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  I placed my own black Miracle Brush into my locker and headed for gym class.

  We were going to pass basketballs today and play a few games.

  Across the room, I could feel Ori’s eyes on me. We shared gym class together, and before the breakup, we used to walk together to gym.

  I avoided his eyes, knowing how much I would want to melt against him if he came close to me. He still had that effect on me. I went through the motion of passing basketballs to other students. Even when Ori went up against me, I acted like he was just another one of my gym classmates I had to practice basketball drills with.

  He brushed against me when I was pitted against him to try to make a shot while he guarded me. “Tempest,” he whispered. “Stay after class to talk?”

  “Nothing to talk about,” I whispered back.

  I dribbled quickly, dribbling the ball between my legs and around my back, shooting past Ori for a quick layup.

  Everyone cheered, as the class ended.

  A hand touched my shoulder. “Tempest, please,” Ori said, his silver blue eyes pleading into mine. “I want to see you.”

  “What for? To make me watch Kaz and Hunter get fucked by two of my worst enemies?” I brushed passed him and said, “Like I told Kaz the other day, Fuck you and whatever curly-haired sheep you rode in on. I’m not a fool.”

  “No, of course not. That was stupid. But I had to do it.”

  “Had to? Did anyone forced you to be so fucking mean to me?” I shook my head. “Did anyone force you to fuck with my mind? To act like I never came to Kingsbury Prep? Never had a loving relationship with you and the K3s? Well, that pretending is over. As far as I’m concerned, we never did have that. It was all a game to you so it’s all a game to me now. I’m good at playing games once I know I am in one. I just didn’t know I was…so I have to thank you for waking me up, Ori. Because of that act, I grew up. I only want a man who can act on his own. I only want a man who stands by his word. When you say you will protect me and love me, you don’t go back on it and treat me like a worthless whore. You don’t become a backstabber who I have to watch my back for. Until you grow up, there is no way you will ever get to touch me or kiss me again. Fuck you, kind Sir, and goodbye. Now you can proceed to watch this hot piece of ass exit the room.”

  I walked away from him and went to the girl’s locker room. I wasn’t about to miss this crowning moment.

  I had changed out of my gym clothes and into my uniform when I heard Sabrina’s screams. Everyone one in the girl’s locker room ran over to where the screams were coming from. I took a deep breath, grabbed my duffle bag and closed my locker.

  Walking past Sabrina as the girls gathered around her in sympathy, I glanced over, raising my phone to snap a photo of her with one side of her hair melted together like a burnt offering.

  Sabrina had the rose gold Miracle Brush in her hands but half her blonde mane dangling, melted by the Miracle Brush.

  “She did this to me!” she cried, pointing at me. “She gave me this contraption that burned off my hair.”

  I turned to her and said, “I told you it wasn’t finished yet, but you said that was fine.” I played the audio recording I had of our conversation back to her, and everyone shook their heads.

  “What a vain stuck up bitch,” someone said.

  “It’s her own fault her hair fell off like that,” another girl said.

  “Always thought she was better than us with her being Veronica’s sidekick. Who wants to be a sidekick in a two-person clique anyways. Bitchy McBitchface.”

  I walked out of the locker room and headed to the cafeteria.

  It was lunch time, and I was starving. I sent the photo of Sabrina with her hair burnt off to Ricky. Then I sent it to editors of tabloid magazines hungry for any gossip on royals.

  Sabrina’s parents were visiting some parts of their country where a hurricane had wiped out many homes. It was a high-profile visit which seemed to show the royal family dressed down in civilian clothes appearing sympathetic and relatable to their citizenry.

  Within minutes, the breaking news showed a photo of Sabrina with her hair burnt. The caption said, “Royal princess too vain and too spoiled.”

  Comments filled the photo’s page with derogatory remarks.

  I marked off my first revenge plan, called Sabrina’s Sabotage, as I walked into the school cafeteria.

  Already, there was buzz about what happened to Sabrina. Some of the students looked over at me with something akin to admiration. Respect.

