by Wendi Wilson
“Oh, uh, yeah. Sorry.”
“I’m Tiana,” she said, “and this is Aubrey.”
The names sounded familiar. I thought Tiana was in my sociology class, but I felt like I knew them from somewhere else. As I nodded in greeting to each of them, I remembered. I’d read their names on one of the doors I passed on the way to my room.
“Is that your real hair color?” Aubrey asked, her voice dripping with disgust.
“Of course it is, Aubrey,” Tiana sneered. “Who would willingly make their hair look like that?”
“I don’t know, but she should think about bleaching it. She looks like one of them. All she needs are the black eyes, and she could totally pass as a Zephyr.”
Anger roiled through me, settling like a heavy pit in my gut. Not only were they spewing nasty insults, they were talking about me like I wasn’t even there. I had no doubt they were intentionally trying to set me off. See how far they could push me, maybe get me in trouble in the process, if I lost it and attacked them.
Of course, there was no way I was going to attack either of them, no matter how badly I might’ve wanted to. One glance around the gym told me the students were highly trained fighters. I might get in a punch or two, but Tiana and Aubrey could probably wipe the floor with me. I had to be smart.
“Maybe you could recommend a good bleach,” I said, my voice dripping with honey. “Yours almost looks natural.”
Tiana’s eyes narrowed as Aubrey sputtered something about being a natural blonde. I kept my eyes on Tiana, somehow instinctively knowing she was the more dangerous of the two. I was going to have to watch my back with that one.
She opened her mouth to no doubt spew some venom and take me to my knees, but no sound came out. Instead, a deeper voice rang out from behind me. One so smooth and rich, a shudder ran down my spine at the sound of it.
“Tiana, I need to speak with you. Right now.”
I didn’t turn to him. I didn’t even look over my shoulder. First off, I refused to turn my back on the blondes in front of me. I wasn’t stupid. And second, I already knew who was speaking. I recognized the deep timbre from earlier.
Tiana’s face morphed into an expression of sugar and spice and all things nice, a wide smile showing off her perfect white teeth. She looked like some heavenly being sent down to taunt us mere mortals with her splendor.
It was all a façade.
“We’ll see you later, December,” she said, latching onto Aubrey’s arm.
Her words were a threat, no doubt about it. I turned to watch them go, walking in perfect sync as they followed Easton to the other side of the room. He came to a halt and turned back, his eyes landing on me and narrowing before focusing on the blondes.
“Apparently, I’m not even worthy of their bullying,” I muttered under my breath.
“What was that, dear?”
I jumped with a raspy squeak and pressed a palm to my chest to keep my heart inside. I looked up at Rowan, a sympathetic smile turning up the corners of his mouth as he leaned heavily on his cane.
“Sorry,” I said between breaths. “You scared me.”
“It is I who must apologize, then,” he said, bowing his head toward me. “I did not mean to frighten you.”
“Do you teach this class, too?” I asked, forcing my gaze to remain on his face and not stray to his cane.
He chuckled. “Would it surprise you if I said yes?” he challenged.
I shrugged. “Probably, but that seems to be the theme of the day. Everything about this place has surprised me.”
“With more surprises to come, no doubt,” he murmured, a faraway look in his eyes before he refocused on mine. “I actually came to check on you, to see how things are going.”
“So far, so good,” I mumbled, my eyes cast downward.
“I see you met Tiana and Aubrey. Lovely girls, eh?”
I look up at him, ready to lie and agree, but mischief was shining in his turquoise eyes. I arched a brow and propped one hand on my hip.
“Yeah. Lovely,” I said, my voice dripping in sarcasm.
He laughed then, a full-bodied sound that echoed through the gymnasium. The students around us stopped what they were doing and stared. Heat rushed to my face as I looked around, catching dozens of pairs of eyes on me, included the ice-blue ones of Easton Oberon, who was still flanked on either side by Tiana and Aubrey.
“You are truly a delight, December Thorne,” Rowan said as he turned to leave.
