Delinquent (Academy of Misfits Book 1)

by Bea Paige

  He shrugs. “I’ll say I had an accident in the gym. Ford will back me up.”

  “And they’ll believe you given Monk’s face is black and blue?”

  “Probably not, but they’ve no proof and Monk won’t blab. He’s a dickhead but he isn’t a snitch. Camden won’t allow it. What happens in the Tower, stays in the Tower.”

  “Is that so?”

  “That’s so.”

  I shift on my haunches a little, not sure what to do next. I’ve cooled down sufficiently that I now feel a little chill. Goosebumps rise across my arms and I rub my hand against my skin in an attempt to warm me up.

  “You cold?” Sonny asks me.

  “I should be asking you that since you’re practically naked.”

  Sonny grins. “Don’t forget I’m full of fire, enough to start an inferno,” he says, those dimples back.

  “Ha bloody ha,” I retort moving to stand, only Sonny rests his hands on my shoulders pushing me gently back down.

  “Don’t go, stay here for a bit,” he says. The flash of vulnerability he shows has me ignoring common sense. I stay.

  “Thank you for this,” he says, pointing to his cut that’s still bleeding a little.

  “Sure, it’s the least I can do given that should’ve been me fighting Monk and not you.”

  “You’re kidding, right? The guy fights dirty, there’s no way I’d let you brawl with him.”

  “Just as well that you have no say in the matter. I can fight, Sonny. I’m not your average girl ready to hide behind her man.”

  “Her man?” he repeats with another grin.

  “You know what I mean… some man.”

  “There’s more to fighting than rage, Asia. You’ve got to be smart,” he says, tapping his temple.

  “Have you been talking to Ford because he used the exact same line as you?”

  Sonny laughs. “Yeah, I’ve been talking to Ford.”

  “How do you know each other?” I ask, shifting myself so that I’m sitting on my arse, rather than the backs of my legs. I’m still cold so I kind of wrap my arms around myself and draw my knees up a little. It doesn’t really help, but I can deal.

  “He’s my second cousin twice removed or something,” Sonny says, lifting a brow at the look of shock on my face.

  “You’re related?” I kind of saw a resemblance, but given they’ve hardly been friends I thought I was wrong.

  “Yep, ‘fraid so. We both have shitty parents in the family. Though until I arrived here, I hadn’t seen him since we were kids.”

  “Fuck, that’s awkward.”

  “It was a bit at first, but now we’re cool. Except maybe…”

  “Except maybe what?”

  “Except we might not be cool over you.”

  “What?”

  Sonny frowns, and if I didn’t know any better I could’ve sworn his cheeks are turning a little pink, but perhaps that really is the cold. “What?” I repeat, kind of wanting to know what he’s thinking and not wanting to know. Okay, that’s bullshit. I want to know.

  “You might be an issue for us. He likes you, Asia. I like you.”

  “Like me, like me?” I ask, chewing on my lip. I know what he means, I just can’t quite believe it. I mean, I can believe that he wants to get it on with me, but liking me, that’s something different.

  “Yeah, as in I really give a shit about what happens to you kind of liking…”

  “In a protective friend kind of way?”

  “Yes and no. Yes, as in I want us to be friends, and no, as in I want more than just friendship. This is the kind of liking that makes me really, really want to kiss you right now.”

  “You want to kiss everyone,” I say with a soft laugh.

  “But I don’t care about everyone,” he responds just as softly. “And I’m pretty sure Ford’s been wanting to do the same thing since he pinned you beneath him on the field that day,” Sonny adds with a wry grin.

  “He told you about that?”

  “Fuck no, the guy’s a closed book! I saw it happen. Once I dropped off Pink and Kate at the medical room, I went back outside to look for you and to make sure the HH crew wasn’t giving you shit. I saw what went down.”

  “He was trying to prove a point, that’s all.”

  “Yeah, and the rest. He got you beneath him and he kept you there.” A dark shadow crosses Sonny’s face and it unsettles me a bit.

  “It didn’t mean anything,” I say, not really understanding why I’m trying to reassure him or why I’m lying. It meant something.

