“Yes.”
Jack and Liv both turn in their seats to get a better look.
“Well, come on we’re waiting,” Jack prompts.
I rip off the paper revealing a small narrow box. I lift the lid and bite my bottom lip to keep from smiling. Truth is, I love this gift, but there’s no way I’m giving him the satisfaction of seeing me go all girly and squeal.
“And?” He rolls his hand trying to illicit a response.
“Thank you,” I say with as much of an emotionless voice and straight face as I can muster.
“Thank you? All you’re going to give me is a measly little thank you?” He squints his eyes, studying my face. A know-it-all grin has his mouth turning up at the corners. “On second thought, I’ll take it. Your face might say ‘nothing affects me’, but your eyes are screaming, ‘Hells yes! This is the best gift ever! Jack is the most awesomest cousin on the planet for getting me tickets to see Imagine Dragons, which is my most favorite band ever!’”
I throw the wrapping paper in his face, but truth be told, he isn’t wrong.
I pull my chemistry book out of my locker and tuck it into the backpack at my feet.
“Good morning beautiful.”
I smile up at Evan, my newly minted boyfriend. He’s leaning against the lockers, his blonde hair perfectly disheveled. He holds out a hand, pulling me up and into a kiss.
“I have something for you.” He places a finger against my lips. “Before you say anything, it’s not for your birthday, it’s for just because.” He kisses the tip of my nose then pulls out a long-stemmed rose from behind his back. “My mom got a fresh shipment into the flower shop this morning and I thought of you.”
“It’s beautiful. Thank you.”
“Not as beautiful as you.” He’s so cheesy, but I have to admit it’s working for him. He plants another sweet kiss on my lips.
A throat clears and my cheeks redden. Evan and I both look over to see Principal Anderson staring at us with his arms crossed over his suit jacket. His foot taps up and down on the tiled floor. His bushy white eyebrow twitches upward, commanding attention. “Mr. Lewis, Miss. Bellamy, do I need to remind you two of the school’s policy on displays of public affection?”
“No sir,” we say in unison.
“Then how about we get to class then, shall we?” Principal Anderson waves his hands out in front of him, motioning for us to move along.
“Yes, sir.”
I close my locker and Evan goes to kiss me on the cheek. He stops at the sound of Principal Anderson clearing his throat again before his lips can make contact. “Right. No PDA.” Evan smiles sheepishly at the Principal’s shiny leather shoes before he awkwardly pats me on the back. “Uh, see you at lunch, Indi.”
“You too.” I look at the floor, hoping my prayers will be answered and I’ll melt into it. “See you later, Principal Anderson.” Before he can reply, I haul butt down the hall, as I will my face to not be the lovely shade of beet red I imagine it is when I walk into class.
I slide into my seat using my dark auburn hair as a curtain.
“What’s with the red face?” Paige asks as she scoots her desk a little closer to mine. “Principal Anderson catch you and Evan sucking face in the hall again?” She closes her eyes then puckers her lips, making kissing noises.
I kick her.
“Ow.” Paige rubs her leg with a laugh. She loves teasing me when it comes to Evan because she knows how embarrassed I get with all the touchy-feely, lovey-dovey stuff. Especially since Evan and I as a couple is still so new. “You guys are so cute it’s sickening.”
Taylor swivels around in her seat, folding her arms over the top of my desk. “Never mind that,” she says as she slightly nods her head to the right. “New Boy’s staring at you again.”
As subtly as I can, I peek across the room, and sure enough, Taylor’s right. What is this dude’s problem? He’s been staring at me every day since he got here a week ago. To the point he’s gotten in trouble with the teachers for not paying attention in class. It’s an unnerving stare too. Sometimes he looks at me like I’m some kind of an evil monster he needs to take care of, and other times it’s like he knows me from somewhere and he’s trying to figure it out. Either way, it gives me the creeps.
Maybe I should confront him and see what his problem is.
