took her first deep breaths in what had seemed like hours. She splashed her overly flushed face with some ice cold water and blinked away the moisture as it dripped into her eyes. Vaguely, she heard the door to the bathroom open up behind her but didn’t pay much attention.
Just as Harley finished up grabbing a scratchy paper towel to dry her hands in the
process, the most god-awful sobbing sounded from the first stall. She wanted to walk away. She had enough drama to deal with, but being the nosey, yet helpful person she was, Harley decided it was her girl given right to make sure whoever was crying was okay.
By the time she knocked on the door, the sad little feminine sobs erupted into full out
hiccupping cries. “Um, are you okay in there?” The sniffles continued, but the sobs quieted, thank God.
A scratchy voice responded. “I’m fine. Just leave me alone please.” Harley bit her lip,
almost agreeing, but the part of her that felt obligated to stay took over.
“Sorry. That’s not going to happen. I need to see you to know that you’re genuinely
gonna be okay. So just do us both a favor, and open up.” Harley waited impatiently, her finger nails tapped on the stall door. Finally, the small silver lock switched open, revealing a tiny, blotchy faced blonde girl with a set of very familiar blue eyes.
Harley’s mouth flew open as the recognition set in. It was Mason’s sister!
“You’re, um, Maisy, right?” The girl’s eyes narrowed in confusion as she studied
Harley, and then her own recognition must have hit because she instantly paled. Never did
Harley expect the girl to burst into an even bigger set of tears.
“Oh, God, pleeeeease don’t tell my brother you saw me like this. He’ll flip, and then he’ll baby me. I can’t handle being babied right now,” she pleaded, moving closer, only to wrap
Harley in a fierce hug.
Harley grinned, hugging her back. The idea of Mason taking on the big brother role was a
swoon worthy moment in the making. “Don’t worry. My lips are sealed, as long as you tell me what’s wrong.” Maisy stared up at Harley, an obvious unease passed through her eyes. Harley waited patiently though as Maisy so obviously struggled with her words.
“Well, there’s this boy I like, and his name is Aric.” She moved towards the white tiled
wall and slouched down against it, her eyes glazed and wishy-washy. Harley had seen that face before. Hell, she’d experienced that face first hand just yesterday.
“And I just saw him in the hall this morning with my now ex- friend Chelsea. The little skank hoe was all over him, freaking pawing him like some sort of cat. I mean, I thought he liked me, you know?” She paused and looked up at Harley again, her jaw was tight, and her eyes were still wet. “He even agreed to go to that homecoming dance with me.”
Her rambling words would have been quite humorous if the tears had stayed at bay. She
stood again, a girl who obviously suffered from some serious can’t-sit-still issues, and finally made her way to the sink.
“You wouldn’t happen to be talking about Chelsea Pageman, would you?” The super slut
of HHS had struck once again. The girl used to stalk Harley’s brother. Hell, she was almost positive that they had probably hooked up on occasion, but like everyone else after the accident, Chelsea decided David wasn’t worth her time. The last Harley heard was the girl had her claws dug deep into Toby. Those two deserved each other.
“Yeah, that’s her. You know her well? I thought she was my friend and stuff. Guess I was
wrong.” She shrugged and sighed, picking at her nails as she faced Harley’s reflection in the mirror. “Man … I hate girls. No offense,” she shook her head and wiped a hand down her face.
Harley smiled softly, “None taken.” Something was digging inside of her as she stared at
Mason’s sister’s profile. A need was more like it, a need to protect, to comfort, to hug, and Harley was not a hugger. Obviously those Daniel siblings knew how to bring out the old softie in her.
“I do know her though. We’ve gone to school together since kindergarten. She’s kind of
a, you know, b with a capital b. I’m sorry you got mixed up in her drama.” Harley had a few extra choice words that she’d like nothing more than to say about Chelsea, but time was of the essence. “What was Aric doing when you saw them together by the way? Was he responding to
her?”
She tilted her head to the side in what appeared to be thought before actually responding.
“Well, honestly, if I can remember correctly, he was watching me, and he looked horribly uncomfortable. All I could actually see was that bitch groping him with her slimy hands. God, how could I have been so stupid?” Maisy slapped her hands against the sink, but the tears were thankfully gone.
“You should talk to Aric. See what he says when you ask him about it. If he acts
suspicious, then you’ll know the truth. If not, then you’ll have your answer.” Harley moved forward to stand next to her by the sink, her arms crossed in front of her as she sighed heavily.
“Besides, Chelsea Pageman is a tramp times ten; there’s no better word for her.” Maisy giggled and looked up at her at Harley under her heavy bangs. “I wouldn’t worry until you knew the
whole truth, Maisy.” Her eyes brightened slightly, and she nodded. For the first time since they started this conversation, a smile had appeared upon her lips.
The conversation eased a little, and for a while longer, the two of them chatted like old
friends. Then the bell rang, and Harley cursed out loud, smacking her head with her palm. She had spent the entire first hour in the bathroom. Damn … she was so screwed!
