The Heavier The Chains...

by M. E. Clayton

  “I’m thinking we can ask if we can switch your locker closer to mine,” Alex piped up beside me. “It’ll be so much easier since we have first period together, don’t you think?”

  I shrugged a shoulder. “That’s not a bad idea,” I agreed. “But I wouldn’t hold our breaths.”

  “Well, we can-”

  A shadow loomed over the right side of my locker, shutting Alex up. I shut the door to see Talon Draven standing right next to me, and like I said earlier, I was not in the mood. It’s amazing what lack of sleep does to a person. “I’m not in the mood, Talon,” I growled and ignored Alex’s gasp behind me.

  His left shoulder was leaning up against the lockers, a book hanging from his right hand by his thigh, and he looked damn good. “You say that like I give a fuck, White,” he replied, not at all concerned that Alexandria could hear our exchange.

  I stared up at those unrealistic blue eyes of his and I couldn’t believe how much I wanted to stab them out of his head. “Quit calling me that,” I spat. “My name is Kenzlee.”

  He guffawed, “Oh, baby, believe me, I know your name.”

  This jerk. “Don’t call me baby, either,” I hissed. “I am not your baby.”

  One step was all it took to have Talon looming over me, shrinking me. “That’s where you’re wrong, White,” he said, his voice a deep rumble of male need. “You are very much whatever I say you are to me.”

  My eyes widened and my mouth dropped open. Who in the hell says crap like that? “Are you insane?” I screeched. “You can’t just…that’s not how things work!”

  Alex’s voice was faint but clear behind me. “Sweet Baby Jesus.”

  And then he said something that took me to the edge of a nervous breakdown. And the fact that he said it in front of Alexandria really jacked me up. “Look, White,” he started, “I spent all night thinking of all the ways I was going to stay away from you, yet, here I am, first thing in the morning, seeking you out.”

  “Tal-”

  He kept talking right on over me. “Well, guess what? I’m not leaving you alone,” he announced. “I’m not going to ever fucking leave you alone, and the sooner you accept that, the better off you’ll be.”

  My head shook back and forth in denial as if the police were accusing me of a double murder. “You can’t do that,” I pointed out.

  “Yeah?” he barked. “And who’s going to stop me? You going to tell a teacher? Report me to the police?” His hand latched onto the back of my neck again. “How exactly are you going to stop me?”

  Those were all very good questions, but I couldn’t form a single thought with his hand wrapped around my neck again. Talon’s touch was like a current short-circuiting my intelligence. It was frying my ability to think; to make decisions.

  The first warning bell rang snapping me out of my stupor. I looked up at this beautiful boy and said the only thing I could think of. “I…I need to get to class,” I stuttered, that confident, combative girl long gone.

  Talon’s eyes narrowed, and that stabby feeling morphed into wanting to attack him with my tongue. “I’m only going to say once, Kenzlee,” he whispered. “Stay the fuck away from Jason Fuller.” Then he corrected himself. “As a matter of fact, stay away from all guys who aren’t me, Lars, or Hunter. Got that?”

  And licking him morphed back into stabby time.

  My polite upbringing was being tested to its limits. “I need to get to class, Talon,” I said, instead of telling him to go eat a dick. Because I really, really wanted to tell him to go eat a dick. However, I wasn’t so wrapped up in Talon, I didn’t notice the crowd gathering around us.

  He gave my neck a tight, little squeeze before saying, “I’ll let you go this time, Kenzlee. But I’ll see you in fourth.” Then he walked past me as if he hadn’t just claimed me in front of everyone.

  “Holy shit hell damn,” Alex rambled. “What in the hell was that, Kenzlee?”

  I turned and looked at my cousin. “Hell, if I know,” I admitted. “I…I think he’s just…bored, maybe.”

  Alex’s eyes almost bugged out of her pretty head. “Talon Draven might be a lot of things, but I doubt bored is one of them, Kenz,” she argued. “How did all of this happen?”

  I didn’t want to have this conversation with an audience, so I said, “Look, we need to get to class. But I promise to tell you everything tonight at home, okay?”

