“Leif!” She unsuccessfully attempted to duck away.
Leif laughed and gave the back of her head a gentle nudge after he released her.
When Brie shoved him back, he hardly moved. Chuckling, he plucked a piece of diced mango out of the bowl on the counter, and took the seat next to Jake.
“Leif,” Brie growled under her breath. She smoothed out her mussed up hair and took a seat on the other side of her brother.
“Hmm?” he asked innocently.
“That was my seat.”
“Was, that’s the key word.”
Jake cleared his throat. “No worries, Brie. We have all day together. No bodyguard at school.”
Brie watched as Jake, mimicking her brother’s cheeky manner, plucked a piece of diced mango out of the bowl, and with a grin, popped it into his mouth.
Leif sniggered.
Jake took a bite of omelet. “Mmm. Maria! Esta es . . .” He pointed at his omelet with his fork. “Muy delicioso!”
Brie laughed. “Hidden talent?” she asked, flirting, leaning far in front of Leif to look at Jake.
Jake leaned around Leif as well. “Spanish Two, one year ago, second period,” he said with a laugh. “Not even sure I said it right.”
Leif grinned at the two. “Voy a estar enfermo. Y tú, Maria?”
“Oh no! I not going to be sick,” Maria proclaimed, then added, “I think they ador-ab-les.”
Leif laughed and, after scarfing up the rest of his breakfast, turned to Jake, suddenly serious. “I got a lot of stuff to take care of here. Watch out for her today. A’right?”
“Yeah, sure,” Jake answered, nonplussed.
Chapter 23
Brie parked her car in the back of the senior lot, but didn’t make a move to get out.
“You ready?” Jake asked.
“I don’t know,” she whispered.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” She scanned the busy parking lot.
“Brie, look at me. Word’s out.” He held up his phone. “My friends know about you and me. And, if you’re worried about my friends, don’t be. They like you.”
She looked at him, doubtful.
“What? They do. Danny, Troy, Marcus—”
“What about your . . .” she started to ask, but didn’t finish.
“About my . . .?”
“About your friend Troy’s girlfriend, Pam? She hates me.”
“Pam? I guarantee she won’t be giving you any more problems. And, nobody knows anything about where you were.”
“Nobody knows anything,” she repeated, and then added, “except that I took off yesterday. And, you ditched school to come find me.”
He leaned back in his seat. “Brie, who cares? It doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks.”
Conceding, she nodded.
“Okay, you ready then?”
By the time he made it around to her side of the car, she was out. They were already turning heads, right there in the back of the parking lot. Jake leaned down to kiss her. There would be no whispers and speculation. Okay, whispers maybe, but no speculation—they were clearly an item.
Pulling back from their kiss, he took her hand. “All right, let’s do this.” He slung his backpack onto his shoulder and led her into the building. They weaved their way through the crowded hallway. She was used to the stares, but this time, instead of disdain, they were stares of awe. She felt a shivery rush when he squeezed her hand.
When they reached her locker, Brie giggled.
“What’s so funny?” he asked.
“It’s been so long. I think I forgot my combination!”
“That could be a problem,” Jake said amused.
“It’ll probably come to me when I start turning the dial.” She spotted Ian at his locker across the hall and looked up at Jake. “Give me a minute?” she asked.
A compassionate smile made its way onto Jake’s face, and he gave a subtle nod toward Ian. He took a step back and took his phone out of his pocket.
“Thanks,” she whispered and then turned to Ian. “Ian, hi!”
“Brie? Hey, you’re back! Where’ve you been? You just disappeared.”
“Ian, I’m sorry I didn’t get in touch with you.” She reached out to give him a quick hug, then looked back over her shoulder at Jake. He was in the middle of a text. “It’s kind of complicated. We can talk later. I’m just really glad to see you.”
“Likewise.” Ian glanced at Jake then back to Brie. “Looks like some things have changed,” he teased.
“Yeah.” She blushed. “They have.”
“That’s great,” he said. “I’m looking forward to that talk later. It’s not often I get the inside scoop.”
