When Its Least Expected

by Heather Van Fleet

  “Love you, Mom. Love you, David,” she waved over her shoulder, sighing as David

  grunted his response.

  He was definitely not a morning person.

  She grabbed her wristlet and messenger bag from the nearby end table, and headed out

  towards her car. As soon as she got settled, seat buckled, radio blasted to drown out her thoughts, her cell phone chimed from her pocket. She dug it out, immediately regretting her decisions when some seriously high pitched squealing assaulted her ears.

  She groaned at the voice. Abigail and her dramatics...

  “What the hell, Abs? Did you just win the lottery or something?” She put the device on

  hands free. A small smile graced her lips anyways as her best friend continued on with her

  excited outburst.

  “You will never believe this, Harley … The hottie guy? From Friday night? He’s my new neighbor! I totally just saw him and his sister on the way to their car, so I decided to say hey!

  Anywho … the sister, who’s actually pretty cool by the way, told me that they were going to be attending Hillsdale High. Can you believe it? Eeeek!”

  Harley’s jaw dropped, as her best friend’s words blurred together. No … no freaking

  way! This boy was supposed to have disappeared from her life, not reappear like a nightmare.

  “Lovely…” Harley whispered under her breath, trying to shake the anxiety blossoming in

  her chest. A sick day should have been in order at that point …

  She clenched the steering wheel, cracking her neck from side to side, attempting to relive

  the tension that was building. That brown-blond head of hotness was so infuriating and so damn cocky that there was no way in all hell that she’d be able to deal with him on a day-in day-out basis.

  “Come on now, Har. I know you’ve been dying to see him again. I saw the way you

  looked at him, and I definitely saw the way he looked at you!” No way was Harley going to admit that. She pursed her lips. The girl would be planning their wedding and naming their first born if Harley had given her even an inkling of an idea about how hot she thought he was. It was better to play the dumb and could care less card rather than the yes that boy was delicious card.

  “Is that why you called, or do you have a better reason for disturbing my sanity this

  morning?” Abigail may have been Harley’s best friend, but she also knew how to push her

  buttons. And in that moment, every single irritated button she had in body had been pushed.

  “Nope, I figured that was a good enough reason. Anywho,” Abigail cleared her throat as

  she went on. “How’s that big brother of yours doing? I was hoping to see him this weekend, you know. It’s been over two weeks, and I’m kind of in David withdrawal here.”

  Harley sighed; the girl definitely wasn’t kidding. “Ehh, he’s alright I guess. I didn’t see him much this weekend either due to the fact that he was hauled up in his room both days, yet again.” Frustration lined her voice as Harley unloaded her feelings. “I’ve given up on him, Abs.

  He’s kind of a lost cause. Some days I’m lucky if he even leaves his room at all.”

  “Don’t give up on him, Har. You know he needs you.” Abigail blew out a breath that

  echoed over the phone’s speaker. She was obviously just as frustrated, but at least she stayed positive.

  The question of the day, or the year at that, was how could she convince David to get on

  with his life, when Harley couldn’t even get on with her own?

  “I know, Abs, but I can only do and say so much,” Harley whispered back. She finally

  pulled into the school lot a good five minutes later.

  She scanned the crowds of cars tapping to the beat of her new favorite song on the wheel

  and finally launched herself into a space without a second glance. She turned around to grab her bag in the backseat. When she moved back around and prepared to say goodbye to Abigail, her throat went dry, and her eyes bulged at the site standing twenty or so feet ahead of her car.

  “Crappity crap,” she griped, slouching further into her seat. The simple effect of just

  seeing that head of familiar hair had her stomach doing all sorts of crazy mad somersaults.

  “What is it?” Abigail questioned, curiosity etched her voice.

  “Nothing. Gotta go,” Harley snapped, quickly sliding her finger across the end call

  button.

  She had a new issue apparently. How in the hell would she get in the building without

  him seeing her?