  “This is big, Kenzlee,” she gushed. “Selena Gomez and Justin Bieber getting back together, big.”

  I cocked my head. I wasn’t a Justin Bieber fan, but no one could escape the online tabloids these days. “Isn’t he married?”

  Alexandria rolled her eyes. “Yes,” she confirmed. “That’s why it would be big news if he got back together with Selena.”

  Well, alrighty, then.

  ∞∞∞

  Talon~

  There was no going back after telling Edie about Kenzlee yesterday. I had made my intentions towards Kenzlee clear with my sister and that did it.

  I knew I wasn’t her type. I knew I didn’t have enough class for her liking, and I knew I’d never have enough commas in my bank account to satisfy her. I knew all this, but it wasn’t going to stop me. It wasn’t going to stop me from taking her.

  My biggest struggle would be juggling the hate I have for all the things she represents with the uncontrollable need to have her; to tarnish all her silver.

  It was a constant battle.

  The need to rip those diamond studs out of her ears was a constant battle. The need to bring her down a peg was a constant battle. And the more refined she acted, the darker my intentions became. I could see the struggle on her face between being polite and telling me to go fuck myself. That first meeting had caught her off guard, but since then, she’s been prepared and holds on to her composure like a lifeline. Kenzlee Mitchell will never be a YouTube sensation for losing her shit.

  Never.

  First period was a whole lot of stares and whispers, but I didn’t give a shit. People always talked about me, so this wasn’t something new. Lakeside High was no different than any other high school across the country. You had your cliques; your rich, your poor, and your troublemakers. You had your jocks, nerds, cool kids, and rebels.

  I fell somewhere between the poor rebel troublemakers. I was poor, but I wasn’t. I rebelled, but I respected my elders. I was a troublemaker, but I avoided felonies, if I could.

  The fighting was the biggest thing that brought me attention. Everyone overlooked my social-economic status as long as I won my fights. The girls fawned, and the guys were too scared to talk shit to me. I was hoping that trepidation would extend to Kenzlee, because I didn’t feel like fucking up dudes left and right for talking to her. Until she got on plan with the fact that she was mine, things were going to be tense around here for sure.

  And, fuck, it was only second period.

  Lars and Hunter were already at my locker when I walked up. We always met up at my locker on our way to second period since we all had it together.

  “Dude,” Lars laughed as soon as I was within earshot. “My phone was buzzing nonstop during first with texts of you attacking your girl.”

  I started turning the dial on my locker. “I did not fucking attack her,” I clarified.

  Hunter chuckled. “Dude, you practically claimed a girl in front of anyone who was looking,” he pointed out. “That’s equivalent of you attacking her. The entire fucking school is losing its mind.”

  My locker open, I grabbed my book, and slammed it shut again. I glanced back and forth between my two friends. “Okay, here’s the deal,” I said. “After a lot of soul-searching last night, I decided I wanted her no matter how many diamonds drip from her ears, so…she’s mine.”

  Lars laughed. “Oh, I bet that’s going to work well for her.”

  “You’re such a romantic, Tal,” Hunter deadpanned. “Really. You’re quite an inspiration.”

  “What’d you want me to do,” I countered. “Release doves in the a
ir? Line the hallways with rose petals?”

  They both laughed, and I shook my head at the sheer nonsense of it all. Seriously? Who cared who I dated, and why? Why was it so important who a poor kid, who had to fight his sister’s way to a future, dated?

  We started walking towards second period, when Lars asked, “So, what does Kenzlee have to say about all this?”

  This time, I’m the one who laughed. “I’m pretty sure she wants to tell me to go get fucked. But all that blue blood breeding is keeping her from causing a scene.”

  Hunter let out a low whistle. “I’m liking her already,” he teased.

  I didn’t comment as we made our way to class, but the trip was comical, to say the least. Not bragging, but Lars, Hunter, and I always got longing looks, or curious glances whenever we walked down the hallways together, but this morning, there was more to it. Guys were probably wondering what was so special about Kenzlee, and girls were wondering…well, probably the same thing. But they’d never know, or they’d never understand.

