I snorted. “Maybe. Or maybe he would’ve let you come. He seems pretty cool.”
She shot me a smile and ran in front of me to open the door for an older couple that were walking as slow as two sloths.
I waited patiently in the rain while they moseyed through the door. When they finally made it through, I took the door from Perry and gestured for her to go in front of me.
She did, walking straight up to the hostess stand and patiently waiting behind the older couple as they asked for a booth and ‘somewhere private.’
She gave me an amused look over her shoulder, making me want to lean down and kiss her.
I took a step back instead and turned my head to the hostess who smiled at us both.
I was unsurprised when I saw one of her friends there.
“Echo!” Perry grinned. “What are you doing here? I thought you had tonight off?”
Echo, the quiet girl that had almost not even been a blip on my radar today, smiled hesitantly. “I did, too. I got called in because Candace called in.”
Perry scrunched up her nose in disgust.
“They need to fire her already,” Perry muttered darkly.
Echo snorted and gestured for us to follow her.
I didn’t know what I was expecting when we were taken to our seats, but a completely isolated spot in the back of the restaurant wasn’t it.
“This is where I had a reservation cancel last minute,” she said to Perry’s unspoken question, which happened to mirror mine. “I heard that Symphony was on her way in with John, and I decided to go ahead and seat y’all before she got here and requested it.”
I snorted. “You knew she was going to ask?”
Echo looked at me for the first time and blushed. “She always does. She treats this place like her personal hangout. Just like her predecessor.”
“Predecessor?” I asked in confusion.
Echo jerked her head toward Perry. “She’ll explain, I gotta go.”
Echo was gone just like that, and I gestured for Perry to slide into the booth across from me before I took my own seat.
“Predecessor?” I asked again, this time the question aimed at Perry.
“Rachel Howell,” she answered. “Rachel was head cheerleader last year. Rachel was Symphony’s idol. Did you hear about Rachel Howell killing someone?”
I blinked in surprise. “Vaguely. The girl was a cheerleader?”
“Yep,” she said. “Anyway, long story short, Rachel Howell was a queen bitch and Symphony was her sidekick for the longest. Rachel was taken to jail and kicked out of school and Symphony stepped right into her shoes. Though, saying that, I don’t think that Symphony quite has the evil streak that Rachel did.”
I shook my head. “Let’s fucking hope not.”
Perry shot me a smile and waved at the waitress that came up to our table. “You’re working, too?”
Temperance. Another one of Perry’s friends.
“Yes, ma’am,” Tempy said. “What can I get y’all?”
“Y’all have good sweet tea?” I asked curiously.
“Of course.” Tempy grinned. “I make it myself.”
“Then I’ll have that,” I said, looking at Perry.
“I’ll have that, too.” Perry grinned. “And some of that bread.”
Tempy flashed her a grin and hurried away, stopping to check on two other tables before heading into the kitchen.
“This is a popular place,” I observed.
“It didn’t used to be,” she admitted. “It used to be an adult hang out, but then they changed the hours, and new ownership took over. They wanted to cater to the younger crowd. And now it’s a bit of a blend of people. On school nights, Tempy works. There’s no alcohol served. But Friday to Sunday nights, they’re not allowed to work because they open up the bar. It works out.”
I nodded, thinking that I’d need to go find myself a job.
At least for another six months or so.
Though, saying that, my parents would float me. I just didn’t like buying some shit with their money.
I mean, what if I needed condoms? Or beer? I didn’t feel right buying those kinds of things when they would ask to see the receipts.
So a job it was.
“Do you work?” I asked.
She shook her head. “No. I have too much going on sports-related. Why?”
I shrugged. “I was thinking I needed to find something that worked with my schedule.”
She tapped her bottom lip with her thumb.
“Have you thought about one of the CrossFit gyms? You said you like to work out there. Why not do both? They have an opening for a coach for the five and six o’clock classes at the one in Longview.”
I frowned.
That would actually not be too bad.
“Where’s the gym at?” I asked.
“It’s actually sort of close to here,” she answered. “I can show you where it is on the way home. Not technically in town, though.”
Conversation flowed after that, and over the next hour and a half, I became really surprised at just how much I enjoyed talking to her.
Though she seemed hesitant and standoffish at first, eventually she came out of her shell enough to show me her true colors.
That was until Symphony was seated next to us when we were finishing up dinner.
Echo looked over at Perry with an apologetic expression on her face, causing my lips to twitch.
“Look who it is.” Symphony smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes.
I looked at her date, finally realizing who it was.
John, better known as Alero.
The boy that I’d beaten out of his spot today at practice.
Oh, joy.
I looked over at Perry to see her staring at me wide-eyed.
“Nice to see you,” I lied. “We’re just paying. Y’all have a nice night.”
I stood up and offered my hand to Perry, which she gratefully took.
As we were leaving, she snatched the basket of bread and her tea, taking them with her.
