HIDE (Boys Of Darlington Academy Book 1) Read online

  The waiter comes over with our drinks and takes our food order. I settle for a simple vegetable soup with homemade bread.

  “Where is everyone? It seems really empty in here,” I ask, noticing that hardly anyone is eating lunch. I assumed it would be heaving with students.

  “Oh, everyone is outside watching the Darlington Academy field hockey team. After lunch we will head over there and watch. My brother is playing,” she says as our lunch arrives in record time.

  We finish up quickly and Blaire takes me over to the hockey game where all the students have disappeared to. As we walk outside at the rear of the academy, on my right I see a large rose garden with a massive lake, a few swans paddling in the water. There are a few tennis courts with a gravel path through the middle, leading to a field where the game is taking place. The academy is located on a hill, and you can see the horizon in the distance, revealing that we are surrounded by forest and nothing else.

  I am literally in the middle of nowhere.

  Great.

  We walk along the gravel path and all of a sudden there is a sea of students surrounding the field.

  “Come on, I know exactly where to stand so that we get a good view. I want to support my brother.” Blaire grabs my hand and we filter through the crowd. We stand on the outskirts of the field and Blaire calls out to someone.

  Before I register who it is, he turns around and rakes a hand through his ruffled, thick chestnut brown hair, a smile adorning his perfectly sculpted face and then he’s walking in our direction.

  This must be her brother… a very handsome brother.

  “Hey Blaire,” he greets her, giving her a kiss on the cheek. He turns to look at me but not with the same soft expression he gave Blaire. Large ocean blue eyes stare at me as he scans my body, starting at my feet and moving all the way up until he meets my eyes. I shiver slightly. He wears a dark expression, a scowl taking over his sculpted features.

  “You must be the African girl.”

  “My name is Adelaide, and yes I am new here,” I state as I purse my lips and cross my arms over my chest, refusing to show any emotion, although I can’t help but gaze at him.. He does not look eighteen.

  The corner of his lips turns into a slight smile. “Good luck Africa, you’re going to need it,” he warns before turning away.

  “Blake honey,” a girl shouts from behind me. She pushes her way through to reach the guy and wraps her arms around his neck, practically hanging off him.

  “Who’s that?” I whisper to Blaire, as the posh, blonde girl starts kissing Blake, basically claiming him in front of everyone.

  “That’s Ruby Lockhart. She believes that she’s my brother’s girlfriend but really, she’s just another notch on his bedpost.” We both share a giggle at her comment and finally Ruby let’s go of Blake, letting him get back to the hockey game.

  “Oh look, it’s the new girl.” Ruby comes to stand in front of me, a hand resting on her hip. Her skirt is pulled up so high, if the wind blew, we would get an eyeful of her underwear. Her shirt is unbuttoned up until the point her cleavage is on show for everyone to see, and her cat eyes glare at me as she pouts her pink painted lips.

  “Her name is Adelaide. Leave her alone Ruby.” Blaire links our arms together as she stands up to this Ruby girl. I have already gathered that Ruby is the popular girl and Blake must be the popular guy, explaining their apparent relationship.

  “Oh Blaire.’’ Ruby tuts before continuing. “I see you are protecting the runt of the school. How sweet of you.” Ruby flicks her bleached blonde hair over her shoulder as she insults me.

  Who the fuck does she think she is?

  I frown in confusion, biting the inside of my cheek before losing my cool. “Excuse me, who the hell do you think you are, insulting me? You don’t even know me,” I snap back without hesitation. I am not letting some girl talk to me like that, especially when she doesn’t even know me.

  “Cute, the girl from Africa speaks English. How quaint,” she snarls in my face. “You will never talk to Blake again, or I will personally make sure you leave this academy. Understood?” she gives me a sinister smile before shoving my shoulder and leaving.

  “I do apologize about her. She’s a class A bitch and thinks she’s better than everyone else. But be warned. She can play dirty, so try and stay out of her way. I do,” Blaire shrugs as we carry on watching the game.

