The lacey black dress shows off my midriff, so I am glad Mallory gave me permission to put on a plaid shirt. I pick my gray one that has a little bit of glitter through the thin black lines. Strawberry blond tresses fall straight and shiny to my ass, and I tug on the black buckle booties. If I had some black Old Skool Vans, I would actually like this outfit.

"What is this?" Dad twirls a finger, pouring coffee in a to-go mug in the kitchen.

"A dress for school."

"Is this for that boy?"

"No, Dad... He has a girlfriend."

"That's lucky," Dad cackles, "or he might get sucked in."

"I don't think I have that power."

Dad thinks I've made the most hilarious joke, hacking, and is out the door before he can remember to lock up the fridge and cupboard. I pour a cup of milk and snag a granola bar for breakfast. I actually feel good with food in my system in the morning for once. I brush my teeth and head out the door to find that it is sprinkling, but my hair will remain stubbornly straight no matter what. I should grab a jacket, but I won't be outside other than to get to my car after school.

💀

At school, Mallory is wearing a black rain slicker waiting outside her red Impreza. She whistles long and low at my legs, even though the knee brace obscures what she swears are sexy, sculpted legs. I don't know how sculpted my chicken legs are, but Mallory is convinced all the guys are gaga for them.

"Damn, Max," Memphis slides in next to me at my locker again, nodding at Mallory, "I like this change in you. You're really shining."

"Uh, thanks," I duck my head like I'm embarrassed, but couldn't care less what he thinks.

"So sweet," he runs the back of his fingers over my face which really does make me blush, "I wish we had a class together, so I could make quick work of this."

Ew.

"What exactly are you going on about, Memphis?" Mallory sticks a piece of minty gum in her mouth.

"Trying to flirt and lay down some ground work here, Mallory. Do you mind fucking off? I work better when I don't have an audience," Memphis chuckles.

"Not that I'm not completely flattered, which I'm not even close," I slam my locker and plant a hand on my hip, "but you're going to have to work a lot harder than insulting my friend."

"Shit," Memphis straightens up, looking guilty, "sorry, Max. I wasn't aware you two are friends."

"You were actually nice yesterday," I narrow my eyes, "what happened?"

"It's hard to think when you look like this," Memphis mumbles as heat slinks up his neck, "I've always thought you were cool, but you know how everyone is."

"I do," I roll my eyes, "and it's a shame you give a shit what they think, or I might fall for your little game."

"Don't be like that, Max," he pleads desperately, "it's hard trying to break the ice here."

I sigh dramatically, "try a little harder, Memphis." I pat his shoulder, "and don't insult my friend. That only pisses me off."

Memphis grumbles, "I'll work on it."

"Better luck tomorrow," I tease, walking away with Mallory.

"That was awesome," Mallory whispers, stifling a laugh, "at least I don't have to teach you how to flirt. You were in control there."

"I think screwing with Bailey has upped my game," I waggle my shoulders, "but keeping up with him is a lot more challenging."

"He's smooth," Mallory slides her hand through the air and drops me off at my homeroom class as the warning bell rings.

Right as the tardy bell goes off, Bailey flies through the door, heaving for air. He smiles at the teacher, who ignores his tardiness and shuffles into the seat next to me. I offer him a tight smile like we are getting a long, but we aren't friends. He did ask me to trust him and I said I would give him a chance, but that doesn't mean I'll trust him with shit. It's all a part of winning the game.

"You look incredible, Max," Bailey glances at me sideways.

Warmth blazes in my cheeks to my dismay, but that will hopefully draw him in more. It is better than him speculating about the change of clothes.

The teacher calls on partners for their topic, even though we still have one more day. Bailey and I have a backup to write about baking if she won't accept our topic of just cheesecake. There is a lot we can do with cheesecake and it's specific. I don't see her having an issue with it.

"Locke?" The teacher, of course, calls on him.

"Cheesecake."

"Cheesecake?" Everyone thinks this is odd.

"History of it, how it's made, what other countries think of it... We have all sorts of options," Bailey nods at her, ignoring the other wide eyes.

"That's a great start," the teacher smiles, writing it down, "and you're partnered with... Sawyer. Alright, I hope the two of you like baking."

"Max is a stellar baker. She made cheesecake for us last night, and my mom and I had a slice this morning. It's delicious."

Whoa, that is high praise.

I can't stop the blush from taking over my entire body. I totally forgot about him testing the cheesecake this morning. He even said his mom enjoyed the dessert.

The teacher smiles, casting a wary glance at me before calling on the next student. A few surprised eyes linger before falling on the next partners announcing their topic. Low whispers haunt the rest of the period about how highly Bailey spoke of me in front of everyone.

