33Chapter One
The five of us all got out of the large SUV as Hayden parked it in the parking lot of my boarding school, Reiner Academy. Hayden automatically popped the trunk as the rest of us stretched our tense limbs.
"I can't believe the summer went by so quickly," Dawn complained with a pout as her boyfriend, Johnny, circled his arms around her waist. He nodded his agreement with a soft smile.
"For you guys, maybe," Charlie teased as her boyfriend got my bags out of the spacious car. Her dark red locks shimmered in the bright sunlight and I could tell what Hayden was saying when he told me she was the most gorgeous girl he'd ever met.
"Well, excuse us, Miss College Chick," I retorted jokingly.
My brother, Hayden, brought his girlfriend, Charlie, to our house in Vermont as a surprise at the beginning of summer. While the two of us disliked each other at first, we realized how much we had in common and eventually became very close friends.
"Where is everyone?" Hayden commented as he joined our group behind the car. I shrugged before grabbing one of my smaller bags.
"Probably in my room or something. Let's go," I said as I began walking to my dorm room. The rowdy group followed me while making comments about the school I attended last year and hopefully for the rest of my high school career.
Before I even reached the floor my room was, I could hear the bass pumping and the happy melodies of Forever The Sickest Kids. I grinned at loud music before waving the group to follow me to the end of the hallway. Without any indications of my entrance, I opened the door and could see two entwined bodies on my roommate's bed.
"You two never change, do you?" I asked with a smile as I turned the music down a bit to allow conversation.
The two slowly separated their lips before Drue plopped beside Faye on the large bed.
"Spontaneity is nice, but in this case, I'll stick with consistency," Faye smirked before hopping off her bed and reaching for me. I wrapped my arms around her slim form before the two of us separated. Faye went to greet Dawn and the others while I headed towards the lazy form on the bed.
"Ah, I've missed you, Tongues," Drue said before giving me an awkward hug on the bed and kissing my cheek.
"Missed you too, my man-whore," I teased. The two of us shared a smile and watched the others exchange hugs and smiles. It wasn't long before Tray joined us and began greeting the others. I waited patiently before he turned towards me and pulled me out of Drue's arms.
It was hard to believe that an entire summer already passed by and my life had changed so drastically since last February.
Last year, I transferred from my last private school to Reiner's when I got into a fight with a stuck-up blonde who insulted my deceased best friend. The people closest to me weren't very surprised that I was thrown out because I've always had problems with authority but I knew it wasn't because I just wanted to beat up the blonde. She deserved it after calling my best friend and soul mate a 'stupid pothead who deserved to overdose' when my best friend – Kaden – was actually killed by his abusive step-father.
Once I transferred to Reiner's, I became close friends with my roommate, Faye Lee. She led me to be friends with her close group of friends which included her best friend and man-on-demand, Drue; her friend and my current boyfriend, Tray; and her older brother who graduated last year, Jace. Little did I know, the four of them were all part of an elite group who publicly refers to themselves as the 'Silvers'. As the year progressed, their leader and queen, Breea, realized I was a threat to their group. She and I began a semi-war which split the Silver group of Reiner's in half. By the end of the year, Breea was kicked out of the group and the school.
While I thought their group was just something they used to brag and show off their money, their main goal was actually to steal. As seen on the news, the Silvers were actually the Silver Bandits who stole from the wealthy and elite. The money always somehow appeared at the doorstep of a less fortunate family or a needy charity. I thought the idea was barbaric but as the Silvers included me into the group, I realized that they meant well and what they were actually doing was amazingly genius.
I first found their group suspicious when I appeared near the end of February and saw how they were treated much better than the rest of the school. The students and faculty would see the shining silver band they all wore on their right thumb and realize they were unique and exceptional.
After I managed to get their leader kicked out last year, their group realized what an asset I could be to the Silvers and recruited me and three others as the graduating seniors left. We became the newest members of the elite group, the Silver Bands.
