by Zara Rivas
"Hmm, maybe you just moved it wrong," Avery said with a sly smile, catching on. "But you know? Mine kind of feels weird too."
"Maybe," Lexington said slowly, "it was all that gum we chewed yesterday." Her eyes flicked to Xavier's and she couldn't keep the full blown sarcastic look off of her face right as she passed him. She gasped as he grasped her upper arm and pulled her to the side of the lockers. Avery laughed and kept walking down the hall, earning a "traitor!" from Sloane as she turned to face Xavier.
"What do you think you're playing at, Sinclair?" she hissed, irritated. Clearly this girl was not used to being manhandled. He made a mental note and released her arm.
"Oh nothing," he said, "just happened to overhear your conversation."
"What, about the gum? Don't tell me, you still want your gum back?" A sardonic look crossed her face and she shook her head. "I don't know, Sinclair. I don't think my mouth could handle any more gum-chewing today."
Xavier leaned closer, placing a hand on either side of her head on the wall behind her and ducked his head a bit, making sure his lips were right next to her ear.
"I don't know, Lexington, I can think of other things for your mouth to be doing," he whispered, watching her reaction. To her credit she didn't blush, merely looking nonplussed at his actions.
"What makes you think you'd get that kind of treatment from me, Sinclair? I usually save it for people I actually like."
"You seemed to like me on New Year's," he remarked, pulling away with a satisfied look in his eyes. She flipped him off and chuckled.
"I was inebriated," she said loftily. "Clearly my judgment was impaired."
"Didn't stop you from looking me over yesterday in the cafeteria." She looked chagrined in an instant and he knew she hadn't meant for him to notice.
"Enough, Sinclair." She pushed him away and reversed their positions, moving towards the center of the hallway in plain view of the other students. "I have class to attend, and considering we're in a school, I really doubt your sole purpose for being here is to harass me, so au revoir."
Xavier watched as she walked quickly through the crowd, her classmates automatically moving to either side of the hall to avoid being in her way.
oOoOo
Running away won't solve anything, you know.
"How many times can you call someone a smug bastard in your head before the term becomes ineffective?" I mused aloud to my friends as I stared at the text message, lounging around on the sofa. Laying down almost upside-down with my feet hanging over the back of the couch, the blood was rushing to my head but I didn't care. Avery sat on the floor next to the couch, typing out a paper on her laptop, Torrance idly flipped through a magazine on the other end of the couch. Adrian wasn't there; she didn't hang out with us much outside of school and wasn't a very social person.
"Hmmm, probably around thirty," she said, preoccupied. "Unless you can keep the same level of emotion you had at the beginning."
"Oh," I said brightly, "it won't wear out then."
Torrance rolled her eyes. "Don't you have work tonight or something?"
"Nah, Mr. Elleson gave me the night off. Something about being young and enjoying life, as if he doesn't know I do already." I worked at a diner called Fours, and my bosses were Mr. and Mrs. Elleson, a nice elderly couple who spoiled me rotten. Well, gave me all the days off I asked for, anyway. Just because my family was rich didn't mean I got everything I wanted. My brother made sure that I worked for what I wanted, and I respected him for it, and respected myself a little more than I would have had I simply reached into a trust fund to get it. Dominic looked out for me, and even though I put up a conceited front sometimes, in reality I held a lot of prejudice for people who snapped their fingers and made things appear.
"That was nice of him."
I jerked my head noncommittally and fidgeted on the couch.
"Actually," Avery said, pushing the top of her laptop down with a snap, "I may have mentioned to Mr. Elleson that there was a party tonight."
I snorted. "Thanks Aves, no wonder he was practically telling me if I came into work he'd shove me out the door."
"Hey, he looks out for you."
"Who's throwing the party?" I asked, suspicious.
"Henson's crowd," Torrance cut in. I relaxed. Henson was one of the well-known football players at our school, and he was pretty good. He wasn't a stereotypical jock either, preferring a low-key approach to the social scene. He was a pretty sweet guy, too, but that didn't stop him from using his disposition to get laid. I wholeheartedly approved, though, he didn't try to maintain the illusion of innocence.
"Alright," I conceded, and Avery squealed. She jumped up, almost cracking her head on mine in her haste, and started pulling at me so I'd get up.
"C'mon, Sloane, let's get ready!"
Two hours and sixteen changes of clothes later, I stood in the kitchen writing a note to my brother. Avery'd stuffed me into my favorite party dress: strapless and short, ocean blue with sea green stitching around the edges, it shimmered in the light and hugged my curves better than anything else I'd ever worn. It also brought out the color of my eyes, and I never failed to get guys' phone numbers with this dress on. Avery kept pushing me towards it, but I was hesitant to wear it, not really being in a partying mood, but I finally gave in.
I finished the note and tossed it on the counter next to a bag of caramels I'd gotten from the store for him when Avery and I had picked up all the gum the previous day. They were his favorites and I knew I could get away with anything if I fed him caramel.