💀

The lunch bell rings and I limp to my locker slowly, letting the crowd disperse, allowing more space. I shove everything into my locker, and snap it shut when I hear Memphis at the end of the hall with his football buddies. They are all laughing and causing a ruckus. Memphis must feel me watching because his head snaps up and he gives me the nod. The nod.

He doesn't walk toward me, wave, or try to talk to me. Memphis and his friends disappear down the hallway toward the cafeteria. Maybe I should have smiled or something, but it's not really his attention I want.

It will help to have the attention of other guys on me, sure, but Bailey thinks I don't trust him. I don't want to play too many games. He will get suspicious and think I've suddenly changed personalities.

I have to make Bailey think that nothing is different. I'm not sneaking around making plans to take him and Cassie down. He can find out I want Cassie to go down because he already knows how much I hate her. However, I am more than a little worried. I don't know if I want Bailey to think I am the same person as before so he'll let down his guard or he can see the real me.

Just what team am I playing for?

"There you are," Mallory greets me when I sit next to her at our table, which used to be where I sat with Taryn and the others.

"I wasn't particularly in a rush to make this happen," I slam down my apple juice and pop open the bag of carrots.

"I'm the one causing trouble, not you," Mallory reminds me.

"Yeah, but I have to steal her phone without anyone noticing," I whisper urgently.

Mallory gives me time to eat the carrots and half a sandwich before standing up. She smooths out a burgundy blouse, stomping over to Cassie's table in tan leather fashion boots and dark Levi jeans. She doesn't have much of an ass, but the jeans sure make it look like she grew one overnight.

"What!" Cassie jumps to her feet just like Mallory said she would.

I don't know what Mallory is saying to Cassie. We didn't discuss what she would do to cause a scene. Everyone is staring, which means I still have to wait. Cassie instantly starts crying as Mallory shouts obscenities at her and students know that's dangerous. Many of the girls flee the scene of the crime before Cassie can turn her wrath on them. Mallory laughs hysterically, but even I can't tell it is forced.

"You're such a bitch!" Cassie shrieks.

That's my cue.

The Ghost Riders hop up and pile around the table, creating a wall. As casually as I can, I brisk around behind Cassie and Bailey, noticing her phone poking out of her back pocket. Sticky fingers. Bailey has an arm draped over her shoulders, but his expression is blank and from what I can tell, bored. I wonder if that's what his stoic look has always meant, boredom.

Is he tired of the games Cassie likes to play?

"You think I didn't know?" Mallory crows as I snatch the phone, slip it to my other hand and strut right out of the cafeteria.

I don't pause to look over my shoulder or that will look suspicious. Mallory continues shouting at Cassie. I don't even know how we just made that happen and it felt so easy. Almost too easy. I worry that Bailey saw, but I don't care if he knows I am working with Mallory to get back at Cassie. From what I can tell, he doesn't have any interest in Cassie and from what Mallory has said, he never did.

At my locker, I grab my books for my next class to hide Cassie's phone. Eventually, Mallory is at my side and we are moving toward the library. She already knows about the loft, but she's never been up there. She doesn't know it's my hiding place, but now she knows it's there.

"This is so cool," Mallory moves around the small space, admiring the loveseat, the dark side tables and the few shelves of old books, "I can't believe no one makes use of this."

"I know a few students who hide up here," I shrug nonchalantly.

"Let's get to it," Mallory holds out her hand and I pass over the phone.

She knows Cassie's passcode and enters it swiftly. She goes straight to the pictures and opens the hidden folder. I gasp at the exposing nudes, trying not to focus on Cassie's flawless hourglass figure. She is a cheerleader after all.

"Alright," Mallory sends the pictures to each person individually to make it more obvious in her phone in case Bailey looks at it, "Zane will be the one to tell him. Zane hates Cassie."

Mallory even takes time typing out sexy messages to each guy. Some of the lingo she uses is beyond my mind to grasp, but Mallory would know how Cassie talks or texts. My stomach gurgles that Mallory has all this ammo against her ex-friend and I remind myself to stay vigilant. Mallory is fun, but dangerous.

"Oh, shit..." Mallory opens Cassie's messages with Bailey, "Max look at all of this..."

She scrolls through the messages slowly, revealing the picture Cassie sent out of me that had been altered. The messages from Cassie aren't shocking, but the replies from Bailey make my blood boil. To think, I was considering that he is a decent person somewhere deep down.

Fuck.

"Holy mother of hell," Mallory pauses where Cassie sent the original picture of me to Bailey, "he... She sent it to him first."

