Behind the Dextros Gates

Chapter 2: Dextros

The gates of Dextros Academy were taller than Tasha had imagined.

She had seen pictures of the school before.

Photographs online. Brochures. The image attached to her acceptance letter.

None of them had prepared her for standing in front of it.

Black iron stretched between two enormous stone pillars, each one carved with the Dextros crest. Beyond the gates stood the academy itself—a sprawling collection of old stone buildings, polished glass corridors, gardens trimmed so perfectly they looked unreal, and towers rising above the trees.

Students moved through the entrance in groups.

Some arrived in expensive cars.

Some were dropped off by drivers.

A few stepped out of sleek black SUVs while people carried their bags behind them.

Tasha tightened her grip around the strap of her backpack.

She looked down at herself.

New uniform.

Simple black blazer.

White shirt.

Black skirt.

Polished shoes Helena had bought after saving for weeks.

Everything was clean.

Everything fit.

But she could still tell the difference.

The other students wore expensive watches, designer shoes, jewelry that probably cost more than everything in her bedroom.

Tasha exhaled.

Don't compare yourself.

She had promised herself that before leaving home.

Dextros was an opportunity.

Not a competition.

She wasn't here to impress anyone.

She was here to learn.

To graduate.

To get into university.

To give Angel the kind of opportunities she had never had.

And maybe, one day, to give Helena a reason to stop worrying about money.

Tasha lifted her chin.

Then she walked through the gates.

The moment she stepped onto Dextros grounds, she felt it.

Something was different.

Not bad.

Just...different.

Students weren't simply walking around.

They were watching.

Groups stood together in corners, talking quietly. Some students laughed loudly, while others moved aside whenever certain people approached.

Tasha noticed that immediately.

A boy walked across the courtyard with three others behind him.

A group of girls who had been talking suddenly lowered their voices.

A student stepped out of his path.

The boy didn't even acknowledge them.

Tasha frowned.

Okay.

She continued walking.

She had barely taken ten steps when someone bumped into her shoulder.

Hard.

Her backpack slipped.

"Watch where you're going."

Tasha turned.

A girl with perfectly straight blonde hair was staring at her.

Tasha glanced around.

There were hundreds of students moving through the courtyard.

She looked back at the girl.

"You walked into me."

The girl blinked.

Apparently, she hadn't expected that answer.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me."

The girl's expression hardened.

"You're new."

"Obviously."

A couple of students nearby snickered.

The girl looked Tasha up and down.

Then her eyes landed on the small scholarship identification tag attached to Tasha's registration folder.

Her expression changed.

"Oh."

Tasha knew that oh.

She'd heard versions of it before.

Pity.

Surprise.

Judgment.

The kind of sound people made when they discovered something about you they thought gave them the right to look down on you.

"What?" Tasha asked.

"Nothing."

"Then stop staring."

The girl scoffed and walked away.

Tasha watched her go.

"First five minutes," she muttered. "Great."

She turned toward the administration building.

And immediately walked into someone.

Again.

Except this time, the person didn't move.

Tasha stumbled backward.

Her folder fell from her hand.

Papers scattered across the pavement.

"Seriously?"

Silence.

Tasha looked up.

And forgot what she was about to say.

The boy standing in front of her was tall.

Not just tall.

He had the kind of presence that made people notice him without him doing anything.

His dark hair was slightly messy, as if he had run his fingers through it instead of bothering with a comb. His uniform was immaculate, though his tie was loose around his neck.

His face was calm.

Too calm.

Sharp features.

Dark eyes.

A faint scar near one eyebrow.

He looked at Tasha as though she had interrupted something far more important than his morning.

She looked behind him.

Three boys stood several feet away.

One was enormous.

Another had an amused expression.

The third watched her with quiet curiosity.

None of them said anything.

Tasha looked back at the boy in front of her.

"You could move."

His eyebrow lifted.

"I'm sorry?"

"You heard me."

For a second, nobody moved.

Then the boy looked down at the papers scattered around his shoes.

One of them had landed directly beside his foot.

He slowly bent down.

Picked it up.

Looked at it.

Then looked at her.

"Tasha Adeyemi."

Her stomach tightened.

"How do you know my name?"

He held the paper between two fingers.

"Your name is on it."

Tasha looked at the page.

Of course.

Her registration form.

She reached for it.

He didn't immediately give it to her.

"New student?"

"Yes."

"Scholarship?"

Tasha's eyes narrowed.

"Is that a problem?"

