Why did she feel like she knew him?
“Here you go,” Ms. Dillard said, handing Reese the paperwork while keeping her eyes on the guy next to her. Reese didn’t even know his name.
“Thank you.”
“Right this way, my dear,” he said to her. Reese could detect a slight accent. English? Irish? Scottish? And had he just called her ‘my dear?’ “It says you have Biology first period with Mr. Frampton.”
Had he snuck a peek at her schedule?
“Um, yeah.” She glanced at him. “So, you know my name. What’s yours?”
He smirked, a crooked thing that caused his dimples to pop and those black eyes to sparkle mysteriously. “People call me Henry,” he said.
“Henry,” she said, testing the name on her lips. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“Likewise.”
The main office was connected to the web of hallways that made up Onyx High School. He held the door open for her before the two stepped into a hallway filled with lockers—she would have to pick a vacant one out during break.
“It’s good to see you awake,” he commented, giving her a sideways look.
“W-what?” she asked in a low voice. She stopped walking and reached out to place her hand on his forearm in order to halt him as well. “What did you say?”
Reese had made her family promise they wouldn’t tell anyone she had been in a coma for a year. They’d agreed, and she trusted them. She didn’t want to talk about the car accident, how her friend who had been in the passenger seat at the time had died, how Reese had nearly shared that same fate. The family concocted up a story where they moved to Onyx thanks to her father’s new job as Vice President to Phillip Enterprises rather than the real reason: acquiring the best medical treatment for Reese. Since her father actually did get a new job with Phillip Enterprises, it worked perfectly. The only question she had to work on deflecting was, “If you’re from southern California, why the hell would you move to Onyx?” Reese didn’t have an answer to that one.
He seemed surprised by her touch, continuing to stare at her hand on his sleeve as though no one had touched him before. He stepped in front of her and she immediately dropped her hand, assuming he was probably going to insult the lacking cleanliness of her hands on his finely-pressed shirt. She had dated guys like that and couldn’t stand how pretentious they were. She still wasn’t sure if Henry fell into this category or if he was in one all his own.
Instead, he picked up his eyes so they locked with hers. They were black, she realized, with flecks of warm milk chocolate dotting the iris; a color she had never seen before.
“I only meant,” he began as they began walking again, “that school begins rather early, 7:30AM, and it’s common for students to stay at home and sleep rather than attend their first class.”
“Oh.”
It was a perfectly reasonable explanation, but the way his eyes were twinkling at her, the mischievous crooked grin currently plastered on his face, all but told her that that wasn’t what he meant at all.
“Well, here we are,” he said, stopping in front of a door before she could question him. “I hope you enjoy your time here, Reese.”
The way he said her name was an unspoken promise they’d meet again, and he turned, disappearing down the hallway. There was something unnerving about him, but she couldn’t figure out just what that was.
4
Andie
Mr. Frampton was in the middle of his lecture when a new girl walked in. Andie and Carey shared a look before Andie’s eyes returned to the girl. She was blonde—real blonde too, not bottle-blonde—with wavy hair that reached her chest. Her chin-length layers showed off her heart-shaped face. She had a pointed chin and sharp cheekbones, but otherwise her facial features were soft and feminine. With her hourglass frame and grey eyes, she was the epitome of the typical southern California girl. She also had great fashion sense; Andie herself would never wear a skirt so short and so preppy, but somehow the outfit wasn’t slutty on her and reeked of innocent schoolgirl.
“I thought it was impossible to have big boobs, a flat stomach, hips, and those legs,” Andie whispered to Carey.
“Why don’t you have a seat next to Andie,” Mr. Frampton suggested. “Andie, would you raise your hand?”
Andie raised her hand and watched as the girl—Reese, apparently—headed toward her. There was a sway to her hips as she walked, and, like clockwork, practically every single guy in class craned their necks to watch. At first, Andie thought Reese was doing it on purpose, but the more she watched, the more she realized Reese’s walk was more natural, rather than forced. Reese didn’t even seem to notice the guys checking her out. Andie expected the blonde to take her new seat and ignore her, probably to run off after class and become the most popular girl in school, but she surprised Andie. Once Reese took her seat and Mr. Frampton resumed his lecture, she turned to Andie.