  She slowly unbuckled her seat belt, all the while biting her lip. She exhaled a heavy

  breath as she reached for the door handle. “I can do this. He’s just a boy.”

  A very hot boy who you can’t stop dreaming about, but hey, who cares, right?

  She glanced down at her shirt checking for syrup stains before she finally grew some girl

  balls and got out. Sure enough though, the closer she seemed to get to the entrance, the more she realized that he was surrounded by girls. Lots and lots and lots of skanky girls. Well, they weren’t all skanky, but still…

  Come on, Har! You can do this!

  Who was she kidding? The site of him surrounded by at least six or seven pairs of pawing

  hands was seriously getting under her skin. “Jerk,” she muttered, her lip curling in disgust. The guy most likely hadn’t even been there for ten minutes, so the fact that he already had a fan club should have told her something.

  Irritation dripped from her like a second skin as she quickly made her way up the stairs.

  Her head went low, and with every last bone in her body, she tried to make herself invisible.

  Still, she couldn’t resist looking up at him when she finally made it to an almost safe zone.

  Unfortunately his eyes were already one hundred percent plastered on her.

  Her breath hitched as that haunting smile curled up on one side of his perfectly sculpted

  face. Harley quickly turned away before her insides could go gooey any further. She was a total and complete basket case, and if this was any inclination of how it was going to be with him there, then Harley was in severe ass trouble.

  Keep going, and don’t look back. You’re almost inside.

  She pushed past one last crowd, having earned her fair share of bitchy remarks in the

  process. She didn’t care. Hell, she would gladly take the cruel words from the crowd just to get away from that boy. For some reason, her face was flaming hot and her body was most likely

  warmed beyond the normal ninety eight point six degrees. She patted her cheeks. Ugh. What was wrong with her?

  As she cleared the entrance, she exhaled while closing her eyes in relief. She shouted a

  mental thanks to the air conditioner Gods above.

  With her heart finally back to a steady beat, Harley made it to her locker just in time to

  grab the necessities she needed for her first few periods. She slammed the metal door shut behind her and turned to move, but something hard and very, very tall was in her way. She gulped,

  lifting her chin only to notice a beautiful hemp necklace. It came complete with a tiny little surfboard charm that laid flat against the most perfectly sculpted neck ever. She shivered and not at all from the cold vents blowing air down on her. She peeled her eyes from the site, lifting them a little higher.

  A full set of spectacularly, shaped lips just so happening to surround a set of even more

  perfectly white teeth. Everything about this guy caught her off guard. She stifled a giddy laugh, tucking her lips into her mouth. She always giggled when she was nervous, no matter the

  situation.

  Sweet Jesus … he was hot.

  Then a jagged scar caught her attention along his chin, and her mind wandered through

  the possibilities of what might have happened. She snorted internall
y.

  Huh? Not so perfect now, are we, mister surfer boy?

  Hell, who was she kidding? That boy was made up of nothing but perfection. The scar

  only emphasized that more. She swallowed hard, finally fixating her eyes on his. Unfortunately, they were just as beautiful as she remembered.

  “Going somewhere, little beast?” he asked. His voice was deep and rich; like warm

  chocolate when it melted in her mouth.

  “Sorry,” she squeaked, staring down at her hands, trying not to appear all that affected.

  She cleared her throat and tried again. This time her confidence didn’t waver when their eyes connected. She was finally prepared. “Sorry, didn’t see you there. Can you move, please?” He didn’t move. If anything, he seemed to inch closer.

  Breathe, Harley. Just breathe….

  “No problem, I was just trying to get to class myself. Not sure where I’m going through,”

  he shrugged; a sense of vulnerability seemed to pass over him. It was surprising … and sweet.

  Then again, sweet was not always a good trait, was it…

  She reached for his schedule and only intended to verbally point him in the right

  direction. “Let me take a look?” Maybe on purpose, or maybe not, their hands grazed. Harley jumped. The still nameless boy smiled that knowing grin at her. She narrowed her eyes up at him wanting nothing more than to smack it off.

