Ninja Girl

by Cookie O'Gorman

  “Don’t be. It’s my job to keep track of who interacts with you.”

  Slamming the locker closed, I laughed and took her books. “Counting the girls who hit on me. Is that in the bodyguard handbook or something?”

  Before she could answer, a familiar voice said, “Hey, Ash, who’s your friend?”

  I closed my eyes, wishing I could pretend I didn’t hear. But she was standing so close. Much as I wanted to run, the good manners Mom taught me kicked in.

  “Barbie Buchanan,” I said, unable to keep the distaste out of my voice. Barbie didn’t notice. As I faced her, she smiled real big, flashing a set of perfect white teeth. It reminded me of a shark. “How are you?”

  “I’m alright.” She flipped her peroxide blonde hair. “Being a junior sucks. Daddy’s been on my case about getting more volunteer work in, more photo ops for the press. But there are only so many disgusting soup kitchens around, you know? Plus, they always want you to wear those gross hairnets.” Barbie laughed. “Can you imagine me in a hairnet?”

  I shook my head. No, I couldn’t imagine her doing anything for anyone else. Barbie was all about Barbie.

  Her sharp eyes shifted to Snow. “And who’s this?”

  Snow stepped forward, put herself slightly in front of me. She didn’t take her eyes off Barbie, staring at the other girl like she was a threat. I would’ve laughed if it wasn’t true. The younger Buchanan had been my shadow since I came to CCDS. I just couldn’t shake her.

  “I’m Snow,” she said flatly. “His cousin.”

  “Snow,” Barbie snickered. “Like Snow White, the Disney princess?”

  “No, snow like when water freezes and falls to the earth in flakes.”

  “That’s a weird name.”

  My ninja girl raised a brow. “It’s a hell of a lot better than being named after a children’s toy.”

  Barbie sputtered, and I chuckled, couldn’t help it.

  “Actually, my namesake comes from my great grandmother, former Congresswoman Barbie Anne Buchanan,” she rallied. “Not some doll and definitely not some form of precipitation.”

  Snow shrugged. “Whatever you say.”

  Barbie looked about ready to start a fight, one that Snow would no doubt win. But her big brother stepped up and put a hand on her shoulder. Fan-fricking-tastic. I got to deal with both Buchanan brats today.

  “Barbie,” he said, glaring at me, “is something wrong? Did Stryker say something to upset you?”

  “No, Buddy, it’s just this girl,” Barbie said, pouting. “I came over to invite Ash to our Halloween party, and she just started insulting me.”

  Buddy Buchanan Jr. gave Snow a quick look then turned back to his sister. “You know you can’t invite him. Dad would never allow a Stryker in our house.”

  “Yeah, but I want to.” She dropped a card on top of my books. “That’s the invite Ash. The party’s three weeks from now on the 31st. I really hope you can make it. Leave your cousin at home, though, alright?”

  Buddy just shook his head. “Dad’s not going to like this.”

  “As if I’d set foot in your house anyway, Buchanan.” I handed the card back to his sister, who frowned. “Sorry, Barbie, I can’t. My dad would kill me if he knew I walked into enemy territory.”

  Snow looked up. “Enemy territory?”

  “Yeah,” I said, holding out a hand. “These are Buddy Buchanan’s kids, the incumbent Senator who my dad’s running against.”

  “He should save himself the embarrassment,” Buddy Jr. sniffed. “No way a Stryker’s winning this race. The Buchanans have been in politics for years.”

  “Maybe that’s why things are still so screwed up.”

  “Maybe you should stay away from my sister,” he said back.

  “You should tell her to stay away from me.” That made his eyes flair. “Let’s go, Snow. It’s almost time for lunch.”

  We hadn’t gone five feet before Buddy Jr. called me back.

  “Hey, Ash!” he said, and I turned—just in time to see a red circle getting bigger and bigger as it hurtled toward my head. The bastard had thrown an apple at me. And with his pitching arm, too. This was so going to hurt.

  Snow’s hand whipped up and caught the apple inches from my face.

  I let out a breath I hadn’t known I was holding—then I charged the asshole.

  “You could’ve hit her,” I said, pushing him back. The kid was about to get the shit beat out of him.

  “I was aiming at you,” he said dazed.

