Suri Nightingale

When I said I don't do any physical activities, I really meant it.

It's the last class of the day and, unfortunately, I'm stuck with physical education. Last week we only had a classroom session because our teacher, Coach Reed, was discussing our curriculum for the year, but now that it was over, we were forced to come out in the afternoon sun and run on the field. Yes, our first sport for the semester was track and field. Talk about hell.

My whole body feels like it's a sunny side egg left on the side of the road during summer and I feel beads of sweat dripping from my forehead. I know I must look horrendous, but I can't even think about that because I'm too busy trying not to collapse on the ground.

Although it doesn't really help when most of the girls around me looked completely fresh, like they hadn't been running at all. And I hate to admit it, but said girls were Stefanie and her posse. "Hurry up, trash!" Stefanie commented as she passed me on the field.

It's our last round for the day and I am just desperately hoping that this will all be over soon. I just want to take a nice shower before I have to go back to work for the night.

"Ew, is it just me or does it smell like a garbage disposal here? Garbage in Korea smells better than you!" One of the girls-I think her name is Tania-commented and I just kept running, trying my best not to focus on whatever crap they spewed out of their mouths. Just pretend they're not there, Suri.

Unfortunately, that didn't last very long for me because on my second to the last turn on the field, someone suddenly bumped into me so hard it was obviously on purpose and I rolled off to the grass, scraping my knee.

When I looked up, that someone was Micaela smirking at me with obvious evil intentions.

Stefanie and the others just let out those soft yet menacing giggles only privileged girls like them could do.

f*****g piece of shits. That was their first physical attempt on me and I know it won't be the last. I told myself that once they get physical, I was going to do something about it and I certainly will this time.

All I need to do is to be careful not to let it get tracked back to me and I may or may not already have a few fun ideas in mind.

Just as I was about to push myself back up because Coach Reed didn't see what happened and just saw me on the ground thinking I was slacking off and blew his whistle at me, a hand came up in front of me and I realized it was Emily's.

After she helped me back up, she gave me a warm smile that turned into a side-eye directed towards Stefanie and the others.

"Don't let the pretty girls with ugly attitudes knock you down." She said before giving me another friendly wink and she motioned for me to keep running beside her.

I've been trying to avoid her the best I could-though I really didn't want to because I still wanted to be her friend-but I guess I can't avoid her forever.

"You didn't tell me you knew Atlas and his brothers, by the way." She suddenly shared and I instantly remembered why I was avoiding her. It's because I didn't want her to talk to me about them.

I'm trying my best not to look uncomfortable as I nod my head. "Uh, yeah. I didn't know you knew them." I said honestly.

She let out a giggle and her ponytailed hair shook. How does she look so gorgeous at every angle? And of course she isn't sweating like crazy, unlike me. Ugh.

"You have a point there. I'm sorry," she apologized, but she didn't really have anything to feel sorry about.

Maria was right. She really is the sweetest girl ever. I can't even dislike her for having whatever history or relationship she has with the brothers. All I can be is... jealous. As much as I didn't want to admit that.

"Wait, how did you know I knew them?" I asked when I realized something odd about her statement.

It's possible she could have just heard from other students around here, but if not, then somebody else must have told her. I was curious as to who it was.

"Atlas told me on the way here from the parking lot. He was acting weirdly so I asked him what was up, then he kind of just spilled it all out. You're the girl Keith's been looking for everywhere!" She said a little too loudly, which made the coach whistle at us again. How freaking big is this field that it feels like we've been running for way too damn long?

Two things I learned from her response.

First, Atlas was acting weird after our interaction. I wonder if it was because of... me? Second, he calls Keith by his first name, too. That obviously means they must be pretty close as well.

Damn. Somehow, I don't feel as special anymore and I feel kind of selfish for thinking that. Ah, I hate this.

"Yeah... I guess that's me," I replied with an awkward chuckle.

It's weird being known as that girl. I feel like a charity case all over again.

"That is so cool! I hope you're settling in very well. I'm happy they found you. You must have been very confused at first."

Ha. 'Confused' would be an understatement. I still remember just staring at the letter and wondering if it was going to disappear from my hands because everything would turn out to be a figment of my imagination.

But those eyes... Those fierce gray eyes that stared into mine as he threatened me not to leave was still a memory I could not forget. I never figured out who he was, but sometimes I remember him from Atlas.

Emily continued to tell me about how she knew the brothers even when I didn't ask. It was like she was giving me answers to the questions inside my head and it was both interesting and draining to listen to.

