by Cassie James
We’ve been having the same argument for going on two weeks now. It all started with Chelsey Donovan approaching me at school the Monday after some big beach party I wasn’t invited to. I’d been nursing hurt feelings and a bruised ego all weekend about not being invited—my DJing skills had always been a staple in the past—but I’d resigned myself to not letting them know the snub had bothered me. It’s easier to catch flies with honey, after all, and I wasn’t going to give up my fight for my friends quite so easily.
So when Chelsey approached me, staring up at me with real regret shining in her brown eyes and twisting her blonde hair around her fingers, I listened. She apologized for the way The Thorns and The Roses had been treating me, noting that having me back was a shock none of them had really been prepared for. I wanted to be skeptical, remembering the way my friends had hissed the names Silicunt and 2.0 at me for weeks. She made it hard though, wrapping me up in a hug and calling me Piper for the first time.
Forgiving her was easy, especially with the voice in the back of my head reminding me that Chelsey Donovan was too stupid to be so deceitful. It was an ugly thought, but I found comfort in it.
“Macie, I trust your opinion,” I tell her as she whips the car around Tyler’s. He winks when he sees me staring, and I smile in return. My stomach flips when he smiles back at me, all flashing teeth and sweet dimples. Macie lays on her horn and cuts him off when she slides her BMW in front of him, tapping her brakes much like he had just minutes before. “But they’ve all apologized to me.”
Well, all but Jude, but I try to not let that bother me. He didn’t even apologize to me when he gave me a black eye during dodge ball in middle school. “I think you’re being a little too judgemental.”
Macie fixes me with a hard stare as she pulls into the parking lot at Rosewood. Jude and Brennan are leaning against Jude’s forest green Levante, and I watch as Jude’s eyes flash when we pass. She backs into her regular spot a few spaces down from him, and she huffs as Tori and Chelsey pass her car. Tori offers me a friendly wave before glaring at her step-sister. I bite back the question of how the girls live together without trying to outright murder one another for what feels like the thousandth time. Macie’s invited me to come hang out at her house a few times, but I’m not sure how I would manage to juggle her and Tori in the same house. They made it harder than hell to be friends with both of them at school. In the smaller confines of their house? I shudder at the thought. Yeah, no fucking thanks.
“And I think you’re being incredibly naive,” Macie snaps as she reaches up to close the sunroof, the mechanical whirring filling the space between us as she turns to consider me. “I just don’t want you to get hurt if they are up to something. Promise me you’ll be careful?”
“Jesus, Mace,” I quip as I push my door open, “they’re high schoolers, not dangerous, highly trained hitmen.”
“Could’ve fooled me,” she mutters darkly as she climbs out of the car.
Macie hikes her skirt up an inch or two and winks at one of the soccer players as he stumbles. I roll my eyes and jerk both of our bags from the back. Macie may like to pretend the air is purer on the high-road, but I totally understand why Piper wanted the girl as a Rose. She’s dangerous in her own sort of way.
We’re silent as she sets the alarm on car—it’s a useless action, honestly. There are several uniformed security guards that prowl the parking lot with the ultra-expensive cars all day long, but it makes her feel better, so I don’t challenge her on it. “Nice driving, Wharton,” Tyler teases as he passes, reaching down to ruffle the hem of her skirt. Macie aims a kick at him, but he dodges quickly, making Macie huff and me giggle.
“Go fuck yourself, Hamilton!” she calls as he skids to a stop in front of Jude and Brennan.
He pushes his golden-brown hair away from his forehead as he mutters to the guys. All of their eyes turn in our direction at the same time, and a downright devilish smirk crosses Jude’s lips. My stomach flips, and I smile back. I knew I was missing out on something amazing, the final piece of Piper’s life, when my friends wouldn’t talk to me, but... I didn’t expect it to feel so good having them back. I also didn’t expect to keep replaying that kiss every time Jude and I make eye contact.
