by E. K. Blair
She blushed. “Layna is my aunt. I live with her. That’s why I’m at this school,” she explained.
“Wow, I didn’t know that,” I said.
Wrenn looked at me strangely.
“My mom and Layna are old friends. They went to school together,” I explained.
“Then your mom probably knew my mom,” she said quietly. Her eyes dropped.
I’d obviously hit a nerve, and I noticed her use of past tense when talking about her mom. What happened?
“So, how do you like it here? A bit of a change from what you’re used to?” she asked, a less than subtle change of subject.
I laughed. “Different is an understatement. I thought I knew what to expect. Honestly, the reality is so much worse,” I said. “I’d forgotten how many hormones teenage girls have.”
And there was something to add to my list of things not to say to my teenage student.
“Forgotten?” she teased. “Weren’t you just in college, like, last year? Didn’t they have teenage girls there?” She bit her lip to keep from smiling, her green eyes sparkling.
“You’re right, but it wasn’t my job to control them,” I said, laughing.
“Yes, and they seem to go even crazier all cooped up in boarding school.” She rolled her eyes. “This is my outlet,” she added, gesturing to the TV. “Horror movies. It’s a good escape. And often less scarier than reality,” she quipped.
“If you like this you should try and get your hands on Dawn of the Dead. That’s one of the best horror movies of all time,” I said, ignoring how nerdy I sounded.
“Thanks for the tip,” she said with a grin. “You better get back.” She pointed to the door, her eyes piercing me. “They’ll come looking for you.”
“Yeah. I should,” I muttered. Even though I’d much rather stay in here. “I guess I’ll see you on Monday?”
“I guess you will. ‘Night, Dalton.”
Chapter Five
Wrenn
My pulse quickened as he walked into the room. God, he was driving me insane and he didn’t even know it. Like right now, for instance: his ass in those jeans...
Sigh. That was probably the best thing about being a girl—I didn’t have to worry about trying to hide an erection in the middle of class. I didn’t know how boys did it. He set his briefcase down on his desk, flinging it open and taking out a stack of papers. Glancing around the room, he smiled.
“Good morning. Did we all have a good weekend?”
Murmurs filled the room. I was too busy staring at him to answer. His gaze swept past me, and for a moment I thought I saw a smile. Had that been for me? Was he thinking about running into me at Layna’s?
Seeing Dalton out of class on Friday had been amazing. Sure, it had only been a five-minute conversation, but he’d treated me like a person. Every other teacher here knew my story, and all I ever got from them were sympathetic glances and those tiny little smiles that say “I’m not going to tell you how sorry I am for you, but I feel so sorry for you.”
Ugh. It was like I couldn’t escape my past, no matter how badly I wanted to. Thank God none of the other students knew—not even Kass.
The last thing they needed was more ammunition to use against me. The days they ignored me were best; I could handle that. It was the days they decided to pick on me relentlessly that were the worst. By ‘they,’ I meant Paige, but if she was targeting you, then everyone followed. It was sad, really.
It was amazing what a sexy, young, hot male teacher could do for your motivation levels. In the few months I’d been at this school, nobody had paid attention quite like they did in Mr. Reid’s presence.
I studied the cause of this phenomenon as he waffled on about...honestly? I had no idea what he was talking about right then, and I was pretty sure every other student in the room felt the same way. He wasn’t just attractive, he was down right freaking hot. Surely there was a law against a guy this gorgeous teaching teenage girls? This was a form of torture. But all the same, I’d take it. Yep. I could get used to this.
I sat back, my eyes on him as he took in the room. Again, I swear he smiled as his gaze swept past me. I couldn’t have imagined that twice.
“How did everyone do with the homework I assigned?” he asked, sitting on the edge of his desk.
That’s right, in my moment of appreciating the swooniness of my teacher, I’d forgotten we had an assignment due—just like the rest of the class had. The sound of papers rustling filled the silence as everyone dug through their folders. I pulled my three-page summary on the Magna Carta and passed it toward the front.
