by Maya Nicole
I was getting my notebook and pen out when I heard Aiden gasp, and I turned my head toward him. "What?"
"Blake Huron just walked in and is headed straight for the seat next to you," he said under his breath.
Blake had never been in any of our classes. It wasn't that he wasn't capable of handling honors and AP classes, but he was rumored to pay other students to do his work for him.
I sat back in my chair and our eyes met as he walked down the row. He had a cocky grin on his face and his dark brown eyes sparkled. Out of the three Tritons, he was the most approachable.
He dropped the blue binder he had picked out at the office supply store on the desk and slid into the seat next to me. He moved it over so his knee touched mine. I scrunched my nose and moved my desk an inch.
He laughed. "Imagine my surprise seeing we have English together." He angled his body toward mine and I sat up straighter. I didn't know what the hell was going on.
If my stomach kept seizing up like it was, I was going to end up with an ulcer. Why were they all of a sudden taking interest in me? It couldn't be a coincidence that first Jax had approached me and now Blake.
Was it because of my father? Were they curious to get firsthand information from his daughter? They had to know I had nothing to do with him.
"Back off, Huron." Aiden leaned forward and pinned him with a glare. "Our kind don't put up with your bullshit in our classes."
"Your kind?" He flinched. "You of all people should know the harm of those words."
Aiden flinched. "I didn't mean it like that. I meant in advanced classes we are focused and drama free."
Blake moved his desk a few inches from mine. "We'll see about that. It seems you don't know your classmates very well."
Class started, and all I felt was Blake's eyes burning into the side of my head. I tried to concentrate on the expectations for the semester, but it was nearly impossible with his proximity and gaze.
Why wasn't the teacher asking him to move his desk back to the row?
"Since this is your senior year and most of you will be attending college next fall, we will start to focus on some of the skills you will need to successfully make the transition. Starting with a study group." I was a few sentences behind processing what she was saying. "You will be placed in small groups and meet two times a month to work on your assignments and get support from each other."
I internally groaned. I didn't mind group work with certain people, but even in advanced classes there were a few that just coasted along not caring about their grades. They made more work for the rest of us.
"I know you might not feel like you need it, but next year, you might find you need to work with others to continue your success. It's a whole other world filled with distractions, and a study group will help you stay on track." She then pointed around to make groups of four.
"Did you hear that, Kline?" A shiver ran down my spine as Blake leaned over and whispered in my ear. "We're going to be study buddies."
"Mr. Huron." Mrs. Williams' voice held a warning. "Is there something you'd like to share with the class?"
I did an inner squeal of delight at him being called out for talking. I was a senior, but there was still joy to be had over the class disruption getting put in their place.
"Mrs. Williams, I was answering Riley's question."
No. Hell no, he wasn't about to make up something to get me in trouble. What grade were we in?
"And what is that?" She crossed her arms over her chest and looked between me and Blake. Mrs. Williams might have been a newer teacher on the staff, but she was one of the best.
"I can't repeat it. It was grossly inappropriate, and probably sexual harassment." He sounded so sincere that even I believed I had been inappropriate.
A few students in the class giggled, and Mrs. Williams narrowed her eyes at Blake. "And you expect me to believe that?"
I had never had Mrs. Williams as a teacher before, but I assumed most teachers had knowledge of the top students.
Disruptions in advanced classes weren't tolerated.
"Ma'am, if I told my father what you allowed to go on in your classroom, he would not be happy." Everyone knew that Blake's father, as well as Jax’s father, had major pull in the town of Salinity Cove. Their families had been here since it became a town.
Her hands fell to her sides and she cleared her throat. "Ms. Kline, if you and Blake are done being inappropriate, I'll get on with my lesson for the day."
I nodded, and Blake sat back in his chair with a smirk. Whatever the hell he was up to, I didn't like it one bit.
Chapter Three
Blake was in three out of the four classes I had before lunch. I breathed a sigh of relief during fourth period. He sat next to me in each class and distracted me to the point where I missed half of what the teachers had said.
Lunch rolled around, and I wished we were still allowed off campus as seniors. A few idiots had to ruin it for all of us. I liked lunch, but knowing the three of them would be there made me lose my appetite.
I had yet to run into Morgan, the third member of their tight-knit crew, but sensed it was only a matter of time. He was just as attractive as Blake and Jax, but had the bad boy persona down solid. He had a motorcycle that looked like it would be better suited for a raceway instead of the streets of Salinity Cove.
"Girl." Aiden grabbed my arm and steered me away from the cafeteria as I walked across the quad area. "We can't go in there." He led me in the opposite direction toward the parking lot. "Ivy is going to bring us lunch in my car."
My footsteps faltered before I sped up to keep up with his long strides. "Why? What's going on?"
"I heard the Tritons are paying Melissa to jump you in the cafeteria." He unlocked his car and opened the back door for me. "We can hide you better in the back."
I was grateful the gates to the parking lot hadn't been locked and security hadn't stopped us. My chest felt like someone had plopped down on it and I did as he directed. I had never been in any type of altercation. I wouldn't even know how to defend myself if someone started a fight.