  The school’s team is called ‘The Stags’ and I must admit, it really suits them. The boys are hunky as hell with their royal blue hockey tops as part of their uniform. Blake’s number is 66 which I find unusual, as I thought all the numbers are meant to be numerical for the number of members in the team.

  Chapter Three

  After the game, Blaire and I head back to our dorm room to get a bit of studying in. I had received my syllabus and class timetable so I can get a head start and prepare before officially starting. I chose business and dance as my two main subjects. Business, to keep my father happy, but my real passion lies with dancing.

  “So….” Blaire says, dragging out the word whilst biting on her pen. “There’s a party tonight to start the year, and I think you should come.” She raises her dark eyebrows, waiting for me to answer.

  “That sounds like fun, I haven’t been to a party in ages,” I say to her and she shrieks with excitement. This will be the first time in a while that I attend a party, so I’m looking forward to it. Hopefully, it will take my mind off of things, and I can meet new people.

  “I have got the perfect dress for you to wear.” She gets up and rummages through her closet, pulling out a little black dress. “Here, try it on,” she says handing it over to me.

  Taking in a deep breath, I take the dress and head over to the bathroom to try it on. It’s a bandage style dress with a sweetheart neckline, and it only just covers my ass. I head back into the bedroom to show Blaire and she shows me her appreciation with a grin.

  “You look so hot. Your ass looks amazing in that dress,” she twirls me around in front of the mirror, inspecting it from pretty much every angle.

  “You know I do have my own dresses I could wear. This would look so much better on you,” I slouch my shoulders, not feeling all that confident in myself. I know that I have an okay body, I keep fit with my dancing, but I have no confidence to wear dresses that are clearly made for Victoria Secret models.

  “Nonsense, I like it better on you. Plus, I have loads of dresses, lending you one isn’t a big deal. Here try on these shoes.” She hands me a pair of black Louboutin’s, and I’m so shocked I gape at her in surprise. I know my parents have money and my father is a billionaire, but I was never showered with loads of gifts and didn’t always get what I wanted. Father always said I had to work for what I wanted and to be honest, I never really thought about owning a two-thousand-pound pair of shoes.

  I gasp in shock. “You’re joking right?”

  Blaire shakes her head at me, giggling, and goes back to rummaging in her closet.

  “Honey, not to brag but my parents are rich as hell, so it doesn’t bother me,” she says, and I almost forgot that I googled her family earlier. She’s telling the truth; her family is worth billions. They own Crawford Industries, who invest in financial companies and take them over. Not only that, but they also develop large properties around the world.

  I get dressed back into my uniform, ready to head back down to the canteen for dinner. It’s only six in the evening and the party doesn’t start until eleven. “Just to let you know the part is off campus, but it is only half an hour away” Blaire says, and I immediately turn my attention to her.

  “Are we allowed off campus?” I ask, my stomach clenching at the thought. I suddenly feel more anxious about going, not knowing the area very well and I am not entirely sure if I trust these people yet. But I guess I have to take the chance and just enjoy myself. I can’t keep living life in a bubble.

  I need to line my stomach for tonight so that I don’t get too drunk. I don’t want to m
ake a fool out of myself. I order a chicken and mushroom cream pasta, which sounds to die for. Maisie comes and joins us for dinner, taking a seat directly in front of me.

  “How was your trip to America, Mais?” Blaire questions as she stares down at her phone. I bring my gaze up to Maisie, also interested to know about her trip as I’ve never been to America.

  “It was cool, America is so dreamy, but we didn’t do much as my father had to work so it was mainly attending charity events or brunches,” Maisie sighs, and she looks down at her plate, looking rather deflated. I can sense the disappointment radiating off her, and it honestly pulls my heart strings. It must be awful living in your parent’s shadow.

  “Adelaide are you excited for the party tonight?” she asks, pushing her risotto around her plate with her fork.

  “I am, I haven’t been to a party in forever,” I admit, still unsure if I am excited or not, now knowing the party is off campus. I lift my glass and take a sip of my freshly squeezed orange juice, perfectly prepared. I could live off orange juice if I were allowed, it’s like my heroin.

