Serenity

by Ava O'Shay

  Akeo leaned over and hissed in Jolin’s ear, “Your holy shit’s heading this way.”

  Jolin waved his hand in Akeo’s face, getting him to back off.

  Elizabeth shot a nasty glance toward Akeo before gathering her books. “Sure, Mr. Carson.”

  Ren stood next to Jolin’s desk and waited for Elizabeth to clear out.

  “Sorry.” Ren shrugged.

  “Slut,” Elizabeth muttered, shoving her shoulder into Ren. Elizabeth gave Jolin a weird smile when she moved to Brock’s table group. Jolin shook his head. He had a feeling Brock had something to do with this current situation.

  Jolin glanced up to catch a sad look in Ren’s eyes. The image of a little girl in a ripped and soiled pink dress, her hair a ratty mess, flew through Jolin’s head. Yeah, he remembered her. The police had come to their elementary school and arrested her on his tenth birthday. At least that’s what he thought then. Later he understood Social Services had taken her away because her mom was a drug addict.

  Ren rolled her eyes and dropped her books on the table with a thump. “She’s a ray of sunshine.”

  Jolin’s opportunity to get reacquainted with Ren came sooner than he’d expected. She almost immediately was assigned as his new lab partner while Elizabeth became Brock’s.

  Ren turned in her chair to face him and held out her hand. “Hi. I’m Ren.”

  Jolin took a deep breath, closed his eyes and said, “J-j-jolin.”

  Ren’s expression remained neutral, grabbing his hand and smiling. “Nice to meet you.”

  He smiled back, but didn’t say anything. She was the first person to not give him a look of sympathy when he stuttered.

  “So I guess we’re lab partners for the project.”

  He raised an eyebrow.

  “We should get started with our research. We’re behind. Can I come to your house this afternoon?”

  He raised both eyebrows this time. She was kind of straight to the point.

  Ren sat back and crossed her arms. “I don’t know if your status holds you exempt from the work us little people need to do, but I need a good grade on this.”

  He glared at her, then said, “I’ll meet you at my c-c-car after sch-c-cool.” The chair he sat in screeched across the floor when he stood up.

  “Must be nice to be the king of the school.” He heard Ren mutter. Jolin paused. He wasn’t king anymore but he wasn’t going to explain that to her. Without looking back he walked out of the classroom before the bell rang.

  Jolin

  Wednesday, October 16

  3:30 p.m.

  “Nice house.” Ren stopped just inside the door and looked around. “Nice,” she repeated quieter.

  Jolin shut the door behind them and snapped the dead bolt. He was still pissed Brock switched partners with him. Jolin knew Brock was trying to move in on Elizabeth, but after sitting in his car with Ren and her vanilla scent, he was beginning to think he got the better end of the deal.

  Ren turned around and raised an eyebrow. The rhinestone of her eyebrow ring sparkled when it caught the light.

  “What?” Jolin laughed nervously.

  “So you’re parents have good jobs?”

  Jolin leaned back against the door and crossed his arms. “Why, you thinking of j-j-jacking my house?”

  Ren frowned at his lame joke.

  S-s-sorry,” he stuttered. “Just me and my m-m-mom.”

  Ren crossed her arms mimicking him. “So your mom has a good job?”

  He shrugged and walked past her to the kitchen. “She’s a nurse. W-w-want something?” He paused. His hands were sweating and and he struggled to get the words he needed out. He needed to pull himself together. “To eat?” Being alone with Ren knocked him totally off what little game he had left.

  Jolin opened the door to the frig, bent over, and moved items around like he was looking for something. He froze when he felt Ren’s presence behind him. He grabbed a Diet Pepsi and turned around. She was only a few inches shorter than him, which was impressive since he was six foot two. Jolin couldn’t believe he’d never noticed her before. Her skin was a flawless olive tone, accenting her jewel green eyes. The thick, black eyeliner she drew around them made them sparkle. Jolin’s eyes shifted to her perfectly drawn on red lips. Her hair and make-up was impeccable. A silver ring encompassed the left side of her lower lip. Jolin drew in a shaky breath when she pulled it into her mouth now. He wasn’t sure how long they stood there. Her scent was overpowering, the light vanilla reminding him of birthday cake.

