Tangled Minds (Society of Exalted Minds Book 1)

by A. M. Mahler

  When we got to her classroom, I pulled her out of the traffic lane along the lockers. I shook her backpack off my shoulder and handed it to her. Instead of yanking her into my chest and devouring her mouth like I wanted, I leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her forehead. I was sensitive to her feelings, but I also really needed to touch her. I needed that physical contact just as much as the mental one.

  She gave me a lazy smile in return, and I knew without popping into her head that she was fine with my show of affection. I looked over her shoulder when I left her in the doorway and there was Chloe staring daggers at Olivia—not me, mind you—Olivia. That pissed me off. Yeah, okay, I was supposed to be Chloe’s date to the prom. Obviously, that was something I was going to have to fix now, but that date did not make us a relationship. I admit that I should have called Chloe before I showed up at school with Olivia. Although I had been a little preoccupied, with, oh, finding my fellow telepath’s identity, solidifying our true love, and getting a quick debrief in why our lives were in danger. So, yeah, prom? Not high on the priority list.

  “There are some seriously not happy thoughts coming from that direction.” Olivia popped into my head.

  Sorry about that, baby. I’ll deal with it.

  She winced a bit, but went to take her seat, which was, thankfully, a few rows over and behind Chloe.

  Chicks.

  Olivia

  Ugh. The very last thing I needed was to deal with a jealous and bitchy Chloe. She saw Jagger as hers since he had said yes to the prom, but Jagger had never thought of it as more than just two people going to a dance together. In Chloe’s defense, she didn’t know she was already encroaching on my guy since I wouldn’t let Jagger be my guy. Though he was already spoken for, even if the girls of Alpine Valley High School had no idea.

  I feel like all of that was justified in my head.

  Chloe’s death glare followed me all the way to my seat despite the fact that she had to turn around in her chair to do it. She wanted to be obvious and stake her claim on Jagger. She wanted the whole class to know it, too.

  I didn’t want this attention. This was exactly what I knew would happen if Jagger ever found out who I really was. This was sure to hit social media. The good news was, I was not on social media, so I couldn’t be tagged or anything like that. Though Jagger was. According to him, he wasn’t very active, but he was on there.

  It was obvious that Chloe would not stop looking at me until I engaged her, and those that were already in the class were enthralled with watching the show. With a heavy sigh, I lifted my head and met her glare. The mean thoughts invading my mind were as hurtful as her fists would be if she were pummeling my body. I didn’t flinch though. If there was one thing I had perfected over the years, it was not showing an outward reaction to anything I heard in someone else’s mind.

  I cocked my head and arched a brow at her. She was going to be the one that looked like a jerk here, not me.

  “Jagger is mine.” She hissed. All conversation around us died. Everyone was now looking for my reaction. Word had spread like fire that morning when Jagger and I arrived at school together, and he was trailing me around like some sort of puppy. People were split in their theories. Either he was just going out with me because he lost a bet, or I had already put out. God forbid he actually find me interesting and have real feelings for me.

  “He agreed to go to the prom with you, not to a relationship.” I reminded her. “You’re not dating. And nobody controls Jagger. I didn’t want all this attention. If you were under a different impression of what the prom meant or didn’t mean, you’ll have to take it up with him.”

  My pulse was racing, and I could feel my face starting to heat. As a rule, I didn’t confront people. I always stayed under the radar. This whole situation made me uncomfortable, but that didn’t mean I wouldn’t fight back. Just because I was quiet and didn’t like to rock the boat, didn’t make me someone’s punching bag—metaphorically or otherwise.

  Chloe leaned toward me and her eyes turned into slits. “I will wreck you.” She promised.

  “You were a nobody before he gave you his attention, and you’ll be less than that when I’m done with you.”

  I crossed my arms over my chest and shrugged like she was completely insignificant to me, which was mostly the truth. In the grand scheme of my life and what was ahead of me, Chloe Michaels wasn’t even a blip on my radar. “You’re welcome to try.”

