Ugly Girl: Aston Creek High (Book 1) Read online

  © 2020 Sheridan Anne.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead is entirely coincidental.

  All Rights Reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever.

  Cover Design By: Sheridan Anne

  Photograph By: Kiselev Andrey Valerevich

  Proofread By: Heather Fox

  Editing & Formatting By: Sheridan Anne

  Introduction

  Slade Cruz is a d*@k.

  He’s intimidating, sexy as sin, and unpredictably wild. His eyes draw me in while his vicious smirk screams at me to run and never look back. I’m a toy to him, a pawn to use in his devilish games. What he doesn’t know is that I’ve already suffered through hell and back and if it’s games he wants then it’s games he’ll get, but this time it’s my turn to play the devil.

  From now on, I’m untouchable.

  Aston Creek High was supposed to be my fresh start. This was my one shot at freedom, but he had other plans for me. Slade Cruz was never a part of my plan, but he sure as hell made me a part of his. I thought I was through with fighting to survive, but it seems as though the games have only just begun.

  Give it your best shot, Slade. I’m ready.

  WARNING: The Aston Creek High Series is a Young Adult / New Adult Dark, Bully Romance. It features dark themes, LOL moments, teenage angst, and of course, all the swoon-worthy moments I know you’re all dying for.

  This series contains violent scenes, cursing, and sexual content.

  Contents

  Introduction

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Where to Next?

  Author Biography

  Other Series by Sheridan Anne

  Chapter 1

  Dread fills me as I stare down the corridor of Aston Creek High. I’ve hardly stepped through the front doors before their bitchy whispers hit me.

  “Who the fuck is this slut?”

  “She looks like trash. What the hell is she wearing?”

  “Who does she think she is?”

  I can’t help but glance down at my outfit; black cropped tank, high waisted jeans, and my jacket tied at my waist. I don’t know what that chick’s problem is, but I look fucking good and I don’t need her approval to know it.

  I narrow my eyes at them, letting them know that I’m not the girl they want to fuck with. I’ve been through more than these bitches will go through in their whole life.

  Coming here was supposed to be a fresh start, a new beginning. Here, I could put the horrors of my past behind me. I guess I was delusional in thinking that, but then, maybe there’s still a chance. It wouldn’t be high school if the girls didn’t try to intimidate the new kid.

  I should figure out who their queen is and take her down, then the rest of them should fall in line. It shouldn’t be too hard. After all, I’m not here to make friends. I’m in Aston Creek to graduate and get the fuck out of here so I can move on with my life.

  I take my first step down the corridor and feel my brother at my back. “Just try to make some friends, yeah?”

  I scoff at his positivity. He’s always been the glass half full kind of guy and it’s times like this that his attitude makes me want to hurl. I don’t know where he gets it or how he keeps his spirits up, especially if you take into consideration the fact that we were dealt a shitty hand at a too young age. What I do know is that if he thinks I’ll be trying to make friends, then he clearly doesn’t know me well enough. “Can’t make any promises, little brother.”

  Blake groans and steps around me before walking down the corridor backward. “Fine, but I won’t be coming to bail you out when you leave your mark on some skank.”

  Blake stares at me and after a lifetime of having him always get his way, I give in. “One friend. That’s all you’re getting out of me.”

  I roll my eyes as my brother gives me a cheesy grin. “Love you, Skylah.” With that, he disappears into the crowded bodies, probably more than ready to claim his role in this school. Blake has always been my protector even though I’m supposed to be his. I love him for it, but sometimes he needs to back off. I can handle myself more than he could possibly know.

  Taking a deep breath, I face the music.

  The whispers continue to follow me with each step I take and I do my best not to lash out and put each of them in their place. “Nessa ain’t going to like her. She looks like a fucking bitch,” the whispers continue.

  “Fuck, look at those full lips. I’d like to see them wrapped around my cock.”

  “She’s already walking around here like she owns the place. We’ll have to shut that shit down, put that skank in her place.”

  At that last one, my gaze snaps up to a petite blonde who stares at me with venom. She stands with a girl whose back is to me with her long auburn hair swept over her shoulder. I narrow my eyes at the blonde and she instantly sinks back into her locker.

  I try to smother my grin. There are girls like her everywhere I go and after fighting this fight for so long, I’ve quickly realized that they’re not worth my time. They pack a nasty bark but when it comes to their bite, they’ve got nothing but a set of fake nails that they’re terrified of breaking. Hell, I wouldn’t be surprised to find these two have cheer uniforms and pom poms in their lockers.

  I walk past them, not bothering to waste my time on them. Something tells me this place has much bigger fish to fry.

  I scan through the numbers on the lockers, looking for mine. My aunt and uncle were nice enough to come down here last week and collect mine and Blake’s welcome packages to ensure we were more than ready for day one at Aston Creek High. Though maybe they’ve forgotten what high school is really like because starting at a new school, mid-term is like a death sentence.

