I rolled my eyes and walked out of the room. As I walked to my locker, I couldn’t stop thinking about how Reed had told me about her crush on Piers. Lacey hadn’t mentioned it. I guess she liked to keep things secret. Just like everyone else at this school.
Lacey had the hots for Piers for years.
Aria was Piers step-sister.
Silas went around, punching people for fun. It wouldn’t surprise me in the least if he were somehow connected to Pier’s death.
Maybe it had been accidental. Maybe Aria had asked him to do it.
Even though I didn’t know everyone at Vestamont High, I felt like they were all capable of murder. Last night they’d all been talking to one another, dancing and having fun, now this morning everyone was divided again. Whispers to each other in their little cliques.
But it felt like all eyes were on me as I walked to my locker. Silas stepped up next to me and I almost groaned audibly.
“Have you heard the rumor about the new girl?” Silas said with his eyes in his locker. “Two guys in one night.”
My mouth dropped open.
“That’s what they’re saying. Everyone is talking about it,” Silas said.
I slammed my locker closed and turned to him. “You know it’s not true.”
“How would I know what you did before you came outside at Aria’s? You might work really fast for all I know,” Silas said with a smile that I dreamed about slapping off his face. He leaned in closer. “What I want to know is if everyone is going to get a turn.”
Instead of hitting him, I hit my locker so hard the sounds of it rattling stopped the whispers around us.
“She made it up and you know it. You probably helped her come up with the stupid idea,” I said between my teeth.
All traces of his smile drained off his face. “I don’t make up rumors.”
“You just help spread them?” I asked.
Silas cleared his throat and held up his hand at the people watching us. “Don’t worry, new girl. Reed got home safely. I gave my cousin a ride after he left your house, so he didn’t have to walk all the way back across town.”
Aria bounced up next to Silas and they both turned their backs as they walked away. Silas wasn’t more than five feet when he turned back, meeting my eye over his shoulder. The evilness wasn’t in them. It was something altogether different in his eyes. Something I didn’t understand.
Someone coughed the word slut and the whispers started up again. Everything surrounding me felt fuzzy. The world around me started to spin like I was standing at the center of a merry-go-round.
Somehow, I’d made it to my first class although I couldn’t remember how I’d gotten there. I discreetly took Reed’s glasses out of my pocket and stuffed them into my book bag. I’d worry about getting them back to him later since it seemed as though he had a backup pair anyway.
“Good morning class,” Mr. Rivers said his expression blank as his eyes settled on me. It almost seemed as though he seemed disappointed in me. Or maybe it was concern. “Let’s jump right in, shall we?”
Someone groaned from behind me. I set my book down on my desk and noticed there was writing on the side.
I rubbed vigorously at the words… One night. One new girl. Two guys. A horrible lie that was thankfully smearing into mostly unreadable words.
Not that it mattered because everyone in school had already heard the lies. And there wasn't anything I could do to convince anyone otherwise. Something told me that neither Spencer or Reed, assuming he was the second guy, wouldn't say anything to deny it either.
The bell rang ending the class but before I could grab my things and bolt, Mr. Rivers was standing at my desk, blocking my exit.
“Just a moment of your time,” he said.
“Start early, maybe you can make it three today,” a familiar looking guy said. His buddies chuckled and hooted as they smacked him on the back.
As he stepped out of the room, I realized who it had been. It was the guy Nadia was sucking face with at the party… Spencer’s best friend, Damon.
When the room was empty, Mr. Rivers leaned back against his desk, looking at me. “It hasn't been going well, has it?”
“I really don't want to talk about it. It's much easier to pretend everything is fine,” I said forcing a smile.
“We could take this to the principal. Let your patents know,” Mr. Rivers said pushing himself away from the desk. “Things don't have to be like this.”
I pushed my shoulders back. He was already concerned and didn't even know the half of it.
“I'm fine. They're just testing me,” I said wearing the most fake of smiles. “It'll die down soon enough.”
“You're a tough one, aren't you?” Mr. Rivers asked.
I shook my head. “No one has ever said that about me, sir.”
He winced. “Wyatt.” He quickly cleared his throat. “Or Mr. Rivers. Whichever you prefer. Anything but sir.”
“Okay, Mr. Rivers,”
“Okay.” He smiled. “Remember My door is always open.”
“I appreciate that,” I said with a quick nod. “I better go.”
Mr. Rivers watched me as I walked away. “Oh, and Alyssa.”
“Hmm?” I turned sharply.
“I'll have the janitor scrub that off before the next class.”
I swallowed hard before leaving the room with my cheeks a bright shade of red.
Chapter Eight
The rest of the day, I kept my head down. I didn’t go to the library to sit with Lacey and her friends. Instead, I skipped lunch and sat behind a large tree.
After school, I lingered until almost everyone was gone. I stayed out of sight, watching Reed as he looked around as if he were waiting for someone.
Eventually, he gave up and left.
I think the only people remaining in the school were me, a few teachers, and the janitor who may or may not have also heard the nasty rumor about me. He didn’t look up from his broom as he passed by, so there was a good chance that even if he had heard it, he didn’t care.