A faint smile touched his mouth.

It wasn't a friendly smile.

"No."

He handed her the paper.

Tasha snatched it.

"Good."

She crouched to gather the rest.

The boy remained where he was.

Watching.

Tasha gathered the last sheet and stood.

"Are you going to keep staring?"

The corner of his mouth moved.

"You always talk this much?"

"Only when people are annoying."

One of the boys behind him made a choking sound.

The tall boy glanced over his shoulder.

The boy immediately became quiet.

Tasha noticed.

She looked between them.

Something about this situation was strange.

Very strange.

"Move," she said.

The tall boy stepped aside.

Tasha walked past him.

She made it three steps.

"You're going the wrong way."

She stopped.

Slowly turned around.

He pointed toward the opposite building.

"Administration is there."

Tasha stared at him.

Then at the building she'd been walking toward.

Then back at him.

He looked almost amused.

"Thanks."

She turned around.

Behind her, she heard someone laugh.

Not loudly.

But enough.

Tasha glanced over her shoulder.

The tall boy was still watching her.

She gave him a look that said don't.

He only smiled.

She turned away.

She had no idea who he was.

And she didn't care.

At least, that's what she told herself.

The administration building was just as ridiculous as the rest of the school.

Marble floors.

Glass walls.

Huge paintings of former principals.

Tasha stopped in front of one.

The man in the painting looked severe enough to scare children into behaving from another century.

"Welcome to Dextros."

Tasha nearly jumped.

A girl was standing beside her.

She had warm brown skin, short braids, and a smile that looked much more genuine than most of the ones Tasha had seen since arriving.

"Sorry," the girl said. "Didn't mean to scare you."

"It's fine."

"I'm Maya."

"Tasha."

"I know."

Tasha raised an eyebrow.

"How?"

"You're the scholarship girl."

Tasha sighed.

"Apparently that's my name now."

Maya laughed.

"Don't worry. You'll get used to it."

"I don't want to."

"Fair."

Maya pointed toward the hallway.

"First-year registration?"

"Yes."

"Come on. I'm going there too."

Tasha followed her.

They walked side by side.

"Are you new too?" Tasha asked.

"No. Second year."

"Then why are you doing registration?"

"Helping my cousin."

Tasha nodded.

For the first time since arriving, she relaxed a little.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Why does everyone keep staring at people?"

Maya's smile disappeared.

"What people?"

"Everyone."

Maya glanced around.

Then lowered her voice.

"You're going to have to be more specific."

"The groups."

Maya looked at her.

"What groups?"

Tasha gestured toward the hallway.

"Like outside. People walk together, and everyone moves out of their way."

Maya stared at her for a moment.

Then she laughed softly.

"Oh."

"What?"

"You really don't know."

"Know what?"

Maya opened her mouth.

Before she could answer, a group of students walked past.

Every conversation around them seemed to become quieter.

Tasha recognized one of the boys.

The enormous one.

He had been standing behind the tall boy in the courtyard.

The boy noticed them.

His eyes passed over Tasha.

He said something quietly to the person beside him.

They continued walking.

Tasha looked at Maya.

"What was that?"

Maya sighed.

"Okay."

She leaned closer.

"Rule number one at Dextros."

Tasha waited.

"Don't get involved with the factions."

Tasha frowned.

"The what?"

Maya looked genuinely surprised.

"Factions."

Tasha almost laughed.

"Like clubs?"

"No."

"Sports teams?"

"No."

"Then what?"

Maya glanced around again.

"They're...groups."

"That's not very helpful."

"They're powerful groups."

Tasha folded her arms.

"And the school allows this?"

Maya gave her a strange look.

"The school doesn't exactly advertise it."

"So they're gangs?"

"Not exactly."

"Then what are they?"

Maya hesitated.

"Think of them as student kingdoms."

Tasha stared at her.

"Student kingdoms?"

"Three of them."

Maya pointed subtly toward the courtyard.

"The Black Fangs."

Tasha followed her gaze.

"And?"

"The Red Crowns."

"And the third?"

"The Silver Wolves."

Tasha waited.

Maya lowered her voice.

"Each faction has a leader."

"And everyone just follows them?"

"Not everyone."

"But enough people do."

Tasha shook her head.

"That sounds insane."

Maya gave her a small smile.

"Welcome to Dextros."

By lunchtime, Tasha had learned more about Dextros than she wanted to.

She had also learned that Maya wasn't exaggerating.

The three factions weren't officially recognized by the school.

