by Sophia Sharp
“Hey you,” she’d call out to him with a smile. He’d smile back, melting her heart, and walk over to greet her for the first time in years.
“Hey,” he’d say shyly, looking down at his feet.
“I haven’t seen you in ages, you know,” she’d tell him. “It’s too bad we drifted apart. I always thought that we could have—”
“Miss Colburn?” A harsh, uncompromising voice startled Nora out of her reverie. “If you’d take your seat, please?”
Nora looked around and realized she’d stopped right in the doorway, blocking the entrance to the classroom for all the late arrivals behind her. Her teacher, Mrs. Millburn, examined her harshly, frowning hard enough to make the white bun on top of her head quiver. Heat crept into Nora’s cheeks. She ducked her head and hurried to her seat in the middle of the room.
She placed her bag beneath the desk and pulled out a binder with all her math notes. Mrs. Millburn didn’t take kindly to students who didn’t pay attention in class, and after the blunder just now, Nora didn’t want to draw any more of her wrath.
The kids around her were already seated and looking at Mrs. Millburn. Nora pulled her jacket tighter over her shoulders and looked to the front of the class, pen in hand, pretending to pay attention.
But when Mrs. Millburn started talking about last week’s lessons, the plan for the day, and the upcoming unit test, Nora’s resolve disappeared. She couldn’t force herself to feign interest.
Instead, she chastised herself for the ridiculous interaction she’d just daydreamed about. “Hey you.” Was that the best she could come up with?
Nora shook her head roughly. There was no way she was going to win Brady over like that. She wasn’t going to win anybody over like that, especially not—
Something large and heavy slammed into her shoulder. She looked up and saw a backpack, carried precariously by someone she didn’t recognize. Her heart froze.
The new kid!
“Sorry,” he muttered half-heartedly and continued to walk down the aisle. After he passed, Nora twisted back in her seat to look at him. He was tall. Really tall—maybe six-foot-three or six-foot-four. He had that skinny skater look going, too. His clothes were inconspicuous: dark jeans, a black hooded sweatshirt, and plain gray Converses. Nothing except his height stood out. He made his way toward the very back, where a single empty desk awaited him. Nora kept her eyes on him, curious to see what his face looked like. He kept walking, slowly, his head tilted down. Something about the way his shoulders slumped told her he wasn’t particularly thrilled to be here.
“Daydreaming again, Miss Colburn?”
Nora spun around and found Mrs. Millburn standing right in front of her desk, staring daggers at her. Her stomach clenched in response.
“Or, perhaps, Mr. Geralds over there has caught your attention?” Mrs. Millburn paused, allowing the snickers to ripple through the classroom. Nora’s cheeks grew hot. “Since you seem to have taken such a personal interest in him, maybe I should task you with getting him caught up in class, hmm?”
Oh God, no.
“Yes, that sounds like a good idea to me,” Nora’s teacher continued. “You can be responsible for his academic development in this course. Mathematics is a strong point of yours, is it not?” Mrs. Millburn lifted an eyebrow, knowing as well as Nora did that it was not. Nora’s cheeks grew hotter and hotter by the second.
“You and Mr. Geralds can come in after school today and begin your new assignment together. I want to see you every day this week. That should give you enough time to help him catch up.”
Nora wanted desperately to protest. She hadn’t done anything to warrant the punishment! “But, Mrs. Millburn—”
Mrs. Millburn smacked a ruler on Nora’s desk, causing Nora to jump.
“Every day this week,” Mrs. Millburn repeated, precisely emphasizing each word. “I will see you and Mr. Geralds, in this classroom, at exactly 3:15 PM. Every. Day. This. Week.”
Satisfied, Mrs. Millburn turned and strutted to the front of the room. Nora slumped in her seat. What a horrible way to start the week.
When class ended ninety minutes later, she could still hear the giggles from her classmates in her head.
Chapter Three
~Punishment~
Riiiing! Riiiing! Riiiing!