I couldn’t stop thinking about everything going on in the town of Spring Meadow. If I focused on all the secrets, it would keep me distracted. Maybe I could figure out who had killed Piers Howard. And as far as I was concerned, I couldn’t cross anyone off the list.
I walked out of the school, my eyes moving over the empty parking lot.
“Are you avoiding me?” Reed said stepping out from around a tall shrub.
“Jesus!” I said pressing my hand to my chest. I leaned forward trying to catch my breath. “Don’t do that!”
He laughed but placed his hand on my shoulder and looked into my eyes with concern. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, yeah,” I said trying to figure out how to breathe again. “I’m just easily spooked I guess.”
“I just wanted to make sure you were okay after what happened last night,” Reed said. “I wanted to talk to you in school but I didn’t want to make things worse for you.”
I frowned as I looked at his bruised-up face. “I’m fine, are you? What did they do to you?”
“Just roughed me up a little trying to look tough for you,” he said.
“They looked like jerks,” I said biting my lip. “Does it hurt?”
“Not as much as my pride,” he said glancing my way briefly. “I look like a wuss.”
Reed started to walk with me even though I now knew he lived across town. “You looked like a normal person being attacked by an ape. I’m sorry I didn’t do more.”
“There wasn’t anything you could do,” Reed said.
“Your dad is on the police force?” I asked.
“Yep. Good ol’ Police Captain Hollis,” Reed said. “And I would have gotten in just as much trouble as Silas would have. My dad is kind of a hardass, so I appreciate you not calling him. He would have been angry with me, not Silas and his buddies.”
I chewed my lip. “You and Silas are cousins?”
“That’s right. How did you
find out?”
“Silas,” I said not wanting to say any more about the dramatic scene.
“Our mothers are sisters.”
“Is his dad a hard ass too?”
Reed shook his head. “His dad is… I have no idea where his dad is. Dealing drugs somewhere. So, I guess his dad is too absent to be a hard ass. His mom left them a few years ago. Just one day up and left town.”
“Oh,” I said softly.
“Silas hasn’t had an easy life. He used to live with his dad but now he lives with his older brother, Scott. My mom, his aunt, checks in on them from time to time, brings groceries.” Reed chuckled nervously. “He’d kill me for telling you all this.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Do you really think he’s capable of that?”
“Probably,” Reed shrugged. “Isn’t anyone capable under the right circumstances?”
I hesitated before shaking my head. “Not me.”
“Are you sure? You can’t think of anything that might make you do the unthinkable?” Reed asked with interest.
“No and I don’t want to try either,” I said.
“Yeah, sorry. Unpleasant topic.”
“You can say that again,” I said feeling an unpleasant chill down my spine.
Reed smiled at me. “Let’s talk about something else.”
“Okay,” I said. “What should we talk about?”
“We could talk about how I’d still like to get a bite to eat with you,” Reed said.
“You are persistent.”
“I am,” he said. “So, you might as well just say yes now and save us both the trouble.”
I smirked. “Who says saying no is any trouble at all?”
“Ouch,” Reed said placing his hand on his chest.
“Truth is I’m not even a little hungry.”
“Coffee?”
I considered it for a long moment. “I guess that would be okay but is there something in walking distance. Actually, why are you walking? Didn’t you have a car yesterday?”
“Ah-ha! How exciting. I have my very own stalker,” Reed said with a bright grin.
“Oh, please. I just noticed you driving away. I notice a lot of things.”
“That’s intriguing. My car’s around the block,” Reed said gesturing to the left.
“Why did you park over there?”
Reed shoved his hands into his pocket and looked down at his feet. “I was hoping to walk with you.”
“How did you know I walk? Are you stalking me?”
“I just notice things,” he said unable to hold back his massively attractive grin.
I texted my mom as I followed him to his car. The three dots appeared for a long time before the words ‘have fun’ appeared. She probably had like a million questions and settled with the one she thought I’d like best. Thank God for that because I didn’t know how to answer any of them.
I sank down into Reed’s comfortable seat as he drove to the coffee shop. The radio was playing some old eighties radio station softly and he smiled at me every chance he got.
He didn’t care who saw us, at least it seemed that way… and I didn’t either. Although, I knew if anyone saw us, it would only feed the rumors spreading around.
Reed knew they weren’t true and I knew they weren’t true, that was all that really mattered.
It wasn’t like I couldn’t see myself with Reed because I could. I only wished things would have started differently than for him to see me have mud smeared all over me.
Reed was extremely hot but then again, nearly everyone that attended Vestamont High was attractive. It was like it was a requirement. If you didn’t meet certain standards, you’d be turned away but of course, that wasn’t true because I’d been admitted.
I wasn’t anything special. I dressed casually. My shoulder-length brown hair was always parted down the middle. I had high cheekbones and a slim face but I looked more like a wood elf from a high fantasy than a beauty that attended Vestamont High.
He pulled into the parking lot of a strip mall and ran around the car to open the door for me. I tried not to but I blushed.
I’d been on dates but no one had ever opened the door for me. It wasn’t just good looks Vestamont High students had, they also had manners.
Wait.
No, they didn’t.
They were assholes.