She gave him a nervous laugh before patting his arm. “Okay, well, I’ve got to get going.”
“Hey, Ian,” Jake called, pocketing his phone and giving Brie’s friend a nod.
A curious look crossed Ian’s face before he responded with a simple, “Hey.”
“Thanks, I didn’t want that to be awkward. I like him,” Brie whispered, spinning her locker combination, hoping the numbers would magically fall into place.
Jake reached for her backpack. “Yeah, I gathered. He’s an all right guy.” He chuckled. “Since I met you, I can probably drop ‘Asshole’ as my middle name. I can deal with you having some guy friends who aren’t your boyfriend.”
She successfully opened her locker, stopped, and glanced up at him.
“What?”
“I’m dying to know, if it’s not asshole, what is it?”
“What? My middle name?” Laughing, he lowered her backpack to the floor against her locker and bent down close to her ear murmuring, “Levi.”
His low voice sent a tickling chill down her back, and when she arched into him he took advantage of her closeness, kissing her throat.
“Jake Levi Gordon. I like it,” she said, relishing his kisses before she returned to her locker.
With his boyish smirk, he reached for her books. “Here, I’ll take those. Oh, and your lunch. You can put it in my locker until fifth period. That way you won’t have to come all the way back here.” He nodded toward her handbag. “You’re on your own with that thing.”
She laughed. “Are you sure?” she asked, holding it out.
Slipping his hand around her waist, he pulled her back. “Pos-i-tive,” he said, nuzzling her neck.
“Jake? What the hell!” screeched a voice behind them.
Brie froze. Jake turned.
Sarah glared at Brie, and then her eyes darted back to Jake. “What’re you doing?” she shrieked. It was unclear to whom she directed the question. Was it Jake, Brie, or the both of them?
Confusion overruled Brie’s lighthearted demeanor.
“Back off, Sarah,” Jake said.
“What?” she screamed. “Are you freaking kidding me? You can’t be serious!”
Before Jake could say more, Marcus brushed past Sarah as if she wasn’t there. “Yo, sup Bro!” Marcus exclaimed, grabbing Jake’s hand in their quick bro-shake. Troy and Pam were close behind. Troy whispered something to Pam before giving her a quick kiss and steering her toward Sarah.
Marcus turned to Brie, distracting her. “Hey, Lil’ Lindstrom, long time no see!”
“Lil’ Lindstrom?” Brie mouthed the phrase to Jake from over Marcus’s shoulder as he gave her a bear hug. Jake grinned before turning to Troy in question.
Brie caught Troy giving Jake a nod. “Sorry we’re a little late.”
Tugging at Jake, Brie whispered, “Was all this necessary?”
He looked toward his friends, dismissing them with a swish of his head. “Thanks, I’ll catch you later.” Turning back to Brie, he answered
. “Yes. Yes, it was.” He pushed her locker door shut and spun the combination. “That girl won’t back down, and her locker is right over there.” He nodded in the direction Ian had been. “I wanted to send a clear message to her to leave you alone. You are off-limits to her. Now she knows. I’m sorry I didn’t warn you. I didn’t want you to—”
“I wouldn’t have taken off again.” After a pause, she added, “I guess I should thank you for calling up ‘the Goon Squad’.”
“Goon Squad?” He grinned.
“Jake! Don’t you dare tell them I said that.”
He laughed, suddenly hugging her against his chest. “I won’t. I promise. Come on, I still have to get to my locker, and we don’t want to be late for first period.” He broke from their embrace, took her hand, and pulled her along after him. “Oh, and just so you know, and don’t freak out, Marcus, Kal, and Danny have lockers near mine. Troy will use mine sometimes, and Vic puts his stuff in Marcus’s locker, since his is on another floor. That’s why we hang out there between classes.”
On his way to his locker, Jake read Troy’s text. Are you kidding me? He knew Sarah would lose it, but was sure she’d get over it. How could she not know they were over? How many times had he said they were finished? He reread the text. The school security officer had found Pam and Sarah in Troy’s car. They had skipped their first two classes. Sarah ended up going home for the day. Well, at least I won’t have to worry about her going after Brie again today.