I snickered as she hurriedly ate the last two slices of bread, then washed them both down with the rest of her tea.
“Here,” she said to Echo. “Can you take that? I can’t go back.”
Echo chortled, but took the dishes and went to the kitchen.
She came back out with Tempy.
“What the hell?” Tempy said.
Perry pointed at Echo.
“That one decided to park Symphony right next to us.” Perry narrowed her eyes at Echo.
Tempy started to laugh, then handed me the ticket.
I pulled out a couple of twenty-dollar bills once I saw the price, then said, “Keep the change.”
Tempy grinned. “I’m sorry your date was cut short.”
Perry was quick to say, “Oh, it wasn’t a date.”
I kept my grin hidden as I guided her out the door moments later.
Again, before I could open the door for her, she got in and slammed it closed, nearly taking my fingers with her.
I rolled my eyes and rounded the truck, getting in without a word.
“Thanks for dinner,” she said softly. “Oh, and the CrossFit gym is right there on the left.”
I looked where she was pointing, but was suddenly too pissed to care where it was.
“Welcome,” I clipped.
Why was I pissed that she didn’t consider that a date?
I was second-guessing myself when my phone alerted me of an incoming text.
Pulling up at a stoplight, I read the text and felt my gut clench.
You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.
Thoughts now drastically different from where they’d been moments before, I drove silently to her house and pulled up outside.
But, despite my bad mood, my manners still took front seat and I walked her to the door.
I didn’t get near her, though.
Thank God that I didn’t, too. When I glanced up while keeping two paces between us, her father was waiting on the front porch for us to arrive.
“Thank you for the help,” Perry whispered. “I… I appreciate it.”
I winked at her.
“Anything,” I said softly.
Her eyes wide, she walked inside, leaving me outside to talk to her dad.
I walked over to him and offered him my hand again.
He took it, giving me a squeeze before letting me go.
“You know what’s so good about this hand?” he asked softly.
I tilted my head slightly to the side.
“No,” I said. “What?”
With dead eyes, he said, “No fingerprints.”
I would’ve laughed had I honestly thought that he was joking.
He wasn’t.
“My brother-in-law and uncle are both amputees,” I said softly. “My brother-in-law is on the motorcycle patrol for the Kilgore Police Department.” I paused. “So no, I don’t think you’re incapable. I think you’re likely way more capable than most.”
He grinned. “Don’t you forget it, either.”
With that, he got up and went inside, not a limp in sight.
I watched him as he slammed the door closed, then turned out the porch light for added effect.
I couldn’t stop myself from grinning.
Though, I wasn’t grinning when I called my dad back the moment I got into the truck.
“What do you mean Vance transferred to Kilgore?”
Chapter 6
I love the morning without an alarm.
-Banner’s secret thoughts
Banner
To say I was in a bad mood would be putting it lightly.
When I showed up the next day, there wasn’t any overt signs that Vance was there.
But the moment that I got into my first class, not only was Perry there, but so was Vance.
I gritted my teeth and sat in the back of the room, on the complete opposite side of both Perry and Vance.
Perry’s eyes had met mine when I walked in the door, but I quickly dropped my gaze and moved until I was no longer able to see her.
Thank God Vance hadn’t caught the look that she gave me, either, because he would’ve been all over that.
When it came to me, Vance was like a predator. He was going to figure things out, and he was going to dig, and dig, and dig until every last crack was exposed.
And Perry was definitely a crack in my armor.
As I answered the roll call, Vance smirked at me and as always moved until I was in his line of sight in at least some capacity.
He wanted me to see him.
Even more, he wanted to make sure that everyone saw him watching me.
Like he did at our old school, he was already pitting me against him.
Some would choose him, while others would choose me.
Thankfully, once lunch rolled around, Titus had caught on that something was wrong.
We shared the same second and third periods on Tuesdays and Thursdays, meaning that he got a firsthand account of Vance putting on his show.
Luckily, Vance wasn’t in the same lunch period as we were. Meaning that when we all sat down to eat, Titus was the first one to demand an explanation.
I grimaced and sat back, not hungry in the least.
The girls who’d sat with us yesterday apparently weren’t in our lunch period either, which was a fuckin’ relief.
I scrubbed my hand over my face and groaned.
“Vance is from my old high school,” I said. “And the reason I left.”
Titus leaned forward. “Yeah?”
“What did he do to make you leave?” Tatum asked.
“Probably showed up with that pompous attitude and expected everyone to bow down to his beauty.” Abbott snorted.
I wished that was all.
“My dad shot his father,” I began, telling the complete story in a little over ten minutes. When I was done, I still felt sick to my stomach, but it was good to have them on my side if their annoyance was anything to go by. “Needless to say, my dad thought it would be best if I left.”
“Sounds like a prick.” Slone snorted.
