It had been a long time since I had seen Kinley Day.

Before I was forced into the position of CEO, I studied communications in university and was a substitute teacher at a small private school. Kinley was a student in that school, and she stuck out like a sore thumb. 

She was unnaturally quiet and jumpy, which is probably what led to the others using her as a punching bag to take their anger out on. She didn’t even respond when they tried bullied her, being degrading comments or books smacking against her back. She just sat there silently until the day was over. But I hadn’t paid much attention to her until she did something I couldn’t ignore.

Two boys from who frequented the my classroom with excuses had me up against an outside wall, calling me beautiful.

The taller boy rested his arm against the wall next to my head and puffed out his chest. “Not too bad right?” He smiled. “In a few years, this will be pretty impressive if you’re interested. A young hot teacher like you is bound to get into trouble eventually,” he had told me.

The shorter boy was glancing around nervously, but he did nothing to stop his friend.

Cocky Kid was too busy to pay attention to Nervous Friend though. He brought his head close to mine. “You’re not going to say anything, right? I’m good-looking guy. You’re a good-looking girl. There is nothing wrong with fooling around a bit. You’re not even much older than us. Just let me take you out on one date.”

I sighed, repressing the desire to violently teach these two a lesson. “There will be no fooling around with children,” I said. “Don’t make me laugh. Now, move.”

He didn’t take that response well. “Then I don’t suppose you’d like to play with fire?” he threatened, pulling out a lighter and flicking the flame to life.

I rolled my eyes, fidgeting with the bracelet on my wrist. He was starting to piss me off, bad wouldn't be understanding if I caused a scandal at this school. 

But my mouth talked before my brain. “Don’t even try me,” I warned, straightening up my posture. I wasn't going to play weak in front of a bunch of hormonal jackasses.

Cocky Kid suddenly brought his arm up as if he was going to hit me when it started raining—not actual rain, but water came pouring down from a second-floor window, dousing Cocky Kid and his stupid lighter. I looked up, slacked jawed to see Kinley.

She was lazily sprawled out the window, one arm outstretched and holding an upside down and empty water bottle. Remaining drops of water dripped down between the Cocky Kid, who was now backing away, and me. 

Kinley's countenance didn’t change. She just looked down at us, an uninterested expression suspended by closed lips.

The boys left cursing and threatening to find her, but she only looked at me. Holding my gaze, her lips finally moved. “Heiresses should be here,” she breathed, almost too quietly to hear her. "It's dangerous."

How could she know? I stepped back, still holding her unwavering gaze until I turned into the building. I looked back once through a window. She was still there, unmoving. She just lay in the window frame, holding that empty water bottle.

I saw her again on my way out of the building. I had found myself continuously looking back to that window, but this time she was under it, and Cocky Kid and Nervous Friend were holding her tightly against the bricks.

Cocky Kid sure was arrogant. He slammed his fist into her stomach, letting her tumble forward to the ground, and sprinkling sparks over her fallen body from a cigarette with one hand like she had done with the water. He yelled something to Nervous Friend who then kicked Kinley again in the ribs, but with less vigor. Nervous Friend proceeded to pull her up and hold her against the wall so that Cocky Kid could throw more sparks in her direction, burning little holes in her clothes.

She kept her eyes clenched shut, but she didn’t yell out. I felt anger burning its way through my stomach, but I couldn’t go out. I couldn't have any press associated with me after what happened last year. Dad would kill me.

Cocky Kid threw a punch this time. He grabbed her collar and he pressed his cigarette down over her collar. I grabbed the door handle on reflex.

Kinley pushed him away this time, seeming to come back to her senses. She landed a few good hits on Cocky Kid before Nervous Friend held her from behind again, Cocky Kid exacting his revenge with a strong hit to her face and stomach. She wasn’t bad for a such a small kid, I thought as she was pushed to the ground. Cocky Kid kicked her head this time, and I couldn’t stop my feet from bursting through the doors, taken back by the sudden explosion of rage that boiled up within me.

The boys must have heard me open the doors because they suddenly looked at each other and darted, yelling something about how the principle must be coming. But, he had already gone home.

Kinley rolled over to her side, bringing her knees and arms in against her chest and groaning loudly. I took a step back, shocked by what I saw. Her hands were balled into tight fists that were clenched tightly near her temples. I found myself racing towards her as she fought with herself.

But she was already standing up. I placed my hand on her shoulder to help, but she jumped hard to avoid my touch, a small scream erupting from her lips. 

She jumped backwards with the exclamation, her head smacking against the bricks behind her. I took advantage of her temporary disorientation and brought her into my arms, grabbing on to her anywhere I could.

What the hell was I doing?

I laid Ellie down on the grass and studied her for a moment. She wasn’t a big child. Shorter than her peers, and thinner than she should have been as if she wasn’t eating with dark circles under her eyes. Her face was covered by dark curls, and her cheeks had small cuts with blood seeping out of them. They looked even redder against her pale complexion.

We shouldn’t be here though, I thought, looking around for wandering eyes. I picked the unconscious girl up into my arms and ran to the nurse’s office. She still wasn’t moving.

I laid her down on the stiff plastic lined bed and left. She wasn't my problem.

I saw her at school on occasion, looking dumb and defenseless. And then one day she didn't come back. She was going to be out the rest of the year due to “personal reasons.” But the teachers gossiped--maybe even more than the students did. Apparently, Kinley was only in the school thanks to an anonymous sponsor to begin with. She was being helped because she was a "troubled" child in need of "guidance."

So, I really only knew two things about Kinley at that time. She was being backed buy some rich family after committing some kind of crime, and she somehow knew who I was. I guess it would make sense though if she was being led around by rich people. I was one to be dragged through those circles myself.

But she did pop into my mind on occasion, and I wondered what happened to her. So, you can imagine my delight when she walked into the staff assistant interview at our company. Little Kinley Day.

She was wearing a suit that definitely belonged to someone else and spoke in a tumbling voice that gave away how nervous she was. It disgusted me to be honest. The way she said nothing while being hit. Wearing clothes that didn't fit her. Shaking in front of a panel of assholes that were literally there to judge her. Most of all, it pissed me off that she didn't seem to recognize me. 

Apparently, I wasn't worth remembering. But the expression she had on now was quite nice as our HR manager told her they we wouldn't be pursuing her application. She was red from the neck up, tears threatening to fall at any moment. But they didn't. She thanked us and walked away.

The next applicant walked into the room, but I was uninterested. My feet moved before I even knew where I was going. I came out into the hall and walked by the applicants, looking down each hallway for a glimpse of her. There was only a muffled phone ringing in the stairwell, so I leaned in to listen. 

"Hello?" 

It was definitely Kinley's voice. 

"No, it didn't go well," she said. Was it her dad? 

There was a moment of silence. 

"Please Mr. Gray, I will do my best to find a job. Please let me live there just a few more days. I will pay you twice the rent when I find a job if you just let me stay." There was a twang in her voice from holding back tears. What a weak person. It made me want to crush her. 

The world eats the weak, Kinley. I'm no different.

But even though I had these thoughts, in just one breath, I had already opened the door. Kinley. You're just what I need: someone who is desperate.