I still wanted to smack-up Poser. Now more than ever.
CHAPTER 25
Friday afternoon I had my head on my desk waiting for class to start. I was kind of not happy since the doctor had changed my mom’s medication, and it wasn’t for the better. Last night I’d been up with her half the night showing her no one was knocking at our door. I mean, I’d just get to sleep, and then I’d have to do it again … open the front door for her so she could see no one was there. (She has a thing about our front door. It’s trippy.)
“Hey dude, here,” Mason said, waking me out of my sleepy head-case. He handed me a baggie with an enchilada in it. (An enchilada!!—score!!!)
“Oh, and this came with it.” With a grin, he handed me a plastic fork.
I blinked at the gift and laughed, then started digging in.
Oh my gosh! I was in heaven—and not just because the gift had obviously come from Heaven, but because hey, I love enchiladas. And I got to say, Heaven’s was the best I ever had. Ever. Okay, it was possible that it was just because it was from her. But whatever. It was delicious and made me all kinds of happy.
Mason sat on the desk next to me. He wasn’t even in my class, he just dropped by to hand me my tasty Heaven-ly treat. (Yeah, I dug puns.)
“The baggie was taped to your locker,” he said, like I couldn’t figure that out on my own. (This had been going on a while now, Ally trying to divert her heartbreak—or whatever she was doing.)
For a distracted moment, Mason eyed my English teacher, Ms. Sharp (all guys do), he shook his head like telling his mind: ‘Don’t go there.’ He shook it again, then his gaze flickered back to me and my disappearing enchilada. He quickly got back on track—why he was here in the first place, which wasn’t to ogle my teacher (though everyone does). It was to give me my latest Ally treat—and maybe razz me a little about it, depending on his mood. And mine.
“Hailey was eyeing it,” he said. “I think she was going to do it damage.”
Probably not—but I’d have to hear her complain. Some more. “Thanks, man.”
“Sure,” he hopped off the desk, “I’ve got your back.”
He started to leave, but then turned back to me and tilted his head. “You know, they’re broken up.”
Those were his words, but what he was really saying was: ‘Why don’t you go for it?’
Meaning, Ally.
Me, go for Ally. The Church Girl.
Me, The Devil, go for The Church Girl.
I glanced up at him, deadpan. “Really? They broke up?”
He groaned, like I wasn’t hilarious. “Look, she obviously has some hot twisted thing for you—and you have one for her. You must. You saved Poser for her.” He did a shudder, like it had been as revolting for him to witness as it had been for me to do. Which couldn’t possibly be even remotely (remotely!!) true. I mean, I still had nightmares about it, woke up shrieking. (Well, okay, maybe not, but man.)
Mason started again, like he’d been planning in his head what to say, “Look, I know she’s shy or whatever … but you’re not.”
I waited for him to go on, but apparently that was his big speech—to tell me what I already knew. I’m not a shy guy. I’ve been around. I know how to get a girl to let me stick my tongue down her throat in less than five minutes.
But I swear, I had no idea how to get Ally. I mean, yeah, lately she gave me things—lots of yummy, sweet things—but, surprisingly, that didn’t make things any different than they were when she was still with Poser. She still wouldn’t let me near her.
I guess it was because she went to church … and I went to mandated psychotherapy (like, constantly). And I was the devil. Not only that, I was an actual guy—with actual guy thoughts (ew). Plus, I guess it didn’t help that I had the nickname, “Griff the Grief-Master.” (But I swear, that was only on the ice. I caused grief—to the other team.)
Whatever the reason (and I bet she had a bunch in her pretty head)—whatever—she wasn’t going to go for me.
The bell rang for class to start. Ms. Sharp turned to Mason with an arched eyebrow. “Mason, don’t you have somewhere else to be?”
A lazy grin flashed on his lips, like he wanted to be someplace with her. “Where do you want me, Ms. Sharp?”
“In your own class?” she said, acting like she didn’t get his innuendo. Which she probably did. She had to put up with crap like that all day. Though, of course, Mason was used to getting older girls. He liked a challenge, plus he looked older—but mostly it was just that Summer looked older, and he went after girls that looked like Summer.
