by Lauren Price
“I love it,” I whisper as we sit down, staring at the gorgeous stone bridge. “Who introduced you to this place?”
Sadly, he lets go of my hand at this point, but the skin still feels warm and tingly from his touch.
“This was our hangout spot – me, Dylan, Joe and Chase. I’ve started coming again quite a bit since we moved back.”
“It’s nice.”
Alec glances sideways at me. “You’re the first girl to make it up here.”
“I feel honoured,” I tease, elbowing him a little in the ribs.
“So, are you going to tell me what was wrong now? I brought you here, to my thinking space.” Alec gestures at the scenery and ignores my joke. “So it’s time to tell me why you were crying. It’s obligatory.”
I bite my lip. I should tell him, but it’s difficult. It’s not like I broadcast this often.
Seeing my conflicted expression, Alec brushes his shoulder against mine and smiles. “I’m waiting.” His voice is teasing, but at the same time there’s an undertone of curiosity. He really does want to know.
“There’s quite a bit of background first,” I warn him. “But I’ll try to sum it up as best as I can.” I rub my damp palms dry on my legs.
“Okay.” He leans back to rest on his elbows, waiting.
“When I was thirteen, a boy moved to town,” I begin. My voice is shaky with nerves, but I trust him. I tell myself I have no reason to be nervous. “His name was Toby, and he was my first real crush.” I glance down at the grass. “He was in most of my classes, and he was really sweet to me. It was only natural that we became friends. Our moms became close too, and one thing led to another and finally one day, Toby asked me to be his girlfriend. And I said yes.”
The last word comes out as a sigh. I feel a painful twist in my gut at my own voice. I struggle to curve my lips round the next words. “Then, around a year ago, something big happened.”
“What was the big thing?” Alec asks.
No. No, no, no.
“I don’t want to get into specifics tonight. It was hard for me, harder than I could ever describe, but it was hard for Toby too. A few months passed and we were both in bad places. Toby cracked . . . he cheated on me, and then moved away to Chicago six months ago.”
“Wow,” Alec exhales. I guess he’s struggling to find words to respond with.
He thinks I’m so brave by telling him this, but he doesn’t realise that this isn’t even the worst part. He doesn’t know anything.
I take a deep breath and continue. “I went on a blind date tonight . . . and it happened to be Toby. He’s moved back to town, and he’s coming back to school. Just seeing him has awakened all the memories of what happened. He wants another chance,” I trail off, picking at a piece of grass. “I’m kind of scared because I don’t want him to worm his way back into my life again. I’m not ready for that to happen.”
Alec looks at me for a little while, and the silence envelops us. It’s like he’s trying to absorb the information, get a better grip on what I’ve just told him.
“I won’t let him,” Alec says at last. “He’s a dick, and he doesn’t deserve another shot, Riley. Don’t give him the satisfaction.” Alec’s face grows hard with determination, and suddenly he’s speaking a little more quickly and assertively. “We’ll help you avoid him. If you stay out of his way, and if he sees you’ve moved on, maybe he’ll drop it. I’m not an expert on these things, but I won’t let him intimidate you. None of the guys will. We’ll keep an eye on him.”
“Thanks.” I smile without meeting Alec’s eyes, turning away from him to stare at the scenery. I don’t want him to see the guilt and hurt in my eyes. He thinks I’ve told him everything.
“You’re welcome,” Alec replies. He sighs, his eyes trailing over the landscape too.
“So.” I clear my throat, bumping his shoulder with mine in an attempt to lighten the mood. The sooner we move on from this topic, the sooner I can allow myself to feel happier again. “What about you? Any toxic relationships you’d like to share?”
Alec glances at me flatly. “You think I’ve had relationships?”
“Not even one?”
He turns back to the view in front of us, staring intensely at nothing. “I didn’t get near a girl at my old school. I wasn’t interested and neither were they. Aside from the few ‘girlfriends’ I had when I was, like, twelve, nobody.”
I think how it’s perfectly normal not to have had a relationship before at our age, but not to ever have had feelings for someone . . . that’s a little more unique. Crushes do suck, so maybe Alec is taking the more intelligent route, but still I can’t help but feel disheartened.
