“There certainly is.” I paused as we reached the school. “Oliver, if you want to live a reckless life, that’s your choice. But I have a plan. As long as I stay focused on my education, my life isn’t going to go in a great direction. High school is full of hormones, sloppy kisses, and ridiculous drama. None of that will get me to where I want to go.”
“Hormones and sloppy kisses?” He quirked an eyebrow. “Sounds like you’ve had some bad experiences.”
“Not at all. Like I said, dating is for college, not high school.” I sighed as I looked at him. “I get that you’re the new guy, and for whatever reason, you feel the need to cause trouble. But let me make it clear to you. Everyone here at Oak Brook has their own issues. You being a foreigner with a bad attitude doesn’t make you special, it makes you just like every other hormone-ridden drama queen around here. It’s my job to show you around, but I can’t force you to let me. So, if you’d rather spend your time impressing the soft-minded girls around here with your fancy little bad boy streak and your sexy accent, then please, don’t waste another second of my time.”
“Wow.” He took a step back as he stared at me. “That’s quite a mouthful, isn’t it?” He smiled. “I’m pretty sure you said my accent is sexy.” He smirked. “Does it drive you wild when I talk?” He took a few steps toward me. “Shall I offer you a spot of tea?”
“Ugh! You’re hopeless.” I shook my head and pulled open the door of the taxi. As I sat down inside, Oliver sat down beside me.
“I’m just trying to help you to relax. You’re so serious.” He tipped his head to the side. “Maybe that’s because you’ve never been kissed.”
My cheeks heated up again and this time my anger broke through my attempt to be patient.
“That’s it! My life is my business, Oliver! I don’t need your help with anything. I’m doing just fine on my own, thank you.” I crossed my arms as the taxi pulled out. “Just please, don’t speak to me again.”
“I thought you were supposed to show me around?” He scooted closer to me. “I don’t want to go back so soon. You can show me around the city.”
“You can hang out in the common room; I’m sure you can find someone to keep you entertained.” I refused to turn back to look at him.
“Fine, I’ll explore by myself.” As the taxi neared the city again, Oliver pulled some cash out of his wallet. “Drop her off, then take me to the best place you can think of.” He handed the driver a wad of cash.
“It doesn’t work that way.” I glared at him. “We have to travel in pairs. If you don’t come back with me, we’ll both be in trouble.”
“Well then, I guess you’re stuck with me.” He looked over at me with a smile. “Maybe you can show me your favorite place.”
I crossed my arms and scowled. “Take us to Central Park.”
Chapter 6
Sitting next to Oliver in the taxi was excruciating. He already knew too much about me. He knew about my crush on Aaron and he also knew something that I’d never told anyone.
I’d never been kissed.
My mother had instilled a deep sense of autonomy in me from a young age and warned me not to get caught up in silly romance. As a result, I’d steered clear of anything close to a boyfriend.
Once in grade school a boy had given me a flower and then tried to kiss my cheek. That was my last day at that school, and I guess that boy thought twice about ever giving another girl a flower. My mother found me another school and warned me to politely walk away from unwanted romance instead of handing out black eyes.
In the years that passed, I had to resist throwing a punch a few times, but I still managed to get my message across. I would not be caught up in the drama and chaos of young love. I’d seen far too much of it as my friends suffered through heartbreak and uncertainty. I had zero interest. But that didn’t mean I wanted everyone to know how inexperienced I actually was.
So many of my friends came to me for advice. Would they still do that if they knew my secret? I had told a few white lies over time about my adventures that never happened. I didn’t want to lose their trust over it.
As we stepped out of the cab at Central Park, I glanced around at the crowded sidewalks. Maybe I could just blend in and accidentally lose him. That could be forgiven, right?
He wrapped his arm around mine. “So? This is your favorite place?”
“Not even close. But if you want to spend some time in the city, this is a nice place to do it.” I pulled my arm free of his. “So, have your fun, then we can go back.”
“I must have really touched a sensitive spot.” He met my eyes. “Or are you always this prickly?”
“I’m not prickly.” I shot a glare in his direction. “I just see that you think the rules don’t apply to you.”
“Not exactly. It’s more like, I think that rules don’t exist.” He shrugged. “I mean, they don’t actually. They’re just words written down on a piece of paper. They’re not real.”
“They’re real enough to get me kicked out of school.”
“You?” He shook his head as he grinned. “Never.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means that you don’t seem like the type that would ever get kicked out of school—or out of anywhere.” His voice softened a little as he continued. “You’re the kind of person that everyone likes.”
“I wish that was the case.”
“No, you don’t. Trust me.” He frowned. “If everyone likes you, it’s because you don’t really exist.”
“What kind of nonsense is that?” I glared at him. “Of course I exist. You’re just full of drama, aren’t you?”
“Fine, stay stuck in your little world.” He waved his hand through the air as he turned and walked away from me.
“We’re supposed to stay together!”
“I’ll text you when I’m ready to go back.” He continued down the sidewalk.
I took a step toward him, then stopped. I wasn’t about to follow after him like some lost puppy dog. I wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction. Instead, I turned and walked the other way.