My feet drag to a stop when we get to Jude’s SUV, and Macie rolls her eyes. My stomach goes weird again when Jude drops his arm over my shoulder. “2.0,” he says as he pulls me tight against his side. I roll my eyes but don’t protest at the teasing tone or the much-hated nickname. This is Jude, he preys on people’s weaknesses and dislikes—friends and foe alike. This is the same guy that never bothered to apologize after walking in on me changing in his pool house. He’s not going to stop calling me a shitty nickname just because The Thorns and The Roses have welcomed me back into the group with open arms.
“Jude, hi,” I say, a little breathless as he squeezes me tighter, and I can practically read Macie’s disapproval in her body language as her shoulders stiffen. She hikes her bag higher on her shoulder and flounces past The Thorns and Roses without acknowledging any of them.
“Wharton!” Jude calls in greeting, amusement shining in his hazel eyes as she pauses and turns back to face us. “Good morning!”
“Pricks,” she calls back, mock saluting as she walks backwards, all but bowling over a group of loitering freshman congregated around the door to the main building. “See you in class, Piper!”
I raise my hand to her before she spins back around and slams her way into the building, startling the freshman as the doors bang against the walls. “God, she’s such a fucking bitch,” Tori snaps, and a round of chuckles follow. “I don’t know how you hang out with her, Piper. She’s literally the fucking worst.”
“It’s because she’s so damn hot, right?” Jude teases as the first warning bell rings and he starts pulling me toward the doors. “You ever seen her naked, 2.0?”
“No.” What a weird question.
“Isn’t that something you girls do? Just walk around naked in front of each other all the time?”
“No, Jude. It’s not something that we do.”
“Shame,” he murmurs as he pulls us to a stop in front of my locker. “Guess I’ll have to fantasize about something other than the two of you just fucking going at it all night long, then.”
“God, you’re disgusting,” Tori mutters as she breezes past us. I can feel heat spreading up my neck toward my cheeks, and I realize that I’m full-on blushing for the first time ever.
“How’s your stamina?” Jude continues, the same devil-may-care smirk crooking over his lips. I let my hair fall around my face in a curtain as I turn to pop my locker open. I want to ask him to stop, but I know Piper wouldn’t do that. She wouldn’t let his stupid jokes get to her.
I can hear Chelsey click her tongue against her teeth and huff as the guys laugh. The sound of her retreating heels against the tile lets me know it’s just me and the guys left, and a shiver runs down my spine as Jude’s chest presses against my back. He crowds me toward the wall of lockers, pressing my front against the cool metal. His fingers trail over the smooth skin on the back of my thighs. I try not to react, but an involuntary shudder crashes over me.
His breath is hot against my ear as he leans down to whisper to me. “Have you ever heard of scissoring?”
“N-no,” I stammer, his breath tickling my ear as he chuckles. His fingers trail toward the inside of my thighs, and I know I should clamp them together, to fight against the fingers wandering closer and closer to places they don’t belong. But something about the way he strokes my skin makes my brain short-circuit.
“Look it up,” he commands, and all at once, the feeling of his body pressing against mine, his fingers exploring the creamy flesh of the inside of my thighs—it’s all gone. I suck in a shaky breath as I reach into my locker with trembling hands. I can’t explain it, the heat that pools in my belly when I’m around Jude, but I’m certain he’s going to set me on fire.
“See you at lunch, 2.0!”
he calls, his voice fading as he moves further down the hall.
I don’t respond. Instead, I give myself a few seconds to catch my breath and get my bearings. Jude is dangerous, and I know there’s a real possibility I’ll get hurt if I try to keep up with him, but, as foolish as it might be, I find that I really want to try. Something tickles the back of my mind at the thought, like it isn’t quite right, but I can’t put words to it. I square my shoulders and take one last deep breath, refusing to let the distracting thoughts of Jude Alton and his dangerous hazel eyes keep me from focusing on my day.
I’m surprised enough to see Tyler still standing there when I turn that I gasp. My hand shoots up to my chest over my wildly beating heart. “Oh! I thought everyone was gone.”
