Breaking Rules

by S. B. Alexander

  Train hadn’t shown up for school. I’d called with no luck. I’d also sent several texts but received no response. Reagan and Elvira had no clue. My stomach was in a ball of knots. I hadn’t eaten. I was on the verge of freaking out. In history class, I asked Austin where Train was. He didn’t know and couldn’t get ahold of Train, either.

  The odd thing was I hadn’t seen Nina at all in school, which also made me think that Train and Nina were together. He’d wanted to talk to her, but if he was with her, she wouldn’t have let him talk. Instead, she would have stripped him naked.

  He wouldn’t let her do that. I didn’t know Nina that well, but she’d shown me enough of her personality that I knew she would do whatever she needed to do to get Train. And since he wasn’t the type of guy to hurt a girl, he might not have a way to stop her.

  I navigated the halls down to the locker room. Since school had let out about thirty minutes ago, the guys were probably changing. Before I checked the locker room, I stuck my head into Coach’s office. Mom had heard back from Joey Dennison.

  I knocked.

  He lifted his head from his computer.

  “I came down to tell you that Joey Dennison is in Europe. I’m sorry.” Mom had gotten an email yesterday, explaining that he was on vacation.

  Coach frowned. “Thanks anyway.”

  “Maybe he can help out next season.” I didn’t know that for sure, but I felt bad for Coach. His face had brightened when he found out that my mom had dated Joey.

  “Sounds good.” He resumed reading his computer screen.

  I bounced down the hall, and as I approached the locker room, my stomach tightened. Maybe Train was having second thoughts about us, considering I attracted trouble, and he couldn’t let anything jeopardize his USC scholarship. Stop thinking the bad thoughts. The voice in my head was having a jolly time, leading me to believe the worst.

  I rolled my shoulders back as I entered the stinky room, my gaze searching every boy who was either stripped down to his skivvies or shirtless. The voices hummed but died when the guys laid eyes on me. Derek jumped off the bench and blocked me with his hulking physique.

  I peeked around him to no avail. “I’m looking for Train.”

  He folded muscled arms over his equally sculpted chest. “He’s not here.” His tone was curt.

  “Bull.” I stepped around him.

  He blocked me again. “Do yourself a favor and wait until after practice.”

  Sweet Lou, Elvira’s new beefy boyfriend, sidled up to Derek. “Train is in the weight room, Montana.” His voice was friendly as he glared at Derek. “Please remember that things are not always what they seem.”

  I pushed Derek out of my way, although he let me. “Nina’s in there, isn’t she?”

  I kept my gaze ahead until Austin emerged from in between a bank of lockers, dressed in his football pants and no shirt. His blond hair was pulled back with a black bandana. “Montana, he’s only trying to get answers.”

  Nina wouldn’t give Train any answers, not ones that were true.

  “Austin,” I warned.

  He slid out of my way, clearing my path to the door that seemed ominous ahead. When I glanced through the window, a knife went through my heart, and I lost my breath.

  Train had Nina pinned against the punching bag like he’d done to me. I saw stars, bright and blinding, and flattened my hand on the wall to keep me upright. It sure didn’t look as if Train was trying to get any answers.

  Nina was touching Train’s face as she batted her eyelashes up at him. If that wasn’t painful to see, then her hand on his ass was enough to make me vomit. Scratch that. Bile rose quickly into my throat when I finally absorbed Train in nothing but his boxer briefs.

  With my pulse beating loudly in my ears, I pictured ripping out Nina’s thin hair, strand by strand. I didn’t know what I wanted to do with Train. Whether he was talking to her or not, he was too fucking close to her, and that closeness was driving that knife further through my heart.

  I puffed out my chest, pulled open the door with so much force that it banged against the wall, and stormed in.

  Nina scrunched her face with a ha-ha grin.

  Bitch!

  Austin rushed to my side as though he would protect me. He cleared his throat.

  “I told you guys to leave us alone,” Train barked, not looking over his shoulder. His hands were fisted at his sides.

  “I’m not one of your guys. I thought I was your girlfriend.” I sounded as though someone was shaking me. “But I see I was wrong.”

