“Not you too, Zach.” Disappointment tainted Ms. Stevens’ voice.
Zach’s wicked, steel-gray stare bore into me, and my heart almost shot out my open mouth.
What planet had I been teleported to if he got thrown into detention? He’d never been in here with me before, and I pretty much owned this room.
Zach stared and cocked his head as if he was trying to read my mind.
My cheeks burned, and I knew I needed to turn around and face the front, but that crooked smile of his nearly undid me. No one had dimples that big.
Not to mention the lips. They were full, but that bottom lip, the way it pouted out a smidge—
“Thank you, Ms. Catts.” Ms. Stevens reached for the sweater draped around the back of her chair.
I will not freeze anyone today. Especially my teacher!
I drew in a breath through my nose and let it out my mouth as I ripped my gaze away from six feet of all male. Damn, he tripped my ice trigger. More his tight, lean, totally munchable body did. And that chocolate hair…
“Come on, Zach. Take a seat up here, next to your new best friend.”
Normally, I despised my long, dishwater-blond hair, but today—not so much. It formed a nice curtain between me and Zach. I needed that right now to mentally beat my body into submission. Snow would start flying soon if I didn’t calm down.
This was exactly why I stayed away from guys. People in general. Too dangerous. Too tempting.
He sat in the front row of desks directly beside me. I could tell because a wave of spicy cologne washed over me. What was that scent? Heady. Fresh…Bergamot. I’d smelled some wicked-awesome cologne once at a department store, and the chick had mentioned the base was called Bergamot.
And man, that spicy-fresh scent fit Zach perfectly—the jock he was.
“Amanda?” Ms. Stevens’s voice diverted my train of highly restricted and pretty much forbidden thoughts.
I sat up, willing myself not to sneak a peek at Mr. Off Limits. “Ah, yeah?”
“What brought you here this time?”
“Um, nothin’.”
The teacher’s short, auburn locks fell forward as she lowered her chin, peering over her glasses.
“I skipped a class.” I shrugged. “And I might have ripped on the mystery meat being served in the cafeteria.”
Zach snickered. He combed his fingers through his wavy, chocolate hair, and a grin filled his flawless face.
Oh boy, I was in trouble.
I turned away, because if I stared at him any longer, those steel-gray eyes nestled beneath his long, black eyelashes might crack through the ice protecting my heart.
And that’d be trouble for us both.
Ms. Stevens sagged into her chair, hugging her sweater tight around her. “Get some homework out, please.”
Poor Ms. Stevens. Always stuck in detention or study hall. And mostly with me. She tried talking to me. Like, to help a poor, troubled student. She had no idea just how troubled. I couldn’t explain my reason for making sure I stayed isolated most of the time or skipping gym class every chance I could. I couldn’t tell her I was the reason she had to put on a sweater a few minutes earlier.
I’d find myself in a straight jacket faster than I could say “popsicle.”
Maybe that’s why Georgia and I were such good friends, despite my best efforts to prevent it. She never got into any trouble—besides her rebellious act of getting a nose ring. She was a wicked-awesome artist, and I always felt comfortable around her. She was the closest thing to normal I had. It was nice.
I leaned over to grab my sketchbook out of my bag and couldn’t resist a quick peek at Zach.
I wish I had, though. He busted me flat out.
Wait—was he staring at me?
CHAPTER 3
“Amanda, I’ll see you in Chemistry, right?” Ms. Stevens smiled as I stood to leave.
“Chem?”
“I’m subbing today.”
“Crap,” I whispered.
Hadn’t planned on going. A quiet, dark room was what I needed to refocus. Sitting next to Zach for over an hour had heated me so thoroughly I thought ice might break out on my skin just to cool me down.
“Yeah, um…see you there.” I glanced at Zach. He wore that annoyingly handsome grin I’d seen earlier. Like he knew a secret I didn’t.
I bolted through the doorway and headed straight for Georgia’s locker. She’d calm me down. For some reason, she always could. Probably had no idea she did that, but I needed it big time right now.