“Andie, right?” she asked. She spoke fast, with a bubbly tint to her tone. “I love that name.”
“Thanks,” Andie replied, unsure.
“I’m Carey,” Carey interjected.
“Oh my gosh, I love your hair,” Reese whispered. “You have the perfect face for the pixie cut. I definitely couldn’t pull that off.”
Andie had to admit that Reese sounded like she meant the compliment.
“Reese, I know you’re new here, but this is a lecture, not a sorority,” Mr. Frampton said, interrupting them. “Let’s save the gossip for later, okay?”
Andie’s mouth dropped open. Mr. Frampton teased a lot of his students, but he had never said anything remotely condescending to her and Carey when he caught them talking in class. Maybe Miss Perfect didn’t have it as easy as Andie initially thought. She glanced over at Reese. She had taken out a notebook and started to take notes, but Andie could see a faint blush still touching her porcelain skin.
“If you want,” Andie whispered as she leaned over to Reese, “Carey and I can show you to your next class.”
Reese locked eyes with her and offered her a grateful smile. “I’d appreciate that, thanks,” she replied.
The day went by. Andie and Reese ended up sharing four out of the six classes together while Carey and Reese shared two. The only thing that differed among the three of them was their sixth period: Andie had her business class, Carey had dance, and Reese had soccer. The more time Andie spent with Reese, the more she realized Reese was a genuinely nice person. It was easy to hate her because she was rich, gorgeous, smart, and athletic, but once Andie got to know her better, she couldn’t dislike Reese, especially after she refused to sit with Olivia Carlton—arguably the most popular and indubitably the bitchiest girl in school—in order to sit with Andie and Carey.
Sixth period Business was practically empty because nearly every student had already bagged an internship, which left Andie sitting at her desk, sending out her résumé to potential internships online.
“You have until next week to get an internship, Andrea,” Mrs. Fitzpatrick reminded Andie for the umpteenth time. She was the only person who used Andie’s real name; apparently Andrea was more professional than Andie.
When the bell rang, Andie all but dashed to the junior parking lot where Carey and her 2000 Nissan Maxima were waiting for her. They needed to head to Carey’s place and get ready for the evening job.
She still could not believe she agreed to this.
“My mom made us lasagna,” Carey said as they walked into the kitchen. “Remember, we can’t eat when we’re there.”
“Like you have to give me a reason to eat your Mom’s lasagna.”
The few hours before the job were longer than Andie expected. The butterflies that had occupied her stomach since packing her uniform this morning must have grown bigger and mated because by the time the two girls had to get ready, it felt like someone was playing pool in her stomach.
“We’re going to be late!” Carey sing-songed after knocking on the bathroom door.
Andie emerged from
the bathroom with only one black pump on, scowling as she tried to find its match. She hopped around, unbalanced, mumbling how much she hated heels and how they were a sexist contraption even though her history teacher freshman year said heels were populated by short men but were actually created by a French woman with one leg longer than the other and walked with a limp without them. She looked up to find Carey waiting for her by the front door, her arms crossed over her chest, her foot tapping in a rhythm like Morse code.
“I’m coming, I’m coming!” Andie exclaimed, running her fingers through her hair as she disappeared down the hall. Seconds later, she was back with both pumps on her feet and her purse slung over her shoulder.
Carey gave her friend a once-over before her face collapsed into her palm. “You couldn’t put any makeup on, could you?” she asked as she opened the front door. “Of course not. I mean, not to Jack Phillip’s party or anything, you just can’t make an effort to look good.” Andie opened her mouth, a defiant look crossing her features, but Carey immediately zeroed in on it and cut it off. “And don’t even start on how you already look good. I get it. You can definitely pass without makeup in the real world. But guess what? We’re not in the real world when it comes to Jack Phillip and his manor. We’re in Phillip-world. Come on. My mom’s already there and expecting us in half an hour.”