I watched him go, a smile pulling up at one corner of my mouth. I was really starting to like him.
“Let’s go Ms. Thorne!”
I swung around at the sound of my name. A teacher stood off to the side, her tall, lithe body dressed much like the students save for the whistle hanging around her neck. She motioned for me to hurry up, so I broke into a jog as I headed toward her.
“Since you’re new, and I’m assuming you don’t know how to do that,” she said, pointing toward the sparring mats where students were grappling on the floor, “you can run laps today. Once I find someone willing to work with you and get you up to speed, you can start learning Jiu Jitsu.”
I stood there staring at her stupidly, like she was speaking a foreign language I didn’t understand. Jiu Jitsu? What happened to volleyball? Or badminton?
“Move your butt, Thorne,” she shouted, making my feet move.
I wasn’t sure where I was supposed to run and didn’t take the time to ask. I moved to the outer edge of the gym and found a lined path that formed a track around the perimeter. I veered onto it, keeping my pace slow and measured.
The pounding rhythm of my feet drowned out the rest of the class as I escaped into my own head. I thought about Shaela and how amazing she was. I thought about Rowan and Celeste, and how they’d done their best to make my transition a smooth one.
I thought about how, despite being mostly alone and in a strange place with a bunch of strange people, Oberon Academy beat where I used to be by leaps and bounds. I didn’t have to worry about when I was going to get my next meal. I knew it would be at six o’clock, and there’d be plenty to eat. I didn’t have to worry about what I’d wear, and whether there were stains or holes. I had a trunk full of uniforms and shoes.
I didn’t have to worry about anyone sneaking into my room to hurt me at night.
And that was worth any amount of petty bullying, snide comments, or threatening glares these kids could ever toss my way. Hell, I was used it. At least I had Shaela on my side. And Rowan. I already, after one day, had more support than I’d ever had in my old life.
“Hey.”
The deep voice ripped me from my own head, and I stumbled. A strong hand on my elbow steadied me, the warm fingers burning into my skin like fire. Or ice. Or some combination of the two.
Easton released me quickly, but kept pace beside me as we turned the corner. I felt nervous, and the feeling only intensified when his elbow brushed against mine as we jogged. A tingling sensation crept along my skin, and I fought the urge to shake my arm to ease it.
We jogged for a bit in silence. I didn’t know why he joined me or why he wasn’t speaking. I decided to be patient and wait him out. Maybe, if the silence grew too thick, he’d explain himself.
I didn’t have to wait long.
“I’m your gym partner,” he said, his voice thick with emotion, something that sounded like displeasure.
Great. That harridan of a gym teacher was forcing the most popular, most sought-after, beautiful boy in the whole school to partner with me against his wishes? That was just great.
“You don’t have to,” I said, keeping my voice low.
He shrugged without comment, and silence fell between us. Our feet slapped against the floor, his slightly ahead of mine, and I quickened my pace to match his rhythm. He moved a little faster, his body moving slightly ahead of mine once more.
I pumped my legs, determined to keep up. I passed him, feeling a brief moment of victory before he moved ahead of me again. By the tim
e we rounded the next corner, I was full-on sprinting, my chest heaving with the effort. My shoulder brushed against Easton’s as I leaned into the turn, and he veered to the left, falling behind as he put some space between us.
A whistle blew and I skidded to a stop, bracing my hands on my knees as I tried to slow my breathing. Using the heel of my hand, I applied pressure to my breastbone to ease the ach that had formed there from the exertion. My body was weak from years of malnutrition, and it was never more evident than in that moment.
I looked up in time to see Easton walking away without saying goodbye. I lifted my hands over my head as I watched him go, pacing back and forth until my heartrate slowed to a more normal rate. He never looked back. Not even once.
“What did I ever do to him?”
Chapter Thirteen
13
“So, December, how was your first day?”