  “What is wrong with you?” I grabbed onto his shirt and shook him. “Didn’t you see how close she was? What if you’d thrown too wide? Snow could’ve been seriously injured.”

  He looked at me then, sounding incredulous. “Stryker, I’m starting pitcher for the Wombats. That was my best fastball. How the hell did she catch it barehanded?”

  Snow had the quickest reflexes I’d ever seen, but he hadn’t known that when he let the apple fly. My anger burned hotter by the second.

  “Hit me,” I said, stepping back.

  “What?”

  “Hit me, man. Let’s have this out, right now.” Dad would kill me later, but something in me had snapped. I hardly even noticed all the people surrounding us. Seeing Snow rip that apple out of the air had been sweet—until I considered the danger. Now, it was on. “I’ve been wanting to kick your ass, Buchanan. And you just gave me the perfect reason.”

  “Screw you, Stryker,” he spat.

  I pulled my fist back, ready to break his nose—but Snow stopped me. Stepping between us, she took a big bite of the apple then tossed it back to Buddy Jr.

  “Nice throw,” she said. A crazy smile lit her face. “If you try it again, I’ll break your hand.”

  Mr. Trumble pushed his way through the crowd, demanding to know what was going on, while Buddy Jr. and his sister just stood there, shocked. As Snow and I were walking away, I said, “Hey, are you okay?”

  Snow rolled her eyes. “I’m fine.”

  “You sure?” I asked. “That apple was moving pretty fast.”

  “Yeah, it was,” she said and shook out her hand. “But I wish you wouldn’t have picked a fight with that Buddy guy. I’m supposed to be your bodyguard, remember? Not the other way around.”

  “But you could’ve been hurt.” Despite what she said, Snow was in pain. I knew that much by the way she kept flexing her fingers. “Let me see your hand.”

  Ignoring her protests, I lifted her right hand and turned it over. There was a light bruise in the center of her palm.

  “I’ll kill the bastard.”

  “No,” Snow said, “you’ll stay far away. Could the Buchanans be the ones sending your dad those letters?”

  “I guess,” I said. I’d never thought about it before, but they definitely had good reason. With Dad out of the race, running unopposed, Buddy Senior would be a shoo-in. “But Barbie would never do something so time consuming. Cutting letters out of different magazines? Too much effort.”

  “Plus, she has a crush on you,” she murmured. “But that Buddy seems to hate you.”

  “Buddy Jr. would never have the guts.”

  She gave me that blank look again. “He just attacked you in front of a hallway of witnesses.”

  “You’re right.” I ran my thumb lightly over her palm. “Thanks for saving my life, ninja girl.”

  Blushing, she pulled her hand away. “It was only an apple. It wouldn’t have killed you.”

  “Yeah, but it would’ve hurt like hell.”

  The rest of the day went by like clockwork. No more fruit flying at my head, Snow did her thing in class, and I just sat back and watched her work. It wasn’t until we went out to the parking lot and saw my car—or rather the state of my car—that things got serious. The Buchanans were nowhere to be seen, and after Snow’s warning, I honestly didn’t think Buddy Jr. would have the balls. Veronica was in the same spot where I’d left her that morning, but the driver’s side sported deep grooves in the paint that formed letters
.

  The message: DROP OUT NOW!

  I couldn’t believe it. My car had been keyed.

  And Snow looked like she wanted to hit something.

  CHAPTER 9: SNOW

  I wanted to hit something.

  Bad.

  Preferably the SOB who’d defiled Ash’s car on my watch. It was a travesty to do that to such a beautiful machine. Not to mention, embarrassing as hell. When we pulled into The Academy, Smith was standing there, waiting to take over guard duty. He shook his head at the slashes.

  “Drop out now?” he said. “What the hell, Veronica looks like she’s been in a knife fight. Mrs. C won’t be too happy when she sees this.”

  “I’m supposed to guard him, not his car,” I muttered, stepping out.

  Smith crossed his arms. “I told her you weren’t ready.”

  I took a step a closer. He was taller by about a foot, outweighed me by at least fifty pounds, but I’d be damned if I let the jerk intimidate me. “And how do you figure that?”

  “This isn’t a game, Snow. You’ve been on the Strykers’ payroll, what, eight hours? And already”—he held his hand out to the car—”this happens.”

  Ash cut in between us and said, “Chill out, Smith. It wasn’t her fault.”

