by Amy Brown
The line moves quickly, unlike all my other schools. At one point, the redheaded guy passes me, and Jeremy is beside him. I’m uncertain if Jeremy remembers me, so I make no attempt to say hi. The red-haired guys gaze falls on me, and something flickers in his eyes. He says something to Jeremy, and Jeremy glances over.
“Hey, Charity.” Jeremy’s voice is husky, his light gaze intense.
Flattered he bothered to say hello, I smile. The red-haired guy is staring at me so intently, it’s unsettling. “Did you get your lunch?” I ask. The minute the words leave my mouth I realize what a stupid question it is. They’re holding trays filled with food, of course they got their lunch.
“You should be a detective,” the red-haired guy says.
Jeremy scowls at his friend. “Shut up, Travis.”
Travis looks annoyed. “Excuse me?”
Jeremy ignores his friend. “What are you gonna get?” he asks me.
Paula is unusually quiet. I can’t remember a time when she hasn’t been chattering, and yet right now she has nothing to say. She’s simply staring at Jeremy and Travis with a blank expression.
“Macaroni and cheese.” I smile at Paula, but all she can manage is a weak smile in return. Why is she acting so uptight around these two?
“Good choice.” Jeremy nods.
I scan his tray and see that he has what looks like pork chops, broccoli, and mashed potatoes. Definitely a step above macaroni and cheese. “This food looks so much better than my last school. We were lucky if they had napkins,” I say.
Travis snorts a laugh. “Really?”
Jeremy elbows him. “She’s joking, dummy.”
It makes me uneasy that Jeremy is defending me so much. Travis is probably gonna hate me, and he doesn’t even know me. Of course, he probably already hates me just because I’m a transfer student.
Travis scowls. “I see Mason, I’m gonna go join him.” He stomps off looking annoyed.
“Ignore him. He’s got no couth.” Jeremy smirks.
I don’t know any high school students who have couth. Most of them don’t even know what it is.
Paula clears her throat. “It’s our turn to order, Charity.”
Jeremy flicks his enigmatic gaze to her. “Yeah, I’ll see you around later.”
I smile. “Sure.” His eyes are so pretty, it’s hard to look away.
Once he’s gone, we place our orders, and then move down the counter to pick up our food and drinks. Paula is still very quiet, and I’m wondering what’s up with her. She started acting weird as soon as Travis and Jeremy came over.
As we walk toward her friends, I’m nervous. If they don’t like me, maybe Paula won’t be my friend anymore. I’m not used to having to worry about people liking me. I was mostly ignored in the past. Maybe Paula is so quiet all of a sudden because she’s worried her friends won’t like me either.
They all stand up as we approach. One of the guys is really good looking. I take a guess that’s probably Scott since he seems to have no shortage of girlfriends according to Paula. He’s the first one who smiles at me and holds out his hand.
“I’m Scott.” His smile is warm, self-assured.
“Hi. I’m Charity.” I set my tray down, so that I can shake his hand.
The girl with them is next. She smiles, and says shyly, “I’m Lisa.”
Next I meet Paul and then lastly, Gregory. Gregory doesn’t come off like most of the snobby kids I’ve run into at this school. It’s obvious he has money from his clothing and the gold watch on his wrist, but his manner is down to earth.
We all sit down and they laugh and talk to each other while I focus on my food. I’m so nervous my hands are shaking. I’m afraid if I try to take a mouthful of food it will end up in my lap. I appreciate that they give me space, they don’t immediately start asking me questions. After about ten minutes, I feel calmer. I’m brave enough to look up and address them.
“Thanks for letting me eat with you,” I say softly.
“Our pleasure,” Scott says, winking.
Lisa snorts. “Calm down, Casanova.”
Scott scowls. “I’m just being friendly.”
Everybody laughs and his scowl deepens.
I can’t help but smile. “Paula says you all belong to the EPG group?”
Gregory nods. “Somebody has to care about the earth.”
“Yeah, a lot of these kids have parents who are in oil. They don’t give a shit about the earth.” Paula sighs. “I don’t understand why they don’t look ahead to the fact that their own kids and grandchildren will be affected by what happens to the planet.”