Nora glanced at the clock. It couldn’t possibly be 3:10 already. The sound of books being packed together and her classmates chatting about their after school plans propelled her into action. She started putting her books in her bag. By the time she wrapped up, she was the only one left.
Nora dragged her feet as she made her way through the hallway to the math classroom. Thankfully, she hadn’t had any classes after math with Mr. Geralds, so there hadn’t been any awkwardness between them.
Not yet, anyway.
She sighed. This was totally unfair. All she did was look back for a second! The punishment Mrs. Millburn doled out was completely disproportionate to the crime. After school detention-slash-tutoring, for a week? God, Mrs. Millburn was such a freaking…bitch!
A quick glimpse of blond hair in the crowd stopped her internal tirade. Brady? she thought, excited. Disappointment surged through her when the boy emerged from the crowd, decidedly not Brady.
She hadn’t seen Brady even once today, which only worsened her mood.
As if that wasn’t enough, she had to endure her friends’ ominous projections of what being forced to spend time with the new kid would be like. They’d picked up all sorts of new, swirling rumors about him. Now that some of them had put a face to him, it only made them exaggerate the tales even more.
“Have you seen him?” Molly asked Nora at lunch, before backtracking quickly. “Of course you have. You had class with him this morning. He’s scary, isn’t he? Looks like an axe murderer to me. Like those creepy guys you see in the movies. And he’s quiet, too. Secretive. Like he’s hiding something.” She laughed uneasily. “I’m sure you’ll be fine, though.”
“I heard he started a massive fire at his old school.” Kelly shivered. “And it nearly killed half the students, because he jammed the doors so they couldn’t get out. Luckily, the sprinkler system kicked in to stop it. He looks like the type to do something like that, don’t you think, Nora?”
Before Nora could reply, her friend, Stacy, jumped in, adding all the bits and pieces she’d heard.
And on and on it went, despite Nora’s repeated attempts to assure her friends that it wouldn’t be that bad, that he couldn’t possibly have done all those things. The simple fact was, everybody was excited by the arrival of a new student at the small school. And because of that, rumors spread like wildfire.
In the end, Nora just gave up and did her best to ignore the more disturbing pieces of gossip But despite being absolutely certain there was no truth in the rumors, she still found her nerves kicking in as the clock ticked closer and closer to 3:15.
That was exactly the time her cell phone showed as she looked down at it.
Nora sighed and pushed open the door to the classroom. It was empty, except for Mrs. Millburn seated at her desk.
“You’re early, Miss Colburn.” Mrs. Millburn noted, not even bothering to look up. “Take your seat, please, and wait quietly for Mr. Geralds to arrive.”
“Yes, Mrs. Millburn.” Nora sighed again and walked over to a seat at the back of the classroom. If she was going to be spending time with this new kid, she wanted to at least be able to talk to him without Mrs. Millburn overhearing every word.
Nora didn’t have to wait long before he burst through the door, hair frazzled as if he’d been running. Nora lifted her gaze and saw his face for the first time.
His skin was pure white and reflected the light strongly. It wasn’t a sickly white. It reminded her more of the strong, clean white she could imagine on a magnificent steed. His eyes were sharp and dark and set deeply into a strong, lean face. If Nora hadn’t known he was her age, she would have guessed him to be in his early twenties. He looked more
a man than a boy.
His face seemed strong—proud—and yet, a sense of vulnerability surrounded him, as if all that strength and pride had drained away, leaving him feeling every bit the young boy of sixteen or seventeen in an unfamiliar school.
“You’re late,” Mrs. Millburn said sharply. The boy dropped his head, lowering his gaze the floor. He mumbled something that Nora couldn’t make out.
“What? Speak up, boy! There’s no shame in being loud enough to be heard.”
“I said, I’m sorry,” he repeated, louder. “I got lost in the hallways on my way.”
“Yes, yes, that’s perfectly understandable.” Mrs. Millburn waved him away with one hand. “The only one you’re harming by being late is your friend over there, sitting at the back. Every minute you’re late is an extra minute she’ll have to stay.”
“I’m sorry,” he said again.