  Smith didn’t listen. “Teenage girls just aren’t equipped with the knowledge and skills it takes to be a bodyguard. You should leave security work to the professionals.”

  I cocked a brow his way. “If you see any professionals, you let me know, Agent Smith. I’ll be happy to hand him over.”

  Smith stared at me hard. I stared back. Maybe I’d get a chance to hit someone after all. Not only had he insulted my intelligence, but he’d also questioned all the training I’d done over the past decade. Agent Smith was a douche. Period.

  “Alright, alright,” Ash said, pushing Smith back. “That’s enough of that. Can’t we all just get along? Smith, I’m going to need you to drive Veronica over to the body shop later. Try your best not to let Mom see.”

  The agent mumbled something, fell into the passenger’s seat, and Ash shut the door.

  “Don’t worry about it,” he said. “Smith’s just jealous. You’re my mom’s new favorite.”

  I shook my head. “Not after this.”

  “Hey, I’ve got great insurance, and no worries. It was probably Buddy Jr. blowing off some steam.” I knew he didn’t really think that. I didn’t either. Buddy had looked plenty scared after our little talk. And the words, “DROP OUT NOW!” were obviously about the Senate race. The phrase was in several of the threats I’d read. “So, I’ll see you tomorrow? Come on, ninja girl. It’s no big deal.”

  It kind of was, but I said, “Yeah sure.”

  Over the next week, I attended classes at CCDS. We reported the incident to the administration, but the cameras hadn’t caught a thing. In the exact space where Ash had parked, there was a blind spot. Of course. Omma scoffed at this, calling the school’s security “inept” and “unprofessional,” telling me to keep my eyes open.

  And I did.

  The Top Three Things I noticed were:

  1) Ash really did love country. “Uh-uh, ninja girl,” he’d said on Day 2 when I reached for the iPod. “It’s my turn to DJ. Sit back and enjoy the twangy goodness.” Blech. I still hated the genre. But to be honest, a few of his songs weren’t that bad. I didn’t know if I’d ever like Taylor Swift as much as Ash…but she was growing on me.

  2) A rental SUV was a lot like a Challenger: The front seats were close. My knee was inches from Ash’s hand resting on the gearshift. The car rides to school were nerve-racking. But he never crossed the small distance. When we got to CCDS, I couldn’t decide whether to be relieved—or disappointed.

  3) The girls. Good Lord, it was crazy. They flew to him like bees to honey. The sheer amount of girls who flirted with Ash was ridiculous. Even more crazy: how often he pushed them away. On average, eight to ten girls approached him a day. I tried my best to stay out of it. But Ash always brushed them off. Pretty, plain, didn’t matter. I might’ve thought he was gay—if it wasn’t for his reaction to that dumb skirt.

  And my reaction to him? I walked outside every morning, feeling a tiny jolt in my stomach when I saw Ash waiting for me. I tried to ignore the jolt. Really, I did—but honestly? It scared the hell out of me.

  “Holy shit, isn’t that Ash Stryker?”

  Koi sidled up to me and Bae Bae, eyes glued on the front lobby like he’d just seen a movie star.

  “Unfortunately,” Bae Bae said, watching Ash walk into the gym.

  My stomach did that stupid jolt again. I glared down at it. It was Thursday, and Ash was signed up for self-defense, I reminded myself. No big deal.

  “Wow,” Koi breathed.

  “Wow?” I asked. Ash grinned setting off more small sparks. God, I was in trouble.

  “Yeah,” he said. “Don’t you guys know who he is?”

  I shrugged. “Wesley Stryker’s son.”

  “A rich punk with his eyes on our Snow-Soon.” The glare I shot Bae should’ve shut him up, but the big guy just blinked. “What?” he said. “You know it’s true.”

  “What I know is you’re an ass,” I said.

  Koi looked at the two of us like we were stupid. “Geez, how do you live here and not know? That, my uninformed friends, is Ash “The Whip” Stryker. The guy used to play Varsity for Chariot High. Hell, he used to own that soccer pitch. It was a widely known fact that up until last year, he and Becks Kent were well on their way to becoming soccer Gods. Then Becks went off to UNC, and Ash’s politician daddy pulled him out of Chariot. Tragic, really.”

  “I knew it,” I said, smiling. “With a body like that, I knew Ash played some kind of sport.”

