“You’re hilarious.”
“What the fuck do you want?”
“Word on the street is you’re Josh’s cousin.”
“If you have a point, get to it.” I’m losing my patience fast.
“Why are you sitting here, alone?” He pops his gum. “And not over there with the rulers of Central High School?”
“I don’t need a clique to feel like I belong.”
“You can sit with me and my friends.”
“I’m not looking to make friends,” I say.
Hopefully he’ll read between the damn lines and get the hell away from me.
“Hey, man, that’s cool. If you need anything, let me know. I got the hookup on weed, ecstasy, meth, speed, cocaine… You name it.”
I’m on the verge of hyperventilating when the word cocaine leaves his mouth. I react the only way I know how, with violence. I punch him in the face, causing him to fall from the chair and hit the floor.
“Get the fuck out of my sight before I fuck you up.”
He stumbles to his feet as blood seeps from his mouth.
“What the fuck is wrong with you, man?” he asks.
Some are oblivious to what is going on, while others look on with avid interest. Everyone at Josh’s table watches as the drama unfolds. When a group of students, who I assume are his friends, start to approach, I stand and grab a chair.
“Tell your friends to back the fuck off or it’s going to get real WrestleMania, quick.”
He peers behind him and waves his friends off, then turns back around to face me. “We could’ve been cool, man.”
“Come near me again, and I’ll break your neck,” I threaten before leaving the cafeteria.
I knew it was a fucking bad idea to come in here.
“Hey, babe,” Trevor calls out as he approaches me.
“Hey,” I greet him, giving him a peck on the lips.
“Are you going to run a few laps around the track after school?” he asks.
“Yeah, with Anneli,” I answer, closing my locker.
“Do you want to come over after? We can do our homework together.”
“Oh, I know what you want to do, and it isn’t homework.” I chuckle.
“Can’t we do both?” He gives me his signature lopsided smile.
“Depends, will your parents be home?”
His mom is always lurking around, and we were almost caught in the act a few times. She doesn’t turn in for the night until I leave. His father doesn’t give two shits if his teenage son is sexually active though.
Trevor kisses the side of my neck. “It’s date night, so my parents won’t be home until late.”
“We can do both after all,” I reply, closing my locker.
“I bought you more thongs.”
“Oh, I bet you did.”
Trevor fucks me the hardest when I wear a sexy pair of panties. That’s his fetish.
He wags his eyebrows. “Come on, I’ll walk you to class.”
Trevor circles his arm around my shoulders as we walk down the hall. I can’t stop myself from thinking about Art, as usual. I haven’t seen him since he stormed out of the cafeteria. I was on pins and needles walking to class after lunch, wondering if Art would be in class with me, but he never showed. The day isn’t over yet, though—I still have two more classes. Bane must’ve said something to piss Art off enough for him to punch him in the face. His enemy list keeps growing by the second. Soon, he’ll have the whole school against him.
“Okay, see you later, babe.” Trevor hits my butt as I enter the classroom.
I giggle. “Later babe.”
I scan the room. No Art. Class hasn’t started yet, so he could still come within the next five minutes. I make my way to the back of the classroom—that’s where I can hide from the teacher and hope never to be called on to answer a question I have no idea how to respond to—and sit next to a boy I’ve seen around school, but whose name I don’t recall. My breathing speeds up when Art walks through the door and his eyes land on me. He comes to a stop in front of the boy sitting next to me.
He doesn’t say anything, merely stands there until the boy fidgets uncomfortably and gets up to find another desk. Art sits down in the now unoccupied seat next to me. I look over at him.
“If you keep up with that attitude, you’ll have the whole senior class gunning for you,” I say.
“Do I look afraid?” he asks.
“So, it’s you against the whole world?”
“No, it’s me against the universe.”
“Can’t you at least try to fit in?”
“I don’t want to fit in.”
“What happened between you and Bane?”
“He got on my bad side.”
“But isn’t everyone on your bad side?”
Before he can answer, the bell rings and the teacher strolls into the classroom. The chatter comes to a halt.
“Welcome to the new year, ladies and gentleman. My name is Mr. Hall. We’re going to have a lovely time in trigonometry.”
I block out what Mr. Hall is saying.
“Do you jog every morning?” I ask in a low voice.
“No, only when I’m restless. You?”
“Yes, it’s good exercise, and I’m on the track team.”
“You any good?”
“Yep, I have a full scholarship to Lexington University.”
“I’ve heard of it. It’s located in Cali, right?”
“Yes.”
“What races do you run?”
“I’ve been participating in the one, two, and four hundred meter dash since elementary school.”
“I guess that means you and Trevor are going to call it quits after graduation since you’re moving thousands of miles away.”
“We’re not. Trevor applied to Lexington. He’s still waiting on a response.”
“What if he doesn’t get accepted?”
“He’s applied to other schools in the area.”
“Figures. He seems like the type to follow you around like a fly to horse manure.”
“There’s nothing wrong with a guy wanting to be near his girlfriend. What are your plans after high school?”
“I don’t have any. Did you fuck him yesterday?”
“That’s none of your damn business,” I snap.