Out of the corner of my eye I saw Paige glance at me, then whisper something to her sidekick, Deena. They both giggled. I forced myself not to react. As much as I pretended I didn’t care, it still hurt. Nobody wants to be the outcast.
You don’t wake up in the morning and think to yourself, “Gee I hope they’ve vandalized my locker again today,” or, “I hope they try and frame me for cheating on another test.” I have no idea what I did to make Paige hate me so much, but whatever it was, in her mind it must have been big.
The rest of the period went quickly. I suppose time flies when you’re not really listening. There were perks to repeating my senior year. Well, I wasn’t really repeating, I guess. After the accident, it took me a long time to recover—both physically and mentally. Some things that were covered here I’d already covered in my old school, and some things I hadn’t. It all depended on the syllabus. Either way, it would help me get the grades I needed to secure my place in prelaw at Boston University, and it meant I could graduate midyear.
The bell sounded, scaring the daylights out of me. My heart was still pounding as Mr. Reid dismissed us. As I packed up my things and began to walk out, he called me over.
“Wrenn, can I see you for a moment?” he asked casually. I nearly fainted.
Calm down, Wrenn. He probably wants to tell you off for not listening in class.
I smirked at Paige, who was giving me a death stare. I watched her flounce out of the room, knowing I’d probably be paying for that later.
Approaching the desk, I waited as he reached into his briefcase and pulled out a DVD. He handed it to me and I took it curiously, my fingers brushing past his as they wrapped around the hard plastic casing.
Holy shit.
I forced myself to focus on the DVD and not the electricity pulsating through my veins from his touch. Did he feel that? God forbid if he ever actually touched me—I’d probably orgasm on the spot. I studied the cover of the DVD.
Dawn of the Dead
“Ah, this is the one you were talking about?” I asked, suddenly excited. I flipped it over to read the back.
He nodded, his eyes studying my reaction.
I grinned, secretly happy that he had remembered me.
“If you can handle this one, then I have a few others that are pretty good too.”
I raised my eyebrows at him. “You think I’m going to hide under the bed or something?” I teased him. “All I watch is horror movies, Mr. Reid. I’m pretty sure I can handle this little thing.” I winked at him.
He laughed, running his hand through his hair, that beautiful smile appearing on his face. Ugh, he was making me weak at the knees.
Wrenn, say something else! I opened my mouth, and then closed it again. Great, now I look like a freaking goldfish.
“Okay, well, we’ll see. I mean, this makes The Birds look like a comedy.”
“Uh-huh,” I said, still not convinced. I pushed the DVD into my backpack and smiled at him. “Well, thanks. Maybe I’ll see you tomorrow at my aunt’s?” I said, raising an eyebrow.
“Maybe,” he murmured, holding my eye contact.
***
“So, what did he want?” pressed Kassia.
I laughed. I was barely out of the door when she pounced on me.
“Did you see Paige? Pissed off, is all I can say. You better watch your back.”
“He just wanted to see how much of
the syllabus I’d already covered in my old school,” I fibbed. I didn’t like lying to Kass, and I wasn’t even sure why I did. All I knew was that I felt like I wanted to keep our little connection to myself—for a while, at least.
Kassia looked disappointed. “Is that all?” she said, glumly.
“What were you expecting? That he swept the junk off his desk and threw me down?” I snorted.
Kass grinned at me. “Well, I like that idea. Not only the idea of him doing that to you, but me doing that to you. Or maybe both him and me.”
I shoved her playfully, knowing she was messing around. She had a girlfriend, Trina, who she’d been with for the last six months. Trina didn’t go to Tennerson. She went to a public school in town, which was part of the reason Kass didn’t live on campus this year.
