“Don’t tell me you’re actually waiting for Kyle.” She scoffed, and her friends snickered. “He’ll drop you like the ugly toad that you are in a week or two.”
My cheeks flared as anger boiled in my chest. But to my horror my retort stuck in my throat, and my eyes threatened to spill tears. Before I could humiliate myself further, Todd Jackson strolled up to my rescue, his lanky frame wiggling between Natalie and her tall volleyball friend, Sasha. His neon yellow ski-jacket was a striking contrast against his black skin.
“Come on, Nat. That’s not playing nice,” he said, slinging an arm over Natalie’s slim shoulders.
She twisted, throwing it off. “Like you care.” Natalie glared at him. “Or is she doing you too?”
“Aw, Nat, that hurts. You know my heart will always be yours. How could I love another when we’ve played in the mud together since preschool?” Todd covered his heart with his massive hands as if pledging his undying love, and his charcoal-black eyes shifted into a well-practiced puppy dog plead.
“You’re such a nerd, Todd,” Natalie said, before glowering one last time at me. Huffing, she swiveled on her heels and strutted away with her girlfriends in tow.
Todd bowed to her, as if her insult was a complement. Relief washed through me, and I giggled nervously at the spectacle.
He turned, grinning. “My Lady approves?”
“Actors.” I rolled my eyes in playful exasperation. “But really, thanks for getting Natalie off my back.”
He slouched against the wall beside me, stuffing his hands in his pockets, and shrugged. “Hey, that’s what lab partners are for. Besides, new girls always get Nat’s panties in a wad. You just got a double whammy when you stole Kyle.” He doubled over, making a gagging gesture as he said the name.
I laughed.
“Stop that.” I smacked his shoulder, unable to hide my grin. He was such a clown.
Suddenly, like a phantom, Kyle appeared at my side. His hand slid across my shoulder, sending licks of fire through my polyester shirt and into my warming flesh. Tingles shot through my bare arm where his capable hand came to rest.
“Entertaining my girl, Todd?” Kyle’s voice was light almost teasing, but his fingers tightened on my shoulder, pulling me close, until the side of my body was pressed against his. My heart fluttered at his title of “my girl” and the closeness of our bodies.
“Only when I know I can get her to smile.” Todd shot me a goofy grin, and I couldn’t help but chuckle. Biology was an okay class, but with Todd as my partner, it even beat English, my favorite subject, hands down.
“Tayla, why don’t you go find Chel and meet me by my truck. I forgot something back in the locker room,” Kyle said as he gently caressed my arm, making me feel a little tipsy.
“Sure.” I reluctantly pulled my body from Kyle’s. “See you, Todd, and thanks.”
“No problem,” Todd responded as I disappeared around the corner and into the main hallway.
Without Kyle’s heat, the November air was especially nippy. I rubbed my naked arms and realized I’d left my hoodie by the locker room.
Crap!
My Uncle Stan gave it to me, and I would seriously weep if I lost it, so I retraced my steps. I’d only been gone from Kyle for a minute or two, but the scene I stumbled upon made my heart stop. Todd was lying awkwardly on the ground, holding a bloody lip.
“Todd!” I ran over to him, finally registering Kyle as his hard eyes whipped around to meet mine. Quickly, the green flecks in his eyes softened into the light brown of his irises.
Kyle turned back to Todd. “Hey man, are you okay? You’ve gotta watch where you’re going. The chair totally won that round.”
A chair?
Kyle shifted to the side exposing a toppled metal folding chair a few feet away that was normally situated by the locker door. Todd must have hit it hard for it to skid that far. But he was usually so light on his feet, doing all the small stage stunts without biffing it. Kyle extended his hand to help him up, but Todd knocked it away and rose to his feet unaided.
“Whatever man.” Todd backed away, his eyes never leaving Kyle. Could Kyle have said something to scare him? Or worse?
My heart ached to understand his pain, even though he tried to hide it behind a mask of anger. “Todd, you’re bleeding. Let me help—” I offered, feeling the need to do something, but he cut me off.
“Just don’t.” His hand dropped exposing a nasty split lip. In a few quick strides, Todd was around the corner and out of sight. But his brusque words stayed with me long after.
