“No! No, that’s fine. Do you need me to get some more labels?’’ she asks softly, and I turn to look at her to find her gaze studying me.
“Yeah, if you don’t mind.’’
“Not at all,’’ she says and walks off to the storage cupboard where Joan keeps all the supplies.
She walks back in at the same time that everyone helps out around the food bank arrives. I haven’t had chance to meet everyone just yet. I’ve mostly kept to myself. But I know there are a few people around my age, and younger, that help volunteer. So I’m not fazed when a few girls a year younger than me and a few in the same year at school walk in.
“Did you hear they had some deodorant go missing?’’ one girl tells her friend. Her friend giggles behind her hand, giving Lake a funny look. I look to Lake to find her mindlessly minding her own business, but I can’t help but notice the twitch in her jaw when her friend replies.
“Yeah, but I heard that the person who took it, needed it,’’ her friend laughs back evilly.
The girls are trying to get at something, and I’m not sure whether it’s to do with me or Lake, who’s helping me. By the look of Lake’s hard gaze and the way she’s gripping the table suggests that this isn’t the first time she’s had a run in with these two.
“Can I help you?’’ I ask the first girl that spoke, hoping the firmness in my voice is convincing. She’s not the normal type of girl I would usually talk to or even see here. I can tell by looking at her she isn’t here by her own free will. Her expression is bored, and I reckon the only kick she gets out of being here is picking on the other volunteers and people who need our help.
“No, but you should keep an eye on this one,’’ the girl snarls, rolling her eyes at me.
“And why is that?’’ I flicker my gaze over to Lake, and I can see tears pool in her eyes.
“She steals things.’’
I don’t know which one of the girls speaks up, but it gets my back up either way. I hate bullies like her. They always think they can intimidate whoever they want, say what they want, and to hell with the consequences.
“Well, she can’t steal something that’s free. Joan has already made that clear,’’ I tell them sweetly, and both girls glare at me. I stare back, my expression not changing, although my body is shaking with nerves and fear on the inside.
“Whatever, she’s a tramp. She doesn’t belong here,’’ the other girl, the second one to speak when they walked in, says.
“Listen up, bitches, I’m only going to say this one more fucking time, and that is to back the fuck off. I’ve listened to you go on and on about what you think of me, but there is something you’ve still failed to pick up on, and that’s that I don’t care. I don’t care what you think of me, what you say, or what you think I’ve done. It’s people like you who waste minutes, hours, weeks, hell, years picking on people and wormin’ your way into people’s lives just to gossip and be bitches that have no life. In the future, next time you think I’ve stolen something then report me. It’s only going to come back to bite you in the ass.’’
I stand shocked. It’s the most Lake has spoken since I’ve met her, or even been here. She doesn’t speak to a lot of people; she mostly keeps to herself or goes to Joan. Now I can see why. These girls are ruthless. When they leave with a huff, I can’t help but smile. Lake has got some bark. I envy her. She is someone I wish to be. I’ve never stood up for myself, but I have no problem doing it for other people.
“Thank you,’’ she whispers after a few seconds. I turn my head away from the door and give her a big smile.
“I’m sorry. I wish I could have said more, I’m just not…Just not good with conflict,’’ I tell her, ashamed.
“I can get that,’’ she says softly, then when she sees my confusion she carry’s on. “I heard one of the volunteer’s mention who you were and a bit of your story. That’s when I realised I’d read your story. I’m sorry… for bringing it up,’’ she says her face turning red.
“No it’s okay, well, it’s not something I talk about, but it’s fine,’’ I whisper.
“I’m sorry,’’ she tells me, and her hand reaches out for mine and she gives it a light squeeze. The suggestion startles me at first, but then I realise she is just trying to be nice to me.
“Right, it’s nearly lunch time, do you want to go grab something to eat with me?’’ I ask with hopeful eyes. It beats sitting in the cafe, or the chippy around the corner on my own for an hour and a half.
“No, I um, I’m saving money at the moment. I’ll eat later. I really should get these finished,’’ she rants, her eyes wide.