Kass’s parents were very cool. They accepted her sexuality, and loved Trina, and me, like we were part of the family. Which felt good. Especially those times when I missed my own family, so much. Layna was great, but she reminded me so much of my mother that when I was at my most down it was hard to be around her. If you’d seen them side by side, you’d pick right away that they were sisters. They had shared the same blonde hair and brown eyes. Both Jordan and I had taken after my dad, and Mom had hated that. She used to say she felt left out, because we all looked so alike.
“Come on. Let’s get out of here. I’ll have you back in time for dinner.” She linked her arm through mine. I nodded my agreement and whipped out my phone to text Layna and let her know where I was going.
As we reached the parking lot, we were confronted by Paige, Deena, and Stacie, all three of them blocking our path. Paige stood in front, hands on her hips, her lip curled up in disgust
“Well if it isn’t the two lesbian lovers,” she sneered, as the other two girls giggled. Apparently anyone who spent time with Kass was a lesbian by association. Kass stepped forward until she was almost nose to nose with Paige.
“Get out of my way now, Paige.”
“Or what? What are you going to do, Kass? Run off and cry into the arms of your little lover?” She thrust her finger toward me.
I shook my head, anger boiling inside of me. This girl was such a nasty piece of work. I tapped Kass on the shoulder. “Come on. She’s not worth it. Let’s just go,” I muttered, glaring at Paige.
“Yeah, listen to your girlfriend and run away, dyke.”
Kass began to laugh as Paige stared at her, shocked. “You know what I think, Paige? I think deep down, you want me. I think you lie in bed at night imagining my fingers inside of you, teasing you. I think you’re aching to feel my tongue sliding between your legs, and you know you’ll never have me.” She smiled sweetly and grabbed my hand, walking around the three of them, giggling to herself.
“That was brilliant,” I cried as soon as we were out of sight. “Fucking awesome, Kass. You told her!” Secretly, I wished I had that kind of confidence. I’d love to take Paige down a peg or two.
Chapter Six
Wrenn
As I glanced out the window of Kass’s Jeep, I thought about my future. And my past. And how I couldn’t wait to leave this place.
“What made you decide to stay at Tennerson’s?” I asked her. “I mean, I hate it but I don’t have a choice. I know your parents would let you move if they knew how much shit Paige and her skanks put you through.”
Kassia glanced at me. The urge to ask her that had come out of nowhere, and surprised us both.
“They’re not as bad as they used to be.” She shrugged. “Besides, Tennerson’s is the best prep school in the state. If I want to retain my acceptance at Harvard, then I have to stick it out. I don’t give a shit about those girls. I couldn’t care less what they think of me. They are going to get a harsh reality check next year when they go to the university where daddy bought them their place, and they realize they’re not the top shit anymore.”
Wow. I wish I were that confident in myself.
I hated that I let what others thought get to me. I never used to be like that. It was like the accident had killed all my self-esteem.
I couldn’t wait to get to college. I felt as though, right then, I was in limbo—waiting for my life to begin. Everything I thought I knew about life and love was gone, yet I couldn’t move forward just yet. Or maybe I didn’t want to move forward?
Moving on meant accepting that the past was never going to change. I wouldn’t be having any more late night chats with Mom about the boys I was crushing on. Or having her comfort me when my heart got broken. I wouldn’t have another argument with Jordan, or see him graduate from high school. And Dad wouldn’t be there to walk me down the aisle on my wedding day. None of my family would be there to see me marry the man of my dreams. Moving forward was terrifying, and at the same time exciting. I was so scared of forgetting, yet desperate for closure. No wonder I felt so damn confused.
“Don’t let her get to you, Wrenn. You’re so much better than her. Remember that.” Kassia gave me a smile as she turned the car into the parking lot. Of course she thought this was all about Paige. She didn’t know about my past.
“Am I that obvious?” I asked, making a face.
She laughed and nodded.
“I know, you’re right. I’ll work on it,” I promised, wishing it were that easy.
***
We met Trina in Starbucks. I stood in line to get our orders while the other two found a booth—and each othe,r it seemed. They certainly weren’t shy about displaying their affection in public. They’d caught the attention of every guy in the place—two pretty schoolgirls making out? Who’d have thought?