“Bah! Don’t apologize to me, boy. It’s her you should be saying sorry to. But that’s neither here nor there. Miss Colburn?”
“Yes, Mrs. Millburn?” Nora looked up.
“For your first day as Mr. Geralds’s personal tutor, I want you to go over all the chapters we’ve completed so far. Take note of anything he may have not seen before, and make sure he learns it well.”
“Yes, Mrs. Millburn.”
“Hmph. Good, then. Well, Mr. Geralds? You’re not going to learn anything standing up here. Go say hi to the nice girl and get started.” Nora groaned inwardly, hating how awkward Mrs. Millburn was making this for her. “Go on, she won’t bite. Although I’m not sure how good her attention span is.” With that, Mrs. Millburn focused on her papers again.
Nora switched her gaze to Mr. Geralds, who still stood at the front of the room, studying his feet. A bag – the same one he’d hit her with this morning – hung slumped over one shoulder. Finally, he shook his head and started to make his way over to her.
He walked slowly, and every step he took looked like it was one step closer to agony.
In spite of herself, Nora’s nerves got the best of her. Her heart started beating faster, and her palms started to clam up. He sure was taking his time coming over. Was he always like this? Was there something wrong with her that he didn’t like? What was it? A quick look at the reflective surface on the back of her phone told her all her makeup was in place.
Questions raced through her mind as the distance between them ever-so-slowly closed.
When he finally reached her desk, he pulled out a nearby chair and collapsed into it. He still hadn’t made eye contact with her.
“So,” Nora began unsteadily, after a moment’s silence, not sure of what to say. “Are you, umm, any good at math?”
He shrugged his shoulders.
“Do you know what we’re doing in class?”
He shrugged again, eyes glued to the floor. Nora swallowed. This was like talking to a wall! She didn’t know what else to say.
The silence stretched, growing awkward.
“Thanks for dragging me into this,” he finally mumbled.
Nora could barely make out the words, but when they registered, she had to blink. Was he being serious? “What?”
“I said, thanks for dragging me into this.” He emphasized the words and lifted his gaze to meet hers. His eyes were fiery, ablaze with untold emotion, appearing to pulse with supernatural power.
A chill ran down Nora’s spine leaving her cold, lost, and alone. For a long second, she was isolated from everyone else in this world, stuck in his unnatural gaze, helpless to ever escape.
And then he blinked, and all that fire died, and her fear disappeared. His eyes were normal now. He looked at her with his head tilted to one side. “What’s wrong?” he asked.
“Wrong? Nothing. I just… I…” What could she say? That his eyes had appeared to be on fire? “Just now, when you looked at me…I could swear I imagined a strange reflection in your eyes. They appeared to be…” she swallowed the lump in her throat, “…raging.”
“Raging?” The boy laughed. “I’ve never heard that one before.”
Nora’s eyes widened. “You know what I’m talking about?”
“No,” he said coyly. “I’ve got no idea.”
“But you said that one, like you’ve heard things before?” Nora clarified. It had to be imagination, and yet, she couldn’t shake the feeling he knew exactly what she meant.
“Did I?” he mused, smiling at her. “No, I promise you, I’ve got no idea.”
“Then why’d you say it?”
“Say what?”
“That you’ve never heard that one before.”
A wide smile slowly spread across his face, and Nora suddenly understood: He was teasing her!
“Very funny,” she told him sardonically.
He spread his arms in response. “So, Mr. Funny-man,” Nora continued, “it looks like we’re stuck here for the rest of the week. Maybe the whole semester. I think we’d better start by exchanging names.”
“Hunter,” he told her.
“Hunter?”
He nodded.
She tilted her head and studied him closely. “That’s a pretty unique name. You strike me more as a Jonathan or a Steve. I’ve never met a Hunter before. I’m Nora.”
“Nice to meet you, then.” His lips curved up in a smile. “I’ve never met a Nora before, either.”
“So it’s something new for both of us.”
“Looks like it is.”