“So, you’re not a fan of Chem?” Zach asked from behind me.
I skidded to a stop on the slick linoleum floor, nearly tripping over my feet. The water bottle I’d grabbed from my bag crackled. A thin sheath of ice covered the plastic.
Oh crap.
Some chick plowed by, nailing my shoulder with her oversized chest. I spun a three-sixty from the impact. That actually hurt. She could have passed for Paul Bunyan’s daughter she was so huge. “Walk much?”
Zach chuckled and fell in step with me.
I shoved the nearly frozen bottle into my bag and hoisted the strap around my shoulder. “Laugh it up, quarterback. The second-string linebacker didn’t just tackle you.”
He laughed even harder. I forged onward, but he matched my stride. At least he couldn’t see my insides churning, because my heart and ribs started a death-match tournament.
“So, back to my question. You skipping?” he asked again.
I stopped and faced him, totally confused at his sudden attention. I’d done pretty well staying away from everyone at this school, and mostly him. If I’d started hanging out with him I’d never be able to keep him at arm’s length like I needed to. “And why are you so interested in my whereabouts, Mr. Never-talked-to-me-before?”
I will not freeze anyone today. Especially super-hot guys I’d rather be kissing.
“Let’s skip together.” He nailed me with that steel gaze of his.
I nearly choked on the bundle of nerves lodged in my throat. Asking me to skip with him was pretty much asking me out. And yeah, I so wanted to go out with him, but couldn’t. More I shouldn’t. More attachments meant more sadness when I had to bolt. I was already in too deep by having a best friend.
Oh, but a boyfriend…No!
A line of goose bumps rippled up Zach’s bare arm, and he glanced around. Hopefully he didn’t notice the snowflake of frost form in the corner of the glass window encasing the fire extinguisher. If I didn’t calm down soon, the hallway would turn into an igloo.
I will not freeze anyone today.
I had to get out of there before I frosted over. “Well. Thanks for the offer, but I’ll pass. See ya.”
* * *
Georgia stabbed a finger into my shoulder, and I turned in my seat. “What’s with the jabbing today, Chica?”
“Class is over. Let’s go, dork.” She stood over me and crossed her eyes at me like I was insane.
She wasn’t far off. When I should have been listening to a lecture on molecules, I hashed out how I could possibly make it work to have a boyfriend.
Every scenario ended in disaster. Either I’d frozen his lips—or other vital organs—off. Or I had to bolt in the middle of the night because the Coats showed up.
The one that really sealed the deal for not trying it with Zach was his death. The Coats could seriously hurt him. Kill him. That, I refused to risk.
I slapped my notebook shut and shoved it into my bag.
As we sauntered out of class, Georgia said, “Okay, spill.”
I wished I could tell her how my day really started, but instead, I recounted each and every detail of my interaction with Zach—except the frozen water bottle part.
“No wonder you were zoning in class.” A giggle slipped past her shiny lips as she smacked my shoulder. “Zach’s hot—not to mention recently single. You should go for it.”
“No way.”
She tugged me to the side, near the water fountains. “Mandy.
What’s the deal, girl? He’s hot. You’re hot—”
“Like he was serious. I mean, look at me.” I took inventory of my appearance. A glob of chocolate the size of a quarter spotted my faded blue jeans. Coffee stains sprinkled my pink t-shirt from when Scott’s cuss-fest freaked me out this morning.
“True. You’re a train wreck.”
“Thanks.” Little did she know it was strategic on my part. Blending in, keeping isolated…that had always been the plan.
Georgia, on the other hand, always looked good with her dark, spiky hair and big blue eyes.
“I’m kidding, Mandy. Don’t say crap like that.” She tugged at the ends of my hair. “You’re beautiful—a little scary with the ‘tude sometimes, but beautiful.”
There’d been a time when I was all about the in clothes, boys, friends. Hell, I was even on cheer squad.
Years ago…when I was human. But now—
The tone sounded.
“Ah, crap.” Georgia took off to the right.
