Lines (Greyford High Book 1)

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Lines (Greyford High Book 1) Page 12

by Anna B. Doe


  “Yo, Sanders! You up for some fun?” Andrew calls him, but this time a bit quieter.

  “What do you have in mind?”

  I look between the two of them. Andrew’s green eyes have that special glimmer in them which is always there when he is up to no good. His lips curl in his well-known, mischievous smile. “Get the girls. We’ll meet you in the library.”

  “Who are …,” I don’t get to finish my question before he shakes Jeanette’s legs making her jump in surprise.

  “What do you think you-” She pops on her elbow, grey eyes throwing daggers at him.

  “Get up, princess.” He gets up on his feet and stands behind her, pulling her up. “We are going to have some fun.”

  Amelia

  “Where are we going,” I ask the guys who are walking quickly in front of us. God only knows where are they taking us. Every once in a while they would look around, presumably looking for any sign of adults being around, before continuing down the empty hallway.

  We are all supposed to be in the gym and classrooms around it, so the further we move from the gym, less people are out in the hallways. The music and chatter are only a distant sound and the light in the hallways is so dimmed it’s almost non-existent.

  “To the library,” Max whispers giving me short glance over his shoulder before his eyes concentrate on the path down the hallway. Their nervousness is making me jittery.

  “Why are we going to the library?” I furrow in confusion.

  As far as I know, the library is off limits to students during the night. When we got here, a teacher at the registration desk gave us a program of activities that are going on tonight, but there was no mention of the library.

  “Andrew was bored and had some idea so he said to come.” Derek shrugs like it’s not a big deal. And for him, it probably isn’t because it seems like the two of them are getting friendly. But I’m sure the invitation doesn’t extend to me or Brook. It’s not like we hang out all the time.

  My eyes move to Brook, hoping to get her opinion, but she doesn’t look back. She’s been sulking next to me with hands crossed over her chest from the moment we entered school.

  “You didn’t have to come,” I mutter.

  “And what?” Her green eyes lift and meet mine, her head tilting to the side in general direction of the rest of our group. “Leave you alone with them?”

  “There is Jeanette,” I offer weakly. The way she said them isn’t even remotely friendly.

  “Ohh, please!” Brook rolls her eyes at me. “Like she can do something. With that stick stuck up her ass, I’m surprised she can move.”

  Max frowns at her, but she full on ignores him. Derek opens the door to the library, looking around before rushing us inside of the dark room. Once we are all inside, he slowly closes the door, leaving us in complete darkness. The only light is the shine of soft moonlight and street lamps, but they don’t do much with all those tall bookshelves impeding light from fully reaching the room.

  Max, who’s walking at the head of the group, moves carefully through the shelves looking for Andrew and Jeanette, leaving us to follow behind.

  Nobody utters a sound.

  The only thing that can be heard is the sound of our breathing and the soft steps we take. If you think about it, it’s kind of creepy. It reminds me of some scene in a horror movie where a group of friends—or whatever you want to call us—is looking for their lost friends in some abandoned building. The quiet and darkness, our careful, measured steps all indicating that we are trying to hide from somebody who’s hunting us down to slice our throats.

  I feel myself shiver at the picture my mind evokes.

  Why didn’t we stay and watch movies with everybody else?

  But no, I had to give in to Max’s puppy dog eyes and Derek’s threatening stare, although I would much rather stay in the smelly gym and watch the Harry Potter marathon. Who in their right mind wouldn’t?

  Lost in thought, I almost don’t see the shifting in the shadows behind one of the shelves. My heart speeds up, and I feel my palms get sweaty as I watch somebody jump in front of me. I raise my hands to cover my face.

  “Boo!”

  I scream, stomping backward, but not getting much back because I crash into Derek who is walking behind us. His hands come around me, pulling me close to him.

  I know I shouldn’t, but the only thing I can think about is turning around and burying my face in his chest until I get control over my body, but I don’t do it. Even so, I feel my body relax into his arms. The shivers keep running all over my body, and my heart doesn’t seem to slow down. And now I’m not sure if the reason my body reacts this way is because I’m still frightened or because of Derek’s nearness.

