by L. E. Bross
Groans echo around the room but the guy behind me doesn’t make a sound. A reflection of my own silence. There’s no way I want to write about the most important thing in my life, not when she’s out there somewhere without me.
Mr. Reynolds gives me the syllabus and a copy of Brave New World which I need to read by Friday for an exam. Or so he told me as he walked away.
Around me people pull out sleek laptops and it doesn’t take long to figure out that everyone is doing their work on them. Self-consciously, I open my book and start to read.
Meri nudges my arm.
“Sorry, I forgot you’d need a computer. We’ll stop in IT after lunch and get one for you to use,” she whispers. “Everyone at Neverly gets one, it was part of the tech upgrade.”
I nod my head and stick my nose back in my book. At least I have something to do during the rest of the class. Except concentrating with Riot only a couple feet away proves harder than I thought.
I should be able to ignore him, but I can feel the heat of his glare on the back of my neck. I’m sure it’s red, too.
I still owe him an apology for what I said yesterday and when the bell chimes, I’ve talked myself into it, but when I swing around in my seat to tell him I’m sorry, he’s already halfway to the door like he can’t get away from me fast enough.
“Hey, Ry, you racing tonight?” Aine asks, propping her hip against the desk. Her skirt hits mid-thigh and she has long tanned legs that end in three-inch-high Mary Janes.
A flare of jealousy heats my skin when I see Riot looking her up and down. With more force than necessary, I push to my feet and the chair scrapes the floor loudly.
“Yeah, you gonna be there, Aine?” He drags his tongue over his bottom lip and gives her another slow perusal. I want to remind him that’s she’s the one who hooked up with some other guy this past weekend, but I keep my lips pressed together.
It’s not my business.
Aine’s eyes light up. “Of course.”
The mocking glint in his eyes gives me pause. I watch with interest and he lifts an eyebrow.
“I’m sure Justin will be happy to see you then.”
I choke on a laugh and he flicks his gaze to me before sauntering from the room. Aine’s friends coo and huddle around her, but her narrowed eyes are on me.
Shit.
Meri moves to my side and I take the opportunity to exit before I’m caught in the crossfire of something that’s none of my business. But it felt damn good to watch Riot call her out. I barely know the girl but I know her type and any enemy of Meri’s is mine, too.
“So what race?” I ask, following her out the door.
“Dirt bikes,” Meri answers. “It’s the Neverly Prep version of comparing dick sizes. But it’s seriously hot watching them race. You haven’t lived until you’ve seen these guys in their gear.” She fans herself. “You should come.”
“I have no idea where it is.”
Meri giggles and loops her arm with mine.
“It’s literally right in your back yard.”
“What?”
“The dirt track. It’s on the edge of the Panchard property. Peter had it made three years ago and then donated it to the town.”
“So tech upgrade in school and a race track, huh? He’s kind of important in Neverly I take it?”
Meri looks at me sideways.
“Panchard Enterprise employs half this town and the other half got rich from contracts with Peter. He’s not just important, he basically owns everyone here. Have you been living under a rock?” she jokes.
Apparently. I knew he owned the building I broke into but outside of that and the huge house, I didn’t really think about it too much.
It would explain the reaction his boys got when they walked into school this morning, though. They really are the kings at Neverly. Especially with a father who owns it all.
I think about how everyone tuned in to Riot as soon as he walked through the door. He’s someone they listen to though he barely seemed to acknowledge a single person in the room.
Except Aine.
I fight back a smug smile.
“Everyone, huh?”
“It’s like football in Texas,” Meri says with an eye roll. “A tradition. And it’s official, you’re going with me. Now come on, time for Calculus and it’s all the way in the left wing.”
Riot and X are hanging around their lockers again and we have to walk right by to get to the door.
Unbidden, my gaze moves to Riot as we pass. He’s talking to a girl, his arm casually crooked just over her shoulder, resting against the lockers. They look intimate. Familiar.