So, although Ms. Sharp was hot, she didn’t look anything like Summer, which meant Mason wasn’t going to bother with an inappropriate come-back. Instead, his eyes flickered back to me. “Later, man.”
Then he was out the door, but only a minute later I got a text from him. I guess it was what he had wanted to say about that ‘you’re not shy’ stuff.
He wrote: “The girl makes you smile, man.” Then he added, “No one else can do that—I mean, when you’re dealing with your mom.”
I ran a hand over my face. Oh. He knew about my mom—that she was having troubles again. Awesome.
I laid my head back on my desk, figuring he must have heard me talking in my sleep. Again. I do that during study hall sometimes. I give away all my secrets.
CHAPTER 26
As I was leaving detention, I saw Ally walking home in the rain. Well, it wasn’t actually raining yet. But the sky was gray and all day it had been drizzling. Still, seeing her walking alone, the dim day turned bright—well, mine did.
I pulled up next to her in my red Mustang (which I fixed up myself—just a side note, but it’s a jammin’ car. I don’t take pride in much, but I was proud of my car, which could maybe tell you something about me—like we’re kind of poor … and I’m a mechanic.)
When Ally saw me pull up, her eyes went wide and a jolt of electricity seemed to go through her.
An amused choke of breath escaped me, though I tried my hardest not to laugh. But man. Her reactions to me were always so violent that I didn’t know whether I should give her some sort of warning that I was in her near area or what. Only I’m not going to lie, I loved it—her reactions to me. It’s just I didn’t want her having a heart attack or anything. I like my crushes alive—and glowing.
Trying my best to look non-threatening, I opened my window. “Need a ride?”
My pulse thumped as she smiled. Whoa! Sunshine right to my heart.
“Sure!” Her smile grew. “That would be great!”
My eyebrows shot up. Holy smokes, she didn’t run. (Maybe I’m not the devil.)
Just as she hopped into my car the weather turned for the worse—outside. (Inside, my personal sunshine was buckling herself up next to me—filling my heart with kittens and rainbows.) Outside though, it was suddenly pouring buckets.
As I slowly pulled away from the curb, I flipped on my windshield wipers. THEN … huh. I tilted my head, watching in wonder as a watery rainbow streaked across my windshield.
I blinked. What the—???
I breathed out a laugh, my eyes cutting to Ally as she tucked her Gummy Bear wrapper deeper into her coat pocket. I scratched my chin, grinning. Immediately, I got it. The chick had booby-trapped my windshield wipers—with gummy bears. Made a rainbow smear across my windshield. Of course she did. Just like she was always doing to my heart—getting it to fill with crazy rainbows. It was going to be a mother to clean. But still, a freakin’ rainbow. Leave it to Ally. Only Ally. To get me to feel kittens purring when only an hour ago I’d been sweating bullets, having gotten a crazy text from my mom. (The woman is not in the best mental health. Sometimes she’s a little worrisome—especially when she texts me things like: The door won’t stop knocking. I made Hailey’s mom check on her, but my mom won’t answer the door. For anyone. Ever. So, yeah. I wasn’t exactly in a rainbow type mood … until Ally entered my car. Then, suddenly, it was like leprechauns were going to start dancing ar
ound handing out lollipops.)
I didn’t mention the rainbow to Ally though—since I knew she would die on me. Instead I just tried to restrain my grin from exploding my face as we both ignored the obvious—the chick had at some point earlier today, gone over to my car and sprinkled it with gummy bears, obviously anticipating rain. (But I bet she didn’t anticipate being in my car for the downpour—or the rainbows.)
Her face turning bright pink, she squirmed a little, probably hoping I didn’t see the gummy bears wrapper in her pocket. I didn’t mind her knowing that I knew, though—I liked her cute little squirming. So, I didn’t hide my glances. Or my smile. Which I couldn’t do anyway. I’m a smiler. Especially when it comes to Ally. She makes my lips turn sky-high. My mood too.