  Despite the student body going in to bully me due to me becoming the target of the infamous Black Envelope incidents, most everyone could respect someone who fought back against bullies.

  I made my way to the line to get a tray and then get the food from the buffet line, but someone grabbed my tray from me and another person spun me around before lifting me up and carrying me across the room to deposit me at K3’s table.

  I got up from the table, but Kaz’s hand stopped me. He was the one who had carried me. I should’ve known. He was the one who always ended up carrying me from the first time the K3 supposedly took me in as one of them.

  “Let me go, Kaz,” I said. “I’m not sitting here with you.”

  “Tempest,” Kaz said.

  “And don’t you dare manhandle me like that again without my permission,” I said. “You can’t just pick me up and carry me away whenever you want.”

  Kaz raised his thick eyebrow -- that was so Kaz -- that I almost forgot I was angry at him. “I can’t?”

  “Oh, I forgot,” I said. “You don’t know what it is like to be refused. Well, how’s this? I am not yours, your Royal High Ass. I have never been, and now I want to get the fuck out of here and not see your irritating donkey face near me again.”

  He gulped and let go of my arm. His face turned red, and he sat down. “You really don’t love me anymore.”

  “Kaz,” I said, looking at him and also at Hunter who stood next to him, “I’m not the naive bitch you swept off her feet before. I’m not a fucking glutton for punishment. If you mistreat me, I will not take it. If you throw dirt in my face, I will throw ten times as much shit in yours. You may be handsome and a prince, but your actions is that of diseased leper, deserving to rule on an island populated only by you. I may not love you anymore, and I may even hate you, but worse than that, Kaz, I don’t want anything to do with you. Once again, fuck you, and have a merry fucking Christmas.” I got up and left.

  My last glance at him and Hunter left me with a slight pang of feeling. Kaz had sat down at the table and buried his face in his hands. He looked like he may be crying, but I doubt he would show that in public. He would never break down in front of the kids at Kingsbury. He would never admit defeat.

  Chapter 12

  Tempest

  I noticed Ori wasn’t at the K3 table. It was the second time he didn’t join them at the table. Was he finally becoming his own man as I clearly told him he should be?

  If so, he may have a chance at becoming someone redeemable. Maybe. Whether any one of the K3’s would get back into my good graces has yet to be seen.

  My phone rang, and I looked down to see who it was.

  The CEO of UFN. Jordan.

  “Hello,” I said, picking up the call.

  “Hello Tempest,” his deep but friendly voice said. It was seductive and affectionate, making me smile. “I noticed one of your nemesis’ unflattering photo suddenly popping up all over the internet. Your handiwork, I presume?”

  “She wanted a Miracle Brush, and I told her it wasn’t finished yet. Not yet tested, well…if she wasn’t so vain and grabby, she’d still have her crowning glory.”

  Jordan laughed. “Subtle. I like your method. And I like watching you fulfill your goals.”

  “Which aligns with yours?” I asked.

  “I never did care for Princess Sabrina’s country,” Jordan said. “Siding with Princess Veronica’s country automatically makes hers an enemy of mine.”

&n
bsp; “You mean you and Kaz are in agreement about Normandy’s threat to your kingdom?”

  “They have always been and will continue to be, despite everything my father had tried to do. King Hamil, my father, had to bend over backwards to appease Normandy on the threat of war. Now if we can get their allies to cease being their allies, then we have a chance to stand up to them.”

  “They’re like bullies,” I said. “Only as a kingdom.”

  “Yes,” Jordan said.

  “So me being a so-called disrupter at Kingsbury Prep…means I’m also a disrupter at a larger level. Global.”

  “Bingo!” Jordan said. “I knew you were brilliant. And beautiful. Speaking of which, when can you fly with me to SF?”

  “For that date?” I asked. “Aren’t you a bit old for me?”

  “What?” Jordan asked, “I’m just about three years older than Kaz.”

  “That’s it?” I asked. “I thought you were about ten years older.”