  You could hear a pin drop in the classroom for a whole heartbeat before other kids started furiously typing on their phones. It should be reaching Jagger in Physics in three, two ...

  “What the hell? That bitch! She threatened you? I’ll set her straight, baby, she won’t get away with that.”

  To think, those messages had to travel to outer space first before they hit phones in Jagger’s classroom, and someone told him what had happened.

  Brett slid through the door just as the bell rang and right before the teacher. “Hey, Olivia.” He said, right before he dropped down into his seat next to me. Great. He never talked to me. Occasionally, he would give me a half smile to be kind of polite, but this was getting worse and worse. I didn’t want to be indoctrinated into the clique. “Whoa.” He said, sensing the tension in the room. “What did I miss?”

  I shook my head and stared ahead. Brett and I weren’t friends or buddies. He may have a crush on Stacey right now, but that had nothing to do with me. He was ecstatic when he saw Jagger sitting with us in the cafeteria. Maybe he thought it granted him permission to talk to Stacey and be near her outside of art class. I had to wonder how much he really liked her though if he would only talk to her once he thought it was condoned by his crowd. If he was really into her, he wouldn’t have cared.

  Then again, maybe he was trying to avoid the kind of shit show with her that I was currently embroiled in. Now that would make him a pretty standup guy.

  We were studying World War II, and the teacher, feeling lazy, decided it was movie week. Today we were starting to watch Saving Private Ryan. I had no idea how she had gotten this movie approved on the curriculum. The first forty minutes of the film were the allies having the fires of hell rained down on them. The whole movie was gory as far as I was concerned. Despite that people were excited about not having to do any actual work, and I could get on board with that. I liked having less homework and reading as much as the next ordinary teenager.

  Once the movie was on, Brett pounced. I knew it was coming, and there really was no way to avoid it without looking like a total bitch, which I wasn’t—nasty encounter with Chloe notwithstanding.

  “So, Olivia,” he whispered. He was a soft-spoken person, so I knew there was little chance he’d be heard over the sound of the movie. “Is Stacey seeing anyone?”

  I shook my head.

  “Like not at all?” He asked. “Not even someone casually. No friends with benefits or anything?”

  I snapped my head to look at him, and he could see that last question annoyed me. “She’s not that type of girl, Brett.” I hissed. “Also, if that’s all you’re looking for, I suggest you drive on thru.”

  His eyes widened and he shook his head frantically. In this case, I dipped inside his head to make sure he wasn’t lying to me. “That’s not what I want.” He said, quickly. “I just want to get to know her. We talk sometimes in art, and she seems really cool.” I couldn’t see that he had any ulterior motives, but then again, I could only see what was passing through his head while I was in there. I got enough of his shock though to back out of his head and feel comfortable that his intentions were mostly honorable. I mean, he was a teenage guy, after all.

  “Let me ask you this,” I said, turning to him after a quick glance to make sure the teacher was absorbed in her computer and not paying attention to us. “You’ve been in art class with her all year, why ask her out now when the school year is ending, and everyone is going away to college?” He had the good grace to look embarrassed. He shrugged and looked down. “You o
nly showed interest when you saw Jagger with me.”

  “What’s up with you two, anyway?” He countered, attempting to take the heat off himself. His deflection didn’t work though.

  “We’re talking about you and Stacey right now.” I said. “Jagger and I are just getting to know each other.”

  “Oh ... oh, that’s a good one.” Speak of the devil, and he shall appear. “If you say next that we’re not anything serious, be ready at the end of this class for me to show you and the rest of the school just how serious I am about you.”

  I didn’t answer Jagger. I wasn’t interested in some big public display of affection, and I knew he would deliver on his threat. Though kissing Jagger wasn’t really what I considered a punishment.

  “Listen, I know how it looks.” Brett said. “And I’d like to say you were wrong, but Jagger kind of made it okay. The guys aren’t going to give Jagger shit over you, but I’m not him. I haven’t hit god status here.”

  “If you aren’t strong enough to protect Stacey from your friends, Brett, you don’t deserve her.”