  “Oh, great,” Blaire huffs as she straightens her back, going stiff. I follow her gaze, noticing she is staring at her brother with two other guys as they walk into the canteen. “What’s up?” I ask, noticing how uncomfortable Blaire is, her knuckles turning white from squeezing her knife and fork so tight.

  “Yeah, I’m fine. I just hate those two fuckers my brother is with. They are the biggest dickheads I have ever met.” She looks back at me for a second before glaring at their backs. “Be warned, they are not the nicest boys and you do not want to get on the wrong side of either of them. Even Blake,” she warns, her eyes tearing away from them, turning to me. Sadness fills her big brown eyes and I’m surprised she said that about her own brother, considering they seemed close at the game earlier. Maybe I was wrong?

  “Who are they?” I question, intrigued. I raise my eyebrow, staring at the three guys walking through the door. They make their way to a long table. It is situated directly in front of the largest window and looks over the rest of the canteen, as if they are the kings of the academy staring down at their subjects. I watch them take their seats, and I realize that they are probably the three best looking guys I have ever seen in my life.

  “On the left is Charles Kensington, he’s a duke and the Queen’s nephew. His family also have side businesses where they make their billions, but I’m not sure what it is.”

  The first thing I notice is his shaggy, dirty blonde hair. He reminds me of Alex Pettyfer, resembling his double but more handsome. His hair is slightly darker, it looks untouched but in a purposeful way. His shoulders are broader and more masculine.

  “In the middle is the biggest asshole of them all, Hugo Vandenberg. His father is an MP and is also running for prime minister in the next election. He thinks he owns everyone. He is a cruel, heartless prick,” she whispers.

  Honestly, I can see that.

  As I stare at their table, he looks directly at us and I notice how dark his stare is. The way he looks screams authority, sitting in the middle of Charles and Blake. Hugo is huge, even from where I’m sitting you would think he was a body builder.

  All three of them turn their heads, catching me in the act of perving on them. Blake grins as I quickly turn my gaze somewhere else, but from the corner of my eye, I can see him getting up from his chair, making his way over to our table.

  Shit.

  “Do you want to take a picture? It’ll last longer, Africa,” Blake retorts, pulling the vacant chair opposite us and taking a seat, his forearms resting on the table. His white shirt is untucked from his slacks, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, exposing his tanned skin.

  “Oh, shut up Blake, I was just telling Adelaide about your asshole friends,” Blaire snaps as Blake stares her down, his veins pulsing on the side of his neck, clearly annoyed. I lean back in my seat, feeling uncomfortable with the situation, and keep my mouth shut. It’s evident Blaire is wary of her brother and something doesn’t feel right between them two. I want to figure out why.

  “You’re so delightful,” Blake snarls, leaning back in the chair as he lets out a deep breath. The way he maneuvers is so lethargic, reminding me of a sloth, but I bet when the time is right, he could pounce. He rests his hands behind his neck, watching Blaire as she eats her dinner while ignoring his presence.

  Blake finally slouches forward, flexing his hands and showing off the muscles in his forearms. “How are you getting to the party tonight?’’ he questions Blaire, sounding irritated.

  “I have a ride, thank you,” she replies bluntly, trying to finish off her dinner.

  “Is Africa coming with you?” he probes, leaning in and waiting for an answer. He’s flexing his hands but then he stops, tapping his fingertips on the wooden table. He can’t sit still. His face tightens as he squints his eyes at Blaire, the irritation very clear.

  “Yes of course she is. Stop being such a dick Blake. Her name is Adelaide, so use it.” She sits back in her chair and crosses her arms, giving him the filthiest look I have ever seen.

  “Well in that case, be warned Africa. Our parties can get a little … extreme. You are in for a treat,” he insists as he stands up, his eyes scrutinizing me before he smirks and heads back to his table.

  “Don’t worry about it, the parties are awesome. He’s just trying to intimidate you,” Blaire says and thankfully we have finished our dinner and once our plates are cleared, Blaire grabs my hand, dragging me out of the canteen so we can get back to the dorm room and get ready for the party.

