by Nora Cobb
The art building was the original school back in the forties. And though it’s maintained, it doesn’t have the modern amenities like the newer buildings. There’s no central air, and students have to walk up actual stairs. In other words, it’s the same type of building as my old high school. But the best thing, besides the cool art inside, is all the places to hide. While I speed across the side yard, I hear someone calling my name. It’s Beth, with Anthony following beside her. She’s carrying her huge bag, but Anthony has his hands in his pockets. They have to be dating.
“Sneaking out?” Beth grabs my arm, and we run towards the back stairs leading into the basement of the building. Anthony catches up as we run down an empty hallway and head for another set of stairs that lead into the old courtyard. It’s hidden from view, but everyone knows it’s there. Kids whisper that drug deals happen in the old courtyard.
“Oh God, have you had lunch?” I ask, sitting down on a low brick wall. My foot kicks a patch of moss as Beth sits to my right. Anthony sits on my left but not as close as Beth. Beth pulls out three sandwiches from the cafeteria, wrapped in napkins.
She looks at the minuscule breakfast bars and laughs. “No wonder you’re so thin. I’d have a headache if that was all I ate all day.”
“It hadn’t occurred to me to take food out of the cafeteria.” I thank Beth for the tuna.
“I hate eating inside.” She smiles. “I’d rather eat out here.”
I hand a turkey sandwich to Anthony, but he puts it in his jacket pocket. “I’ll need it for later,” he winks.
Beth scoffs when he pulls six joints out of his other pocket. He has them rolled and tucked in a baggie. “I don’t know how you pass your classes when you’re baked all day,” Beth snips.
“I am a natural-born genius, okay?” He lights one up, inhaling as the end burns, then smokes. I cough a little and wave the smoke away from my hair. His lips are pressed tight together as his eyes water, then Anthony passes it over to me.
I shake my head, but Beth grabs hold of it and takes a long drag. She holds the smoke in, closing her eyes as if she’s tasting something delicious and she wants to savor it for a while longer. She holds it out to me again.
“I don’t know how you make it through the day straight,” she says.
Placing my sandwich on my lap, I take a drag. I do my best to keep it in, but the smoke burns my throat. My eyes burning, I cough, gasping for air as if I’m drowning in the ocean.
“Gotta cough to get off,” Beth snorts and grabs it from me.
I’m hacking up a lung as Anthony brushes my hair off my cheeks and away from my eyes. “Don’t make fun of her,” he says gently. “Not everyone likes to smoke. Do I have to remind you of your first time?”
“Make her some brownies next time.” Beth screws up her face, holding the smoke in as she talks. “Everyone loves chocolate.”
With a sweet look, Anthony smiles. We’ve been tight since the beginning, and it doesn’t seem to bother him that I hang out with the jocks. Beth’s giving me hell for it, but I’m not up to riding on the guilt train. Anthony reaches behind me and takes the joint from Beth. I move and sit on the other side of Anthony. I don’t want my hair to smell.
“Excuse you,” Beth says.
“I can’t smell like smoke at practice.”
Beth presses her lips together and gives me a look that could rival Arielle’s cattiness. It’s a real reminder that one day, I may have to choose sides. It’s like a twisted contest for my soul. Ignoring her, I take a bite out of my tuna sandwich, careful not to mess up my uniform with mayo.
“Oh shit,” Beth says, jumping up. “I got to pee. Weed makes me pee bad. Watch my shit.” She leaves her sandwich on the brick wall and hurries back into the building. I watch her disappear out of view, wishing that I didn’t just find out weed makes her pee.
When I turn around, Anthony shocks me by kissing my lips. At first, I’m stunned and I start to jerk away, but he catches my shoulders and pulls me nearer. Anthony’s lips press into mine harder, willing me to respond. His tongue sweeps the part in my lips, and gradually, I part mine.
I straighten my back and press my lips against his as he moans quietly against me. His hands travel down the sides of my body to my waist, and he pulls me closer, until my breasts are resting against him. I don’t feel the tingle that I felt with Lucas. Instead, I feel safe and warm, as if I’m home again. And I want so badly to be home again.
He sighs as our tongues tangle. Anthony’s hand glides down my cheek, barely touching it. I place my hand on his wrist, but I don’t pull him away.
“You’re so pretty,” he murmurs. “I’d do anything to have a pretty girl like you.”
Suddenly, I pull away and look into his eyes. He’s hurting, and I know that pain. I haven’t been here as long as Anthony, but I know what Montlake does to your spirit. He’d never be mean to me. Or call me names, or ignore me in the halls when certain people are around. I should be with Anthony, but he’s moving too fast.
“Maybe we shouldn’t do this here?” I whisper.
Anthony doesn’t want to wait. His head dips down for another kiss as his right hand skims my back. He pulls me closer as his other arm wraps around me. The apprehension disappears, and he’s hungrily pulling me against him. I squirm against his hard chest and I don’t stop him as he pushes his fingers into my hair. This isn’t a good idea. At least, not here. I tug away from him and smooth down my hair. He stares at me helplessly, like a shocked puppy that’s been swatted for the first time. The look of shock is mixed with wonder because you don’t understand how a person you love can be so cruel.