The way his green eyes bore into me as he stares touches something deep inside of me. I’m hit again with the reminder that while my attraction to Jude feels just a little off kilter, something about my attraction to Tyler just feels right. It’s another distracting thought I don’t need, so I’m thankful when he shrugs but doesn’t actually say anything.
I’m not entirely certain I would survive anything more when I’m already in such an unstable state thanks to Jude Alton and his magic freaking fingers. I let thoughts of Jude drift from my mind as I follow Tyler to our Calculus class. His shoulders are stiff, and whenever he turns his head to ensure I’m following him, I can see that his expression is pinched. I want to take some of the tension away from him. He’s my best friend, after all, even if there are still days that the darkness in his eyes suggests that he doesn’t really want me around.
He holds the door open for me, and I smile up at him brightly. The smile he forces on his face in return doesn’t quite meet his eyes, and I wonder what the hell his problem is as we cross to our seats. He’d been fine in the parking lot, as open and teasing as I’d gotten used to him being over the past couple of weeks, but he clamped up as soon as Jude started teasing me. I wonder...
“Hey, Tyler,” I whisper as Ms. Cooper snaps the door shut and walks toward the whiteboard. “What’s scissoring?”
“What!” The word comes out in a half-strangled shout, and the whole class turns in our direction. I sink back in my seat, face flushing hot and red for the second time that morning as Ms. Cooper’s eyes flash in our direction.
I mouth sorry to her and lower my face toward my desk as I peer up at Tyler through my lashes to see him shaking his head slightly. I can just make out him muttering, “What the fuck?” before I force my attention away from him.
I don’t look up for the rest of class. Instead, I listen to Ms. Cooper drone on and on about numerical differentiation through half tuned-in ears. There’s no doubt in my mind that “scissoring” is something I absolutely should not be searching in the middle of class, considering Tyler’s reaction when I asked him what it meant. But curiosity killed the cat, right?
My lips press into a thin line as I perform a web search. The first few images crowd their way into my already over-loaded brain, and my breathing hitches in an uncomfortable way. The back of Tyler’s desk hits mine, but I keep my eyes down and try to focus on evening out my breathing as several more images and even a few videos leak into my mind. Why… why would Jude ask me about this? Was he insinuating this was something I would do with Macie? Seriously, why?
By the time lunch rolls around, I’m absolutely positive this new flush of my skin is a permanent fixture. I wave Macie off when she approaches, telling her that I need a minute to talk to Jude, and she rolls her eyes as she flounces away, presumably to our secluded table in the quad. I settle at The Thorns tables, waiting patiently as they work their way through the line to grab their lunch.
Brennan slides into the seat across from me, offering a tight grin, before he runs an olive-toned hand through his mop of brown curls. The smile doesn’t quite meet his eyes, and I’m getting ready to ask him if he’s okay when Jude drops into the seat next to mine with more flourish and grace than ought to be allowed in the body of an eighteen-year-old boy. I pinch my lips back together as Tyler, Tori, and Chelsey also join the table.
“Is Macie sick or something?” Tori asks, and I jerk my head up to look at her with confusion. For a second, it looks like she sneers, but I must imagine it because I blink and it’s gone. She smiles sweetly. “What? You don’t usually sit with us. I was just wondering.”
“Oh, I just wanted to talk to Jude for a minute.” I return her smile, but she’s already turning to talk quietly with Chelsey. I push the sting of the snub away and smile as brightly as I can manage at the guys.
Jude’s arm drops around my shoulder, pulling me tight into his side. Judging by the grimace on Brennan’s face, I’m sure the look Jude’s giving our friends is less than polite. “The ladies can’t resist me,” he purrs, and I try to pull away from him. His grip tightens, though, and I feel like I’m glued to his side for all the good my struggling does me. “Come back for another kiss, Piper?”
“Absolutely not.” I try again to pull away but with no success. “I just came to clarify the fact that I’ve never seen Macie naked.”
“Shame,” he starts, but I cut him off before he can say something else absolutely mortifying.
“And we’ve never done that scissoring thing you asked me about.”