“Oh, god, Harley! I’m so sorry I kept you here,” Maisy freaked, grabbing her arm. “I
have a free period for first hour. Normally I’d hitch a ride on the bus, but Mason brought me today. I wanted to see Aric before class, but then I saw him with her and –”
“Hey,” Harley smiled reassuringly while patting her head. “Don’t worry. It wouldn’t be
the first time I skipped class. Just ask your brother.” Harley bit her lip and turned away. God, her mouth was big.
Maisy smiled a knowing smile as she hitched her back pack over her shoulders. “He’s a
good guy, you know, I promise. A little hard on the outside, but once you get to know him, he turns into this big snuggly teddy bear.”
Harley blew a stream of air from her mouth grabbing a hold of her own bag. Yeah, she’d
seen the snuggly side, but she’d also seen the I’m going to kiss your until your brains bleed side as well. She was already corrupted by his many personalities. “Don’t worry, Maisy. I know what I’m getting myself into.” Kind of. Sort of. Not really though. “I’ve gotta grab my stuff and face the wrath of my teacher.”
Harley began to turn away, but Maisy grabbed hold of her shoulder. A sweet and gentle
smile appeared on her lips as Harley glanced back at her. “Hey, um, thanks, Harley. For
everything. You’re a good person.”
“No problem. I’m here anytime you want to talk. Your brother has my number, so if you
ever need to chat, then just give me a call.”
“Thanks, Harley! I might just do that.”
“Don’t mention it.” Maisy nodded, whipping her body around and half skipping through
the door. Harley laughed as she watched her blonde ponytail bob away behind her. Man she was perky. Cheerleader perky, actually, but she was also one of the most genuine girls Harley had ever met. It was going to be easy to be her friend.
Two minutes later, her homeroom came into focus, and Harley held her breath as she
entered. To her surprise, she found the seats and front of the class completely empty. Maybe today would be her lucky day after all! That is until she turned around and ran face first into the white haired monster called her t
eacher.
Whoops…
“Ah, so you decided to come back after all, Miss Anderson.”
“God, Mr. Carls, I’m so sorry I missed class.” Her apology was half assed, but at least
she tried. Unfortunately, there was no denying that she’d ditched. “I sort of ran into a bit of trouble in the girls’ room,” she puckered her lips and shrugged. “You know … the monthly
kind?”
His face turned cherry red, and his words came out in a rush, “No need for details Miss
Anderson.” He air batted her away as he turned towards his desk, “I was running down to the office to pick up more of these lovelies and am glad to return before you actually left the room.”
He waved his famous pink detention slips at her in the air, eyes raised in that ‘no excuses’ sort of way.
S tupid, stupid Mason. It was his fault anyway.
“I am sorry, sir.” Harley glanced up at him under her long, black lashes with her puppy dog eyes right on the money. Just when she thought she had him under lock and key, her now
most and least favorite voice sounded from the behind.
“I’m here, now what?” She closed her eyes and succumbed to the noise, turning around
to notice Mason casually leaned up against the smart board, his legs crossed at the ankles and that award winning smirk on his face.
Hmm … maybe he needed a few more bruises added to his face.
“Now, now, Mr. Daniels. No need for the attitude.” Mason rolled his eyes, only to
refocus on Harley with an annoyed glare. “I need you both to please sit down in the front row for me; that way we can hurry and get started.” Confusion swept over Harley’s features. Her eyes narrowed as she wondered what the hell he had up his crisp, white teacher sleeve.
“I have taken the liberty of speaking to both of your next period teachers, and
seeing as you each have no large commitments in their classes today; it looks like you both will be spending your next hour here with me going over our next class assignment.”
Harley glanced at Mason, and he glanced back. He appeared to look just as confused as
she was. Simultaneously, they both looked back up towards their teacher, awaiting the fate that he was so obviously about to invoke on them.
“So, we’re going to be embarking on something new next semester, and I need a couple
of guinea pigs to test it out. I declare you two … my loyal subjects.” Guinea pigs? Together?
That didn’t sound good.
Harley sat up straighter in her chair, going on high alert. Mr. Carls had been known to
“embark” on a whole lot of craptastic projects in the past, and knowing that she’d been paired up with Mason for one of those didn’t settle well with her at all.
“You two will become parents!”
Mason shifted forward in his seat. “Umm, excuse me?” His voice was lined with
bitterness. Harley, on the other hand, was left slack jawed and ready to pee her pants in shock.
“I’ve decided that since the number of teen pregnancies seems to be on the rise that a
lesson in parenting should be in order. I have fifty some babies ready to be handed out to twenty five couples. You two will be my first official set of parents.” He nodded back towards the storage room, a bright sinister smile pasted on his wrinkly cheeks. “And since neither of you have shown me the respect I deserve, then this shall be your weekend long punishment.”
“Oh hell no…” Mason grumbled low under his breath. The feelings were mutual on
Harley’s end, but Mason’s words said it all.
“Mr. Daniel, do you have something you would like to say out loud to me or Miss
Anderson? We’re all ears here.”
“No, sir. I was just yawning.”
Harley stifled a giggle and threw her hand over her mouth to keep her smile hidden.