“Would you be quiet?” Andie asked, sliding into the passenger seat and reaching over to buckle her seatbelt. “Trust me. I’ll be my usual charming self … unless, of course, Phillip sees me and throws my ass out.”
The drive wasn’t long. Carey had to check in with two different people and pull the car around to the back. Apparently Jack Phillip didn’t want his hoity-toity guests to see the help. Andie knew it was standard but regardless... Maybe she was looking for an excuse to strongly dislike Phillip, to justify her dislike of him when he really hadn't done anything to her the other day.
Andie stepped out of the car, wiping her hands on her skirt. Her eyes took in the mansion, though most of it was obscured by the trees that surrounded his property. She sucked in a deep breath. She could do this.
“God, Carey, this freaking guy keeps ordering shrimp so he can watch me turn around and ogle my ass,” Andie said in a low voice in one of the rare times when she and Carey had a few minutes to themselves. “How long have we been here anyway? I haven’t even seen that asshole Phillip.”
“Yeah, well, with that mouth of yours, he might overhear you,” Carey muttered. She paused, a serious look touching her face. “Hey, thanks for coming with me tonight. It really means a lot.”
Andie gave her friend an endearing smile. “If it was anyone else …” she teased.
“If it was anyone else, you would do the same thing,” Carey replied, a knowing smile on her face. “You put up a badass front, but I know how sweet you are.”
“Hey, hey, hey,” Andie said, raising her hands. “I’ve got a reputation to uphold, if you don’t mind. Now, what did that old perv want again?” The two friends headed into the kitchen. The strong scent of peppers and spices filled the air, and Andie felt herself get hungry all over again. There was clanging to the left and the swinging door that led from the kitchen into the ballroom kept opening and shutting. Andie's face was flushed and she had only been in here for a few seconds. “Hey Robin, how’s it going?”
“Need more shrimp, do you?” Carey’s mother asked, her dark brown eyes twinkling. “Boy, Mr. Krept’s going to keep you on your feet all night. Why don’t you take a break?”
“Really?” She glanced over at Carey, who nodded.
Andie did not have to be told twice. Giving her friend a dazzling smile and Robin a quick “thanks,” she took off her apron and all but dashed onto the second-story balcony. Once outside, she let out a sigh of relief. Running her hand through her now-messy hair, Andie walked over and leaned her forearms on the cool balustrade, her eyes drifting up to the stars. It was hard to see the shining bodies of light in the city, but since Phillip’s mansion was perhaps five miles outside city limits, light pollution wasn’t as prevalent. She inhaled deeply, enjoying the fresh air, and her eyes began to make shapes by connecting the stars. It was something she used to do with her mother after her father went to sleep when she was five or six. Her mother would take her out at nine o’clock, when Andie should have been in bed and Keirah already was, and the two would gaze up at the stars.
But that was before the divorce, before her father left them behind, before they had to sell their townhouse and move into an apartment, before her mother withdrew from life.
“Andie?”
Andie jumped and turned, only to see Reese walking outside.
“Reese?”
The blonde’s face lit up with a smile as she rushed over to Andie and enveloped her in a tight hug.
“I thought that was you,” Reese continued, releasing her hold on Andie. “I wanted to come over and say hi.” Her eyes got wide and, after she looked around, said in a voice just above a whisper, “That’s okay, right? I don’t want to get you in trouble.”
Andie knew these uniforms were chosen specifically because they were boring, but she didn’t normally feel as plain as she did standing next to Reese. Her blonde hair was down again, but instead of waves, each lock was curled. She had light makeup, which included pink lipstick—how one person could pull off both pink and red lipstick, Andie didn’t know—and mascara. She was in a simple pink halter dress that reached a couple of inches past her knees. It was conservative, but clung to her body in order to reveal her curves. On her feet was a simple pair of black heels with a pink heart stitched onto each one. They had to be at least four inches, making her Andie’s height, and somehow Reese was able to walk in them the way Andie walked in her Converses.
