He was the most gorgeous specimen I’d ever seen. “Oh shit.” Crap I said that out loud. He gave me one of those smirks that you only see on the big screen and walked away towards the other jocks that were already getting on the field.
“Who the hell was that?” I turned back around. She was gone with the wind.
Chapter 6
TAMMY
I stood in stark fear as they circled around me again and again, shouting their taunts at me.
This was nothing new, I had grown accustomed to this treatment at their hands in the last school year, and it didn’t look like anything had changed for the new one.
My best friend Belle stood off to the side, not able to do anything to help because I’d made her promise not to get involved.
I knew it was hard for her to watch, but I didn’t want her to come under attack as well.
She was spared the worst of their antagonism by some miracle, but me, for whatever reasons they hated me and has been singling me out for their special brand of torture.
I’d hidden out all day like a ninny, not wanting to draw their ire. After showing up I’d hidden away in the musty old music room after picking up most of the year’s assignment sheets.
I knew that today was going to be hard; the new guy was coming. As if I’d have any interest in him. But past experience had taught me that I would be at the receiving end of whatever viciousness they chose to dole out and I had been trying to avoid that.
Now it seemed I’d hidden away for nothing, because just when I’d thought I was safe, they pounced.
I thought I’d timed it so well too, they were supposed to be at practice for at least another half hour.
I’d stupidly wasted time heading down to the counselor’s office trying to catch him before he left for the day.
I had to go over the list of students I’d be tutoring this semester. I’d been so excited too when I’d left the office, and now this.
There was no rhyme or reason to their meanness. I wasn’t a nerd or fat or ugly or any of the other things you heard used as excuses for bullying.
I wasn’t the most beautiful girl in school, not by a long shot, but I wasn’t exactly chop liver either.
I was bright yes, probably the brightest person in the whole school, as was witnessed by my many honors and trophies that had been collected over the years.
But I didn’t flaunt it or anything, and since when was it a sin to be smart?
They never gave a reason for their hatred of me, just one day out of nowhere the attacks had started, and though no one had actually hit me as yet, I was afraid it was only a matter of time before it got to that point.
I hadn’t shared my personal hell with my parents because I didn’t want to make waves, but if this kept up I was going to have to do something.
“Look at her; are those clothes from the thrift shop? They’re like last year’s cast offs or something. I think that use to be my shirt.” Mandy Taylor jeered at me as her friends joined in the laughter.
I tried once again to get through the circle but they closed in on me. Liz Summers, who seemed to be the ringleader today, stepped forward and I felt today was the day that things would escalate; there was such venom in her face, but why?
What had I ever done to her? She was one of the most popular girls in school, a member of the cheerleading squad, and she dated the hottest guy in school; well to me anyway, though most people thought Jace was number one.
The thought of Shane Dumas made me blush even now. He was my guilty little secret, the one thing that made coming here a pleasure, even though he didn’t know that I existed.
I had almost had a heart attack when I was chosen to tutor him. And even though he’d had to cancel our first session, not even that could dampen my spirits.
But Liz had no reason for her animosity towards me, she had it all, she’s blonde and blue eyed with a body that the guys were always drooling over.
She had the best clothes, the flashiest car, everything a young high school girl could ever want, but somehow she was not happy, and I was beginning to think more and more that her anger had something to do with me.
But wrack my brain as I might, I could never figure it out. We didn’t move in the same circles, never had.
There has never been any falling out between us, just one day out of the blue she’d gone postal and had decided from that day to this that she was going to make it her life’s mission to torment me.
“Hey what’re you guys doing?”
I knew that voice, it gave me goose bumps and sent a tingling down my spine.
Oh please no, the last thing I needed was for him to see my humiliation or worse yet, to join in.
“Nothing honey, we were just having a little conversation.”
She was all smiles and loveliness, nothing like the tyrant that had just been taunting me.
I used the opportunity to slip away without a word, just glad that things hadn’t gone any farther.
I couldn’t help one last look back though. Why is it that the heart falls for the wrong person?
I knew there was no way Shane would ever have any kind of feelings for me, why would he? He was dating one of the prettiest girls in school, and he too was from a well to do family.
They moved in the same circles, had the same friends. I was never going to be in their league. Not for the first time I bemoaned my mousy dishwater blonde hair and pale green eyes.
My five foot three frame wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t anything spectacular either.
When I look at him I can find nothing appealing in myself, I always come up short.
He’s tall dark and handsome, he has a beauty that I’ve seen only on a movie screen, but no screen character has ever made my heart beat out of time, made my palms sweat and my body feel weak.
In that one quick glance I took it all in, before turning away again.
“You should tell your dad Tam, this is getting out of hand. What if Shane hadn’t come along? She was going to hit you I know it, and then I would’ve had to kick her skinny ass no matter what you say.”
