by Fay Walsh
Nathan raised his brow and hummed under his breath. “Right, party girl, Chrysanthemum? Maybe I should be your designated driver from now on.”
Chrys could feel her cheeks getting hot. It was weird, when anyone else called her by her full name, she would get annoyed or lash out. The only two people who did was her sister and Kai, but when Nathan said she only got butterfly’s in her stomach.
What the hell, relax. Chrys thought as she mentally kicked herself. “Yeah, thanks but I’m good.”
The late bell rings and magically a slew of students all came through the door like cattle being brought back into a ranch.
“So… a little birdie on the field is, you’re joining the cheer squad?”
Chrys turned to him and have him a grin.
“Oh, really? And what is this little birdie? I don’t suppose she has a resting bitch face, does she?”
Nathan chuckled at her joke and they both laughed together. “Major one, she’s been talking trash that you won’t be able to flip circles around her. I know you’ll be able to make tremors around her.”
Chrys smiled, again, and she unconsciously placed a strand of her dark blonde hair behind her ear.
“Thanks, Nat; wish me luck.”
The teacher came into the classroom as the last student came through the door. Mr. Darling was tall with a neat combover and he always wore a button-up shirt that matched perfectly; today was a stripped blue shirt and a red tie.
“Alright, lets open your text books to page 324. If you didn’t bring your books, look in your desk, otherwise, please share with your neighbor.” Mr. Darling was already facing the wall as he wrote the lesson on the board.
“Share with me partner?”
Chrys opened her textbook and they nestled close together as they read along with their teacher; as their legs touched underneath the table and Nathan looked at her from the corner of his eye, Chrys couldn’t help but the continuous heat rise on her skin and hoped she wasn’t blushing.
***
Chrys headed to the lunchroom once her six classes on her schedule on were over. It was annoying that lunch was the second to last on her schedule, but she couldn’t complain since her friends had the same period lunch as she did.
“Over here, Chrys!” Connie shouted and waved over to her, when she saw her get off the lunch line. Chrys walked over to their table, where there was a boy with a dyed blue mohawk hair and sitting beside her.
“What we’re playing musical chairs today?” Chrys asked as she sat down across from Connie and Jonas.
Jonas stabbed at his macaroni, making a face at it, as he answered her, “Nah, Chess team said something about they need better light, or something. I don’t know I wasn’t paying attention.”
“So, did you tell him the plan?” Chrys asked and she too stared at the slimy macaroni and chees that looked way too watery to be consumed.
“Yeah, we’re driving to Sydney, but… We have no way of getting there because someone forgot to fill gas in the car, so his dad called him out on it.” Connie slowly turned her head and gave him a look.
Jonas, sensing that he was on trial, turned to look at Connie and gave her an incredulous look. “What? That’s not my fault, I got the car, remember? Someone should, at least, remind me to fill it.”
“It’s your car, why should anyone remind you? Now, how are we going to Hunt?”
While Connie and Jonas bickered with one another, Chrys felt pressure on the back of her neck. When she turned around in her seat, she noticed Nathan standing at the double doors of the cafeteria entrance.
It was almost as if he could pick her out of the couple hundred groups of students sitting down because he stretched his lips into a smile, revealing his teeth, and stretched out his hand to her.
“Who is that?” Connie asked, looking in Chrys’ direction.
“He’s just a friend,” Chrys quickly said, which made Connie raise her brow at her friend’s quick lip.
“Mmm… yeah, okay, I never he said he wasn’t. So, who is he? Because I’m getting a peculiar smell off of you.”
Chrys’ face turned a beet red, forgetting that as a Shifter, both Connie and Jonas, had keenly sensitive noses.
“We’re just in science class, that’s all. You don’t see him often because he’s always late… His dad doesn’t want him in school, but to work the family business.”
“Sounds like a ruffian to me,” Jonas chimed in.
Both Chrys and Connie narrowed their eyes at him, but it was Connie who spoke first, “Ruffian, really?”
“Hey, is this seat taken?” Nathan asked as he sat down next to Chrys and placed his tray down on the table. Connie’s attention pulled away from Jonas as her eyes narrowed at Nathan, suspiciously.
“Uh, shouldn’t you be sitting somewhere with the jocks?”
Chrys kicked Connie underneath the table and gave her a look to signify her rudeness.
“Change of pace, you know. So, what you guys up too? I heard that you all like to pull an all-nighter.” He winked in Chrys’ direction and she shyly smiled.
“We’re trying to figure out to get to Sydney,” Jonas blurted out without thinking. Chrys kicked him underneath the table, but he looked at Connie; Chrys assumed she kicked him as well.
“Oh, what’s there? I could probably drive you guys if you need it. I don’t have practice tonight and my family doesn’t need me.”
Knowing there isn’t anyway of it, Chrys knows that it would be pointless to try to hide anything.
“It’s a bar there, Reggie’s Surf Lounge,” She told him and quickly made up a lie on the spot. “One of… My Ex was a douche bag and we were going there to set up a prank on him.”
Nathan laughed and nodded. “Alright, say no more, I’m in. Anyone who would dump you is a real ass hole.” Nathan looked to her and his eyes were transfixed on her, it was like Chrys was forced to stay there. It felt different when Kai looked at her, she felt wrapped in a warming embrace, with Nathan his look was like her chest was constricted.
Thankfully, her cellphone vibrated, and it pulled her away from Nathan’s boa constrictor gaze.
Her smiled enlarged and saw that it was a text message from Kai:
Hey, Beautiful – I think it’s lunch period, right? I wanted to check on you, see if you wanted me to pick you up after school?
She’s about to tell him yes, but then remembering that they had prior engagements after school. She frowned slightly and texted back.
Can’t. I made plans to go out with Connie, Jonas, and Nathan is our driver. I’ll call you tonight or if you want to come to the ranch and sleep over?
As Chrys waits for the text message, she can feel the heavy pressure on the back of her neck again, and from her peripheral she sees Nathan looking at her from the corner of his eye.
Her phone vibrated again, and she sees his message:
Alright, love you. To the moon and back.
She replied back; her heart hammered in her chest as the fiery feeling ignited inside of her.
To the moon and back.
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About Fay Walsh
Fay Walsh loves to write about curvy heroines and their hot alpha males. Her paranormal romance stories are sizzling hot with lots of action, humor, and a happily-ever-after! Current obsessions: bears and dragons!
Right now she lives in Northern California with her husband and their grey ball of fluffiness, Shadow. Besides writing, she can never say no to chocolate and a big cup of coffee.
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