  “No, it’s just the way I act.”

  “Mature? Responsible?”

  “Like a grown up,” Jordan said. “And you’re 18 years old like Kaz so I’m only a couple of years older than you.”

  “I’m not sure,” I said.

  “We have a lot of chemistry,” Jordan said. “You like Underground Fighting, technology, running things, disrupting things…”

  I laughed. “That I do.”

  “And,” Jordan said, “If I can have a chance with you, I will share. I won’t mind being non-exclusive on your part.”

  “You really do just lay it all out,” I said.

  “I know what I want, and I don’t waste time going for it.”

  “Jordan…”

  “I’ll be returning back to SF in a week. UFN is headquartered there. I believe 3 Kings Technologies is there too. Just think what an amazing partnership it would be if UFN merged with 3 Kings?”

  “Merged?” I asked.

  “Yes,” Jordan said. “Like if we merged together…” his voice dropped deeper.

  I paused.

  “Tempest,” he said, almost like a whisper. “I’m being honest here. I really like you. I want to have more of a relationship with you beyond business. I want to see you, date you, be with you.”

  “So you don’t mind me being just a commoner?” I asked, jokingly.

  “I love that you are, Tempest,” Jordan said. “Why would I care if you aren’t a royal? The royal girls I know cannot even be compared to you.”

  “Well, Jordan,” I said. “Maybe you can help me with one of my revenge plans coming up next.”

  “I’d be happy to,” he said. “What can I do for you?”

  I told him the details, and he said, “I can do that for you, Tempest. In exchange, promise me a date? I don’t ever beg, especially to get a date, but I already told you I really like you. Can you give me a chance?”

  “Alright,” I said. “I will.”

  “I’ll help you with your request right now, Tempest,” Jordan said.

  “Thanks, Jordan.”

  “Anything for you, Tempest. Anything.”

  I ended the call and began walking towards my dorm.

  I was starving, having missed lunch at the cafeteria.

  A hand carrying a bucket of fried chicken waved in front of me. The smell of it made my stomach growl.

  “Have lunch with me?” Ori stuck his face in front of me. “I promise to behave.”

  “No, thanks, Princess,” I said walking past him.

  “I have some of your favorite foods with me,” Ori said, showing me bags from my favorite restaurants from town.

  So that was where Ori went instead of sitting with Kaz and Hunter at the K3 table.

  Ori jumped in front of me and placed his hands on my shoulders. “Tempest, whatever you feel for me right now. Hate. Anger. Just let me have it. Punish me. Make me bleed. I know I deserve it for hurting you. I just can’t go on without knowing I can’t even talk to you. Please. Put me out of my misery because that’s how it’s been for me all this time. I’m so miserable without you.”

  I stopped then. He had tears in his eyes, which I haven’t seen in a long while…when he told me about the day his mother died.

  “What you told me at Gym class today,” he said. “It really hit home. Afterwards. You know what I did?”

  I shook my head.

  “I went to Kaz and Hunter. I told them I’m out of the K3. It’s not worth losing you for. I’m out, Tempest. For you.”

  “I don’t know what to say,” I said, knowing that it was a huge deal for him to quit being part of the K3.

  “Say you will give me a chance, Tempest. At least have lunch with me.”

  “Alright,” I said reluctantly. “We can talk.”

  “We can eat in your place or at mine,” Ori said. “Or if that’s too intimate, we can eat outside on one of the park benches near the gardens.”

  “Let’s eat in the gardens,” I said.

  We walked in silence as we made our way to a secluded area at the far end of the rose gardens near my dorm.

  A lonely bench facing a fountain caught my eye and I headed towards it.

  When we sat down, Ori handed me one bag after another. “I hit all the places we’ve eaten at in town, and bought everything you said you liked,” he explained. “Whatever you want, take it. I’ll have whatever you don’t want.”

  He kept looking over at me as though he wanted to kiss me.

  I looked down at one bag and took out a corned beef sandwich with a dill pickle. It was one of my favorites from a shop that served New York deli sandwiches. I began eating the sandwich but placed it down.