Suddenly, Ally answered her phone—which didn’t ring. And I could see wasn’t really on. I knew what she was doing though. (‘Cause I know the chick … to stalker-ish proportions.) She was pretending to talk on the phone because she was afraid I was going to bring up the gummy bears—and she didn’t want to talk about them. Just like she didn’t want to talk about writing songs about me or leaving me anonymous gifts.
My eyebrows rising gradually, I listened to her chat animatedly with her figment friend, Jazz. (Who, I was pretty sure was an actual friend—just wasn’t really on the phone with Ally. As, you know, Ally’s phone was off. Or dead. Or in any case, not on.) The fake conversation was extremely amusing to listen to and had my heart pounding: I want her, I want her.
She was gabbing adorably about her last piano recital, and then explaining that just now she had missed the late bus home, but that I—Griffin Piper—had come to her rescue.
I bit on my huge smile, listening to her go on and on—saying the things that I guess she couldn’t actually tell me, yet she wanted me to know.
When she hung up, she smiled up at me, all shy and thankful-like. “Thank you so much for the ride,” she gushed, her pretty face glowing. It made me inwardly moan and have trouble fighting the need to grab her. (I might have mentioned a couple times—I dug her glow. And her smile. Especially when it was directed at me.)
She added quickly, “Can you drop me off at my friend Jazz’s? She lives just up the block and to your right—she’s expecting me.”
She said the last part like she was slightly worried I might be planning to chop her up into little pieces, and she wanted me to know someone knew where she was and who she was with: scary, scary me—the guy she wrote poems to, but usually wouldn’t let near her. (Apparently because she thinks I have an axe in my car.)
In the short time it took to get to Jazz’s house the sky had cleared and the sun even peeked out of the clouds a little.
“It’s supposed to be nice tonight,” I said, gesturing at the peeking sun.
Ally’s voice quivered a little. “Yeah, I heard that.”
We were at Jazz’s curb now. I wasn’t sure if Ally wanted to leap out of my car or stay and try to have an actual conversation with me. She was kind of hugging the door handle, yet she didn’t jump out of my car when I put it into idle. That was a good sign.
It made my lips quirk up, feeling slightly confident. “A bunch of us are going to the river tonight—to hang out. You want to come?”
“Oh … I, uh.” Her face was turning red, her ears too. “I can’t,” she sighed. “I’m sorry. I’m not really the hanging out at the river type.”
I murmured, “No. I know.” I did. I knew that. “But … ” I didn’t finish my sentence. I shook my head. “Well, okay. If you don’t want to.”
“No! I do.”
She said it again, “I do. But I can’t, because I’m not like that—the party at the river type.” It seemed she was going to leave it at that, but then she gushed out, “But if I was, I’d so totally go with you.”
A jet of warmth shot right to my heart. I cocked an eyebrow. “Then come.”
She shook her head resolutely. “I can’t.”
I smiled a little. This bit. “Okay. It’s just—” My smile grew. “That kiss—” My eyes stalled on her lips. “—I liked it.”
She groaned. “Me too.”
My eyebrows rose. Wow, she admitted it. I coughed, surprised. And delighted.
On reflex, I drew closer to her, ’cause well, I’m not shy. My hands came on either side of her face as my lips grazed hers. I gently traced my fingers down her soft cheeks. Her warm breath heated my lips as she breathed my name. It sent sparks through my body. I wanted her to say it again and again, never stop.
My lips lightly brushed against hers, eager to get reacquainted. But instead of letting me fully go for another tasty kiss, she darted away from me and out of my car like it was on fire…. And I was the devil.
I slumped back in my seat, watching her run away from me—again!! Wondering what I could possibly do to get that chick.
CHAPTER 27
Okay, I can’t comfortably tell you this next part. I mean, I don’t want to get all X-rated on you. I’ll just inform you I started up a thing with my sexy English teacher, Ms. Sharp. I didn’t really expect to get anywhere with the woman, but, well … I did.
’Nough said.
