Rock the Beat

by Michelle A. Valentine

  I smile. “Good idea.”

  He kisses my lips. “I’ll see you in a bit. I’m going to head over to the hotel and catch up with the guys. Tyke texted me a few minutes ago and told me Noel and Riff just made it in with their families.”

  “I’m nervous about meeting them,” I admit.

  He touches my cheek. “They’re going to love you.”

  The crowd starts chanting, “Black Falcon. Black Falcon. Black Falcon.” The noise is deafening.

  “Is it like this for you all the time?” I ask as I shove a finger in my ear.

  He nods. “Always. I’ve got to go, before they jump over this table.”

  “Go!” I shout to him over the crowd.

  I can see he’s reluctant to leave me, but we both know there’s no way in hell he can stay out here and help. I push his arm and shoo him away until he finally turns and pushes his way back through the crowd.

  I purse my lips and let out a long breath. This is some crazy life I’ve gotten myself mixed up in, but being with Trip is worth all the craziness.

  The rest of the day goes on without a hitch. The riders made it through qualifying runs, and moved into the quarterfinals. This event is going better than expected. There are even a few scouts out there checking out the riders in this open class event.

  After all the bikes clear out, and there’s nothing but chatter from the campers, I breathe a sigh of relief.

  We did it.

  “Checking out your success?” Max asks next to me.

  I cross my arms over my chest. “Yeah. It was pretty great.”

  “Agreed,” he says while digging a small scrap of paper out of his pocket. He hands it to me. “Check it out.”

  I snatch the paper from his hand as he waves it in front of my face. “What is this?”

  He chuckles. “Open it and see.”

  I unfold the paper, and a very male script is scrolled onto the paper asking Max to call him and then listing a phone number.

  My eyes widen. “You met someone?”

  Max grins. “I did. He’s nice…and hot. I’m excited.”

  I laugh and hand the paper back to him while he practically glows. “I’m happy for you, Max. Everything is falling into place for you.”

  “And for you,” he adds. “Trip and you are great together. I’m glad you ditched the asshole. Trip is so much better for you.”

  “He is. I love him so much.” I give him a sad smile, not knowing if I can really ever forgive myself for not seeing the signs for how Jackson treated him for so long, but Max finally being in a good place is a start.

  “I checked the county jail’s website. Jackson hasn’t made bail yet, but I’m sure he will. One of these days he’s going to land himself in prison. I can’t wait until we have our day in court and tell the world what a rotten bastard he is,” Max says.

  I take his hand in mine. “And I’ll be right by your side.”

  He smiles. “Thank you, Holl. I’m glad I have a best friend like you.”

  A text message chimes in on my phone.

  Trip: I’m waiting at your house for you. I’m excited you’re meeting my friends.

  Rock the Beat Playlist:

  It Will Rain—Bruno Mars

  Closer—Nine Inch Nails

  I Knew You Were Trouble—Taylor Swift

  Rude Boy--Rihanna

  Good Girls, Bad Guys—Falling In Reverse

  I Wanna Be Bad—Willa Ford

  Love Crime—My Darkest Days

  I Said It—Nonpoint

  Bringing Down the Giant—Saving Able

  She Will Be Loved—Maroon 5

  Gorilla—Bruno Mars

  Radioactive—Imagine Dragons

  Kiss Quick—Matt Nathanson

  Same Old Trip—Chevelle

  One More Lie—Aranda

  It Is What It Is—Lifehouse

  Light Up the Sky—Thousand Foot Krutch

  Between the Raindrops—Lifehouse/Natasha Bedingfeild

  Follow Michelle A. Valentine on Spotify https://play.spotify.com/user/1255624671/playlist/3I0jtNOHBalY2Kqbt4ORxk

  Rock the Beginning

  (Black Falcon Prequel, #0.5)

  Chapter 1

  Freshman year…

  LANE

  So this is it. Freshman year.

  I stand in the pristine hallway of Cedar Creek High School next to my best friend Cassandra Lutz as we survey the same faces we see year after year. Nothing in this town ever changes. I was hoping that I would be wowed in high school—dramatically swept off my feet on my first day by a dashing upper-classmen, living the dream of going to the prom as a freshman. Well, at least it’s a big dream of mine.

