Raw Deal (Beauty for Ashes: Book One)

by Dayo Benson

“Yeah.”

  He walked me to my next class, and I found that he was pretty easy to talk to. I wasn’t on edge like I was when I spoke to Jace. Maybe he’d be an okay date after all.

  Chapter 9

  Jace Washington did to the eyes what fudge ice cream with chocolate sauce did to the tongue. He was on his cell phone in the parking lot when I arrived at school for the dance. I contemplated waiting in the car until he went back inside, but he knew I was in there because he’d just watched me drive in. I stepped out of my car and cut across the gravel parking lot toward the school. I discovered that gravel and heels don’t go well together. Jace smiled as I walked past. I smiled back through clenched teeth, sure that I looked real silly tottering on my heels trying not to trip.

  I was wearing a black Chloé dress that had gold chains draped across my bare back. I was freezing, and as always after a fashion show, my feet hurt like mad.

  Monica descended on me the minute I stepped into the school hall. “Lexi!” she yelled. “Wow, you look really nice. Why are you so late?”

  “I had a fashion show, remember.”

  Her eyes became wide saucers. “Oh, yeah. Wow! Did you just get off the runway?”

  I patted my hair. “You know this!” I looked around the hall. So this was it, the eagerly anticipated Christmas dance. “Is this party any good, or should I just go home now?”

  “Not a chance,” Monica linked my arm. “I’m still coming to your fashion show on Wednesday, right?”

  “Sure. It’s a party clothes collection, so you should like it.”

  “Hey, Lexi! You finally made it,” Carl said, appearing by my side. “I was beginning to think I’d been stood up.”

  I smiled at him, glad that he was still taller than me despite my shoes. “No, I usually keep my word.”

  “Catch you later, Lexi,” Monica said, excusing herself. She walked away before I could stop her, her hair bouncing behind her like a L’Oreal ad.

  Carl’s arm circled my shoulders. “Girl, I knew you were hot,” he said into my hair, “but tonight, you’re knocking me out.”

  I wondered why guys said things like that. What did they expect you to say in return? I brushed it off with a joke. “Yeah, that was kinda the idea.”

  Carl smiled and looked at me expectantly.

  “What?”

  “This is the part where you return the compliment?”

  I removed his arm from my shoulder and looked at him with a deliberately bored expression. “Oh, yeah, nice suit, I guess.”

  He gave me a playful shove, but he was that much bigger than me that I almost fell over. “Sorry, Lexi!” he apologized, helping to steady me.

  “Is that how you get a girl’s attention? Knock her over?”

  “Yeah, actually. Is it working?”

  “That’s for me to know, and you to find out.”

  Carl laughed, taking my hand. “Let’s get you a drink.” He led me to the punch table and got us a shooter each. It was sickly sweet, and one sip almost made me puke.

  Monica and Liam were also at the punch table. I smiled at Liam. “Hi.”

  “Hey, Miss England.” He gulped down his punch. “You look nice.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Your accent’s actually changed a bit, you know?”

  “People keep saying that. I don’t think it has.”

  Carl put his arm around my shoulders again. “Yeah, doesn’t she talk all funny and sexy?”

  Monica narrowed her eyes. “She’s doing it on purpose. I think I’ll go to Paris for three weeks and come back all French. Comment sa va?”

  I looked around the hall and noticed Jace not too far away from us in a black suit with a couple of black-suited buddies, and Michelle Carey hanging on to his arm.

  “So, are you back for good?” Liam asked me.

  “Yeah.”

  “Have you applied for college?”

  “Lexi doesn’t need college; she’s going to be a supermodel—” Monica stopped abruptly, and I could tell she hadn’t meant to spill the beans.

  “Actually, I have applied for college.”

  “Do you want to be a supermodel?” Carl asked.

  “No, I don’t know what she’s talking about.”

  I stole another quick glance at Jace, he was looking over at our little group. Great, he’d caught me looking.

