Bridger

by Megan Curd

  I laughed. “That’s because teachers are sadistic and want to make you late for every class. The other idea is to give you scoliosis early in life from carrying all your books in your backpack at once.”

  Liam grinned. “Seems a bit extreme, but there might be a valid conspiracy theory in there somewhere.”

  As we walked down the hall, it was obvious that Liam was generating a buzz. He was the new guy coming in halfway through the school year. It didn’t hurt that he was painstakingly good looking, either. Mom had cut his hair, much to my dismay. Instead of detracting from his looks, it really made him better looking. As if that was even possible. He had grown out his sideburns, which made him look older in my opinion. It didn’t help the situation. There were a couple clusters of girls at their lockers who were craning their necks to get a better look at him.

  He grabbed me by the waist, reeling me in closer to him. I could smell the cologne he had put on this morning. It was intoxicating. “So do I have any classes with you, or not? The reason I came over here was to protect you, after all.”

  We stopped in front of his first class: Honors Biology. Only the seniors who wanted college credit and the underclassmen trying to bump their GPA above a 4.0 took it. Liam was the exception. He was just good at science. “PE, Honors History, and lunch. But you do get to spend too much time with Krista.”

  “Who’s Krista?”

  Speak of the devil, the angel-faced demon glided her way in between us. She pressed herself up against him and backed him into the doorway frame, the whole time being as seductive as possible. “Who are you, handsome? I don’t think we’ve met. I’m Krista. Senior class vice-president.” She kissed him on the cheek to finish the introduction. I could have smacked her right there if her groupies hadn’t been following close behind.

  He stuttered out a response, which was annoying. No guy seemed to remember their own names when Krista was around. “Uh, Liam. Liam Walsh.”

  “The pleasure is all mine. It could be yours, though, too, if you’d like it that way.” She looked him up and down, surveying the real estate that was already mine. She ran her finger down the middle of his chest for good measure.

  Liam was as red as a fire truck. Sliding out from the doorway, he hooked his arm in mine again and smiled, trying to be polite in the decline. “Thanks for the offer, but you can keep it to yourself.”

  Krista looked as though she thought I was a particularly smelly pile of dog crap. Returning the smile was easy, since I had what she wanted. She licked her lips in disdain. “Liam, shouldn’t you date someone your age…and in your league?”

  “I think I’m doing quite well, thanks. You’re probably a bit out of my league anyway, and I don’t date older women.”

  Huffing, she hiked her purse onto her shoulder once more and sashayed her way into class. Looking behind her, she smiled once more at Liam. “Either way, the offer stands. I’ll save you a seat.”

  Liam looked at me, shocked and what looked like a bit scared. “Are all American girls like her?”

  I laughed. “No, just the ones that have dyed their hair a few times too many. I’ll see you at lunch.”

  We hugged and he headed into the lion’s den of senior girls while I headed to ceramics. Today would be too long. I’d probably be beating girls off of him for the rest of the school year.

  * * *

  Thankfully, the day wasn’t painstakingly slow. By the time we met in the gym for PE at the end of the day, I was fairly certain that he had reached celebrity status from the way people were talking about him. The freshman girls in the locker room were shameless.

  “Did you see the new guy?”

  “Oh. My. Gawd. So hot. And the British accent?”

  I interrupted them. “It’s Irish.”

  Freshman number one put her hand on her hip. “How do you know that?”

  “Because I happen to be his girlfriend.”

  Sighing, the girls walked out of the locker room and into the gym. I was as bad as Reese, marking my territory at every opportunity. I’d have to cool it or my blood pressure would go through the roof by the end of this year.

  Finding him in the gym wasn’t hard. He was taking three point shots a good two feet behind the arc and sinking them with ease. Some of the basketball team members were standing around, counting the streak. “Eight…nine…ten…dude, you can’t do - oh, crap! Eleven…”

  Liam saw me walking over and tossed one up haphazardly, finally rimming out and flying toward the gaggle of girls in the corner who always tried to avoid doing anything athletic. They broke apart, squealing like the ball might expose fangs and bite them. I rolled my eyes as Liam laughed at them. “Hey beautiful, how’s your day been?”

