Sophie's Secret Crush - [Whispers 05]

by Tara West

  Ethan didn’t say a word as he slammed the door and started the car. He didn’t need to. The frigid temperature spoke volumes.

  Chapter Three

  Armed with two slices of pepperoni pizza and a diet soda to somehow compensate for the multitude of calories in my processed cardboard , I headed toward my usual table in the back of the cafeteria. The drama club table. The table with the scowling boy with messy hair.

  Oh, yay. I was so looking forward to trying to digest my processed cheese ooze with a jealous, scowling witch sitting across from me.

  Last night’s practice hadn’t gone over so well. Ethan kept giving me the cold shoulder.

  Literally.

  We’d been rehearsing a dramatic scene in the play, so Ethan’s role was more than convincing. He’d hardly spoken as we’d driven home later that night. He’d mumbled something about his air conditioning being too cold, but that was about it.

  Yeah, Ethan. Blame it on the air conditioner. Nice try.

  I had so many things I wanted to say to him, but stupid me, I couldn’t summon the nerve to speak. It especially didn’t help that my teeth were chattering too much to utter a single word, let alone unleash a verbal assault on the boy who had no right to claim me as his.

  Just as I released a pent up breath of air and found the courage to sit at our lunch table, out of the corner of my eye, I spotted Frankie waving at me from across the cafeteria.

  Uh, oh. Frankie’s got my lunch period.

  I took a sip of my soda, trying to quench my suddenly parched mouth, as he made his way to me. The boy must have gotten some sleep last night, because he sure looked good, from his form-fitting, long-sleeved T-shirt, to his stone-washed jeans that hugged him in all the right places. All of a sudden, I didn’t have an appetite for greasy pizza. If only Frankie Salas was on the menu.

  “Hey.” He flashed his signature sideways smile. “I’ve been looking for you all day.”

  I was hesitant to smile back. Actually, I was hesitant to say anything at all, but truthfully, I’d been searching for Frankie all day, too. It sucked that, so far, we didn’t have any classes together. Actually, I should have been relieved I had at least four torture-free class periods. But glutton for punishment that I was, I missed seeing his teasing grin.

  I held out my hand, waggling my fingers. “Let me see your schedule.” Might as well not prolong the torture. If I was going to deal with Frankie in any of my classes, best to be prepared.

  When he handed me a crumpled wad of paper from inside his jeans pocket, I stifled a gasp as his fingers skimmed across mine, sending a rush of hormonal adrenaline up my spine. Why did his touch do that to me? Why did I let his touch do that to me?

  Keep it together, Sophie.

  My jaw dropped when I saw that his next class would be with me—and Ethan. Oh, joy. That would be interesting.

  Again, my mouth had gone dry, and I had to take another sip of soda. “We have history together next period.”

  His face lit up like Fourth of July fireworks. “Excellent.”

  I rolled my eyes when I recalled that our history teacher was most likely the spawn of Satan. “You’ll change your mind after you meet Sleznick.”

  He leaned toward me, his breath a hot whisper in my ear. “I don’t care as long as I’m with you.”

  My knees suddenly felt like jelly. I had to pull back before I made a complete fool of myself and melted on the floor like gooey cheese product on cardboard pizza.

  As I stepped away and looked up at his face, I noticed he was scowling at something over my shoulder.

  Icy shards pricked the back of my neck. Oh, damn, Ethan and Frankie were probably having a stare-down. Who else could send chills down my spine without me having to meet his gaze?

  When Frankie looked at me, there was no mistaking the intensity in his gaze. “I thought you said you didn’t have a boyfriend.”

  I shook my head. “Ethan isn’t my boyfriend.”

  Frankie smirked as he nodded to someone behind me. “He sure acts like one.”

  I didn’t have the nerve to turn around and look. I already sensed Ethan’s gaze boring holes into the back of my skull.

  “Yeah.” I sighed. “It’s pretty damn confusing.”

  Frankie looked at me with one brow raised. “What’s wrong with him? Is he gay?”

  Gay? Why would Frankie think that?

  “I don’t think so,” I answered, though now so many jumbled thoughts were spinning around in my brain, it was hard to think about anything. “He acts like he likes me.”

