by Jane West
I felt bad too. Sally nearly busted a gut trying to win me over. It wasn't that I didn't like her. I did. It was just that Sally was far too intense. Listening to her constant dribble exhausted me. If she'd take a breath between subjects, I might ease up on her.
Then there was Sally's best friend, Gina. The two were inseparable. Gina was a problem for me. It was sort of hard to forget the road kill remark.
That was my dilemma. So, if I had to keep my distance from Sally to avoid Blondie, I reckoned that was the price I had to pay.
I raked over the cafeteria trying to spot Jen or Sam. My eyes stopped on Jen's dark head. She was waving at me. I smiled as I made my way to the back where we sat every day.
“Hey, girl! I saved you a seat.” Jen patted the spot beside her and smiled.
“Cool!” I grinned back. I eased down into my seat and twisted the cap on my drink.
“That's all you're eating,” Jen asked, eyeing my drink.
“Girl, I can live on Coke.” We both laughed.
“You want some of my fries?” She pushed them over to me.
I had to admit they smelled delicious and kicked up my growling stomach. “Thanks!” I grabbed one and smiled.
Just then, my gaze caught Gina's snarl. An eye roll to myself was in order.
I dropped my gaze from the sourpuss and skirted around her, stopping on Sam. You couldn't tell by looking at the boy that he played football. It amazed me how he kept from getting clobbered. With all the muscled-up jocks, Sam got swallowed up. He was tall enough but didn't have much meat on his bones. He could run like the wind, though.
I liked hanging out with Sam. He was charming and funny. From his deep brown hair to the twinkle in his hazel eyes, he put a smile on my face every time.
“Hey, Chickadee!” Sam had given me that nickname on the second day of school. It was silly, but it made me laugh.
“Hey, Sam!”
“Why ain't you eatin'?”
I loved his rich Southern drawl.
“Oh, I'm not hungry.” I lied. It was too embarrassing, to tell the truth.
Sally just walked up with a tray full of food and plopped down beside me, directly across from Gina and Sam. “I'm starving,” she announced, a little out of breath.
Gina wrinkled her nose. “You should eat a salad. You're fat enough.”
Sam broke in. “Gina, leave her alone.” He cut a sharp look at her.
“I'm just saying.” She rolled her eyes. “If she gains four hundred pounds, don't come crying to me.”
Suddenly, I caught a dark outline from the corner of my eye. Bane! I heard a chair screeching across the floor. He'd dragged up a chair next to me. He slid in the seat with ease and leaned over placing a white bag on the table directly in front of me. He was so close our lips nearly touched. “I thought you might like something different to eat than the usual.” A devilish look came into his eyes.
“Umm, thanks.” Awkwardness had heated my cheeks.
“You are quite welcome, Princess.” His lips parted revealing his dimples.
Sally spoke up, eyeing my sack, “No fair! Where's ours?” She pursed her lips, mocking a pout.
“My apologies, just for Stevie.” Then he winked at me.
When he bounced to his feet, he shot a scowl at Sam. For a minute, by the glares shared between the two, I got the impression both boys harbored some sort of dislike for each other. That struck me rather odd. Bane was a new student. How could someone hold so much hatred toward a stranger? Then Gina came to mind. I stood corrected. I frowned, rehashing my first encounter with Blondie.
I watched as Bane weaved his way through the students, leaving the cafeteria. I couldn't help but admire his stature. He stood tall and poised, moving fluidly. If I could bottle his catwalk in a packaged container, it would blow up the market. My eyes stayed on him until he vanished past the double doors. I sighed softly to myself.
Then I remembered the bag. I snatched it up and opened its content. Inside, I found a burger and fries and a peanut butter cookie. A smile stretched across my face as I grabbed the cookie, first.
When my eyes lifted, I realized that Sam was nearly staring a hole through me. His face drew into a scowl. “So, you and Old Blue are friends?”
“Not really.” I shrugged. “He gave me a ride home the other day. It didn't end well.” I took a huge bite of my cookie.
Then Gina chimed in. “What happened?” A smirk painted her face. “You didn't put a smile on his face?”
As sure as I was sitting here, I sensed another fight was on the horizon.