  But sadly, I’m disappointed yet again.

  I sigh heavily and lean my back against the red locker and squeeze my books tighter against my chest. I can’t wait to get out of here and run off to a big city where I can make something of myself. I’ve always thought a job in advertising sounded fun. Maybe I’ll try that someday.

  “Just once I’d love to have some fresh meat in this place,” Cassandra says pulling her brown hair into a loose bun on the top of her head. “I hate knowing everything about these guys. There’s no mystery. None of them do anything surprising.”

  I nod in total agreement. “Where are all the guys I read about in books—the ones that know exactly what to say? The first day of school is practically over and nothing remotely exciting has happened yet.”

  The moment the words leave my mouth, a crash against the lockers a few feet to my right draws my attention. I suddenly feel the urge to take back the last thing I said. This is not exactly the kind of excitement I was hoping for.

  All the kids in the hallway stop dead in their tracks in unison and stare at the scene playing out before us like a bad teen sitcom. Roger Robertson, the guy we all know as the school bully, grips Wendell McFarland, a kid in my grade, by the collar of his shirt. Roger’s large arms twist as he repositions his wrists in order to get a better grip, while he wears a sickening smile on his red, pimple-covered face. Roger isn’t the kind of guy you want to mess with. His temper is about as red-hot as the flaming color of his hair and we all know he’s been held back to the freshman level three times now. If Roger walks down the hallway, you get out of his way or duck for cover. His reputation of assholeism precedes him.

  I instantly feel sorry for Wendell. His tiny, pencil-like frame is no match for the likes of Roger. “Give it up, you fucking pussy.” I flinch as Roger yanks Wendell forward and slams him back even harder. “Don’t make me tell you again. I know your parents are loaded. Cough up the dough.”

  Wendell gasps for air as Roger shoves his knuckles into his throat. “I don’t have any money.”

  Another slam and Wendell’s glasses slip down the bridge of his nose. “Cough it up you little shit stain.”

  My mouth gapes open and my eyes grow wide. It’s painfully hard to watch. Someone has to stop this.

  I glance around. Several of my classmates stand frozen. No one is making a move to stop this outright appalling display of human behavior. This makes me sick. What’s wrong with these people? A desperate need to make this stop fills me.

  Before I even realize what I’m doing I take a couple quick steps and open my mouth. “Stop it! Leave him alone!”

  It’s like a movie when a hush falls over the crowd. I know this isn’t the smartest move, but I just can’t stand by and do nothing. And, okay, I know the odds of me being able to stop Roger physically are about as good as a one-legged man in an ass-kicking contest, but I can’t idly sit by. I wasn’t raised that way.

  Cassandra grabs my arm and whispers harshly, “Are you crazy, Lanie? What are you doing?”

  I pull my arm from her grip and frown as I take in the fear in her brown eyes. I straighten my stance. I have to appear brave. “Someone has to stop this, Cass.”

  Roger’s gaze darts from me to Wendell. His eyes are so brown they almost appear black and the pure venom in them causes my legs to shake. A d
eep laugh bursts out of his mouth and holds me in place. “What do we have here? Is this your little girlfriend, four-eyes? Is she here to save you?”

  “N-n-no,” Wendell stutters.

  No one should be able to get away with treating people like this. “Stop it, Roger!”

  Roger flings his gaze at me. “Or what, Shirley Temple? You going to make me?”

  I stare down at the pink sundress I’m wearing. While very cute for my first day of school, it doesn’t exactly scream badass. But this guy doesn’t know what I’m capable of, so I can’t let him rattle my nerves. “I might. Now, leave him alone.”

  Roger sneers while opening his large hands and makes a show of letting Wendell go. As soon as Wendell is free, he takes off running, without so much as looking back to make sure I’m not the one getting pounded now.

  Thanks for the back-up, Wendell.

  The bully turns to me and taps his lip. “Happy now, Shirley? I let him go, but it seems we have a small problem.”