“I heard he killed someone at his last school,” Paige whispers and all the tiny hairs on my arms stand up. What does she mean killed someone? Surely if that were true he wouldn’t be sitting in class right now because he’d be behind bars. But for just in case there’s some truth to what Paige is saying, no matter how crazy it sounds, maybe confronting him isn’t such a great idea. What if he looks at me the way he does because he’s chosen me to be his next victim or something?
Imagining it has my heart skipping ahead and my feet itching with the urge to get up and leave, but then the rational part of my brain steps in to snap me back to reality. This is ridiculous. He’s not some psycho killer. He’s just a new kid with a bad boy vibe in a school full of imaginative teenagers with nothing better to do than make up scandalous rumors. I’m sure of it.
Pretty sure of it.
I shift toward Paige to get more info only to catch her staring at him with what I can only describe as cartoon hearts dancing in her caramel colored eyes. “Paige.” I wave my hand in front of her face when I don’t get a response.
“Huh?” She looks at me like I’ve snapped her out of a trance and she’s forgotten where she is. I’ve noticed New Boy seems to have that effect on most of the girls in school, some of the guys too, for that matter. What’s up with that? So, he’s new. So, he has an aura of mystery around him. So he’s kind of good looking in a bad boy, loner type way.
Okay, so he has the face of a model that just stepped out of a magazine, but he’s a possibly murderous model.
“Seriously, Paige? You just said you heard he killed somebody and you’re looking at him like you’re about to take advantage of him in class.”
“Can you blame her?” Taylor props her head up in her hand not even hiding the fact she’s staring at him too. “I mean look at him. The dude is seriously H-O-T.”
“He’s not my type.” I force myself to look straight ahead at Mr. Jackson scrawling today’s lesson across the board for all of five seconds before I too am staring at New Boy. Albeit more discreetly than Paige and Taylor, but staring nonetheless.
“He’s everybody’s type,” Taylor mumbles as she twirls her chestnut hair around her finger. I roll my eyes, then silently chastise myself since I’ve yet to look away, despite my claim of having no interest in him whatsoever.
Dark raven hair sweeps across his forehead, the ends a little long and curled around the edges. His eyes are a deep shade of blue and so familiar—which if I’m being honest—is what really scares me the most about him. It’s like I know him on some deeper level, but I have no idea how or why. My gaze falls to his mouth, his bottom lip fuller than his top lip, and for a second I wonder what they would feel like. Heat rushes into my cheeks and I force my eyes from his face, taking in the rest of him. A black leather motorcycle jacket covers a Falling In Reverse t-shirt stretched across a body he obviously spends time perfecting in the gym, followed by dark blue jeans and black leather motorcycle boots. His hands rest on the desktop, his knuckles scabbed over as if he’s been in a recent fight. He’s the very definition of the word ‘trouble’ and I can’t help but get this feeling of trepidation, like I’m about to discover what kind of trouble first hand.
My gaze travels back up where it meets his. The whole room suddenly feels electrified.
Definitely trouble.
3
Evan pulls out a seat for me at lunch and I scoot in beside him. He rests his arm along the top edge of my chair as he leans in to kiss my cheek. He swipes a fry from my plate then shoves it into his mouth. “How’s your morning been so far?”
“Good. I’m pretty sure I aced my chemistry exam.”
H
e cocks a blonde eyebrow. “Pretty sure? Says the girl who never gets anything below an A,” he teases with a wink.
I shove his shoulder playfully. “I’ve gotten a B before, and this test was hard.” Especially since I had to fight to stay focused with New Boy’s eyes boring through the back of my skull for most of the class.
Evan leans back in his chair with a laugh. “You haven’t gotten a B since fourth grade. I’m sure you’re good.” His baby blue eyes make their way back to the fries on my plate. “You going to eat all those?” His fingers hover in midair as he waits for my response.
“No, go ahead.”
“Thanks babe, you’re the best.”
“Hey, so Jack—against better judgment—gave me a gift today.”
Both of Evan’s eyebrows rise at this. “Really? And you accepted it?” Hurt momentarily flickers through his eyes before curiosity settles in. “What was it?”