He even smiles at her.
My stomach tightens because I remember what it feels like to have him so close. To feel the heat coming from his skin. The scent. Christ, I need to get a grip.
I force my eyes away and they clash with X. He’s wearing a smug smile and it’s my turn to glare at him, which makes him laugh. Riot dips his head down and looks over his shoulder while the girl trails her fingers over his arm.
We lock eyes. The stare down continues as we move past. Whispers filter through the air until I stumble and the corner of Riot’s mouth tips up.
I grit my teeth and force myself to pay attention. I just need to ignore all of them.
“Please tell me you’ve seen him naked,” Meri whispers in my ear. “And give me details.”
I jolt, unaware she’d gotten so close. God, now I’m picturing him naked and just, no. I shake my head to physically shake the image away. I wish my brain was an Etch-a-sketch. I push through the door and inhale a lungful of thick, humid air. Yuck.
“Ummm, no, but they seem to have an aversion to shirts.”
“Damn.” She waves her hand in front of her face. “That’d be a lot of tempting prime meat on display.”
“I thought you were with Trey?” I tease. Now that we’re away from them, I can focus again. Meri leads us down a short shaded walkway, then we’re back inside in the cool A/C.
Now her eyes dance with humor when she looks at me.
“Oh I am, but I’m not dead. Those boys? Perfect bad boy combination of fuck off and hotness that makes all the girls wet.”
I choke on a laugh.
Because she isn’t wrong.
Baz is in Calculus with us.
When he walks in and sits down next to me, Meri can’t hide her you’re totally lying to me, bitch grin.
Once again I feel like all the eyes in the room dance between Baz and me, but he either pretends he doesn’t notice, or he actually doesn’t. He seems to pay a lot of attention to the lesson and as soon as we get the assignment, he digs in.
Several girls send coveted glances toward him but he doesn’t notice. Every once in a while he shoves his glasses up with his thumb and it pulls the material of his shirt tight across his shoulders.
Okay, maybe I’m one of the ones giving him the side-eye. When his tongue darts out to slide along his bottom lip, I notice a silver ball.
Christ, he keeps getting hotter.
I force my gaze back to my paper.
He is so not like any computer nerd I’ve ever seen.
I risk another quick look and Baz chooses that moment to look up. Our gazes meet. While he’s not exactly friendly looking, he isn’t throwing off I hate you vibes like Riot does. How did I miss that he had such long eyelashes? Heat climbs my cheeks the longer we stare at each other, and after several long blinks, he looks back at his paper.
I catch movement and when I look at Meri, she's fanning herself. Hot, she mouths, moving her finger between Baz and me. I shake my head, hoping he didn’t see that.
Most of the work is worksheets, so I’m able to get through the assignment before the end of class. I’ve always been good with numbers and math is definitely my strongest subject. At least I won’t be behind in one class.
All too soon, the bell chimes and I grab my bag.
“Ever, hold up.”
I turn and see Baz standing in
front of me. He’s not as tall as Riot but he towers over me by about six inches. His bag is slung over one shoulder and this close, I get a great view of his killer eyelashes. Now that I know they’re there, I have a feeling I’m never going to not notice them.
Once again he doesn’t smile, but he’s not hostile either.
Cautiously curious, maybe? He’s got demons dancing behind his eyes, too, and I think maybe he sees mine as well.
“You need something, Baz?” I ask when he stays quiet.
Something flickers through his eyes and his gaze drops to my lips for one point two seconds before his throat bobs.
“I’ll take you to get a computer now. If you have time.”
I stare at Baz for a second then my gaze slides to Meri. She shakes her head. So if she didn’t mention it...
“Riot told me to get you a laptop,” he says.
I must look like one of those old dolls that blink when you tip them back and forth, because the rest of me is frozen in place.
“Riot did?”
Baz nods but doesn’t elaborate. Obviously, Riot heard Meri talking in English, but why the hell would he even care? I would think he’d want me to fail, so I’d leave.