  I lift my chin as Roger stalks towards me with slow steps, like a tiger stalking its prey. “What’s that?”

  “Someone is going to have to pay me. You see, I need money for a new tire and since you chased my little buddy off, I guess that leaves you to pay for it.” He grins at me in a way a serial killer would…right before he murders his victim.

  I grip my books tighter and my hands turn clammy. If he comes at me this Geometry book is going to make one hell of a weapon. “Fat chance. I’m not giving you any money.”

  He shakes his head as he steps in front of me. “That’s where you’re wrong. Guy, girl…doesn’t matter to me. I’ll still beat you into submission in order to get what I need, and what I need from you is money. You’re going to get that for me. A nice girl like you seems good for it.”

  I narrow my eyes. “No, I’m not.”

  “Listen, bitch…” Roger slaps the books from my hands and leans in to me like he’s about to attack, but a voice stops him.

  “Pick those up.” My neighbor and childhood friend, Noel Falcon pushes his way through the crowd. Once he’s through, he narrows his eyes at Roger, daring him to cross him. “Pick those up, or I swear to God, you’ll pay.”

  The guy in front of me takes a step back and smirks as Noel steps between us, using his body to shield me from Roger. At first I’m scared for Noel’s safety, but I soon notice he’s nearly an even match for the guy that’s much older than him.

  When did he get so tall and buff?

  I guess I never noticed Noel’s muscles before. The way they stretch his black t-shirt, and how broad his shoulders have actually gotten, has somehow slipped past me all summer long. Granted, I haven’t seen him as much as I normally do over the summer. Noel was always busy every time I asked him to come over and go fishing off the dock behind my house like we always did, which was…strange, considering we used to spend all of our time together.

  His hair is longer too. The shaggy hair he sported last school year as he got into rock music would probably touch his shoulders now if he didn’t have it pulled back into a low-set ponytail. I admit, he’s looking pretty good.

  Roger straightens his shoulders and rocks his neck like a trained fighter before he sets his eyes on Noel. “You’ll walk away if you know what’s good for you. This is between me and Shirley here.”

  Noels fingers fold into fists at his side. “I think you got that backwards, fucker. It’s you that needs to beat it. No one messes with Lane. No one.”

  “Brave words. You’re going to wish you’d walked away when I gave you the chance after I beat your face in,” Roger sneers.

  “I’ll never walk away from Lane. You fuck with her, you fuck with me.” There’s a growl in Noel’s voice I’ve never heard before. It’s low and threatening. I never knew Noel could be so scary, or badass, or…hot.

  Oh my God. What am I thinking? Noel isn’t hot. Noel is…Noel, my friend—best friend since kindergarten.

  I can’t ponder on that last thought too long because Roger’s laugh pulls me out of that bubble. Without warning Roger draws his arm back, launching it full force towards Noel’s face. Two things happen so quickly that the scream building in my throat doesn’t have time to come out. The first is Noel dodges the blow with ease and the second blasts Roger in the face first while simultaneously pushing me out of harms way.

  I fall to the floor just as Roger tackles Noel and they crash to the ground. At first it appears that Roger has the upper hand until Noel uses some quick UFC style movements and turns the tables. Noel flips Roger onto his back and straddles him before gripping a handful of Roger’s shirt in his hand and blasts a right hook into the monster redhead’s face.

  My mouth gapes open as the boy I’ve known most of my life defends me like no one else ever has.

  A hand grips my shoulder and pulls me up off the floor. “Jesus, Lanie. Are you all right?” Cass asks. “Thank God Noel showed up when he did.”

  I’m about to agree with her just as the guys roll around in the hallway again and this time Roger’s in control. Hell. No.

  This weird urge to protect Noel comes over me. I fling myself on Roger’s back without thinking about what I would do next. I wrap my arms around his neck and hold on tight. Not getting anywhere, I get desperate and grab a handful of red hair and yank as hard as I can. “Get off him!”

  I ignore the distinct sound of tennis shoes scuffling on the tiled hallway as I tighten my grip on his hair. There’s no way I’m letting anyone hurt Noel.

