“Here’s your class.”
“Thanks.”
“Where’s your cell? I enter my number in your contacts and text you so you can find us at lunch.”
I looked away, grabbing my elbow. How hadn’t I remembered I needed a cell phone. My uncles all had them.
“Your parents won’t give you one, huh?”
“Yeah. Jerks.” I glanced at her from under my lashes.
“Well don’t worry. You aren’t the only one.” She waved and walked away. “I’ll find you.”
“See ya,” I returned, glad she didn’t think I was too horrible for not having a cell phone. Facing the door, I placed a hand on the knob and was about to twist when it flung open and smacked me in the forehead, knocking me backward so that I fell on my butt. “Ouch.” I rubbed my forehead. It smarted, but I knew there wouldn’t’ be a mark. I healed too quickly for that.
“Hey, I’m sorry.”
I glanced up at the sound of the deep voice and into the eyes of a very gorgeous guy. It was the same one who’d been kissing the girl outside Mr. Butters’ window. I blushed at the memory of his hands under her shirt, even as I wondered what that would feel like.
I quickly stood. “No worries. I’m fine.”
He grabbed me by the elbows and scrunched down, peering at my forehead. “It hasn’t started bruising yet. But are you sure?”
I nodded, trying not to concentrate too much of the heavenly scent coming off him. It was a combination of blood and sandalwood.
He stepped back, releasing me. I tilted a little sideways. His hands came back out to steady me. “Maybe I should walk you down to the office where you can lie down with an ice pack.”
I’d just come from there. “No, really. I’m okay. You mostly just startled me.”
“Are you in Miss Riplinger’s class?”
“Yeah,” I said, trying not to sound shy.
“Awesome. Well my name is Troy.”
“I’m Jazz… Jack.”
He smiled and stuck a finger under my chin. “Jack, huh? That’s adorable.” He started jogging down the hall toward the stairs. “See ya round, Jack.” He waved.
I returned it. Then faced the door and took a deep breath. “Here goes nothing.” Just the first great moment in my life as a normal teenager attending high school, I thought.
Chapter 12
It turned out Miss Riplinger was fun, just as Sydney said, but she was mostly flirty. She strutted around like a peacock on the prowl. The guys ate it up. The way she’d lean over them, her V-neck top exposing cleavage. The girls giggled like they thought it was funny, but I got the feeling it actually irritated them.
When I first went in, Miss Riplinger introduced me and had me take the only seat available, which was in the back. Then she continued with whatever she’d been saying before I interrupted and I spent the remainder of class playing catch up. Luckily the book they were discussing was Wuthering Heights. I’d read it more than once so I had that going for me.
She asked us to pair up with a partner and answer some questions on a worksheet she passed out. The girl in front of me turned. Her hair was a honey brown and cropped short so that it curled around her ears. She had dark hazel eyes and a friendly face. “Want to do this together?”
“Sure,” I replied, grateful.
“I’m Abby.” Abby wore a light blue t-shirt. On the front was a blue horse with a rainbow-colored mane and tail. It said VINTAGE RULES across the front.
“Jack,” I said. It was getting easier to remember my fake name.
“Your parents named you Jack?” She gave me a strange look.
“Well, no. It’s Jackie, but I like Jack.”
“Cool.” She grinned.
“Thanks.”
The teacher handed me a book. “You’ll need this for the final.”
I took it from her. It was a paper copy of Wuthering Heights.
“Have you read it before?”
“Actually, I have. A few times.”
She sniffed. “Good.”
When the teacher was at the front of the room, Abby turned back and laughed.
“She’s a real sweetie.”
“Yeah.”
“So you’ve read the book before?”
“At least ten times. Have you?”
That seemed to surprise her. “It’s only one of my favorite books ever.”
“Mine too,” I whispered excitedly.
We spent the next fifty minutes discussing why Heathcliff was the greatest character ever written, and when Miss. Riplinger called time and told us to face forward I felt like I’d actually made a real friend.
“Make sure your name is at the top of your page and pass your papers to the front of your row.”
I quickly wrote Jack Ryder at the top of my paper and handed it to Abby. When the bell rang everyone stood and filed out.
“What’s your next class?” Abby asked, coming up beside me.
“PE.”
“I have that next too.”
A deep sense of relief settled within my stomach. “It’s on the first floor. Come on or we’ll be late.”
We shuffled along the crowded hall, down lots of stairs, until we reached the main floor. While Abby and I walked, we talked. It was so different than the conversation with Sydney. With her I’d felt like I needed to be something I wasn’t. With Abby, I could just be myself.
“Did your family just move here?” Her face was inquisitive. A small dusting of freckles covered her nose. She wore no makeup but didn’t need any. Her skin was so smooth.
“Yeah,” I nodded, unwilling to go into more details. No sense trying to explain that my mom and dad were in a different realm known as Sharra and that my mom was the Vampire Queen. That would be awkward.
She turned to face me more fully. “Did you hear about the dead guy they found in the woods last night?”
“What? No.” I leaned away.
“Everybody’s talking about it.” She picked up her phone and then continued, “But I figured what with you being new maybe you hadn’t heard. I guess there was blood everywhere, like he’d been beaten to death.”