  “Where’s your dad?” she asked.

  “Riverview. D-d-divorced.” Jolin shrugged, making it look less traumatic than it had been.

  “Hmm,” she hummed. “Where’s your room?”

  “W-w-what?” Jolin’s stutter was getting worse the longer they stood so close.

  “Your room?” Her voice impatient. “I have to work later.”

  “Yeah. Of c-c-course.” The cool aloofness he hoped for slipped away.

  Ren moved in closer. Jolin stepped back. The refrigerator rattled when he hit the shelves.

  She smiled. A flash of triumph in her eyes. “Well let’s get this party started. I don’t have all day.” She walked out of the kitchen, then looked back over her shoulder. “Coming?” she teased.

  Jolin’s gaze trailed down to her black pants and motorcycle boots. This wasn’t a good idea. They really should stay in the kitchen. Lizzie would freak if she knew Ren was in his house, let alone his room. But his mind was being over-rode by his hormones. Jolin grabbed a second Pepsi, slammed the refrigerator door, and followed her into the hall.

  “Upstairs. S-s-second door on the r-r-right.” Jolin balanced the cans in one hand and grabbed his backpack with the other. The flannel shirt she’d tied around her waist shimmied right to left with every step.

  She’s got one hell of an ass.

  Ren dropped her bag on his bed and rummaged through it. Jolin expected her to pull out notes for their biology project. Instead she pulled out a lighter and a bag of pot. With the hands of an expert smoker, she rolled a joint, dropped the bag back into her pack, and walked across the room. She bent over to open his window, which gave him another look at her tight ass. He felt a stirring in his pants and shuffled over to the desk to sit down.

  With the window open, Ren settled herself on the ledge, propped a leg on the window sill and lit up.

  “My m-m-mom will flip if she smells that.” Jolin swung the chair around to face her.

  “Is she home?” Ren’s normally silky voice sounded choked as she held in the smoke. Her mouth made a perfect “O” when she leaned out the window to blow it out.

  Good Lord she was hot.

  She held out the joint and nodded her head, inviting him to join in.

  He waved her off. “We should get started.” Jolin tried to get his mind off her ass and stood up to get his backpack.

  In what he now considered her signature move, she raised an eyebrow.

  She shook her head. The rainbow of colors that highlighted the lower half of her long, wavy, blonde hair swayed back and forth.

  “We have s-s-some catching up t-t-to do.” He tried again.

  She put the joint to her mouth and pulled the smoke deep into her lungs. But this time she didn’t blow the smoke out the window. She walked to where he stood, keeping her gaze on his. She grasped his chin in her hand and pulled his face toward hers. Her lips brushed his before she blew the smoke into his slightly open mouth.

  Jolin jerked away. “J-j-jesus. I t-t-told you I don’t smoke.” He coughed. His throat burned, and his eyes watered. “Shit,” Jolin choked out.

  “You weren’t smoking. I was.” Her lip ring disappeared as she pulled it between her teeth.

  Jolin grabbed a Pepsi and chugged it, trying to get the burn to subside.

  The lip ring slowly escaped from her mouth, and she ran her tongue over her red lips. “Pull it in slower next time.”

  This time Jolin raised his eyebrow. Why did that so
und like an innuendo for something sexual? Probably because everything about Ren screamed sex. He had no idea what he was doing with this girl let alone having her in his bedroom. Trouble was written all over her. But all he could think was he needed to feel her lips against his again. He knew there was something soft and sweet under the hard exterior she presented. Steam Punk, that’s what the kids in the group she ran with called themselves.

  Today her outfit was pretty tame. Her black jeans were strategically torn to show a little thigh. Her v-neck T-shirt skirted her cleavage, making it just barely appropriate for school. The only complaint he had was the flannel shirt she wrapped around her waist covered her ass. When Mr. Carson told him to switch lab partners from Elizabeth to Ren, Jolin was furious. The stupid grin on Brock’s face made it clear he had a hand in the switch. Brock was using his new position as quarterback to get closer to Elizabeth. Although she broke up with Jolin, she hadn’t totally cut ties. Jolin’s reign in the popular crowd was slipping, but she wasn’t completely sure she wanted to let him go. Jolin wanted to use their time in class to show her he could still be her boyfriend, however not having to sit next to her while she figured it out was turning into a blessing.

