Chapter 3

Dasia looked at the poster by her boots. The corner of her mouth twitched under the mask.

She bent down. Her long fingers pinched the edge of the glossy paper. She lifted it off the filthy floor.

Fifty feet away, Alex glanced over his shoulder. He saw Dasia holding the poster. A smug, victorious sneer stretched across his face.

"Look at that," Alex said loudly, making sure Carlton heard him. "I told you he was just a psycho fan. Acting tough, and now he's picking up your trash like a good little dog."

Carlton stopped walking. He turned his head slightly. His blue eyes locked onto Dasia through the thinning crowd.

Felix groaned from the bench. "Are you crazy? Drop that!"

Dasia didn't look at Felix. She didn't look at Carlton.

Her hands moved in a blur. She crushed the thick, expensive poster into a tight, jagged ball. The sound of tearing paper echoed sharply.

She raised her arm. With a flick of her wrist, she launched the paper ball through the air.

It sailed over the heads of two passing commuters and dropped perfectly into the center of a hazardous waste bin three meters away.

"Trash belongs in the trash," Dasia said. Her tone was flat, stating a simple fact.

Alex's face flushed a violent, angry red. He looked like he had been slapped across the face.

Carlton's grip on his silver lighter tightened until his knuckles turned white. The disgust in his eyes ignited into a predatory, burning anger.

Dasia shoved her hands back into her pockets. She turned her back on the King of e-sports and walked toward the exit doors.

Felix shrieked, scrambling off the bench and sprinting after her.

The taxi ride to the Upper East Side was a nightmare.

Felix screamed until his voice gave out. He slammed his hands against the back of the driver's seat, accusing Dasia of destroying her brother's life and his own career. "And why the hell are we going to this preppy high school? !" Felix shrieked. "You are a disgraced pro now! You should be hiding!" Dasia kept her eyes on the window. She had made a promise to Gerald. She would finish his senior year and secure the diploma he had worked so hard for, maintaining his cover no matter how much she loathed the place.

Dasia pulled a pair of cheap wired earphones from her pocket. She shoved them into her ears and cranked the volume on her phone to the maximum.

Heavy metal guitars screamed against her eardrums. She closed her eyes.

The image of her twin brother, Gerald, flashed behind her eyelids. She saw his hands covered in blood, his face pale as his team threw him out into the rain.

Her hands, hidden inside her sleeves, curled into tight fists. Her fingernails dug into her palms until the skin broke. The sharp pain grounded her, keeping the violent rage from boiling over.

Thirty minutes later, the taxi jerked to a stop outside a massive wrought-iron gate.

Dasia ripped the earphones out. She pushed the door open. The bright afternoon sun made her squint.

Felix rolled down the window. "Listen to me! This prep school is full of rich kids. Keep your head down. Do not cause trouble!"

Dasia slammed the door shut in his face. She adjusted the strap of her keyboard bag and walked onto the campus.

The hallways of the prep school were crowded. The moment Dasia stepped inside, the chatter died down.

Students stared at the dark, brooding boy in the oversized hoodie. A group of bullies who used to shove Gerald into lockers froze, intimidated by the cold, murderous aura radiating from her. They stepped aside, clearing a path.

Dasia found Gerald's locker. She spun the combination dial from memory. Click. The metal door swung open.

"Holy crap! Gerald? Is that you, bro?"

A loud, obnoxious voice echoed behind her.

Dasia turned her head. A boy with bleached blonde hair stood there, his jaw hanging open. Cody Brogan. Gerald's only friend in this hellhole.

Cody circled her, his eyes wide. He reached out to touch her chopped hair.

Dasia shot him a look so cold his hand snapped back to his side.

"Did you go dark after getting kicked off the team?" Cody whispered, vibrating with excitement. "Because it looks badass. Good timing, too. We have a massive fight in the parking lot after school."

Dasia shoved a textbook into the locker and slammed the door shut. The metal banged loudly.

She looked at Cody. A dark, bloodthirsty smile curved her lips.

"A fight?" Dasia said softly. "Perfect."