  “Either way, he has the hots for you. Just like me.”

  “Sonny, you’ve taken a few whacks to the head. I’m not sure you know what you’re saying.” I laugh to cover up the strange feeling in my chest.

  “I know exactly what I’m saying,” he retorts firmly.

  “You’re just desperate. I mean, it’s not as though there’s much choice and I’m pretty sure you’ve worked your way around most of the girls already in such a short amount of time. I’m the last one available, right?”

  “Wrong. I like you. I don’t really know why given you’ve pretty much blasted me, but I do.”

  My teeth begin to chatter, but I can’t respond because he’s suddenly reached over and pulled me into his lap. “Sonny!” I exclaim, a small smile pulling up my lips.

  “I’m freezing and so are you. Let’s warm each other up,” he says, wrapping his arms around me as he shifts me into a more comfortable position across his lap. My arse slides between his parted legs and my hips can definitely feel how much he likes me. Jesus. I flush warm, suddenly not feeling the cold anymore.

  “You’re freezing,” I exclaim, leaning back slightly so I can look at his face. My hand finds itself on his chest just over the eagle’s head and his thumping heart.

  “So are you. Makes this a good idea, right?” he questions tentatively, his eyes darkening with lust even though his voice remains neutral and not at all jokey.

  “I’m not so sure about that…” I start to say, but when he slowly leans in to kiss me, I don’t push him away or tell him to stop. I let him.

  His lips are slightly warmer than his skin, but pretty soon both are heating up as our kiss deepens. He doesn’t try to do anything other than explore my mouth with his. It’s a tentative kiss at first. A kiss that’s more of a flicker than a flame. It’s searching, gentle, and entirely surprising. That gentleness is a shock. I’m used to being kissed quickly as though it’s just a formality to get out of the way before everything else. Not Sonny. I can tell by the way he explores my mouth that he likes to kiss. That it may even be his most favourite pastime. I can deal with this. I can deal with a kiss. Relaxing into his hold I allow myself to enjoy the moment. After a while, as his lips slide over mine and his tongue strokes against my own, I find that I have to press my thighs together to ease the throb between them. And even though I know how it sounds, I wish he’d move his hands away from my arm and my thigh to other places that ache for his touch. But he doesn’t do anything more than bite gently at my lower lip before soothing it with his tongue. Fuck. A little groan escapes me and I’m pretty sure he’s smiling, but I don’t want to pull away to check. I’m enjoying this way too much. If I’m honest, I would never have put him down as a gentleman, but then again, he’s already shown me there’s more to him than what he presents to the world. I like that.

  Without removing my lips from his, I angle my body so that more of me is I’m facing him, then reach up and wind my fingers in his hair, cupping his head. I’m more than aware that my tits are now pressing into the firm planes of his chest and that my nipples are hard as marbles, partly due to the cold, but mostly because I’m turned on. This time it’s his turn to groan.

  With a last slow sweep of his tongue, Sonny pulls away, flashing me that dimpled grin. “If I’d known how fucking epic a kisser you were, I would’ve laid it on a lot thicker and a lot sooner, Asia.”

  “Shut up, you idiot,” I respond, slapping him lightly on the
arm before jumping up and helping him to his feet. Knowing that if I don’t move now, this kiss may lead to way more and I’m not in the habit of shagging someone after only knowing them a week. That also might be a lie. I’ve fallen into bed with guys before after only a few hours in their company. I don’t want to do that with Sonny.

  He gets up, wincing from the pain but still he smiles, a flop of dark blonde hair falling into his eyes.

  “Does this make you mine now?” he asks, the cockiness back. My mouth opens to speak but my response is interrupted by a certain someone who sounds far from happy.

  “No, it fucking doesn’t,” a voice behind us says. It’s Ford.

  We both turn around, looking back up towards the Tower. Standing watching us both is Ford and beside him, Camden. One looks thunderous, the other entirely amused, except that amusement is a thinly veiled disguise of his true feelings. At least that’s how it seems to me. I’m not sure who’s reaction annoys me the most. The out and out anger at me kissing someone of my own choosing, or hiding that anger behind laughter and cheapening this moment with Sonny.

