Raw Deal (Beauty for Ashes: Book One)

by Dayo Benson

  “Which pocket are they in?”

  “I’m not sure.”

  I checked his right pocket—empty.

  “Try my shirt pocket.”

  I looked at his shirt. “Wouldn’t it be bulging somewhere if the keys were there?”

  “It’s a deep pocket.”

  I slipped my hand in his shirt pocket—empty. I checked his left trouser pocket.

  “Geez, Lexi, there’s no need for that.”

  “What?”

  “You’re feeling me up.”

  “In your dreams, Jace.”

  “In my nightmares.”

  I looked at him, and a slow smile spread over his face. I turned on my heel and made to get into my car. “See you Monday,” I tossed over my shoulder.

  “Sorry, Lexi.”

  “When you get to your car, put everything on your trunk and look for your keys yourself.”

  “But I might drop something, when I try to put them down.”

  I gave him a ‘do I care?’ look.

  “You know, I didn’t mean what I said. You feeling me up would definitely be a dream, Lexi. Please help me find my keys.”

  “Whatever, Jace.”

  He turned around. “Thanks, Lexi. Back pockets?”

  “Do you really expect me to go feeling around in your back pockets?” I lifted his shirt slightly so that I could see his pockets properly. The keys were in the left one. I took them out for him, and he turned around. “You see? We got there in the end.”

  Jace leaned toward me, and I wasn’t sure why. I stepped back. “I bet you knew which pocket they were in all along.”

  The look of pure innocence that he gave me told me he did. He smiled and I looked away. I tossed his keys and caught them a couple times. His smile was making me nervous. I knew what most people at school got up to when they were alone with the opposite gender. I just hoped Jace didn’t think I was up for anything like that.

  “I don’t have any free hands. You’ll have to put them in my mouth.”

  “You want me to put your keys in your mouth?”

  “Yeah.” He opened his mouth slightly.

  “I am not touching your mouth.”

  “You don’t have to, just put the keys in.”

  I laughed slightly as he bent his head as if I couldn’t reach. I held the keys between his open lips. He stood there mouth ajar, staring at me. “You can close your mouth now, Jace.”

  He suddenly clamped his mouth over my fingers, and I yelped. He burst into laughter, and the keys fell to the floor.

  “What are you doing?”

  “You’re hilarious, Lexi.” He stooped over to get his keys and dropped his drink.

  I jumped back before I got sprayed. “Look what you’ve done!”

  He stuffed his keys in his pocket. “Can I get your number on Monday?”

  “If you want to.”

  “I’d get it now, but my battery went a few minutes ago.”

  “Okay.” I looked down at his spilled drink.

  He kicked the cup out of the way and stepped back. “Get into your car, then I’ll go.”

  “Why?”

  “In case the monsters try to get you when I turn my back.”

  “Ah, good point.”

  “Yeah, it’s just my natural sweetness coming into play again.”

  “Of course.” I got into my car, and he slammed my door shut. I watched him walk away in my rear view mirror. I was shaking my head in amusement as I started up my car and turned the headlights on. I checked my cell phone. There was a text from my mom asking where I was. I replied, saying I’d be home soon. I switched on the radio and tuned in to a hip-hop station. They were playing some heavy rap with angry lyrics. I clicked the volume up.

  Okay, so Jace wanted my number. What did that mean? I thought about how he’d said it. He’d sounded pretty casual, not like he was really that bothered about getting it.

  The guy was kind of scary. It’d be my wisdom to stay away from him and not get involved with all these basketballers—Jace, Lewis, Hayden, and the rest—all hot and all trouble.

  I checked my rear view again. I couldn’t see Jace in my mirror anymore. I pulled out and slowly meandered through the parking lot. On second thought, I decided to use the rear exit rather than the side one. I drove to the far end of the parking lot, and was about to drive out when I saw Jace walking back toward the school.

  I eased off the gas and rolled down my window. “What’s up?” I asked, lowering the music.

  “My windscreen’s been smashed.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah, someone’s put a brick through it.”