“That’s awful.” My mind was reeling. “Does this happen a lot?”
A guy with strawberry blond hair and the creamiest brown eyes I’d ever seen fell into step next to Abby. He seemed to know exactly what we were talking about. I was surprised Sydney hadn’t mentioned it. “They’re saying it’s the most brutal murder Salem has ever seen. At least that’s what I heard.” He reached across Abby and stuck out his hand. “The name’s Charlie.”
“Jackie.” I awkwardly took his hand and shook it. He flipped my hand over and looked at it. “Your hands are so soft. You must eat right.”
I choked on a snort. “Sure.” If eating right meant drinking blood.
“So why’d your family move to this hell hole?”
My heart sped up. What was I supposed to say? I sighed like I was bummed I was there. “It’s my mom. She had family that lived here.”
“Oh,” Abby said. “What’s the name?”
“Uh,” I started, unsure what to say.
Luckily, we reached the gym. Charlie waved good-bye and we went inside the locker room.
There was a thick stench in the air, but that wasn’t what had me most worried. It was that all the girls were in various stages of undress.
“We have to change into different clothes?” I hugged the copy of Wuthering Heights Miss Riplinger had given me like it was life support.
“Yeah, silly. Your gym clothes. Didn’t you do that at your other school?”
“I was homeschooled,” I said, deciding to tell Abby the truth. Sort of.
“Oh. That explains a lot.” She glanced down at my super high heels that were actually starting to pinch my toes.
“It does.” I followed Abby over to her locker and sat on the bench while she changed.
“I couldn’t quite figure out the doe-eyed look you had going on. I wondered if it was a way to get attention.”
She shrugged off her shirt and kicked off her shoes.
“Oh. No.” I glanced down at the floor while she took off her jeans and put her shorts on. “Nope this is just me being me.”
Abby sat on the bench and dropped her shoes in front of her. “I thought so.”
A whistle blew. “Let’s go, ladies.”
“That’s Mrs. Hadley. She’s our PE teacher. Come on.”
I followed Abby, thankful for the moment I didn’t have to get undressed. I was worried about what people would think if they saw my wing tattoos.
When we reached the door, a tough looking woman in polyester shorts, knee highs, tennis shoes, and a white shirt with a red collar blocked our exit.
“Who’s this, Ms. Jones?” The teacher looked from me to Abby and back to me.
“This is Jack. She’s new.”
A tiny smile lifted the teacher’s thin lips. “Nice. Now why isn’t she in her gym clothes?” Her small smile vanished and she glared.
“I-uh… didn’t know I’d be taking this class so I didn’t bring anything.”
She lifted her clipboard and wrote something. “Abby go into my office and find her something to wear.”
“Yes, Mrs. Hadley.”
“And hurry up.” She walked out of the locker room.
My heart sped up. Could I change in a room by myself? Ask Abby to turn around?
Mrs. Hadley’s office was cluttered. A volleyball sat on top of a bunch of papers. There were trophies all along the dusty shelves and a picture of Mrs. Hadley with some man hung on the wall behind her desk.
Next to the door was a big cardboard box. Inside was a bunch of clothes. Abby bent over and started digging through it. “I’m sure we’ll find you something that isn’t too horrible.” She pulled out a pair of black shorts. “How about these?”
I shrugged. “Sure.”
She handed them to me.
“Here’s a shirt.” It was also black.
“And what should I do about shoes and socks?” I asked taking the shirt.
She looked down at my shoes. “Are you kidding me with those stilts?”
I shook my head. “No.” I looked at them. “They’re pretty, right?”
Abby snorted. “Oh yeah, if you enjoy wearing shoes that tear down a woman’s spirit.”
“Huh?” I lifted a foot, trying to understand what she meant.
“It’s nothing.” She laughed. “I have a clean pair of socks in my locker. What size shoe are you?” She went back to her locker and opened it. Took out a pair of white socks and a pair of tennis shoes. “These are size seven. Let’s hope they fit.” She glanced at my shoes. “Even if they’re too small, I’m sure you won’t feel a thing after wearing those.”
I sat on the bench. My heart raced so fast I thought I might faint. What would Abby say when she saw my back. Maybe I could change without her seeing. I turned so that I was facing her. “Thanks for all your help.” I took off my shoes and looked around, wondering where I should put them.
“Just toss everything in my locker,” Abby said, understanding.
“Okay.” I set my shoes at the bottom next to her ankle boots and then turned so that I faced Abby, unzipped my skirt and put on the black shorts. So far so good. I stood slightly and unbuttoned my shirt, pulling it off. Abby didn’t look away like I had. She took in my curves and my bra.
“Cute.”
“Thanks.” I tried not to look embarrassed. I picked up the shirt and went to pull it over my head.
Someone gasped. “That’s a big freakin’ tattoo.”
My shoulders slumped. I should’ve known I wouldn’t get away with it.
Abby glanced in the direction of the voice. I’d spent enough time with Sydney already to know the voice belonged to her.
“What tattoo?” Abby stood.
I put my back against the lockers and quickly pulled the black shirt over my head.
Sydney came over. Abby gave me a strange look.