“What are you doing here?” Andie asked.
“Well, my dad’s the new vice president at Jack’s company, so he was invited tonight,” Reese explained. “Daddy loves socializing, so of course he wanted to come, and Mom loves a party. They talked me into coming with them, so here I am. Brody, my little brother, lucked out and got invited to a sleepover. As to why I’m right here right now, I just had to escape a little bit.”
“Really?” Andie hadn’t meant to sound so incredulous, but it was hard to imagine Reese not enjoying herself at these types of parties.
“What, you think because my family has money, I love these types of parties?” She rolled her grey eyes. “Please. Total snooze fest. It’d be different if the people didn’t so obviously have something to prove.”
Guilt punched Andie in the stomach. “I’m really sorry, Reese. I didn’t mean—”
“No, it’s fine,” Reese said, another smile on her face. This one Andie could tell was more strained than the first one. “I get it a lot, don’t worry about it. Remember what Mr. Frampton said about me being in a sorority? That’s actually one of the nicer things said about me. Anyway, I don’t want to keep you. I just wanted to say hi and thank you for showing me around school today. It really meant a lot. I’ll see you Monday.”
Before Andie could stop her, Reese turned and headed back inside.
Andie and her stupid mouth.
She spun around so she was facing Phillip’s enormous backyard again, shaking her head as guilt seeped through her body. She only had a few more minutes on her break. The next time she saw Reese, Andie would make it up to her somehow. She still had no idea why Reese wanted to be her friend when she could be friends with anyone in school, but she found herself wanting that friendship.
“Are you cold, young lady?” a soft voice asked from behind her.
Andie craned her neck and her eyes came in contact with an older woman with long grey gray hair twisted into a loose bun, jade green eyes, and deep red lips. She was wearing a crimson dress that sparkled like the stars against the night sky, complete with long sleeves, a hem nearly dragging on the floor, and a big diamond necklace hanging around her neck. Andie recognized her as Jack’s reclusive aunt, Beverly Phillip.
Andie blinked and only then did she realize she had goosebumps littering her skin. The outfit she wore wasn’t helping much. It consisted of a black jumper with the skirt reaching the middle of her thighs. Underneath the jumper was her white silk shirt she had worn to her job interview, which she managed to clean just in time for tonight. There was still a stain, but it was faded and hidden by the front of the jumper. Her legs were covered in black tights, and her feet were adorned with the simple black pumps Andie despised.
“Um, no,” she said quietly, shaking her head. Why was Phillip’s aunt talking to her? Was she about to get in trouble? “I mean, it is cold outside, but I’m fine.” She glanced down at herself before tossing Ms. Phillip a careless smile. “It’s not like these outfits are helping though, you know?”
Andie bit her lip. She wasn’t expecting to criticize Mr. Phillip in front of his aunt and now definitely expected to be kicked out. Ms. Phillip surprised her by laughing.
“Yes, well, Jack did choose them himself,” she explained.
“Wow,” Andie said with a touch of dryness to her voice. “He chose the outfit himself? Doesn’t that go against his policy of having nothing to do with anything?”
“Actually, I revoked that policy a couple of weeks ago,” a soft-spoken voice said from behind the two.
“Ah, Jack,” his aunt said with a subtle grin at Andie. “It would seem that I am speaking to your biggest fan.”
Andie let out a nervous chuckle at the statement and she glanced at his aunt who, much to Andie’s dismay, was excusing herself. She tensed at the thought of being left alone with Phillip.
“Okay, listen,” she said after a moment of silence. “I’m sorry that I’m here catering your party after my little blowup yesterday. But if you’re going to throw me out, may I just ask that you don’t mention this to the catering manager? Or get her in trouble? It’s not her fault I overreacted.”
Awaken: Book 1 in The Dark Paradise Chronicles Page 3