  He flew backward, zeroing in on me with panic swimming in his eyes. “It’s not what you think.”

  I swept my gaze over him from head to toe, relieved that at least he didn’t have an erection like he’d had with me. “What is it, then? Is shoving your body against your ex your way of getting answers? What’s next? You rescue Nina from drowning then take her to bed to make her talk?”

  I wanted to erase the satisfied smirk on Nina’s face. Bitch!

  Austin rushed over to hop on a treadmill, which seemed odd until Coach Holmes’s voice rang loudly in my ears.

  “What’s going on?” Coach asked from behind me. “And Everly, why the fuck are you practically naked with two girls in here? Don’t answer that. I’ll deal with you in a minute. First”—he wagged a gnarly finger at me then Nina—“get out. If I see either of you in here again, I’ll have you suspended.”

  I swallowed hard, wanting nothing more than to scream bloody murder at Train, Nina, and myself. I wasn’t about to get suspended over a boy. I would rather get kicked out of school for anything else. I had so many conflicting emotions barreling through me. I believed Train wanted to help clear my name. I believed he didn’t want anything to do with Nina. But I was deeply hurt by the way he was trying to get Nina to talk. Giving into her desires wasn’t a way to get answers. You did the same to him when you brought him over your house and used your sexuality to get answers. But neither of us was in a relationship with anyone else.

  Shut up! I screamed at my conscience. Then I laughed to myself. I was halfway to crazy. I glared at Train hard, trying to keep my sanity, my dignity, and from bawling my eyes out. I straightened my spine and walked out. As soon as I crossed the threshold, several pairs of eyes were on me. Some guys looked as though they wanted to console me, while others were shaking their heads.

  “I’m sorry,” Derek said as I passed him.

  Once I made it out to the bright sunshine, I shuddered, trying to hold back tears. But my tears dried up when heels prodded behind me.

  “Train doesn’t want you.” Nina’s voice was sure and so flipping loud. “Train and I got too much history to throw away.”

  Her cousin Drew might have been shy, but Nina shopped at a different mall.

  I whirled around. “You threw away any chances with Train when you cheated. Also, I know you’re behind all the graffiti in school, and you wrote my name on the paint can that you found. An orange jumpsuit will look good on you.”

  She held her head high, although a hint of fear shot out of her murky gray eyes. “You can’t prove a thing.”

  “Watch me. And stay away from Train.”

  “He wants me. You saw him all over me.” Her voice held so much pride.

  I met her, nose to nose, with my fists ready to punch. “He was using you to get answers.” I wasn’t sure about that. “So again, stay the fuck away from him and me.” I turned on my heel to leave.

  “Bitch,” she said.

  Don’t engage. Keep walking. I did one better. I ran home, my mind a jumbled mess. The image of Train’s body almost flush with Nina’s made me want to bawl my eyes out. I’d never wanted a boy to affect me like Nikko had, but my emotions were on overdrive. The act of pounding my feet into the pavement kept my tears at bay until I reached the house.

  Mom was removing bags of groceries from her car. When she saw me, she froze, almost losing a bag. “What happened?”

  I huffed out breath after breath. “N
othing.” I took one of the bags from her then slammed the trunk, the act reverberating through me.

  “Did Mr. Flynn find out more about the vandal? Or did something happen with you and Train?”

  The minute she said his name, my tear ducts flew open. I stomped into the house and into the kitchen then set the grocery bag on the counter.

  Mom came in a second later. When her hands were free, she pulled me in for a hug. “I’m going to assume it’s Train since if your name was cleared, you’d be happy. Unless the principal is suspending you.”

  “It’s Train!” I cried.

  “Aw, honey.” Her sweet motherly tone made me cry harder. She eased back and lifted my chin. “Tell me what happened.”

  I snagged a tissue off the desk next to the fridge. “I found Train with Nina, like their bodies were almost flush together. She had her hands all over him. I know he’s trying to help me clear my name, but he didn’t have to be so close to her.”

  She started putting the ice cream and other frozen foods into the freezer. “Did you talk to him?”