“That’s okay, we can do this later, and it’s my shout. I honestly could use the company, and if you like we can share a meal deal. They have a large bag of chips either with, sausages, fish, or doner meat for two people. It’s no problem.’’ She looks like she’s about to decline again when I interrupt. “Please, I hate going on my own, I honestly don’t mind. It’s not that much.’’
“Are you sure? I really don’t have any money,’’ she tells me, chewing on her nails as one arm covers her stomach. She looks unsure, insecure, and more than anything, shy and scared. I wish there was more I could do or say that would ease her mind. I honestly have enough money to buy everyone in the building food, but I’d never rub it in her face like that. I can tell there’s a story behind those broken, sad eyes, so no matter what, I’ll make her feel at ease as much as possible.
“Honestly, it’s totally fine. I wouldn’t offer if I didn’t mean it. Plus, I don’t fancy sitting for an hour and a half looking outside a chippy window,’’ I giggle, and she giggles with me.
“Okay then, I’ll just go grab my coat,’’ she smiles and I smile back, heading over to where I dumped my coat and purse when I first came in.
Chapter Six
MYLES
Another weekend has passed being bored out of my mind, so walking down the corridor to registration I begin to feel my shoulders relax. I don’t know whether it’s because I’m getting to see Kayla again or what. I just know I’m excited as fuck to see her.
All weekend I’ve had to listen to Max go on about some chick he met up with or some other crap. We were meant to be having a movie night at Denny’s, but Hope got sick so we stayed away. And as the old Gunners’ house is now burnt down, the parties have been getting less and less. And if they think I’m hanging out in a park when its pitch black outside then they’ve got another thing coming. Most kids my age go, but I’m not like most kids, and there is no way you’ll get me hanging out in one either. Kids have to play in the place, and they all seem to forget that when they’re smoking, drinking and doing drugs. It makes me sick. I don’t even want to comment on the immature idiots that vandalise the playgrounds with shit kids don’t need to read.
So anyway, my Saturday consisted of watching bad movies, catching up with homework, and listening to Max whine about being bored, until he finally gave up and went to the park to get drunk and laid.
My Sunday wasn’t much better. Max woke me up at the crack ass of dawn to go watch him play footy. I don’t usually go, but he said he was fed up of looking at me sulking all the time, so I went along wanting to prove him wrong. I stood in the pouring rain for two hours watching him play. It was hell.
Walking into the classroom my eyes seek out Kayla first. She’s beautiful sitting in her usual seat, leaning back, and gazing out the window. But today her eyes hold more sadness and pain in them than they usually do. She was like this last Monday too, and it burns my heart to see.
As I draw closer I notice her body tense a little before relaxing, and I grin to myself. She’s leaning her head in the palm of her hand while still gazing out the window and I notice a purple bruise covering her wrist.
What the fuck?
“Hey,’’ I call, sitting down in my seat. “What did you do?’’
“What did I do? What?’’ she asks me, looking adoringly confused, which makes me grin at her. Her mouth opens
and her tongue sneaks out, lightly running along her bottom lip. I have to clench my teeth and will my dick not to get hard.
Like it listens.
“Your wrist, it’s bruised,’’ I tell her, pointing to the offending bruise.
“Oh, I fell down the attic stairs getting a box down for my mom on Friday. It’s fine. It just caught between the box and the door,’’ she rambles, and for some reason I feel like she’s lying to me. I’m pretty good at reading people, but when I’m around Kayla, every brain cell I own turns to slush.
“Must have been some fall,’’ I grumble when I notice her wince again for the third time since sitting down.
“Yeah it was,’’ she says quietly.
“What did you get up to the weekend?’’ I ask making conversation, hoping the tension in her body relaxes, when it doesn’t, I sigh, coming to a dead end.
“I helped at the food bank Miss. Joan helps run.’’
“You did?” I ask shocked, although I really shouldn’t be. She’s the most selfless, kindest person I know.
“Yeah, it’s actually pretty relaxing,’’ she smiles and it’s genuine for the first time since I walked in, but then her choice of words describing her time there confuses me.