“Are you old enough to have a tattoo?” Sydney asked.
“I’m almost sixteen.”
“Where is it?” Abby asked, looking surprised.
“It’s on her back. A tattoo of wings.” Sydney spun me toward Abby. “Check it out. The new girl is baaaaaad.” As she spoke she lifted my shirt.
Abby gasped. “Wow, it almost looks real.” She lifted my shirt higher.
Blood rushed to my face. I was mortified.
“Can I touch it?” Abby asked. Her voice was a whispered awe.
My mortification gauge flew off the chart. “Sure.” I swallowed.
“Me too?”
I hung my head. “Yep.” No point saying no. I had a feeling if I didn’t let them check it out now, they’d bug me later and later there might be more people around.
“Whoa, the outline almost feels like real feathers.” Abby traced the outline with her fingers.
“It does.”
“What in tarnation is going on in here?”
The three of us jumped. Abby and Sydney helped pull my shirt down.
Mrs. Hadley had her hands on her hips. “Let’s go, ladies.”
I quickly put my shoes and socks on. Then went through the door Sydney and Abby had already followed the teacher through.
Chapter 13
Gym class was easy after the show and tell with Abby and Sydney. Troy, the boy who’d smacked me in the forehead with the door, was also there.
“Small world,” he said, running past with another guy.
“Yeah.”
Mrs. Hadley blew her whistle. That meant we needed to gather around. I followed after Abby. At first I worried she or Sydney would treat me differently. If anything, my tattoo seemed to have upped my coolness factor.
When Mrs. Hadley called Sydney and Troy up to be the captains in a game of volleyball, Sydney picked me first.
Troy seemed disappointed. “I wanted you, Jack.”
I felt my cheek heat up. “No you don’t. Trust me. I don’t know how to play volleyball.”
“What?” Sydney gave me an evil glare. “You’d better stay out of the way then.”
Coolness factor back to zero, I thought.
Once teams were picked, we went to a net. The first set of people rotated in. That meant me. Troy was in the back serving. The ball went over the net and over my head and landed on the floor in front of another girl.
“That was yours, Jack!” Sydney shouted.
I thought maybe it should’ve been the other girl’s, but I didn’t know the rules to the game. “Sorry,” I said.
Our team rotated so that I was no longer in the middle but on the right. Troy served the ball again. This time it went right to Sydney. She put her hands together, bent her knees slightly and bumped the ball in the air. Then the girl standing in the middle tossed the ball in the air.
“Spike it,” she yelled in my direction.
The ball was coming down fast. “I don’t know what that means,” I said, but copied what Sydney had done and bumped it over the net.
The girl in the middle looked at Sydney. “Why’d you pick her?” She shook her head in disgust.
Sydney made a face. “Shut it, Bree.”
Coolness factor has now reached a negative ten.
I was glad the person on the other team didn’t knock the ball over, which meant a point for us, until the other team rotated. The girl had seen our team’s weakness, aka me, and she served the ball right at my face. I backed up a little and tossed it in the air the way I saw the other girl do it.
Bree glared disgustedly, jumped in the air, and slammed the ball over the net. “Spike it,” she yelled, walking over. She stood several inches taller than me, but I wasn’t intimidated. I’d contended with ogres. Bree would have to get a whole lot scarier before I showed any sort of emotion. Except amusement. I smiled.
But at least now I understood, to a degree. After that, I didn’t’ miss a ball and by the time class had ended, each team had won a game.
After class was over, I walked behind the
others toward the locker room. Abby was talking to a friend, and I didn’t want to interrupt.
Troy jogged over. “You’re a fast learner, Jack. And damn, you can spike.” He gave me a fifty-megawatt smile.
“Thanks.”
“If you ever want tips, let me know. Volleyball is my favorite summertime sport.” His green eyes twinkled.
“I just might.” I wanted to ask why summer, but he smiled and took off toward some guys.
It seemed that guy was always running somewhere.
***
After PE, I had Homeroom. Abby helped me find the class. It was basically just a ninety minute block of time set aside to do homework, read, or do what most students did, which was talk or mess around on their cell phones.
I pretended to read Wuthering Heights and tried not to eavesdrop. But it was so easy with my vampire hearing. And listening to them talk was interesting. Really interesting. They were so… mature and immature at the same time. They talked like they lived their own lives. Then would talk in the next breath about curfews, allowances, and family trips. It was weird. And amazing. I couldn’t get enough.
When the class ended, it was time for lunch.
I tried to remember how to get to the cafeteria, and on more than one occasion I got lost. The school was huge.
It was frustrating. Irritating. I wanted to scream with rage.
“Hey, are you okay?”
In front of me was a cute couple holding hands. Somehow they looked familiar. They felt familiar. Even smelled familiar. I gave them a closer look. “Do I know you?”
The guy shrugged. “Don’t think so. We’re new. Just moved into town.”
“So did I.”
They gave each other a quiet look.
“I’m trying to find the cafeteria.”
“Yeah, I think it’s this way.” The girl smiled. She had short red hair, green eyes, and a friendly smile.
Vampire Lies (Blood and Snow Season Book 1) Page 6