  Screw them.

  Actually, perhaps I should screw Sonny, that would really get their goat.

  22

  The following Thursday afternoon, Sonny and I are sitting in an English lesson with Mr Collins, a middle-aged, grey-haired man with a dyed black beard. He’s trying way too hard to look distinguished, but instead looks like a Lego character with a stuck-on beard. I’m not sure I understand why he’s let his hair go grey but has kept his beard dyed, but Sonny says it’s probably something to do with the fact his beard is slightly ginger, and no one wants a ginger beard.

  “That makes no sense whatsoever,” I whisper behind my copy of Oliver Twist. We’re supposed to be discussing the social injustice committed to orphans during the Victorian period, but instead we’re discussing ginger beards.

  Sonny grins at me, his baby-blues twinkling with mirth. “Most men get a bit of ginger in their beard no matter their hair colour. You should see Bryce. He’s got black hair and still has a bit of ginger going on. It’s weird as fuck.”

  “Bryce, as in your guardian? That fit guy who was at the court with you?”

  “The one and only.”

  “He seemed alright, even if he’s got a ginger beard.”

  “Maybe, but he’s not my dad,” Sonny shrugs.

  “What happened to him?” I blurt out.

  “He died.”

  “How?” I murmur. It’s unfair of me to ask him such a personal question knowing I would never reciprocate, but I ask it anyway.

  “Wrong place, wrong time. He tried to break up a brawl in a bar, he got stabbed in the heart instead of the man the arsehole was aiming for. My dad, always the fucking hero.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Me fucking too, Asia. Me too.”

  For the rest of the lesson we listen to Mr Collins drone on about how circumstances forced Oliver into a life of crime, but that his strength of character helped him to make the right choices. It’s obvious what he’s trying to do. The thing is we’re not characters in a damn novel. Oliver got his happy ending. He escaped a life of crime. Not one of us can say the same.

  Except maybe Sonny. Those guys he lives with seem alright and they’re rich, after all. When all is said and done, he’ll leave here and go live in some mansion and the rest of us will return to our council flats if we’re lucky. He’ll forget about us, about me. One kiss isn’t going to change that. People have a habit of leaving me, so this time I make a decision to be the one to leave. It’s better that way.

  When Mr Collins informs us the class is over, I stuff my books into my bag and rush out of the room ignoring Sonny’s shouts for me to wait up. I rush down the hallway, past the rec room and into the girls’ toilets. Thankfully it’s empty and I step into one of the cubicles, locking the door behind me.

  “Asia, what the fuck?” I hear Sonny say as he walks into the room a few seconds later. “You ran off. What’s up? You got the shits or something? I’ve been feeling a bit gassy myself since lunch.”

  “Oh my god, gross!” I yell at him.

  “Too much information?” he asks, chuckling.

  “Yes, way too much information. Let’s keep a bit of mystery please.”

  Beneath the door I can see his feet, one crossing over the other as he leans against the door, making himself comfortable. “Did you know the average person passes about half a litre of farts a day?”

  I can’t help but laugh. “You’re really are full of useless information, do you know that?”

  “Yep, so I’ve been told…” He pauses, then coughs. “Seriously though, Asia. You sure you’re alright?”

  Nope. No, I’m not. Eastern’s in custody. I miss my little brothers. Tracy is freaking out and my mum’s fucking dead. I don’t have some rich guardian and a safe future just like Oliver fucking Twist. Monk is gunning for me and I’m sitting in a toilet like some little twat because I don’t want to share any of this, with anyone.

  “I just need to pee.”

  “If this is about the kiss…” His voice trails off, uncertain how to proceed given I’ve gone deadly quiet. I want to tell him the kiss was nice. That it was fucking great actually. But I’m not one for expressing how I feel, obviously, given I’m hiding in a goddamn toilet.

  “I want you to know that I’m not the lothario you think I am. I mean I like women, a lot, but I also like you, so… I meant what I said on the beach that night.”

  “Jesus, Sonny. Will you just sod off, please? I’m about to piss myself, pretty sure you won’t want to kiss me then.”