Jake opened his locker. “Damn, whew! Where’s Troy?” he asked, gagging, leaving the locker door open. “His sneakers are stinkin’ up my locker. Ugh! It reeks!”
Marcus looked up with a grin, then went back to texting. “Troy’s MIA, kissing Pam’s ass after this morning. You heard about her and Sarah?”
Jake nodded and relaxed back onto the wall by the lockers to check his other messages. “Just keep that on the DL. I don’t want Brie worrying about it.”
“No problem. Lunch ought to be fun,” Marcus said with a grin.
“If you’re looking for a show, you won’t get one.” Jake pocketed his phone. “Brie’s working in the art room all week during lunch. By this time next week, Pam’ll be over it.”
Spotting Brie, he pushed off the wall. He locked eyes with her watching her approach. God, she’s beautiful. “Hey, everything okay?” Jake held her gaze, his voice sounding husky.
“Couldn’t be better,” she murmured back.
He took her books and put them in his locker. When he turned back, he pulled her toward him and locked lips with her for an even more sultry hello.
“Get a room,” Danny said, sauntering up to the group with Paige in tow.
Recognizing his usual line to Danny and Paige, Jake smiled. “We should,” he whispered into her ear then kissed her neck. He sensed her knees weaken and tightened his hold, supporting her. He chuckled. “You okay?” he asked still in a whisper.
She only nodded back.
Relaxing his hold on her, he turned to his locker. “Here, might as well take your lunch with you.”
“Oh! Ugh!” she coughed out. “Jake! What is that smell?” She opened her lunch bag and sniffed. “Whew, it’s not that,” she said. She turned away from the locker holding the back of her hand to her nose.
Marcus laughed and she looked back at him with a silly grin.
Jake smirked, looking back at his locker. “Troy’s funky sneakers. He needs to get them the hell out of there.”
She started laughing, but suddenly stopped and paled.
Jake looked back over his shoulder to see what had changed her mood. When he saw Ryan approaching, Jake turned to face him.
Walking right up to the group, Ryan paused. Pressing his lips together, he nodded with angry eyes.
“Donnelly,” Jake said with a single nod, interrupting the stare-down Ryan was giving Brie. Jake took a step closer to Ryan.
Ryan shot a quick glance at Jake, but turned his attention back to Brie.
Marcus pushed off the locker he was leaning against.
Ryan sneered. Ignoring Jake and Marcus, he pointed past him, right at Brie. “You told Coach you’re not a quitter. You remember that? You said that! And then, you just up and leave? You just gave up on States? You stood a chance of placing. You know that, right? We could’ve—”
“Back off, Donnelly.” Jake shoved Ryan’s arm away.
Ryan tensed, his eyes darted to Jake and then back to Brie. He shook his head. “That’s your decision?” He gestured toward Jake. “You’re choosing him?”
Brie looked around at the gathering crowd. She nodded, before her eyes darted again around the nameless faces who were watching. She shrunk back, grasping her hand, massaging her palm.
“I said back off, Donnelly!” Jake postured.
Ryan sniggered, surveying the group. He narrowed his eyes at Brie before he turned and walked away.
“Y’all can get back to your own biz-ness,” Marcus dismissed the gathering crowd with a wave of his hand.
Jake turned to Brie. “You okay?”
She nodded.
“Come on, I’ll walk you to McCullough’s class.” He draped his arm possessively around her shoulder.
“Don’t be late to the gym, Gordon, or you’ll be runnin’ suicides again,” Marcus called after them. “This time alone.”
When Jake flipped him the bird behind his back, Marcus belted out his high-pitched laugh.
Alone now, Jake leaned down closer to Brie. “You sure you’re okay?”
“Yeah. So much has changed.”
He stopped before they got to the entrance of her class and took her hand in his. “In a good way?”
