Chapter 1
Anika
"Ani! You have to come with us tonight, since you're the new girl. This will be the best way to meet everyone before school starts."
Rane and I met about a month ago when we first moved to Destin Falls. Her family lives a few houses away, and we literally bumped into each other while I was out for my evening jog.
"I don't know, my parents are kind of strict, I probably shouldn't."
"Girl, you're going into your senior year, this year it's all about having fun! Spread your wings! Come on!"
"Fine, but I'm telling them that I'm staying at your house."
"YES!" She exclaims with excitement.
Rane already filled me in on the details of this back to school party. Apparently, it's held every year at the Destin Falls Quarry Park. Everyone camps in the woods surrounding the quarry for the entire weekend. There's a makeshift stage for the live bands, food vendors, a beach, and lifeguards that tend to look the other way if you're underage and drinking alcohol.
"A few of the others have already gone to set up camp." She tells me.
"Rane, do you think they'll like me?" I sigh, worried. It's always hard being the new girl and always starting over. But by now, I've gotten pretty used to it now.
"You'll be fine. You have great fashion sense and you're just really cool." She grins tossing me a gym bag from my closet.
"I don't have a tent."
"You can just share mine. Besides, Gavin will be there so you might get lucky enough to have the tent all to yourself." She winks, then bends over and shakes her backside provocatively.
Rane is absolutely gorgeous with long fiery red hair and a voluptuous figure. Anywhere we go jaws drop.
"Who's Gavin?" I giggle.
"Gavin is a Destin Demon." She smirks.
"A what? What the hell is a Destin Demon?"
"They're only the hottest guys in school. Athletic, mysterious, rich, and as bad as they come. They're the most popular jocks whose families own this town, and then some. They can pretty much do whatever they want and never get caught."
"Wow, so they're like a gang?"
"Kind of."
"The four Demons are Gavin, Hawk, Colt, and Luca, but they've got like forty minions that they call their disciples. They're also jocks but mostly underclassman." She explains.
"They sound like a fraternity."
"Pretty much, they even have initiations. But they require their members to all be athletes and from affluent influential families. The guys usually end up going on to attend elite colleges or play professional sports."
"Wow, where in the hell did we even move to?" I joke.
"I know, right? And they're pretty particular about who they date."
"So are you and this Gavin guy dating then?"
"No, the Demons rarely date anyone, especially their senior year. But he is into me. I wouldn't set your sights on any of the Demons though, you're too sweet for the likes of them, no offense."
"None taken. I think." I laugh, unsure if that was a compliment or insult.
"I just mean, they mess around, a lot. And you told me you've never really had a boyfriend."
"Oh right, they don't like virgins is what you're saying?"
"You're a rarity around here, Ani. Even the dorks in our class have all fucked each other by now at band camp." She laughs.
"Greeeat." I sarcastically droll.
"There'll be plenty of other guys there though, the whole senior class is coming. Along with the demon's disciples from other grades. But only the seniors are permitted to camp on the north end."
I start shoving clothes and toiletries into my gym bag, now feeling slightly more anxious and intimidated.
This really is a great opportunity to get to know my classmates and have some fun, but I'm also terrified of not fitting in.
Within the hour, I've convinced my parents to let me go stay at Rane's house for a few nights. Thankfully, her parents are out of town on business so they won't even know if we're there or not. Then we load up Rane's BMW SUV and make our way to Destin Falls Quarry Park.
It's already packed and there's people walking everywhere when we pull in. We each pay $20.00 for entrance into the camping part of the park, then we locate our assigned lot. Rane explains that everyone just parks their cars at their campsites then they all set their tents up in a clearing just outside of the woods.
We drag her tent and bags out to the clearing. One side of it overlooks the quarry and the other butts up to the woods just like she said. In the center is a large campfire already burning even though it's only 6:00pm.
Twenty or so tents are set up along the perimeter of the clearing, some are close to others and some are more secluded away from the fire.
"RANEY!" A bubbly blonde squeals with delight. She drops her towel on a chair then rushes over to Rane, slinging her arms around her.
She's adorable and tan, with a tight little stomach and perfect breasts which are barely covered by a white string bikini. The girl is a natural blonde with a small turned up nose and high cheekbones. She has to be either a cheerleader or a model.
"Ani, this is Blair, Blair this is Ani, she's new this year to Destin Falls." Rane explains.