  Harley cleared her throat, clenching the paper tight as her eyes drifted through his

  information at the top of his pink schedule. Mason Daniel… For some reason, that name totally fit his surfer boy persona. She skimmed her finger over the sheet further. Dammit, they seriously had to share three classes together? First hour, fifth hour, sixth hour, all honor classes too.

  Just my damn luck, a smart boy and a hot boy, all wrapped up into one, perfect … never

  mind.

  “Well, I guess you’re stuck with me for first period Sociology, and then Advanced

  Chemistry and Honors English Lit.” She sighed, folding the paper up as she carefully placed it back into his hand. This time she managed to avoid the skin on skin issue, thank God.

  He grinned down at her, and she blinked. Dammit all to hell, dimples? Why did he have

  to have dimples? “Awesome. Thanks, Harley.” She nodded, quickly averting her eyes. Dang it!

  She totally did not just swoon over dimples.

  She was so dead…

  * * *

  The first day wasn’t turning out to be so bad. His classes were intriguing; the company in

  them was even better. Hell, having Harley in three out of the seven made it worth his time! The two of them technically didn’t speak the rest of the morning after their hallway interlude, but the heat in her gaze throughout first period had Mason squirming like a pubescent thirteen year old boy in his desk, even if she had looked as though she was contemplating murder at times.

  Shit though, her feistiness alone made him crazy with a want he couldn’t describe, and

  keeping her out of his head was almost impossible. Curvy older blonde girls with porn star

  bodies was what he liked, scratch that … what he needed. Not slim brunettes of the same age with eyes that resembled his favorite cake.

  Yeah, he wasn’t fooling himself. Little beast had his body all wound up, both inside and

  out. It wasn’t good, especially for someone who wasn’t planning on making friends or getting attached while he was here. That plan definitely included little fire ball girls, who got him all hot and bothered with the simple bat of their eye lashes.

  The worst part was, for the first time in Mason’s life, he had the strangest desire to get to know a girl on a much deeper level, and not just in the back of his Charger.

  “Mr. Daniel, are you going to attend this class today, or do you find the hallway that

  much more interesting than my lecture?”

  Shit, dude! You’ve gotta get your head out of your ass soon before it’s buried too deeply.

  “Sorry, sir,” Mason sighed, running his hands over his mouth. It was only third period,

  and he already had a teacher up his ass. The day might have just taken a turn for the shittier.

  Not soon enough the bell rang, and Mason darted out of his chair, heading towards the

  double doors, leading to what he had hoped was the cafeteria. With his book bag slung over his shoulder, he weaved in and out of the swarms of kids until he spotted his sister with a group of her friends. It was a relief seeing her giggling and smiling. His entire body slouched with ease at the site. Maisy deserved to be happy, more so than anyone else he knew.

  He gave her a little nod and made his way to a loner table nearby, eager to be alone with

  his thoughts, but a presence loomed over head as he took out his sandwich. “Hey, don’t sit alone, Mase.” Maisy’s voice echoed in his ear, “We’ve got plenty of room.” She motioned back

  towards her table.

  Oh, so she wanted him around when it was convenient for her?

  He shrugged. Whatever, it didn’t matter. She took charge and packed his crap back into

  his bag and then turned to march away. He grinned as her long, blonde ponytail swished behind her like a horse’s tail.

  Obviously he didn’t have a choice in the matter anyways.

  “So, Mason, how’s your first day going so far?” Maisy’s chipper voice exploded with

  excitement as he pulled up the seat next to hers. He narrowed his eyes, glancing around at the girls seated at the table. His entire body stiffened as they all sighed in unison.

  Mason snorted, and shook his head as he stared down at the table. All of their glazed over

  eyes on him was not just funny, but a little freaky too. “

  Not bad, mouse. Not bad at all.”