  “Are you kidding?”

  “No.”

  “Who would do that?”

  Jace shrugged.

  I remembered that his phone battery had died. “Do you need to use my phone?”

  “Do you mind?”

  “Of course not.” I passed him my phone then parked my car. I grabbed my jacket and pulled it on as I caught up with him and followed him to his car.

  Jace was talking to one of his parents, and from his side of the conversation, I deduced that they were telling him to just leave the car and come home.

  “No, don’t worry. I’m fine. I’ll get a taxi,” Jace said. He stopped by his black sports car. The windscreen was completely shattered. Apart from that, there was a huge dent in the passenger side door. The damage had to be deliberate.

  Jace pointed at the brick in the driver’s seat. “Yeah it’s cool…No, I’ll be home soon.”

  I walked around the car. The lock on the trunk had been messed with, but it was still intact.

  “What a shame, this car is so nice!” I said when Jace got off the phone. “Do you have any idea who could’ve done this?”

  “No, but I’ll find out, and I’ll kill them.” Jace used my phone camera to take some pictures. I wasn’t sure they’d turn out well with it being so dark, but he worked out how to get the flash on.

  “Well, it’s a good thing you weren’t in the car when they threw the brick,” I said, trying to put a bit of a positive spin on things.

  “I wish I was. I’d have killed them on the spot.”

  “Okay, all this talk of killing is starting to scare me.”

  Jace chuckled. “I’ll get these pictures off you on Monday. Do you mind if I make one more phone call? I need to call a cab.”

  “Do you live far?”

  “Kind of.”

  “Well, is it straightforward, because I don’t mind dropping you off?” I bit my lip. Had I really just offered to take him home? What on earth was wrong with me?

  “Really?”

  “Uh, sure.” I snatched my phone back, and started toward my car. “Come on.”

  “Wow, I’ve never had a girl offer me a ride before.”

  “Well, I wouldn’t leave you out in the dark waiting for a taxi. It ain’t safe these days.”

  “That’s, uh, sweet.”

  “I know.” We both got into my car. “I really can’t understand why someone would do that. Are you sure you don’t know who could’ve done it?”

  “I really don’t have a clue.”

  “You haven’t crossed anyone up lately? Or stolen someone’s girlfriend?”

  “Hey, forget what you might have heard about me. I’m not like that.”

  I drove out of the parking lot and headed toward the main road. Jace switched on my headlights for me.

  “Oh, thanks.”

  “I’m thinking it could be someone from Los High.”

  “Really? Why?”

  “We beat them on Wednesday.”

  “All that over a basketball game?”

  “Maybe.”

  “Well, that’s pretty pathetic.” I just couldn’t believe that could be the reason for such an act of felony. “Are you that good that people hate you? That’s kind of a compliment, right?”

  Jace laughed lightly. “Maybe, in a twisted kind of way.”

  We were quiet for a moment.
I stole a look at him.

  “Keep your eyes on the road, woman.”

  “Don’t call me ‘woman’.”

  “Well, if you’re going to be staring at me after you’ve already felt me up in the parking lot, I think I have every right to call you whatever I want.”

  “You just go on telling yourself that I felt you up.”

  “It’s not myself I need to tell. It’s the other guys. I’ll be warning them about you. Never get stuck in the parking lot with that Lexi chick. She’ll strike.”

  “Yeah, okay.”

  “So, how come you never talk to me at school?” Jace asked.

  “Are you kidding? You never talk to me.”

  “That’s because you just walk past like people are invisible.”

  “I’m the one who’s ‘new’,” I said crooking my fingers on one hand. “You’re supposed to talk to me.”

  “I’m new, too.”

  “Well, I’m newer than you.”

  “You’ve been here before.”

  “So?”

  “I smiled at you in economics on Monday, and you just looked away.”

  “Were you smiling at me or Michelle?”

  “Both of you.”

  “Yeah, right. Anyway, you need to start directing me.”