  “Not just played,” Koi said. “In the world of high school soccer, The Whip is legend.”

  Bae Bae snorted. “I’ll believe it when I see it. And why were you looking at his body, Snow-Soon?”

  He was seriously asking for a smack.

  Ash was about five steps away when Koi sighed. “He is such a BAMF.” Seeing my look, he said, “You know, BAMF? Bad Ass Mother Fu—”

  “Okay, okay, I get it,” I interrupted. His giddy reaction was starting to freak me out.

  “Snow, you just have to introduce me.”

  “Huh—”

  “Just do it,” Koi whispered in a rush. “I’ll never ask you for anything ever again.”

  Ash stepped in front of us then wearing his usual grin. “Hey, ninja girl. How’s it going?”

  I shot him a glare. “I thought we agreed you’d stop calling me that.”

  “You agreed,” he corrected. “I didn’t.”

  Koi cleared his throat, and I sighed. “Ash, have you met Koi? His family owns The Singing Fish. He says you’re a BAMF.”

  “A what?”

  “Hey, man.” Koi pushed me out of the way, latching onto Ash’s hand. “I’m Koi, Koi Woo. You know, like the fish? I’m one of your biggest fans.”

  “What’s up, Koi,” Ash said. Apparently, he wasn’t put off by Koi’s brand of crazy. “So, you like soccer?”

  “Hell yeah, I like soccer. I’m nowhere near your level, but I’ve got the love. Last year, you and Becks gave me a reason to live. That was a hell of a season.”

  “Thanks, man.”

  Shaking his head, Koi said, “Real shame you couldn’t take Chariot to a four-year streak, though.”

  Ash grimaced.

  Interesting, I thought. It was one of the first times I’d seen Ash lose his grin. The soccer thing must’ve been a real sore spot.

  He recovered after a moment. “Hey, maybe we could kick the ball around sometime.”

  At this, Koi looked about ready to faint. “Wow…that would be amazing.”

  “You could bring Snow along,” he suggested.

  Bae Bae scoffed, but Koi was already nodding. “Yeah, totally. I could bring the Snow Queen. No problem.”

  Noticing Min-Hee waving from the bleachers, I left the boys be
fore Koi could make any other promises. I still hadn’t gotten him back for the karaoke incident. I’d been trying to wait for the perfect moment, but Koi was making that damn hard.

  “You’re full of it, Min,” I heard Nara say right as I walked up. “He’d never go for her.”

  I realized who the “her” was when all four girls locked eyes on me. Min-Hee had always come to my practices, but Nara and her crew only started coming recently to check out the guys. It was disgusting. They’d just sit in the bleachers, giggling, reapplying lip gloss, watching as the Elite members showed off for them. Lisa and Lynn were wearing outfits similar to Nara’s: short skirt, tight shirt, great push-up bra. But I was betting only Nara’s Gucci sunglasses were the real deal. They were pushed up, holding her hair back, rhinestones glinting, as she stared at me.

  “A guy like that would never be so desperate.”

  “Snow, tell her,” Min-Hee demanded.

  “Tell her what?” I said.

  “Ash is the guy you kissed at the movies, and now you two are together.” I blinked as Min threw Nara a smirk. “He even picks her up every morning for school. Isn’t that right, Snow?”

  I was so stunned I could barely speak. “Min, what are you talking about?”

  “You and Ash,” she said, rolling her eyes. “No need to be modest. Bae Bae told me everything. Ash is totally into you. He said he comes to this class just to see her.”

  Nara laughed. “Good one, Min-Hee. That’s the funniest thing I’ve heard all day.”

  “Explain it to her, please, before I go off.”

  It took me a second, but I picked out the important bit. “You said, Bae Bae told you this?” I asked, trying to sound calm.

  “Yeah,” Min said, crossing her arms, “which I’ve been meaning to tell you is totally screwed up. You should’ve told me yourself. Would it have killed you to give me a call, text, something?”

  “But—”

  “What the heck are best friends for,” she added, “if we can’t gossip about our love lives? Ash is the first guy you’ve ever shown any interest in. I have to say, I’m really disappointed in you, Snow.”

  “Min, I—”

  “The only thing I didn’t understand is why you’re repeating senior year,” she said. “But Bae Bae explained that, too.”