I was in a bad place, at sixteen it wasn’t cool to run home to mom and dad and tattle.
But there were so many stories in the news these days about kids killing themselves because of bullying.
Or worst yet, kids killing other kids in the most horrific ways. I didn’t want to end up a statistic I just wanted to be left alone.
“If it happens again I will I promise.”
I headed for my car, the little Prius that I was so fond of. My parents had got it for me for my sixteenth birthday.
It was perfect for the person I am. No flash, no big wow to show off for my friends, but I love it. Plus it was what my folks could afford.
I was lucky to be even going to school here, but because dad was part of the faculty, this was one of the perks. Maybe that’s the problem; I wasn’t one of them.
Driving through the streets of our quaint little town, I took in the serenity around me.
Most people can’t wait to get away from this place to head for the bright lights of Hollywood not too far away.
But I can’t imagine living anywhere else. I love the simplicity, compared to the surrounding areas where most of my peers lived.
There’s one stoplight in town, one general store, a police station and a gas station in this part of town. That’s about all the town has to offer to most.
For me, I see the green of the trees, the dense forest that surrounds us, the closeness of the community, softball and football and all the little things that spell home for me.
I never want to leave. Well maybe for college, but then I’m coming right back here to spend the rest of my days.
I dropped Belle off at home and headed for my own house where my stay at home mom would be waiting.
My dad will be home in another couple hours, he always stays back at the school a little longer, and then we’ll sit around the dinner table and have dinner.
My parents
will flirt and tease each other, and as old as I am, it still makes my heart feel so light to watch them like that with each other. It makes me feel safe somehow.
***
“So how are things at school princess? You get the results back from the state finals yet?”
“No that’s next week dad.”
“How do you think you did?”
“Dad you ask me that every night.”
“I know kiddo it’s because I’m so proud of you.”
“I’m proud of you too.” I kissed his head, feeling so lucky to have such a loving family. It makes me wonder how one’s life could be so vastly different.
Here, I’m the beloved daughter, cherished and protected. At school where I’m supposed to be protected, the place where I spend most of the hours of my young life, I’m subjected to terror.
There’s something disturbingly wrong with this picture.
Upstairs alone in my room, the room that I had decorated myself because mom decided I was old enough to do it, I put on my iPod and did my homework. To the strains of sixties music I studied and let my mind wander every once in a while, to Shane.
Chapter 7
SIAN
I barely made it through the rest of practice, my mind kept wandering to him and I spent more time gazing off onto the football field to catch a glimpse than I did paying attention.
It was a good thing that all we were doing was exercise for now because I was afraid if I had to fly I’d land on my ass or break my neck.
I wasn’t sure if anyone noticed my distracted state, but I tried to keep it on the down low. There was a better than great chance that he belonged to one of these girls. There’s no way that someone who looked like that wasn’t already taken.
Though very averse to poaching, I found my mind straying to just such a thought. I felt suddenly bereft and melancholy, and my usual zest for contorting myself into inhuman positions was now gone. You could say there was a cloud in my stone.
“I saw you looking, don’t even think about it, he’s taken.” Mandy came out of nowhere when I was leaving the locker room. I saw her posse off to the side watching us.
I knew it, but why did it have to be her? I had found with the more time spent in her presence I had a total dislike for this sub human. She was such a cliché as to be laughable.
Still, good morals dictate that I leave that shit alone, though my body, as yet untried had other ideas.
“Don’t know what you’re talking about; by the way you need to work on your one man you’re a little weak in the knees, someone could get hurt.” I walked away and left her fuming.
For some reason I found myself royally pissed at the unknown jackass that had the bad taste to date that twit.
None of your business Sian, I’m sure there are other worthy applicants roaming these halls.
But not once since mom and dad had lifted the seal had I had that reaction to anyone.
Before, when I couldn’t date, I didn’t even let myself look over the menu, why bother? It’s like being on a diet and heading to the bakery. Though there had been a few guys that had sparked a slight interest, but nothing to write home about.
Then afterwards when they gave the all clear, there hadn’t been enough time between then and the move.
Now my first real eye opener was out of my reach. I had no doubt that she wolf would hunt me down and eat my young if I even breathed in his direction.
I had to wait for Jared to finish with his stupid practice to take me home, so I decided to not tempt fate any farther and go wait by the car instead of heading to the field where ‘he’ was. Though I wanted to so badly.
It didn’t matter that I didn’t like her I live by a certain creed. If I wouldn’t like something for myself I can’t do it to others. Bummer.
Fifteen minutes later I saw them coming. My heart started to race and I got that feeling like I was falling again. My limbs got heavy and my head grew light.
He was looking at me like he knew me. You know that look, like he could see right through me. I caught myself staring and salivating and looked away.