"Maybe you should try calling your mom again and see if she'll call you out of school." Aiden turned in his seat and he reached back to squeeze my knee. "Those fuckers can't do this to you."
"I don't understand why they're doing this." I got my phone out of my backpack and tried my mom again. "It still goes straight to voicemail."
I was starting to grow increasingly worried that she wasn't calling me back. I Googled the hotel she told me she was staying at and dialed. It would be past midnight there, but I was desperate.
A heavily accented voice picked up the phone. Sweat beaded on the small of my back.
"Hello. I'm Riley Kline. I'm trying to get ahold of my mother, Natalia Hernandez Moreno. She should have checked in a few days ago."
"Just a moment." I heard the man typing and then he made a clucking noise. "Spell that." I spelled her name. "There's no one here with that name."
"Can you check again?" I watched out the front window as Ivy approached carrying an armful of wrapped sandwiches, drinks, and chips. My stomach rolled with nausea.
"No. Are you sure it's this hotel? There is one other hotel on this island, or you could have the wrong island."
I hung up and tried the second hotel. I got the same response. There were a lot of islands in the Maldives. Maybe I had gotten the wrong one. A few started with the same syllable.
I pulled up a list of islands and my heart sank. It would take me days to call all the resorts across the islands.
"Is it possible she lied about where she was going? Maybe she’s having a sordid affair with a billionaire that owns his own island?" Aiden was trying to make me feel better, but it didn't help.
My mom was missing.
Ivy climbed into the car and Aiden put on music as she passed out food. We were quiet for several minutes as we dug into our sandwiches. I couldn't pass up a turkey sandwich, despite feeling sick.
"Oh
, shit." Aiden said with a mouthful of chips. "Duck down and pull that blanket over you."
I followed the direction of his stare and cursed. Melissa was headed straight toward the car, fists clenched at her sides.
Melissa was one of those girls who didn't require a last name to know which Melissa people were talking about. She was one of the toughest girls in the school, and it was rumored she liked to fight in illegal fights.
I climbed onto the floorboard and pulled the blanket over me. It smelled gross and I gagged thinking about what Aiden used it for.
There was a knock on Ivy's window and I heard the window roll down a bit. "Can I help you?"
"Where is she?" I held my breath at the sound of Melissa's rough voice. It came from smoking like a chimney and probably too many dicks shoved down her throat.
"Who?" Aiden popped another chip in his mouth and chewed.
"You know who." I heard her try the back door and then slam her hand against the window. I was glad his back windows were heavily tinted. "I know she's back there."
"Do we need to call security?" Ivy's voice sounded calm, but I could tell she was nervous by the slight unsteadiness. "We don't know who you're looking for."
"Bullshit. You bought three of everything. I watched you."
"You must be seeing things." Aiden laughed. "Time to visit the school nurse to get those peepers checked."
I tried not to laugh at the tone of his voice. Despite my face being threatened by her fists, he was having fun goading her.
"Listen." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "They are out for her blood and I need the money."
I heard Ivy unzip her bag. "How much are they paying you?"
Ivy couldn't seriously be thinking about paying her off. That would work for the time being, but the Tritons were loaded and could pay her even more.
My calf was starting to cramp from being bent at an odd angle. They needed to get rid of her before I made a sound.
"Five."
"Hundred?" Aiden screeched. "You would sell your soul for five hundred dollars?"
"Yeah, well, desperate times. Not all of us have mommies and daddies that take care of us." Melissa's parents had plenty of money. What she really meant to say was that she needed it for drugs.
"Here. Now leave." Ivy huffed, and I heard the window roll back up. "It's clear now."
It might have been clear from Melissa, but it was far from over.
Seventh period was my favorite time of day; yearbook. I loved creating art through pictures and capturing special moments that people would cherish.
I sat at my usual computer station and started chatting with Tory, who had been in yearbook with me since freshman year, when Jax yanked open the door ceremoniously and prowled into the room with me set in his sights.
My words stuttered out of my mouth as his eyes locked on mine. His jaw was set, and he looked like he was thinking of all the ways he could hurt me. He had been nice only weeks before and had done a complete one-eighty. It was like he was a different person.
"What the fuck?" Tory whispered as he came to stand behind her.
"Move." His voice was low and held a threat.
I was done with whatever they were up to. I had hidden out during lunch and then avoided them during sixth period. There wasn't anything he could do in the yearbook lab. I did wish Mr. Garcia would hurry up though, but he was still in the room where he taught sophomore English.
"Excuse me?" Tory spun in her chair and glared up at him. "These are editor seats. Go sit in one of the seats up there." She gestured to the other three rows of computers in front of us.
He leaned forward and braced his hands on the computer desk on either side of her. "This is my seat now. Move, or I'll make you."
"What the hell is wrong with you? You can't just waltz in here like you own the place." I met his eyes as he turned his head and glared at me. "You can go sit and spin."
How could he go from kissing me so gently and caressing my thigh to paying someone to beat my ass? I wasn't one for confrontation, but sitting by quietly wasn't an option.