I laughed, firing back, “I thought I'd leave that for you since you've had so much practice.”
Gina leaped to her feet, nearly blowing fire from her nose.
I grinned at the blonde, taking another bite of my delicious cookie.
Quickly, Sam snaked his arms around Gina's waist, easing her back down into her seat. He swore under his breath. “You don't have a right to get pissed when you throw the first punch.” He sneered as he abruptly released her. “Sit your ass down and shut up!”
Jen and I shared a glance, our brows arched.
“I don't care,” Gina bellowed. “I don't want her sitting at our table.”
Jen jumped in. “Gina, if you don't like the company, you can always sit elsewhere.”
Sally's face paled as she sat there quietly eating. Nothing I didn't expect.
Gina's face twisted as if she'd eaten a rotten egg. “Okay fine! I'll move.” She snorted. “Come on Sam let's go!” Gina gathered her tray and pulled from the table. Sam remained seated. Gina gaped, totally shocked over Sam's noncompliance. “You're not coming?”
“Nope!” He flashed a bright smile, taunting the blonde. “I'm stayin' right her', sugar-pie.”
Gina looked like she was going to sprout horns.
I covered my mouth to keep from laughing.
Then she turned her angry glare on me. “Oh, shut up, bitch!”
I snickered. Name calling never offended me.
Jen intervened, “Gina just go,” she waved her hand, grimacing.
“You were my friend before she moved here!” Gina flashed a wicked smile. “I'm gonna go find that blued eyed boy, Aidan. Bet he'd sit with me.”
Right at that moment, the burger nearly lodged in my throat. I didn't know why but Gina's declaration bothered me. The idea of that girl putting her paws on Bane set my teeth on edge.
Jen spat at Gina, “Girl, bye! Go on with yourself. The only person you're friends with is your mirror.”
Other than a sharp huff coming from Gina, she didn't fire back at Jen. Instead, she stood there silent, stewing.
I heard Sally scoot her chair out from under the table. She was standing with her tray next to Gina. “Sorry, y'all, I gotta stick with my girl.” She forced a half smile and without another word, the two of them left.
“Gul,” Sam tapped my hand, “Don't pay Gina no mind. The principal stripped her cheerleading status and gave the position to one of her rivals.”
I laughed. “That's just terrible,” I mocked.
Jen cracked up laughing.
Sam bit down on his sandwich, leaving half behind as he spoke, muffled with a mouth full. “Just ignore the girl. Most everyone does.”
I scoffed. “No argument here!”
“Hey, we all are going out Saturday night. You should come!” Sam smiled.
“I don't know.” Dread oozed over me. I'd promised myself that I wouldn't make friends here. I bit my bottom lip, indecisive. “What you got planned?”
Jen pitched in, “We could go shoot pool at Mother Blues.”
“Hey, that would be fun,” Sam agreed.
I shrugged, unsure. “Who's coming?”
Sam had taken a sharp breath and answered, “Gina is invited, but I doubt she'll come now. Sally's invited too. Really anyone who wants to come,” Sam replied and grinned.
“Don't worry about Gina,” Jen reassured me. “Who knows, tomorrow she might be hatin' on Sally.” We
all laughed. “That new guy,” Jen's browns sparkled. “He seems really sweet to bring you lunch. We should ask him to come too.” An impish grin played across her face.
“Yeah, I think Old Blue might've takin' a shine to you!” Sam laughed, but his eyes didn't seem to get the same memo.
“Nah, it's not like that. We don't even get along.” I shrugged.
“Gul, forget him! Rumors floatin' that he's a troublemaker. I'd keep my distance,” Sam advised.
“What have you heard?” My curiosity spiked.
“Nothing good. Folks say he's been in trouble with the law. He beat up some dude. He got charged with assault too. I think his family paid a lot of money to get the charges dropped.” Sam shrugged.
That explained the dirty looks between Sam and Bane. “Wow! I'm not surprised.”
“A bad boy! That might be fun.” Jen nudged my shoulder, giggling.
“So, I guess we won't be inviting him Saturday,” I asked, half teasing.
“You guessed right,” Sam chimed in. “We'll pick you up at eight.”