  Fuck, I barely understand.

  But you see it everywhere. You see the cocky jock with the nerd. You see the quiet girl with the bad boy. You see the plain girl with the richest boy in town. You see the ordinary guy with the head cheerleader. You see good-looking men with overweight wives. You see blonde bombshells with dorky husbands. You see it everywhere and wonder, what the hell is he/she doing with him/her?

  Well, chemistry is real, folks. It’s real, and it doesn’t identify good looks or rock-hard bodies. It doesn’t care about superficial shit. Chemistry connects souls; dark to light, light to dark, light to light, or dark to dark. You can be in the grocery store, minding your own goddamn business, and bump into your soulmate as you check out the cereal selection. And all you can do? All you can do is pray they’re not already fucking married or in love with someone else.

  Kenzlee was that for me. I was walking though the school hallway, minding my own goddamn business, and she bumped into me. She bumped into me and sealed her fate and mine.

  And I wasn’t egotistical enough not to be able to admit I was fucked in the head where she was concerned. Her…grace made me positively nasty, but the pull in my gut was telling me I better find a way to deal with it.

  We paused in front of second period, when Lars simply asked, “So, is she your girlfriend or what?”

  And then I said the words that could probably label me a psychopath, “Yeah, she’s my girlfriend.”

  Hunter stuck out his hand. “Here, give me your phone,” he demanded.

  I pulled my phone out of my back pocket and handed it over. I trusted Hunter like I trusted Edie-completely. “What the fuck for?” I watched as his fingers flew across the screen. He knew my password just like I knew his and Lars’.

  His face lit up as he looked down at my phone. “Because everyone knows nothing’s official until it’s announced on social media.”

  Lars let out a whoop of laughter, while I just rolled my eyes. “You’re such a goddamn girl, Hunter.”

  “Yeah, but he’s not lying,” Lars chuckled.

  Hunter handed me back my phone. “You’ll thank me later,” he promised. I took my phone back pretty sure I wouldn’t be thanking him.

  The last warning bell rang and fourth period, suddenly, seemed too far away.

  Chapter 8

  The view we, sometimes, fail to see.

  Talon~

  And a hush fell over the crowd, folks.

  I’m not sure what second and third period were like for Kenzlee, but for me they had been pretty much the same; stares here and there, little whispers. But when Kenzlee walked into fourth period, the entire classroom shut down as if she had walked in holding the cure for cancer.

  But the real surprise?

  Ms. Prim & Proper stormed right up to me, slammed her books on my desk, and seethed, “Did you go online and…and…”

  Damn.

  She was so pissed she was sputtering, and I wanted to laugh. Instead, I stood up. “Did I go online and what?” Kenzlee’s eyes looked like gold flames. “Sit down,” I ordered. “We’ll discuss this at lunch.”

  Her good breeding had her picking up her books and heading towards the desk she sat in yesterday. I watched her go until Miles Denton leaned over and said, “I don’t mind switching with her.”

  Normally, I’d be leery about someone offering a random favor, but Miles always seemed cool, and we never had any issues, so I nodded my head. “Appreciate it, man.”

  I headed towards Kenzlee’s desk, grabbed her backpack and snatched her by her upper arm. “You’re sitting in the back with me,” I told her.

  “The hell I am,” she hissed.

  “Is there a problem?” Mrs. Thompkins asked.

  My head turned back to address her. “Miles is having problems seeing the board,” I lied. “He’d like to switch desks with Kenzlee.” I looked back down at the girl whose eyes were shooting fire at me. “But, I guess, Kenzlee isn’t feeling like being charitable towards Miles.”

  I thought she was going to claw my face off. Kenzlee’s been doing her best to act polite and accordingly, and here I was, ruining her preferred image.

  She peered around me at Mrs. Thompkins. “Of course, I don’t mind switching with Miles, Mrs. Thompkins,” she, now, lied. “Talon was just helping me gather my stuff.”

  I could hear the smile in Mrs. Thompkins’ voice. “Oh, that’s awfully nice of you Kenzlee.” Turning, I headed back towards my desk knowing Kenzlee was following.