  Deciding it’s best to blame it all on Andrew, who is standing there bending forward and laughing out loud so strongly that his whole body’s shaking.

  “You are crazy, dude!” Derek hisses at him. “Somebody could have heard her.”

  “They probably did.” Andrew looks at us from his bent position. His hands are pressed against his stomach to try to control the twitching of his body. “God, she’s a screamer.”

  Jeanette comes behind him, an unapproving scowl on her face. “Are we done here yet?”

  Her icy voice seems to return him to reality because he straightens and waves us after him as he starts moving between the bookshelves and deeper into the darkness. “Let’s go and get this party started.”

  “You are not planning to kill us?” Brook asks skeptically.

  I agree with her question. This whole thing doesn’t make much sense. I wouldn’t be surprised if it turns out that Andrew’s friends are waiting somewhere in darkness for us, getting ready to play a trick on us.

  Andrew stops walking and turns around in a circle with arms wide open. “Ta-da!”

  “This is it?” Max looks around scowling at nothing special. “Am I missing something?”

  Andrew gins at us before squatting down and reaching his hand behind one of the shelves. The guy obviously loves drama. After some time and some cussing, he manages to reach for whatever he’s been looking for.

  “Hell, yeah!” Max grins approvingly, and a few seconds later I get to see what Andrew was looking for.

  “You stashed a bottle of Jackie in the school library?” I’m not sure if that’s admiration or disapproval in Jeanette’s voice.

  “And to make it fun, let’s play a little game.”

  “Seriously?” Derek groans. “Can’t we just drink the damn thing and enjoy it?”

  “Where’s the fun in that?” Andrew grins at us and sits down on the floor. “Sit down.”

  The whole group exchanges looks, and I have to admit I’m surprised Jeanette is the first one to sit down next to Andrew.

  “What?” She looks at me. “This thing is boring as shit. Might as well drink something to lighten up the mood.”

  They all start to sit down, but I keep standing. “I think I’ll go back. I don’t drink.”

  “Party pooper,” Andrew taunts. “Really, Dotty? It’s just a little game. No harm in that.”

  Hand curls around my wrist, and without having much of an option, I’m pulled down and almost fall in Derek’s lap. I want to scoot a bit to the side, but his hand doesn’t leave mine so I don’t have much choice but to stay glued to his side.

  “Now let’s start.” He looks me straight in the eyes. “Never have I ever smoked pot.”

  He pulls from the bottle and gives it to Jeanette. “Aren’t you supposed to say something you’ve never done?” Her perfect eyebrow rises in question.

  “When would I get buzzed like that?”

  She shakes her head but follows his suit, taking one healthy swallow, before giving the bottle to her brother. He looks at her disapprovingly and passes the bottle to me. I look down at the amber liquid. The strong smell overwhelming my senses and making me gag without liquid even touching my lips.

  “Did you do it?” Derek asks me.

  I look up
from the bottle and find him so close to me that it startles me. I swallow down the big lump that formed in my throat and shake my head no.

  Slowly, a small smile breaks on his lips. Not taking his eyes off of me, he brushes my fingers away from the bottle and brings it to his lips. After swallowing a bit of liquid, he gives it to Brook who does the same.

  “You tried pot?” I ask, surprised. “When?”

  She shrugs like it’s not a big deal. It makes me wonder how well I really know her. How many secrets has she hidden from me and everybody else? Dark and scary secrets that tear you apart.

  I frown at her but let it slide.

  And so we do a few rounds of the game, bottle traveling from one hand to another while we say silly stuff like, never have I ever laughed until something I was drinking came out of my nose or never have I ever threw up after drinking too much. Thankfully, I didn’t do much of those things, so I didn’t have to drink yet. Just the thought of it makes my stomach roll uncomfortably.