"Riley, what's going on here? We don't speak to new staff members that way when we can hardly get a full staff as it is." Mr. Garcia entered the room and glanced at us briefly before sitting at his computer and pressing a button to display his computer screen. "Mr. West. Find a seat in the first three rows. You have to earn the right to sit back there."
Mr. Garcia for the win. I smiled sweetly at Jax, and he shoved off the desk, causing the monitor to shake violently. Tory glared daggers at him as he walked to a computer directly in front of us.
She mouthed, "What the fuck?" to me and turned forward as Mr. Garcia started going over expectations and grading.
I hoped Jax wasn't serious about being on yearbook because that would mean I'd have to spend even more time around him outside of the normal school day.
"We've got some new folks on staff this year. Yearbook is going to become your second home, and when it comes close to deadlines, it will be your second home." Mr. Garcia displayed a list of stay late days where we would work on finishing layouts for proofing outside of seventh period. "Same as last year, Ashley will be collecting forty dollars from everyone to order dinners throughout the semester.”
I stared at the back of Jax, wondering if he'd even be able to stay late with his intense swimming schedule. The swim team at Salinity Cove was the top in the entire state of California, if not the country.
And it was all thanks to them. They were the school's elite swimmers that were more than likely headed for the Olympics and countless national and world titles.
"Is that okay with you, Riley?" Mr. Garcia interrupted my thoughts and I jumped slightly.
"Sorry. What?"
He gave me a concerned look and gestured at the screen. "You'll be in charge of the sports section since you take such fantastic action photos."
I frowned. I did enjoy taking pictures of sports, but I thought we had discussed me being copy editor. "If that's what you want me to do."
I skimmed through the list of names and slumped in the chair, shaking my head. Tory must have sensed my panic because she put her hand on my arm.
Jax West would be on the sports staff. It only made sense, and he had said as much weeks ago. Still, seeing it with my own eyes made it become reality.
"The last ten minutes, I'd like for you to share with your new teams what you did over the summer." Everyone groaned and Mr. Garcia laughed. He just liked to torture us.
We rearranged ourselves into our teams, and Jax sat right next to me. I didn't have to look at him to feel his presence. With our seats in a tight circle, his shoulder nearly bumped mine with how wide they were.
I had seen him in photos without a shirt on, and he wore the swimmer's body better than anyone I had ever seen, including Olympic athletes. He had a long torso with broad, muscular shoulders and abs that were enough to get me to get back in the water.
"All right, I'll start." I moved my chair a smidgen away from Jax. "Besides the yearbook retreat, I visited ten colleges, got some reading done, and completed a level in my dance program."
"Are we allowed to ask questions?" Jax turned his body toward me so the distance I had created disappeared.
His leg touched mine, and all I could focus on was the heat permeating through my jeans. He cleared his throat after a moment and I blinked at him. "Questions?"
"Yeah, about what you did over the summer." He smirked. "Your answers aren't satisfying my curiosity."
"Is there something going on between you two?" Ashley asked with a roll of the eyes.
"No." We both answered at the same time, and the others laughed.
The last thing I wanted was for people to get the impression that something was going on with me and Jax. He was hot, but that didn't detract from the fact that he and his friends were taking a not so positive interest in me.
"Ask whatever questions you want."
"Are we talking ballet or exotic dancing?" The group laughe
d.
My ears felt like they were burning and I scrunched my nose. "Not that I have anything against exotic dancers, they can make a lot of money and express themselves in a way a lot of us can't, but no. I ballroom dance. I've been doing it since freshman year."
"Isn't that for old people?" Ashley was getting on my nerves. She was usually not a problem, but maybe Jax's attitude was influencing her.
"No. There are plenty of younger people who ballroom dance." Yes, I was one of the few dance students still in high school, but didn't any of them watch Dancing With the Stars or So You Think You Can Dance? "Who's next?"
"What kind of books do you read?" Ashton asked.
I didn't know how to answer that. I read a lot instead of watching television or playing video games and had discovered a whole new world through indie authors. I decided to keep it vague. "Paranormal stuff."
Ashley laughed and my face heated. She knew what I read because I had recommended several books to her last year. "Don't be shy. We're supposed to get to know one and other better. She reads reverse harem."
"Harem as in multiple partners?" Ashton's mouth hung open. "That's-"
I rolled my eyes. "The woman has three or more love interests and doesn't choose. They all love her and protect her. It's empowering to read." Jax's stare made me shift in my seat. "Jax, what did you do over the summer?"
"Swimming." We all looked at him to continue as he stared back at me. "I also volunteered my time with a non-profit organization that rehabilitates marine life affected by human negligence."
So much loathing dripped from his voice that we all reared back. He said human like he wanted to murder everyone in their sleep.
The rest of the group quickly shared before class ended. Once the bell rang, I pretended to be working on the computer until Jax left. I’d had enough confrontation for one day.
"Riley, make sure you shut the door all the way when you leave. I have a meeting." Mr. Garcia clicked off the projector and walked through the inner door that connected the classrooms in the building.