“It was time sensitive and non-refundable,” I say, repeating Jack’s excuse from this morning. “Which is the only reason I opened it. Well, that and he tortured me with country music.” Evan cracks up with laughter and I punch him in the shoulder. “It’s not funny. Anyway, he got me tickets to see Imagine Dragons tonight, and I thought maybe you’d want to go with me.”
“Tonight?” He makes a pained face and I know exactly what his answer will be. “Sorry babe, I’ve got plans with the guys tonight. It’s tradition. The guys and I always hang out the night before a game, you know that.”
“Yeah, I know. I just thought maybe you’d want to change your plans this one time.” I give him my sad puppy dog eyes.
“Aw, look how cute you are with the eyes, but you know I can’t. Our winning streak depends on our traditions.” He beeps my nose with the tip of his finger then kisses me softly. “Maybe you can take Paige or Taylor instead?” He nods in their direction across the cafeteria.
“Or your most favorite cousin Olivia?” Liv says with a wink as she walks past my table.
“Or Liv apparently,” Evan says with a laugh.
“Yeah, maybe.” I sit back in my chair deflated Evan won’t be coming with me as his football teammates crowd in, taking over every square inch of space left at the table.
The sensation of being watched settles over me, raising the little hairs on the back of my neck. I automatically seek out the source and end up locking onto New Boy’s gaze. Four tables over he sits with his feet propped up on the tabletop, the front two legs of his chair off the floor. He tosses a bright red apple back and forth between his hands, his deep blue eyes still locked in my direction. A smirk lifts the corner of his mouth. He winks at me then takes a big bite out of his apple. Juice spills down his chin, and he wipes it away with the edge of his jacket sleeve.
Bet New Boy wouldn’t turn down seeing Imagine Dragons with me. A cold shiver runs down my back at the thought of what Paige said in class about him being a potential killer. Yeah, and then afterwards he’d drag me into a dark alley to murder me beside a dumpster. I sever my gaze from his and do my best to ignore him for the rest of lunch.
“So…” Liv leans up against the locker beside mine, looking at me pleadingly. “Have you decided who you’re taking to the concert tonight?” She closes her eyes, whispering, “Please say it’s me, please say it’s me.”
I laugh. “It’s you.”
“Yes!” Making a fist she pulls it in toward her body in excitement. “Not that I’m complaining—because I’m totally not. I’m super excited actually. I’ll get to see Dan Reynolds in person! But how come neither Paige nor Taylor is going with you?”
I grab my history book from my locker and stuff it into my backpack. “Paige is stuck babysitting her little brother and Taylor has a date with Jacob Chen.”
“Woo-hoo!”
I raise an eyebrow with a half grin.
“What? I told you I’m excited. Now to get Mom and Dad on board, which I’m sure will be no problem since it’s for your birthday and they already know Jack got you tickets.” She squeals then pulls her phone out from her back pocket. “In fact, I’m going to call Mom right now.” She skips down the hallway and I smile to myself.
I pull the door open to my last class of the day. Miss. Landry stands behind her desk dropping small folded pieces of paper into a large glass jar. I take my usual seat beside Taylor near the windows.
“Okay class, as you all know today you’ll be getting your history term paper assignments, but this year I thought I’d spice it up and have you work on it with a partner.” Miss. Landry sticks a ruler into the jar of tiny folded papers, stirring it around. Taylor and I look at each other, the both of us already planning on being partners. The rest of the class seems to have the same idea as they too smile at a friend sitting beside them. “Both parties must take part to get credit, which will count for half of your grade this semester,” Miss. Landry continues. “Now, to pick your partners. Taylor Smith, you’ll be partnering with Emma Jones.” She reaches into the jar as everybody collectively groans. “And your assignment will be on the Roman Empire.” She reaches for another paper from the jar. “Michael Dean, you’ll be with Luis Garcia. Your assignment will be on the Ming Dynasty.”
I slightly tune her out as I wonder who I’ll be partnered with. If I can’t be partnered with Taylor, I hope I get Megan Andrews. She’s super smart and nice.