“Couldn’t stand to be away from me?” Kyle flashed a knee-wobbling smile and closed the distance, wrapping his arms around my waist.
I swallowed. He was so handsome that my mind clouded under his sexy eyes and the heat of his body. Todd was soon forgotten. “I forgot my hoodie.”
He chuckled, and my cheeks flushed in embarrassment.
“Oh, is that all.” He gave me a wicked smirk before letting go and plucking my hoodie off the ground. “Be a shame if you got too cold, I might have to fix that.”
My cheeks burned. I felt my body going into a shy catatonic state, and forced myself to think about what Chel would do. Kyle was seriously flirting with me, and I wasn’t going to clam up. Not this time. I tried a sly ‘Chel’ smile, and prayed I didn’t look like a total idiot.
“I’m not that fragile,” I said, snatching my hoodie out of his outstretched hand and was about to saunter off, like Chel always did to get the boys to chase her, when I noticed his red knuckles. I froze, and my eyes went wide. All thoughts of flirting washed away as what truly happened to Todd clicked into place.
My head snapped up. “You hit him?”
The seductively warm expression melted away. “He was playing for my girl. No one does that and gets away with it.” His voice deepened with a threatening current and the hardness returned to his gaze.
I felt queasy, and my mouth dried. This couldn’t be my Kyle?
“He was just helping me.” I defended Todd.
“Helping? Is that what you call it?” Kyle’s voice was a humorless chortle.
I crossed my arms. “Yeah, that’s what I call chasing off Natalie. She cornered me with her Gucci-armed posse.”
His jaw flexed minutely at Natalie’s name, but then relaxed into his easygoing persona. “I’m sorry, Tayla.” He sighed. “I was so hyped about winning that I wasn’t thinking. But he knew you were my girl.”
“But we haven’t even been on a date,” I stammered, my thoughts cloudy with indecision.
He ran his hand through his salon-perfect hair. “Come on, Tayla. I thought you knew how I felt.” He took my hand in his and caressed my skin with his thumb. “You’re my girlfriend. I’d take you on a date right now if the celebration party wasn’t at my house.” He caressed my chin with his other hand. “I’ll make it up to you, I promise.”
I couldn’t speak. My mind spun, fighting between my magnetic attraction to him and the image of Todd’s bloody lip. Could I forgive Kyle for hitting Todd over a testosterone-driven moment? He was a guy after all.
Kyle must have taken the silence as forgiveness and tugged me toward the exit.
“Wait.”
“Tay, you’ll love the party. They’re always viral after a win.” He flashed another sexy smile and pulled me along as if driven by an unseen force.
“Kyle.” I tugged against his hold, reality taking firmer hold. What if I did something to anger him? Would he hit me, too?
He pivoted so we were face to face. “Tay.” His hand touched my lip, silencing me, and a flicker of desperation entered his eyes. “Just relax. In a few hours you won’t remember anyone but me.”
Trying to understand his actions was like trying to guess the next picture in a kaleidoscope. This domineering, jealous side of him was creeping me out, no matter how sexy or popular he was. But those soft hazel eyes and crooked smile pushed through, and my heart started racing again.
“Hey, guys.” Chel’
s voice was a welcome lifeline, sucking me out of Kyle’s allurement.
“Sweet throw,” Chel continued, blissfully unaware. Kyle’s face lost its intensity and brightened as the conversation turned back to the game.
“Did you see how close thirty-seven got? He almost had me, but nothing can touch this,” Kyle bragged, flexing his taut bicep to show off his physique.
I maneuvered myself to Chel’s other side, putting her in the middle. I was so confused. What he did to Todd was so wrong and yet he could make my knees weak with one touch. I didn’t trust myself to be so close to him. I needed to think, and I couldn’t do that when he could easily slide an arm around my waist and cloud my judgment. Chel cocked an eyebrow, but didn’t speak. I wiggled into my hoodie for the extra protection from the cold and Kyle’s hands. Thankfully, Chel continued to chatter away with Kyle until we reached the parking lot. I dug out my cell from my jeans. Pretending to read a text, I snapped the phone shut.
“Crap!”
They both looked at me, and I quickly delivered my partial lie.