Smirking, I turned back around to face the counter. The guy standing ahead of me turned.
It was Mr. Reid. Dalton.
“Hey,” I said, tapping him on the arm. “Fancy meeting you here.”
“Wrenn.” His face lit up. He rolled his eyes at the line in front of us. “There’s nothing I hate more than waiting. It’s almost enough to make me walk out, but unfortunately my caffeine addiction wont let me.”
I giggled. “Yeah, the things we do for our addictions.”
He raised his eyebrows at me and I blushed. I hadn’t meant for that to sound so dirty. “So let me guess . . . you’re a straight-up espresso kind of guy.”
He looked offended. “You think I’m that boring? I’ll have you know it’s a mocha double-strength latte, all the way.”
I love the way his eyes twinkle when he jokes with me.
“Hey, me too!” I smiled.
He chuckled at my enthusiasm. “So, you’re here alone?” he asked.
I shook my head, and pointed to Kass and Trina, who were still making out in the booth. I cringed, but he just laughed.
“Good to see you relaxing.”
“You don’t think I relax? I relax too much. I’m the queen of procrastination,” I proclaimed.
He smiled and raised his eyebrows. Great, he doesn’t believe me.
“You seriously think I need to relax?”
“You always look so serious in class. I know, I’ve only been there a little over a week, but it’s just the vibe I got from you. You work hard.”
“At school, yes, I’m focused, because I know where I want to be and what I need to do to get there. Not only that, but school doesn’t exactly fill me with feelings of happiness.” I paused, realizing I was teetering on the edge of being too forthcoming. “I get bullied a lot, so I don’t enjoy school. It’s simply a means to an end for me. Nothing about that place fills me with warm fuzzy feelings.”
“You handle it remarkably well,” he offered. He paused, his expression becoming serious. “If it makes you feel any better, I used to get bullied, too.”
“You?” I said, arching my eyebrow. I wanted to roll my eyes. This was as bad as those celebrity specials on TV where they all share their sob stories about being bullied as kids.
“Yes, me.” He laughed. “What, you don’t think a hip, cool guy like me could be teased?”
&nbs
p; I blushed again.
Hip? I was thinking more along the lines of hot...sexy...amazing...
“You blush a lot, Wrenn. You should really get that under control. It gives away everything,” he said with a wink. And just like that, he was next in line.
He placed his order,and then turned around. “What are you girls having?”
I relayed our order to the cashier. We stood off to the side together to wait for our drinks.
“You didn’t have to buy our coffees,” I said shyly. “I wouldn’t want to get you into any trouble.”
“It’s coffee, Wrenn, not a joint,” he smiled and I blushed again. God, I did need to work on my blushing. He chuckled, and shook his head as I ordered.
We stood next to one another, waiting. Could he see how nervous he made me? I was a wreck. My hands were shaking, my mouth was dry, and I couldn’t stop thinking about how wonderful he smelled.
The barista placed our coffees on the counter. Dalton smiled at me as he reached for his.
“Have a good day, Wrenn.”
Carrying our drinks over to the booth, Kass stared at me, her eyes narrowed.
“Was that our hot teacher I saw you talking to?” she accused.
“You came up for air long enough to see that, huh?” I grinned, setting down the tray. Trina laughed and reached for her cup.
“Yes. So was it?”
“Yes. He was in front of me, so we chatted.” I shrugged innocently.
“Do you think he’s hot?” she asked with a giggle.
I rolled my eyes.
“Oh, do you! You’re hot for teacher! Go for it Wrenn, slut it up and make him want you.”
“Shut up,” I said, giving her the finger.
She laughed, taking a sip of her latte.
“I’m not going to throw myself at him like the rest of the school population.” I was happy just admiring the view from a distance.
Chapter Seven
Dalton
“Mr. Reid, can I get help with this?”
I glanced up. Paige Warner stood in front of me, her hands resting on my desk.