I bolted straight ahead. Too bad I had English Lit, which was on the opposite side of the world from where I was.
“You’re going to need a pass.”
I skidded to a stop. The voice sounded like it came from ahead of me and around the corner.
I peeked and Zach’s steel-gray eyes bore into me for the second time in one day. He stood so close I detected the smell of my favorite flavor of minty-fresh gum. That morphed my mouth into Niagara Falls, and I had a flash of me nipping at that plump bottom lip to get me that yummy gum.
That sent a zinger right to my belly.
He looked down at me, which wasn’t hard since I was only five-three compared to his bulky six feet, and crossed his arms over his chest.
To my great surprise, frost didn’t cover his burly arms. Instead, he captured my hand and yanked me in the opposite direction of my class.
“What do you think you’re doing?” I needed to get to class. Things would get ugly in the Smith household if I got another rotten grade.
Zach squeezed my hand and said, “You’ll see.”
This would be way more fun than class. Well—as long as I didn’t freeze him.
He tugged me around another corner. The door leading to the janitor’s closet was propped open.
“You’re joking, right?”
He glanced around but didn’t say anything.
What’d he think? I was just some easy chick up for an afternoon quickie?
That arrogant son of a bitch. The hair on the back of my neck prickled as heat blazed my cheeks.
“Oh, please. Can we say lame?” I stopped, my shoes squeaking against the shiny floor. Sounded like we were in the gymnasium. I yanked my hand from his grip. His eyes went wide, probably wondering how I did that so easily.
Let him wonder.
He stepped toward me, but I stood my ground, arms across my embarrassingly flat chest. Sure, I could lift a car above my head…but no boobs. Hardly fair.
His dark eyebrows raised up, crinkling his smooth, tanned flesh. A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. His yummy scent wrapped around me, drawing me forward. My arms would fit around his waist perfectly. My head was about the exact height of his chest. I could nuzzle right up in there—I straightened my back, snuffing out the spark starting to flame in places it shouldn’t.
“Scared?” he asked.
“Pul-leeze.” If anyone should be scared it should be him.
Of course, the idea of heading in there with him, peeling away that slightly too tight t-shirt, did hold a certain appeal. Getting lost in Zach. Forgetting about everything going on around me. All the danger. Frustration…No. Not an option for me.
I cleared my throat. “Arrogant much?”
His bottom jaw dropped.
“What makes you think I want anything to do with you, Zach? Especially in a stuffy, nasty, and totally disgusting closet?”
I wasn’t the brightest light bulb out there, but I wasn’t completely dim either, so I pivoted and strode away before I changed my mind.
More my body changed my mind for me.
His footfalls approached and once again his delicious, spicy, heady scent took command of my senses.
“So now you’re going to come to class with me?” I so needed to get away from this guy. Like now.
“Speaking of Nimrod, I’m in that class with you.”
In my wigging out, I’d totally forgotten. I glanced at my watch. Crap, we were, like, five minutes late.
“Don’t worry, I have a couple of passes.” He reached into his back pocket and pulled out two slips of blue paper.
“Why didn’t you use one to get out of detention before?”
“Got it for something else.”
Never would have guessed he had such a devious side.
He waved the thin piece of paper in front of me. “I’ll give it to you on one condition.”
“I’m not going into that stupid closet with you.”
His laughter echoed off the cement block walls. “That’s not the condition.”
“What do you want?”
“Java Joe’s. Friday night. Seven o’clock.”
“Is bribery how you get all your dates?” Oh, I was on a roll with this guy. I couldn’t suppress the smile creeping across my face, though. Damn, he was breaking me down.
“You’re being especially difficult.” He waved the only thing keeping me from another round of detention.
I shoved my fingers through my snarly hair. Jeez. I probably looked like a clod. Wait, I shouldn’t care what I looked like. It wasn’t like this would lead to anything. Couldn’t. But damn I wanted it to.
“So, is that a yes?” He dangled the coveted pass in front of me.
“Fine.”
CHAPTER 4
“Oh my gosh. I can’t believe you have a date with Zach,” Georgia said.