  Jace gave me directions to his house. It was on the other side of town, and his neighborhood was freakily wealthy. The kind of wealthy that makes you smell a rat. Okay, people could be rich, but this rich? Either they had links with the mafia, or they were involved in something else just as illegal.

  Jace told me where to stop. I strained my eyes to see his house properly and twisted my headlights to their brightest, but there was an iron gate blocking my view.

  Jace gave me a weird look. “What are you doing?”

  “I’m finding it scary that you’re so rich.”

  Jace yawned. “How shallow is that! My financial status shouldn’t mean anything to you.”

  “Why are you rich?” Maybe his dad was a Hollywood producer or something.

  “We own the Glacier hotels.”

  “You mean the five star hotels that no one can afford?”

  “Right.”

  “Are you the heir to your dad’s billions?”

  “Something like that. It’s my uncle, and I’m one of seven heirs.” Jace released himself from his seatbelt. “Thanks for bringing me home. I owe you.” His smile was really cute.

  I gave him a small smile back. “You don’t owe me anything.”

  Chapter 4

  It was kind of sad, but I got up early on Monday morning to give myself time to do myself up a little—well, earlyish. I set my alarm to ring twenty minutes earlier than usual. That would give me time to straighten my hair.

  When I walked into the cafeteria at lunchtime to meet Monica, she raised an eyebrow. “Cute hair, cute shirt, cute shoes.”

  I dropped into the seat beside her and grinned at Sandy and Michelle. What were they sitting at our table for? “What about the jeans?”

  “Cute too, but Levi’s fit better and look cuter,” Monica replied.

  “How do you know these aren’t Levi’s?”

  Michelle snorted. “They’re not.”

  Sandy smiled patronizingly. “They’re D&G”

  I turned my back to Monica. “Check, is my label hanging out?”

  “No.”

  Sandy laughed. “I can tell because of the way they fit. They’re nice, but you need to invest in a couple pairs of good Levi’s.”

  I had like five pairs of Levi’s, but these jeans went better with this shirt. I looked at Michelle. She was looking at me. I smiled. She stood up. “C’mon Sandy.”

  “Did they leave because I came?” I asked Monica when they walked off.

  “No, they were asking if I wanted to go to the mall with them.”

  “Don’t you want to go?”

  “No.”

  I couldn’t believe my ears. “Why not?”

  “Because I was waiting for you.”

  “Thanks.” I scanned the cafeteria for Jace. He hadn’t been in economics first period. There were a few guys from the basketball team sitting a couple tables away, but Jace wasn’t there. “Why didn’t Michelle come to the movies on Friday?”

  “Because she knew Matt wasn’t going to be there.”

  “Who’s Matt?”

  “Some blond dude.” Monica raked her fingers through her long black hair a couple times, with a frown on her face. “She’s boring these days. Always wants to stay home and be alone.”

  “Michelle?”

  “Yeah, she’s failing you know? I think it’s getting to her because she might not get into college. And her mom is not impressed.”

  I dug a candy bar out of my purse and tore the wrapper off. If Michelle stopped analyzing what jeans everyone wore and focused on her work that might make some difference. “Save it, Monica,” I said as she opened her mouth. I knew she just wanted to tell me how many calories were in my candy bar. I didn’t care.

  “Fine, get obese and die of diabetes and heart failure at thirty-six. It’s your own darn choice.”

  “Sure, it is. Have you seen Jace today?”

  “No.”

  “His car got smashed up. I had to give him a ride home on Friday.”

  “I heard about his car. That is so stupid. Whoever did it needs to go jump off a cliff somewhere.”

  “Jace was really upset. It was really bad.”

  “Did you see it?”

  “Yeah.”

  “And you gave him a ride home?”

  “Yeah.”

  Monica chuckled. “I was gonna tell you. He called me last night about chemistry homework, and then he said, ‘by the way, Lexi is pretty cool.’ I tried to get more out of him, but he wouldn’t say anything.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah. Just said he thinks you’re nice. He’s way better than Lewis.”