  “I am.” He insisted.

  “Stacey is shy. She’s introverted and passionate about her art. She’s not interested in dances, games, parties, drinking out in the woods or whatever it is you and your friends do. Forcing her to do those things will destroy her.” Just like it would me. Now I was hoping Jagger was listening. “But the problem you’ll face is, if you don’t take her around your friends, she’d think you’re embarrassed by her and that she’s not good enough for you.” She already did think that. “So, you need to ask yourself how far you’re willing to go up against your friends to defend her. Then based on that answer, you’ll know whether you should ask her out or not.”

  He stopped bugging me about Stacey after that. I know I’d given him something to think about and it made me wonder, too. How far would Jagger go? If he really started getting pushback over our relationship, would he stand his ground or agree with me that we shouldn’t draw attention to ourselves?

  This was the last class of the day, and I was so tired of listening to war on the TV. Other times, if I were bored in class, I’d jump into Jagger’s head and let him entertain me, but he was in Physics, and that was hard. He needed to pay attention in there.

  When the bell finally rang, I shot out of my seat and was out the door like a rocket. The last thing I wanted was for Chloe to be waiting in the hall for me. Only now, she probably thought I ran because I was afraid of her.

  “Whoa!” Came Jagger’s voice behind me, and he raced to catch up. “Are you okay? Did something else happen?” He caught my elbow and pulled me out of the ebb and flow of traffic. All around us, kids were opening and slamming lockers, getting and leaving stuff behind to catch a bus or a ride with their friends. Some freshmen stood nearby waiting to get into the lockers we were blocking, but they wouldn’t dare ask Jagger to move.

  There were rules about that kind of thing, and new students learned them early on when they arrived.

  Rule number one, you did not speak to anyone in the clique unless they spoke to you first.

  Rule number two, you did not look upon anyone in the clique unless given permission first.

  Rule number three, do not make eye contact.

  Rule number four, do not under any circumstances touch a member of the clique unless given permission.

  It was so stupid, but those were the social rules of the Alpine Valley High School caste system.

  I heard Chloe’s thoughts before she arrived at our side. All the players were identified, and the stage was set. Here we go.

  “Jagger.” Her voice dripped sugar and sounded almost breathy. Was she trying to sound seductive? She ran her hand up his bicep and I resisted the urge to swat it away like a bothersome fly. I said nothing though. In her defense, she was crushing on him pretty hard and he was going to let her down—gently, I hoped. Since she was also dramatic, it was going to happen in the freshmen hallway that was getting more and more crowded.

  “Chloe, you know Olivia, right?” Jagger asked. I closed my eyes and shook my head. He was clueless.

  Jagger, you don’t introduce her to the person that’s just become her number one rival. You have to be delicate here.

  “She wants to ruin your life.”

  I have you, that’s not going to happen.

  “Listen,” Jagger started again. “About the prom.”

  “Yes,” Chloe said. She tried moving to stand between Jagger and me, but it didn’t work. He curled his arm around my shoulder and pulled me into his side. Chloe seethed.

  “I know I said I’d go with you, but things kind of changed.” He said. “Olivia and I are a couple now, and it wouldn’t be right. I know we were going just as friends, but I feel like that wouldn’t be fair to you.”

  Meh, I guess that was diplomatic enough.

  “Wait a minute.” Chloe said, holding up her hand. “Are you breaking up with me? For her?”

  “Chloe, we weren’t together.” Jagger said. “It was just the prom. There wasn’t going to be a second date.”

  Danger! Danger! You’re going down, Jag! Bail out! Bail out!

  “How do you even know her? She’s nobody!” Chloe screeched.

  Okay. That was just stupid on her part. There had been nobody new to our class in seven years and this was a small town. We’ve all literally known each other since we were five years old.

  Jagger’s tone dropped low. We were the only three that could hear his words now. “Olivia is my everything, Chloe. And you better remember that. If I hear you’ve said one nasty thing about her, just one, I will wreck you. Do you understand? You will be toxic. We weren’t together and we weren’t going to be either. You know that. There’s no way for you to look like the victim here. Do everybody a favor and choose wisely. Please.”