During the summer break, we trained and learned the skills we would need to perform the certain acts necessary to qualify as a true Silver. We received our silver bands – one for our thumb that we wore daily and one that was specially worn when we performed.
There were eight of us in the Reiner's sector. Faye and Tray as our Queen and King; Ashton and I as the Prince and Princess with the rest of our 'court': Drue, Sammy – Tray's younger sister, Reed and Nadine. The eight of us belonged to the highest sector of Silvers and were thoroughly trained to steal from the places considered our 'major leagues' which consisted of banks, museums, any other type of public buildings that have high security and from other fellow thieves.
The summer was mostly a harsh training session but the seven of us – Ashton lived in England and is only the Prince because he once attended Reiner's – were all still teenagers. We still got shit-faced and partied with the rest of our idiotic peers but that never changed what did during the day which was learn how to get past highly-secured building and kick peoples' asses if they got in our way.
Tray and I, who have been in a relationship for the past three months, learned how to mix business with pleasure and the affection was nice during the harsh training. However it was odd to be in such a permanent relationship because I've always been the type to sneak out of a guy's bed at the crack of dawn so he wouldn't be able to ask for further contact. Tray and I had fun in and out of our shared bed at the Silver training academy but the spark that we once shared was diminishing. He tried his best to ignore it but I couldn't do it. I still cared for him but my skin didn't tingle wherever he touched me and I never felt the fireworks anymore whenever he bent down to kiss me. He was a good guy and great in bed so I decided to stay with him because if not, it would ruin our friendship and that was the last thing I wanted.
The two of us weren't the only ones to mix our business with pleasure because our close friends and roommates, Drue and Faye, were having some of their own fun in their king-sized bed. The two weren't serious but I knew for a fact that the only person who Faye has been with in the past four months was her very own man-whore, Drue. The only girl besides Faye that I know for a fact got into Drue's pants was Ashley, the first person who I considered a friend last year. Ashley was a good girl – a true virgin who cried if she got B's on her report card – but she yearned for Drue, who also happened to be my friend. When she asked me to hook her up with him, I told her it would be a bad idea but she didn't listen and got her heart broken and virginity taken. Needless to say, she and I haven't spoken since Drue told her to get lost.
"Aw man, I'm hungry. Isn't the lunch bell about to-" The bell cut off Drue's whining and he smiled at the perfect timing before grabbing Faye's hand and pulling her out of the room with her yelling about how stupid he was. The rest of us laughed at their antics before following slowly behind the excited duo.
"I can't believe the summer is already over, Jael," Dawn commented in my ear as we descended the stairs of my dorm building. My best friend pouted funnily and I laughed at her face. "I'm serious! I'm hurting here and you're laughing at me. What a crappy best friend you are," She grumbled.
I hugged her with one arm and smiled. "I'm sorry, my best friend in the world. I love you and I will miss you more than tapioca misses pudding."
"What kind of weirdo analogy is that?" Johnny muttered behind us. I let Dawn go and she immediately fell into Johnny's side next to him. The two of them were the dream couple I secretly envied but I knew if I ever told them, they would beat me up.
All of us began comparing analogies through the duration of our walk to the café which made the walk quicker. Hayden and Charlie were whispering to themselves and I smiled at the sight. Hayden deserved someone as good as Charlie.
When Hayden and Tray met, he scrutinized Tray for a long and silent fifteen awkward moments. The look on Tray's face was priceless because he was so scared of my silly older brother and I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing. Eventually, Hayden shrugged and fell back on the couch to watch TV. Tray was so confused, I had to push him out of the living room before Hayden could begin interrogating him with questions like 'What type of condoms do you used? I'm only asking because I know Jael likes sex and I really don't want to be an uncle at the mere age of 20 – it would ruin the sexy image of me to the ladies.'
