by M. K. Harper
“Final answer,” I deadpan. “I just wasn’t expecting that question.” He nods his head.
“And do you live with any men? Your father?” His arms cross, as if he’s bracing himself and expecting me to be defensive.
“I’m not sure how that’s any of your business, but no. My father isn’t in the picture.” I imitate his stance, crossing my own arms. I’m severely struggling with not being any ruder, but also not wanting to seem too defensive. I don’t need him or anyone else thinking that I have anything to hide. I figure my answer is vague enough but still true. He nods again.
“And what about any boyfriends?” At this, I can’t quite bite my tongue.
“Are you referring to me or my mom?” I snark.
“Sorry.” He rubs the back of his neck, having the decency to look properly chastised. At least he’s aware that he’s out of line with his questioning.
“Is that all? Cause I kind of need to get going...” I hook my thumb over my shoulder towards the door. I’m definitely gonna be late for second period if we don’t wrap up this thrilling exploration of my history with men.
“Yeah, yeah. Of course.” He shuffles on his feet nervously. Mr. Bardot towers over me, so it’s an odd sight to see this mountain of a man seemingly flustered. “I’d like to speak with your mother, though. Is there a good time to reach out to her and set something up?” The baby hairs at the back of my neck stand to attention.
“Why?” I don’t mean for it to come out so curt, but too late now. A million different scenarios run through my head.
I’m in trouble for saying ass.
My crush on him his super obvi and he wants to talk to my mom about the inappropriateness of it.
He’s a freaking bloodhound and sniffed out my daddy issues a mile away.
None of those bode well for me.
“I’d just like to talk with her about your grades and where you stand with graduating. I believe you’re ahead of our curriculum, so my class might not even be a necessity for you. I’ll have to take a look at the rest of your transcripts, but it’s possible you could test out early.” Well, now I feel like a steaming pile of shit for being so rude.
“Really?!” My excitement can’t be hidden. Mr. Bardot laughs. It’s this deep, warm sound that I feel all the way down to my toes. How you can feel a sound, I have no clue, but I’m definitely feeling something. I’ve really gotta get my crap together.
“Yes, really. I can’t make any promises, but I’ll look into it.” He gives me that alarming smile once again and I feel myself sway a little.
“I have faith in you. Graduation by Vitamin C is already playing in my head, so I’m committed.” I shrug nonchalantly while I grab a pen from his desk. Tearing a post-it from the stack, I jot down Mom’s number.
“Don’t let me down, Mr. B...” I slap the sticky note to his chest, crossing about fifty-leven lines in the process. I give it a little pat, for my own enjoyment. His mouth tugs up into a sexy little smirk and he raises his eyebrows, looking thoroughly shocked and amused. I swing my hips a little more than necessary as I head out of his classroom, belting out the lyrics to Graduation horribly off-key at the same time.
“As we go on, we rememberrrrrrr....”
His laugh follows me all the way down the hall. By the time I enter English Lit fashionably late, I’m wearing the cheesiest grin. It vaporizes the moment I spot Tits McGee sitting front and center, glaring at me like I’ve personally done her some sort of injustice. Alrighty then. I scan the room for Chevy and sigh in relief when I spot him on the opposite side with an empty seat beside him. He’s quickly becoming my safety net and I can’t even bring myself to feel bad about it. We need each other and fuck anyone who feels the need to point out my co-dependency issues. I’m not sure if it’s a new revelation or if I’ve always been this type of person and I was just so repressed with fear of my father that I never got the chance to know the real me. Who knows what new quirks I might have, just waiting to pop out and make their appearance.
Chapter 7
The end of second period brings lunch. I can’t say I’m excited to experience the cliché seating arrangements of all the different cliques refusing to allow any outsiders to sit with them.
“I usually just eat in the library and knock out any homework from first and second, Lin. We really don’t need to do this.” Chevy scans the loud cafeteria, apprehension written all over his face. I get it. I really do, but I refuse to cower away and let Christian and his little posse think that I’ll be bent so easily.
“We go to this school just like the rest of these assholes. I’m gonna eat here whether they like it or not,” I say pointedly.