  Blake won’t have any issues fitting in. He’s always been the popular jock. He’s a junior but he’ll be deemed royalty within a few days, he might even be crowned king after they see his skills on the basketball court. It certainly didn’t go unnoticed that all the bitchy whispers were aimed at me. I don’t think Blake even got a mention, but if he did, it would have been the horny girls wondering how quickly they could get him into a supply closet.

  Me? I’ll be lucky to make it out of my first day without someone else’s blood beneath my nails.

  I never used to be like this. I used to be a good girl. I would get good grades, have the approval of all my teachers, I was even full of respect and kindness.

  Things change.

  I find the locker assigned to me. #49. I laugh to myself. 49 was Blake’s number at our old school, you know before the shit hit the fan and we got our asses out of there.

  The eyes of everyone in the hallway seem to be glaring at my back as I unlock my locker and dump my shit inside. I rifle through my things before deciding a single notepad and pencil should do it. I won’t be needing much more than that today.

  I take in the emptiness of my locker and let out a sigh. Years ago, I would have been excited at the thought of de
corating my locker and making it mine, but I couldn’t be less thrilled. In fact, it’ll probably remain this empty metal box until the day I leave.

  A strange stillness comes over the cramped bodies surrounding me and I step back from my locker, making sure it’s locked. After all, the very first thing people are going to do to get under my skin is to trash my locker, but seriously, you’d think they’d be a little more creative.

  I turn to see what everyone seems to be reacting to when I find two guys standing at the end of the corridor. The crowd parts for them as though they’re some sort of royalty. Girls stick their tits out and slap on seductive smiles while the guys lean back against their lockers and put their arms over their girlfriends, staking their claim.

  I roll my eyes. I am so not interested in these two guys. If anything, it’s their blood I’ll be scrubbing from beneath my nails later tonight.

  Studying the corridor as the guys make their way toward me, I notice three things. One, they’re jocks. There’s no way these guys get bodies like that from fucking around all day. Two, whoever these guys are, one of them is the King of Aston Creek High while the other wishes he was. It’s just a matter of figuring out which is which. And three, I haven’t gone nearly as unnoticed as I had hoped.

  The taller of the two watches me like a hawk. He clocked me the second he walked through the door and instantly put my nerves on edge. This guy seems almost larger than life but there’s no doubt about the chip on his shoulder. It’s visible even from here.

  He’s dark and mysterious. He has a jawline that’s sharp enough to cut glass and dark eyes that are so intensely locked on mine that it’s nearly painful to tear my gaze away. He walks with the swagger of an asshole and it’s clear this guy has never had a woman tell him no. I wonder what kind of joy I’ll get out of being the first to do so.

  I take in his friend. He’s just as good looking and there’s no doubt that he’s hiding abs with the deepest ridges a woman will ever see under that loose tank. He’s got the kind of body that has my fingers twitching at my sides to touch. God, what would it be like to run my nails down his stomach? I bet he has a deep ‘V’ decorated with the perfect amount of hair that trails down to his promised land.

  Chills rush through my body.

  Focus, Skylah. These guys mean business. Your head needs to be in the game.

  I don’t know a damn thing about these guys and I’ve certainly never seen them before, but I do know that these guys got to where they are by being complete assholes. They’re dangerous. The kind of guys you’d never bring home to meet the parents. They’re the ones you don’t want to cross and judging by the way they’re staring at me, I’d dare say they’re begging me to do just that.

  This is going to be fun.

  There’s nothing I like more than taking down a queen, but a king? I can’t say I’ve ever done that before, but damn it, I’m so up for the challenge. Especially if he’s going to come at me, then he better be prepared because I’m not like the basic bitches he’s used to here. I won’t cave at his every desire. I’ll give him the fight he’s dreaming of and fuck it, I’ll dominate the only way I know how.

  Their eyes remain on mine and just when I think they’re going to pass, the two of them step right up to me. One to my right and the other on my left, yet they’re so damn close that it’s almost as though they completely surround me.

  I get it, their game is simple. They want to intimidate me, show me who’s boss around here, but their lame tactics aren’t going to work, not here and certainly not on me.

  Both of their eyes slowly drop down my body and usually, I’d have a guy’s balls for leering at me like I’m some kind of meal, yet this time it’s different. The way the guy on the right studies me is filled with desire, it’s the look I’ve gotten from so many before, but the guy on the left…he looks at me like the trash so many have called me before. His eyes trail over my body with disgust and the way his lips pull into a sneer have me feeling something I’ve only ever felt once before. The way he looks at me…he makes me feel ugly.

  I’m not ashamed of my body, I never have been. I used to be a stick growing up but over the past few years, I’ve turned into a woman and I do my best to look after my body. Every asset is curvy and full. My ass and tits rival those of a Kardashian, my stomach is flat, and my hair long, thick, and caramel blonde.