“Maybe some other time,” I suggest.
Looking away, he smiles sheepishly.
When Beth reappears, we look straight ahead as if we’ve been waiting in silence for her return.
“What did I miss?” Beth looks at the two of us as she grabs her sandwich off the wall. Anthony crosses his leg, and I brush a few strands of hair off my face.
“Nothing,” he says, handing her the joint. “The world still sucks as much as when you left.”
I look at Anthony, and he winks. It’s hard to look like the poster child for depression with a shit-eating grin on your face.
After school, I head toward Beth’s car in the parking deck. But Lucas stops me before I can reach her Prius. Walking in the opposite direction, he grabs my upper arm, and I work to keep up with him. He leads me to the passenger side door of his Camaro.
“Get in.”
I look around for Beth.
“Get in.” This time, he sounds like he’s giving an order.
I’m surprised by the tone in his voice, but I get in.
“Text her that you have a ride.”
I look at his tense jaw and it stops me from sassing back. My phone is already in my hands, so I send Beth a quick message.
“So, what is this all about?” I ask, looking forward out the window.
He doesn’t answer as he starts his car. “Where were you at lunch?”
Hesitating, I sink down into the seat as he drives out of the deck. I don’t want to answer him, and I think for a moment that Lucas may know that Anthony kissed me. But Anthony would never tell, and the courtyard is hidden from the rest of the school.
He scoffs when I don’t answer. “You’ll ride with me to school and back.”
My back straightens. “Excuse me?”
The car stops at a red light, and Lucas pins his gaze on me, causing my shoulders to sink lower. “If you’re going to sneak off with your stoner friends, you may need to start wearing perfume to cover the smell.”
Without thinking, my hand goes to my hair, and I drag my fingers through the waves. The car starts moving again, and I crack the passenger side window, letting a cool breeze in. My visible discomfort makes Lucas chuckle, but the tension is heavy. He takes his right hand off the wheel and places it on my knee. His fingers stroke my skin gently and somehow, the feel of my skin soothes his nerves.
&nbs
p; “You have soft skin,” he murmurs.
“For a poor girl,” I jibe.
His hand tightens on my knee, and I twist in my seat. His eyes stay on the road as his hand parts my thighs, and I shiver. I try to pull my skirt down, but he doesn’t remove his hand. It remains on my inner thigh, massaging my skin. The car comes to a stop. We’re not at Phil’s house, but I do recognize the woods near the reservoir by the school.
“What about Arielle?” Sliding out of his grip, I poke at him with my words.
“I’m tired of her bullshit.” His hands are back on the steering wheel and he squeezes it until his knuckles crack.
The gossip wheel has been spinning in all directions. Arielle is flirting with other guys on other teams to make Lucas behave. No one on the hockey team dares to touch her, or Lucas will bench them for the season. But the other teams, their players don’t care.
Lucas lets go of the wheel. “What about Jacob?”
Fuck. I don’t know what Jacob said, but I won’t respond.
Abruptly, Lucas leans over and holds me tight. His mouth bruises my lips, and I feel that floaty feeling again when he touches me. My body responds as my breaths become pants against his pouty lips. His hand slips under my polo shirt and stops on my bra. I let him feel me. Moaning softly, my nipple hardens under his fingertips. I arch my back and press against his broad chest as he loosens my bra. I moan as Lucas’ mouth moves to the curve of my neck, and I grab his silky hair between my fingers.
“I want you,” he whispers. “But you have to learn how to behave.”
“I’m doing my best,” I whisper, looking at him through my parted lashes. “What am I doing wrong?”
He doesn’t answer. Instead, he lifts my top and brushes the tip of his nose along the curve of my breast. I moan as his tongue flicks my hard nipple.
“You like that,” he rasps.
I nod my head. “Yes, I like that.”
Lucas kisses me again as his fingers caress my breast and his fingers pinch me even harder.
“Natalie,” he moans as I kiss the corners of his mouth. “Are you a virgin?”
Holding onto him, I nod my head. His mouth presses against the curve of my ear as he nips it between his teeth. I moan again, stretching my body against him, desperate to feel him hard against me. Lucas whispers in my ear that he wants me even more now.
I push him away as common sense kicks in. Being touched by Lucas feels incredible, but he barely talks to me in the hallways. He said it was over with Arielle, but that doesn’t mean he’s free.
“It’s too much, too fast.”
My hair is in sweaty clumps, and my panties are damp. I wonder if there’s a spot on the seat. Lucas sits back and stares at the dense woods that surround the reservoir. My gaze travels to the front of his pants, and the bulge presses against the zipper. I feel guilty, but I won’t do anything else.
“Are you okay?” My voice is weak and breathless.
