctantly quiet. “You can all thank Mr. Nacht for giving me the idea,” she added at the end, essentially hammering a nail into his social-status coffin.
Of course, he merely appeared amused by it all, his full lips tilted upward in a cocky grin. “You’re welcome,” he said.
Charlie cut him a glare.
Several others followed suit.
Hmm, maybe Trayton Nacht wouldn’t be inducted into the royalty circle by the end of the week. Especially if he continued to piss everyone off.
Trina raised her hand from the front row, her perfect hair matching her perfectly pressed uniform. Professor Montgomery arched a brow, her signature way of calling upon a student. “Can we have the rest of today’s class to work on our assignment?” she asked. “With this being Homecoming week, most of us are involved in mandatory activities after school. And the squad has extra practices as well.”
“Not to mention football practice,” Charlie drawled.
Ah, yes, the extracurriculars were always more important than the academics.