  It was impossible not to smile at him. “Boring.”

  “Mine too. You’re right, I have too much Krista, and not enough of you.” He pulled me in for a hug. I could get used to this.

  Pulling away, I winked at him. “You know you’ve only survived the easy part, right?”

  He was smiling his eye-crinkling smile. “What’s the hard part?”

  “Meeting Chris.”

  Laughing, he held his hands out for the ball once more. “If this goes in, it won’t be a problem at all.”

  “You’re stacking the odds.”

  “Maybe, maybe not.”

  As he went to shoot the ball, a mousy voice came from behind us. “Um, excuse me? Are you Ashlyn McVean?”

  Liam rushed his shot, being surprised by the voice as much as I was. Turning to see who it was, the girl behind us was no more than five-foot-three. Her hair was long and wavy, and she hid her face behind the waves. “Principal Schuveiller said that you could show me around the school last hour. Will you, please?”

  I looked at Liam. He shrugged and smiled. “Go for it.”

  Smiling at the girl, I nodded. “Sure. Where do you need to go?”

  She handed over her class list and map of the school. As we walked out, she was grinning profusely. I could imagine finding friends may have been tough for her. After turning the corner and heading into the deserted cafeteria, she put her hand in mine, jerking me to a stop. When she spoke, her voice was different. Stronger. “You know, you were way easier to separate than I imagined. It wasn’t a challenge at all. What a disappointment.”

  Lead replaced my insides as I turned to face her. “What did you say?”

  She was twirling a lock of hair in her fingers, leaning against the wall. “I said that you aren’t hard to get a hold of at all. Ankou will be thrilled you’re such an easy target. What’s your protector good for if he lets you go out on your own with anybody?”

  I began to mentally measure the distance between the doors and where we stood. The windows? No, opposite side of the cafeteria. Bathroom? Dead end. The girl took a step toward me. A toilet flushed in the men’s bathroom. I did the first thing that came to mind.

  I ran into the men’s bathroom, mousy girl tailing right behind me.

  Bowling over the poor kid coming out, I tumbled into the foreign territory. Nearly tripping over the mop bucket sitting in the entryway, I hurdled it at the last second. I slung open a stall door on the far end of the bathroom and climbed on top of the toilet, trying to buy some time.

  Bang, bang, bang. Each stall door was being thrown open. I struggled to pull my cell phone out of my pocket. Bang, bang. Two more down. One more until the stall I was in. Texting frantically, I shot off the worst shorthand text to Liam ever written. N guys rr. Nd hlp NOW. If he ever deciphered it, he should go on Wheel of Fortune.

  Bang. Mouse girl was staring at me. Smiling, she grabbed my ankles and pulled me out of the stall. My head hit the toilet on the trip down. “Now you get to see what I can really do.”

  Grabbing the collar of my shirt, she pinned me two inches off the ground. I could hardly breathe. What was with everyone being able to beat me senseless lately? “See what happens when you wander off with people you don’t know? Figure it out yet? No? Bad things happen. You think yo
u’d have learned in Ireland. Apparently not.”

  My mouth gaped open like a fish, causing mouse girl to laugh. What she didn’t know was Liam was behind her with the mop from the entrance of the bathroom. Bringing it down like an axe chopping a log, Liam connected with her right shoulder and took her down in one blow. He must have hit her pretty hard, because he knocked her out cold.

  Falling to the ground, I sat in shock. Liam was furious. “What in the blazes was that about?”

  “She talked about Ankou. She said I was an easy target.”

  He stepped over the girl’s limp body. “She’s right. That was the dumbest thing I could have done, letting you run off with a stranger.”

  I poked her with my big toe. No movement at all. “Did you kill her?”

  “No, just knocked her out good. It’s fi – ”

  Liam didn’t get the opportunity to finish his sentence. He was too busy staring at a very angry Memaw lying where the mouse girl had once been.

  SEVENTEEN

  Liam shrunk against the wall, leaving me to stand between him and Memaw. I would’ve hidden, too, if the opportunity had been there. The only problem was the fact that I was holding Memaw an arm’s length away from Liam while she berated him up one side and down the other.