  The DJ announced that he was going to play three back-to-back slow jams, and the four of us made our way to the dance floor. The lights dimmed, and spotlights swept over the hall as we all swayed. At the end of the first song, I felt a tap on my shoulder, and I pulled away from Carl slightly.

  Carl’s grip tightened on me as I looked up at Jace. He smiled. It was an arrogant, challenging kind of smile. I wasn’t sure if it was meant for me or for Carl. “I want the last slow jam,” he said, looking at Carl.

  Carl shrugged and looked at me.

  “Um, okay,” I said.

  Jace walked away, but true to his word, he was back when the DJ started the third slow jam. Carl let me go grudgingly, and I let Jace take my hand. He didn’t say anything while we danced, so I didn’t either.

  “Why were you late tonight?” Jace asked when the music stopped. The DJ brought in a club dance song, and the atmosphere was broken.

  “I had to go somewhere.” I wondered where little miss Barbie was.

  “Anything going on with you and Carl?” he asked, with a little grin.

  “Like what?”

  “Are you together?”

  I wasn’t sure what he was asking. Did he mean together tonight or the dating kind of together? “Together as in?”

  Jace thought I was trying to be funny. He laughed. “Together as in did he ask you to be his girlfriend? Did you say yes?”

  “Oh.” I shook my head. “No, he just asked me to be his date tonight.”

  “Do you have a boyfriend?”

  “No.”

  “Do you have an ex-boyfriend back in England missing you?”

  “No.”

  “I don’t believe you,” Jace said. “You look the type to have ten boyfriends back there missing you.”

  As much as I would have liked Jace to think that I was so hot I left a trail of broken hearts behind me everywhere I went, it just wasn’t true. “What do you mean by ‘the type?’ I’m not any ‘type’.”

  “I didn’t mean it like that. I’m just saying you’re a nice girl, and I think it’s too good to be true that you’re not with anybody.”

  I laughed because I didn’t know what to say. This conversation was getting weird. I wasn’t sure if he was for real or if it was just a prank that he’d laugh about with his friends in the guys’ locker room on Monday.

  “Jacey darling, there you are,” Michelle Carey trilled as she approached us, smiling brightly. She prodded Jace’s chest and raised an eyebrow. “Hey, keep it up with the working out. Anyway, I’ve been looking for you. I had to dance ‘All Night Long’ with Matt, and he didn’t even say a word to me while we danced. Can you imagine anything more awkward?”

  Soon we were surrounded by the Kingston High elite. I looked around for Monica. Liam was talking to Lewis and Craig, but Monica wasn’t with him.

  I decided to go to the bathroom. I left the hall and headed toward the art department and got the shock of my life when I opened the double doors to the hallway. There were Monica and Hayden on the floor doing goodness knows what, right there in the corridor. Hayden jumped up when I opened the door, and Monica scrambled to her feet with some difficulty, given the shoes she was wearing.

  I should have just turned and walked away, but I was so surprised that I just stood there staring. Hayden looked relieved that it was just me. He cleared his throat. “Later, Monica,” he said and walked out.

  “Lexi, I know you won’t say anything—” Monica began.

  I held up my hand. “None of my business. I just need the bathroom.” I walked off toward the bathroom, and Monica followed me in.

  She covered her face with her hands
. “I can’t believe it, Lexi. You must think I’m a ho.”

  I entered a stall and locked the door. “Not really. I just feel sorry for Liam. If he’d walked in on you guys, it would probably have really hurt him.”

  “I know.”

  “So are you getting with Hayden then? Are you going to dump Liam?”

  “I don’t know,” Monica wailed.

  When I came out of the stall, her hands were still over her face. “Hayden is driving me crazy.”

  We walked back to the hall, and Liam came over immediately. He wrapped his arms around Monica. Carl and Craig came over, then Hayden and Lewis joined us.

  As we talked, I just couldn’t stand Hayden’s arrogance. He was acting all cocky and was even trying to flirt with Monica in front of Liam. Monica couldn’t look either of them in the eyes, and she wasn’t being her usual flirtatious self. I decided to bail her out. I grabbed her hand. “Wanna dance?”