“Is it okay if she’s a little late for lunch, Mer?”
“Sure thing. Here, give me your phone.” She reaches out her hand and I dig in my bag to find it. After she programs her contact information, she gives it back. “Let me know when you're done and I’ll meet you in front of the door. I’ll show you where the best desserts are.”
As I walk out behind Baz, I catch her eye. She gives me a thumbs up and I shake my head. I really have no idea what’s going on and it's not until we reach the door that reads computer lab that apprehension rises. This wing is silent and I’m not sure there’s anyone here, a fact cemented when Baz pulls out a key and opens the door.
I have visions of being kidnapped and taken to the middle of a desert somewhere by the boys. Is this how they get rid of me? Baz steps into the dark room and flips on the lights. I see an enormous conference room style table in the center and a white board that takes up one wall. Cooler air washes over my overheated skin.
I keep looking behind me, down the deserted hallway, sure that I’ll see X and Riot coming this way any second. Baz is halfway across the room when he looks over his shoulder and sees I’m not following.
“Ever?” He’s looking at me funny, his head cocked to the side. “Something wrong?”
Goose bumps pop up on my arms when he says that. The hair on the back of my neck prickles and I’m certain that the other boys are right behind me now. Shit, how could I be so stupid? I should have asked Meri to come with me. Panic rises and I suck quick breaths into my lungs. I wrap my fingers around the strap of my bag. His gaze narrows in on where I’ve hidden my scar and his face pales just a little.
He holds out his hands.
“Fuck, sorry. You don’t have to come into the room, I’ll get you a laptop. Just wait there.” Baz drops his bag on the table and hurries toward another door. He unlocks that one, too, and after a minute, comes back with a computer and hands it to me.
As soon as I take it, he steps back to give me space.
Chocolate-colored eyes stare down at me through his lenses and in them I see understanding. Something connects between us. My pulse quickens for a new reason now. What is it about these boys that calls out to me?
“Sorry,” I say around a tight throat. “Unfamiliar spaces make me nervous.”
I need him to know that it wasn’t about him specifically. Hell, Riot’s been all up in my business and I never felt panicked. Baz doesn’t scare me, it’s more the unknown. Everything about the last few days is out of my comfort zone and I guess it’s affecting me more than I realized.
“You don’t have to explain.” Baz clears his throat and drags his gaze away. “So, they’re already preloaded with the software you need to track and turn in assignments, but if you need any help, you know where to find me.”
Now’s my chance.
“There is something. Meri said you’re the best computer guy she knows?”
His smile gets a little impish now. “I know enough.”
His cryptic reply tells me all I need to know.
“I need to find some...thing. Maybe you could show me where to start?” He doesn’t seem to notice my almost slip up and I breathe a sigh of relief. With any luck, I can get enough know-how not to have to share anything about Belle.
“We’re racing tonight and won’t be home till late. Maybe before school tomorrow? We can meet in the library before first bell. It opens at seven.”
“That sounds good.”
I realize that I have completely relaxed and the fear from earlier is gone. Baz kept a bubble of space around me like he knew it was what I needed. So different from Riot who gets all up in my face whenever we’re in the same room. God, why does everything come back to him?
I pull myself from my head and glance at Baz.
His gaze is searching and I can feel a blush rise in my cheeks. Of all the boys, Baz makes me the most nervous. Not because he’s dominating, quite the opposite. He’s the quiet one but sees more than what I want to be seen.
And there are secrets behind his eyes, too, deep and haunted.
“Well, thank you. I’ll see you at...home…” I turn and start back down the hall before the awkward staring can get into creepy territory.
“If you go out the door on your right, the path will lead you to the main building where the cafeteria is.”
I throw a smile over my shoulder.
“Thanks.”
