Tear

by Rachel Van Dyken

  I bit my tongue to keep from laughing.

  Evan sighed. “I was going to say sweaty, angry…”

  The guy really needed to think on the spot better.

  With a curse, Evan followed Mr. Dexter into the back room, most likely to get another yellow slip, and I continued cutting the taffy. Today was a shorter shift, which I was thankful for. My concentration wasn’t exactly on.

  Alec’s phone buzzed in my pocket.

  I looked back at the office door to make sure it was closed, then pulled it out.

  I FND IT OFFNSV THT U PSWD PRTCTD UR FB.

  I laughed and texted him back.

  I FND IT OFFNSV THT UR TRYNG 2 HAK MY FB. DO U HV NO 1 ELS 2 TORTURE?

  I slipped the phone back into my jeans pocket and sighed.

  Within seconds he texted me back. Okay, so I was grinning like an idiot. I couldn’t help it.

  NO. NO. I DNT. BESIDES. I CHOOSE U. U R MY VICTIM. & I WILL HAK UR FB & TWTR IF ITS THE LST THNG I DO. SIGH. IM BORD. THS IS WHT MY LFE HS COME 2.

  I texted him back quickly. I RFSE 2 FEEL SRY 4 U. UR A RKSTR. GT OVR IT. Y DNT U WRT A SONG? HA HA.

  The office door swung open. I nearly dropped the phone, but managed to slip it into my pocket just as Evan came out.

  “I’m never getting a raise.”

  I raised an eyebrow. “Did you really think you would? You do have this problem where all you do is talk and talk and talk and—”

  “I get it, Nat.” He cut me off and turned on the radio.

  The announcer was gushing about AD2. “…and the guys are rumored to be going to school at Seaside! Here’s their latest hit, ‘Without’.”

  “I have a feeling I’m going to want to burn every AD2 poster I see before the year’s out,” I said.

  “Ouch.”

  I looked up. Alec Daniels was standing right in front of me. Ripped jeans, ripped arms, and brooding stare. I gulped.

  “Want some taffy?”

  I want to die. I just offered Alec Daniels taffy like he was a five-year-old in need of a sugar rush.

  “Uh, sure.” He grabbed a freshly cut piece and tossed it into his mouth. I couldn’t help but watch as he licked his lips. Gosh, I needed to get out more or at least date. I was turning into every other girl.

  Evan nudged me in the side.

  “Ugh.” Great, Nat. Brilliant start. “Can I help you with something?”

  Alec leaned forward, his hands clenching the counter top. “Yup. I just need a bag of taffy. It’s for my brother.”

  “Okay, what kind?”

  Alec looked around, his eyes widened as he took in the hundreds of flavors. “Um, I…”

  I laughed. “Here let me help.” I walked around the counter and grabbed a bag. “Everything’s labeled on the side. Here’s fruit flavors, and this aisle has the more odd flavors like buttered popcorn, and down here is the alcohol-flavored ones.”

  “That aisle.” He pointed to the alcohol one. “That’s perfect.”

  I wasn’t about to butt in and ask why, so I went to the aisle and picked a few from every bin. “Here you go.”

  His hand brushed mine as he grabbed the bag. I felt myself blush. I took a step back and quickly returned to the counter.

  I could feel his stare on me as he followed me back.

  “How much?”

  I took the bag and weighed it. “Fifteen dollars and ninety-two cents.”

  Alec reached back into his jeans and pulled out his wallet. He placed a fifty on the counter. “Keep the change. Thanks, Nat.” He glanced toward Evan and nodded.

  It was silent for about five minutes after Alec left.

  “And again…” Evan laughed next to me. “I’d give my right nut to—”

  “Evan!” Mr. Dexter yelled.

  I patted Evan on the back and tried to be nonchalant. But there was something about Alec that drew me toward him. He seemed so different than Demetri, so guarded. I pulled out the phone and then wanted to smack myself. I could have given Alec his phone back. He must think I wanted to hold it hostage or something. And what type of person doesn’t password protect their own phone? Especially a celebrity.

  I looked at the phone again and hit pictures.

  He had over three hundred.