“Yeah, mostly. I’m just afraid something else is going to happen to ruin this.”
“Don’t be.” He stood in front of her, shielding her from onlookers. “I won’t let anything ruin this.” He pointed at himself, to Brie, and then back at himself. “Not Ryan, not Sarah, not anything or anyone. Okay?”
Okay.” She looked up at him from under her lashes.
“I mean it, Brie.” He squeezed her hand.
“I know,” she said, squeezing his hand back before letting go.
Sighing, he backed away. “Marcus is right, I’m gonna be running suicides if I don’t get moving. I’ll see you sixth period, all right?”
“Yeah.”
He turned and jogged back down the empty hall they’d just come down.
“You and Jake, huh?”
Brie turned to see Lorianne beaming. “That is so cool!” she cooed. “Maybe we can double, you and Jake, and me and Marcus.”
“Are you going out with Marcus?” Brie asked with an eager smile.
“Not officially. I mean, we went to the dance together. I eat lunch at his table, but whenever I think we’re getting tight, he backs off.” She scowled. “I just don’t get him.”
“C’mon,” Brie said, heading into class. She wasn’t ready to play matchmaker. Setting up her materials, she felt Ari studying her. She looked up and met the other girl’s eyes. Of all places, this was where Brie thought she would be able to make real friends, her friends, friends who liked her for herself, not because she was Jake’s girlfriend.
“We wondered where you were,” Ari’s eyes narrowed. “You know, Jake came here looking for you when you disappeared a couple weeks ago. You didn’t say anything to anyone, not even him. Why would you do that? You led him on. He was crushed.”
Crushed? Embarrassed, Brie wasn’t sure what to say or do. “I didn’t—”
“Ari, c’mere,” Greg called, from across the room.
Ari shot Greg a glance. She pursed her lips, giving a last accusatory glare at Brie, before she went to him.
“Brie, from what I saw, Jake obviously isn’t upset about it now.
He is so into you,” Lorianne said. “Don’t worry about it.”
“Lorianne’s right,” Mia said. “Anyway, you need to think about what you’re going to put in the art show on Friday. I’ll help, if you want. Get your portfolio.”
Brie looked from Ari, to Lorianne, to Mia, and then back to Ari. She was sure she heard Greg say, “Not your business,” to Ari before he led her to the kiln room in the back where they could talk privately. Even though Mr. McCullough watched them go, he didn’t intercept them.
“All right, back to work folks,” Mr. McCullough’s low voice projected through the room, breaking the tension. Lorianne headed to a pottery wheel by the window, and sitting on a stool, she threw down a slab of clay.
Brie nodded to Mia, but felt Ari was right. She hadn’t thought about anyone but herself. But, why was Ari so concerned? Why did Brie suddenly feel inadequate? She rubbed the scars on her hand and looked in the direction of the kiln room.
“Brie?”
At hearing her name, she refocused. “Huh?”
“Your portfolio?” Mia asked again. “Let’s see what you’ve finished.”
Brie retrieved her work from her portfolio and laid it out on the table. Feeling as though she wasn’t measuring up, she looked at the work others had on their tables. She didn’t have near the talent some had in this class. Greg’s work was impressive. He had several black and white photos already matted, along with several graphic design projects and logos that he had completed. Most of Ari’s work was in textiles. She had batik and bandhani dyed sarongs, some fabric collages, and a few wood-block and linoleum prints on rice paper.
Brie looked at Lorianne’s beautiful earthenware. She had finished several pieces of intricately etched, painted, and glazed African-themed pottery, and she was already sitting at the pottery wheel making one last item, a jug.
Shaking her head, Brie was more discouraged now than she’d been when she was talking to Jake about finishing her projects. “Mia, I’m all over the place. I don’t have a clear focus. Look at your work. It’s amazing, and there’s a clear theme.” She gestured to Mia’s work of floral paintings. Most were of tropical and exotic flowers, but there were some of more common flowers like roses, sunflowers, and lilies. “They’re so beautiful. How did you get so many done?”
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