“They think they’ll be fine because of their money,” grumbles Lisa. “But even their money will be unable to save them if they destroy earth.”
“I heard they want to drill for oil in the wetlands to the east.” Gregory shakes his head.
Scott bugs his eyes. “No way. You must be shitting me.”
“I wish,” Gregory says.
Lisa wrinkles her brow. “Wetlands are one of Texas’s most valuable natural treasures.”
“Don’t these greedy bastards understand wetlands provide flood protection?” Paul shakes his head. “Flooding’s a real problem these days.”
“I guess they feel safe up in their ivory towers,” I say gruffly.
They all look at me, and grin.
“I knew you’d fit in,” says Paula.
I laugh, feeling a little conspicuous with them staring at me. “When we first moved to Texas, the first thing I saw on TV was a show on tornadoes, and a documentary on the wetlands. It said Texas has lost more than half of its wetlands in the past 200 years. Is that true?”
“Unfortunately, yes. They’ve been drained, filled, and used as dumps.” Paula grimaces.
“You know who wants to drill in the wetlands, right?” Scott addresses me.
I frown. “No. Should I?”
“Your good buddy Mason. Well, I mean, his dad’s company. They’re the one filing for permission to drill.” Scott studies me as his words sink in.
My face warms. “Mason’s not my buddy.”
“I saw you at Smarties with him,” Lisa says softly.
“My English teacher made him share his book with me,” I mumble. “My books don’t come in until tomorrow. He was nice enough to go along with it, but I seriously doubt he considers me his friend.”
“Nice?” Paul snorts. “Him and his buddies aren’t really very nice.”
I feel oddly protective of Mason. I have no idea why. Perhaps because he actually has been nice to me. “Like I said, I really don’t know him that well.”
“Come on guys, I didn’t invite Charity to join us so that you could interrogate her.” Paula puts her arm around my shoulders.
I’m thankful of her protective gesture. They’re looking at me expectantly. Do they think I can convince Mason to ask his dad not to drill in the wetlands? I need to set them straight about that. “I’ve only known Mason two days. If you think I have sway over him, you’re wrong.”
“God no,” says Scott. “No one has sway over that guy.”
“He doesn’t give a shit about the wetlands, I’d bet money on that.” Gregory scowls.
“Yeah, he’s not someone who listens to logic. All his family cares about is money.” Lisa sniffs.
I’m surprised by how antagonistic they seem toward Mason. He seems likable enough, and the other students in the school treat him with respect. I meet Paula’s warm gaze, feeling confused, and she smiles.
“How about we talk about something else?” She says cheerfully.
Gregory shrugs. “Fine by me.”
“You should join the EPG club.” Scott smiles at me.
I grimace. “I’m not sure I have time. I really need good grades this semester.”
“We only meet once a week,” says Lisa. “If we promise not to give you a hard time for being friends with Mason, will you join?”
I’m not sure how many times I have to say I’m not Mason’s fr
iend. It doesn’t seem to be sinking in. “I’ll think about it,” I say quietly. I’m sure it’s a good group, and I like the idea of joining their club and saving the environment. We could bond over our hate of global warming. But I really am very focused on my grades. Will I have time for both?
Paula squeezes my shoulder. “You guys are making her look so stressed. Leave her alone.” She smiles at me. “You don’t have to join EPG. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do. You’re still welcome to eat lunch with us every day. Okay?”
Relieved she’s letting me off the hook, I nod. “It’s nice to think I don’t have to eat alone anymore.”
“No way.” Paula grins. “Once I set my sights on someone to be my friend, there’s no escape.”
I laugh because she doesn’t sound like she’s kidding. I’m glad, I could certainly use a friend. Mason’s handsome face comes to mind, but I push all thoughts of him away. He’s been nice to me, but Paula and her friends certainly don’t seem to like him, and they must have their reasons.
I decide that when I study with Mason this evening, I’ll keep my eyes peeled for any negative traits. Maybe I’ve been blind simply because he was the only person in school, other than Jeremy, who has been halfway nice to me.