I also realized that Thorne Academy's field is so f*****g big that I am tempted to just lie to Keith about some heart or lung condition so I never have to do physical education ever again.

"I'm sorry, I just ended up blabbing away there for a sec." She apologized as class ended and we all got our drinks.

I shook my head. "Don't worry about it. It's good to know that you have such a... cool relationship with the brothers."

'Cool' was the best word my mind could come up with without seeming like a jealous i di o t because not only has Emily hung out with them since the first month they arrived here, but she's also been so close with them that she used to stay at the lair. It's like a childhood friendship except during their teenage years, and childhood friends are almost always unbreakable.

I guess the one positive thing I learned from this whole conversation was exactly that - they were all just friends.

Emily confessed that she did have feelings for them-I mean, who doesn't?-but that they were more like her big brothers.

I'm just so glad that we were dismissed right after, so I didn't have to hear about her wanting to be in a relationship with any of them. I was sure the uncomfortability in my face would show a little too much.

"I'll see you around, birdy!" Emily waved at me with a big smile.

Oh, and she's already officially given me a nickname thanks to me being a Nightingale. Then again, I'd pick that name over 'garbage' or 'trash' any day.

"I'm so glad we have private showers so we don't have to smell the garbage." Stefanie commented right before her and her minions laughed with her.

Are they always just going to stick with that same joke? The lack of creativity is quite appalling.

They have no freaking idea how glad I am that I don't have to shower with them either, the stuck-up rich bitches. I can breathe a little better knowing they're not there to pull some stunt against me.

I grabbed my bag and swung it on my back as I made my way to the public track locker room. Yes, they have a locker room for each sport in this academy, and though 'public' doesn't really sound enticing, don't let that deter you.

The place still looks like it was made with a lot of money. The only reason it's called that is because the 'private' locker rooms are for varsity sports students only and that's why Stefanie and her group use that one.

I take my time walking to the place since I'm not in so much of a hurry. Maria doesn't expect me back tonight until quarter to five and if I walk slower, once I get to the locker room, there will likely be fewer girls still in the shower. Let's just say I was not comfortable with being naked around girls who constantly looked like they were judging me.

I go around the mini fountain in the middle of the building and stop to admire the flowers floating inside it. If there was an extracurricular course in gardening, I wouldn't even take a second to choose it. There's just something about the beauty and endless possibilities of nature that makes me feel excited.

When I got to the locker room, I was relieved to replace that my prediction was correct. Most of the girls are finished and have left, and the others are also about to be done and they are already packing up.

It feels like I've won the lottery once I get inside one of the shower rooms and nobody is there.

I pretty much take my time cleaning myself up. I wash my hair thoroughly and even leave my conditioner on longer than usual, and try the complete set of summer-scented shower gel and body scrubs I found amongst the numerous toiletries in my bathroom. I do this for who knows how long, but I do know that I smell amazing and my skin feels so smooth I can almost say it was just like Emily's. Almost.

When my mom was still alive, showers were a luxury and baths were even more rare. I think I've only had a bath less than ten times in my life and even then it never lasted more than five minutes because I was afraid that one of my mom's ex-boyfriends would either get mad or try to do something to me while I'm vulnerable in the water.

Having my own bathroom meant more to me than it ever would compared to, I presume, every single girl in this academy. I bet they all shower twice or thrice a day and leave the water running even when they're not under it. The waste of resources makes me shudder.

After I scrubbed my body with my loofah for at least the fourth time, I know I'm just here enjoying the warmth of the water against my skin and the feeling of finally having the freedom to shower without the fear of somebody out there waiting to do something bad

to me.

Finally, when it feels like my skin is smoother than butter and I smell as if I've been dunked in orange juice and sprinkled with bits of lemonade juice, I turn off the shower and bring my hand out to the side where I remember I hung my towel.

There is only one problem.

I don't f*****g feel my towel.

Panic quickly spread all throughout my body as my hands were moving up, down, and all sides on the wall, trying to see if I must have just placed it somewhere else, but when I moved my head forward to take a peek from the tinted glass door, dread drowned me instantly.

It's not just my towel missing. It's all of my things. The bag I know I came in with is gone!

I had no towel, no clothes, and by the looks of it, everything around me was now empty and there was nothing to dry myself with or to cover my completely naked body. What the fuck?!

I tried my best to search with my eyes where there was at least one towel lying around, but to my dismay, there really wasn't anything.

I then remembered our coach saying to make sure to leave the used and unused towels outside the PE faculty as soon as we're done, so that meant all of it would be there.

f**k my life.