“Yo! Yo! Yo!’’ Max’s loud voice comes booming through the classroom. He high fives, knuckle punches, and winks his way through other students like he’s King of the school.
“God, he’s something else,’’ I mumble, and then hear a faint giggle to my side. My head snaps to the sound, my eyes raking over Kayla. Her hand is covering her mouth, but I still hear the faint giggle, and it only becomes louder when I send her a glare. “You think it’s funny?’’
She nods her head still giggling when Max comes barging past our seats to take his by the window.
“How’s my future wife this morning?’’ he asks, swinging his arm around the back of her chair. Immediately her giggling comes to a sudden stop and it’s my turn to burst into a fit of laughter at her wide eyed expression.
“Don’t think she likes the thought of being your wife, bro.’’
“Everyone wants to be my wife. Hey, Alisha, you’d be my wife, right?’’ he shouts across the classroom and the girl in question, Alisha, looks back over to Max with crazy eyes, nodding her head furiously and grinning like a fool.
“See, Alisha wants me,’’ he grins.
“I’m pretty sure Alisha would have said yes to her pet dog,’’ I laugh. Alisha is one of those girls if you pay her an inch of attention then she will stalk you for the rest of your life. It so happens, I’m probably not far off with the dog comment.
“You’re just jealous. Kayla, you’d be my wife, right?’’ he asks her and she’s looking between us with wide eyes. “Right?’’
“Um, not to hurt your feelings or anything, but no,’’ she says quietly, fiddling with the sleeve on her blazer nervously.
“Why not?’’ Max whisper-yells, outraged, actually looking genuinely hurt, which confuses me more. Does he have a thing for Kayla? Just the thought has every muscle in my body tensing up and I want to actually punch my own brother in the face, although it wouldn’t be the first time.
“Y-you’re pretty high maintenance,’’ she whispers back, and I burst into another fit of laughter, loving the shocked expression on Max’s face.
“I am not,’’ he tells her outraged.
“You really are,’’ I tell him chuckling which earns me a glare.
“What about Myles? Is he high maintenance too? We are twins after all.’’
“Uh. I…He-”
“Don’t answer him,’’ I interrupt, not wanting to cause her anymore embarrassment. Her speech is stuttered, and her cheeks are flushed red. She looks so freaking cute. I want to kick myself for interrupting her when I was interested in her answer too, but for different reasons than my brother.
“No! She has to. My ego is on the line here, bro,’’ he whines looking at Kayla with puppy dog eyes, but then as soon as her back is turned he gives me a smug grin, knowing what he’s doing. The bastard.
“No she doesn’t. Ignore him,’’ I tell her, glaring holes into my brother. He’s doing this on purpose. He knows how I feel about her, even though we’ve never actually spoken to each other about her.
“No it’s fine,’’ she says quietly. “No, Myles isn’t high maintenance, he’s anything but,’’ she smiles and my heart warms at the sight. God, she’s so goddamn beautiful it kills me not being able to touch her, to feel if her skin is as soft as it looks, or if her lips taste like cherry.
We’re all silent for a few minutes and I can feel Kayla become stiff next to me, the silence making things awkward.
“In all honesty, I think he’s high maintenance. I’m easy,’’ he grins, leaning back in his chair, so it’s resting on the two back legs and looking cocky.
“Too easy,’’ she whispers, but I hear her and my head flies back and I roar out a burst of laughter.
“Myles, Max, please keep it down back there,’’ the teacher shouts. Max groans muttering at how unfair she’s being with us.
“I swear she wants a piece of me,’’ Max mutters. “She always singles us out. Have you noticed?’’
Jesus, he has no filter. “Bro, we’re the only ones making so much noise.’’
“And?’’ I swear sometimes I worry about him, and how we can even be twins. We’re polar opposites. We have nothing in common like normal twins and we act completely different.
“So,’’ I start, grabbing Kayla’s attention. “Do you want to work on the project tonight? We can meet at mine or yours again, up to you.’’