  “Maybe he’s confused,” Frankie said.

  “I don’t think that’s it.” And up until a few seconds ago, I truly hadn’t thought Ethan was gay, but now that Frankie had planted that seed in my head, the damn idea was starting to fester.

  And the more it festered, the more I was bothered. I didn’t want Ethan to be gay. In fact, just the thought of it squeezed my chest like a vice. My limbs iced over, and this stupid tray of pizza felt like a dead weight.

  “Well, the guy’s got a problem if he acts like he likes you and hasn’t made a move.” Then Frankie nudged me with a wink. “He hasn’t made a move, right?”

  My shoulders fell. “No.”

  “So…” Frankie batted his lashes like he was an innocent school boy. “Do you like him?”

  No use denying the truth. Even if Ethan was gay, I still had a major crush on him. I shrugged. “Yeah.”

  Frankie’s face fell, and he looked like I’d just struck his heart with a verbal spear. “Do you still like me?”

  “Maybe,” I said.

  One dark brow hitched. “Maybe?”

  I was no longer in the mood for pizza, or anything for that matter. I released a frustrated breath as I scanned the cafeteria for a trash can. “I haven’t seen you in a year,” I answered without meeting his gaze.

  Frankie grabbed my chin with a light touch, turning my face. He leaned over until we were practically nose to nose. “We’re seeing each other now. We can hang out after school. I promise not to fall asleep next time we make out.”

  Frankie took my lunch tray and backed up.

  “I have play practice every day after school.” I shook the nervous tension off my arms and breathed a sigh of relief. I didn’t know if I was more relieved that Frankie was now holding my tray or that I wouldn’t have to be tormented by his sexy smile after school.

  Frankie’s expression darkened. “With Ethan?”

  “Yeah.” I shrugged.

  Thankfully, Frankie’s scowl was short-lived. He smiled playfully at me before walking in the other direction. “Come on,” he called over his shoulder.

  “Where are you going?” I asked, following him. “My table is over there.”

  Frankie snickered. “The theater geeks? Sit with me. I’m at the jock table.”

  “I’m not a jock, Frankie.” I knew plenty of jocks and didn’t feel uncomfortable around them. My BFF, AJ, who was staying in Salem this school year, was queen of the jocks, and her big brother was a jock, too. Still, I felt bad leaving my theater friends behind.

  “It’s okay, you’re with me.” His eyes sparkled with mischief as he grinned sheepishly. Damn, he was so darned cute.

  “I can’t just ditch my friends,” I said, feeling like a major jerk for leaving Ethan and the theater club behind. After all, it was only last week that I’d been eating by myself, sulking because my two BFFs had left for Salem. Ethan had found me and insisted I sit with them, much like Frankie was doing now. I wondered if Ethan would hate me if I sat with Frankie today. Somehow that notion made my stomach churn.

  Frankie’s eyes narrowed as he looked at something over my shoulder. “Is that guy stuffing fries up his nose?” There was no mistaking the disgust in his voice.

  I was too embarrassed to answer. I didn’t even need to turn around to know Frankie was talking about Ethan’s best friend, Finn. As wide and tall as a refrigerator with spiky, flame-colored hair, Finn didn’t exactly blend in. He had a d
isgusting habit of belching and farting loudly in public, and he also liked to stuff fries up his nose, making him stand apart from the crowd. Or else the crowd preferred to stand apart from him.

  Either way, he’d embarrassed me on many occasions. Why did he have to act like a fool now?

  “Nice friends you got,” Frankie teased.

  Heat inflamed my chest and fanned my cheeks as I hardened my expression, giving him my best scowl.

  “You see them every day. I haven’t seen you in a year.” He batted long lashes, pouting.

  “Don’t give me that look, Frankie,” I chided, though I knew I didn’t sound as stern as I’d hoped.

  “Come on,” he pleaded. “I’m going through a rough time. I need someone to talk to.” He nodded toward the noisy jocks crowding the table behind him. “Those guys won’t listen.”

  Frankie took several steps back, his mesmerizing eyes locked on me. Idiot that I was, I followed like a love-struck fool caught in his hypnotic trance. The boy wasn’t even a witch that I was aware of, yet at times I thought his mind control powers were stronger than mine.