  Hayden winked at us. “Yeah, go dance. And make it good.”

  “I don’t want to dance,” Monica said, as we walked toward the dance floor.

  “Okay.” We stood by a drink stand. I asked for two Cokes. I handed one to Monica.

  “Lexi, I’m confused. I really like Liam.” Monica sipped her Coke. “It’s not diet.”

  “One non-diet Coke won’t hurt.”

  She took another sip. “But Hayden is hot. I don’t know what to do.”

  I thought I understood Monica’s dilemma. If she dumped Liam, she’d probably only date Hayden for a couple months, and then it’d be over. But Liam was someone she’d dated for two years.

  “Part of me thinks that Liam and I will split up anyway because we’re going to different colleges, so what’s the big deal? But another part of me is saying to stay with him. He’s a great guy, and he’s really nice to me. Hayden is just a player.”

  Jace came over and asked for a drink. He looked over at us. “Hey, girls.”

  “Hey,” Monica returned.

  He was served his drink, then he came over to stand with us. “Sorry to interrupt.” We both looked at him expectantly, and he looked back at us.

  “What?” Monica asked.

  “Nothing. Can’t I just stand with you guys? Do I need a special ticket or something?”

  “Michelle’s coming,” Monica said in a warning tone. “Don’t look, but she’s behind you, making her way over from your left.”

  Jace grimaced. “She’s driving me crazy.” He walked off toward the right side of the hall. A group of guys were standing there in a big circle, arguing and laughing. Jace joined them, and Michelle followed him and pulled his arm around her shoulders.

  “C’mon, let’s dance,” Monica offered.

  I followed her to the dance floor, and soon more girls joined us. The DJ started playing songs by sassy female artists for us. We danced till we were exhausted, and the next time I looked at my watch it was eleven. I told Monica that I was leaving then looked around for Carl, but he was nowhere to be found. I left the hall, and bumped into Jace in the hallway. “What are you doing out here?” I asked.

  “I was just about to call a cab. I’m going home.”

  “Already?”

  “Yeah, Tanya’s singing at some church event in Sacramento tomorrow morning, and I’m driving her down. We have to leave pretty early.”

  “Well, do you want a ride home?”

  Jace gave me a dubious look. “Are you just trying to get me alone in the parking lot so that you can feel me up again?”

  “Whatever Jace. Do you want a ride or not?”

  “I wouldn’t say no. Thanks.” He steered me toward the door.

  “The only thing is I’m low on gas, so if the car stops you’ll be pushing it to the nearest gas station.” I looked him over, “We’ll put those muscles to good use.”

  Just then Carl and a couple other guys came out of the hall. “Are you leaving?” he asked me.

  “Yeah, I was looking for you, but I couldn’t find you.”

  “She’s giving me a ride home,” Jace announced.

  Carl didn’t look pleased. He looked at me. “Talk to you later, Lexi.”

  “Okay.”

  As soon as we got outside, Jace put his arm around me. “I appreciate you taking me home, Lexi.”

  I shrugged his arm off. “Don’t get used to it.”

  We got into my car, and Jace directed me to the freeway. “We didn’t go this way last time.”

  “This way is quicker.”

  “Okay.” I turned on the heaters in the car. It was freezing. “I heard about your fight.” Jace didn’t say anything. “How did you find out who did it?”

  “Lewis used to go to Los High. He spoke to some people and found out.”

  “Rumor has it you were in hospital, and you got arrested?”

  “Cool. Not true though. Take the next exit.” He directed me until we got to his house. “Can I have your number?”

  “Sure.” I entered it into his cell phone for him, and then he gave me his number.

  “Thanks for the ride, Lexi,” he said getting out. “See you on Monday.”

  I started up my car. “See ya. Have fun tomorrow.”

  Chapter 10

  I was lost! I’d dropped Jace off thirty minutes ago, and I still wasn’t home. I was still in his stupid neighborhood, and I couldn’t find my way out. It didn’t help that it was raining, and I was running out of gas. My engine started knocking, so I pulled over and took out my cell phone to call my mom.