As I push out the door, I glance back and Baz is still standing in the doorway, watching me. I don’t know what to make of it so I hurry outside and text Meri that I’m done. She says she’ll meet me out front and sure enough, I see her waving a few seconds later. A smile breaks out over my face. I’ve gotten good at reading people over the years, and nothing about her raises any flags.
I trust that everything about her is genuine.
She gives me a cheeky grin “Get everything you needed?”
“Yes, I got a shiny new laptop, you perv. It’s so sexy.”
Her infectious laughter fills the air as I follow behind her down the hall toward the sound of voices. A lot of voices.
“So everyone in school eats at the same time,” Meri says. “I know Aine said you could sit with her, so if you want to…”
“Um, yeah, I can probably throw that invitation in the trash.”
“Seriously. I’ve never seen Riot call Aine out like that. It was kind of satisfying to see her fish imitation.”
She glances at me like she’s waiting for an explanation, but I’m not sure I understand it. So I remain silent.
“Fine, be that way. That just means you're stuck with me.”
The cafeteria is enormous and completely teeming with students.
Large round tables take up three-quarters of the room while the kitchen and food sit along the fourth wall. Meri steers me to the line and I grab a tray. I’ve always been one of hundreds and sort of fade into the crowds, but Meri shines like sunlight and people notice it.
Which means they notice me, too.
I drop my head from habit, even though my scar is hidden.
“Oh, you got lucky, it’s burger bar day. They have veggie ones if you’re into that.”
I snort out a laugh. Shuffled between foster families and groups homes means you eat what you get. There isn’t room for pickiness. I grab a burger and stop long enough to put a little bit of everything on it, then take a carton of sweet potato fries just because I’ve never had them before.
I snag a chocolate milk out of the cooler because it’s Belle’s favorite.
The woman at the register takes my crumpled up five and I follow behind Meri. People watch with curiosity and I realize that they’re waiting to see where I sit.
Riot, X and Baz are at a table off to the right, their heads bent together How the hell did Baz get he
re so fast? When X looks up and catches my eyes, he doesn’t smile. He says something and Baz lifts his head to look at me. Riot doesn’t move.
“Okay, so even though I’m still not talking to Trey, we’ll sit with them if it’s okay with you? Unless you want to sit...” She glances at the boys but I cut her off.
“Nope, you're stuck with me.”
Whispers start when we sit at the table with Trey and his friends.
I feel eyes on me, and glance up. Riot glares at me. Did he want me to sit with them? I’m going to get whiplash from his mood swings. As I’m debating in my head, the girl from his locker walks over and sits right next to him.
Her friends crowd the rest of the table and I swallow back the unfamiliar taste of jealousy when he puts his hand on her lower back. X says something that makes a dark-haired girl laugh and even Baz is talking with one of them.
“Err, if you glare any harder you might hurt yourself,” Meri whispers in my ear. Heat climbs my neck and I look away. She gives me a knowing look that I ignore. “Anyway, Ever, this is Mike, Jace, David and…” She points out each guy then looks around the room, missing the way Trey stares at me with open hostility. The other guys nod and go back to their discussion. Something about a baseball game on Thursday I think.
“Oh, and there’s Luc,” Meri says, leaning in close to me and pointing at the cute blond guy from this morning.
I sit up and pay attention. People shift and move so that he can sit at the end of the table where most of the guys are. They do the dude-bro high fives and I fight the urge to roll my eyes.
Not sure what it is about jocks and the constant need to reassure each other that they’re cool, but it doesn't matter because I’ve just found my mark. I pick away at my fries, which incidentally are not that great, give me real ones any day, and watch Luc.
He’s in a conversation with Mike, I think. I’m not that great with names. I watch them until Meri nudges me.
“So Luc, huh?”
“Hmmm?” I hedge, playing dumb.
“Well if you do decide to make a play for him, and you’d have a good chance ‘cause that guy gets with anything in a skirt, sorry, but anyway, you should know that he and the LB hate each other. It might makes things awkward at home is all I’m saying.”