“You left at the crack of dawn and didn’t get home until late, all to avoid me. Do I have that much of an effect on you?”
“Get over yourself,” I scoff, but I know he can see right through my bullshit.
“Did you think about me when he was fucking you?”
Yes.
I turn my attention to the front of the classroom, planning to ignore him.
He leans over to whisper in my ear. “You can pretend like you don’t want to fuck me as much as I want to fuck you if it makes you feel like a better person.”
He grasps my knee.
“Come to my bedroom tonight. No one has to know.”
No one has to know.
He’s the snake in the Garden of Eden, coercing me to take a bite of the forbidden fruit. I grip the edge of the desk with sweaty palms, still looking forward. I clench my thighs together because his words conjure up images I shouldn’t be thinking of.
“You want to feel my dick inside of you. Be honest with yourself.”
I love Trevor, I do, but when Art entered the picture, everything became muddled.
“You’re clenching your thighs together. Tell me. Is your pussy wet?” He licks my ear.
When the bell rings, I race from the classroom. Why do I want him? My life was so perfect before he came here. I’m tempted—I’m so fucking tempted. I hope he’s not in my last class of the day.
“What’s the matter?” Anneli asks. She keeps pace with me while we run laps around the track.
“Nothing. Why are you asking?”
“You seem distracted.”
“I’m fine.”
“You know you can tell me anything. I know when something is bo
thering you.”
“There’s just been a lot going on with Art moving in.”
“You said he wasn’t bothering you.”
“He’s not.”
“Then what’s going on?”
“I’m nervous about track season. First practice will be here before we know it. I have to get in shape if I want to beat the competition this year.”
“You’ve never been nervous about track before. Anyway, you’re already set, so don’t overthink things.”
“I still want to get first place this year.”
“Don’t worry. You will.”
I have to get Art out of my thoughts, but it’s impossible. Maybe I’ll spend the weekend at Lilah’s house so I can put some distance between us.
“You know it’s going to be trouble at Bri’s party Saturday night when Art arrives. With him on the guys’ shit list and Bri and Lilah fighting over him, it’s going to be a disaster.” Anneli rubs her forehead.
I can only imagine.
Friday came and went without a hitch. Art played nice with his peers. Except me, that is. He teased me at every opportunity. No matter where I sit in trigonometry class, he follows me. I stood at his bedroom door with my ear pressed against it again last night and listened while he relived the day he found his brother floating in the pool. I wonder if he cut himself. How can pain ease pain? I wanted to go inside to offer comfort, to hold him, but I knew once I crossed that invisible line there’d be no going back. He would’ve taken more from me than comfort, and I would’ve freely given it to him.
I arrive back at the house after my morning jog, but instead of heading inside, I walk over to the building that houses the sweet potatoes and slips. I bag up a few for breakfast. When I hear the door open, I glance over expecting Ricky, but instead it’s the boy I can’t get out of my mind.
His gaze slides over the contents in the room before settling on me.
“What are those?”
He tilts his head towards the pots covering the tables throughout the large open space.
“This is where the slips are stored in the winter. The temperature in here is kept between fifty and sixty degrees to trigger dormancy. If it’s too cold, the slips will freeze, and if it’s too hot, they’ll dry out and can’t be used when planting season starts.”
“What are slips?”
“They’re vines that grow out of the sweet potatoes. They’re planted to grow more sweet potatoes.”
“Why is it so dark in here?”
Art moves closer to me with each question he asks.
“The slips have to be kept in a dark, dry place.”
“What are you about to do?”
“Sweet potatoes grown last season are stored in here too. I came to get a few to cook for breakfast.”
Now he stands directly in front of me with barely any space separating us.
“How do you know all this stuff?”
“I wanted to learn more, so Ricky taught me all there is to know about farming sweet potatoes. Why did you follow me in here?”
“You know why.”
“We can’t do this, Art.”
He grips my hips to pull me towards him.
“Sure we can.”
“Trevor—”
“Fuck Trevor.”
I drop the bag of sweet potatoes when his lips touch mine. A zing of electricity jolts through my core. His tongue massages the inside of my mouth. I moan into the kiss. We’re drowning in each other, our lips perfectly in sync as we share oxygen. When he exhales, I inhale. I glide my hands up his chest before pushing him away.
“Stop.”
I spin around to run from the building, forgetting all about the sweet potatoes.
“Where the fuck are you going?” he growls.
He takes hold of my long ponytail and clasps the back of my neck, swinging me around to face him. I whimper when he moves his hand from my neck to crush my jaw in a bruising grip. He resumes the kiss with force. I open my mouth to accept his invading tongue, because what the fuck else am I supposed to do?
He releases my hair to slide his hand down my back to clutch my ass. He grinds his hard length into me. I jerk my head to the side to end the kiss, but that doesn’t deter him. He kisses down the side of my neck.
“I can’t do this.” I need to think clearly.
“But you want to. I promise it’ll be our little secret.”
“No,” I groan.