Rowan sent a young girl to fetch me, and I found myself sitting in his office once more, staring at the roaring fire. I looked at him as he spoke and tilted my head. I’d already seen him twice—once in his class and once in the gym—so his concern seemed a little bit like overkill to me.
“It was fine,” I said, but the words came out sounding more like a question than an answer.
“Was it?” he asked.
“Yeah. I mean, yes sir,” I amended.
“No more run ins with Ms. Avery and Ms. Ellsworth?”
“No, sir.”
“Enough with this ‘sir’ stuff, December. I asked you to call me Rowan. I want us to be friends.”
His words had a ring of sincerity and, though those words from any other authority figure might have seemed creepy, coming from Rowan, they comforted me. He exuded a soothing vibe I couldn’t really explain.
“Sorry, sir, ah, Rowan. Force of habit.”
“You’ve led a rough life, haven’t you?” he asked, and I felt a strange pull in my chest, that same wobble in my center of gravity that I felt before with Celeste. I had a strong desire to spill my guts to him.
“It hasn’t been so bad,” I said, instead.
“Good girl. Keep that chin up and never stop fighting.” He tilted his head to the side. “I heard Easton Oberon offered to partner with you for workouts during gym.”
My heart jumped into my throat, but I managed to keep my outward appearance calm with a slow nod. He offered? I was sure an instructor had assigned him to be my babysitter, and that he wasn’t very happy about it. Why would he volunteer? He didn’t even like me.
“He’s a good student, always striving to be the best. You’ll do well under his tutelage,” Rowan continued, unaware of my inner turmoil.
My head bobbed again, my eyes vacant as my brief interactions with Easton played on a loop in my head.
“…Shaela?”
At the sound of my roommate’s name, I popped back to the present. “Sorry, what?”
“I asked how things are going with Shaela.”
“She’s great,” I said, grinning.
He nodded, a warm smile playing on his lips. “I had a feeling you two might hit it off.”
“You assigned me to her room?” I asked, my eyebrows lifting.
“Yes,” he answered. “I want your transition to go as smoothly as possible, so I took the liberty of scheduling your classes, as well.”
“Do you do that for all new students?” I asked, truly curious.
He chuckled. “No, my dear. Not for a long time, anyway.”
“Then why me?”
I didn’t mean to sound impertinent, but somehow, I knew the question was important. That I really needed to know the answer.
“All in good time, December.”
I deflated. That was not what I’d hoped to hear. Not at all.
After Rowan dismissed me, I wandered back to my room in a daze. I was having a hard time accepting that Easton had actually volunteered to partner with me in gym. The vibes I’d gotten from him had been, if not overtly hostile, dismissive at best.
He had to have some ulterior motive for offering to help me. Maybe it was some kind of set up. Make the new girl think she was being accepted and befriended, then drop her right on her ass for the amusement of the masses. I decided, right then and there, to keep my guard up.
Shaela was waiting for me when I swung open the door and shuffled into our room.
“Tell me everything.”
She bounced on her mattress, a pillow hugged against her chest. She smiled with anticipation, her head bobbing in encouragement. She obviously expected me to know what she was taking about. I didn’t.
“Tell you everything about what?”
I just managed to dodge the pillow before it hit me square in the face.
“What was that for?” I asked before turning to close the bedroom door and grab the pillow from the floor.
“Gym class? Easton Oberon? Any of this ringing a bell?” she asked, her voice ringing with impatience.
“Oh. That.”
“Yes, that,” she said, her voice rising in pitch. “Come on, December, spill.”
“Wait, how did you hear about that?” I asked, moving forward and plopping down on my own bed.
“Are you kidding? If being the new kid isn’t enough to make you the talk of the school, then Easton Oberon taking an interest in you definitely is.”
“He doesn’t even like me,” I grumbled.
My emotions ran the gamut, from annoyance that people were gossiping about me, to acceptance of its inevitability, to excitement—just a spark—that Easton’s actions were out of character and that his offer to be my gym partner might mean something. What, exactly, I didn’t know.
