**Officially published as Clique Bait with HarperTeen!**
Payment is usually a part of a basic transaction. You give and then you take. But, at Arlington Preparatory, people take at their leisure. They take their entertainment in the form of humiliat...
I know you don't like to talk about it, but do you remember that Saturday night where you called me at two in the morning and told me you were outside? You were drunk, and probably high. You were too scared to tell your parents.
Something made me think of it the other day. I saw a photo of us I had taken the following morning when I was trying to cheer you up by pulling goofy faces.
You still didn't laugh.
I miss you. And I promise you I pretend you're here beside me every day.
Chloe
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William straightened and his shoulders squared. His arms crossed defensively over his chest. "And how exactly will I get to know you, Chloe Whittaker?"
My lips curled as I tried to exert confidence into my tone. "Wouldn't you like to find out?"
"I would," he said. His jaw pulsed, and I realized he was observing me with a fascination rather than lust, which had been my initial goal.
"Well maybe it's a private matter." I let my eyes dart to the crowd of people surrounding us. "Out here feels a little... Public."
William raised his eyebrows. "You think you can seduce me that easily, huh?"
I narrowed my eyes, raising a hand to my hip. "Who says I want to seduce you?"
His lips raised into a half-smile. "And now you're playing games with me. Drop it, pretty. You won't like it when I win."
I frowned. "Funny. Because, I don't know that it's possible for you to win."
He cocked his head to the side and took a step closer. "And why is that?"
William was tall, and intimidating, and scaring the hell out of me. In my mind, this had gone differently. But, I couldn't help the seed of guilt planting itself in my gut.
Blackmail isn't as bad as what they did to Monica.
I matched him, taking a step forward so I could lean up and meet his ear. To everyone else, we undoubtedly looked like a flirting pair.
"I took a little visit to a firm called Ezi-tax. Funnily enough, they like to do a lot of business with Bishop Enterprise."
William's gaze didn't falter as it followed mine. "Pretty girl who comes with blackmail. Just my type."
I didn't say anything as he sighed, fishing in his pockets for his phone. His voice lowered. "Come on, privacy it is."
I followed Bishop off of the balcony and into the sitting room. He didn't hesitate to check I was following him when he split off down a hallway and into a guest bedroom.