Abbott, Slone, Titus, Tatum, and Graham had been friends before I arrived. Apparently, when Titus brought me under his wing, I became under all of their wings.
“It’s going to get ugly,” I said. “Vance has an ‘anything you can do I can do better’ attitude. So expect him to try out for the football team this afternoon. And also, you might want to watch out. He doesn’t like it when I have backup.”
Slone snorted. “Well.” He paused. “I mean, if he wants to try, I’m more than happy to let him.”
Slone was a linebacker, and really looked as if he could scare bark off a tree. Titus told me yesterday that Slone also fought to keep food on his and his sister’s table, and was one of the hardest people to get to know.
Apparently, Slone had decided that I was worthy or something, because he was doing a whole lot more talking now than he had at all yesterday.
Graham got up and gathered his trash. “What class do you have next?”
“English,” I groaned.
All of the guys at the table started to snicker.
“What?” I asked curiously.
Titus stood, too, gesturing for me to follow him.
“I have the same class next,” he said. “I’ll go with you.”
I tossed all of my uneaten food into the trash, knowing that I was going to regret not eating later during practice. But I couldn’t stomach it.
Vance sure had a way of making my ulcers act up.
“What’s so funny about this class?” I asked.
“You’ll see,” he said.
I did see the moment we walked into my English Lit class.
If I’d thought the teacher from yesterday looked like a stripper, I had no fuckin’ clue.
My English teacher was by far more suited for the trade.
“Is she wearing leather pants?” I asked, taking the seat farthest away from the front of the room.
Vance walked in moments later, trying to talk to Perry who wasn’t giving him the time of day.
My gut clenched at the sight.
My hand fisted under my desk, and it took everything I had not to get up and knock some sense into him right then and there.
Perry looked back at me, but I studiously ignored her, keeping my eyes firmly faced frontward.
“She sure the fuck is,” Abbott murmured. “And she wears them great, doesn’t she?”
Vance, having lost interest in Perry since she wasn’t talking to him, looked to the front of the room and froze.
I watched as his eyes cased the woman’s shapely body, assuming that this was what he wanted, and not some high school girl.
I almost wished that would be the case.
But the teacher didn’t look like a perv, so I doubted Vance would get anywhere with her, either.
“Class, this is English Literature,” the teacher said once the bell rang. “For the next couple weeks, we’re going to be getting to know each other. For now, I’ll let you choose your assigned seating, but once I get inside y’all’s heads, I’ll be rearranging you to how I think you should be seated. Based on where I think you’ll learn best.”
Was this teacher an English teacher or a psychologist?
I wasn’t sure that I wanted to know, to be honest.
Keeping my eyes downcast and my gaze off of Perry, I listened to the teacher explain how the next six months would go, ending with, “Now, I want everyone to tell me about yourselves.”
I inwardly groaned.
Luckily, before that could happen, the teacher’s phone rang.
And just like that, she answered it and forgot everyone else in the classroom with her.
I looked over at Abbott. “Did she seriously answer that?”
Abbott grinned. “I’ve heard that she’s a badass. Doesn’t give a fuck. Plus, she’s also the principal’s sister, so there’s not much shit she can’t get away with.”
I grunted, understanding instantly that he was right.
Something like a teacher answering her phone in class would’ve gotten back to our principal at my old school in a heartbeat.
The bell rang, and once again, Vance turned his attention to Perry.
This time, I couldn’t quite stop my reaction.
Luckily, that reaction happened after Vance left the room with a sneer in my direction.
Gritting my teeth, I walked up behind Perry and said a few words that were sure to piss her the hell off.
For some reason, she didn’t seem like the type to like a guy telling her what to do.
“Stay away from Vance,” I ordered.
Her eyes narrowed. “You can’t tell me…”
I moved until I had her pinned to the teacher’s desk. “Trust me. Stay away from him.”
Her eyes studied mine, and I knew what she saw.
Anger and pain. Determination and grit.
I wasn’t budging on this.
If she wouldn’t stay away from him, things were bound to get ugly.
“Tell me why,” she ordered. “He doesn’t seem that bad.”
I laughed humorlessly.
“Vance was the reason that I moved from my old high school,” I told her.
With the limited information I’d told her last night about him, she already halfway knew based solely on my attitude with him that he wasn’t any good.
“Okay,” she said. “I wasn’t going to get friendly with him anyway. I’m not… that’s just not me.”
I felt like a weight had been lifted off of my shoulders.
“Good.”
With that, I walked out the door, leaving her staring at me in confusion.
Chapter 7
Maybe Lit.
-T-shirt
Perry
Volleyball practice was fun. The coach was away, so the assistant coach put us onto two teams, and we spent the entire hour and a half scrimmaging each other.
Since today was a volleyball practice day, and not a cross-country day, I didn’t have to rush over to the track after I was done.
But I found myself going anyway, determined to get some bleachers and a run in despite being told that we had the day off.
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