Page 1 of Left In The Dark

Prologue

Logan

They’re laughing. All eyes are on me as I enter the cafeteria and the instigator sits in the middle of the table, whispering in the ears of the two people next to him.

“Someone’s got dirt stains on his knees and hay in his hood again. You out there sleeping with your pigs, farm boy?” Hayden, the captain of the football team, laughs while slugging an arm around Blake. Blake Mitchell makes sure to make me the laughing stock wherever I go.

Blake sniffs the air, wearing an evil grin. “Sure smells like pig shit.”

The table erupts in laughter and I do my best to ignore them, hurrying past their table with my tray shaking in my unsteady hands.

Someone spritzes the air with body spray and pumps out two more squirts, sticking the bottle out closer to me. “Much better,” they say, but I don’t look back to see who it is. Not that I’ve memorized all their names, because I haven’t. Much like their personalities, they’re all dull and similar. It’s their looks and money that have everyone else wanting to be a part of their crowd so badly.

Meanwhile, I just want to be left alone. I want to get through my last year of high school and never look back once I leave for college. Spending the majority of my time studying and staying ahead of my work has really paid off, giving me a higher chance of getting into my first choice of college.

My friends hated it whenever I’d ditch them early on weekends and choose the library over playing video games at Jimmy’s house. Jimmy has been my best friend since the sixth grade and we’ve already agreed to be roommates while attending the same school.

“Dude, you were reading in the courtyard again, weren’t you?” Reese says, moving his backpack from one of the chairs.

“You know him. He always chooses nerding out over everything else,” Jimmy muses, stealing my cornbread. I would’ve let him have it anyway since me and gluten aren’t exactly friends.

I look back at the laughter aimed my way, and Blake’s jock boyfriend oinks at me. Their friends all follow behind him and start shoving their faces into their corn like animals.

“Ignore those assholes,” Lydia says, flipping them off.

“Seriously,” Jimmy agrees. “Fuck them. We only have two months left and then we’ll never have to see them again.”

“I’ll never understand why they have to torment you so much,” Lydia grunts.

“Cause Blake is clearly obsessed with Logan here and can’t admit it.” Jimmy shoots daggers over my shoulder, mouthing something I can’t make out.

“I doubt that’s it. I’m clearly just an easy target for guys who love finding someone to shit on in order to feel better about themselves.”

“Maybe it’s both reasons.” Reese lifts his shoulder and I shift my attention to my food, moving my spoon around in my chilli before finally taking a bite. I go for seconds as my friends chit chat around me, and as I’m laughing at one of Jimmy’s ridiculous jokes something mushy, wet, and cold is dumped over my head.

“We thought we’d save some of our slop for you,” Blake says in a mocking tone, pouring mixed veggies down the back of my shirt. One of his friends nearly falls to his knees from laughter, lifting his hand to his face.

“I mean, that’s what my uncle says he does with their leftover food. Saves it for his piggies,” Hayden snarks, standing over me with a carton of milk, but as he’s about to tilt it over, a teacher appears.

“That’s enough, Mr. Benson and Mr. Mitchell. You’re both coming with me. As well as your friends.” She shoots one of them a look when they snort into their hand.

“Always being punished while trying to help out the least fortunate,” Blake fake whines before grinning down at me.

“To the principal’s office. Now, young man,” she warns and he rolls his eyes, stomping forward. His boyfriend follows, giving me a look of warning on his way out of the cafeteria.

You’d think I’d be relieved that someone stopped it from going further and that they were actually being punished for what they did, but if anything I’m more worried about what they’ll do next. Leave a skunk in my locker again? Fill my car with more hay? Or maybe they’ll add more spiders in my gym clothes.

I hate it here and I hate them. Two more months. That’ll go by fast, won’t it?

Jimmy lays a hand on my shoulder, eyebrows pointed downward. “It’s my fault for wanting to eat inside today.”

“We’ll go out somewhere behind the building tomorrow, where we know they won’t go. One thing Blake and his buddy’s hate is going out of their way,” Lydia huffs.

“Nah, you guys should be able to sit wherever you want. You don’t have to eat out in the heat on the ground because of me.”

Reese looks up from his tray, smiling. “That’s what friends are for, isn’t it? Besides, I sure could use some more sun.” He holds out his pasty arms and we all laugh.

“He ain’t wrong there,” Jimmy blurts. “We don’t need him blinding other people while we’re hanging out at the lake all summer.”