  “Lewis is nice too.” Someone tugged my hair from behind. I turned in my seat and looked up. “Hey, Lewis.” I hoped he hadn’t heard us.

  He was with Hayden, they both sat down. “What are you saying about me?”

  “Nothing,” Monica denied.

  “I heard my name.”

  “You thought you heard your name.” Monica gave the guys a look of frustration. “Excuse me, ya’ll are interrupting some very serious girl talk.”

  “Cool,” Hayden said. “What are you talking about?”

  Monica pursed her lips in a suggestive pout. “Guys.”

  She was at it again. Flirt, flirt, flirt.

  Hayden’s brows shot up. “Which guys?”

  “Definitely not you guys.” She nudged me. “We’re talking about hot guys aren’t we, Lexi?”

  “Um, yeah,” I agreed.

  “We’re talking about guys who are worth talking about.”

  Monica and the guys went back and forth tossing one-liners at each other. I studied the wrapper on my candy bar. How many calories did it have?

  I didn’t see Jace all day. Nevertheless, on Tuesday morning, I dressed up again. I only saw him once all day, and I wasn’t even sure it was him because he had his back to me and was walking pretty fast toward the front exits. On Wednesday, I saw him driving a silver sports car out of the parking lot just as I was walking toward my own car after school. On Thursday, I decided to stop stalking him. It was pathetic.

  I let Monica drag me to Beverley Hills after school to start shopping for the Christmas dance. She bought some jewelry and some hair magazines. I bought nothing. By Friday, I was fed up of school. I wasn’t looking forward to the dance. I didn’t have a date, and at this rate, I probably wasn’t going to get one. Not unless I summoned up the courage to ask somebody. I considered it for all of two seconds, and then regained my senses. That definitely wasn’t going to happen!

  Chapter 5

  My mom worked late on Friday nights. Usually until around eleven. She was a hair and makeup stylist at a glitzy Beverley Hills salon. Rich people and ce
lebrities needed someone else to do their makeup before they went out on Fridays.

  I decided to go to the Chinese takeout place on the next block. I threw on my jacket and stepped out into the darkness. It was raining lightly, and there were groups of hooded guys hanging around the street corners. I walked fast.

  The takeout was busy, and I had to wait thirty-five minutes to get served. It was an exasperating thirty-five minutes of getting ogled by filthy looking middle-aged men, while my clothes got infused with grease and soy sauce fragrance. “Two lots of chicken fried rice,” I told the spiky-haired Chinese girl behind the counter. She yelled to the kitchen in high-pitched Cantonese.

  When I got back outside, it was lashing down with rain. I ran all the way home, the wind clawing at my face like a wild animal. What a miserable day! So much for walking, trying to be ‘green’ and environmentally friendly. I should have just taken my car. The environment wasn’t exactly being very friendly to me.

  I dumped my mom’s takeout on the kitchen table where she’d see it, and I slumped up the stairs to my room with mine. I was dripping wet from head to toe. I raised my arm to sniff my jacket sleeve; I was still wearing eau de soy sauce. I changed into my pajamas and collapsed onto my bed.

  My appetite was gone. I just felt all low and miserable all of a sudden. I stared at nothing in particular, and soon my sight went blurry with tears. “Here we go again,” I said aloud. I was sick of crying.

  I wiped at my eyes as I heard my phone vibrating in the wet jacket I’d just flung into my pile of washing.

  “Girl, you’ve got some issues,” I muttered under my breath as I went to get my phone. I’d been fine all day. In fact, I’d been fine all week. Why the sudden misery?

  “Hey, Monica,” I answered, diving back onto my bed.

  “Whatcha doin’?” Monica chirped.

  “Nothing.”

  “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Well Liam’s out with his boys, so I was just wondering if you want to do anything.”

  “What about the Barbie?” I asked, referring to Michelle. “And Sandy?”

  “I haven’t called them yet. Thought I’d check if you’re free first.” Monica chuckled. “You just want to know if you’re my first choice, don’t you? You vain, hard to please, arrogant woman.”