  He barks out a laugh, pushing off from the door, it shakes a little as he moves. “Okay, okay, I can take a hint. Maybe we can pick this conversation up another time. For now, I’m going to head to the canteen. Want me to save you a spot?”

  “Sure,” I mutter. He waits a beat, then realising I’m not about to say any more, leaves.

  I hear the door slam shut and breathe out a sigh of relief, then decide that I do actually need to pee and do exactly that. Just as I’m pulling up my jeans and flushing the toilet, I hear the door open once again. Rolling my eyes, I unlock the cubicle and yank the door open. “Fuck sake, Sonny, can’t a girl pee in peace?”

  Except it isn’t Sonny, it’s two of the girls from the HH crew and they’re out for blood. Mine, specifically.

  “She’s here,” one of them says, pulling the door open slightly. Beyond I catch a glimpse of the girl who had smirked when I cussed out Monk on the field. She gives me a pitying look just before the door closes and I can’t help but wonder what kind of circumstance led her to the HH crew.

  “Get the fuck out of my way, Little and Large,” I sneer, making sure to give both my most cutting glare. They really are little and large, like total opposites of one another. One’s tall, almost Amazonian and attractive in a fierce don’t fuck with me way. The other is petite, slightly curvy, pretty, but with a dark look that tells me she’d rather cut her own mum than be disloyal to her crew.

  “Nah, don’t think that’s gonna happen,” the tall girl says. I’m pretty sure her name’s Diamond. It suits her. Beautiful, sharp, perfectly flawed. She was the girl eating Camden’s face the other night. I dislike her even more now.

  I roll my eyes, leaning against the sink and feigning boredom. “I’m kinda tired of the same old shit. Would’ve thought that between you two there’d be some originality to the cuntish behaviour. Jumping me in the toilet? You do realise sticking someone’s head down the loo is so 1980’s, don’t you?”

  “You sarcastic little…”

  “Bitch?” I finish for her. “Yep, like I said. Un-fucking-original. Anything else you’d like to add before we get down to it?”

  Emerald, the shorter of the two, smiles slowly as Diamond boxes me in. “Yeah, which toilet?”

  “Oh, you really don’t know who you’re fucking with, do you?”

  Ten minutes later I walk into the canteen not a hair o
ut of place. The same, of course, can’t be said for Emerald and Diamond. Pretty sure they’ve swallowed enough toilet water to keep them in bed for days. Did they honestly think they’d could jump me and get away with it? I’m sick of people thinking I’m a pushover. Sonny stepping in and fighting Monk has done me no favours. It made me look weak. Let’s see if my rep changes around here now.

  “What are you smirking at?” Sonny asks just as Ruby, the girl who was on lookout, comes rushing into the dining room. She heads straight for Monk, who’s sporting two black eyes and tape across his nose, and whispers in his ear.

  “Let’s just say after you left the toilet, things got super interesting with a couple of the HH girls,” I respond, sitting down and swiping a donut from Sonny’s tray.

  “They jumped you?” he snaps, pushing back his seat.

  “Hey, don’t sweat it. I’m not. They got what they deserved.”

  A sudden loud crash sounds as Monk swipes his tray off the table in his rage. He points at me before raising his finger to his neck then sliding it across his throat.

  “Fuck, dramatic much,” I state, not in the least bit worried about his threats. I probably should be, he seems like the type to follow through, but I’m not. Now who’s being cocky?

  “Motherfucker,” Sonny snarls, moving to stand, but I clock the canteen staff watching him and grip his arm.

  “Don’t, we’re being watched. Not to mention, you got me into this shit in the first place by jumping to my rescue with Monk.”

  “He insulted you. I dealt with it,” Sonny responds, watching Monk as he storms from the canteen.

  “Yes, you dealt with it, not me. It was my fight, Sonny.”

  “Well, sorry if I didn’t want to see you hurt,” he snaps.

  “It isn’t about me getting hurt or not. This is about me showing them all I’m not a fucking pushover, or weak. I understand the rules of the street, Sonny. I’ve had to live by them regardless. Those pricks will keep gunning for me if I don’t fight back.”