I can feel tears prickling at the corners of my eyes, but I tell myself I shouldn't cry about this. This is the work of those snotty rich bitches and I don't want to shed even a single tear for them. Besides, losing my clothes isn't exactly ideal, but I have survived far worse.

Right? Right!

Nope, I can still feel the panic in my chest starting to get worse. I resolved to count backwards in Spanish again to really keep me from spiraling out of control while I think of what to do.

My head is going back and forth to all the areas and corners I can see from where I'm standing, but there's really not much help. I don't know how the f**k they did it, but they managed to empty the place without me hearing or noticing and there is not a single piece of clothing I can use here.

Fuuuuuck.

What the hell am I supposed to do? I wish I could call my friends, but when they're on the other side of the world, they can only do so much. Plus, if I told them about it, I'd feel too weak and needy. I don't want them to know that I'm allowing myself to be belittled by the so-called queens because that's the thing, I'm not.

After this, I swear to god I'm starting my revenge plan. f**k them.

But for now, I need to figure out how the hell I'm commuting and getting to work f*****g naked. If only I could replace something wearable then once I get to work, I can change into my extra clothes that I left in my locker there.

It's a funny thing to think about. I have enough clothes to leave in places now, but right now at the one place I needed them, I didn't have any.

"Ah, f**k it." I muttered to myself before stepping out of the shower butt-n a ked so I can open some lockers and boxes around the place to see if there's anything because there has to be at least one thing.

I'm rummaging through everything I can get a hold of, opening it as fast as I can while simultaneously not trying to freeze from how cold it is. All of a sudden, I heard a door open and close, then there were two voices, male and female.

f**k. What the f**k?!

s**t. I need to hide!

I bolted to the back of one of the lockers at the side and fortunately, I was just in time because a second later, the two figures came into the room and...

My eyes shot wide open when it landed on one of them.

WES?! What the hell is he doing here??? And why is he practically half-n a ked in just varsity shorts??? I tried not to get distracted, but it was hard when he had an obvious bulge and it wasn't hard to tell that he was definitely packing and- okay, shut up, Suri, getting distracted here.

The girl behind him-I think her name is Bree and was also running with me in track earlier-tapped his a s s and it all made sense to me.

Were they... doing something totally not rated PG in the steam rooms on the other side?

(Yes, this place has steam rooms. Can you freaking believe it? Rich people.)

Wes turned around to face Bree and with no time to lose, smashed his lips into hers and I felt tingles travel all throughout my body. What the hell is this I'm feeling? It almost felt like... I was also getting jealous seeing him make out with someone else other than me and I-

"Ow, f**k!" I accidentally stepped wrong and hit the back of my head on one of the hanging cabinets at the back.

I hoped to all the heavenly beings out there that nobody heard me, but I knew that was asking for too much.

"Who's there?" Wes asked with an obvious pissed off voice, probably annoyed that somebody was disturbing his precious makeout time.

Safe to say that this is the worst shower time I've ever had in my life. And to think I was thinking exactly the opposite of that earlier.

I was hoping to just stay quiet until they give up and leave, but then Bree spoke up.

"Oh my god, is somebody spying on us? That is so messed up!" She shrieked and ran behind Wes like the typical damsel in distress.

I fought the urge to roll my eyes at her, but that wasn't my main concern right now. My concern was keeping my image clean and so that means I had to tell them that I was no pervert.

"I- I wasn't spying!" I shouted back in my defense, but instantly regretted it when I saw Wes started walking towards my hiding spot.

"I got you, you little pervert." He said with an annoyingly handsome smirk as he stomped his way closer to me and I had nowhere else to go since the other side was closed off. I'm screwed!

"I am not a perv, I was just-"

"Suri?"

My head snapped back to the side and my cheeks burned when I realized Wes was already standing right in front of me, my n a ked backside completely exposed to him.

"AHHH, COVER YOUR EYES! GET OUT!" I screamed as I crouched down to my knees in a sad attempt to cover myself.

"Okay, okay! Chill!" Wes said as he stepped back.

"What the hell are you doing here hiding behind a locker with no clothes on?" He whispered (thank god so his little girl toy wouldn't hear) and though I couldn't see his face, I could tell by his voice the utter confusion in his expression. "Clearly, that wasn't my intention! I was showering after track and field and when I finished, all my stuff was gone. I was looking for anything to wear or cover myself up and then I heard you and... uh, the girl, so I hid... and well..."

A raucous laughter filled the locker room and I felt even more shy, my body feeling warmer at his reaction.

A*****e.