“Do you think you’ll ever be interested in one?”
“Why?” Alec looks at me and suddenly grins. “You interested?”
I splutter. “What? No! Of course not –”
“Yeah I know, you hate me.” Alec rolls his eyes. “It was a joke, Greene.”
“I don’t hate you. I’m just not necessarily excited by your existence,” I say, offering him an innocent smile to prove that I’m only joking. I hope he knows I don’t really dislike him. Sure, he’s annoying a lot of the time, but would he honestly think I don’t like him after he brought me here and was so understanding about Toby? After he looked after me at the party? He’s warming on me faster than I care to admit. Fast enough that my whole body is screaming to press the brake pedal. Sure, we would never have even spoke if he hadn’t rather cruelly stolen my bra in the dead of night – which, this reminds me, I still don’t have – but since then he’s actually been kind of great. To be this comfortable around him so quickly is shocking me, because it’s been a long time since I trusted anyone but Violet.
“The feeling is mutual.” Alec pulls a face. “So today we’ve clarified that I have no relationship experience, and you’ve had no sexual experience,” Alec points out, way too casually for my liking.
“Who says I’ve had no sexual experience?”
Alec gives me a blank look.
“Okay, I’ll shut up.”
“And on that note . . .” Alec stands up, brushing the dust from his jeans, and offering me a hand. “We should probably get you back. Can’t have your mother sniffing us out, can we?” I nod in approval and I take the hand, only for it to be pulled away quickly, leaving me to fall back on the dusty floor. I probably should have expected that. Alec keels over, laughing at me, to which I scowl.
“Grasshole.”
10
Concrete Heart
“Riley.”
I grit my teeth and ignore the voice; instead I carry on collecting my books from my locker.
“Riley, c’mon. Answer me.”
Why can’t some people just get the message? Maybe if I slam the locker and run now, he won’t chase after me. Or is that just wishful thinking? I tell you what I wish – I wish he’d freaking leave me alone. I release a short sigh, grabbing my Math book and slamming the locker door closed. I don’t want to face him, but maybe if I yell at him some more he’ll get the message and leave me be. It’s a fat chance, but I’ll try anything.
“What do you want, Toby?”
“Nothing much.” He shrugs nonchalantly, but I can see the delight in his face that I actually turned round and answered him. I know him that well, unfortunately. “I just wanted to know how you’ve been recently.”
I grit my teeth even more fiercely and shove the last of my books in my backpack, turning to walk down the corridor towards my first lesson. Annoyingly, Toby follows.
“I’ve been just great,” I mutter. “No thanks to you.”
You’d think he’d have given up by now, but no. Toby has been insistently friendly since the moment I stepped into school this morning. All day pestering. Toby hesitates before speaking, and I can almost see a guilty sheen in his eyes. “Yeah, I deserve that one,” he admits, “but I’ll make it up to you, Riley. I promise.”
“Go and preach it to someone who gives a shit, Toby,”
I glower. “Leave me alone.”
Toby’s act drops, and he gives me a stony scowl. “You aren’t going to make this easy for me, are you, Riley? All I want is to be friends.”
You should have thought about that before you cheated and moved cities without telling me.
“You should have thought about that before you cheated and moved cities without telling me,” I hiss in a low voice, trying to prevent anyone nearby from hearing us. “Now leave me alone.” I shoot him a final icy glare, as I step into my Physics room. No sooner have I stepped in, however, than I’m yanked out again with a sharp and painful tug. I curse under my breath and spin round to start yelling at him, but the person standing in front of me is the furthest from “him” that you can get. Toby stands by my other side, but it’s not his hand that’s currently clawing my arm. Not unless he’s suddenly got silver acrylic nails and a diamond bracelet, that is. Toby stares shell-shocked at the girl, but her eyes are fixed on me.
Tiana Cooper. What the hell does she want?
With a small sigh, I stretch on an elasticated smile. Here we go again.