Nic—
Gone to Henson's party, don't wait up.
Love, S
My friends bustled into the kitchen and made a fuss over leaving, but I wasn't concerned. It was only nine o'clock, and this party wouldn't be properly over until around five a.m. Hell, arriving at just after nine meant you were practically early. Nevertheless, I let them spirit me out of the house like a wave, and we were off.
When we walked into the party, it was pretty typical. The music was blaring (Rise Against, I noted with approval), the lights were down low and there was a crush of people just in the hallway. Some people were dancing in the lounge off the hallway when we first walked in, but we usually headed to the living room first. Henson saw me and headed over with a grin.
"If it isn't Lexington, the lady of the evening!" He offered me a drink and I declined, shaking my head.
"You're making me sound like a hooker, Derek," I scoffed.
He waved this comment away, turning to say hello to my friends. I pushed past him and started weaving through the crowd, acknowledging the catcalls and 'hey Lexington!' yells with a nod of my own. This was something I was intimately familiar with—being at the top of the social hierarchy. It was quite a surprise to me when I woke up sometime in my sophomore year and realized even the seniors were acknowledging my social rank. And now, as a senior myself, I hardly paid attention to it anymore. I didn't even know why—it just happened. Avery told me it was because they respected an attitude backed up by honesty, somebody who wouldn't play games, but I was never quite sure. I enjoyed the attention, no doubt about that, and got used to it quickly.
I spotted Christian next to the sound panel in the living room that controlled the speakers to the house, and made my way over to say hi. James Ferrelly stood next to him, and they were immersed in some conversation.
"Hello, boys," I said, cutting in with a smile.
"Sloane! Looking good tonight." James casually tossed an arm over my shoulders and I shrugged him off, clicking my tongue.
"Ah ah ah, look but don't touch," I chided, and Christian burst out laughing.
"Look who deigned to grace us with her presence," a now-familiar voice said from behind me.
"Being royalty does have its perks," I replied, "but every once in a while the vulgarity of the commoners is entertaining." I turned to greet Sinclair, and noted with approval that he looked good. Slightly messy hair, a black button-down shirt rolled up to his e
lbows, and fitted dark jeans. The look almost made up for his irritating tendencies.
"Of course," he smiled, "your night must have been slow for the commoners to seem appealing."
I inclined my head and turned back to conversation with Christian and James, and Xavier integrated himself seamlessly into our circle.
"Did Avery come with you?" Christian asked, jerking his head to indicate the main hallway of the house.
"Naturally."
He excused himself and quickly made his way out of the room to find his girlfriend. James gave a knowing look to Xavier and then cleared his throat.
"I'm going to go get a drink," he said, backing away quickly. I watched him follow after Christian with a raised eyebrow, and then looked up at Xavier, who had the same look on his face.
"Subtlety is not their strong point," I said dryly, "but tonight, neither is it mine." And I turned and went into a different door that led off into another hallway, this one leading straight to the massive kitchen. A keg sat next to the doorway, which I ignored, but the full bar was open for business and manned by Henson's friend Tyler. I liked Tyler; he was in my Art class and he was a damn good bartender.
"Sloane, lady, how's it going?" he called over the noise when I walked up to him smiling.
"Pretty good, yourself?" I leaned on the counter and tapped my fingers on it absentmindedly.
"Oh, you know how it is. Pretty good night, though." He considered me sitting there and said, "Party got a lot more interesting now that you're here, though. What'll it be?" He gestured to all the bottles behind him and I scanned over them, finding nothing that I really wanted.
"Your decision. Just make it strong," I said, leaning in with a conspiratorial wink. "And you're the second person to call me 'lady' tonight, Tyler. Do I need to do something to fix this image people are getting of me?"
"You know people aren't under any pretenses about you, Sloane." He poured various kinds of alcohol together and started shaking them up. "Never hurts to give 'em a reminder, though." He poured the drink into a glass and handed it to me. It was a bright orange-ish pink color and smelled like pomegranates, of all things.
"Maybe I will, maybe I won't. What is this?"
"Just drink it. You'll like it, I promise." He returned my wink and started making drinks for the other people waiting for him. I took a sip and found that he was right. Fruity, but with a massive kick.
"Yo Tyler, give me water every once in a while. This is going to be one hell of a hangover if I don't watch it."
"You got it."
I left after that. Somewhere in between socializing, getting a few more drinks, and getting a good healthy buzz going on, I ran into Xavier again. Oh, joy.
"Can I help you, Sinclair?" I said, drinking some more. I'd lost count of how many of these miracle fruity drinks I'd had somewhere around number five, and man did they make me feel good.
"You fed me to the vultures," he said irritably, pulling slightly at his shirtsleeve. A smirk passed across my face when I realized a few girls must've hit on him pretty persistently. It wasn't my fault he was very attractive.
"Can't handle them yourself?"