As I wandered through the streets of New York City, I realized that it was the first time that I’d explored the city alone. I’d always had a friend with me in the past. Being surrounded by strangers gave me an entirely different perspective on the city.
I felt tiny. I felt as if I could just disappear in the flood of people and no one would even notice. Was that how Oliver felt? Alone in a new place? I doubted it. Someone with his inflated ego probably didn’t have a clue what loneliness was.
As I made my way back toward Central Park, I wondered if Oliver would ever text me. I guessed that he might have just decided to continue on with his day of exploring and he didn’t care in the least whether I got in trouble for it.
I searched for him throughout that section of the park and finally spotted him engaged in a game of chess with an elderly man. I opened my mouth to tell him that he had to come back with me right away but stopped when I heard a snippet of his conversation.
“It’s alright, take your time.”
“Sometimes I can’t remember.” The man sighed as he stared at the pieces.
“Just relax, it’ll come back to you. I’m not in any rush.”
Alone in New York City with free rein to go wherever he pleased, Oliver had ended up across from a man who couldn’t remember how to play chess. Why?
I stepped behind a nearby statue and continued to watch. The man’s hand trembled as he picked up a piece, then set it back down without moving it.
“No, that’s not it.”
“Can I tell you a story?” Oliver cleared his throat.
“A story? I guess.” The man frowned as he stared at the pieces.
“Once my father and I took a walk down by this pond.”
“To feed the ducks?” The man picked up another piece.
“To feed the ducks.” Oliver smiled. “I saw the water lap at the sand.”
“Over
the pebbles?” He moved the piece to a new spot on the board.
“Over the pebbles. I saw a smooth, flat pebble.”
“Did you skip it?” He looked up at Oliver with a smile.
“I did.” Oliver met the man’s eyes. “It hopped right across the water.”
“What a beautiful day.” The man grinned.
“It was.” Oliver raised an eyebrow. “It looks like you beat me.”
“I did?” The man laughed as he looked at the board. “Well, I guess I did. Would you look at that? It’s been so long since I’ve won a game.”
“Thanks for playing.” Oliver offered him his hand.
“My pleasure, young man.” The man shook it, then shook his head as he looked back at the board.
Oliver stood up and started to walk away when he caught sight of me peeking around the statue.
“Spying?” He shoved his hands in his pockets.
“Waiting.” I bit into my bottom lip. I wanted to ask him why he’d played with the man, but I decided against it. But as we walked back toward the street together, I couldn’t resist asking him about the story he’d told.
“You and your father are close? Did you feed the ducks with him often?”
“Never.” He chuckled. “My father is a businessman. He doesn’t have time for things like that.”
“But I heard you tell that man the story. Did you make it up?” I frowned. “Why?”
“It’s a special kind of story. It helps people who are in the beginning stages of Alzheimer’s. By posing familiar situations—ones that just about everyone has experienced—it gives them a chance to recall their own memories of something similar and starts them on a path of feeling confident that they can reconnect with some situations which helps them to relax.” He shrugged. “Stress can make recollecting things—like how to play chess—a lot harder. So, by telling him the story, I helped him to relax and he remembered how to make the winning move.”
“That’s pretty amazing. How did you learn that?” I tried to meet his eyes.
“Just something I’ve picked up along the way.” He winked at me. “I’m a fascinating fellow, you know.”
I rolled my eyes as I hailed a cab for us. As much as I wanted to tell him that he wasn’t, the truth was that I did find Oliver fascinating. One moment he infuriated me; the next, he left me more curious than I’d ever felt.
Chapter 7
In the taxi, we kept our distance from one another. I noticed that he made an effort not to slide my way when the taxi turned. I did the same. All of the anger and frustration I’d felt toward him had been muted by the sight of him interacting with someone that most people probably overlooked.
That was unexpected.
As the taxi pulled up to Oak Brook, I felt some relief. At least being home meant that I had a way to escape him. I stepped out of the taxi, then leaned back in to pay the fare.
When I straightened up, I found Oliver right beside me.
“Are you going to turn me in now?” He stared at me, his body close enough to mine to make me wonder if he intended to touch me.
“Shouldn’t I?”
“Perhaps.” He hooked his thumbs into his front pockets and tipped his head enough to bring him closer to my height. “It won’t make a difference to me.”
“You’ll have your rights to leave the campus revoked.” I searched his eyes. “Won’t that matter?”
“My rights to leave the campus?” He narrowed his eyes. “Am I a prisoner now?”
“It just shows that you can’t be trusted. It’s Oak Brook’s job to keep all of its students safe. That includes you.”
“Not for long.” He shrugged. “Besides, like I said—”
“Rules don’t exist. Yes, I heard you.” I sighed as I studied him. “Oliver, you disappoint me.”
“Pardon?” He quirked an eyebrow.
“I’ve been bored. So bored. For a long time now. I’ve been hoping that something interesting would happen, something that would break up the monotony that has become my life. When I heard you were coming, I thought maybe this was it. Maybe this new student from an entirely different continent would have something new to teach me, something eye-opening to share. But here you are, just as sullen and broken as the rest of the ultra-privileged students at this school.”