“Have it your way,” he grumbles and heads for the food line. After we have our trays of somewhat human looking food, we head back into the chaos. A table at the back of the room is open, aside from two guys playing chess on one far end. It’s obviously the nerd table but I could care less. Those two nerds probably have more intellect in their pinkies than Christian has in his entire body. I plop down, Chevy following suit, and start pushing around my food, not entirely convinced it’s edible.
“Sooo, do you know Mr. Bardot or something? Maybe you two had a meet-cute like ours?” He shoves a carrot in his mouth, trying to hide his grin. I pause with my fork mid-air and glare at him.
“Not even remotely funny, Chev. He’s a teacher and saying anything like that could put him in a shitty situation.” I have no idea where this sudden defensiveness for Mr. Bardot has come from, but I have this insane need to protect him and his career for some reason. Chevy holds up his hands placatingly.
“Down girl,” he jokes. “All I was saying is that it looked like you knew each other somehow. For a minute there it was like you two were the only ones in the room. And I definitely wasn’t the only one to notice.” Chev nods to his left inconspicuously. I follow the gesture and see none other than Allana herself giving me an eat shit and die look.
“What’s her deal? I haven’t even said a word to her so how could I have pissed her off already?” I mean, I know I have a knack for getting under people’s skin, but to have earned her wrath by just existing seems a bit far fetched, even for me.
“More like what did Mr. Bardot do,” Chevy chuckles. “He gave you more attention before he even knew your name than he has Allana their entire lives.” I scrunch my eyebrows, thoroughly confused.
“The Ames’ and the Bardot’s founded this town. The two families used to be best friends, but somewhere along the way, something changed. No one knows for sure what happened, but now they can’t stand each other. Allana and her parents are friends of the Bardot family, so her and Dax grew up together.”
“Dax?” I question.
“Mr. Bardot. His name is Daxton, but everyone calls him Dax,” Chevy answers.
“Dax...” I whisper to myself. I try to tamp down the rush I feel at knowing his first name and how right it feels to say it aloud. I’m gonna need to get a job to help Mom cover the cost of all the therapy I apparently need.
“Anyways,” Chevy says, snapping me out of my thoughts. “Allana’s had a lady boner for Dax for years. He hasn’t given her the time of day, though. She has this unrealistic idea that they’re going to be together and live happily ever after.” He rolls his eyes and shakes his head.
“That’s a bit inappropriate, isn’t it? To openly flirt with your teacher and make it known how you feel about him?” I say, staring back at Allana. I hate her even more now that I know she has a history with Mr. Bardot. Now, pot meet kettle, because subtlety was nowhere to be found this morning when I inspected him like a prime piece of steak I wanted to purchase.
“Yeah, it would be. If you weren’t untouchable.” I give him another confused look. “The Bardot’s and Ames’ run this town, Lin. Anyone who’s associated with them are basically held to the same regard. Allana could probably walk over there and kiss the shit out of Dax in front of the entire cafeteria and nothing would be done about it. Sure, they’d ma
ke it seem like she was properly chastised, but her family would argue that those two have been destined for marriage since they were kids and the school board would just look the other way.” My hands fists tightly on the table. Every part of me screams that Dax and Allana together would be wrong. I don’t want her fake, bimbo ass anywhere near him. I’m halfway tempted to check myself in to the local hospital and have a quick scan of my brain done. There’s gotta be a tumor in there or something to logically explain why I’m having these crazy feelings. As if I can feel him staring at me, I look up and my eyes connect with his beautiful green ones. I’m ensnared with one look. Hook, line and sinker. I vaguely hear someone whine angrily and slam something against a table, but it’s all background noise. I don’t snap out of it until I feel someone hovering beside me and see a dark look take over Mr. Bardot’s face.
“If it isn’t Gay Boy and his little defender.” Christian’s annoying voice pulls me away from the peace I feel whenever I’m consumed by those green orbs, instantly dampening my good mood and pissing me off.
“To what do we owe the pleasure, Dumbfuck?” I ask with a sardonic smile. The sneer he gives me warns me that I’m playing with fire, but I’ve already gone down the rabbit hole. Too little, too late to turn around now. We’re already here, so tucking tail wouldn’t do me any good. He plants his hand on the table and leans in.
