I enjoyed the non-biased voice. Along with the information that gave me a name to call the girl besides the adjective that merely described her hair color. This was the first real contribution Lauren had made to the conversation. Probably because she didn’t really follow the gossip. It just wasn’t her style. I had always liked that about her. She kept her personal assumptions private, only relaying the facts she knew.
“Where did they move from?” I asked.
“The Alexanders are from Raleigh and Lillian Edwards came from a small town up in New York,” Lauren said.
“Sadie Collins said she’s already top of her class,” Becca added.
Uh-oh, I thought. Sean wasn’t going to like that. I’d have to remember to ask if he knew his valedictorian spot was in jeopardy.
“She’s so annoying,” Heather said.
“That’s only because you’re jealous that she is gorgeous and smart,” Erika said.
I turned to see that she had stopped talking to Rene Salmore—a mutual acquaintance— and joined in on the conversation.
“I am not,” Heather objected.
Erika tilted her head in disbelief as she lifted her eyebrows. “Oh, really?”
“Like I need to be jealous.” Heather said. “I’m sure William Alexander is going to get bored of her soon.”
“I don’t know, they seem pretty happy,” Becca said.
“Whatever,” Heather said. She rolled her eyes at the comment before turning away from the conversation as if to prove she lacked any more interest. She fooled nobody.
Lauren, who had already begun working on her French workbook, turned her lips inward to resist her grin. I had already lifted my curved hand under my nose, scratching the imaginary itch with my index finger, in order to hide the grin that formed from Heather’s sudden fluster. Once I was able to maintain my composure, I looked down to begin finishing my lunch.
After taking a swig of tea, I snuck a glance over at the table of the Alexander twins and Lillian Edwards. It was there I instantly locked eyes with Lillian herself. The chestnut brown of her eyes radiated an invitation from across the room while her lips rose with amusement as if she had been listening to the entire conversation. I was glad for her sake—or possibly Heather’s sake— that she couldn’t.
I politely grinned back for a few seconds before looking down to my food again. I knew there was time for more questions later. I had a whole school year for them. For now, I would simply sit and deliberate among the mental assumptions that began floating into my mind.
Like where Liam Alexander really went during lunch.
3. Blinded Fury
After my sixth period with Coach Wallace, I dumped my newly acquired history book into my locker before heading off to English with Mrs. Anderson, a class I was actually excited to get to on time. Mostly because I was eager to know what we would have to read this semester. From what Sean had told me, I was most likely going to get the chance to reread several classics, ones that I had on my own shelf. But the other part of me simply wanted to get there early enough to avoid what I had had to suffer with Spanish. The embarrassment had still yet to fade.
By the time I walked in, I noticed half the students had already filtered into the classroom. But I also noticed something else. Those heading in after me were finding their seats. Their assigned seats from last semester. Crap, I thought. Now I had to go up to the teacher’s desk.
It wasn’t hard to spot the woman in her mid-thirties with small layers of dirty blonde hair. Her slightly uneven lips grinned at the sight of my approach. She seemed like one of those over-friendly types. Always better than the grumpy ones. She reached out for the schedule in my hand. Once I had extended my hand to her, she laid the schedule next to her list of names, using the tip of her index finger as a guide before placing a check mark next to my name.
“Okay, Emma,” she said. When she smiled, it was hard to see any previous imperfections I had noticed of her lips. She gazed around the room at the incoming students. “Why don’t you sit right there next to Liam?”
Immediately my eyes bounced off her left hand, which was pointing toward the window on my left. They landed on Liam Alexander. His gaze seemed to find mine in the same moment I did his. Didn’t see that coming, I thought.
I didn’t waste time making my way to the empty seat next to Liam. He looked right at me before I even had time to pivot my legs toward him. There were those bright green eyes shining their way right through me as if I were transparent. I had to admit they were hard to resist.
“Fancy meeting you again,” he said.
I grinned, feeling an excitement in his words. “I’m just glad it was better circumstances.”
“Yes, but I began to become accustomed to the pattern.”
I rolled my eyes. “Well, that makes one of us,” I said. His lips twitched in resisted amusement. “I would think most girls would swoon at the chance to be a damsel in distress.”
I could see his point, but I was almost positive they were a different vulnerability. “I don’t think picking up my pens and opening my locker counts as that kind of distress.”
He smiled, showing me the perfect arrangement of his teeth. Teeth that I—even with an expander, two retainers, and two years of braces—still couldn’t match.
“Class, we have a new student,” Mrs. Anderson said.
My neck turned to see her eager eyes on me. The embarrassment had already begun to fill my body with weighted lead.
“This is Emma Morgan.”
As she pointed, I could feel the awkward grin upon my lips. I held it only for a few seconds’ worth of eye contact from a few old acquaintances before looking down at my hands. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Liam smiling amusingly to my embarrassment. I was tempted to kick him.
“Okay, everyone. Let’s pull out a piece of paper and a pen.” Mrs. Anderson smiled and clasped her hands together as a few moans traveled the room like a wave. I managed to complete the simple task without much complaint. “I want everyone to write down some of their favorite authors. Then I want you to trade with a partner and discuss.”