  “I didn’t get a chance to.” Even if Coach hadn’t come in and Train and I had talked, I wouldn’t have listened. He could’ve told me he loved me, and I wouldn’t have heard him. Well, maybe I would’ve heard that, but I might not have believed him.

  “Do you love him?”

  I wiped the snot from my nose. “I don’t know. Maybe.” My stomach felt as though someone had taken a filet knife and carved out the lining. “It gutted me to see them together.”

  “Was he touching her? Did you see them kissing?”

  I shook my head. “He had his arms at his sides.”

  “Honey, maybe it’s not what you think. You even said that he’s trying to help clear your name. And if Nina wants him back, it sounds to me like she’ll do anything. Women have their ways of luring men back into their seductive web.”

  She had seemed to be doing a bang-up job, although Train had been tense, as though he’d wanted to punch her. Still, he didn’t have to talk to her in his underwear or be so close for her to get the point. That girl will never get the message that Train doesn’t want her.

  I sniffled. “I hate feeling like my insides are being ripped to shreds. Why does love hurt? It’s not supposed to.”

  She smoothed a hand over my hair. “Love will be worth all the pain with the right boy.”

  “Train isn’t the right boy.” Yes, he is. He’s handsome, sexy, he likes all my flaws, he can dance, he saved my life, he’s a good kisser, and when he looks at me, I feel like I’m the only one he wants, or at least I hope I am.

  She gave me a weak smile. “Don’t give up on him, Montana. Your emotions are tender right now. Let things die down.”

  Maybe she was right. “I should get ready for work. Thank you, Mom.”

  She kissed me on the forehead. “I love you.”

  “Ditto,” I said as I went up to my room.

  After I dried my tears, freshened up, and changed into a red sundress and black sandals, I went down to the kitchen, where Mom was finishing unpacking groceries. “I’m off to work. Do I look okay?” My eyes were puffy.

  “Beautiful,” she said. “Work will take your mind off things. Now, be careful. Oh, and Montana, I know when you get upset, you tend to do things that get you in trouble.” Her tone held a warning. “Promise me you won’t tag or do something stupid.”

  I hadn’t even considered tagging, although she was right. “I promised you I wouldn’t.” But maybe it was time to break some rules. Then we would move again, and all the high school drama, including Train, would be a speck on a map.

  Ten minutes later, I parked my car downtown and headed up the street to the art gallery. Dusk crawled through the streets of Charleston, and people strolled along as if they didn’t have a care in the world. I wished I didn’t have anything to care about, but sadly, I couldn’t get my mind off of Train and my mom’s question. Did I love Train? He did make my stomach flutter. One look into his sea-green eyes, and I was a pile of mush. Not only that, but he made me want to punch him and kiss him at the same time. I didn’t know if love was any of those things.

  I was a block from the gallery when my phone rang. I fumbled for it in my bag. When I got my hands on my cell, the ringing ended. A moment later, a message on the screen showed I had missed a call from Train. I waited a second to see if he would leave a message. When one didn’t register, I shoved the phone back in my bag. I didn’t have time to talk anyway, and I wasn’t in the mood, either.

  Carol, my manager, greeted me with a nod over her reading glasses when I breezed in. A sip-and-paint session wasn’t on the schedule. So I set to work, helping customers with any questions they had about the various paintings and pictures that peppered the walls around the gallery. My two-hour shift actually flew by. I was thankful for the distraction from school, Nina, and Train, although, if I were being honest, I wanted to call Train. I wanted to ask him all sorts of questions. Why weren’t you in school? Why didn’t you answer your phone?

  When my shift finally ended, Carol came out of her office. “Montana, I’ll see you tomorrow night for the sip-and-draw event.”

  If I’m not dead from heartbreak. “Sure,” I said before heading into the humid night.

  On the way to my car, I passed by an alley and heard two people arguing. Normally, I didn’t venture into alleys, but the guy’s voice sounded scarily familiar, as did that of the girl he was arguing with.

  As I padded down the dead-end path, a muted light from the building on my right illuminated the area, and the faint smell of garbage tickled my nose. The deeper I got, the more my eyes opened, not only at the sound of their voices, but at the fact that the guy was tagging the building on my left.

