Chapter Fifteen
Chicks & Babes
I was about to open my car door the next morning when Lucas pulled in behind me.
He rolled down the passenger window and called out, “Hey, cutie, want a ride?”
I smiled, very happy to see him. “Sure.” I abandoned my SUV for his sports car, opened the door, and stepped inside.
“How are you today?” he asked.
“Fine.” I stuffed my bag in the backseat beside his as he pulled onto the road, and headed in the direction of school. “You seem in a good mood.”
He grinned. “I am. I had a great weekend.”
“What a coincidence, so did I.” I leaned down to turn the radio up as one of my favorite songs came on. “I’m surprised to see you this morning. You didn’t tell me that you were picking me up.”
“I wasn’t planning to, but when I woke up, I missed you.”
I gave him a timid smile. “Me too.” My voice was softer than I had intended, but I suddenly felt shy, which was ridiculous after the weekend we had spent together.
The short ride to school was quiet. An air of awkwardness had fallen upon us that hadn’t been there the last few days. Maybe it was because we were suddenly back to reality, and facing everyone at school.
We arrived just as the bell rang, walking side by side to the front doors. I kept my hand in my pocket. I wasn’t ready for all the gawking stares I knew we would receive if we held hands. He gave me a quick kiss, and we headed to our separate lockers.
“How was your weekend?” Derrick whispered once I sat in my seat for English. Miss Reynolds was gathering some papers, so she wasn’t paying attention.
I turned around. “Good, how was yours?” I asked.
“What? That’s all I get? You told Emma all the juicy details, and I get ‘good’?” He sounded irritated.
I laughed. “You’re a guy, you want details, ask Lucas.”
He was about to argue when Miss Reynolds started the lesson. Facing the front, I heard Derrick grumbling behind me.
In music class, we continued practicing our short, emotional pieces. I was playing mine when Miss Fitzgerald stood beside me.
“Let me guess. Happy, right?” she said, and I nodded. “What were you feeling when you composed it?” she asked.
I blushed. “Nothing special,” I lied.
“Ah…a boy. Most music is created with the opposite sex in mind.” She smiled and patted my shoulder. “You’ve done really good work, Sarah. I can’t wait for everyone to hear it.” She walked away, stopping beside Sam Portman who was playing the guitar.
After my second class was over, I headed to my locker. Lucas was there waiting for me. “How was your morning?”
“Long, how about yours?”
“Same. What do you want to do after school?”
“Why don’t you come over to my house and hang out.” I opened my locker door to stuff my books inside.
“I’d love to.” He leaned in to steal a kiss.
I gazed around to see if anyone had noticed, and sure enough, Kendal Morgenstern was standing at her locker across from mine, smiling at us and whispering to Jade Davis, her best friend. I shook my head in an attempt to forget about it. So what if people stared and whispered behind my back. I was with a great guy, and he made me happier than I ever imagined I could be.
With my newfound attitude, I took Lucas’ hand and pulled him to the lunch room.
We walked into the noisy cafeteria, hand in hand, which earned more stares and whispers. I ignored them and followed Luke to the lunch line. “So what do you want? I’m buying.” He leaned in close, his head almost touching mine.
I shook my head. “No, I’m buying this time. You paid for me the last two nights. Please,” I added when he was about to refuse.
“Fine, but just this time.”
“Good, what do you want? I’m having French fries. I’m in the mood for something greasy.”
He placed two orders of fries and a cheeseburger on a tray. I reached over and pulled two sodas from the mini fridge. After I paid for our food he whispered, “Thank you!” I nodded my head and squeezed his hand.
Our usual table was almost full; there were only a few spots left on the long benches that sat on either side of the table. All of my friends were there, including Pete and Cory. Kyle and Andy sat on the end, and we sat down beside them.
“Sarah, you realize since our table is now overloaded with guys, we’re going to have to sit through endless discussions about sports,” Emma said, her face troubled, leaning around Kyle to look at me.
I laughed. “And action movies.”
She grinned. “And the worst, chicks and babes!”
“Hey! It’s about time the power shifted to the male gender at this table. Do you realize how much I know about makeup, waxing, and chick flicks? It’s not natural!” Derrick shook his head with disgust. He sat on the other side of Emma; I had to lean over the Formica table to see him.
“Well, that’s what you get when your best friends are girls,” Emma said, leaning in to give him a quick kiss on the lips.
“Yeah, dude, we thought you were gay,” Andy said to Derrick.
“Not that there’s anything wrong with that,” Kyle added, leaning over to steal a fry off of Lucas’ plate. Lucas tried to smack his hand but missed. Kyle grinned as he chewed the fry. “
Emma almost spit her drink out of her mouth as she started to laugh.
Derrick’s eyes were as wide as saucers. “What? Why?” he demanded.
Kyle answered after he finished chewing the stolen fry. “Like she just said.” He pointed to Emma. “You’re best friends with two chicks.”
Derrick became very defensive. “I hang out with Pete and Cory all the time.”
“Yeah, but not as much as with the girls,” Andy added, while trying to stifle a laugh.