“Cool! Sounds like a plan.” I smiled back.
* * *
The last bell echoed through the halls, sending throngs of students rushing for the doors. School had ended and another day had passed for me to cross off the calendar.
I headed for my locker. I needed to ease my load for the bike ride home.
I'd dropped my bag down on the floor by my feet. I grasped the lock in my hand and turned the combination, ten, nine, five and three. A short click pierced my ear. I popped the lock and lifted the lever, opening the door. I bent over, tugging out the books I wanted to discard. After I had finished stuffing the last book, I slammed the door shut and locked it back. I was humming a catchy song, “Me Too” by Meghan Trainor as I shouldered my book bag and spun on my heels to leave.
Mindless of my surroundings, I collided into a firm chest. “Ouch,” I snapped. When my gaze lifted, I locked eyes with two very vivid blue eyes. I gaped, surprised. Then a frown dropped over my face like dew on grass. “Bane, watch where you're going!” I clipped his upper shoulder with my left, though he didn't flinch.
One side of his mouth tipped upward, a faint smile unfolded. “Oh, I'm watching.”
I glowered, not liking his innuendo. “Do you mind?”
He reached in, flattening his palms against the lockers on both sides of me, forcing me flat against the metal, leaving only a thin wafer of space between our bodies. “Actually, I don't mind at all.” He drew back a cocky smile.
“Cut it out!” I shoved his chest.
“I fear the only way to capture your attention is to pin you against something hard.”
Goddamn, chills!
“I'm sure other girls would prefer your company more than me.” I dropped my hands tightly to my side.
He pressed his right palm across his chest like he was about to recite a ballad, “Must you despise me so,” his mouth quirked with mockery.
“What do you want, Bane,” I huffed.
“I believe there is an apology in order. It seems I have forgotten my manners. I hope you will forgive my mishap and give me a second chance.”
I paused for a minute, soaking up his blues. A girl could fall into those eyes really easy if she didn't watch herself. I internally kicked myself for my moment of weakness. “You're forgiven!” I tossed a harsh smile and started to slide out from under his arm.
Swiftly, Bane took my arm with gentle authority. “Wait!” His voice dipped into a dark place that sent chills over my body, not the good kind either. “I have to warn you.” His sobered eyes studied me for a brief minute. “You need to stay away from Sam.”
I jerked my arm free. “Give me a good reason why?”
“I can't tell you.” A muscle twitched from his jaw.
I paused for a moment, eyeing him suspiciously. “Sam's my friend. He's been nothing but nice to me.”
“He's not who you think!” Bane bit out. The boyish charm had vanished. Loathing now churned in his eyes.
“Tell me why?” I'd sensed friction between those two. Then it hit me! “You two are scorned lovers!” Bingo! Bane was gay. Bummer for me.
He slightly dropped his head to the nook of my neck. His breath was warm against my skin as his shoulders shook with soft laughter. “I assure you,” he first spoke against my ear, and then he lifted his eyes, meeting mine. “That's not the case.” The corner of his lip twitched, suggesting a smirk. “I'm merely looking out for your best interest.”
I smiled to myself. Straight guys hated it when a girl questioned their sexuality. “I don't know,” I teased, “I got a gay vibe from you.”
A brow arched, challenging. “I get a vibe that I make you nervous.”
“Whatever!” I rolled my eyes.
“You want a ride home?” Just like that, his demeanor changed to a lighter note. “I noticed your broken bike.” It was clear that he liked baiting me.
“My broken bike is working just fine. No thanks to you.”
His brow arched. “Are you still blaming me for your little accident?”
“Duh! You nearly turned me into a pancake.” I folded my arms across my chest.
“You should be counting you're lucky stars. If it had been anyone else, you'd be six feet under rather than standing here jaw jacking at me.” A satisfied light came into his eyes.
“What's that supposed to mean?” I searched his expression for any glue to his meaning. “How did you manage to avoid hitting me?”
“Princess, some things are best left to the imagination.” He slipped his fingers under my shoulder strap.
Chills! More goddamn chills!
“Come on.” He was smooth like he'd had lots of practice picking up girls. “I'll give you a ride home.” A smile rested on his lips.