"Clearly I did." The irritation hadn't left his tone.
"So why come find me? What gave you the idea that I want you around?" I started walking out of the room, slowly, and he got the hint and picked up his stride, walking next to me.
"You intrigue me," he said, and the honestly saturating his tone surprised me.
"Why's that?" I was proud of my bored tone as I took another nonchalant sip of my drink. Tyler had been one hundred percent correct about this drink. I'd have to ask him what it was called so I could request it at the next party, just in case he wasn't bartending.
"How many people do you know that would fill up someone's locker with gum just because they embarrassed them on the announcements?"
"At least three not including myself. And you didn't embarrass me." Haughtiness laced my voice.
"Why do it, then?" He stopped in the doorway and stepped in front of me so I couldn't pass. Oh, no. This habit he had of getting into my personal space was really doing nothing good for my nerves.
"I don't announce my personal life to everyone I know," I said acidly, not giving him the satisfaction of seeing me back up. I wasn't sure if it was me or the alcohol in charge, but I took a step closer to him, which only made him grin. A swooping sensation flashed through my stomach at this, and I fastidiously ignored it. I wouldn't let him get to me tonight, dammit. "Everyone seems to know it anyway, but I thought I would inform you that I didn't…appreciate what you did."
He brushed this off and said slowly, "You know, I would have appreciated you giving my gum back the same way you got it."
"If you think I'm going to kiss you again, Sinclair, think again."
He said nothing to this, merely stood there watching me with the same conceited posture, and I'd had enough.
"You seem to like getting in these situations, Sinclair. Don't you have anything better to do than follow a girl around all night?" I pushed past him without waiting for an answer, and he caught my upper arm with one of his. Familiar tactics.
"Okay, Sinclair," I said, and I winced slightly at the slur in my words. "You really need to learn some variety in your—"
His mouth cut me off. I protested weakly, nearly spilling my drink, but he persisted in kissing me slowly and it clicked in my brain just how soft his lips were. I don't know when I started kissing him back, just that when I finally got my wits back, I was pushed up against a wall, my hands buried in his hair and his hands on my neck and my hip. My drink was long gone, probably tipped over on the floor. Somewhere in the back of my mind I vaguely registered hearing a grandfather clock chiming midnight.
And thus my Friday ended.
Chapter Three
I have…rules. Lots of personal rules. Mostly about dating. One of my rules is that I never fraternize with anyone who goes to my school. It's not such a stupid rule when you think about it; after all, if people don't know the guy I'm dating, there's not so much scrutiny or speculation about my personal life, and if there's one thing I definitely want to keep a secret, it's who I've been doing what with, and where.
That's really the only reason for the secrecy. That, and if you don't date guys who run around your school constantly, they're less likely to cause trouble with each other. Not that I date more than one guy at once. That's just sleazy. I won't mess around with guys who have girlfriends, either. If I even think I like someone in a way that could end in a relationship (ha! haven't had one of those in years), I don't mess around with other guys. It's just not my way. That's not to say I'm a prude or anything. Far from it.
I'm impulsive. To me it's a good characteristic, although Avery sometimes disapproves because it's landed me in some very strange situations. When I was fourteen, I decided I wanted hair the color of a smurf, so I went out and bought dye and bleach, enlisting Avery as my help, and four hours later I had shockingly blue hair. My brother stared at me, speechless, for at least ten minutes before he'd mustered up a response. He hadn't been mad, but certainly did a double-take for the next several days. I pierced my ears twice sophomore year in high school, my lip once, and my belly button. I'd pulled all the piercings out except for the ear piercings, but I'd kept the lip piercing in long enough that if I chose to wear one now, I could.
I impulse buy things, I change my looks on a whim, and I hardly ever think twice about anything. I just simply know if I want to do it or not. I've kissed boys on impulses and fooled around with them. Avery really, really didn't understand this one. Then again, she'd been with the same guy for forever and a day, so I never really expected her to. She didn't object to sex or anything, it's not like she was a virgin, but she worried about me anyway.
Another personal rule of mine was that once I'd messed around with someone, I didn't repeat the experience no matter how good it was. Hanging around guys more than once garnered expectations, expectations brought on familiarity,
and familiarity eventually brought on feelings. I wasn't comfortable with feelings.
So when I woke up the next morning in my own bed, hair a tangled nest of horror and eyes bleary with a hangover and lack of proper sleep, and I remembered what happened, I was not happy. Not. Happy.
I'd never really been one for blacking out, so I remembered every single detail of the party and Xavier putting his hands in places he shouldn't, and wow was he an amazing kisser.
A clock chiming midnight filtered slowly into my brain, chime by chime, and I jerked back into sudden awareness of my surroundings. Of exactly who had his mouth on my neck and hands on the small of my back. I was enjoying it immensely, and my hands crept up underneath his shirt. The clock continued chiming and somewhere the thought that I would not be happy about this in the morning surfaced, and was quickly ignored.