  I knew it was wrong to scroll through them. Just as my finger touched the first one, Mr. Dexter’s voice rang loud and clear through the store. I quickly put the phone away and finished my shift.

  Chapter Four

  I desperately needed to give that cursed phone back to Alec and Demetri. I seriously had to set it away from my homework station, so I wouldn’t be tempted to peek at the pictures. It didn’t help that Demetri felt the need to text me every second annoying the heck out of me and making me smile more than I’d care to admit.

  The phone buzzed again.

  STP IGNRNG ME. LTS GO PRTY.

  I rolled my eyes and quickly texted back. I DNT PRTY. I’M UNDRAGE. SO R U. DNT U HV HMWK?

  The same math problem I’d been working on for the past hour stared back at me. The phone buzzed again.

  I SUK AT MTH. I ND HLP. I MAY GT A TUTOR…U UP 4 THE JB?

  I bit my lip. U DO KNW A TUTOR ISNT A PROSTITUTE, RT?

  His reply was quick. DAMN, I KNEW I HD THSE 2 MXD UP.

  I laughed and tucked the sleek phone under my pillow in bed. I needed to think about getting to sleep if I was going to have to face those two guys tomorrow without fainting at their feet. I yawned and closed my math book, then turned off my bedroom’s lights and climbed into bed. On impulse I pulled out Alec’s phone and texted Demetri goodnight. He didn’t reply. I shouldn’t have been upset over it. But I kind of was. I told myself to stop being stupid as I waited for the screen to blink with his message. I closed my eyes and then five minutes later.

  I checked the phone again. No messages.

  My thumb hovered over the pictures.

  With a curse, I clicked on the icon and scrolled through them.

  Immediately, I wished I wouldn’t have.

  The pictures were amazing. Not your typical rock star bad boy pictures. But pictures of sunsets, vacations, and… puppies? Oh my gosh! No way was this for real. Alec was supposed to have pictures of strippers and whores. It just showed how little I really knew about him. I suspected he was the bad boy of the bunch, but then again, Demetri was always shown as being the player between the two of them, at least on the gossip sites and entertainment TV.

  I hated that I was curious about Alec. It made me uncomfortable to know that he was so closed off. It was like crack to me. I wanted to be the girl to figure out his secrets. And I knew that never ended well for anyone.

  With a yawn I placed the phone on the nightstand and went to sleep.

  ****

  I felt dead on my feet as I opened my locker the next day at school. I hadn’t seen either of the guys, but I knew they had to be somewhere if the shrieks echoing through the hallways were any indication.

  I sighed and shoved my math book in the place of my history book.

  “Nat.” Demetri breathed down my neck.

  I swore and turned around. “You scared the crap out of me!”

  He grinned unapologetically and held out my pathetic phone. “I made a few changes to your settings and stuff. Hope you don’t mind.”

  I looked down to see my screensaver a picture of Demetri’s naked chest. Awesome. I felt a hot blush wash over my cheeks.

  “Thanks.” I grabbed the phone and shoved Alec’s into his hand.

  He didn’t move.

  I waited.

  He looked at me like I was a puzzle. “Wanna walk to class?”

  If he kept looking at me like that I was going to pass out and he’d have to carry me to class, only to have me pass out again because he was carrying me. “Um, sure.” I grabbed my books and walked with him.

  The class was only a few feet away, but it felt like miles. People whispered behind their books as we passed, and then Demetri put his hand on my lower back.

  I
nearly jumped out of my skin.

  “Chill.” He chuckled as we made it into the classroom.

  All eyes darted to us.

  All except Alec’s.

  I gulped and took a seat. Once the teacher began taking roll I stole a glance at him. Alec was staring at me. He wasn’t smiling. In fact he looked irritated, either that or angry. I wasn’t sure. I offered him an apologetic smile. He ignored me and turned back to the teacher.

  ****

  By the end of their first week, the other kids were beginning to return to normal. Girls stopped fainting in the hallways and the guys weren’t signing near as many autographs. Demetri walked me to class every day and Alec found great pleasure in brooding all the time. It made me uncomfortable how much he backed off once Demetri and I started talking more. If I was being completely honest, a part of me was a bit upset that he and I couldn’t have the same relationship Demetri and I did. But then again, who was I to be upset about anything? I mean he was everything. I was nothing.

