by Hart, Rebel
Then I gave him a knowing smile. “For the record, I’m never going to forget that you leapt to defend Allison’s honor instead of mine.”
Michael’s eyes widened. “Rae, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean t—”
I shook my head. “It’s fine, Michael. It’s all right. I know you like her.”
He paused. “Is it that obvious?”
“Oh, yeah. Very. But she’s doing a good job hiding the fact that she likes that you went to bat for her. Against Clint, of all people.”
“You don’t think she’s upset with me?”
“Did you see the way she let you take her hand? The way she let you usher her into her own house? Come on, Michael. You’re not that dumb.”
He hissed. “That hurt. Ah.”
I shrugged. “Don’t go up against Clint again and it won’t hurt.”
“I’d do it again in a heartbeat for her, though.”
I nodded. “I know you would. Just know I see things you don’t. She feels the same way. But you know how Allison is.”
“She’s perfect the way she is.”
His words warmed my heart. “Bravo to you, by the way.”
“For what?”
I winked. “For taking on hell itself to defend your woman. We like those kinds of gestures.”
10
Clinton
I sat there during after-school detention, wrapping yet another cold washcloth around my fucking split knuckles. They hurt like hell, but they didn’t hurt as much as my pride. I wanted to beat that fucker into the ground. I wanted to split his damn face open and let people see Michael for the hoity-toity bullshit of a human being he really was. I licked my lips as I gazed out the window. My entire body hurt, if I was being honest. He put up a damn good fight, though I’d never admit it to anyone.
But Rae? She fucking threw me off him like it was nothing.
Why are you still thinking about her?
The question was a good one. And one that overtook my mind as I sat there after school in the dank, sweaty, smelly classroom. I dabbed at my knuckles, which had been bleeding on and off all day. The school nurse literally did the bare minimum needed to get me cleaned up before sending me back to class. She couldn't have given less of a shit about me if she’d actively tried. Then again, she’d cleaned up a lot of my messes over the years.
She was probably just as tired of me as I was of her.
Why the hell was Rae on my mind so much lately? I mean, she was a pain in the ass. Nothing more than that, either. She came from a shitty family. From a shitty part of town. She was nothing more than mere entertainment during these boring-ass school days. And her snark made me want to spit in her general direction. Her snarky remarks every time I said something to her got underneath my skin.
Who the hell did she think she was anyway?
While she might be the only chick in this school who didn’t turn red in the cheeks and get all tongue-tied around me, that didn’t make her special. It only made me work harder to make sure she understood she really wasn’t all that different after all. She wasn’t as strong as she thought she was. She wasn’t as ‘neat-o’ as her mother probably told her she was. In the end, she was exactly like us. Exactly like the rich bitches she snubbed her nose at every time she walked into the damn school.
I mean, we even let her walk into this school. With her ratty clothes and her on-time homework and her hard-earned money for lunch. Did she think she was better than us? Because that wasn’t the truth. Not by a longshot. She should’ve been praising us for letting her walk through those doors. She should’ve been thanking her lucky stars she didn’t get it any worse around here, coming from the part of town she did.
The fuck’s her problem?
I scoffed as I sat back in my chair. I was done wondering about her. I was done with the unanswered questions I had regarding this stupid little girl. By the time this semester was over, I’d know what her deal was. I’d know what made her tick. I’d know why she felt she could waltz around here, buck up to me, and pull me out of my own damn fights.
You fucked up this time, povo.
“Mr. Clarke?”
The teacher’s voice pulled me from my trance and I slowly looked over at him.
“Yep?”
“The nurse wants to see you one last time. Then you’re free to go.”
I snickered. “She miss me already?”
The teacher rolled his eyes. “Keep up that attitude and I’ll make you stay here another hour for shits and giggles.”
“Ah, cursing. Such a bigshot move.”
He glared at me as I stood up. I picked up my things and winked at him, then headed out the door. I unwrapped my knuckles and tossed the bloodied rag into the nearest trash can, then headed for the front doors. I sure as hell wasn’t seeing that fat-ass nurse again, nor was I going to walk anywhere near the principal’s office.
Because I had plans for my weekend.
“Not so fast, Clint.”
I paused just beyond the front doors as I held them open. The nurse’s voice caught me off-guard, and I sighed as I closed my eyes. I turned around, watching as she beckoned for me to come inside. I snickered as I moved toward her, watching her point to the front office door.
“My office. Now.”
I rolled my eyes as she took my backpack off my arm. I sauntered through the door, puffing my chest out for the receptionist still at the desk. She shook her head at me, but all it did was make me grin. If these people thought they could put a damper on my parade, they had another thing coming. I had plans with Roy this weekend. There was a massive party I was going to, whether they liked it or not.
But when I rounded the corner into the nurse’s office, I groaned.
“Seriously?” I asked.
The nurse closed the door behind us. “Seriously. Sit.”
“I’m fine, Mrs. Abernathy.”
“Get up there, or I’m calling your father to come down here and deal with you his way.”
“Pretty sure he’s on a plane somewhere else.”