“I knew he wasn’t gay,” Pete defended Derrick from where he sat, across from his friend.
“How?” Andy asked. He wore a smirk on his face.
“He never hit on me, and no one can resist me.” He leaned back in his chair with an arrogant smile.
All eyes gaped incredulously at Pete. Was he serious?
“Do you think I’m gay? I turned you down,” I asked him, to bring him down a peg.
Lucas glanced at me curiously. “He asked you out?”
“Yes, a few weeks ago,” I told him, placing my hand on his.
“But you were pining for Lucas,” Peter said to defend himself. Of course, I had to be interested in someone else, or I would want him.
“Oh please, she turned you down because she didn’t want to be part of your harem, I believe were her exact words.” Emma waved her pizza at Pete.
Kyle turned to Pete and asked, “You have a harem?”
Peter grinned mischievously and nodded.
“Nothing wrong with that, my friend.” Kyle held his hand out across the table for Pete to bump his fist. From there, the topic turned to chicks and babes.
I ignored them, focusing on Lucas, squeezing his hand.
“You want to come with me to get my books? Then we’ll head to your locker?” he asked me.
I nodded as thoughts of stealing a few private moments behind the bleachers or in the janitor’s closet popped in my head.
“We’ll see you guys later,” Lucas said as we stood up.
I waved to Emma as we weaved through tables and teenagers toward the cafeteria doors, dumping our paper plates in the garbage on the way out.
The rest of the day flew by. In my last class, I was told the vice principal wanted to see me. With my stomach twisted in knots, I walked the empty corridors, taking the long way to the office. The idea of making my mother wait was humorous to me. I wasn’t exactly nervous about being summoned; it could be her asking me to bring Alex home, or to make dinner tonight. It could be anything, even the missed classes on Friday. That explained the knots. The heels of my boots clicked against the tiled floor, echoing loudly through the empty ha
lls.
Just as I stepped in front of the office, Jackson Marks pushed through the wide office doors. His hands smacked the glass with a loud crack. He scowled at me as he stomped away. I wasn’t surprised by his outburst. The guy missed three days a week and slept through most of his classes. I smiled as I watched him turn the corner, and then took a deep breath before pushing the door open.
The heat was the first thing I noticed every time I walked in through these doors. For some reason, it was always hot in here, no matter the weather outside. It was probably intentional, to make students uncomfortable while they waited.
“Hi, Miss Hawkins,” I said to the secretary sitting behind the front desk. “Mr. Hammond told me to come here, is there a problem?”
She was wearing a pink blouse; her red hair was piled on her head in what looked like a bouffant. “I don’t know, honey, they don’t tell me anything.” She smiled widely, showing bright white crooked teeth. “Just sit down in the chairs over there, and your mother will be right out. It’s your first time being called down here, isn’t it?” When I nodded she added, “Don’t be nervous, I’m sure it’s nothing.”
I thanked her and sat down on one of the chairs she pointed to.
A few minutes later, the glass door creaked open again, and in walked Lucas.
Oh crap, we were here about Friday. I had naively hoped since she hadn’t mentioned my missed classes all weekend that my mom had forgotten about it. Apparently not.
He looked in my direction and came to sit beside me. “Friday?” was all he asked.
“I don’t know. I haven’t gone in yet, but what else could it be, since we’re both here?”
“Sorry, I shouldn’t have made you skip. I keep forgetting your mother’s the vice principal.”
I was about to tell him that it wasn’t his fault, but Miss Hawkins interrupted us. “Sarah, Lucas, you can go in now.”
We both stood up and slowly entered my mother’s office. She was sitting at her desk, which was located in the center of the small room. There was a shelf filled with books in the corner by the window. On her desk were pictures of Alex, Dad, and me.
She looked up from some papers and gestured for us to sit down. “Well, you probably know why you’re both here. You skipped afternoon classes on Friday. I can’t overlook this just because I’m your mother.” She glanced at me. “I understand the reason. But you should have brought the situation to me.” She paused.
Lucas took the opportunity to defend me. “Mrs. Samson, it was my idea to leave school. I dragged her away. If I hadn’t insisted, she wouldn’t have left.”
She looked at him with her teacher stare, as I called it—her eyes in slits, her mouth in a scowl. The look could silence a screaming baby. “Did you put a gun to her head?”
“Of course not.” A look of complete shock crossed his face.
“Then she’s responsible for her own actions.” She paused again, and then sighed heavily, placing her hands flat onto the desk. “I have no choice but to give you a warning. If this happens again, you will be punished.”
Lucas looked surprised. I wasn’t; she didn’t fool me with this vice principal act. “Now go back to class before you miss something.”
Luke stood up first, and as he turned around heading for the door, my mother winked at me. When Luke turned back around, her face sobered. “Remember, kids, next time, you won’t get off so easy.”
Out in the hallway, Lucas turned to me. “What just happened?”
I shrugged. “We just got away with ditching class. She was acting tough and all, but she only did that so no one would think she was giving us special treatment.”
“How do you know?”
“I’m the vice principal’s daughter. Remember, the rules are, if you get caught skipping, it’s an automatic detention.”
He smiled and simply said, “Cool.”