“Ahem!” An angry voice at the front of the room interrupted the conversation causing both of them to look up. Mrs. Millburn stood behind her desk, frowning. “You two lovebirds are here for a reason, and that reason is to learn math, is it not? Nora, why do I not see your textbook, or a single worksheet, on your desk?”
“Sorry, Mrs. Millburn,” Nora apologized. She hated how often she found herself saying those words recently. “I was just, um, asking Hunter about how much math he’s done in the past.”
“Well, you’d better focus on showing him what we’ve done in the past,” Mrs. Millburn warned. “Unless you want me to extend your stay here?”
“No, Mrs. Millburn. I will, Mrs. Millburn.” Nora reached down into her bag, pulled out her math textbook, and put it on the table.
“She’s a bit of a hag, isn’t she?” Hunter whispered, eyeing the desk where Mrs. Millburn stood. “What’s up with you two? Did she always hate you, or did that only start today?”
Nora sighed. She didn’t want to explain all of that to Hunter right now. “Doesn’t matter. We need to at least start looking through this math book, or she’s going to yell at us again.”
“Yeah, all right.” Hunter looked down again, and for a second Nora found herself admiring him. There was something about him, something…different. Something mysterious, maybe. The way he walked around, shoulders slumped, was a stark contrast to the way he had just teased her. He was probably like most kids: shy, at first, but more comfortable as he got to know someone. He was coming to a new school in the middle of the year, after all.
And now that she’d talked to him, Nora thought it even less likely he could have been responsible for any of the horrible things that were being said about him. He seemed like the most peaceful kid ever.
In any case, Nora didn’t think she would dread her new extra-curricular activity anymore. Who knows? Maybe Hunter could even become a friend.
Chapter Four
~Brady Lowe~
By Thursday, Nora and Hunter had developed a tentative friendship. Their afternoon detentions were becoming more enjoyable. However, Mrs. Millburn had cancelled today’s session on account of her grandson’s birthday.
Nora was ambivalent about that. On the one hand, it’d be nice to get home earlier. Maybe she’d even run into Brady. She hadn’t seen him all week. On the other hand, Nora found herself looking forward to spending time with Hunter. She didn’t have many male friends, and something about Hunter made her feel naturally at ease.
Nora spun the dial on her locker and lifted th
e lever. It didn’t budge. What the…? She focused on the dial and tried the combination again. She pulled…and nothing happened.
“Come on, you stupid locker,” Nora muttered, struggling to get it open. What on earth is wrong with this thing? The second bell had already rung, and everybody was already at the gym for an impromptu pep rally. The hallway around her was completely empty. Nora tried the combination another time, with the same result.
“Argh!” She banged her fist against the cold metal of her locker. The impact produced a clang that echoed all around her. Frustration started to build inside.
Nora took a deep breath to calm herself and started over, carful to hit each number precisely. Maybe if she paid attention to what she was doing instead of daydreaming about Brady…
“Do you need a hand?” The strong voice was familiar. Nora swung toward it, and her heart froze in her chest when she saw Brady Lowe smiling at her.
All the blood drained from her head. Nora couldn’t believe her luck. Brady was here! Brady Lowe! He looked as handsome as ever, in his football jacket and softly, curling hair. She hadn’t seen him pass her locker even once, and now, with everybody already in class, he was here, offering his help. What were the odds?
“Uh, yeah,” she stuttered, stumbling over the words. You idiot! That’s the best you could do? “I think the lock is busted,” she finished lamely.
“Oh, well that’s okay.” He turned his attention to her locker, and she stepped back to give him room to examine it.
A strong hand grabbed her ass.
“Hey!” She whipped around and came face to face with some guy she’d never seen before. A big guy, built like a wrestler. He grinned widely, and a bead of sweat trickled down Nora’s back. “You can’t do that!”
“Really?” His smirk stayed in place. “Do what? This?” He reached around with one hand to grab her again. She shoved his hand away and stepped back, trying to get some space, but bumped into another body.
She looked behind her. Brady blocked her retreat, his cocky grin matching the other guy’s smug expression. “Hey, didn’t we know each other before?” he asked, lifting an eyebrow at Nora.