  “Didn’t we say we are going to have fun?” Jeanette asks with a glimmer in her eyes.

  “Sure we did, princess,” Andrew agrees. “Better make these next few ones juicy because there is only half of the bottle left.”

  “Don’t call me that. I already told you.” She shoves the bottle into Andrew’s hands harder than necessary. “Never have I ever had sex in a public place.”

  He grins at her before taking a pull out of the bottle and giving it to Max. “You did?” Jeanette looks at him with raised brows. Alcohol is affecting her. Even with the dimmed light, I can see her flushed cheeks and how her eyes aren’t as sharp as before, but more on a glassy side. “Where?”

  “Aren’t you being noisy.”

  “You are the one who wanted to make this game fun,” she provokes him. “Now talk.”

  His eyes take her in as if it’s the first time he actually sees the girl sitting next to him, and the corner of his lips curls into a half-smile. “It was last year in the men’s bathroom here at school.” He shrugs. “It was a good lay.”

  “Mhmm.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Nothing.”

  He stares at her for a while, but in the end decides to leave it alone. The bottle passes through our hands, without anyone except Andrew drinking. Another one survived, and if the questions continued in this way, I would be safe.

  Like he can read my mind, Andrew looks across the circle to look me straight into the eyes. “Is there something you did, Dotty? Or are you always this prim and proper?”

  I feel my cheeks heat in embarrassment, but I refuse to say anything. My lips are pressed in a tight line and my hands are curled so tightly into fists that I can feel my nails probing into my skin.

  “Andrew…” Derek growls at his friend.

  “It’s just a game, King. Chill!” He laughs bitterly. “Who’s got your panties in a twist?”

  “Don’t be a dick.”

  “Hard not to be one, when you have one. Now, where were we? Never have I ever…,” there’s a long pause while he observes me, almost as if he’s trying to figure me out. “Kissed somebody.”

  My eyes widen, and even though I know better than to look his way, I do anyway. Derek’s blue eyes meet mine, and my cheeks turn red and feel so hot like they’ve been set on fire. Not even darkness can hide this kind of warmth radiating off my cheeks. If that doesn’t scream guilty I don’t know what does.

  I know he can see and feel the discomfort I’m feeling right now, and for a moment I think I see regret in his eyes, but it’s gone in a blink of an eye, making me rethink what I actually saw.

  “Well, well…” he mocks me. “Now isn’t that interesting? Who would have thought that little miss goody-goody is going around kissing the bad boy of school behind everyone’s back? Go on, drink.”

  I look at my best friend, but she’s too busy frowning at Andrew. I can see the signs of her being close to the edge of snapping at Andrew. And although the body on the other side of me isn’t that close, I can feel Max tense and his questioning, piercing gaze boring into my profile.

  “No,” I get up, my hands cross over my chest in defensive stance, but I don’t care. “I told you at the beginning. I do not drink. And I didn’t even want to play this silly game. So I’m going back.”

  “Ohh, come back here,” Andrew mutters getting up himself. “Nobody’s going to judge you for little kissing around or playing drinking games.”

  “I don’t care. I’m not interested,” I retort and turn around to leave.

  Walking quickly, I’m trying to find my way back to the door without running into anything. I hear footsteps coming closer, but I don’t care enough to turn back to see who’s behind me.

  “Lia, wait!” Brook calls me just as I reach the doorknob to open the door, but the door’s already starting to open from the outside.

  “Ohh, shit!” This really isn’t my night.

  Derek

  “Seriously dude?” I look at him, shaking my head in disapproval. “Couldn’t you just leave her out of your stupid game?”

  “It’s not my problems she can’t take a simple joke,” he objects, his temper rising. “It’s just a stupid game. It’s supposed to be fun.”

  “Well, it’s not fun if everybody’s not laughing,” Max intercepts, standing up next to me.

  Giving one last look to my friend, I turn on my heels. “I’m going to find her,” I add over my shoulder as I follow after Amelia and Brook. I think I heard him say something about being pussy whipped, but I ignore his jackass comment.