Everyone was waiting for what seemed a command word. She noticed this as she looked around. “Go,” she said with a polite demand in her soft voice.
I half smiled at her final word and began writing.
Jane Austen Charlotte Bronte
Emily Bronte Lewis Carroll
William Shakespeare
I laughed in my head as I wrote at the bottom of the paper.
I love suggestions for new reads!
I looked up with just my eyes, noticing nobody else was switching. Mrs. Anderson looked around making this same observation.
“Okay, guys, switch with a partner.”
“May I read yours?” I still had my eyes on Mrs. Anderson when Liam’s voice pulled my attention. I turned my neck to see his eyes on me.
“Sure,” I said.
From the moment he slipped his list into my hands, I felt the risen shock in my brow as I began to read,
William Shakespeare H. G. Wells Nathaniel Hawthorne
Jane Austen Charles Dickens Jack London
Emily Bronte Victor Hugo George Orwell
Charlotte Bronte Lewis Carroll John Steinbeck
Ernest Hemingway Mark Twain
The surprise didn’t just come from the flawless calligraphy of handwriting but the quantity of names. I had expected such male stereotypical authors as J. R. R. Tolkien or C. S. Lewis. But here was someone who knew and loved not only the classic works of history but some of the classic works of women as well. The very same I had listed myself.
“Fan of the nineteenth century?” he asked.
My lips were straight as I slightly nodded to a thought, not far from my mind of him. He intrigued me with the way he spoke at times, as if he were a character in one of my nineteenth century novels. Maybe it was just because of all the old century authors he had read. They had begun to influence his speech. “They are some of my favorites,” I
said.
He wasn’t quite smiling, but his lips were more than straight. “If you had to choose, which would be your favorite author?”
Oh, man, I thought. But I knew of which I read the most. “Austen, I suppose.”
“I know of some that I believe you will like. May I give you some suggestions?”
“Always,” I said. “It’s what I wrote, isn’t it?”
This time I didn’t miss the obvious grin. “Yes,” he said.
I couldn’t help as I found myself watching him as he wrote. He must have noticed this too, suddenly shifting his eyes to me. He grinned again, but it never traveled up to his eyes. They were resistant.
I left his face to pivot back in my chair. I closed my eyes in an awkward way to avoid the vulnerability of whatever this was. I didn’t know myself, and I certainly wasn’t going to let myself be fooled into it.
Thankfully by this point, Mrs. Anderson began handing out the reading list. I let myself focus on the expected titles of The Scarlet Letter, Of Mice and Men, Hamlet, and The Great Gatsby, all works I had read before and would gladly do again. Maybe Sean would at least tell me what the possible topic of any papers’ would be so I could get a head start. That wasn’t cheating after all, just being well prepared.
I could see most of the other students making faces with grimaces. All except for Liam, who just simply studied the reading list with a curl of his lips. Like me he seemed to find the list a pleasure instead of an obligation. I couldn’t help feeling slightly connected to him in that way.
Though I had looked back to the reading list, I could still see when he extended his hand with the folded paper of his suggestions. “Enjoy,” he said.
I tried to fight the quiver of a smile as I took the notebook paper. I was on the verge of opening it when Mrs. Anderson pulled the class to order. It was time for my least favorite part. Note taking. I was a slow writer, and most of the time, I couldn’t catch up in time before the slide switched. I also wasn’t the type to speak up and request it be put back up just for me. So I tucked the sheet of paper in the front pocket of my folder before pulling out my spiral notebook.
But when the first slide was finally up, I found myself distracted by Liam again. Not because of him in general. It was his note taking. He never looked up to the slide once. He merely listened to Mrs. Anderson’s voice, copying her every word. I definitely knew who would be the right person to copy notes from if I were ever sick.
By the time the bell had rung, I began to wonder where the time had flown. But I didn’t waste time standing to gathering my things.
“Can I walk you to your locker?” Liam asked.
I had seen him gather his books swifter than me and only assumed that he had already left. But now I could see I was wrong. I turned to see him waiting a little in front of his desk. My eyebrows rose in surprise as I looked around the room. “Me?”
His lips resisted any laughter. “If you don’t mind,” he said.
Such an odd request. What girl would really turn it down? Or maybe that was just because part of me was hoping he would ask. “No, I don’t mind,” I said.
I tried my best to hide the elation of watching his smile. But I knew my face betrayed me when I felt the warmth in my checks. Liam gestured his left hand for me to lead. As I walked out the door, I reminded myself not to get any hopes up. Surely, this was not what I thought it was. But then again I wasn’t quite sure what I thought it was either.
The silence that passed on the way to my locker made my nerves jumpy. My thoughts were uncontrollable at this point. It felt almost involuntary that my eyes shifted up every few seconds to find his simple grin. I’m not even good looking, I thought before looking down from the last gaze. I caught a few stares from students standing at their lockers. Instantly I dove back into my thoughts as if they were a pool of security.