The dude was slick as oil.
“Get out of my way!” I slapped his hand away.
“Now you're starting to hurt my feelings.” His dark brows dipped down. “Did I not bring you lunch today?”
He had to bring that up.
“Thanks, but it still hasn't changed the fact that you're a douchebag!” That lunch was a mere token. Otherwise, why would he bother was the question that pestered me like a damn gnat.
“Now, Princess, that's not being very nice.” There was a faint glint of humor in his eyes.
“Neither is holding me against my will,” I countered snidely.
His shoulders shook with amused laughter. “Why, I thought you were enjoying our little interlude?”
“Not in this lifetime. Do you mind?”
He lingered a moment, humor icing his blues, then he stepped back, giving me space.
“Thank you,” I snapped as I spun on my heels, leaving.
The Gangs All Here
Saturday night arrived, and stoked was the word. The gang had made plans to hang out and invited me to come along. Since Sweetwater, I'd resigned myself to work and school. Some fun was in order. I was in desperate need of some down time.
Lately, I'd been worried about our lack of finances. Rent and the electric bill were due. Sara claimed she wasn't making much in tips, and I had no choice but to take her word at face value. That meant I had to make sure things got paid. I was no stranger to pooling my money with Sara's coins to pay bills.
To pick up the slack, I took on an extra route on the weekends. It wasn't much money, but every penny counted. Despite my efforts, I wasn't sure that the extra coins would make much difference. Sara still hadn't forked over the landlord's info. I was at a disadvantage. I suspected we'd be getting an eviction notice in the next week. 'The story of my life,' I huffed, ready to kick rocks.
Then I inhaled a sharp breath and blew it out. No fretting tonight, I promised myself. Tonight, I was setting aside all troubles and only concerning myself with being a teenager. No worries, no regrets, just fun.
The plan tonight was pool at Mother Blues. Not exactly my game, but if it got me out, hanging with friends, I'd make an exception. I really d
idn't care where we went. Hell, I was in such a good mood that if Gina decided to bless us with her beauty, it wouldn't bother me. Tonight, I was like a duck to water. Nothing was going to ruffle my feathers, not even a spiteful blonde.
With a limited choice of clothes, it wasn't too hard to decide what to wear. I decided to wear my favorite pair of jeans and a light tank top, nothing fancy.
After I finished dressing, it left the biggest task to tackle last, my hair. I looked at my mess in the mirror, and my shoulders slumped. I hated it.
When I was younger, kids loved teasing me. It wasn't fun getting picked on for my rustic hair and cat eyes. They even picked on my freckles. Often to escape my world, I would daydream that I was a stolen princess, and one day a gallant prince would rescue me from the wicked stepmother. I laughed to myself, dreams of a child, silly and unrealistic.
I once thought my parents had adopted me. Neither Sara nor Dad had red hair and fair skin. Genetics was funny like that. I sighed, thinking of dad. I pushed down my woes, grabbing up my brush and started working out the knots, one painful tangle after another.
Staring back at myself in the small mirror, examining the final product, I felt pleased with myself. My hair looked great! I found a blow dryer in Sara's closet. Amazing how all the curls had vanished, leaving my long hair straight. I checked my back and whistled. I didn't realize how long my hair had grown. It reached past my waist. Most of the time, I wore it in a ponytail. I never had time to mess with the thick mop.
Next, I borrowed some of Sara's makeup. I didn't want to cake it on, just a little blush and lipstick.
Just as I tugged on my cowboy boots, the doorbell sounded like a siren. I leaped to my feet and ran downstairs, swinging the door wide open.
Sam had his hand on the doorbell aiming for round three. “Hey! You're early.” I smiled, half out of breath.
“Am I?” His brow arched. Then his eyes dropped, roving over me from my head to my scuffed-up boots. “You look hot!”
I blushed. Compliments were like striking oil. It rarely happened, especially from a boy. “Thanks!” I half smiled.
After a minute of sharing smiles, my gaze slipped past Sam to his truck, an old green Ford. “Where is everyone?” I cut my eyes back at him. “Are they meeting us at Mother Blues?”