  I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn’t hear anyone approach.

  Someone tapped me on the shoulder. I dropped all my books to the floor.

  “Geez, Nat, you’re so jumpy.” Demetri knelt down to pick up all my books and then dumped them in my locker. “I need help.”

  My eyes narrowed. “With?” I always had to be direct with Demetri. He was the type of guy who could get even the most moral of girls into bed.

  “Math. Remember? I suck?”

  “You’re asking me for help?”

  He shrugged. “We’re friends.”

  Oh. I suddenly felt kinda guilty. I was officially going to delete all the gossip sites from my computer. The guy couldn’t be as bad the media made him out to be, and he’d been really nice the past week. At least when he wasn’t trying to get me to go to parties or flirt back with him.

  “Well…” I studied him for a minute. He didn’t seem to have any ulterior motive. In fact his eyes shone with desperation. “I guess I can help you, I have to finish all my stuff first. Do you mean tonight?”

  “I mean tonight.” He chuckled. “How about I come over around eight, would that be okay?”

  “Yeah, um… sure.” I choked on my words.

  “Cool. Thanks, Nat!”

  He hit me in the arm and ran down the hall, leaving me to wonder what the heck just happened. Crap, I was under his spell just like everyone else.

  I banged my head against the locker. Maybe it would jostle my memory, remind me why I shouldn’t get close to a guy whose idea of prioritizing included picking which girls he would sleep with before leaving Seaside and putting them in a chronological list.“Headache?” A smooth voice said from behind me.

  Maybe it was all a game? AD2 thought it would be fun to torture the local girl and make her life confusing and hormonal.

  “Alec.” I breathed.

  He licked his lips and then looked down at the floor. “Do you have any more taffy?”

  “Huh?” Not what I was expecting.

  “You mean now?”

  He nodded.

  Was he for real? “Um, I have a few pieces in my bag, why?”

  His shoulders sagged in relief.

  Without waiting for him to answer, I pulled out a few pieces and handed them over. He popped all three in his mouth and moaned. I felt the rumble of his moan all the way down to my toes.

  “Thank God.”

  “So brooding Rock Star has a thing for taffy?”

  Alec grinned the first grin I’d seen since his first day at school. “You could say that. Or maybe Rock Star just needs something in his mouth ever since he quit smoking.”

  “And the world makes sense again.” I nodded. “Ever try lollipops?”

  “Yup.” He cursed. “Too much sugar.”

  “Gum?” I offered.

  Somehow we had gotten from my locker to the front doors.

  “Loses flavor.”

  I nodded again. “So taffy is your best bet.”

  He grinned again. He was beautiful. Even more beautiful than Demetri when he smiled. Crap! I needed to help him with his homework and I still had to work and finish mine! “I gotta go, Alec!”

  His eyes narrowed. He looked unsure, and then he nodded and walked off in the other direction without even saying goodbye.

  By the time my work shift was over, I only had a half hour to do homework before Demetri came over for help.

  Wait.

  He didn’t even ask for directions and he just invited himself to my house. Wasn’t that a bit strange? I knew he had my number saved so maybe he was going to text me for directions later?

  I leaned against the truck. I seriously had no more energy left after today. Maybe I liked boring better than interesting. I still couldn’t figure out why these two guys were even giving me attention.

  I shrugged and walked into the house.

  Chapter Five

  I had officially turned into “that girl”. The one who watches the clock as the hand goes around and around. It was eight, and he still wasn’t here. He was going to be late. By one minute. And I, being the boring, paranoid, oh so socially-sheltered girl that I was, allowed myself to sweat over that simple fact.

  Maybe he found another girl to help him?

  Or guy, it didn’t always have to be about girls.

  I tore my gaze from the clock and went to the fridge to grab a soda. If he wasn’t coming it was fine. I would be fine. It’s not like I didn’t have stuff to do.

  Like watch Wheel of Fortune, or scream at The Bachelor. How depressing.

  I looked at the clock again.