“Tiana,” I greet, my cheeks aching. “What a pleasant surprise.” I grab her hand and slowly detach it from my forearm, only making her smirk widen. My fingers trace over the marks on my skin, bruises in the curve of perfectly manicured fingernails.
“Riley, sweetie, you look gorgeous today,” Tiana purrs, her icy grey eyes running over my body, scrutinising every flaw. The compliment is completely flat, that is abundantly clear. What does she want with me? It’s not like we make a habit of associating with each other – we hate each other’s guts and that’s no secret.
“Thanks,” I say, “I’d say the same for you but . . .”
My heartbeat jumps with nerves.
Behind her smile, Tiana’s eyes turn stormy. Good. “Please could I talk to you? It’ll only take a second, promise.” Her gaze drifts from me over to Toby, and her eyes widen as if she’s only just noticed his presence. “Toby. Nice to see you again.”
“I’m going to leave,” Toby mutters, flushing bright red. He doesn’t even have the courage to look me in the eye. Cowardly man-whore.
Tiana turns to me and I nod, glancing reluctantly into the Physics classroom before following her away from the door, further into the corridor again. The walk is eerily silent apart from the thud of Tiana’s sneakers against the polished flooring, and my eyes narrow in concentration. I’ve stayed as far away from her as possible and still I’ve managed to rub her up the wrong way. It’s pretty obvious that she doesn’t want to compare lip-gloss brands and talk this week’s crushes.
After she’s checked that we’re far enough from all of the classrooms she turns to face me and I stop walking.
“So, what is it you wanted to talk to me about?” I ask, mocking her with no shame. Her steely eyes show no hint of fake friendliness now, and her full lips are curled into an unattractive sneer as she flips her dark ponytail over her shoulder. Alas, the true Tiana Cooper comes out for me.
“Drop the act, Riley,” she snaps. “I think you know what I want to talk to you about.” She steps a little closer, but I refuse to give in to the temptation to step backwards. That would only make her think that she intimidates me, and although that may be slightly true, there’s no way I’d ever let her see it. I stand tall, staring directly into her eyes. Don’t give her the satisfaction, Riley.
“No, actually, Tiana, I really don’t know why you’ve dragged me here with those garden shears that you call fingernails.”
“Don’t you dare play dumb with me, Greene,” she hisses, stepping right into my face this time and shoving me back into the lockers. “I want you to stay away from Alec Wilde, or so help me God, I will make sure you regret it. We almost had a good thing going until you got in the way.”
My eyes narrow back at her.
What? Does she think I’m stepping in her way or something?
“You can have Alec,” I snarl. “Get the hell out of my face, Tiana.”
“Really? I can have him? Then back off. He doesn’t want you.” She leans down further, her icy glare searing holes into my skin. I’ve never seen a look filled with so much hatred before. Someone has a case of the green-eyed monster. I don’t know what she has to hate me about; if anything I should hate her more. She’s the one that Toby cheated on me with; she’s the one that has single-handedly made me feel worse and worse about myself ever since by rubbing it in my face.
I frown after Tiana as she slithers away. Does she think she’s winning? I am not prepared to obey orders from her. She’s taken so much from me, and my new friendship with Alec is not going to be another item added to her list.
With that thought in mind, I jog back to my last lesson for the day, determination hardening my concrete heart.
“Psst, Riley,” Alec whispers, poking me in the arm softly.
I raise my eyebrows, ignoring him like the badass I am and staring instead at the teacher’s demonstration at the front. Ignoring Alec is surprisingly fun.
“Riley,” he whines, poking me again, harder this time. “Riley, what’s the answer?”
This time I scoff, unable to restrain myself. No chance am I giving him all the answers. Physics isn’t an easy subject; it took a chunk out of my weekend to do these! He can work them out on his own. Alec seems to sense my defiance and he groans quietly, poking me hard enough to leave a bruise, desperation showing through. He knows that if he hasn’t completed the homework, he’ll get a detention. My lips curve up in amusement. Oh, I can play this game all day.