Still, even during that time—while tantalizing my teacher—it’s not like I gave up my fantasy of Heaven. (Beautiful Ally.) Well, I didn’t exactly give it up. But she was giving me the cold shoulder and making it clear she and I would never happen. Well, okay, to be honest, she put out mixed signals, since she continued to leave “anonymous” baked goods taped to my locker. And the occasional own-my-heart poem. But her actions (which speak louder than words, right?) said: “Keep your distance, buck-o.”
I pretty much listened to her actions. I mean, she and Milo seemed to be getting semi-tight, so I tried to respect that. I mean, what else could I do? I couldn’t tie her up and make her spend an actual moment with me.
So … Ms. Sharp.
Like I said, I wasn’t really expecting my advances to go anywhere—but then they did. In a big way.
But to begin with it was just a distraction. Only once we got started—like really soon afterwards—I was like, “Wow, this lady is crazy.”
Which, you know, I should have known right from the beginning (considering she was so willing to be so incredibly inappropriate with her student), but I was a teenage boy and I was dazzled by her hotness and the fact that she was into me. (Hey, teenage boy.)
Then, one day after we were cooling things Ms. Sharp asked me to stay after class.
It went like this: “Griffin, will you wait a moment?—I need a word with you.”
I froze in the doorway.
My friends: “Ohhh!” And high-fives to each other. Because they didn’t have a clue about me and Ms. Sharp. No one did. (I can be discreet … even if I have trouble being smart.) Anyway, my friends were all messing around because Ms. Sharp is hot and she got every male student fantasizing about being kept after class.
I rubbed the back of my neck and inwardly groaned, wanting to refuse her. But I turned back to face her and waited until everyone had left the classroom. (She’s my teacher.)
Then she shut the door, and I was like, ‘Oh man.’ But not in a good way.
She scowled at me a long moment, shooting ice-daggers at me with her narrowed eyes. I had no clue what I did to piss her off. Then she handed me a baggie with a lemon-bar-looking baked treat inside. She growled, “Who’s been leaving you these taped to your locker?”
I winced.
She and I had pretty much ended things by now. Well, I was ending them. But she didn’t seem exactly pleased about it. I mean, her narrowed eyes indicated that. (Grand.)
I took the bag from her. “Just a fan, I guess.”
I tried to play it down, like I didn’t care either way, but I figured I was going to have to warn Ally somehow to cool it. I didn’t want her to aggravate Ms. Sharp any further. Also the gifts bugged Hailey to no end. I didn’t want sweet little Ally getting hurt because I somehow attracted aggressive females.
“Goodbye, Ms
. Sharp,” I said tersely. Wishing that it could be forever. Wishing that she got that.
As I was leaving the classroom, she said in a stern, strangled voice, “Janice.”
That was her name. She was always telling me to call her that when we were alone. But I’d liked calling her Ms. Sharp. It had been fun, back then—now there was nothing fun about the situation.
I didn’t say anything more, I just left.
When I was outside of the classroom, I groaned.
I knew I brought it on myself—the situation I was in. But I swear, I had no clue she would go for me. I was just messing around. I’d needed a distraction from my life—my mom was afraid of the friggin’ door and we had people calling us saying we owed them money. I think it was my dad that owed them the money—but my dad didn’t live with us anymore. Hadn’t for a long time. We had a court order to keep him out of the house.
So whatever, I had just wanted a distraction from that stuff—from my life. Okay, really, I’d wanted the distraction to be Ally, have some heaven in my life, but … well, I couldn’t really do that to her, being the devil and everything. So, I let her have her way. I kept my distance.
… And went for my teacher.
That did not bring me heaven. It brought me a tortured kind of hell.
And made me long for Heaven even worse than before.
CHAPTER 28
I walked up to Ally as she was shutting her locker.
“Ahh!” She yelped and jumped when she turned and saw me standing next to her.
Flattering.
Nah, actually it kind of was. I mean, the way she did it. She turned all pink and her big pretty eyes widened and then immediately turned all soft and glittery and Mmmm. Plus she put her hand over her heart. I always loved to see her do that—about me. It got me fantasizing her heart pounding for me. Like mine pounded for her. (Werewolves.)
I grinned at her cuteness. “Are you leaving me gifts?”
Her Kiss (Griffin) Page 9