“Keep pressing my buttons, Kitten. You might have claws, but my teeth are sharp. And I can assure you...I bite back.” His words end in a growl that’s barely audible. His light, honey colored eyes have darkened to an almost black. My fight or flight has perked up, screaming at me to fucking flee. A strong, tattooed arm positions itself between Christian and me, shoving him back and putting some space between us.
“Everything okay here, Miss Lockwood?” Mr. Bardot asks while glaring daggers at Christian. Even if I didn’t know about the discord between these two families, it would’ve been obvious in this moment. Christian stares back at him, a look of pure hatred etched into his face. The rest of the cafeteria has gone damn near silent, only a few whispers able to be heard. Everyone’s on the edge of their seats, like their expecting an epic showdown. I can’t deny that the two of them look ready to tear each other apart. Hell, for all I know, this is nothing new.
“Just giving our new student here a warm welcome,” Christian replies, wearing a fake ass smile.
“Yeah, I think it’d be in your best interest to stay as far away from Linden as possible,” Mr. Bardot says defensively. I want to relish in how good it feels to hear my name leave his lips, but the scene unfolding before me has my anxiety ratcheting up to unhealthy levels. His entire posture has changed, the hate and fury coursing just beneath his skin is evident.
“And why is that?” Christian cocks his head to the side.
“For no other reason than because I fucking said so,” Mr. Bardot growls low enough for only us to hear, but my eyes still widen at his choice of words. No way in hell would a teacher be allowed to speak to a student like that back in Kentucky.
“We’re definitely not in Kansas anymore, ToTo...” I side whisper to Chevy.
“Huh?” I think I hear him ask, but I’m too engrossed in the shit show going down to explain. Christian and Mr. Bardot both take a step towards each other. I’m seconds from jumping between them when Tits McGee decides to make herself the martyr. She walks straight up to Mr. Bardot, like this is all completely normal. With a hand pressed against his chest, she leans in and speaks to him.
“Not the time or place, Dax. Take a deep breath and let’s go for a walk.” Her other hand runs up and down his arm in a soothing gesture. The whole interaction is done with an undeniable familiarity, like she’s done this a thousand times. My heart constricts painfully at that morsel of knowledge. And to pour salt on the wound, he nods and let’s her lead him out the cafeteria doors that open up to the courtyard. Before they’re completely out of sight, Allana looks back in our direction and gives me a smug grin. It makes me want to gouge her eyes out. Whatever this thing is I feel for Mr. Bardot, it’s making me a very violent person. Christian’s slimy laugh makes me jump. His head is thrown back like this is the funniest shit he’s ever witnessed.
“I’ll be seeing you soon, Kitten.” He wiggles his fingers in a mocking wave and walks backwards towards the door. His eyes never leave mine until the last second. A feeling of dread washes over me and for the first time, I wonder if I’ve grossly mistaken how much of a threat Christian Ames really is. Who would’ve thought this quaint little picturesque town, ironically named Pleasant Falls, has it’s own version of the Hatfield’s & McCoy’s going on. What’s that saying...don’t judge a book by its cover? Yeah, fucking understatement.
Chapter 8
The rest of my day goes by without a hitch, thankfully. The first half had enough drama to last me a lifetime. The day’s excitement was almost too much for my introvert ways. I collapse on the couch as soon as I make it through the door. I told Chev he could come over to study for our Trig test at the end of the week, but I’m seriously considering rescheduling. When the doorbell rings a few minutes later, I know it’s too late. Heaving myself up, I drag my feet to the door and yank it open. Imagine my surprise when I’m greeted with Mr. Bardot and not Chevy. Fuck my fucking life. This day just keeps getting better.
“Umm...” That’s the only word I’m able to form. Having him standing there, on my front step, has left me speechless. He shifts on his feet awkwardly again.
“I spoke with your mom earlier. She said she’d be home by five and that it’d be alright if I waited here for her so I don’t have to drive back into town,” he explains. I click my phone to check the time. It’s only 3:45. What in God’s name am I supposed to do with an hour and fifteen minutes alone with my Economics teacher? I can think of a few things, and none of them would be appropriate. Or legal.