  Odd that, even as the distance stretched between Ethan and me, I still felt this force, like a giant invisible rubber band, trying to pull me back to him.

  I told myself I continued to follow Frankie because he had my lunch tray, although I wasn’t quite sure withholding greasy processed cheese product qualified as a legitimate hostage situation. “Fine. I’ll sit with you just this once.” I said, but it was like some other girl was talking while the real Sophie was screaming for me to turn around and run, not walk, back to Ethan.

  My traitorous feet refused to listen as they propelled me forward and I wedged myself at a table beside Frankie. Despite all the warm, noisy bodies compressing the air around me, icy currents slithered like tendrils across the back of my neck.

  That’s when I knew my betrayal had upset Ethan. I only hoped he’d forgive me.

  Chapter Four

  As it turned out, Frankie was too busy flirting to talk about his problems during lunch. I don’t know why, but the gentle brush of his fingers across my knee didn’t get me all hot and bothered. Just bothered. I’m pretty sure it was the longest half hour of my life as I kept stealing glances at the drama table, feeling like a traitor for leaving my other friends behind. For the first time this semester, when the bell rang and we had to go to the history class from hell, I was actually relieved.

  But that relief was short lived.

  I trudged toward Mr. Sleznick’s class. Frankie walked beside me, blissfully unaware we were walking into the eye of a storm.

  Ethan was in this class, too. He sat right in front of me, and since the two desks beside me were the only vacant seats in class, I knew exactly where Frankie would be sitting.

  And to think, just last week I’d loved my seating assignment. But thanks to Frankie, our cozy little party of two had quickly spiraled into the triangle of torture.

  Ethan was so not going to be happy.

  *****

  “So you’re the new kid, eh?” Mr. Sleznick glared up at Frankie over the rim of his thick glasses while he crinkled Frankie’s schedule between his bony fingers.

  I have no idea why, but I’d walked Frankie to the front of the classroom to introduce him to our teacher. I guess maybe because I knew what an ass our teacher was, I felt bad sending Frankie up there alone.

  Watching Frankie looking down at Mr. Sleznick, I realized the boy must have grown a whole head taller since last year. He had to be at least six feet tall now. I laughed beneath my breath, thinking Frankie must have a nice bird’s eye view of the liver spots on Sleznick’s bald forehead.

  “Yes, sir,” Frankie answered politely, flashing his signature smile.

  Much to my amazement, Sleznick smiled back. Well, it was as close to a smile as I’d ever seen from the vilest teacher in the whole school. On the teacher jerk scale, Sleznick easily registered a magnitude ten, yet Frankie had actually found a way to charm him.

  Un-freaking-believable.

  Mr. Sleznick handed the schedule back to Frankie before turning to me with an expectant glare.

  “Do you need something from me, Miss Sinora?” he asked in that annoying nasal pitch.

  “Who, me?” I jerked and took a step back, because the only thing more disgusting than Mr. Sleznick’s attitude was his breath. “No.” I shook my head. “I don’t want anything.”

  But since you asked, I thought, maybe I’d like to offer you a breath mint, or some industrial strength oral rinse.

  He motioned to Frankie and sneered. “Are you two joined at the hip now?” Then he leered at me—two dark snake eyes, protruding from sallow eye bags, framed by too many liver spots to count. “You work fast, Miss Sinora.”

  A shiver stole up my spine. Okay, so add major creep to Mr. Sleznick’s long list of flaws. “Excuse me?” I rasped.

  But Sleznick ignored me as he slapped Frankie on the back. “First day of school and you’ve already got yourself a girlfriend.”

  My jaw fell open. It felt as if every ounce of blood in my body shot straight to my face, and my cheeks were near to bursting from the heat of my embarrassment.

  “He’s not my boyfriend,” a small voice from somewhere inside me echoed.

  Mr. Sleznick responded with something like a laugh, or maybe it was an asthmatic fit or the mating call of a crane. I wasn’t quite sure.

  “Not yet.” Frankie answered with amusement ringing in his words. “But I’m working on it.”

  Holy hell! I so did not need this.

  Not in front of the entire class, and certainly not in front of Ethan.