I must remember that people can fool you with warm smiles and nice words.
Chapter Eight
Mason
“I guess I’m just not sure why you’re bothering to get to know her.” I attempt to sound nonchalant, so that Jeremy doesn’t get offended. But I really am mystified by why he’s trying to cultivate a relationship with Charity, when that was supposed to be my job.
“It doesn’t hurt to have a backup plan.” His stare is unblinking.
Irritation prickles me. “Why did you tell me to seduce her if you were going to do it all along?” It’s hard to understand exactly why I find it so annoying that Jeremy is sniffing around Charity. It’s not like she’s my girlfriend, she’s simply someone I’m trying to set up.
“Why do you care? This way, if you fail, I can swoop in and close the deal.”
“I’m not going to fail,” I say through gritted teeth.
He shrugs. “We can’t be too careful. Charity is smarter than some of these other girls.”
Travis snorts a laugh. “She also doesn’t seem that impressed with you, Mason.”
My face warms. “Bullshit. She’s responding just fine. A girl like her isn’t just going to fall into my bed in a day. She takes finessing. She’s more guarded than a lot of girls we’ve tricked.”
“Exactly.” Jeremy looks smug. “That’s why having a backup plan is a good idea.”
“But you’re undermining me.”
He laughs. “You can’t undermine someone unless there’s an opening or weakness.”
“I barely know her. I have to have time to work on her.” I scowl. “You have no idea how prickly she is.”
“She doesn’t seem that prickly with me. In fact, she seems taken with me. She gets all pink cheeked the minute I look at her. Maybe I should just take over the whole operation.”
I’m not prepared for the anger that jolts through me. “No way.”
“Why not?” he demands.
“Because I’ve put a lot of time and energy into her already. I should get the payoff, not you. All you did was help her up when she fell.”
He narrows his eyes. “Which is a lot more than you did for her when Sophia tripped her.”
“I wasn’t near her. Besides, I had no idea Sophia was gonna do anything.” Is he seriously acting like I should’ve been able to read Sophia’s mind?
“I didn’t know what Sophia was gonna do either. But, I saw an opportunity and I took it.” His light gaze is cool. “If you close the deal soon, obviously, I’ll back off and let you work your magic.”
“I just don’t get why you dragged me in to begin with.”
“Well.” He gives a sheepish laugh. “She’s way sexier than I realized when I gave her to you.”
Frustration eats at me. “Is that how it is now? You can just swoop in when you feel like it, and steal the girls away because you want to?” I glance over at Travis, and he looks uneasy. “Is that cool with you, Trav?”
He winces. “Not really.”
Jeremy gives me a pissy look. “Dude, I already said if you can close the deal, I’ll back off.”
Pretty sure he’s only saying that because Travis took my side. “You need to back off now. You’re making it harder by confusing her.”
“If she’s attracted to me, that’s not my fault.” Jeremy laughs.
I exhale. “You played the hero card, that gives you an advantage. I’m studying with her, which is boring. I’m doing the best I can, but she’s hard to connect with.”
Travis nods. “He has a point, Jeremy. It’s going to be hard for him to make progress with her if you keep interfering.”
“I’ve barely talked to her. He’s making a big stink about nothing.”
Travis grins suddenly. “Seriously? You were willing to piss off Sophia by defending her. I can’t remember the last time you stood up for a girl.”
Jeremy smirks. “What can I say? She has really nice boobs.”
I scowl. “Yeah she does. But you gave her to me. You had your chance, but you wanted to prove a point with me.”
“I just wanted to make sure you don’t think you’re better than us,” Jeremy says.
“Yeah. I know why you pushed her on me. Now let me do what I need to do without interference from you.” I’m not just annoyed that Jeremy is butting in, I’m also feeling territorial about Charity. Of course, I have no intention of telling Jeremy or Travis that. I’m not allowed to feel anything toward Charity. I’m just supposed to use her. Feelings aren’t actually meant to be a part of the equation.
“I’m with Mason on this,” Travis announces. “I say you completely back off from Charity, and let Mason have a few weeks on his own. If Mason can’t get the chick in bed by then, I say Jeremy has every right to step in.”