  He leaned back in his seat, munching on a carrot stick. Maisy groaned at her nickname,

  and Mason smiled widely in response. That’d teach her to invite him over to a table full of hormonal fifteen year olds again.

  The silence afterwards was almost deafening, that is until her friends began their

  interrogation. They were like tiny cats in heat, ready to pounce and go in for the mate. One red headed girl in particular seemed to be the ring leader. Well, dictator was the better word. He hated her the second she opened her mouth.

  “So, I hear you’re going to be a professional surfer someday. That’s…” she licked her

  lips, “… hot.” With her fake ass nails, and plastered on makeup, this girl oozed with confidence that seemed to exceed even his own.

  Mason gritted his teeth. He’d dated plenty of girls like her at home. Why, now, did he

  find them so unappealing? He smacked his lips, “Yup, but I won’t be here long…” Yeah, he was being an ass, but she didn’t need to know a damn thing about him.

  He studied her, narrowing his eyes the more she opened her red, painted lips. She was a

  bitch personified, and he had a pretty good idea that she’d do some serious damage if she was ever rubbed the wrong way. Mason wouldn’t be rubbing her … in anyway.

  He leaned his elbows against the table and dove back into his lunch, chewing loudly, as

  he waited for the attention on him to cease. For once in his life, girls were actually annoying him.

  Or was it just because he only wanted one girl’s attention instead?

  “Well, I’m Chelsea, by the way, and I am very sure that you are going to find all sorts of

  reasons to want to stay here in Hillsdale.” She giggled, raising a hand to paw at his shoulder. He stared down at the evil talon clawing at his white t-shirt. Yeah, he really didn’t like her or her hands on him either.

  He scooted his chair back towards Maisy, plastic Barbie responded with an angry huff,

  and smacked her hand on the table top. He shrugged. At least, maybe, she’d finally taken the hint.

  The rest of the twenty minute l
unch period passed at a snail’s pace. Mason barely spoke,

  as the girls continued to gossip around him. He only occasionally glanced at his sister to give her a goofy face, or an eye roll. She always answered him with a giggle. It was good to hear her laugh again.

  He stood as the warning bell rang, noting something dark out of the corner of his eye as

  he tossed his stuff in the garbage. He smiled, his entire body came alive. It was his little beast, with her gorgeous head of black hair cradled in small waves over her right shoulder.

  With a quick wave to his sister over his shoulder, he found himself racing like a crazed

  man to get to her. She was calling to him. She was like this beacon of heavenly light that he had to get to before it completely disappeared. He had to see her; he had to touch her in some way too. God he was a moronic, obsessed idiot anymore. It had to have been the open, country air of this town. Or maybe it was the lack of ocean water that had his brain all muddled too. He shook his head, his feet moving like lightning as he darted in between the circular tables. It didn’t matter. In that moment, she became his unattainable goal.

  He smiled slowly at the thought. He definitely liked to aim high.

  But just as he reached the edge of her group, the same guy from Friday night with the letterman jacket, sauntered up behind her. Mason stopped and held his breath as he watched the guy wrap his arm around her waist. He sneered down at the move, waiting for the right time to come forward, the right time to step in.

  He already hated the dude, and he hadn’t even met him yet.

  The hairy monster pulled her back against his front. The hug resembled something closer

  to a boyfriend’s embrace, but Harley turned out of his grasp, slugging him on the shoulder as she moved to the other side of the girl standing next to him. Mason blew out a breath in relief. Good.

  That was exactly what he wanted to see.

  Mason pushed himself closer, until he stood a good two feet in front of her. The entire

  circle shut up around him. Good. Let them stare. Let them talk.

  “Mason?” He grinned down at her. Was that surprise in her eyes? Was she excited to see

  him too? He sure as hell hoped so. “H –how’s it going?” She stuttered, scrunching her nose up as she did a quick up and down assessment of his body.