  I stopped midway to admire his work until I realized he was painting my flipping signature—Spunk. Only the artwork was ten times better than the one at school. I tore my gaze away to find Nina standing close by.

  “Are you following me?” Nina asked.

  I glanced past her to the guy with dark spiked hair. “Ferris?”

  I was too frozen to do anything, when Nina pushed me. I fell backward on my ass as fury coursed through me like an angry cat who’d lost a mouse.

  Ferris caught Nina’s arm just as she was about to punch me.

  I hopped to my feet, listing to one side before I steadied myself.

  With Nina in his grasp, Ferris asked, “What are you doing here, Montana?”

  I let out a nervous laugh. “Me?” The puzzle pieces were slowly falling into place. “You both are out to get me? I can see why Nina would, but you, Ferris? That’s where I’m lost. Are you mad because I ditched you as my tutor? Or are you mad because I won’t go out with you? And why this building?” When I walked past them to get a closer look at the graffiti, I spotted a paint can on the pebbled ground and wondered if they had written my name on the can. I picked it up and inspected it in the dim light, but I didn’t see my name. I pivoted on my heel to face them. “I’m waiting.”

  Ferris’s chest heaved as though he was ready to talk. Nina, on the other hand, pulled free from him and launched herself at me.

  I sidestepped her, and she fell on her hands and knees, growling like a rabid dog.

  Hmm. I was holding paint in my hand.

  Nina jumped to her feet.

  I pointed the nozzle at the side of her head. “Talk, or I’ll spray your hair blue.”

  Her eyebrows shot up to her scalp. “You wouldn’t.”

  Ferris walked over to her. “Tell her,” he said to Nina in a gruff tone. “It’s over. And I’m out.”

  “No,” Nina whined. “She doesn’t belong in this town. She doesn’t deserve Train.”

  “Ferris,” I said. “Do you honestly want to go to jail? Vandalizing school and now private property? Do you want to ruin your chances for making valedictorian?” I hoped one of those options would hit home with him.

  He packed up his paint cans with the exception of the one I held. “This buil
ding is owned by Train’s dad.”

  I gulped down air. “So you thought spraying my signature artwork would make me the guilty one? Like you did in school? And what? You think Train will find out and not want me anymore?”

  Nina’s body was stiff as a board. “Don’t talk, Ferris.”

  I still had the paint can pointed at her.

  Ferris tipped his chin at Nina. “I didn’t do the one in school. She did.”

  “Argh!” she squealed. “Stupid boy.”

  I understood Nina’s motives but not his. “What is she holding over your head?”

  Nina moved an inch. I pressed down on the nozzle, letting the paint fly, coloring her hair bright blue.

  She hunched her shoulders, stomping her feet. “I will end you.”

  I lowered the can but kept it directed at her. “Move again, and I’ll paint your body.”

  Ferris glowered at Nina. “I needed the money. And you owe me my other half.”

  “I’m not paying you crap. You didn’t even follow through on the school wall. I had to do that.”

  “Oh, so you did vandalize the school.” I eyed both of them. “And the locker room door?”

  Ferris threw his bag over his shoulder. “Her. Not me. All I did was tutor you, try to get you to go out with me so your attention wouldn’t be on Train, and I shared your artwork with Nina.”

  At that moment, something occurred to me. “Did Ms. Shepard ask you to tutor me?” After hearing his confession, I got the feeling I had been duped from the very beginning.

  He nodded. “Ms. Shepard did.”

  I didn’t know whether to be relieved or not. Regardless, a smart guy like Ferris had fallen under the spell of a woman who’d probably ruined him and his chance at being valedictorian. Sure, the prestigious honor of graduating as the smartest person among the senior class was based on grades, but other factors also played a part, like not getting into trouble—at least that was the way my last school had handled valedictorian.

  “You’re such a loser, Ferris,” Nina said with disgust.

  I had to decide how to clear my name. Ferris’s confession was great, but Principal Flynn needed to hear it, and I wasn’t sure what to do about Mr. Everly’s building. One thing I needed to do was somehow get rid of my signature that was splattered on the brick. I could paint over it. But my mind went blank when Nina kicked me in the stomach.