  “I don’t smoke.” Jolin used the back of his hand to wipe the tears that escaped during the coughing attack.

  Ren had a way of looking right through him. Her head tilted, but she didn’t break her stare. Bringing the joint back to her lips, she pulled the smoke in once more then placed it on top of the desk. Her fingernails were painted black but the skin around them was raw and broken like she picked at them. Each finger was encircled by a silver ring. She placed a hand on each of his cheeks, cupping his face. Her thumb skimmed his lower lip.

  “C’mon. Knock it off.” Jolin tried to step away, but she held on.

  “Slow.” Smoke came out with the word.

  She brought her mouth to his and with a short puff, blew the smoke in. Jolin didn’t want to get high, but he also didn’t want her to move her mouth away. His lungs burned, and he needed to cough but didn’t want to with her face so close. His eyes started to water. He wasn’t ready when she brought her lips to his in a kiss, forcing him to keep the smoke in. The control he’d held onto dissolved, and he grabbed the back of her head pushing his mouth hard against hers. He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her into his body. With a quick sweep of his arm, Jolin cleared the mess from his desk onto the floor and lifted her onto its surface. His tongue skimmed across her lip ring—a hum of satisfaction escaped from his throat. He felt Ren’s lips turn up slightly under his. He’d kissed his share of girls before but the feel…the taste of Ren made all common sense dissolve.He felt each brush of her lips deep in his gut. He’d never been immediately aroused by anyone before.

  Her fingers moved into his short blond hair, gripping lightly. He ran his hands down her sides kneading her hips, pulling her closer to him. He slid her back until she was pushed against the wall. A few tacks broke free from the bulletin board and papers fluttered around them. Jolin slammed a palm against the wall behind her head to keep the entire thing from coming down on top of them. His breathing became labored as he tried to slow down the onslaught of emotions she pulled from him. He slid his other hand around, finally grasping that ever elusive ass, moving his hips into her. His head spun with her scent and the taste of her mouth on his. Maybe it was the pot. If this was what it felt like to kiss her high, he’d just become a proponent of pot smoking.

  Ren’s hands found their way under his letterman’s jacket, pushing it down his shoulders.

  “Hmm,” she hummed into his mouth. This time it was his lips that formed a grin of satisfaction.

  Jolin shook the sleeves loose and let the jacket drop to the floor with a thud. Her nails skimmed along the waistband of the jockey underwear peaking out of his jeans. Was he seriously about to have sex with a girl whose name he didn’t even know a few hours ago?

  “Fuck,” he moaned then mentally slapped himself for being such a pussy. He was going to lose it in about two minutes if she kept touching him, then having sex would be taken off the table.

  Her hands were warm. They found their way under his shirt and explored his back before moving around, scraping across his abs.

  “Holy crap! Don’t do that.” Jolin jumped back and shuddered, the spell broken. “That t-t-tickles.”

  Ren, seemingly unaffected by what they’d been doing, hopped off the desk and used a finger to wipe his saliva off the corner of her mouth. “Well there, choir boy, seems like there’s a little fire in you after all.” She looked disheveled, and her hair had lost its perfect style. Jolin guessed some heavy making out could break the hard shell she carried around—or at least crack it a little. His gaze was drawn to her mouth again. Her lips were plump from their recent activity, but the red lipstick hadn’t even smudged. Jolin’s entire body tingled and all he could think was how he’d never been kissed like that before and how bad he wanted to do it again.

  Ren reached up and gathered her hair, lifting if off her neck for a moment before letting it fan across her back again. Then she readjusted the shirt around her waist.

  Her fidgeting made him smile.

  She caught him staring. “What?”

  “I r-r-rattled you.” Jolin couldn’t suppress the silly grin plastered on his face. He chalked it up to the pot.

  “No. You didn’t.” She crossed her arms.

  “Yeah. I think I d-d-did.” He stepped toward her.

  She held her ground. Her patented pissed off look staring back at him.