I stop him the only way I know how. I scream, loud and long. He releases me, startled. I use his moment of distraction to tear away from him and make a run for it. The house is still quiet when I burst through the door, so no one heard my scream. That’s a good thing. I go to the kitchen to prep for breakfast. I’ll go back to get the sweet potatoes in a few minutes, when I’m sure Art will be gone. I wash my hands then open the refrigerator to take out what I need.
Bacon, eggs, butter…
I glance over my shoulder when I hear the kitchen door open. I place the items on the counter, never taking my eyes from him. I fully face him to prepare for what’s next.
He holds up the bag of sweet potatoes. “Where do you want these?”
That’s an unexpected question. “Put them in the sink, I have to wash them off.”
He empties the bag of sweet potatoes into the sink, then steps back. I walk over cautiously and turn on the faucet to begin washing them off. I’m nervous because my back is to him, but he’s not stupid enough to try anything, especially when anyone could walk in at any moment.
I feel the heat of him behind me before he touches me. I should’ve known not to underestimate him. He slides his hands inside my panties. I grasp the edge of the sink.
“What are you doing? Someone could come in and see us.”
His response is to lick and nibble on my neck. I bite my bottom lip to prevent myself from crying out loud when his finger moves over my clit in a frantic motion. My head drops back to loll against his hard chest. His other hand moves lower until a finger enters my opening. I widen my stance while his hands work vigorously between my legs. I can’t control the loud moans that leave my mouth, even with the prospect of being caught.
“You’re so fucking wet. The next time it’ll be my dick penetrating your cunt. It’s going to happen. Face it. I’m not trying to break up your happy relationship. I just want a piece of you.” He pushes his hard thickness against my ass as he thrusts his finger. I rise to the tip of my toes with each forceful stroke.
I hear the front door open. Fuck, somebody’s up.
“Art, you have to stop.” I struggle to break free.
“Not until you come.”
I feel my orgasm building, gaining momentum as his hands pick up speed. The muscles of my stomach spasm uncontrollably the moment my climax hits. I gasp for air as he moans.
“The way your pussy clenches my finger makes me want to fuck you where you stand.” He pulls his hands from my sweatpants mere moments before Ricky walks through the kitchen door. His gaze moves from Art to me. I turn my face away quickly, sure that he’ll see the guilt written there.
“What’s going on here?” he asks.
“Cin gave me a lesson about sweet potato farming. To show my appreciation, I’m helping her wash some for breakfast.”
“Oh, that’s good. I’m glad you two are getting along now. Cin, you’re shaking. Are you okay?”
“Yes, I think I over did it on my jog,” I answer without looking at him.
“Don’t push yourself so hard, sweetie.”
I nod.
“Well, I’m ready for some coffee,” he says, walking over to the coffee maker.
Where the fuck is she?
I got to this fucking party an hour ago, but still no Cin. I thought she would’ve arrived by now since she was already gone when I left the house. The whole dickhead brigade is here though. Every once in a while, Josh’s friends glance over to where I am sitting on the sectional. I swear if those fuckers move in my direction, this place is going to look like a
landfill when I’m done beating their asses. From the moment I stepped through the door, Bri—she told me her name again—has been glued to my side. She’s practically sitting in my lap. Lilah glares daggers at her. I continuously eye the front door. The house is filled with music, dancing, beer, and weed.
“What do you say?” Bri asks.
“About what?”
“Do you want to go upstairs, silly?” She laughs.
“No,” I respond.
“Okay, it’s still early. We can go up later.”
Does she not know when to take a hint?
“You fucking bitch!” she suddenly yells, running to the landing of the stairs. There’s a little girl sitting on the last step. She appears to be around ten years old. She must be Bri’s younger sister.
“Go to your fucking room!”
“Why? I’m not doing anything,” she whines.
“Get upstairs right now before I kick your skinny ass.”
“I’ll tell Mom and Dad you had a party when they get home.”
“If you do, you’ll regret it!” Bri grabs her wrist.
“Ouch!” the girl shouts.
“You open your mouth, and I’ll make your life a living hell,” Bri warns, pulling her sister upstairs.
I almost come to the girl’s aid. Bri should cherish her little sister because life can change drastically in the blink of an eye. I wish Cole were here to get on my fucking nerves. Lilah sits beside me.
“I can suck your dick and make you come in under five minutes.”
My dick doesn’t even twitch at her proclamation.
Before I can respond to her comment, Cin walks through the front door with her bitch ass boyfriend. Gone are the baggy unflattering clothes she usually sports. She’s wearing a tight low-cut black shirt, a mini denim skirt, and thigh-high boots. Her beautiful hair flows around her. Lilah is still talking at my side, but I don’t know what the fuck she’s saying. The pair walk over to their friends.
“Are you listening to me?” Lilah asks.
“No.”
“Fuck you,” she replies, leaving the sectional.
Well at least she got the hint, unlike Bri. Cin hasn’t glanced my way since she walked through the fucking door. Trevor drags her to the middle of the living room where several couples are dancing. She wraps her arms around his neck. His hands grip the cuff of her ass cheeks. Their bodies meld together as they move to the sensual beat of the music.
When Art Rises: Living in Cin: (A Twisted Interracial High School Love Triangle) Page 7