  “I’m going to sit down now,” I said through a groan.

  Much to my horror, all eyes in the classroom were on me. I could read the glee in their eyes. They were having a real fun time watching the jerk teacher make a fool out of me. My only consolation was that Sleznick usually picked a new victim daily, so they’d all have their turns, too.

  “The seat next to Miss Sinora is empty,” Mr. Sleznick said drolly behind me.

  As I walked toward my desk, I cringed as I caught Ethan’s cool blue gaze. When he looked away before I could smile, I knew I was in the doghouse. I didn’t need mind reading powers to know Ethan was angry.

  Very angry.

  I only hoped he’d get over it before it ruined our friendship.

  As soon as we’d sat down, Mr. Sleznick began handing out worksheets. “Take one for yourself and pass the rest back,” he droned.

  Ethan didn’t bother turning around as he handed me a stack of sheets over his head.

  “Thanks, Ethan,” I squeaked.

  He refused to answer back. The sudden drop in temperature was answer enough.

  “Fine,” I grumbled. Act like a jerk, I thought.

  I was a little irked by the way he was acting. I mean, he sent me mixed messages last week. Did he expect me to follow him around like a love struck puppy forever?

  I hadn’t even looked at my worksheet before I heard Frankie mumble beside me. “Exam study guide.”

  Exam study guide! My heart had dropped to the floor as I read the words scrawled across the top of my paper with mind numbing horror.

  Comprehensive exam tomorrow. Forty percent of quarter grade.

  What the? This had to be some kind of mistake. Or maybe another one of Sleznick’s cruel jokes.

  “There’s an exam tomorrow?” I blurted, mentally chiding myself as I remembered Sleznick’s stupid rule of no speaking unless called upon. I sure didn’t need another after-school detention when I had so much studying to do.

  Sleznick eyed me through narrowed slits as he hunched over his podium. “That’s what the paper says, Ms. Sinora. You’d better make sure your boyfriend is caught up.” He nodded toward Frankie while maniacally laughing. “No breaks for the newbie.”

  I stole a glance at Frankie whose mouth had fallen open. I guess the boy’s magic spell over Sleznick was short-lived. Then a wicked, devious thought poppe
d into my brain—magic spell.

  Yeah, I could do it if I wanted to. My telepathic powers had been strengthening to the point where I could pop into people’s minds and tell them what to think and even speak. I’d gotten Sleznick to let us out of a pop quiz once. I’d gotten back at a theater snob by making her swear the pledge of allegiance to her butt and talk about her stinky cheese farts in front of the whole drama club. I could easily make Sleznick postpone this exam, at least until I had time to study.

  But did I really want to become that kind of witch? One who used her power to manipulate others? I’d had a few long talks with Alessia about this. My cat had said she knew of another witch like me who’d abused her powers and turned evil. I didn’t want to be an evil witch and feed into the stupid stereotypes created about us. I wanted to be a good witch, one who used her powers to help others. Then again, making Sleznick cut us a break would help others. I was sure my classmates could use the extra study time.

  Then a thought crossed my mind. What if I just tried to reason with Sleznick? Sure, he was evil and sadistic, but there had to be the remnants of a heart somewhere inside that bony chest cavity of his.

  I hesitantly raised my hand, just as he flipped open his textbook and was preparing to bore us with another lecture.

  “Speak, Miss Sinora.” he said in a clipped voice, as if he was talking to a dog.

  I wasn’t surprised, as he treated his students like dogs on a daily basis.

  “Can’t you give us more time to study?” I asked him in my sweetest voice, the same tone I used whenever I wanted my dad to give me money.

  “No.” Sleznick answered tersely before turning back to his book.

  Damn. The sweet voice always worked on my dad. I was not about to give up so easily. I raised my hand again.

  “What now?” he groaned, rolling his eyes to the ceiling.

  Stupid me, I’d raised my hand without thinking through what I was going to say, so of course, the lamest excuse popped out of my mouth. “I’ve got play rehearsal tonight,” I said as I could feel the whine slip into my voice. Oh, not, not the whine! How was I going to win an argument when I sounded like a spoiled child? “I won’t have enough time to study.”