  Ori handed me a cherry soda and said, “I know you liked this brand.” He opened it for me and put a straw in it. Then he placed the straw close to my lips for me to take a sip.

  He was catering to my every need, watching me eat. When I stopped to begin eating the dill pickle, first licking it and then sucking on it for its juices, Ori shifted uncomfortably on the bench.

  “Do you want this pickle?” I asked.

  “No,” Ori said, looking down.

  “Do you want anything to eat? I feel like I’m the only one eating here, and…”

  “I want to eat you,” Ori said. “God, only you can get me so hard watching you eat.”

  I turned to Ori and said, “Stop. The answer is No. I don’t want you, I don’t trust you.”

  Ori closed his eyes and groaned. “I’m sorry, Tempest, for everything. I wished I never hurt you. I would never hurt you again. I love you. God I love you so much that it hurts when you’re so angry at me. I screwed up big time. I know I did.”

  My phone made a chime sound and a text message scrolled by. It was Jordan.

  Jordan: The deed has been done.

  ME: Thank you. See you in SF.

  I turned to Ori and said. “You know what would make me feel better? You know how I might possibly trust you again? Turn on your phone and search for the phrase ‘White Night’.”

  Ori turned on his phone and did as I asked.

  The blood from his face drained as he let out a deep breath.

  Underground Fighting Champion WHITE NIGHT Championship Wins Pulled as SPECULATION OF ENHANCED SUPPLEMENTS USE INVESTIGATION BEGINS.

  The underground fighting world’s many blogs fueled the speculation and the news. Jordan had done his job well.

  “What?” Ori asked. “How could they even question my championship wins were from drug use?”

  “It must hurt to lose something you worked so hard for just because of some rumor or speculation of something that may or may not be true,” I said. “It must hurt to have your identity and past achievements stolen away. That was how it felt for me to be mind-fucked by you when I woke up at the hotel. That was how I felt when I thought I lost everything, even your love. You couldn’t even grasp how I felt back then. A mere sorry and lunch could not make up for it.”

  I got up and left Ori, who was now doubled over.

  I
knew he probably had tears running down his face. I felt heartbroken all over again seeing him hurt like that, but until he realized the extent of my hurt, he would never hurt me again.

  Chapter 13

  Tempest

  I walked back to my dorm room and collapsed onto my bed. I felt drained. Seeing Ori’s face like he had just lost his mother again tugged at my heartstrings. I am not a cruel monster. But when he was bullying me to leave Kingsbury Prep, he was worse. He said hurtful things to me. Made me watch Kaz and Hunter break my heart. Even pretended to be someone I didn’t know just to play with my mind back in San Francisco. I shook out my shoulders. He deserved what he got and probably deserved even more.

  As far as I was concerned, it wasn’t quite even, but at least I threw back a taste of his own medicine. Now he could relate.

  My phone rang and I looked at the screen.

  “Hi Beautiful,” Ricky said. “How are you holding up?”

  “Exhausted,” I said. “I hate bullying. I hate bullies. It must be so exhausting to be so mean to people all the time.”

  “It’s not bullying, Tempest,” Ricky said. “It’s revenge, and it’s standing up for yourself. You’re not a pushover, and you will get back at anyone who bullies you.”

  “True,” I said.

  “So I know you already got Sabrina. Now Ori. I saw all the news about him. And the next one?”

  “You did make the switch?” I asked. I had worked all night wiring and re-wiring the device so it would work just the way his did when he gave me one.

  “At the K3 table a few minutes ago,” Ricky said. “One of the waiters who serve that table dropped off the phone and grabbed his.”

  “Great,” I said. “Now, all I have to do is get to my computer.”

  I walked over to my duffle bag, which held my laptop and took it out. Before I started working on it, I set up my tent again and crawled inside, ensuring I had total privacy from any prying eyes or surveillance cameras that may have been set up in my room.

  Then I got into his feed.