  One minute? It had only been one minute?

  I banged my head against the counter loud enough to make a noise.

  “Rough night, beautiful?” The voice crooned from across the hall.

  My head jerked up to see Demetri walking toward me from my mom’s office. What the—?

  “What are you doing here?”

  My mom walked out of the office, Alec followed her.

  It was like all my nightmares come true.

  “Oh, hi, Honey!” Mom adjusted her glasses and walked to the fridge to grab a bottle of water. “My next client should be here in about ten, so I’ll be up late tonight. Have fun studying!”

  She walked back into her office and shut the door.

  “Explain. Now.” I directed my voice toward both of them, since they were both guilty, and looking anywhere but at my face.

  Alec was the first to open his mouth. “I have…” He looked down at his feet and cursed.

  Demetri laughed. “He has a little problem.” He offered Alec a shrug and walked over to where I sat. “It’s why we’re here.”

  “Aren’t their psychiatrists in L.A.? Canada? I mean, why my mom? Why here?”

  Alec mumbled something under his breath and walked out of the house slamming the door behind him.

  “Sorry.” Demetri put his arm around my shoulder in a side hug then released me. “It’s kind of a secret, though I don’t think it’s going to stay that way for long.”

  I clenched my teeth and backed away. “Mind filling me in?”

  “If you are the math genius I’m hoping you are then yes, I promise I’ll fill you in. After homework.”

  “That sounds an awful lot like bribery.” I glared.

  Demetri shrugged. “It is. Hey you got any food? I’m starving!”

  It was like having Evan in the house. If Evan happened to be so good looking it hurt your eyes to stare at him, and had a body of a god. Yeah, it was practically the same thing.

  I walked to the fridge and searched out the leftover pot roast. “This is pot roast. Those,” I pointed, “Are potatoes, and these are carrots.” I grabbed his hand and led him to the plates. “This is a plate.”

  He glared.

  “You put the food on the plate, and then you come over here.” I opened the microwave and put the food inside. “Think you can handle it from here, Rock Star?”

  His glare should have fri
ghtened me. Instead it made me even angrier than before. Both of the boys just barged into my life without any explanation, and now they’re seeing my mom? Neither of them will answer any questions, and Demetri thinks he’s some sort of god!

  He shut the microwave and pressed all the right buttons. “I’m trying to decide if I like you or if you irritate me.”

  I shrugged like it didn’t matter and walked to the counter.

  He ate in silence, like he really was starving. But that was silly. He was a rock star. Didn’t they pay people to cook for them?

  “Thanks,” he said, picking up his plate and cleaning it before placing it into the dishwasher. He picked up my empty plate and did the same thing, then made a grand gesture of washing off the counters.

  Pretty sure I wanted to get hit by a truck for my mean attitude.

  “Sorry.”

  “I swear.” He threw the dishrag down. “It’s always the same!” He roughly tugged the chair out and sat down in it. “Either girls want to screw my brains out, or they think I’m a freaking idiot! Like I don’t know how to get my own food or iron my own clothes. As if everything’s been easy for me. No struggles, nothing. Just a golden boy with a damn golden guitar.”

  His mental break down made me feel like the worst type of person in the world. I kind of wanted to cry.

  “I-I’m sorry.” I put my hand on his and exhaled. “I didn’t mean to assume anything.”

  His brow furrowed. “Are you actually apologizing, Miss High and Mighty?”

  “Yes?”

  “Good.” He grinned. “Because I was totally kidding. I love my life and I deserve to be kicked in the balls right about now for making you almost cry.”

  I lunged for him.

  I blamed the soda I had chugged minutes before his arrival.

  His shocked expression turned into laughter as I pushed him to the ground and began using all my MMA class moves on his sorry ass.

  His arm was locked before he even knew what was going on.

  Feeling kinda cocky, I shot him a smug smile.

  “That’s how it’s gonna be, huh?” His muscles flexed.

  I nodded.

  “Fine.”

  “Fine.” I squeezed, making the arm bar tighter.

  He chuckled, and maneuvered himself out of the hold faster than I’d seen anyone in my life, including Evan who regularly took classes at the local gym.