"So what?"

But then I see what made Mallory take pause. Bailey saw the picture and replied by sending the altered image back. He's the one that added all those insulting boils, pimples, rolls of fat, and the blood stain on my underwear. He's the one that confirmed me as the bleeder of the school.

My heart thrums wildly in my chest, shattering whatever tiny bit of hope I had left that he is a decent guy. I guess a part of me still wishes he is the guy I thought I was getting to know before he threw me in the pool. He hasn't done anything to earn my trust since the beginning, but I sure fell for his charm and nice act.

What the fuck is wrong with me?

How could I be so naïve?

Mallory senses my unease, "are you okay?"

She clicks off the screen and stuffs the phone in her pocket. She'll take the phone to lost and found in the main office. Everyone knows whose phone it is, but she doesn't have to report that she found it. She pats my shoulder and stands up.

"Fine," I grimace, staring at the floor.

One might think I fell in love and am getting my heart broken for the first time from the way my chest heaves and head spins. The bell rings for the end of fifth period, and Mallory runs off to get to class. I remain in the loft, trying not to drown in the realization that there is zero hope for Bailey. He is the bad guy and I know this.

Why did I let myself have the tiniest hope that he could actually want to earn my trust?

💀

"I can't find it!" Cassie digs through her bag in the locker room.

Mallory finishes changing, winks at me, and flees the scene. I am still fitting my brace as Cassie panics. We haven't heard anything about what the guys did or if she even knows what has happened with her pictures. Maybe Bailey already approached her and that's why she noticed her phone is missing. I am surprised she is just now searching for it.

"Coach Parker!" Cassie screams, "someone took my phone!"

Coach Parker comes out of her office beat red with annoyance, "I doubt anyone stole your phone. Check the lost and found in the main office, Cassie."

"I swear if it isn't there someone is getting sued and charged for theft!" Cassie throws all of her things into the bag and sprints out.

Failing not to laugh, I replace the lock on my locker and head for the door. Coach Parker gives me a nod as if she is checking with me, so I nod in response. It is enough to please her and she returns to her office.

Mayhem is already breaking out in the hallways. Everyone is talking about Cassie sending nudes to the Ghost Riders and Memphis. No one mentions Asher and I figure somehow that's already been silenced because he isn't part of the elite. Not like anyone would believe him if he said she sent him one anyway.

I was trying to draw him out of hiding by sending the nude to him, but don't spot him or Taryn anywhere. My so-called friends or acquaintances have officially abandoned me. If Taryn does come back, I won't hesitate to accept her. It's just the way we work.

"Fuck, Bailey! It's not like I told her to send it to me!" That's Zane's deep voice echoing through the hallways.

I make it to the hallway just in time to see Bailey launch at Zane. Cassie stands right behind him, smiling like she did this on purpose. I bet she wouldn't mind breaking up the Ghost Riders just to prove she is the queen of the elite, but everyone knows no one can outrank the Ghost Riders. That's why they have a name and each member has their own label. They are the kings of the elite. The bad boys, the charmers, goddamn royalty.

"Holy shit!" Mallory's fingers latch into my arm, making me flinch, "it's just me. I wonder if he is really pissed or just putting on a show for Cassie's sake."

I search Bailey's face as he pummels one of his best friends. Zane looks amused and Bailey's expression remains blank as usual. Connor is nowhere, which has become the new normal. It's not like he isn't one of them anymore, but it is strange that he's never seen at school. Then Riette breaks free of the crowd and peels Bailey off Zane.

"Knock it the fuck off!" Riette thrusts Bailey into the wall of lockers, effectively denting the metal, "you know she only did this to cause drama!"

"I didn't do it!" Cassie stomps a foot and crosses her arms like a toddler throwing a tantrum.

"Bullshit!" Zane hisses, staggering to his feet, and wiping the blood from his nose, "it came from your fucking number!"

"I don't even have my phone! It's missing!"

Bailey shoves Riette away, draping an arm around Cassie, who is satisfied and arrogant. The two turn away from his friends and disappear through the crowd. Zane and Riette share a look that's hard to discern, but if I have learned to read anything, the two are only playing along. Bailey is putting on a show for Cassie because of whatever she has on him, and they obliged.

Zane allowed Bailey to attack him and make him bleed to cover up for him. Bailey was willing to hurt his friend to keep up some charade. Riette might have saved the two from causing any real damage, but even he knows where Bailey's real loyalty lies. I have my work cut out for me taking on Bailey. That means I am taking on his friends, too.

No one can get in between the Ghost Riders.