Names and assignments continue to be announced as I stare at the jar in front of Miss. Landry, my hands gripped tightly over the edge of my desk. She has yet to call my name and there are only three potential partners left. Megan Andrews, Charlie Sutton, and New Boy. “Indiana Bellamy.” Please, please, please, all mighty powers above don’t let it be New Boy. “You’ll be partnering with Sebastian Chase, and your assignment will be on the Salem Witch Trials.”
My heart plummets into my gut where it’s eaten alive by raging stomach acid. Sebastian Chase? New Boy, Sebastian Chase? Possible serial killer, Sebastian Chase? Stares at me all day long and gives me the creeps, Sebastian Chase? There has to be a way out of this. I’m sure if I explain my concerns to Miss. Landry she’ll assign me someone else.
New Boy’s eyes weigh me down throughout the rest of class. I can feel them on the back of my neck like a physical presence. Miss. Landry goes over what she expects out of our term papers and presentation due in four weeks, but I can hardly stay focused long enough to pay attention to what she’s saying, when my minds still stuck on who my partner is. Maybe I’m really at home in bed and this is all just some weird, strange nightmare, because Sebastian Chase can’t be my partner. He just can’t be.
I glance at him from the corner of my eye. He’s leaning back in his chair, legs spread out in front of him, feet crossed at the ankles, arms crossed over his chest. His hair hangs down in his eyes, which—as usual—are glued to me. His mouth curves into a dangerous grin that has my heart skipping a beat for reasons I can’t fully discern.
As soon as the bell rings, I make my way to the front of the classroom. New Boy’s still at his desk, taking his good old time gathering up his books. I’d rather he not be here when I talk to Miss. Landry about switching partners.
And now he’s pretending to tie his laces when he’s wearing motorcycle boots… which have no laces. He must know what I’m up to because why the charade?
I decide I don’t care and take my chances with him still here.
“Miss. Landry?” I speak softly, inching up to her side while trying not to be too awkward about it.
“What can I help you with Miss. Bellamy?” She adjusts her dark purple cat eyeglasses and flashes me a plum-colored smile. Sometimes I forget how young Miss. Landry is. She could probably pass as one of the students and no one would be the wiser. I’m hoping her youthfulness will help me out today and she can relate to the issue I’m having. Out of all the teachers here, she’s the one most likely to remember what it’s like getting stuck with a partner who’s less than ideal, and the most sympathetic to remedying the problem. I hope.
“I’d like to talk
to you about my term paper partner,” I whisper. I peek at New Boy from the corner of my eye.
“Mr. Chase? Such a lovely young man, don’t you think?” I stare at her, trying my best to not let my jaw drop open. Such a lovely young man? Is she nuts? His whole vibe screams trouble with a capital T. Whatever power he seems to have over most of the people here clearly extends to her too. Great. “I had such a lovely conversation with him before class today,” she continues, oblivious to my distress. “He had such nice things to say about you.”
“About me?” What?
“Oh yes. He suggested you two be partners and I agree with him. You’re one of my best students and with him being new, you’d be the perfect choice.” And now my jaw is hanging open. He arranged for us to be partners?
“I, um…” New Boy is still at his desk, still pretending to tie boots with no laces. He’s obviously eavesdropping on my conversation with Miss. Landry for the off chance he’d have to counter if she would have been open to my switching partners, since he set this whole thing up to begin with. “I, um… um… never mind. I’m sure everything will be fine.” I turn and walk out of the room. On my way out I catch a glimpse of New Boy smiling.
I’ve got to find another way out of this. Somehow.
“I can’t believe you got partnered with New Boy,” Taylor shouts over the phone, causing me to have to pull it away from my ear. I switch her to speaker and sit the phone down on top of my dresser. “You’ll never get any work done because he’ll be too busy staring at you the whole time.” She laughs and I shudder at the thought. “Maybe now you can find out what his deal is. Have you talked to him yet?”
“No. After my failed attempt to switch partners, I hauled butt out of there before he could catch up to me.”
“It so weird he stuck around pretending to tie a shoe without any laces. I mean, seriously, what’s up with that? He may be H-O-T, but he’s definitely a little creepy too.”
Of Blood & Magic: Blood Descent Book 1 Page 3