Alec’s hand makes a dart for my folder, but I pull it neatly away from him, my smile morphing into a full-blown grin. He’s no match for my ninja skills. Alec growls low under his breath. He’s figured out that I’m playing with him, and I chuckle quietly. He knows that I’m trying to get him annoyed. Jeez, he must be desperate for those answers.
“Riley,” he whispers, that desperation evident in his voice. Aw bless. “Please can I have the answers?”
“Alec,” Mr Johnson’s voice says sharply from the front, “I ask you to pay attention when I’m doing a demonstration. Stop flirting with Riley and listen to what I’m trying to teach you.”
A rumble of laughter spreads around the class and I blush. There’s already rumours about me and Alec seeing each other, and dating in secret. I definitely don’t need the teasing from teachers now too.
“I’m sorry, sir,” Alec replies smoothly. “I don’t understand one of the questions we had for homework. I was trying to get Riley to help me with it, but she refuses.”
My jaw drops open at this. Way to make me seem like the bad guy. At least I’ve actually done the homework.
“Well, next time, please ask when I’m not in the middle of a demonstration,” the teacher says, brow furrowing. “Riley, please could you help Alec with his homework? He doesn’t understand, and I trust you to be able to help him.”
I nod stiffly in reply to his request, feeling the smugness pour off of Alec like a tidal wave. I don’t dare look over at him; if he’s smirking, like I know he is, the urge to punch him in the face will be unbearable, so I stare at Mr Johnson instead. The teacher nods gratefully, before turning back to the demonstration to teach the rest of the class. This is beyond unfair.
“So,” Alec begins cheerfully, “are you going to help me, Riley?”
“Dude, give her a break.” Joe laughs from the other side of the bench. “She looks like she wants to kill you at the moment. I don’t blame her to be honest.” He grins slyly at me, fumbling with a piece of paper in his hands. Is he making a paper aeroplane?
“Copy my answer and I will castrate you,” I tell Alec bluntly. “But you can look at the method.” I begrudgingly hand Alec my sheet, and in the meantime entertain myself by watching Joe aim paper aeroplanes at the teacher without him noticing. They sail through the air, one by one, hitting various targets but never the teacher himself. By the fifth aeroplane, the whole class is turning round to watch Joe. Th
ese guys are fun to be around, I have to admit that.
“Thanks, Riley.” Alec passes me my sheet back.
“Ignore him,” Joe whispers. “He’s just in a particularly annoying mood because he got laid last night.”
Is that what Alec told him? Alec was with me all of last night. We watched The Avengers, and Mean Girls.
“You know, I may not be incredible at Physics but I’m pretty good at Math and Biology,” Alec comments cheerfully, a smug smirk growing on his lips. “Especially Math and Biology in bed. You know, I’ll add the bed, you subtract the clothes. You divide the legs and I’ll multiply.” Alec wriggles his eyebrows playfully. “Fancy a personal tutor, Riley? Extra credit homework?”
“Ew.” I cringe. “That’s so disgusting! How do you manage to bring innuendos into Math? That’s practically an art.”
Joe grins at my comment, chucking a piece of eraser at me. Alec just smirks some more.
“You know, I’m good with art too, Riley. I’m very handy with a –”
“I don’t want to know,” I interrupt, slapping my hand over Alec’s mouth.
He stares at me for a second, before sticking out his tongue and pressing a long lick to my palm. “Ew! I don’t want your mouth herpes!” I yelp, running my wet palm against his face to dry it.
“Mouth herpes? Are you implying that I have a lot of o–”
“Shut up!”
“Miss Greene, please quiet down! This is the last warning for the back row!”
I’ll get you back one day, Alec. I swear it.
A single piece of eraser flies through the air, hitting me on the cheek. Joe’s up to his pranks again. I try my hardest not to flinch as I stare calmly into Mr Johnson’s narrowed eyes, ignoring the boys’ chortles to my left.
“I’m sorry, sir. Alec was making inappropriate comments to me.”
I have to choke back my laugh at Mr Johnson’s bulging eyes and flushed face, but apparently the rest of the class can’t because a rumble of chuckles resounds around the room. Alec blushes besides me, and Mr Johnson shoots him a look. Well, there’s part one of my revenge, I guess.