  Everything was working out good even though we were all together in school. She was here. I was here. I got her to sit next to me, maybe not completely by her choice, but she didn’t protest too much and tried to move away, now did she?

  In my opinion, that’s a win.

  I’ll take any step forward, no matter how tiny it is over a seatback.

  Taking a corner I hear her sarcastic voice. “Ohh, just great. You’ve also come to join the party. Well go and enjoy, ‘cause we are leaving.”

  I look at Sanders, both of us sporting confused looks on our faces.

  Who the hell is there?

  But my wonder is short lived because before we even get close to the door, she is all over me and I would give everything not to know.

  “Diamond,” I utter as she hangs herself on my arm, pressing her boobs into my side.

  “Where were you? I’ve been looking all over the place for you.” Her voice is high-pitched and whiny. Although she’s trying to sound easy-going and teasing, I see the looks she’s giving Brook and Amelia.

  The same Amelia who’s now shooting daggers at me.

  There’s nothing warm anymore in her brown eyes, and any color that existed on her face is washed away leaving only blankness.

  She doesn’t say anything, but she doesn’t have to. If looks could kill and all that shit.

  But it isn’t even like she’s angry, it’s more like she’s disappointed.

  Brook glares at me before putting her hand around Amelia’s shoulder and taking her out of the room. I want to call after her, but Diamond pulls me for my hand, trying to get my attention.

  “Derek?”

  Sanders looks at me, his stern gaze lowers to Diamond’s hand curled around my forearm, and he shakes his head in a criticizing, patronizing way. Then, he exits the room without uttering one word.

  He’s probably going to look for Amelia, giving her a shoulder to lean on and tell her how big of a jerk Andrew and I are, while I’ll be stuck here dealing with this.

  I look down at Diamond, putting my hand over hers to disengage her fingers from my skin. “We were here,” I take a step away from her. “Just hanging out. Andrew is still in the back if you want to join.”

  “I was thinking we could hang out.” She smiles seductively at me. “Just the two of us.”

  She’s wearing some kind of silky, hot pink, baby doll pajamas with shorts so small they barely cover he
r ass and a shirt cut so low I’m surprised her tits don’t fall out.

  “I told you the other day, Diamond.” I sigh tired of this game she’s playing. “We are not going to,” I draw quotes in the air, “hang out. Not now, or ever again. Okay? What happened, happened. It was a one-time thing. I told you that already.”

  Narrowing her eyes at me, I can almost see fumes coming out of her ears. She’s furious. She looks at the door where the girls were standing just a few short minutes ago before her lips press in even thinner line, all color draining from them.

  I’m waiting for her to blow and start yelling or punching me or something, but nothing happens. No, when Diamond Morgan is furious she doesn’t become fire, she becomes ice. Cold. Calculating. Mean.

  She takes a step forward, leaning into me without really touching me, but enough for her scent to flood my senses and for her breath to touch my skin as she whispers in my ear. “You are going to regret this. Next time I’m not going to be the one coming to you, Derek. It’ll be the other way around.”

  Frozen in my spot, I watch her turn around and walk out of the room. “In your dreams, Morgan. In your dreams,” I mutter under my breath.

  I give her a few minutes to go wherever she decided to go in search of her next victim.

  When I’m sure she’s out of my way, I leave the library, closing the door firmly behind me. After all, Andrew and Jeanette are still inside. He may be one big idiot, but we have been friends far too long for bullshit like this.

  I know exactly where I’ll find her and I’m right.

  There are more students in the gym now, but it’s close to one in the morning so it isn’t really surprising. Some are still watching the movie, some formed smaller groups and are talking in hushed voices, and some are asleep.

  I go to the corner where we left our stuff. Max is lying in his sleeping bag looking at the movie on the screen and Amelia moved her bag closer to Brook’s right against the wall. They are both lying on their sides, facing each other. I want to come closer, but as if she can sense it, Brook opens her eyes and shoots me an angry, warning stare.

 

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