“Oh, I-I can’t. Charlie and I arranged to meet up. She wants to come over to talk about something. I’m sorry.’’
“No. It’s fine. I guess we can arrange for another night when you’re free?’’
“Definitely! Is tomorrow good for you?’’
“Yeah,’’ I smile as the bell for first period rings. “I’ll speak to you later then.’’
By fourth period I’m a groaning mess. I haven’t seen Kayla properly since Friday and I kinda miss her. Which is sissy of me, right? It’s not like we’re a couple or anything. She just drives me crazy and the worst part? She doesn’t even realise she does it. It kills me. She’s all I can think about. It took me over two years to get over her.
I can still remember the first time I met her, well, saw her. She was walking down the hallway, her hair wild and falling in loose waves down her back. She was wearing her large black glasses that sat huge on her small delicate face. She walked with her head down, clutching a pile of books in her arms. I had stopped to stare. My eyes taking in every inch of her and I couldn’t believe someone so beautiful was walking down the halls of our shitty school. She looked so out of place. In a good way, of course.
She had pouty, full, red lips that looked beyond kissable. It took everything in me to move my gaze away I was that overcome by her beauty. She didn’t even wear makeup, or even dress up for me to notice. She was beautiful in every way that counts. She still is the most beautiful girl I’ve ever laid eyes on and no one else can even compare. She’s beautiful inside and out.
“Dude, what the fuck is wrong with you today?’’ Toby, my friend, taunts next to me. We’re in geography, another lesson I couldn’t get with Kayla and I’m sure he’s been talking to me for the past twenty minutes, but my thoughts have been consumed with Kayla, her beauty and those bruises I saw on her wrist this morning. I still don’t buy that she got them from a fall. Does she really think I’m that stupid, or did she really believe her lie was good enough to believe?
“Seriously, dude, you’ve spaced all lesson. What the fuck is up with you?’’
“Sorry, I guess I’m just tired,’’ I lie, shaking Kayla from my thoughts.
“Are you sure? You’ve been grunting all lesson and every time I’ve asked you a question you’ve completely ignored me.’’
I shrug not knowing what else to say apart from ‘I’m sorry�
��.
“Anyway, as I was saying, Dean is having a party later at his house. Do you want to come?’’
I think about it for a minute and decide not to. It’s not my thing anymore. The girls who throw themselves at you in hopes they can cop a feel. It’s all the same. Once you’ve been to one party, you’ve been to them all.
“I’ve got plans already, but ask Max, I’m sure he’ll be up for it.’’
“Max is always up for it,’’ Toby laughs.
I smile back him and my thoughts drift back to Kayla, wondering how I could get a girl as special as her to notice me. It’s like she only sees me as a friend, and if that’s all I ever get than I’ll live with it. I’ll take anything she will give me. After everything she’s been through I know I can’t push for anything more than friends until she’s ready. If I try something now she might push me away for good. And that is something I don’t want to risk.
Chapter Seven
KAYLA
Charlie arrives right on time. Her mom’s horn honks outside, notifying me of her arrival. I rush off down the stairs and make my way to the front door peephole. After a quick check that it is in fact, Charlie, I rush to open the door. I’m so excited. I feel like I haven’t seen her at all since I got back, when in reality it’s only been three weeks.
“Hey,’’ I greet her excitedly, but then my smile fades when I see how pale and tired she looks. “You okay?’’ I ask worriedly, inviting her in.
“Just a rough couple of days, it’s okay. Can we just go crash upstairs for a bit, catch up?’’
“Yeah! Yeah, sure. Do you want something to drink?’’
“Yeah, can I have a glass of water?’’
“Sure. Go on up and I’ll meet you up there.’’
She walks away slowly, heading upstairs. She’s usually bubbly, full of life, and chattering none stop when she’s around. This person reminds of the girl she used to be, the one that was as quiet, and as shy as I am now.
Walking into my bedroom she’s lying down on my bed with her eyes closed and for a few seconds I actually believe she’s fallen asleep, but then her head turns and her eyes open.
Myles (Carter Brother#3) Page 8