She snickered. “And I’m sure telling him his son has a possible concussion would get him to turn around in a heartbeat.”
I hopped up onto the paper-covered seat and the nurse began her evaluation. She shined lights in my eyes and made me open my mouth. She checked my knuckles before covering them in this goopy substance. She wrapped them up with gauze and poked around in places an overweight married woman shouldn't have been touching on a high school student. She felt along my ribcage and squeezed my shoulders. She shoved some sort of wooden implement down my throat, causing me to gag. I smacked her hand away, watching as she leveled her eyes with me.
Then she slid her fingertips around my neck. Causing me to wince.
“And there it is,” she said.
I paused. “What?”
She sighed. “Well, you don’t have a concussion. But you’ve given yourself whiplash.”
“How the fuck did I get—”
“Language.”
I rolled my eyes. “How does one get whiplash without a car accident?”
“Whiplash is just a term for when the neck snaps back and forth too quickly. I guess when you were pushed over your bike this morning, you tensed. Right?”
I shrugged. “So?”
“When you tense, it makes it worse. You have whiplash, which means you’ll have to take it easy. No riding fast. No more fights. Because if you injure your neck further, you’ll be in the hospital with an actual concussion.”
“Sounds better than this place.”
She sighed. “All you need to do is keep it in line this year. Then you can graduate and go fight other adults on your own time. But, so long as you’re fighting on this campus you’re my responsibility.”
I chuckled. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say it sounds like you care, Mrs. Abernathy.”
“You make it hard to care, Clint. But I do.”
Her words disarmed me, and the only thing I could do was laugh. I brushed of
f her comment as I slipped off the paper-covered table or whatever the hell I was on. But her words stuck with me as I grabbed my backpack.
“Not too fast on that bike, Clarke!”
I grinned. “I’ll go as slow as possible. Promise!”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah.”
I finally made it out of the school and walked over to my bike. Seeing how scratched up it had become made me seethe all over again. That fucker had no right to throw me over my bike. He had no right to ruin the paint job that took me painstaking hours over the summer to perfect. I grumbled to myself as I shoved my backpack into the compartment on the back of my bike. I slipped my helmet over my head, wincing as it clamped down around my neck. I’d have to watch that. Because it definitely didn’t feel pretty.
And as I tossed my leg over my bike, I saw Mrs. Abernathy standing at the front doors of the school.
Really?
I shook my head as I cranked up my bike. I put on a nice show for her, inching my way out of there as slowly as I could. Going the speed limit, and nothing more than that. But once the school was out of view, I cranked it up. I blazed a trail down the main stretch of our little slice of Riverbend, weaving my way through town. I pulled over for a snack, running my ass through my favorite fast food place, then pulled over to eat. I took a long bike ride, trying to clear my thoughts. Trying to prepare myself for the bomb-ass pool party that didn’t start until tonight.
Courtesy of Marina’s parents’ empty house.
After stuffing my face full of greasy food, I cranked up my bike. I sped back to my place, charging through the front doors of my empty house. I snickered as I turned on lights. A massive mansion my father owned, and I was the only one that occupied it on a regular basis. While he and my fake-titted stepmother were jetting off to beautiful places, I was here. Being parented over Skype and only seeing them whenever I really got my ass into trouble.
Not like I give a shit about them, either.
After changing into my swimsuit, I pulled my jeans back over my legs. I grabbed my stuff for the night, including a towel, then made my way back out to my bike. I sped over to Marina’s place, where Roy stood out front to greet me. I parked my bike in the driveway, inching it off to the side. Because I sure as hell wasn’t keeping it on the road after the scrapes and bumps it had taken that morning.
Fucking Michael.
“Figured you could use a drink.”
I smiled at Roy. “Please tell me that’s—”
“Jungle juice? Hell yeah, it is. You know Marina makes the good stuff.”
I hung up my helmet and grabbed my towel. Taking the drink from Roy’s hand, I sloshed it back. I mean, I chugged it down. I felt the alcohol working its way through my veins as girls giggled off in the distance and water splashed around the corners of the house. I clapped Roy’s hand, bringing him in for a shoulder tap before we made our way around the house. I handed my empty glass off to a girl by the jugs of jungle juice, flashing her a devious smile. One well-timed smile and the silent promise of a kiss goodnight and my drink was full as the line continued to grow beside me.
I winked. “Thanks, hot stuff. Love the suit, by the way.”
She giggled. “Thanks, Clint.”
Roy held out his arms. “Welcome to the party. I think it’s the biggest one yet.”
I grinned. “Which means the girls are in their smallest bikinis yet.”
“Hell yeah, they are.”
“Good. Now, where’s that damn hot tub?”
Roy pointed, and I saw a gaggle of beautiful girls in it. Their string bikinis barely clung to their bodies as I made my way over. I tossed my towel off to the side, chugging back my second drink before ridding myself of my clothes. I felt their eyes on me, gazing over my muscles and marveling at my tall form. Ladies love the tall ones, and I was the tallest guy out of all these fuckers at this party.