  The second her ass hit Miles’ old desk, she leaned over and spat, “Are you out of your fucking mind?”

  I laughed.

  This girl was going to beat me bloody, then chop my body up into tiny pieces when she finally gets tired of my shit.

  And I couldn’t wait. I couldn’t wait to see this monied-classed girl snap and lose control. I was hoping she’d lose control naked underneath me, but odds were the chopped with an axe bit would most likely occur.

  I leaned back towards her. “I already told you this morning, whether you like it or not, we’re doing this,” I reminded her.

  Kenzlee faced back towards the font of the class and was jerking her book open and getting ready for some learning with motions so strong, I feared she pull a muscle. “No, we are not,” she argued in a whisper loud enough for me to hear.

  “Oh, but we are, White,” I said just to antagonize her. Mrs. Thompkins drone on about where to open our books to and what was on the agenda for today, but all I could focus on was the fuming beauty sitting next to me. Kenzlee called to me, but now? Well, now I wanted to break her. I wanted to watch all that prim and proper breeding crumble around me. I wanted to see the real Kenzlee. I wanted to see emotion. Not the irritation she felt for me. Not the anger she felt for her situation. Not the frustration she did her best to tap down.

  No.

  I wanted to see her fall apart.

  I wanted to see what she was like when she beyond all rational thought with rage. I wanted to see what she was like when she passed all civilities and revealed all her thoughts. I wanted to see what she was like when she was out of her mind with pleasure.

  I wanted to see her experience real emotions, and I didn’t care if they were tears or laughter.

  Not bothering to keep my voice down for privacy, I said, “You’re mine, Kenzlee. You’re mine, and you need to get used to it.”

  Her head snapped towards me. “Why me?”

  I glanced up at the front of the class to make sure Mrs. Thompkins was busy teaching the class. When I was satisfied she was wrapped up in shaping young minds, I leaned closer towards Kenzlee. I grabbed her chin and forced her closer to me. A part of me wanted to provoke her, but another part felt she deserved my honesty for turning her life upside down. Because, by the end of the day, it would be turned upside down. “I don’t know why you,” I told her honestly. “And I don’t really give a shit why it’s you. I just know it is. It is, and that’s the fucking end of it.”

 
; Her face softened and her eyes flooded with understanding, and I knew it was because she couldn’t explain her attracted to me any more than I could explain mine to her. I knew she felt the connection yesterday when she ran into me. I knew she felt the…shift; the shift in who we were. Kenzlee was just as confused as I was-or had been. I stopped being confused last night when I told Edie that Kenzlee was my girlfriend.

  Kenzlee’s head shook a little. “This isn’t…Talon, it doesn’t make sense,” she whispered. “You can’t just do this.”

  I leaned back, giving her some space, but make my point clear again. “You don’t get a say, White,” I stated matter of fact. “You can deny and complain all you want, but it changes nothing.”

  Her eyes fired again. “We’ll see,” she muttered, and turned back to facing the front of the class and those goddamn diamond studs caught the light commanding my attention again.

  My phone buzzed, and I looked down at it seeing a message from Hunter.

  Heads up Tammy Jones is tlkn shit about ur girl already

  I let out a deep breath and looked up towards the front of the class. I knew people were going to take exception to my interest in Kenzlee, but I didn’t care. She was mine. End of story.

  ∞∞∞

  Kenzlee~

  “Forget Selena and Justin getting back together, Kenz,” Alex muttered as she sat across the lunch table from me. “This thing with you and Talon Draven is way bigger than that.”

  When the bell for lunch rang, I had had every intention of storming out of class and leaving Talon Draven to kiss my ass, but it hadn’t worked out that way. The second I had stuffed my book in my backpack, Talon had grabbed it and my arm, and walked us out of class. We looked every bit the couple he was professing us to be.

  Well, except for my hate-filled expression, of course.

  He had delivered me to my locker and had stayed put until Alex came walking up. Once she neared, Talon had kissed the side of my head-fucking me all up-and walked away. And, now, I was sitting with Alex trying to figure out what the hell.