“Wow, I’ve heard rumors that you can be pretty judgmental, but this is a whole new level.” He ran his hand across the curve of his chin as he smiled. “Is it exhausting to be so self-righteous?”
“Whatever.” I shoved past him, through the entrance to Oak Brook. I didn’t want to look at him—not for a single second longer. In fact, I hoped that I wouldn’t have to see him again.
As I stalked toward the dormitories, I didn’t dare look back over my shoulder. I didn’t want to think about him following after me or smirking behind my back. I didn’t want to hear his words echo through my mind.
Someone told him I was judgmental? So what? Why would that bother me? Everyone knew that I could be a little judgmental. So why did it make me feel so much more vulnerable when he said it?
I burst through the door of my dorm room and marched right into the kitchen.
“Maby?” Fifi pulled the earbuds from her ears and stood up from the sofa. “Are you okay?”
“I don’t want to talk about it. I need a drink.” I slammed a half-gallon of milk down on the kitchen counter and grabbed a glass.
“What’s going on?” She walked up to the counter that separated the kitchenette from the living room.
“Fi, didn’t you hear me?” I poured some milk into a glass, then grabbed a packet of chocolate powder from the box I kept on the top shelf of the cabinet above the sink.
“I heard you, that doesn’t mean I believe you. You clearly need to talk about something.” She leaned back against the counter beside me. “Let me guess. That something’s name is Oliver? I heard you took off with him this morning.”
“Nope, nope.” I snapped my fingers as I spoke. “His name is not to be spoken here, understand me?”
“Seriously?” Fifi laughed, but her smile faded as I glared at her. “You’re serious. Okay.” She held up her hands. “The unnamed seems to have gotten under your skin.”
“I don’t even want to think about him. I just want to have some dinner and have a nice night. Okay?” I stirred my chocolate milk so violently that a bit of the milk swirled up over the rim of the glass.
“I think it’s mixed.” Fifi took the spoon from my hand. “Whatever he did, Maby, don’t let him get to you. You’re a great person and if he has you this upset, that just shows what a jerk he is.”
“Thanks, Fi.” I smiled, then took a long swallow of the chocolate milk. The sweet silky substance soothed me to some degree, but I couldn’t help wondering if she was right.
Was he a jerk or did he just talk to me in ways no one else dared to? I’d worked hard at creating a confident and untouchable persona, but he acted as if it didn’t even exist, as if he could see right through it. Was it just arrogance on his part or did he see further than anyone ever had?
I finished my chocolate milk, then turned to Fifi.
“Ready to go to dinner? I could use some time around some decent people.”
“Sure. Let me just grab my phone.” She walked off toward her room.
As I watched Fifi step through the door, I remembered another person going into that room. Someone who actually knew me better than anyone else on earth. A friend that I hadn’t heard from in far too long.
I pulled out my own phone and flipped to Jennifer’s number. It didn’t work anymore. She’d changed it. Or maybe someone else had. Either way, I couldn’t reach her. But her picture was still there, with that smile that never quit. She’d know exactly what to tell me about Oliver. She’d help me figure it all out.
“Ready?” Fifi paused beside me.
I turned off my phone before she could see the picture.
“Yes. Please. I need some cheesy nachos.”
“Mm, t
hat sounds good! We’d better hurry before they’re all gone.” Fifi rushed through the door with me right behind her. I was glad to have her as a friend, as I was glad to have all my friends, but none of them were quite the friend that I’d had in Jennifer. We’d been more like sisters. But sisters didn’t just disappear.
At our usual table in the cafeteria, surrounded by my friends, I began to relax. I could patch things up with Aaron; that wouldn’t be a problem. I just had to put the bad day behind me and focus on the future as I always did.
One day I’d be far from Oak Brook Academy—far from teenage drama and hormones—in a new place where my life would finally have a chance to begin. As I lost myself in a fantasy of bumping into Aaron when I was in my twenties, I heard the sharp snap of a tray being set down on the table.
“Mind if I join?”
That voice. That accent. Oh no.
“Sure.” Alana patted the table. “There’s always room for one more.”
I looked up just as Oliver sat down across from me.
“Oh, cheesy nachos. Great, they were all out.” He reached over and grabbed a cheese-laden tortilla chip from my plate. “Kind of you to offer.” He flashed me a smile.
I resisted the urge to smack the chip out of his hand and forced a smile. “I didn’t offer. But please, take what you want. I’ve lost my appetite anyway.”
Chapter 8
I noticed the shocked look on my friends’ faces as they all turned their attention to me.
I was never one to turn down food. In fact, I often finished up whatever they had left.
As I stared across the table at Oliver, I felt his eyes bore into mine.
“Pardon, did I overstep?” He popped the chip into his mouth.
The crunch carried loudly across the mostly quiet table as all eyes remained on me.
“Not at all. I’d like you to have everything you want, Oliver.” I slid the tray toward him.
“No thanks.” He pushed the tray back toward me. “I just wanted one.”
Worth the Wait: A Young Adult Sweet Romance (Oak Brook Academy Book 4) Page 3