  “Liam Jacob Walsh! Do you not have enough brain cells in that skull of yours to take care of my granddaughter for one day at this school? What happens when Jamie really comes around?”

  Liam and I cringed at the same time, both knowing it very well could have been Jamie and not Memaw. It seemed as though Liam had shrunk three feet as Memaw continued to tower over him. They were ending up closer as Memaw continued to push me tighter between them. Soon we were going to create an Ashlyn sandwich. The thought wasn't too appealing.

  “If you can’t do your job, I’ll make sure the Committee relieves you of your duties one way or another, Liam. That’s a promise. Keep an eye on my girl. I didn't protect her for sixteen years to have you get her killed in ten minutes. Your mother – ”

  Whatever Liam’s mother would have said or done we’d never know, because Memaw stopped mid-sentence. She cocked her head sideways and listened to something inaudible to us. I blinked and found that Memaw had shifted into Reese.

  “Gentlemen, what seems to be the problem?”

  Principal Schuveiller rounded the corner to enter the bathroom, taking in the sight before him. Seeing what looked like two guys sandwiching me, his mouth dropped. “Reese Williams. What in God’s name is going on?”

  Memaw did a perfect imitation of Reese. Shuffling his – I mean, her – feet, she coughed and spluttered out a half concocted excuse. “Uh, well you see, Sir, Ashlyn was showing the new transfer student around…and was showing him the bathrooms…and…”

  Principal Schuveiller lifted his hands. “You know what? I don’t want to know. Ashlyn, don’t let me catch you giving tours of this grandeur again. Reese, get to class,” he pointed to Liam. “Son, what’s your name?”

  “Liam, Sir. Liam Walsh.”

  “Mr. Walsh, I don’t know where you’re from, or how you do things there, but I’ll be keeping a close eye on you. Gallivanting around during class hours is unacceptable, especially with one of our brightest female students. I would expect you to show a little respect to a lady.”

  Liam struggled to hide his irritation with the situation. Swallowing loudly, he nodded. “Yes, Sir.”

  “I’ll be calling your host mother to inform her of the situation.”

  Reese – no, Memaw – spoke up. “That won’t be necessary. My mom and I are hosting him. I’ll make sure to explain things to her, Sir.”

  Principal Schuveiller nodded, seemingly mollified by the football team’s stud running back. Reese had a lot of leeway in the school. Memaw’s quick thinking was invaluable.

  After a minute of eyeing us, Principal Schuveiller left, leaving us to exhale a sigh of relief. Liam cleared his throat. “Well, that went as well as could be expected, I suppose.”

  Memaw pushed past me, walking Liam back until he was against the wall. She was still in Reese’s form. “Ashlyn’s safety is your priority. Don’t allow Ashlyn to be singled out like that again, or you won’t enjoy what happens afterwards.”

  With that, she strode out of the bathroom, a small strip of toilet paper stuck to her shoe.

  “Women,” Liam muttered.

  * * *

  After finishing PE in a much more somber mood, I followed Liam around the school twice while he tried to find his locker.

  “This bloody school is too big.”

  “You’re just in a bad mood.”

  Liam continued to grump as we turned the corner to the hallway his locker was in for the third time. “Wonder why.”

  “Your locker is right there.”

  He stopped, looking down at the paper in his hand. “I knew that.”

  Liam had never been this angry before. It didn’t seem like he was mad at anyone but himself, though. Memaw had struck a nerve. “Liam, it’s okay. Nothing happened that couldn’t be fixed. It was your first day here; only your second day in America. Nobody thinks you’re doing anything wrong.”

  “Except Emily.” He slammed his locker shut and walked away. “I’m going to the car.”

  “Not that way, you’re not.”

  Huffing, he turned around and stomped past me in the other direction. I followed behind, grabbing Mary from the doorway she was standing in, talking to Reese. He followed suit as well.

  Reaching the parking lot behind the school, Liam pushed the doors open and let in a biting, cold rush of air. He pulled it shut, turned to face us and leaned against the door. “You didn’t say you all lived in the Arctic Circle.”