  Oh joy.

  We manage to get ready after a few hours, with Blaire insisting on doing my hair and makeup. I lean in close to the mirror to see her handiwork. My eyes widen. I’m surprised by how good I look. She created a smokey look on my eyes, adding some false eyelashes and red lipstick. My hair is pulled into a sleek ponytail, then curled softly at the ends. Blaire opted for a cobalt blue skintight dress that also just about covers her ass, and pairs it with black heels. Her hair is straightened, the sleekness showing off her amazing jaw line.

  She looks hot.

  We meet Maisie outside in the courtyard, where she is waiting for us in her brand-new BMW i8. She assures me this is one of the cheapest vehicles she owns, and she only uses this one, so she doesn’t damage the others. I jump in the back of the car whilst Blaire takes the front seat, connecting her phone via Bluetooth to play some old songs for us to sing along to.

  “Whose party are we going to?” I question.

  “We are going to Royce Huntington’s mansion; he throws parties all the time. It’s literally the party house,” she says with a shrug.

  I’m not sure if I heard her correctly, because she can’t be speaking of Royce Huntington the actor.

  We arrive at a mansion in the middle of nowhere, and already we can hear the music pounding from outside. Cars are parked all around the driveway and a few people are standing in the doorway, smoking cigarettes. Maisie parks the car in an available space which happens to be the furthest away from the house, meaning we have to walk across the gravel in six-inch heels.

  This is torture.

  From the outside the house looks magnificent. The modern structure is built with white cedar wood and red brick decorations. Tall large windows, asymmetrically placed on either side so you can see the fluorescent lights from inside, where bodies are already dancing.

  Blaire links our arms together as we step through the doors into what looks like a palace. The grand marble staircase, with intricate steel work for handrails, is the first feature I see when walking through the main entrance. His parents must be very lenient. My father would never allow me to throw a party at his house. Not that I’d even be able to, considering he doesn’t want to be associated to me. I shake the thought out of my head before it ruins my night and put on my biggest fake smile possible.

  “We need to get to the kitchen. I want a stiff drink,” Blaire says as she pulls me into a modern kitchen
. I have never seen so much alcohol before, it looks like they bought a whole store’s worth.

  “Oh, look it’s the foreign bitch,” I hear Ruby say as she comes into the kitchen.

  “Ruby, it’s always such a pleasure to see you,” Blaire says as she pours us both a vodka and cola. Ruby just scoffs and walks through the glass double doors, heading out into the back garden, and Blaire hands me my drink.

  “Well, cheers to your first party in Darlington!” Blaire sarcastically says, rolling her eyes at me as we clink our glasses together, both downing our drinks in one go. We pour ourselves another and head into the huge living room, where loud drum and bass plays. Bodies grinding on each other and couples make out in every available space you can find.

  On the edges of the room are small alcoves with seating areas, and in one of them I see Blake, Hugo and Charles sitting and laughing amongst themselves. A white powder lays on the table directly in front of Blake, which I assume is cocaine. Blaire grabs my hand, annoyance carved onto her pristine face, and drags me along with her towards her brother. As we approach them, I notice Royce Huntington. It really is him, I thought it wouldn’t be true. Royce is one of my favorite actors, he plays in many big-time Hollywood movies. I know that he followed in his parent’s footsteps and started acting when he was eleven years old.

  Yes, I know a lot about him. Serious fan girl here.

  “What the fuck Blake, are you serious?” Blaire shouts at her brother whilst he sniffs a line and ignores her. Hugo and Charles sit there staring at her with amusement and before I know it, I feel an arm snake around my shoulder.

  “Who is this fine piece of ass?” I hear before I lock eyes with Royce. He rakes his gaze over my face and all the way down my body.

  “Hi,” is all I can say to him before he removes his arm and sits down next to Charles, helping himself to some cocaine. His light brown hair is clearly not styled, the top curly and disheveled, falling into his eyes as he leans forward.