  I’m pulled back but I refuse to release my hold on Roger. “Young lady, let him go!”

  My head snaps in the direction of lanky man with thinning brown hair I recognize as being my English teacher, Mr. Jones. Then it dawns on me. Oh crap! I’m in deep shit. Dad isn’t going to the let the fact that I’m involved in a fight on the first day of school go without some sort of punishment. There’s always the argument I was helping someone else that was getting bullied…even though that someone ran off and would probably be too scared to side with me against Roger. Surely one of these witnesses would attest to the fact this all began over Wendell, and that Roger isn’t the innocent victim here.

  I loosen my grip and Roger’s hair falls free from my hands. “Crazy bitch,” Roger mumbles under his breath. “Umph!”

  I snicker as Noel brings his knee back down from Roger’s groin, shutting him up completely. Roger falls over, cupping his crotch in the universally recognized, I’ve-just-been-nailed-in-the-balls style.

  Noel stands and kicks Roger in the stomach one last time for good measure. “Don’t ever talk to her that way again.”

  Mr. Jones sets me on my feet and turns to scolds the boys. “Knock it off and get to the principal’s office.” I turn to head in the opposite direction, thinking I’m in the clear because I’m a girl. “Not so fast. That means you too.”

  I stop dead in my tracks and turn slowly on my heel.

  Damn. Can’t blame me for trying.

  Noel smoothes his hair back, tucking the loose strands behind his ear. He touches his tongue to the corner of his mouth and I notice a small cut on his bottom lip.

  I tilt my head as I examine the rest of his face. “Are you okay?”

  He shakes his fingers like he’s trying to get rid of the pain from landing a couple punches to Roger’s thick skull. “I’ll be okay. What about you? I can’t believe you had that in you to attack a guy like that. I haven’t seen you go after someone since the third grade over a Barbie.”

  I shrug. “I couldn’t let him hurt you.”

  Noel’s eyes search my face and he swallows hard just as he takes a step toward me, nearly bumping his chest into mine. “I know exactly how you feel.”

  “Y-y-you do?” Where is all this nervous energy coming from? I’ve been in close proximity many times with Noel. Why does this time feel different—like all the air around us is charged?

  “I said get to the office,” Mr. Jones raises his voice causing me to jump and Noel wraps his arms around me. �
��You two need to get to the office while I finish helping Roger up. Don’t make me tell you again.”

  Noel salutes the teacher and I giggle at his newfound anti-authority attitude. I pull away from Noel and turn towards the office. Our steps fall in line and he reaches down, threading his fingers through mine.

  He’s held my hand before, but never like this. This moment feels like the beginning of something beautiful.

  Chapter 2

  One Week Later…

  LANE

  The air is cool for a September night in Texas, but my entire body is warm and alive with excitement. I’ve snuck out of the house many nights before to meet Noel on this dock for a late night swim, but this is different. Things have certainly changed quite a bit over the last week.

  Somehow over the summer we’ve gone from best friends to more. We’ve never really discussed this new territory of hand-holding and hugging that we’ve worked our way into, or what it means for us exactly. Maybe the subject will come up tonight.

  People at school aren’t surprised, I guess. Everyone knows Noel and I are close, so our new bouts of PDA don’t raise too many eyebrows.

  That doesn’t mean we’re ready to make our parents aware that our long-time friendship has blossomed into more though. They’d never let us be along together again.

  I tiptoe down the hill to the dock behind my house and allow my eyes to adjust in the moonlight. At the end of the dock, Noel leans against the wood railing with his arms crossed against his chest, waiting for me. I’m not sure what tonight will hold for us, I just know I can’t wait to see what unfolds.

  A wide grin stretches across his face the moment our eyes meet. The features on his face are well defined like the new physique he acquired over the summer. His blue eyes shimmer with excitement the moment my feet hit the wood on the dock and my breath catches. Every time I see him now it’s like my heart skips a beat.

  I bite my lip and shove my hair behind my ear as Noel reaches his hand out to me. I slide mine into it without hesitation and my stomach flips.