Just like the first time I met Tray, people moved to the sides as the six of us approached the café. I smirked at their awed faces and nearly laughed at the confused faces of my friends. They weren't used to the special treatment and their expressions were actually pretty cute.
I wonder if that's how I was when I first got here…
"Man, it's packed in here. Are we even going to be able to find seats for all of us?" Charlie asked behind me. Tray and I glanced at each other before sharing a grin and leading them to our usual table which was empty because the rest of the Silvers were getting food.
The guys all went to get food while Dawn, Charlie and I sat down. A few minutes passed before the table was packed. The new Silvers and the older gang were all seated comfortably in the spacious table along with my friends who would be leaving soon.
"Guys," I started while looking Dawn, Johnny, Hayden and Charlie. "This is Sammy," I told them while pointing at Tray's younger sister who had soft blonde hair and bright blue eyes that matched her brother's. She said a soft 'Hello' before playing with her food once again. I then pointed to the boy next to her with light blond hair that reached the edge of his collar and mischievous sparkling brown eyes. "That's Reed and that's Nadine." Lastly, I pointed to the smiling French girl beside Reed who was reaching for her orange juice. Her peaceful blue eyes crinkled as her smile increased. Her brown hair fell off her shoulder and towards her breasts and I could see the guys' eyes following the shiny locks.
"Don't stare too hard," Faye chuckled. I joined in and watched as Nadine's cheeks reddened along with Johnny's and Hayden's. The rest of the table chuckled at their discomfort.
Our light laughter quieted to nothing as the café's doors clashed against the adjacent wall. None of us bothered to turn around but the ones sitting with perfect view looked coolly over to the distraction. Drue immediately stood up and his chair fell behind him in a clang. He held out his arms and laughed loudly.
"A-man! Where the hell've you been?" At the familiar nickname, I froze. I could feel Tray doing the same beside me. I couldn't stop myself when my head automatically turned towards the boy who I once considered the hottest guy dead or alive.
He was wearing a beanie, just like I saw him last time, and a bright smile. Despite the fact our entire table was looking at him with our utmost attention – which was rare – his pace was steady. His outfit was casual and fit for comfort – a simple pair of jeans that hung low on his waist and a shirt that perfectly showed his well-fit body. My body tingled with the memories that flashed through my mind. His eyes went to mine and I could tell he felt the same way.
He stopped by a near-by table and asked the girls sitting there if he could take one of the empty chairs. All of them nodded with sultry smiles and flirtatious gazes. He grabbed the light-colored chair and I watched his muscles ripple as he carried it towards us. He placed the chair in the tiny space between Tray and I before asking, "Scoot over a bit, would you?"
Tray's eyes flashed with anger before shifting his chair away to make room for Ashton. Ashton smiled widely before clapping up Drue and giving a hug to Faye. He saluted to the rest of the group before sitting and relaxing in his chair. Before anyone could ask any questions, he turned towards me and smiled.
"It's nice to see you again, Jael," He said with his slight British accent. His immaculate green eyes matched my own and I felt myself being pulled in. I yearned to lean in and kiss him but my boyfriend was on the other side of him.
"Of course it is," I answered with a smirk. His smile stayed on his tan face before he leaned in and gave me a peck on the cheek.
The coolness of his lip ring made my stomach flop and my eyes shut from the feeling. The warmth of his body almost sent me on overdrive but I somehow managed to control myself. I felt as if the entire world became silent as Ashton leaned towards me and never before had I felt such a rush. His black hair tickled the side of my face and I imagined gripping the locks as he forcefully thrust inside me.
When he sat back afterwards, I realized something that may eventually cause trouble: Ashton is still the hottest guy dead or alive.
Notes: Okay, so I originally said I would be taking a break from The Silver Bands but I couldn't resist! I just missed them too much, especially Ashton :) Anyways, this chapter is mostly to just recap and introduce the new Silvers. I hope it wasn't a complete bore. Please review and I thank all the faithful readers who have returned for the sequel :D