Which gave me a very unfair advantage.
“Ready to make way, ladies?” I asked.
They all giggled as I stepped into the tub, sinking into the hot water. Bubbles raged around us as I swam between a couple of them, allowing my arms to settle on the outside rim. A beautifully-tanned girl swam over, sitting directly onto my lap. And as she wrapped her arms around my neck, I tried my best not to wince.
“I heard you were in a fight this morning,” she purred. “Are you okay, Clint?”
I grinned. “A few bumps and bruises. But you should see the other guy.”
“Is there anything I can do?”
I smiled. “Why don't you kiss me and make it all better, beautiful?”
And the pain in my neck quickly dissipated as her pillowy soft lips inched closer to mine.
11
Raelynn
“Are you sure you have to cancel? I mean, I’m sure Dad’s work will understand.”
Michael and I sat on the couch, listening as Allison bartered with her parents. We looked at one another with knowing looks. Our weekend was about to be flushed down the toilet.
“I get it. I understand. No, no, no, I’m not disappointed. I just know how much you were looking forward to this. Are you okay?”
I sighed as I pushed myself off the couch. I gathered up the snacks Allison had handed to me earlier and pressed them into my backpack. No use sitting on the couch if we had to get out of here before her parents got back.
“An hour out? Gotcha. Want me to order a pizza or something? I know that always makes you feel better.”
Michael grumbled. “Better get a move on.”
The two of us began packing ourselves up as Allison hung up the call. She came back into the room with a sorrowful look on her face. I held up my hand. I didn’t want her feeling bad for this. It wasn’t her fault. I mean, her mother was a stay-at-home mom, sure. But her father owned his own business. A few of them, in fact. And that always made for a very volatile schedule. This wasn’t the first weekend extravaganza his work had impeded, and it wouldn't be the last.
Allison sighed. “Well, I guess this is as good a time as any to tell you guys.”
I paused. “What do you mean?”
She shrugged. “I was hoping to celebrate this weekend. But since my parents are on their way back from the airport…”
Michael paused. “You got in somewhere, didn’t you?”
Allison smiled softly. “I got into UCLA. My first pick. I just got the acceptance letter a couple days ago. I’m officially in their architecture program.”
“Oh. My. Gosh!”
I squealed with delight as I rushed toward my best friend. I picked her up, swinging her around as laughter fell from her lips. Michael pulled her away from me and hugged her close. The two of them shared a long embrace as I watched, smiling from ear to ear. I walked up behind Allison and rubbed her back. Michael tucked her head underneath his chin while he held her close.
And for a split second, I was jealous of the relationship blooming between them.
Michael murmured. “I’m so proud of you.”
I smiled. “So am I, Allison. Really.”
She sighed. “That really takes a load off my shoulders, you know?”
“So what does that mean for your senior year? Can you coast it now?”
He chuckled. “She’ll have to submit her final report cards at the end of every semester. Just to make sure she keeps her grades up.”
“Well, that’s bullshit.”
Allison giggled. “I’m just so glad I got in, you know? I didn't want to leave California in order to study, and now I don’t have to.”
“Which means we can see each other all we want.”
She turned around, facing me. “Exactly.”
I embraced her again, hugging her close and swinging her from side to side. Michael wrapped his arms around both of us, trying to get back in on the action. I looked up at him, giving him a knowing wink. And after he was done blushing furiously, we all stepped away from one another.
“Ice cream. Sunday afternoon. That’s what we’ll do to celebrate,” I
said.
Michael nodded. “And it’s on me.”
Allison rolled her eyes. “Not everything has to be on you.”
Michael scoffed. “Why don’t you two let me spoil you every now and again? I don’t get it.”
I laughed. “Because you’re always doing it.”
He rolled his eyes. “Fine. But I’m picking you up. Be ready by three? That sound good?”
And after Allison and I nodded, the three of us headed upstairs.
It was almost painful, walking away from our planned weekend. But I understood why we had to do it. I walked myself home, watching the sun set over the horizon as the smell of garbage and darkness filled my nostrils. I thought back on the conversation I’d had with my mother this morning. Maybe this would be a good time for our girls’ night in. I mean, with it being so last-minute and all that, she wouldn't have enough time to invite her bullshit boyfriend over.
Or so I thought.
“Hey, Mom. You here?”
She poked her head down the stairs. “Rae? I thought you were at Allison’s for the weekend.”
I set my bag down. “Her parents’ spa retreat or whatever had to be canceled because of her father’s work. So I’m home.”
“Oh, that’s nice.”
“Want to do our girls’ night tonight? I’ve even got some snacks in my bag. Some chips, some cookies. There’s a sandwich or two, too.”
Instead of seeing my mother smile, I saw her wince.
“What?” I asked.
She sighed. “I didn't think you were going to be home until Sunday. So I invited D.J. over for the night.”
“Ah.”
“I’m sorry, honey. It’s just that—”
I waved it off. “It’s fine. Don’t worry about it. It was a last-minute thing anyway.”