“My cousin needs help with her math homework, and her ancient babysitter’s clueless. Sorry, guys.”
“Oh, okay.” Chel’s eyebrows puckered together. She knew I’d made arrangements for Kathleen to watch my two younger cousins so I could hang out with Kyle after the game. Now, I was ditching early. She gave me the look that said I’ll-call-you-later.
“I’m sure they’ll figure it out without you.” Kyle eyed me with suspicion.
“I really am sorry. She’s having a meltdown,” I said, backing up.
Kyle jerked his head in his truck’s direction. “Come on, Tay, I can’t show up without you.”
“Kyle I really am sorry. It was an awesome game though.” As I turned to flee, I caught Kyle’s calculating expression. “I’ll catch you guys later,” I said over my shoulder as I jogged away before he could utter something enticing that would shatter my weak resolve to leave.
CHAPTER 2—Silver Eyes
I left the stadium parking lot and walked around the school to where my van waited. The night was colder now that the sun had sunk below the horizon. Street lamps illuminated patches of the sidewalk. Turning the last corner, I finally saw my white van. It blurred into the black night like a ghost stuck between worlds.
Leaves rustled to my left and my skin tingled like something was watching me. What looked like two silver coins with slits down the middle glistened from the bushes several yards from my passenger’s door. I stilled, every vein flooded with adrenaline. Dozens of possibilities crawled through my mind like black widow spiders.
It’s just a deer, I chanted as I crept toward my van. They grazed on the school lawn all the time. My hands shook as I fumbled for my keys. I blamed the cold, not wanting to admit I was scared, but I’d never heard of a deer with eyes like those. Eyes? Is that what they were? I shivered involuntarily as I remembered Grandma Jonas babbling about recent wolf sightings in town.
A lump of terror formed in my throat. Why hadn’t I gone with Kyle?
The silver points advanced toward me.
I forced my eyes to remain open. Please go away, I begged the invisible form.
Just then, a car drove by, blinding me. I shielded my eyes and blinked my night vision back, but the eerie silver spheres had vanished. In the dark, even a deer could look terrifying, but I wasn’t going to stick around to find out.
I sprinted the remaining distance to the van and jammed the key in the lock. Swinging open the door, I jumped inside and slammed it shut behind me, flicking down the lock. But my hot breath plumed with vapor that quickly fogged the windows. Heart pounding, I scanned the shadows for those silver eyes. A clatter rang through my van.
I screamed and covered my head.
When nothing attacked me, I noticed my keys weren’t in my hands. I inhaled a shaky breath and picked up the keys that had slipped from my numb fingers. I stuck them into the ignition, but didn’t turn the key.
It’s nothing. Nothing. Quit scaring yourself.
I put my head on the steering wheel with my hands on the center, taking calming breaths.
My horn blasted, and my whole body jerked. Pain shot through my skull as I clipped my head on the sun-visor. Cursing, I slapped the visor against the ceiling. I didn’t need a wolf to kill me; I was doing a fine job all by myself.
Movement caught my eye. A deer shot across the school lawn from the direction of the eerie eyes. I laughed uneasily.
I slumped against the icy vinyl of the driver’s seat, breathing in the stillness of the metal around me, calming my fears. No matter how decrepit my van looked, it was mine, and it was safe. Finally, I revved the engine to an uncertain life.
I tried to drown out my fears by listening to the churning engine and buckled before my fingers froze to the metal clasp. Plucking my driving attire from the cardboard box between the two bucket seats, I covered my head with the tacky knit cap Aunt Lily made for me. Honestly, I wasn’t about to tell Aunt Lily the truth. It looked like the multicolored yarn had vomited on itself before being knit together. It was downright hideous, but it was warm. I shoved my hands into the thick moss-green gloves I’d bought from the thrift store and cracked the window open to help with the fogged windows and pulled into traffic, before I died from hypothermia. Icy wind pricked my exposed cheeks with its frigid touch as I drove home.
I flicked the broken heater knob in irritation. I’d discovered that nasty surprise last week when the first snow fell. I had been forced to stick my head out the window, like a dog lapping at the wind, to see through the ice that my plastic driver’s license couldn’t remove. The next morning, I’d promptly bought a heavy-duty ice scraper and loaded my van with essential winter gear.