I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t excited. And that scared the crap out of me, so I opted to say nothing. Georgia would see right through me anyway.
I yanked open the door to Mr. Smoothy’s.
“Hey, ‘bout time, Mandy.” Scott’s sandy-brown locks splayed out from beneath a baseball cap—backward facing cap nonetheless. Attempting to look in, just didn’t work for my brother.
“Hi to you, too, Scott Smith.” I crossed my eyes at him. What a lame last name he chose for us this time.
“Your brother is so hot,” Georgia whispered.
“Don’t gross me out, G.”
Not one customer in the small, florescent-colored store, so what could be his big rush to see me?
Georgia slipped onto a bench and slapped her book bag on the table. Out came her sketchpad. Nothing new there. She always hung around the store, sketching, helping out when it got busy. Almost like she never wanted to go home. Fine with me, I loved having her around. Felt like I had a sister.
I sauntered behind the bar. It was like a 1950’s nightmare exploded in here. Red countertops, bright colors, ugh.
“What’s up?” I asked Scott and snagged an apron from beneath the counter. From my back pocket, I yanked out a rubber band and tied my hair into a loose bun.
This was what I had to look forward to after graduation. A long life of smoothie-making.
“School’s been out for an hour.”
“No car, remember?” I swiped a cup to make Georgia and myself a smoothie. “Things take, like, ten times longer when you have to Barney Rubble-it.”
“Come here.” He waved me to the food-prep area.
I stood my ground. There was a distinct possibility an argument would be in our near future. I could just sense it.
“Detention?”
“Ah, hell.” I whirled around to work on my smoothies. “Get off me, man.”
“Mandy, do you know how close you are to not graduating?”
“They can’t not graduate me. It’s next week.”
“Yes they can. And they’re going to if you don’t shape up, like, now.”
I glanced around. Georgia looked
up, her eyes wide, pencil stalled on her paper.
“You have to make it to graduation. If not for me, then do it for Mom and Dad.”
My gut wrenched. How dare he bring them into it? I shook my head dislodging the gruesome image his mention of them triggered.
It didn’t work.
Blood pooled on the tile floor around Mom’s neck and from her wrists. I skidded to her side, glass shredding through the knees of my jeans. “Oh my God. Mom.”
“I can’t ice down. I—”
A layer of frost formed on her right arm, at her bloody wrist. But as quickly as it came it vanished, leaving blood pouring out of her gash.
“Mom? God. Please. Mom.”
“I’m sorry, kiddo.” Her little body rattled as she coughed. “I tried to stop them.” She clutched my hand so hard I thought my bones might shatter. “Too many…darts…got through.
“Mom. I—I don’t know what to do. Please.” Stinging tears streamed from my burning eyes and dribbled onto her arm.
“Get to Scott. Cash in toolbox…garage.” Her blue eyes disappeared behind her lids.
“Mom!” I shook her shoulder, and she jolted awake.
“Get…cash. Don’t let—” she gasped. “Don’t let…them find you.”
“Who? Mom. Who?”
“Coats…”
Bile stung the back of my throat. “What’s happening?”
The sirens got louder. They rang like gongs in my head. Oh good. The cops. They’ll help. They’ll—
“They’re coming.” Her eyes widened.
“The ambulance. Hold on. They’ll help you. Please Mom. I need you. Please—”
“No. No. It’s them.” She coughed. Blood spilled from her mouth, and she let out a sigh.
Tires squealing outside sent the hair on my arms to attention. Mom shoved me off her, and I landed on my butt five feet away.
“Run. Mandy. Run!”
“Mandy!” Scott shook me by the shoulder and nodded behind me.
I whipped around not quite sure what I’d see. Considering the memory that’d just rammed into me like a freight train, I was worried it was something of the icy variety.
A skinny brunette sashayed through the doorway. Georgia glanced at the girl then at me. Good timing. She got me out of an argument with Scott and the brutal memory of Mom.
Curses, Fates & Soul Mates Page 38