“Oh holy shit, you actually looked it up!” Jude crows, and the perpetual blush of the day works its way up my neck and cheeks again. I shove against him, forcing his arm off of me, and stand up out of the seat as the rest of the group gapes at us. My eyes meet Brennan’s for a short second, and I don’t think I’m imagining the heat in his stare. Jude keeps going. “What else did you look up, you little freak?”
Oh, so much stuff... My mind was on pornographic overload, and I fix the person to blame with a hard glare. If there was a way to wipe some of the truly depraving stuff that I’d seen that morning from my mind, I would in a heartbeat. There’s an edge to my voice as I tell him, “You’re disgusting, Jude.”
“Maybe so,” he says as he turns back to his lunch. He rubs his apple against his shirt before taking a large bite and turning back to me. He wipes some of the dribbling juice from his chin and smirks as my eyes follow the motion. “But you’re learning a hell of a lot with me around. And isn’t that your purpose anyway?”
“What?” I ask, and Jude huffs a laugh before taking another huge bite of his apple.
My fingers fist around the leather strap of my purse, and my eyes swing around the table. Tyler is ignoring the situation entirely, head buried in his phone as he shovels food into his mouth. Chelsey and Tori are paying rapt attention, something maybe a little ugly hiding behind the too-innocent expressions they’re passing my way. It’s Brennan that surprises me. There’s real, genuine curiosity in his eyes, and I’m taken aback by the rush of warmth that floods through me. If there’s one thing that’s for certain, old Piper was never attracted to him, so why are there butterflies swing-dancing in my stomach at the look he’s giving me?
“To learn,” Jude breaks through my haze, forcing me to turn back to him. “Brennan says you’re a learning AI, right?”
I nod reluctantly, fighting the urge to turn curious eyes back on Brennan. He’s always been the techiest of the guys, dare I say, the smartest, but I didn’t imagine that he would have such a good grasp on what makes me tick. “Well,” Jude’s honey-like purr pulls my attention resoundingly back to him. There’s something a little dark behind his eyes that makes thrill shoot through me to the core. “There are plenty of things I can teach you, 2.0. If you’re ready for it.”
I roll my eyes as Tori and Chelsey erupt into a fit of nervous giggles at his words. My eyes swing around the table one more time, but none of them are willing to make eye contact with me. I square my shoulders and start walking away. Why the hell does Jude have to be so back and forth with me? Friendly and accepting one minute and then back to making digs about me the next.
I stop short when a group of tittering freshman girls step between me and the door
to the quad. I fight to even out my frustrated breathing as they stand there laughing at absolutely fucking nothing. I’m not sure where it comes from, but I snap at them, “Get the hell out of my way!” One of the girls jerks around like she’s going to say something back to me, but stops short. I’m not sure if it’s deranged look on my face or the fact that I’m well on my way to being back at the top of the social ladder at Rosewood, but she laughs nervously and shoos the rest of the girls along.
Piper’s back, bitches, I think viciously as I push through the doors, scattering another group of idiot freshman as I go.
9
Piper
I crane my neck to search the cafeteria for The Thorns and The Roses. They’re usually at their table by now. I catch myself wondering for the thousandth time if they’re still upset with me about what happened earlier this week. In my defense, it was totally inappropriate for Jude to suggest the things he did about me and Macie—and to make me search something like that at school? I shudder. He’s so gross.
Thinking about Macie makes me pause. I crane my neck again, this time trying to catch a glance out the windows to see if she was waiting for me at our table in the quad. She texted earlier to tell me she wasn’t feeling well and might come in late, and asked me to find another ride to school. I ended up getting a ride from Tyler, who was both amused and annoyed when he rolled to a stop in front of my house. Things have been awkward with him ever since I asked that damn question in calculus.
Thanks, Jude.
Talk about hot and cold… Jude Alton was like a fucking iceberg in the middle of the desert. One day he’s pressing me against the lockers with a hand up my skirt and the next he can barely look me in the eyes. I knew walking away from him after our lunch confrontation would irk him, but I didn’t honestly expect him to give me the cold shoulder over it. Maybe you just need to let him get his hands a little further up your skirt.