I thought about buying a ski mask, but didn’t want cops pulling me over for looking like I’d just robbed a bank. It was bad enough that the van’s previous owner had fondly nicknamed it the “Shaggin’ Wagon.” It had come with a threadbare couch in the back which, to my horror, everyone at school knew about. Even Grandma Jonas had known about her neighbor’s reputation as ‘Lucky Scorer’ and had chuckled at my mortification. Leaving Grandma to her twisted humor, I’d dumped the couch at the landfill and started parking on the farthest side of City Park from Cody High where no one would snicker as I climbed out of the van. The park was two city blocks long, but the five minute walk was worth it.
Finally, I pulled into my driveway and out of my reminiscing. The headlights illuminated an average-sized home, sky-blue with white trim. I remember laughing the first time Aunt Lily, my legal guardian from birth, showed me a picture of the house she’d bought. It was exactly the type of house an old granny might own. Thankfully, my artistic Grandma was more hip than that and used her artistic ability to bring the inside of the house out of the seventies. Retro greens and yellows made me want to claw my eyes out.
Even with the new paint job, the house held a sadness that paint couldn’t cover. A gloomy oppression followed Aunt Lily around most days, and without Uncle Stan’s merry laugh to dissipate her depression, we struggled to recall happier days.
Entering the house, I winced at the volume of my cousin’s favorite show, Phineas and Ferb, blaring through the house. I stepped out of the small alcove that was our entryway and smirked at the scene in the living room. Six-year-old Cammie twisted her long golden hair with one finger as she rapidly explained the social dynamics of the cartoon to her seventy-nine-year-old babysitter. Kathleen’s short silver hair bobbed with her head as she tried to be attentive to Cammie while busily crocheting a washrag.
As I came up behind the couch where they sat, my eyes rested on Sarah across the room. Her aqua-gray eyes were glued to the TV as she sat cross-legged in the reclining chair with her math homework untouched on her lap. A skirt of brick-red hair framed her pale face, splashed with freckles that ran across her cheeks and nose. She was only ten, but thought she was twenty.
I sighed. Kathleen was a soft disciplinarian and easily distracted—t
wo things Cammie and Sarah learned to work to their advantage. I reached for the remote on the couch arm, resigned to play the bad guy. It was already 8:00 and Sarah had homework to finish before bed. I doubted Cammie had even touched hers.
No one noticed as my finger pressed the red button. The TV flashed off and, for a second, there was blissful silence.
“What?” Sarah and Cammie yelled in unison. Their eyes finally zeroed in on the remote in my hand. Sarah glowered at me but Cammie squealed and vaulted over the couch, strangling me in a hug.
“Tay! You’re home,” Cammie said.
I laughed, hugging her back. It was just what I needed after my frustrating night.
“Hello, Tayla,” Kathleen said, turning slightly to see me better. I let go of Cammie. “I thought you weren’t going to be home until ten. Is everything all right, dear?”
“Yeah. The game wasn’t really that great.” I absentmindedly picked at my fingernails, an oddly comforting habit I’d developed a few years ago. “Thanks for watching them. I hope they were good for you.”
Kathleen inched toward the edge of the couch and stood, her bones creaking precariously under her excess weight. “Oh yes, they’re always angels.”
I smiled back at her. If only that was true half of the time, I’d have it easy.
After making sure my cousins’ schoolwork was done and they were in bed, I crawled under my wonderfully fluffy comforter. In my silent room, I had nothing to keep the night’s events from my mind. The whole thing felt surreal. Kyle was everything I wanted: hot, athletic, and possessed a charismatic personality that drew people to him, like an oasis in a desert. But this perfect mirage shattered the moment I saw the look on Todd’s face. Selfishly, I wished I could rewind time so Todd didn’t come to my aid. Then, I’d be oblivious, snuggled up to Kyle at the party that was happening without me.
Yet, wasn’t it better to know what Kyle was capable of before my heart became too entangled? I shivered at my narrow escape, but the hollow ache in my chest intensified. I was alone like always, never been kissed, and still waiting for my first date.
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