Maybe he knows I sit with Heather and wants me to pass a good word. I was surprised at the jealousy that surfaced while thinking of Heather. Suddenly it occurred to me that I should probably say something aloud.
But once we reached my locker, the silence continued. I wondered if he wanted to bail without being rude, before focusing my complete attention on my combination number. Unfortunately it failed on me for the second time today. My stomach pulled in with embarrassment after the third twist of the lock. Why did this always seem to happen when he was near?
“All right, I give up,” I said. I stepped back, throwing my left hand in the air.
His eyes gazed at me with patience. “Why don’t we try another way,” Liam said.
“I’m all for it,” I said.
I watched as he made his free hand into a fist before side bumping the metal with a small tap. It popped open as if it had been commanded. My eyes were wide with surprise. “How did you do that?” I asked.
“Simple leverage.”
Leverage? I narrowed my eyes before feeling around the metal with my fingers.
“How was your first day?” he asked.
I was aware of his sudden subject change, but his tone still distracted me. In the softness of his voice I could hear that he was actually curious.
“Um . . . not bad,” I said. I shrugged, grabbing my backpack from the hook. I began piling my new books inside.
“Do you like being back in North Carolina?”
It was strange having people know my history, but Washington wasn’t exactly a big city. And though everyone may not know everyone, they most likely still know of you. Especially in high school where your brother was popular.
“I love being back.”
“You didn’t like Dallas?”
I could admit the question was fair. Dallas was a big city with more to do.
“It’s nothing compared to here.”
I was not afraid to be honest about this subject. It’s not like I would hurt Dallas’s feelings.
“Why is that?”
“You actually care?” I said.
It wasn’t a question but a realization that made me say this. He seemed genuinely curious about what I thought. It made me feel oddly comfortable, a comfort I only knew with one other person.
“I do,” he said.
There it was again. That grin that didn’t seem to reach his lips. It was like he was battling two different emotions. He cared but didn’t know why he cared.
“There’s just something about the place you grow up. Dallas was never home.” I paused, knowing I might be a little biased there. “Besides, it is way too hot in Texas.” He exhaled with amusement while his eyes seemed to hold back. It was like he knew I had more. “But I could live with the heat. That’s why they invented pools.” I shrugged with the roll of my eyes. “But I missed my brother.”
“Because he stayed in Washington?”
“Yeah. I don’t really do well without him,” I said. The honesty radiated through my voice. I could see Liam narrowing his eyes at my words. I didn’t want to be letting this all out. It was too much information than he needed. But what I thought and what I felt were different. Almost like I felt it was only natural. I didn’t want to stop talking to him.
“Do you know him?” I asked with curiosity. Sean obviously already knew him.
Liam nodded with my words as he seemed to look beyond them and into what I was saying. “I know of him through my sister,” he said.
My mind drifted back to the odd exchange at lunch. I shifted back to another assumption. “Do they have a class together?” I asked.
“I believe she mentioned in passing that they have Spanish together.” He lifted and dropped his chin up with a nod.
“I met her at lunch.” I tilted my head as my eyes shifted to the floor and back to meet his gaze. “Well, I met her briefly.” For the most part, she really just talked about me. But I remembered her quite well. I remembered the intimidation I felt around her, like being around the Queen of England. “She’s quite sophisticated.”
Liam carried a crooked smirk with his quickly risen eyebrows. It was a confirmat
ion of silent words. Yep, that’s my sister.
I hadn’t realized until now that we had been gravitating forward with our conversation. All I knew was the longer I looked at his face, the higher my cheeks rose with contentment. We found ourselves in a comfortable silence. At least until his gaze lifted behind me. I couldn’t help but follow it instinctively with my neck’s turn.
It was Sean that had caught his attention. He was stalking toward us with a furrowed brow and narrowed eyes. He was furious.
4. Warning
I could feel the worry slithering up veins like a serpent as Sean sauntered forward. Liam immediately straightened with a few steps away from me. I couldn’t blame him. It was like getting out of the way of a raging bull. He refused to take his eyes off my brother.
I sighed with pursed lips and squinted eyes. I had become confused and curious in the same moment. I had never seen Sean like this, even in the heat of argument with my dad. It was almost like he had blinded me with the fury that radiated off of him. When he was only feet away, I could feel the scramble of nerves in my stomach that left a chill through my body. Something I had never known around Sean.
“Where do you want to go for your birthday tonight?” he asked.
My eyes widened with surprise. It was his tone. What I had expected to be enraged sounded slightly saddened with the randomness of his question, like he had just gotten bad news. But what did I expect? I didn’t know. Maybe some form of anger to lash out through yelling.
“Um . . .” I paused to smile at an idea. “Well, how about Burger King?” I said. I found humor in the joke, but I could tell he didn’t. By the way he shifted his gaze to the ground I didn’t know if he even heard me.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” Liam said.
When he spoke, I turned my head back to follow his lead. I smiled, but the feeling never traveled to my eyes. They were cautiously aware of Sean behind me.
“Yeah,” I said. “See ya tomorrow.”
I turned back to Sean who still hadn’t answered. His gaze was still on the ground. In fact he hadn’t moved at all.
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