“Fine by me.” I meet Jeremy’s surly glance. “What do you say?”
Jeremy looks like he doesn’t want to agree. His jaw is clenched in his eyes hard and angry. He seems unusually stubborn about backing off. “Fine,” he snaps. “But if you can’t seal the deal in a few weeks, I’m fucking her.”
“Whatever.” My gut clenches with distaste. Why does it annoy me so much that he wants to get Charity into bed too? She’s so fucking sexy she has us butting heads like two horny rams. I don’t fight over girls, and neither does Jeremy, usually. We certainly don’t ever fight each other for the same girl.
“Good. Now that we have that solved, how about we play some damn Assassin’s Creed?” Travis grins. “Lover Boy has to go study with Charity at 6 p.m.”
Jeremy gives a stiff smile. “Sounds great.” He picks up one of the controllers, and I head into the kitchen to cool off.
Mom’s in the kitchen, pouring herself a glass of wine. I know for a fact she’s already had three glasses, and she slurs when she speaks. “Hey, honey, you boys having fun?”
Fun? So far, no, I’m not having any fun. I’m pissed off at Jeremy for playing games with Charity, and I’m starving, which makes me grumpy. I grab a big bag of Doritos off of the top of the fridge. “We’re having an awesome time,” I lie. Hopefully I don’t sound as irritable as I feel.
She slurps her Cabernet, watching me over the rim of the glass. I keep hoping she’ll slow down the drinking, but I guess her loneliness is too much to handle sober.
“I won’t be home for dinner,” I say, shoving some of the Doritos in my mouth.
Her lips droop. “I thought maybe you’d be home tonight because your friends are over.”
“I have to go study with the new girl I was telling you about.” I lick salt off of my fingers, and she frowns.
“You know we have napkins, right?” She arches one perfect brow.
I laugh, and grab a paper towel. I rub my fingers clean, and study he
r. It’s funny how someone can look so perfect on the outside, and be so shattered on the inside. She doesn’t have a hair out of place, and her makeup is perfection, but emotionally, she’s a mess. I hate that she’s sad, but I don’t know how to fix it for her. Dad won’t stay home. He’s a workaholic, and so she’s lonely.
“I’d study here, but Charity isn’t sure she wants to do that. She prefers meeting at the coffeehouse.”
“Why?” She frowns.
“She doesn’t know me very well yet.”
“Oh.” She sighs. “Too bad.”
“So, you wouldn’t mind if I bring her here? I mean, once she’s comfortable?”
She shakes her head. “Not at all.”
“Okay. Maybe I can talk her into it eventually.”
She leans on the granite counter. “She has a very unique name.”
I smile. “She’s a unique girl.”
“Are you interested in her?” A little smile plays around her lips. “Some of the girls you bring home are a trip.”
I know that’s code for she doesn’t like them. I don’t blame her. I don’t like half the girls I bring here either. They’re just someone to have sex with. “We’re just study partners.”
“Oh, you always say that. Then, I find their underwear on your bedroom floor in the morning.” She laughs. “I guess boys will be boys.”
I grimace, feeling embarrassed. I know my mom is aware I’m sexually active, but I didn’t realize she knew I had sex at home. She’s usually passed out in her room by nine. Or so I thought. Apparently she’s more alert than I realized.
“I sure hope you’re being careful. Your father would blow a gasket if you got some girl pregnant.” She refills her wine glass.
I have to clamp my teeth to stop myself from telling her to slow down. I’ve tried that before, and it never goes well. Especially once she’s already drunk. “I’m always careful.” I move to the fridge, and grab three cans of soda. “Gotta go back to Travis and Jeremy now.”
“Of course.” She lifts her wine glass, and some of the burgundy liquid splashes onto the granite counter. “Oops.” She snorts a laugh.
I leave the kitchen, feeling sorry for her. A lot of the wives in her circle of friends have workaholic husband’s too. Most of them aren’t drunks though. I’m not sure why some women can handle having a distant husband, and some can’t. Mom definitely can’t.