  I keep my lips painted a deep red, my bright hazel eyes thickly lined, my makeup is always on point, and the clothes I wear are worn in a way that accentuates my body. The preppy girls at my old school would call me trashy, but I know it comes from the green monster of jealousy perched on their backs. They were sticks just like me once and while I grew into a curvy woman with a nice ass and tits, they’re still sticks, just a little taller. Their stringy platinum blonde was no match for my thick, luscious locks that hang in loose curls.

  I watch as the guy on the right licks his lips as though I’m some sort of buffet open only for his pleasure while the other guy hardens his gaze and unintentionally answers one of my many questions. He’s the king here. The alpha boss who’s here to put me in my place and make sure I follow the status quo. He wants me to fall in line and become one of his many sheep and I instantly hate him.

  Fuck him. I’ve already suffered enough at the hands of a man and I’d rather burn in hell then let it happen again. I will never succumb to a man again. I’m better, stronger, and wiser than I’ve ever been before.

  I focus on him, wishing I knew his name, while the other continues raking his eyes up and down my body. Crossing my arms over my chest, I try to ignore the fact that the move pushes my tits up and puts them further on display. “Are you lost?” I question, leaning into the cool metal of my locker, letting them know that their presence doesn’t intimidate me in the least.

  Alpha dude studies me for a short moment and the silence between us seems to grow louder. “You don’t belong here,” he states in a cold, deep tone that sends shivers over my body.

  I stand a little taller and raise my chin. The guy looms over me with his impressive height but I’m not going to curl in on myself and appear smaller. I want to be larger than life and by the end of this, I want him looking up at me.

  “No shit,” I tell him with a scoff, recalling that nearly every girl I walked past on my short walk down the corridor was either platinum blonde or had perfectly dyed hair either red or brunette. Not one of them look like me, but that’s the way I like it.

  His friend’s eyes finally snap up from my body and take in my face before glancing up at his friend. A look passes between them as if having some kind of silent conversation, my blood runs cold.

  Alpha dude slowly leans into me with his intense gaze locked on mine while his friend chuckles to himself. I distantly notice the eyes of everyone on us, yet I can’t seem to break the hold he has on me to tell them all to mind their own fucking business.

  He gets closer and I stand like a statue as I feel his breath grazing my skin. He pauses right before me and I refrain from breathing as taking a deep breath would push my chest up against his.

  His lips pull into a sneer and I see the threat coming. “Leave before it’s too late.”

  I can’t help the laugh that bubbles up my throat and enjoy watching as he pulls back and stares at me. His friend though, he zips his lips faster than a bullet leaving its chamber and it tells me exactly what I want to know – nobody gets away with laughing at their king and I just committed the ultimate crime, one I’m going to enjoy paying my penance for.

  I step into him, once again wishing I knew his name but something tells me it won’t be long until I figure it out.

  He doesn’t move but his eyes narrow, telling me that he’s trying to figure me out. He won’t learn anything though. I’m a closed book. No one in and no one out.

  “Let’s get some things straight,” I tell him, noticing the bodies in the corridor creeping forward to hear what’s going down. “I don’t bend to the will of others, especially douchebag high s
chool jocks. I’ve gone to war with much worse, and I always come out on top. I don’t suck dick for favors, I won’t be letting you fuck me, and no,” I add, glancing to his moronic friend, “I won’t sit on your dirty ass face. I am not the girl you want to start a war with, but if it’s a war you want, then I can assure you, it’s a war you’ll get.”

  His eyes grow darker, more menacing, and honestly, downright terrifying. Any weaker person would be down on their knees begging for forgiveness, but me? This shit is just getting interesting. “You don’t know who the fuck you’re threatening.”

  “Hey,” I say, spreading my arms out wide. “You came to me. You asked for this.”

  Darkness spreads over him and within the next second, he grabs my forearm and as if shooing a fly, slams me up against my locker. “Why don’t I clear up a few things,” he rumbles deep in his throat, pressing his body against mine to keep me pinned, and I wasn’t wrong, I feel the deep ridges of his muscles beneath his shirt, begging to be touched. “This is my school and I have all the fucking power to make your time here a living hell, but if I have my way, you won’t be here for long. You’re nothing, a fucking nobody,” he spits. “And stop flattering yourself, I wouldn’t fuck you even if you paid me.”

  I grin, raising my chin to meet his. My nose brushes past his and he doesn’t dare flinch at the contact. If I was to move even the slightest, my lips would be brushing against his. I’m not going to lie, there’s definitely an intense sexual tension between us, but there’s far too much bullshit lingering in the air to even attempt that.

  “You really think you’re all that, don’t you?” I whisper, enjoying the way his eyes tighten. “But guess what?” I tell him, bringing my hands up and slamming them hard against his strong chest, surprising myself as he’s forced back a step. I raise my voice loud enough for the crowd of followers to hear “There’s a new fucking boss in town.”

  With that, I step around him and shoulder past his friend while listening to the excited gasps of his loyal followers. Each and every one of them preparing for war.

 
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