After school, we went to my house, where we both made dinner for my family. My mom grilled Lucas about growing up as a twin, and what the two of them had in common, while my dad interrogated him about our trip on Friday. Fun was had by all.
I was a little relieved when I closed the door behind him. We both had homework we needed to do.
“Sarah, why don’t you practice for a while, you don’t want to get rusty,” my mom said as I watched Lucas’ car pull away. She was sitting at the dining room table glancing at what looked like report cards.
I turned away from the window. “I practice in music class every day, remember?”
“Yes, but it wouldn’t hurt to get some extra playing in.”
“Fine, I’m going,” I grumbled, walking down our dark stairs to the basement rec room. The room was small; the rest of the space was taken up by the laundry area, storage, and my father’s office. There were a few old pieces of furniture, and a small TV.
No one really used this space, preferring the larger living room upstairs. But in the center, under the window, was my shiny, black grand piano. It was an antique and had been handed down to me by my grandmother, who loved playing it. She was the one who taught me to play, starting when I was five. Her house was always filled with music, and I wanted to learn so I could bring some of that home. When she died of cancer last year I was devastated, but the one bright spot was the piano. Every time I played, her smiling face appeared in my head. I sat down to play her favorite song, and then mine.
I had only meant to play for a few minutes to make my mom happy, but once I started, it was hard to stop. Half an hour later, I headed back upstairs.
I did my homework as quickly as possible and changed into my pajamas. As I passed the window, heading to my dresser where I had left my brush, I saw something out of the corner of my eye. I leaned my head against the cold glass for a closer look. There was a dark figure in a hooded sweatshirt standing by a utility pole, staring up at my window.
I gasped, taking a step back. When the figure didn’t move, I ran to the door. “Dad! Dad! Come here!” I screamed.
I heard him running up the stairs. “What is it?” he asked with concern, standing in the doorway, glancing around my room for something that had upset me.
“Look outside, there’s someone looking in my window.”
He ran over to the glass, and was quiet for several seconds. “I don’t see anyone.”
I stood beside him, searching the area where I had seen the man, but the street was empty; there was no one there. Had I imagined it? “I could have sworn I saw someone standing right beside that pole,” I said, pointing out at the street. “He was looking right at me.”
He gave me a hug. “Well, there’s no one there now, honey. You’re safe, okay?” He gently rubbed my back. His embrace and the familiar smell of his fruit-flavored gum comforted me.
“Thanks, Dad, I’m okay, really. I’m tired, though, I’m going to go to bed.”
He let me go. “All right, see you in the morning.” He shut my door behind him.
I looked out at the sidewalk again and still it was empty. Deciding I must have imagined it, I crawled under my blankets.
That night, I dreamed of walking in the parking lot outside of work, and I knew that I was being watched. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end, and the air seemed thick. Walking to my car, I could feel someone’s eyes on me. It was almost the same as the first time I had been followed, but in the dream, I turned and saw a shadow lurking around a corner.
Chapter Sixteen
Talent
The next day went by about the same as the day before. I drove my car because I had to work after school. Lucas met me in the parking lot.
Our lunch table was still full of boring guy talk. Emma and I were outnumbered when we tried to keep the conversation where we wanted.
At work, the time went by quickly. It was Tuesday night, and we were busy; people loved cheap night. Zack asked me out again for Friday night, and the words “I have plans” slipped out before I could tell him that I had a boyfriend, like Lucas wanted.
After work, I ran
to my car. I’d parked closer than I was supposed to, but Saturday night had really freaked me out, and I was worried it would happen again.
After my shower Wednesday morning, I chose my clothes carefully. I was going to Lucas’ for dinner, so I wanted to look nice. My black pants went well with the purple silk blouse with a ruffled collar. I pulled my hair back out of my face then glanced in the mirror. The girl in the gilded frame looked presentable for an evening with her boyfriend’s family.
Lucas had to stop at the store on the way home from school. His mother had called his cell phone just as we climbed in his car at the end of the school day, asking him to stop and get some milk.
I waited in the car while he ran into the corner store. He was quick coming back, carrying the milk in a plastic shopping bag.
“Are you nervous?” he asked once we were on our way to his house.
I frowned. “A little, but not about your parents, just Logan. I haven’t seen him since Sunday when your mother made him apologize.”
“Don’t worry; he seems to be over everything. He hasn’t tried to pick a fight with me in a while, and he hasn’t accused me of ratting him out again either.” He glanced at me and smiled encouragingly. “Are you ready?” he asked as he pulled into his driveway.
I shook my head, but replied, “Yes.” He laughed, leaning over to brush his fingers against my cheek before closing the gap, touching his lips gently to mine.
When we let ourselves inside the house, we heard yelling coming from the living room. It sounded like Karen and Logan were having an argument.
“Mother, why can’t I go skiing with Jim? Lucas is going to a concert with his friends.” Logan was talking loudly; his voice held a slight whine.
We were still standing in the foyer, not sure if we should interrupt. Lucas rolled his eyes. “Here we go,” he whispered.
Fated Dreams (Book One In The Affinity series) Page 13