  “Rattled, no.” She put a hand on his chest to keep him from coming too close. “Surprised.” She sucked in the lip ring. “Intrigued.”

  Lord have mercy.

  “But not rattled,” she finished.

  “Surprised?” Jolin pushed her hand to the side and pulled her into him, nuzzling the space below her ear. A small tattoo peeked out from under her hair. A heart with a tiny red teardrop hanging from the tip. Her ears were adorned with multiple silver rings and a bar was pierced through the top of one ear.

  “You have a reputation….” She tilted her head, giving him a better angle.

  “I have a r-r-reputation?” Jolin breathed the words, letting his lips brush against the ink.

  She let out a shuddering breath. “You’re straight arrow, a brown noser, teacher’s pet, apple of your family’s eye, star quarter back dating the preacher’s daughter, you’re the fucking golden boy.”

  Jolin stepped back and cut off her tirade of goody-two shoe references. “I’m n-n-not so g-g-good.” He wasn’t sure that even made sense. It definitely wasn’t grammatically correct. He gave himself a mental head slap for even thinking about grammar.

  “Nothing wrong with straight laced.” She leaned over and started to dig through the mess on the floor, looking for what was left of the joint. Finding it, she rolled it between her fingers.

  “I’m not straight laced,” he repeated.

  She laughed and held out the joint. Her eyebrow went up, challenging him.

  “Are you p-p-playing with me?” He raised his eyebrow, mimicking her look.

  That got a sly grin from her, but it didn’t reach her eyes.

  He wasn’t even close to her speed, and she knew it. Slowly, her tongue peeked out and ran over her lips. Man she was good.

  “I’m trying.” Her words hit him like a bolt of lightning.

  Jolin reached out, grabbed the joint from her, and put it to his lips. He took in small puffs, trapping the smoke in until he couldn’t bare it. Then he grabbed her by the back of the neck and pulled her to him, blowing the smoke into her waiting mouth. Her hands flattened on his chest. When he’d emptied his lungs, he released his hold and looked down at her. Her eyes closed, her breath held tight in her chest while the drug did its’ work. He watched until she let the smoke out and opened her beautiful green eyes.

  Jolin tried to find the words he needed. The pot calmed him and the words came out without a hitch. “Wat
ch what gossip you believe. It may not all be true.”

  She raised a finger and touched his lips. “Ain’t that the truth.” Light flecks of gold surrounded each iris and held a sadness he wasn’t expecting. Jolin’s senses were in over drive, drinking in every part of her. All thoughts of Elizabeth disappeared as soon as Ren’s lips touched his. Fuck Lizzie and her midnight hook-ups. He wanted Ren as close as he could get her.

  Her lips parted and she pulled that God damn lip ring into her mouth again. Jolin’s eyes closed lazily and a groan escaped. She let out a little laugh, undoubtedly at the control she had over him. Her hands returned to his waist and slid up his sides, taking the hem of his shirt with them. He tried to raise his arms but only one would listen to his command. He was only a few weeks out from shoulder surgery and didn’t have full range of motion, or much of any motion at this time. Absently he thought about the fact it was only three thirty and if he was still playing football he wouldn’t be standing here making out with Ren. He didn’t regret one minute of his accident if this was what he could look forward to. She pulled the shirt over his head then ran it carefully down his arm, dropping it to the floor. Her fingers were feather light against the scar still red and raw.

  “No more football for me.” His voice was strained.

  “Hmm,” she hummed again, running her hands over his pecs then down his abs, causing a shiver.

  Jolin tensed when her fingers moved to undo the button of his jeans.

  “N-no.” He struggled to clear his head, grabbing at her hands. What had he been thinking? He wasn’t going to have sex with his lab partner. This shouldn’t be happening. He fought through the haze the pot put over his brain. He wasn’t thinking straight. Lizzie would never take him back if she found out about this. He needed her…no matter how good Ren felt, she couldn’t give him back his status.

  Her mouth found his and any thought he didn’t want what she was offering disappeared. A round stud on her tongue teased his own. He wondered how many hidden piercings she had. Her hands moved with a smoothness that may have concerned him if he wasn’t in a stoner state of mind. Jolin heard the zipper go down, and his head fell backward.