“I’ve seen him watching you,” Shaela replied.
My spine stiffened as I sucked in a sharp breath. “You have?”
She nodded, smiling. “Uh-huh. Whenever you’re in the room, his eyes are on you. Like you’re a puzzle he can’t quite figure out.”
“I hadn’t noticed,” I murmured.
That wasn’t entirely true. I’d felt and seen those ice-blue eyes on me more than once. I just had no idea what it meant. Maybe he found me intriguing. It was just as likely he found me repulsive.
“Well, I bet Tiana and Aubrey noticed, and that’s why they approached you. Sniff out the competition, you know? What did they say, anyway?”
“You heard about that, too?”
Shaela rolled her eyes. “You’re the talk of the school, a shiny new thing for the gossip mills to bat around for a while. It’ll pass once the novelty wears off. Now, stop stalling, and tell me everything.”
I opened my mouth and let the words pour out. My awe at the fighting skills of the students. Tiana and Aubrey’s approach and subsequent insults. My response.
Shaela held up a hand, her mouth falling open. “Wait. Wait. Wait. You did not say that.”
I shrugged. “It flew out of my mouth before I could even think about it.”
Peals of laughter filled the room as Shaela fell back against her mattress. She popped right back up into a sitting position, swiping a thumb beneath her watery eyes.
“You really told Aubrey Ellsworth that her hair looks bleached?” At my nod, she added, “That’s classic.”
“Yeah, well, she and Tiana didn’t think it was too funny. But before they could retaliate, Easton showed up, saying he needed to talk to Tiana.”
“So…he rescued you?” She fell back against her bed once more, tossing her forearm across her eyes. “How romantic.”
“Shut up,” I said, tossing my pillow at her. “I thought you wanted me to stay away from him.”
She turned her head, peeking at me from underneath her arm. “I do. I mean, I did. I don’t know. He’s usually brutal with girls, tearing them to shreds with just his words, but…”
She trailed off with a sigh.
“But what?” I asked.
“But he seems to have a genuine interest in you. Maybe he sees the same thing I see when he looks at you.”
“Which is?”
/>
She buried her eyes beneath her arm again and said, “You’re a good, decent person. You’re honest and sincere, and don’t play games with people.” She paused for a moment, then cleared her throat. “What happened next?”
“Then Rowan popped up out of nowhere, scaring the daylights out of me,” I said, deciding to let her change of heart about Easton go.
For now.
“Rowan?” she asked, sitting up with one brow arched.
I bobbed my head. “Professor Dobbs,” I clarified.
“I know who Rowan Dobbs is, December. I’m just surprised you called him that.”
“Well, he all but ordered me to.”
“Interesting,” she mumbled. “Anyway, back to gym class. What happened next?”
“I was told to run laps, so I ran laps. Then Easton was running beside me, saying he was my gym partner. That was it. We ran until class ended, then he turned and left without saying a word.”
“So Miss Jeannie assigned him as your partner?”
“Miss Jeannie?”
“The gym teacher. She never told you her name?”
I shook my head, saying, “No, that’s the first I’ve heard it.”
“Jeez,” she said, “you’d think the teachers, at least, would be a little more hospitable. Of course, Miss Jeannie is about as hard-assed as they come, so it really shouldn’t surprise me that she skipped the niceties and put you right to work.”
I shrugged. “I guess. And no, she didn’t assign him to me. Apparently, he volunteered.”
“WHAT?!”
I was sure half the school heard her screech, and I flinched. I motioned for her to keep it down, but she just stared at me with her mouth open.
“Rowan called me to his office after dinner to talk, and he mentioned that he’d heard Easton volunteered. That’s all I know.”
I tilted my head, my eyes narrowing on her still dumbfounded expression.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” I asked.
Her mouth snapped shut. Her eyes chased down to her comforter which she smoothed with a flat palm.
“Nothing,” she said.
“Oh, no, you don’t,” I said, hopping from my bed to hers. “Tell me.”