Blair's eyes start at my long dark hair, then slowly and very judgmentally, they travel down my body.
"Ani. It's a pleasure. What nationality are you? You have to be Italian, my god what I wouldn't pay for a tan like that." She snorts.
"Sure, I'm Italian." I lie with a smile feeling a bit uneasy. I don't like the way she's still staring at me, like I just killed her puppy or something.
"Blair, we're gonna need some more beer." A taller guy with reddish hair says to her. He throws his arm around her shoulder then grins at us.
"Ew, get off of me disciple!" She scoffs shoving his arm away.
"How the hell did I get put in charge of beer runs anyway? I'm a senior!" Blair barks back at him.
"Luca said you're the queen bee since you organized this shit, so he wants you to do it." He tells her.
"Luca said that? He called me the queen bee?!" Her entire demeanor quickly changes.
"He sure did." The guy replies with a lazy grin.
"Okay, make me a list and I'll go. Sorry girls, I have duties to attend to." She proudly boasts as she skips away.
"What was that all about?" I giggle.
"She does whatever Luca wants." The guy laughs.
"He didn't really say that did he, Ziggy?" Rane asks.
"Nope. But this shit's just too easy." Ziggy smirks. Then he looks me over.
"Who's this pretty little peach?" He asks Rane.
"Above your pay grade." Rane scowls.
"Geez, easy Rane, I was just askin'!" He shakes his head then walks away.
"So Blair likes this Luca guy? And he's one of those Demons you said, right?"
"Yes, he's actually thee demon, their leader."
"Is Blair a cheerleader?" I ask.
"Dance line captain, at some schools the popular girls are usually cheerleaders, but not here. Those are the girls that can't cut it on dance line."
"Oh, I didn't know there was a dance line." Finally, something about this place that intrigues me.
"You dance?" She asks as we start waking over to an open spot to set up the tent.
"Yeah, I've danced my whole life." I proudly smile.
"Tryouts are next week, you should go out for the team!"
"I don't know, is it hard?" I ask.
"Ani, if you've danced your entire life it'll be a breeze." She smirks.
I can't help but notice the way her eyes search the area, like she's looking for someone. Guys and girls mill about drinking, dancing, eating, and socializing.
"Are you looking for Gavin?" I ask, and she blushes.
"Yeah. I'm just kinda worried. Do you see that girl?" She asks, pointing to a mousey short brunette. The girl looks kind of plain and seems a bit younger.
"Yeah, who is she?"
"Gavin's ex, Danika. I'm not sure why she's here. She doesn't even go to Destin Falls." She sighs sounding disappointed.
"Damn, I'm sorry." I cringe, apologetically.
She lets out a defeated sigh then continues working on our tent.
"She's not really that pretty. She has one of those faces that kind of looks like everyone else's." I offer to try and make her feel better.
"That's what I thought too! I guess they've been friends for years though. Someone said they were each other's firsts." She pouts.
"Who's that?" I ask seeing a tall guy with blonde hair. He's wearing an Anonymous Vendetta mask pulled down over his face. He approaches Danika who's just opening a beer that she took out of a cooler.
Rane lets out a heavy sigh, and I can guess that it's Gavin.
"Gavin." She mutters.
He takes the beer from Danika's hand, tips up the very bottom of his mask, and takes a swig. Then he hands it back to her and lightly touches her lower back before walking away. Danika throws him a blushing grin.
"It doesn't mean anything Rane. He took a sip of her beer, that's it." I offer but she doesn't say anything. She just returns to shoving her tent stake into the ground.
"If it makes you feel any better, he's staring at you. And what's with that mask?" I laugh.
"He is?!"
"Don't look! Christ Rane!" I giggle as she starts to turn around.
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure that he's staring at your ass. He's leaning against the bridge to the woods, facing us." I tell her.
"Are you sure he's not looking at you?" She asks. I don't understand how someone as stunningly beautiful as her is so insecure.
"Definitely not, every time you move, he cocks his head." I tell her.
She glances back at him over her shoulder, grinning, as she stands up.
"No wonder he's wat you, your thong is hanging out." I whisper as he starts to walk toward us.
"I know." She says with a wink.
Then she quickly adjusts her bra, tugs at the front of her tank top to reveal more cleavage, and excitedly turns around to greet him.