They didn't appear in any handbook.

There were no posters advertising them.

No teacher stood in front of the classroom and explained their rules.

But somehow, everyone knew.

The Black Fangs were feared.

The Red Crowns were influential.

The Silver Wolves were disciplined and organized.

And each faction had six people closest to its leader.

The Top Six.

Everyone else was somewhere below them.

Tasha still didn't completely understand why any of this mattered.

Until she walked into the cafeteria.

The room was enormous.

Students filled dozens of tables.

Tasha followed Maya toward an empty seat.

Then stopped.

The entire cafeteria seemed to shift.

Not everyone.

Just enough.

At the center of the room sat three groups.

Three tables.

Three different circles.

The first table was surrounded by students dressed like they owned the place.

The second was louder.

The third was quieter.

Maya lightly grabbed Tasha's arm.

"Don't stare."

Tasha looked at her.

"You just told me about them."

"I didn't tell you to stare."

Tasha looked back.

"Which one is which?"

Maya sighed.

"The table near the windows? Red Crowns."

Tasha nodded.

"The one in the middle?"

"Black Fangs."

"And the quiet one?"

"Silver Wolves."

Tasha studied the three groups.

Then she saw him.

The boy from the courtyard.

He sat at the center of the Black Fangs table.

The enormous boy sat beside him.

The others surrounded him.

Tasha's eyes narrowed.

"That's him."

Maya followed her gaze.

Her face changed.

"Who?"

"The boy I bumped into."

Maya went completely still.

"You bumped into him?"

"Yes."

"You talked to him?"

"Yes."

"You argued with him?"

Tasha frowned.

"Why are you making that face?"

Maya looked horrified.

"Do you know who that is?"

"No."

Maya swallowed.

"That's James Vale."

Tasha looked back at him.

James Vale.

The name meant nothing to her.

Yet judging by the looks around the cafeteria, it meant everything to everyone else.

"Okay," Tasha said.

Maya stared at her.

"That's it?"

"What do you want me to say?"

"That's James."

"Yes. I heard you."

"James Vale."

Tasha shrugged.

"Still doesn't change anything."

Maya looked at her like she had just announced she wanted to walk into traffic.

"He's the leader of the Black Fangs."

Tasha looked back at James.

He was already looking at her.

Their eyes met across the cafeteria.

For a moment, neither moved.

His expression was unreadable.

Then James leaned back in his chair.

Tasha broke eye contact first.

Not because she was scared.

Because she was hungry.

"Come on," she said to Maya.

"What?"

"I'm getting food."

Maya followed, still looking stunned.

"You really aren't afraid of him?"

Tasha picked up a tray.

"Should I be?"

Maya didn't answer.

Tasha looked over.

Maya's eyes were fixed on James.

And Tasha suddenly understood something.

Everyone in Dextros knew who James Vale was.

Everyone except her.

And somehow, she had already managed to irritate him before lunch on her first day.

That couldn't be good.

JAMES

James Vale hated being surprised.

He especially hated being surprised by people he had never heard of.

He watched the new girl sit at a table across the cafeteria.

Tasha Adeyemi.

Scholarship student.

Seventeen.

New arrival.

Nothing about her background explained why she had looked him directly in the eye.

Nothing explained why she had spoken to him like he was just another student.

Adrian leaned toward him.

"You're staring."

James didn't answer.

Marcus looked over.

"That's the scholarship girl."

"I know."

Leo grinned.

"She doesn't know who you are."

James's jaw tightened.

"I noticed."

"That's new."

James finally looked at him.

Leo's grin disappeared.

For a few seconds, nobody spoke.

Then Adrian leaned back.

"Want me to find out more about her?"

James looked across the cafeteria again.

Tasha was laughing at something Maya had said.

She looked completely comfortable.

As if she hadn't just walked into the most complicated school in the country and challenged one of the people everyone else avoided.

James should have forgotten about her.

He usually did.

People were temporary.

Problems were temporary.

And new students learned quickly.

But there was something about the way she had looked at him.

No fear.

No hesitation.

No attempt to impress him.

Just irritation.

James smiled faintly.

"Not yet."

Adrian raised an eyebrow.

"Not yet?"

James kept his eyes on Tasha.

"I want to see how long that confidence lasts."

Across the cafeteria, Tasha suddenly looked up.

Their eyes met again.

This time, she didn't look away.

Neither did he.

And James realized something he hadn't expected.

He wanted to know what she would do next.