Reed, however, had manners. And it was refreshing although I had no idea how to respond to it.
“What do you drink?” Reed asked.
“Coffee, black,” I said hugging my backpack like a shield between us. There was a good chance that it was because I was slightly uncomfortable due to the rumors.
I tried to relax because there wasn’t anyone in the coffee shop from school. There was one woman typing on her laptop with a cookie and an iced tea. At the counter was a man in a suit that looked like he’d had a hectic day and wasn’t even close to being finished.
“I’ll get the drinks and you can get us a table,” Reed said.
“Okay,” I said turning on my heel. There was a slight bounce in my step but it disintegrated the second I saw the black car parked next to Reed’s car.
There was no mistaking who the car belonged to. Instead of picking a seat by the window, I decided on a table toward the back wall.
Reed brought over our drinks but I couldn’t focus. My eyes kept darting over to the window to check if Silas was still out there.
He didn’t come inside, so he wasn’t here for a drink. Maybe he was waiting to drag his cousin off again for another beating. Maybe because he was out in public with me.
Silas had made it pretty clear that he didn’t want me around. I didn’t belong, he’d said. Just like everyone else he wanted me gone and he wanted Reed to feel the same way even if he had to beat it into him.
“He’s not waiting for you,” Reed said. His words shattered my thoughts like glass cracking and falling into a million little pieces.
“What is he doing out there,” I asked. “It’s kind of creepy.”
“It’s super creepy,” Reed said. “If I’m not home by a certain time, my mom worries.”
I bite my cheek as I looked out the window again. “So, she sends Silas out to find you?”
“Sometimes.” Reed sighed. “My parents are quite overprotective.”
“Probably because your dad is the police captain. He knows all the bad stuff that goes on in this town,” I said.
“Yeah, that’s exactly it,” Reed said sucking down the rest of his iced coffee. “I guess I should get you home.”
I shook my head. “You should go. I’ll call my mom for a ride.”
“No way,” Reed said grabbing my hand, stopping me before I could even tap the screen. “I brought you here, I will get you home.”
“It’s no trouble,” I said.
He was still holding my empty hand even though I’d slid my hand holding the phone off of the table. I looked down at his hand and felt my insides warm.
“Ready?” he asked.
I took one last sip and stood. Reed didn’t let go of my hand. I wasn’t exactly sure why it was making me nervous. It wasn’t because Reed was holding my hand, it had more to do with the fact that Silas was outside waiting… watching.
We approached Reed’s car and Silas stepped out of the driver’s seat. He walked around his car and stepped in front of us.
“What do we have here?” Silas asked. He turned to Reed. “Doesn’t it bother you to be sloppy seconds?”
“Don’t be so stupid,” Reed said. “You know what they’re saying didn’t happen. And I’m pretty sure we both know who’s behind it.”
I raised a brow. “Pretty sure all three of us know.”
“Yeah?” Silas said turning to me. “You know everyone so well, don’t you? You’re here like a day and you’re an expert on the town.” He leaned closer. “Truth is you don’t know anything about anyone.”
“No one knows anything about me but that didn’t stop them from making up their own stories
about me. Why should I do anything differently?” I asked feeling a bit of satisfaction.
“I guess you shouldn’t,” Silas said stepping between us forcing us apart. His back was toward me. “Go on home, Reed. Your mom is waiting for you.”
Reed tried to step around him. “I’ll be home as soon as I drop Alyssa off.”
“You’ll go now,” Silas said. “She’s worried. You know how she gets when she’s worried.”
Reed pressed his lips together.
“It’s fine. I’ll call my mom,” I said. “I don’t want you to get in any trouble.”
There was a long moment before Reed groaned. “Fine.” He pushed Silas to the side so he could look into my eyes. “I’m really sorry about this. I’ll make it up to you, I promise.”
“It’s honestly not a big deal,” I said squeezing my backpack. “Good night.”
“Good night,” Reed said bumping his shoulder into Silas as he passed him.
He started his car and backed out of the spot. Reed gave me one last look before shifting into drive and speeding away.
I reached my hand into my backpack feeling for my phone… it was there at the bottom next to Reed’s glasses. I pulled it out but Silas instantly grabbed it out of my hand.
“You don’t need to do that,” he said. “I can give you a ride.”
Every bone in my body ached. Every muscle in between tightened.
“That’s quite all right. Wouldn’t want to add another guy to my list,” I said.
“That won’t happen,” he said confidently.
“Well, I wouldn’t want your girlfriend to get the wrong idea.”
His lip curled at the end. “She’ll never find out. Also, she’s not my girlfriend.”
“Could have fooled me.”
“She wants to be but I don’t want a girlfriend,” he said looking off in the distance as if there was something extremely important that had caught his eye. I turned slightly following his gaze but didn’t see anything. “Not that it’s any of your damn business.”
“If it’s all the same to you, I’d rather just call my mom,” I said but he put the phone behind his back.
“You can call your mom if you can get your phone back,” Silas said. “But it’ll be easier if you just get in the fucking car and let me give you a ride.”
Thin Skin: A High School Bully Romance (Vestamont High Series Book 1) Page 5