  She debated. God love her, but she debated whether or not she would call his bluff. The glare in his eyes and steel set of his jaw told her not to try it.

  “You, Jagger DeWinter,” she hissed at him. “Are an asshole and a player.”

  “I’m fine with you shouting that from the rooftops if you want, just so long as you don’t say one word about Olivia. She’s done nothing to you, Chloe. And I better not find out that you’ve encouraged any badmouthing either. Accept those terms, and you can remain queen of the fiefdom.”

  She spun on her heel and stomped off. I turned to Jagger with an exasperated look on my face. “Really?” I asked.

  “She was getting dramatic,” he shrugged. Then he slid his hand over my hip and pulled me in closer. I couldn’t help it, I leaned in and encouraged him. I know I didn’t want any PDAs, but dammit, the way he just defended me was H-O-T. “I had to come out strong. You are not to be fucked with. Anyone who tries will be vaporized.”

  I rolled my eyes, but then he kissed me, and all I could think about was him. The sounds of the busy hallway fell away. I wasn’t even aware of the three freshmen still trying to get into their lockers anymore. Jagger DeWinter was kissing me in the middle of school. While it spelled disaster for keeping a low profile, I would be lying if I said it hadn’t always been a fantasy of mine. Any time I’d heard he made some girl’s “Hottest Guy in School” list, caught a glimpse of his picture from the newspaper in some girl’s locker, saw the googly eyes given as he walked by, I wanted to snap my fingers and bring him to heel.

  I would never do it, of course. I wouldn’t ever treat him like an object. He was a person. The person for me. And I would always give him the same respect he gave me.

  He was smiling when he pulled away. Lifting my bag from my hand, he linked his fingers with mine and we headed toward the locker room for baseball practice.

  “You’ll sit in the bleachers, right?”

  “I’ll wait in the art room.”

  He stopped walking and looked at me ... Dammit, sad eyes. The guilt he could summon was on point. “Please?” He asked. “I always wanted to look up and see you there. It means a lot.” I sighed heavily. “
Fine. I’ll go sit with the other hussies, who will probably all be talking about today’s floor show.”

  “I’ll put your bag in my car and be out in a little bit.” He kissed me again, bringing his hand up to my face and stroking my cheek with his thumb. His touch made me lightheaded and I felt like I was floating six inches off the ground. When my feet made contact with the floor again, I opened my eyes and realized I really had been floating. Jagger had lifted me up like I weighed nothing at all.

  With one last kiss to my forehead, he disappeared into the locker room, and I headed out toward the fields.

  AS I WALKED to the field, there was a spring in my step that I fought like hell to contain, but it didn’t work. Dammit, I was giddy. Jagger kissed me, and I’d kissed him back; it was everything. Of all the girls in the school, I was the one Jagger wanted to kiss. It put a bit of a swagger in my step, despite the fact that I already knew I was the one he wanted.

  What would he have done, I wondered, if I was ugly? I mean, really ugly like my eyes were too close together, my nose was too big, my cheekbones were too high, and I had the worst case of acne the world had ever seen? Would he have wanted to kiss me then? I had to come down on the side of yes. We were deeper than that.

  Just as I reached the baseball field, chaos ensued. Panic slammed into my mind and people’s thoughts were coming at light speed. Chloe had plowed into Jagger with her car. Whether on accident or not, I didn’t know, but it was her.

  I let out a scream of my own and turned in the opposite direction. I tried scanning his body. Where was he hurt? How bad? I couldn’t find him—couldn’t find his link. I blocked out everyone else to just focus on Jagger, but he wasn’t there. There was only silence.

  He was gone.

  I lost Jagger.

  Jagger

  I heard voices around me as I began to swim up from the depths of unconsciousness. Chloe was crying over me blabbering about not being able to see me. Are you kidding me? Chloe had hit me with her car after I broke our date? What are the odds of that?