  I was scrolling down my address book when the phone started ringing. It was Jace. “Hello?”

  “Hi, Lexi, did you get home okay?”

  “Actually, no. I’m kinda lost actually.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Where are you?”

  Didn’t he just hear me say I was lost? “I don’t know!”

  Jace chuckled. “Can you see any street signs?”

  I peered through my window. “Waterfield?”

  Jace roared with laughter. “You’re just round the corner from me. I’m on my way.”

  Now, that just ticked me off. So I’d just been circling his house all this time. Next time he needed a ride, he could call a cab.

  A sleek black car pulled up like two minutes later. It was Jace. He stopped next to me, and I rolled my window down. “Where do you live?” he asked.

  “Near school.”

  “Okay, I’ll lead you somewhere you’ll recognize so that you can find your way.”

  “Thanks.” I tried to start up my car, and it didn’t start. I tried again. It choked and spluttered, then died. I looked at Jace. “Um, I don’t know what’s wrong.”

  Jace parked in front of me, then came to have a look. He was wearing a tank top, and his jeans hung so low I could see his DKNY boxers. “You’re out of gas,” he said.

  “I know, but usually I can still drive it even when I’m out of gas.”

  “Well, this time, you’re really out of gas.”

  I shut my eyes momentarily. How annoying was this? I opened my eyes, and Jace was looking at me. “Don’t worry, beautiful. I’ll take you home. You can pick up your car tomorrow. For now, I’ll put my muscles to use and push it out of the way.”

  I walked over to Jace’s car and slid into the passenger seat dolefully. I watched him push my car closer to the sidewalk. He returned to his car, looking pleased with himself.

  “I’m really sorry about this.”

  “It’s my pleasure.” He was obviously enjoying his ‘knight in shining armor’ role. I just felt silly.

  “Now, I know what to get you for Christmas,” he said as he stepped on the gas and sped through the night.

  I wished he would slow down. “What?”

  “GPS.”

  “Thanks for rubbing it in.” I was sure I had GPS on my phone. I’d have to check it out when I got home.

  “Well, you’re going to need it, especially if you’ll be coming to my place more often.”

  “Why
would I be coming to your place more often?”

  “To see me?”

  “Oh, right. So is this your new car?”

  “Yes. But I don’t think I’ll take it to school for a while.”

  “Your old car was nice, but this is really nice.”

  “You like it?”

  “Yes.”

  Jace slowed to a stop at a red light. I looked at him. He was looking straight ahead at the road, his face tinted red from the light of the traffic light. He had strong chiseled features, and his profile view was striking. He was plain gorgeous!

  “What?” he asked, not taking his eyes off the road.

  “Huh?”

  “Why are you looking at me?”

  I turned away and looked out of my window. He chuckled softly.

  When we got to my house, Jace insisted on seeing me to the door. It was still raining, and his tank top wasn’t offering him much in the way of protection, while his jeans hung precariously at the lowest point of his waist. “Don’t blame me when you catch the man flu again,” I warned, as I removed my keys from my purse. I opened my front door. “Thanks, Jace. I really, really appreciate this.”

  “I can pick you up tomorrow evening to get your car if you want.”

  “No, my mom’ll help me out. Just text me the address of the road we left it on.”

  “Okay.” Jace smiled at me. “You know that punch at the dance?”

  “You mean the disgusting sweet red stuff?”

  “Yeah, was it alcoholic?”

  “I doubt it. They wouldn’t give us alcohol at school, would they?”

  “No, I guess not.” Jace turned to leave.

  “Why?” I asked.

  “I was about to do something, and I was hoping I could blame it on the punch later.”

  “What were you going to do?” I had visions of Jace charging across town to the homes of the Los High dudes that had smashed up his car and pouncing on them in their sleep. “Stay out of trouble, Jace.”

  “Yeah, I will.”

  “What were you going to do?”

  He grinned mischievously. “Kiss you.”

  “Huh?”

  He walked back to his car laughing. “See you on Monday,” he called over his shoulder.

  Chapter 11