  It was impossible not to laugh at him. “I wanted to warn you, but it was just too funny to watch you pack all your summer clothes.”

  He sighed, looking at Reese. Reese had grabbed me from behind, pulling me into his usual stance. What was once okay was obviously not so okay any longer. Liam came over, slipping through Reese’s embrace and taking his rightful spot. Mary made a move to come closer to Reese now that Liam had separated us. I hoped he got the point Mary was trying to make.

  Reese, having the four-wheel drive Jeep, had driven us all to school that morning since it had been snowing. “You guys wanna come back to my place, or Ash, do you wanna go to yours?”

  Liam answered for me. “We’re going to yours, Reese.”

  It was obvious that Memaw’s berating was still on his mind. Opting to avoid Hurricane Memaw was probably a good idea for now. We’d go to Reese’s place.

  It was a silent ride back after the initial testosterone thrill. Mary and I were in the back, holding on for dear life as Reese did donuts in the public pool parking lot that was beside the school. After a few rounds and before anyone could throw up, Reese pulled out and onto the road.

  Liam was white-knuckled, holding onto the dash. “You’re quite possibly the worst driver I’ve ever met in my entire life. That includes my ninety-year-old grandfather back in Ireland.”

  Reese chuckled. “I’m the best getaway driver you’ll ever find. In case of emergency, you'll know who to call.”

  If only he knew that we could have used him the week before.

  We got to Reese's house in record time for him. He was proud. “Fifteen minutes in inclement weather? Dude, that’s a Guinness Record.” He patted the Jeep’s hood and then trudged through the three-foot snowdrift in the driveway.

  We followed behind and upstairs to their now-shared room. The stark difference between their sides was almost comical. While Reese’s looked as though a nuclear bomb had gone off, you could actually see the floor on Liam’s side. It was amazing, considering there had been a general consensus that Reese’s floor may be nonexistent in places.

  Reese had given Liam his bed, opting for the full sized outdoor hammock he had rigged into place instead. Mary and I stood in the doorway, watching the guys throw their belongings down. Reese turned on the ridiculous big
screen TV he had in his room, relaxing in the hammock. “Toss me a coke, Ash, will you?”

  Mary was on it before I could reach the mini fridge, grabbing one out and flipping it to him. He snatched it out of the air and blew her a kiss. Mary grinned. For everyone’s sake, I hoped those two ended up together.

  As if reading my mind, Reese got up and sauntered over to us. Turning and seeing that Liam had sprawled himself across the bed, he walked up, grabbed my hips, and pulled me in close as though Liam wasn’t three feet away. “I haven’t had a good hug since you got back, Ash.”

  There was no time to respond, because in that instant Liam yanked Reese backwards and pushed him against the back wall. The picture of him and I that had been hanging on the wall was now on the floor, glass scattered across the room.

  Reese spluttered, shocked by the sudden attack. “What the heck’s wrong with you, man?”

  Liam’s back was to me, but I could imagine the seriousness his face displayed. “Don’t. Touch. My. Girlfriend.”

  “Look, dude, we were friends way before you ever came into the picture.”

  Liam slammed him once more, then walked back to the bed. “Then be friends. But don’t try to hit on her, especially in front of me.”

  Reese laughed. “This is my house. You’re just a guest. And I can talk to her any way I want.”

  “Don’t you think if she wanted you, she’d have been with you by now?”

  Silence. Mary and I were in shock. Reese’s mouth gaped open, then snapped shut, looking down.

  Mary broke the silence. “I think we’re gonna go now.”

  Turning and taking a step toward the stairs, she grabbed my hand. The last thing I saw was a frustrated Liam and Reese looking like he could cry. I was going to become a nun and save everyone some stress.

  EIGHTEEN

  “I told you Reese wanted you.”

  “Mary, please shut up.”

  She turned on the radio. Mary drove like an old person in bad weather. That meant we were basically going backward. It was probably possible to walk home faster, but I might have frozen to death in the process. Sitting in the car and keeping all my fingers and toes seemed smarter.