I don't know why I was hoping for some understanding of my situation, but I should have known better because this is Wes we're talking about and the Wolfe brothers are selfish and-

"Sorry, I couldn't help it. It just sounds so insane, but also exactly what Stef and her friends would do. God, they have no life." He said, to my utter surprise.

I agreed instantly. "Tell me about it."

"Wait here." He told me and I wanted to tell him that in case he had forgotten, I'm completely naked and have nowhere else to go, but when I took a peek at the side, he had already walked away and was now back to standing in front of Bree who looked at him like he had just lost his mind.

What is he doing?

"Excuse me? You want me to give you my spare clothes?!" She said in shock, her hand on her chest and her mouth wide open.

"Yes, are you deaf? You want me to repeat that in French?" Wes said bored and totally glacial as if earlier he wasn't just making out with her.

"You are such an a*****e, and I'm not giving you my clothes! Certainly not to whoever is behind that locker!" Bree whined.

"I wasn't f*****g asking anyway." Wes said before walking away and not a second later, he's holding a pink bag where he dropped the contents on one of the benches and grabbed clothes.

"Stop!" Bree demanded as she tried to pull her clothes from him, but as expected, Wes completely overpowered her.

He looked completely done with her and the situation as he snapped his head towards her and stared her down with an ice cold glare. "Do not defy me."

Her face flushed red and her stance cowered in fear. "Fine! Whatever! But she can have the damn clothes because I'm certainly not wearing something worn by garbage again!" She shouted in defeat as she glared at me, realizing that she saw who I was, before gathering the stuff Wes dumped on the bench.

I hid back behind the locker, feeling embarrassed. I guess Stefanie's nickname for me has already spread around here.

"The only garbage around here is you, Brianna, because she certainly smells much better than you even with your excessive amount of overpriced perfume."

I choked on my own saliva. Did he seriously just say that?

"Ugh, you are such a dick!"

"It's the exact dick you were enjoying earlier." He mocked and I felt my body get hot.

Stop it, Suri.

"And for the record, my name is Bree! Not Brianna, not Bri. It's Bree!" She cried out one last time before grabbing her things and stomping her way out of the locker room.

A second later, I saw his hand with clothes appear at the side and I quickly grabbed it without a single hesitation.

It was only after I'd worn it that I realized how weird it was wearing somebody else's clothes and because of the fact that everything was so short and tight - a light pink tank top and ripped denim shorts. There was no underwear (not that I would choose to wear it) so I had to make do and cover my nipples with my hair. The part underneath though... that one I can only do so much and going commando was something I've never done. I felt cool at the bottom but I told myself this was better than nothing. "All good over there, little sis?" Wes asked, instantly bringing me back to the present.

Right. He was still here.

I cleared my throat and cautiously stepped out of the locker, immediately feeling my face burn from shyness even though I tried to stop it from doing so. It was impossible.

Especially not when I looked up and my heart immediately stuttered at the sight of Wes also topless and grinning at me wolfishly.

Sweet lord above, the coolness underneath me had quickly become hot and I don't want to admit why.

Wes licked his lips in the most seductive way possible as his eyes traveled from my face to my body. His eyes on my skin makes me feel even hotter and with just the two of us here, him topless and me completely n a ked underneath all of this... the moment just feels so... so intimate. "Th- thanks for... the clothes..." I managed to croak out and looked away to the side in a desperate attempt to not drool over Wes.

"My pleasure. Pink looks good on you." He said and I wasn't sure if he was actually saying that as a compliment or teasing me. Either way, it made me blush and I needed to get out of here before it gets too obvious.

I let out an awkward chuckle to mask my nervousness. "Anyways, I should get going. I gotta get to work and stuff, you know. Right? Yeah, right, right. See you!"

I had taken approximately one step before I felt a tight grip on my arm.

"Not so fast, honey bee."

f**k. Not that nickname again and oh god, electricity surged through my whole body at the contact with Wes.

"I can drive you to your work. I've got nothing else to do, anyway, and I heard the cookies there are pretty damn good." He let my hand go and for a second, I wish he hadn't.

"Yeah... they are."

"That's settled then. You'll ride with me. Just let me put on some clothes. I can't exactly drive you half-n a k e d, can I?" He said with a soft laugh that reached the insides of my stomach and I almost melted onto the floor.

Wes turned around and walked over to the other side, his very round and defined a s s and muscular legs a sight to behold and for a split second, I thought...

I certainly wouldn't mind having him drive me in just his very short and tight-fit shorts.

Sweet baby Jesus, what is going on with me and these brothers?

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