Pretty in the Dark (Dark and Wild #2)

Chapter 3

3

JUNIPER

T he principal had been kind and understanding on the phone when I’d finally called her back to schedule the meeting. We’d agreed that we both wanted what was best for Dean, and so this meeting was to sit down and plan the best course of action. A plan I desperately hoped would not only steer Dean onto the right path, but keep him safe as well. I knew one thing, however, nothing was going to happen if Dean, himself, wasn't on board with it. And so far, he had been resistant to anything I’d tried to implement or suggest.

I still hadn’t said anything to Dean about Edmund being alive and in hiding, but I knew I was going to have to break it to him sooner or later. Hopefully, this new brother I had yet to meet, would have some answers for me. Frustration had me slamming my car door shut harder than I meant to, causing a few of the students that were still hanging out in the parking lot to look in my direction. They took one look at my dingy, yellow VW bug, with the red skull still grinning from the hood, and snickered.

I cringed. I still hadn’t gotten the skull removed or the hood repainted. When the ladies at the Emporium had asked about it, I’d brushed it off as kids playing pranks. Which may or may not still be true. Part of me hoped that I’d get a phone call from the sheriff’s office and be told that they’d discovered a gang of kids trying to stir up trouble, and all of this would be a lesson in teenage boredom.

A sudden thought struck me. The sheriff was the one who told me about my dad’s death when he’d found me in Denver. He had to have information or know something that would help me solve the mystery. I remembered the file I’d found in Edmund’s office filled with David Black’s criminal history. I decided it was time to visit the honorable sheriff. The thought made my stomach roll. The sheriff wasn’t exactly on my list of favorite people considering his relationship with Edmund, and I was reluctant to have anything to do with him. But there were too many questions that needed answering, and other than my mysterious missing brother, he was the only person I knew who might have actual information. I just didn’t want to know what the price of that information would be.

By the time I’d decided on my next course of action, I was in the school office and waiting for the principal to get done with the meeting before mine. Dean was already there, a sullen look on his face as if he’d had one too many experiences inside these walls. Guilt twisted my heart again. I’d thought by leaving I was protecting my little brother. But it seems all I’d done was make things worse for everyone. I needed to come up with a way to prove to Dean that he could trust me, and that I wasn’t going anywhere, ever again.

The door to the principal’s office opened and I straightened, suddenly nervous. This was my first opportunity to show Dean that I was serious about my role as his guardian. I couldn’t fuck this up.

A short woman with jet-black hair, streaked with a few wisps of silver, pulled back into a neat chignon with dark eyes that sparkled with kindness, greeted us.

“Ms. Wild! So glad you could come in today.” She turned to Dean, her smile softening. “And Dean, I’m glad to see you again.”

I blinked in confusion. For the way that Dean had sulked and balked at coming to meet the principal, I’d expected her to be a half-monster. But this woman gave me the impression that she’d rather hand you a cup of tea and a muffin than dole out a punishment.

We sat down across from her desk, both of us shifting with nervous tension in our seats.

The principal broke the awkward silence. “First, I wanted to express my condolences over the passing of your father, Ms. Wild.” She gave me a sympathetic look, and it was all I could do to not cringe and blurt out, “No need. He’s not dead, just a deadbeat dad. Ha!” But I knew that wouldn’t go over well. Instead, I gave her a tight-lipped smile and nodded, hoping she wouldn’t elaborate or talk about what a paradigm he was in the community.

“I know this has been a difficult transition for both you and Dean, but I’m hoping this plan will help redirect his energies in a more positive manner, and help develop that already brilliant mind.” I smiled and nodded again. This wasn’t anything that we hadn’t already discussed together and I knew that the principal was reiterating what we’d talked about for Dean’s benefit, not mine.

“Dean, your sister said she’s spoken to you about what we are proposing and that you are open to the idea. Is this true?” She looked directly at Dean now, and although she presented it as if he had a choice in the matter, he didn’t. Either Dean had to get on board with the plan, or they would suspend him and send him to an alternative school. Luckily, Dean was more than excited about the opportunity and, for the first time in a long time, I saw a spark of his old, boyish excitement peeking through. “Yeah, it sounds a hell of a lot better than this stupid place.”

I bit my tongue to keep from snapping at him to watch his language. But she just took it in stride and gave him a wide smile. “Great! I’m so glad you agree! This academy is the first of its kind in the state. But it’s received some amazing accolades already and is touted as one of the best academies in the entire country. You’ll get some hands-on experience while working on your education. Plus, grants and a scholarship from a local benefactor completely paid for all the living costs.” She said the last part to me as she folded her hands on her desk and leaned forward, a twinkle in her eye. “And make no mistake, Dean, this was not an easy program to get you into. Be on your absolute best behavior there or you will be expelled. And I’m afraid there won’t be much else I, or anyone else, can do for you after that.”

I frowned. “And you’re sure this place is safe?”

Dean’s new school was in another city a couple of hours from Wild. I had struggled hard with the idea of sending him so far away, worried that he’d view it as me—once again, abandoning him. Or pushing him off on someone else. But when I’d shown him the pamphlet and told him I wouldn’t even consider it, that we’d find something else, he’d shocked me by asking if I’d ever considered what he might want? And then he’d shoved the pamphlet in his pocket and said anything was better than sticking around here. I thought he was just being a disgruntled teen, but since that day, I’d caught him looking at the pamphlet several times, and had even overheard him excitedly pointing out all the extra-curricular programs to Bess when he didn’t realize I was listening.

She graced me with an emphatic smile. “The children of some of the state's most influential families attend Mountainside Academy, including the governor's own son. I assure you they take their security very seriously.”

Mountainside Academy for Distinguished Studies. It was a mouthful to say, and exactly what it sounded like. A public preparatory school for those who wished to push themselves beyond the usual, public academic standards. Supposedly, anyone in the state could apply and get accepted so long as they met their scholastic and testing guidelines, with grants and public funding available for those who couldn’t afford the tuition and living costs.

I didn’t know what strings the principal had pulled to get Dean to be considered for the program since it was already well into the school year, and we’d missed the deadline to apply for scholarships. But I was beyond thankful for her connections.

I returned her smile. “Thank you so much, ma’am. We genuinely appreciate all you’ve done. Are you sure you can’t tell me who the benefactor was that covered Dean’s living expenses? I’d love to thank them in person.”

Her smile stretched wider. “Of course! Actually, I went ahead and asked if he’d mind stopping by to lend his support, just in case Dean, or yourself, needed some extra reassurance.” She reached across her desk and hit the call button for her secretary. “Alice, please send Mr. Black in now.”