“Okay, then.” I shift to the side so he can step through the door. His arm brushes against my chest and I suck in a sharp breath. He stops, our bodies still barely touching. His nostrils flare and I can see his jaw tense. I can’t tell if he’s effected by me the same way I am him, or if he’s just annoyed. He closes his eyes and exhales slowly before continuing on into the living room. I shut the door and head straight for the kitchen, needing to put as much space as possible between us. I busy myself with grabbing some snacks from the cabinet. By the time I finish there’s a smorgasbord of chips and sweets littering the island. Mr. Bardot is standing on the opposite side, amusement lighting up his eyes.
“Hungry?” he asks, his lips fighting a smirk.
“Chevy’s coming by to study and he’s never been allowed to have sweets,” I say in way of an explanation, but even that doesn’t justify the absurd amount of junk sitting before us.
“Why am I not surprised you’re taking it upon yourself to corrupt him?” He shakes his head and chuckles.
“Everyone could use a little corrupting, Mr. Bardot...” I have no freaking clue why I just said that, but I sure as shit did and there’s no taking it back now. I really hope that didn’t sound as bad as it did in my head, but the likelihood isn’t high. I rearrange the snacks, no longer able to make eye contact with him.
“Dax.” My head snaps up. “It’s Dax when we aren’t in school, Linden.” My heart is beating so fast I’m sure he can hear it from where he’s standing. No way in hell will I allow myself to believe he feels this same draw to me as I do him. That’ll only lead to my heartbreak or gossip so juicy all the Nosy Nellies in town will keel over. I don’t need anyone’s heart attack on my conscience. Luckily, the doorbell rings and I’m safe from responding. Chev doesn’t wait for me to answer, he just barges right in.
“I’m here, bitch! And I need another cucpca...” He stops mid sentence when he sees Mr. Bardot, I’m sorry, Dax, standing opposite of me. He purses his lips and I can tell he’s searching for the right thing to say without sounding rude. Because why the hell are you here, is most definitely rude.
“Umm,”
he starts. My exact reaction, Chev.
“Mr. Bardot is here to speak with my mom. We’re just waiting for her to get home from work,” I explain. Chevy nods like that’s perfectly normal.
“Cool. We still good to study?” He looks over at me, seeming a little anxious.
“Of course,” I answer. His shoulders sag in relief. Dax and I share a look, both of us having witnessed it. I’m pretty sure Chevy’s avoiding going home and that brings on a whole new set of worries for me. The guy deals with enough shit at school so I’m really hoping his home life isn’t the same.
“You guys just continue on as planned like I’m not even here,” Dax says. Ha! No chance of that happening, buddy. I wonder if he’s really that clueless as to how much he effects the female population in general?
“Uh mer gahdd,” Chev says around a mouth full of Oreo. He wasted no time ripping into them.
“I’ve created a monster,” I deadpan. Both guys laugh, but I’m not joking. Chev might’ve been onto something about easing his way in to this new sugar accessible life. Poor guy might actually end up needing insulin injections for he keeps going at the rate he is.
“What else can you do with these bad boys?” Chevy holds up an Oreo, staring at it like it holds all the secrets to the universe. I lean across the island to where he’s sitting on a stool beside Dax and whisper, “One word...cheesecake.”
“Oh, my.” Chevy shifts in his seat, acting like he’s all hot and bothered. “I’ve always wanted to try cheesecake.” He bats his eyelashes at me.
“I’m positive you’ll love Oreo cheesecake.” I wink at him.
“Mmm, keep talking dirty to me, hot stuff.” He blows me a kiss and I snort. Unfortunately, Dax has been witness to this weird exchange and looks completely lost.
“Lin made me cupcakes with Oreos baked on the bottom,” Chevy explains with a wide grin. “You got anymore? Mr. Bardot needs to try one.” I nod and grab the extra box from the top of the fridge. I have to climb on the counter to reach them, but where there’s a will, there’s a way and all that jazz. When I hop down and turn back to them, both of them are wearing the same amused expression.