“I’m fine.” His voice is cold, almost detached as he starts the engine. While Lucas drives through the woods and back onto the main road, I steal glimpses at him. I’m still aching, and I might have said yes if he persisted. But I’m thankful he didn’t. Closing my eyes, I repeat my new mantra in my head. Just finish school first.
“You live on West Smith Road,” he interrupts my muddled thoughts.
“Yes. My uncle’s house is the last one on the left.”
“When do you tutor Jacob?” he asks simply. We’re back on the main road, surrounded by cars. It is bizarre how isolated the woods are behind the reservoir.
“Tuesdays,” I reply.
“I’ll wait for you.”
My heart jumps. “I could probably ask him for a ride,” I offer.
“No, I’ll pick you up.” Lucas’ jaw works again and I wonder if he’s angry. “Jacob’s got a lot of shit going on with his dad.”
He turns the car onto my street. I’m about to point at the house, but he turns in at Phil’s gates. I thought our talk about Jacob was over, but when Lucas turns off the engine, he continues.
“I’ll take you home on Tuesday. Jacob’s dad is strict, so it’s a good thing you’re helping him out. It’s keeping him out of a lot of trouble.”
“What, like fighting at school?” I reply. “He seems okay since football practice started. You know, Lucas, you’re a good friend.”
Lucas scowls out the window. There’s a moment of embarrassment like he doesn’t want it mentioned. There’s a gleam in Lucas’ eye as he attempts to set his mouth into a hard frown.
“Jacob’s dad expects him to run his company,” he continues, “but the only thing Jacob is good at is football.” Lucas scoffs. “Not all those bruises are from playing ball. He’s not a dumb guy, but he lacks focus. They say a family only holds onto its fortune for three generations. Well, Jacob is the third.”
“Which generation are you?”
Lucas faces me, and his eyes trace the curve of my mouth. My lips part as if he’s willed it. “My family has been around for a very long time. We know how to hold onto our worth.”
“Is that why you and Arielle are an item?”
He shrugs, not bothered by my question. “All the best families breed out every once in a while. If they didn’t, the family line would go batshit crazy.”
Well, serves me right for being nosy.
“What girl could resist that,” I quip, picking my bag up from the floor. I push at the door to get out.
“Don’t,” he catches my arm, and pulls me back. “I’ll open that for you.” Lucas shakes his head. “You’ve got a lot to learn.”
I feel like an ass just sitting there waiting for Lucas to open my car door. The curtain moves, and I have an audience again. I just hope my outside doesn’t match the hot mess that I feel like inside.
CHAPTER 11
LUCAS
Natalie doesn’t get it, and I wonder if she will ever understand. I could have just fucked her and dumped her. Others guys do it. They buy some cheap trinket for a sidepiece that they wouldn’t dare give to their full-time girlfriends. Have some fun for a few months and once the nagging starts, they’re done. My cousin goes on vacation all over the world. Not to discover other cultures, but so he can fuck and run. But I can’t.
I won’t.
I should leave Natalie alone. Not only because of the difference between us, but because Arielle is a calculating bitch. I shake my head as I turn my Camaro onto the main road and gun the engine. I have to get rid of this hard-on somehow.
Nope. I’m sure as hell not marrying Arielle. No matter what our parents expect. We have the oldest money in Montlake, and it’s a logical choice.
And Arielle is vindictive. She can’t handle competition in high school. What’s the real world going to be like? So far, I haven’t had the opportunity to experience the freedom of being in it. And I want to choose.
Or I could be like my father and have a woman on the side. My father assures me that it will be tolerable, and wives don’t mind as long as you come home.
But that’s a lie. My mother minds. I know he has a second family. Maybe they don’t mind. My hands tighten on the steering wheel as I drive behind a slow-as-shit car. They need to move. And if one more person tells me I’m so much like my father, I’ll back over them.
CHAPTER 12
“A party?” I squeal, like I’m desperate to go to one because I am.
I wasn’t invited to the last one. Beth told me about it and according to her, it was epic. Noticing my sad face, Anthony said that it wasn’t that good. Beth was clueless to my disappointment and accused Anthony of being crazy or high. Anthony motioned to me, and she caught on fast, agreeing that it was lame. I let it go, knowing that I missed something good. But they aren’t invited to the one this weekend. Only jocks and old money need apply.
At lunch, Lucas officially invites me to his party at his mother’s loft in Tribeca. His mother will be at a yoga retreat in upstate New York. When Arielle finds out that I’m on the list, she p
outs. Lucas refuses to uninvite me. He reasons with her, as usual. He explains coolly that my invitation is his birthday gift to me and he’s invited all the girls on the cheer squad.
This is the first week that I eat lunch with the jocks. I feel like a traitor as I glance over at Beth and Anthony’s table. Anthony winks at me each time I look and I smile back. They look like they’re managing fine without me.
My phone chimes and it’s a text from Anthony. Happy birthday, Natalie. You busy Sunday?
I look up at him and smile. No, but I might be hungover.