How dare he? I hate guys like that. He has a girl, so why was he looking at me like I was his next meal?
I dropped into my seat studiously ignoring him as my brother finished talking before joining me. I barely restrained myself from asking about the dreamboat, and I still didn’t know his name.
When he walked over to the Phantom and got in, all I could do was shake my head. It figures. Now I was sullen and out of sorts for the rest of the ride home.
Jared didn’t seem to notice he just kept going on and on about how much fun he was going to have here.
***
Mom and dad had a million and one questions. You’d think Jared and I had attended kindergarten for the first time. I guess the first day in a new school worked out to about the same thing for them.
Maggie was happy enough, full of chatter about her new school and her new friends and all the exciting things she was going to be doing this year.
I reminded myself to grill her later and make sure all was really well and that no one was bothering her.
It had been a while since I’d been faced with the perils of school politics, but after all that I’d seen today, and that look on little Cassandra’s face, my eyes were reopened.
Maggie is an introvert; she holds things in a lot, so if I wanted to know anything I’d have to pry.
Where I might’ve been a bit reticent to stick my foot in where my own situation was concerned, I wouldn’t be too accepting if I found that my little sister was at the receiving end of that crap.
Jared, when it was his turn, went on and on about the new team and what he hoped for this year. I turned my nose up a couple times but I was secretly proud of him. He really excelled at that stupid game.
He was all-atwitter about the hotshot quarterback who he deemed as cool. He went on and on about this person and from the way my body reacted, I had a sneaky suspicion that he was talking about my new bane of existence.
“Jace” I rolled the name off my tongue quietly and felt a stirring, oh crap.
JACE
Hmm, so she’s the new girl that everyone was going on and on about. The guys had already started staking their claim by the time I made it to the locker room that evening.
I knew she was my new wide receiver’s sister and that she was hot, but that’s all I’d gotten since I’d been missing from school that day.
Jared took the ribbing about his hot little sister good naturedly as we got ready to hit the practice field.
I kept my thoughts to myself not really having an interest one way or the other.
From what I’d heard so far she seemed no different from all the rest that were already here; just another blonde cheerleader who would probably just fall in with the in crowd.
Imagine my surprise when I’d overheard that little conversation while making my way out to the field.
The others had beaten me out of the locker room and I was taking my sweet time. I’d figured out who she was from a distance since she’d been the only new face I’d seen.
I couldn’t tell much from afar, only that she was blonde and very tiny. My heart gave that little blip it does when he sees something he likes but I wasn’t about to jump on the bandwagon.
Her brother was cool, I liked him, but there was no guarantee that she had the same down to earth personality.
I was more than pleasantly surprised when I came up behind her and overheard what she was saying to the girl. I could assess the situation with a glance.
Glasses, braces, slumped shoulders, cheerleader try-outs. I knew the younger girl must’ve been cut. I’d been about to step in if she’d been hassling the other girl but she wasn’t doing that.
In fact she was doing something that I would’ve done myself in the same situation. When she’d turned and looked at me I thought I’d swallow my tongue.
The guys had been a bit off, she wasn’t hot she was fucking scorching.
One look and I knew. My year was looking up already.
I wasn’t too bothered by her about face at the car when I’d walked up with her brother and the others. They were all there to ogle her one last time for the day, though she didn’t seem to notice.
I’d been watching her from the field while their coach was putting them through their paces and I’d seen her again coming out of the girl’s locker room, so I hadn’t missed the little exchange between her and Mandy.
It didn’t take a scientist to figure out what that was about, but I wasn’t worried. Once I set my sights on something, pretty much nothing could stand in my way.
Chapter 8
SIAN
That night I tossed and turned as the memory of his face intruded on my every thought. I felt a burning in my stomach followed by nausea.
I knew that I was fighting my own resolve here. That ingrained sense of decency dictated that I not give into the new feelings that plagued me.
He belonged to someone else. But my heart didn’t seem to care. It was almost pitiful the way I felt.
My girlfriends, some of whom had been allowed to date long before I was, because their parents lived in the new millennium and not the stone ages like mine did, were always full of stories of the ups and downs of their relationships. Not once do I recall any of them having this issue.
They’d all just seemed to pair off with their chosen beaux, though sometimes they might have been another interested party off to the sidelines, but nothing like this.
I had no experience quite frankly with not getting something I wanted. Not in the mean girl ‘I’d run over you and take what’s yours’ sort of way, but just that life had always been so kind to me. Until now!
I beat my pillow into submission and groaned out loud, ‘go to sleep Sian he’s just a stupid boy.’
I must’ve dropped off somewhere around midnight, because the next thing I was aware of was dad tickling my ear with my hair to get me up.
Eden High: (A Serial Novel Book 1) Page 4