“I wish you had Biology with me,” Eden sighed to her friend on Monday.
Jessie leaned back in her seat and, in a not-so-quiet voice, said, “Why? You love that stuff. I hate science.”
“I like the class. I just wish it wasn’t so… awkward,” she admitted.
“Huh, awkward?” Jessie asked, hefting her trig book out of her backpack.
“What are you two banshee’s whispering about?” a male voice whispered. Eden turned, already knowing it was Andrew.
I don’t know why he likes teasing us so much.
She was surprised his face was close, emerald eyes staring back at her.
“Hey, you got your braces off!” His eyes widened further.
She felt herself flush. Yesterday, her mom had taken her to her new orthodontist for a check-up. She’d been thrilled when he decided it was time for the braces to come off. All night she had rubbed her tongue across her teeth.
Even now, she couldn’t resist feeling how smooth it felt. It was almost slimy. “Yeah, got them off yesterday.”
“Nice.” He grinned back at her. He didn’t hide the fact he was gawking now. She turned away, meeting Jessie’s wide grin.
She couldn’t help but be aware of Andrew’s quick glances throughout class though. Unfortunately for her, Jessie noticed too, and kept shooting her winks. Jessie had many qualities Eden loved, but subtlety was not one of them. Shorter than her, Jessie was as outspoken as her bright red, curly hair.
Eden peeked in Andrew’s direction. As always, he was dressed in expensive clothes with his dark blond hair having that messy look she was sure he’d spent a long time creating.
“Eden,” Mr. Giles voice asked impatiently. She snapped her eyes to the front, terrified she’d been caught unaware.
“Yes?”
“Do you know the cosign of π/4?”
“Ah… square root of 2 over 2,” she answered.
She glanced over; Andrew was gazing at her. Embarrassed, she looked away.
Thankfully, class ended and Jessie moaned about the homework load. “Mr. Giles’s a tyrant.”
Something brushed her arm as Andrew muttered, “I’m totally not getting this.”
She glanced down, gaping at his hand near her arm. Did he touch me?
“Hey, you get it, don’t you? Do you want to help me out?” he asked, grinning.
She eyed him. Wonder if he means copy my homework. “Sure.”
“Great! Can you study after school some time?” He slung his backpack on his shoulder.
Wait… study together? That hadn’t been what she was thinking.
“Um, yeah.” She threw her backpack on her shoulder too. “Just let me know when you want to.” Like never.
“My dad’s got me working after school all this week; how about Friday?”
“Ah,” she stammered. I’m in the twilight zone. “Ok.”
She shuffled away, with Jessie following behind her, mouthing the words, I told you so!
Eden hurried to her next class, Biology, not wanting to acknowledge that maybe Jessie was right. It was a study date, not a date date. She flopped down in her seat and pulled her textbook out.
Glancing up, she saw the reason she dreaded Biology walk down their aisle to take the seat behind her—Damon.
At least he always smells like clean soap.
Damon’s jeans hung low, revealing blue boxers today. He wore black t-shirts most days and skater DC shoes. His fingernails were painted black and he had hand-drawn tattoos on his arms of snakes and dragons. His black hair hung over his ears and into his face. She knew he belonged to the skater crowd and assumed he did drugs because of the dark bags under his eyes, but those weren’t the reasons she dreaded sitting by him. It was the memory of 3rd grade, when he sat next to her all day long, every day.
And he threw spit wads in my hair, pulled my seat out from underneath me, and scribbled on my homework assignments.
She knew it was a long time ago, and she should forget it ever happened. She wished she could. Logically, she knew he wouldn’t throw spit wads anymore, but she still felt uneasy being so close to him.
The Awakener Page 11