“Okay, then.” Mr. Carls cleared his throat as he entered the closet, coming back out only seconds later with the most hideous looking doll she’d ever laid eyes on. The hairless, toothy, too real for its own good doll was so bad that Harley couldn’t help but chuckle loudly. Mr. Carls narrowed his eyes at her while his lips pursed in what was probably annoyance, but he didn’t comment as he held out baby freak-a-zoid number one.
“Now, here is your…” Mr. Carls paused, eyes glancing down at the baby’s anatomy
before he placed it in Harley’s arms. “Son. Now name him, and I’ll program it into his back so he will know to respond when he hears you say it.”
“You mean he’s that intelligent?” Harley stared at the baby and then at Mason in
disbelief.
“Absolutely! Nothing but the best in my class,” he crossed his arms over his chest and
smiled smugly.
“Well I—“
“Dick. We’ll name him Dick.” Harley’s jaw dropped almost fell off as she stared back at
a smug looking and currently winking Mason.
“That’s a fine name, Mr. Daniel. I’m glad you actually decided to take part in this after
all. Anyway, you two will share a partnership in real life—”
“We didn’t agree on that part, sir,” Harley stood, knocking her desk chair over as she felt the panic rise in her chest. She couldn’t do this project with Mason. That would mean they’d have to keep talking. Keep spending time together. Impromptu babies and fake partnerships were not in the cards for her, especially with … him.
“I assure you, Miss Anderson that you both will do this project and succeed at it.
Otherwise there will be consequences.”
“That’s not fair, Mr. Carls. You told us this was just punishment for today.” Mason
finally intervened.
Harley jerked her head in agreement, ignoring the stupid part of her heart which felt
offended that Mason was just as irritated about spending time with her as she was with him.
“Well, I am the teacher, and I can change the rules at any time, can’t I?” It wasn’t a
question that left his mouth but rather a statement. Harley cringed and bit down on her tongue, fighting her rude retort. She had to put on her happy face and get through this. She could handle it … seriously.
Mr. Carls continued to explain the child rearing process in more details after that,
handing them both an informational packet with instructions. The fact that they didn’t actually have to be together to care for the baby was a relief. She ignored the tiny part of her that actually found that prospect disappointing too. What the hell was wrong with her to think that, anyways?
Harley shook her head at her internal manic-ness and prayed that the torturous event
would be quick and painless. The sooner they could separate, the sooner she could get back to normal. Although normal in her life was a bit of a contradiction.
Every so often she and Mason would share glances, and it wasn’t always the unpleasant
kind. Then when the teacher announced yet another piece of unnerving news, the mood between them went from tolerable, to downright messy.
“Now for the next hour, you two will spend time coming up with real life techniques,
schedules, and outlooks for your baby’s future, including an entire family plan as well as the baby’s plan.”
Oh sweet Jesus, this isn’t happening!
Harley squeezed her eyes shut as Mason thumped his head against his desk. Neither of
them said another word. Fate was turning bitchy on her!
* * *
Damn Harley!
Mason couldn’t stay focused. He was jumpy to the point of annoying himself. Every
single move of her arm or soft breath released from her lips was a distraction, and his eyes were so entranced with the serious purse of her lips at one point, that Mason wanted nothing more than to test them out again.
He flicked his pencil against his desk, rat-ta-tat, rat-a-tat �
�� the sound even pissed his
own ears off. Harley was too focused to notice. How in the hell could they ever get this done if they couldn’t talk for more than two seconds without a heated glare or a hateful word. The storm brewing behind those midnight eyes of hers was giving Mason’s stomach a run for its money. It twisted and turned in both want and unease. The girl was spiteful, angry, and it was his fault completely. Damn she was sexy too, and all their close encounters with sexy kisses came back like a sharp knife, delving into his heart.
He’d had enough. This had to end … hours ago.
“Alright, little beast. This isn’t going to work if we don’t actually talk, so I guess I’ll just come right out and apologize.” She scowled at him.
“You guess you’ll apologize?” She scowled harder at him with her arms folded over her chest. That feistiness he liked so much was back with a shock of electricity. “Don’t do me any favors, Mason. Let’s just get this baby making project and the stupid dance over with, and then we’ll never have to physically speak to one another again.”
“Baby making project? Really, little beast?” Her face turned white as the she realized her
mistake. She opened her mouth, probably trying to correct herself, but Mason waved her off
snickering at her with his smirk.
Her arms pressed tighter against her chest, moving her t-shirt up just far enough for
Mason to catch a glimpse of her smooth stomach, the stomach he’d felt several times on
occasion before. He shifted in his seat. The site was so enticing and forbidden all at the same time, just like the whole package of Harley. He cleared his throat and sat up a little taller, an attempt to ease his inner, forbidden needs. Fat chance of that happening, but a guy’s gotta do what a guy’s gotta do, right? “Quit being a brat, little beast, and accept my apology! I don’t do it much.” The scowl on her face deepened, and Mason realized finally that his smart ass attitude wasn’t going to work with this girl. She needed genuineness; something Mason didn’t
necessarily know how to give. “Really … I am sorry, Harley. I didn’t mean to be such an ass yesterday, it’s just that—”
“No excuses, Mason. Like I said, just let it –”
“Don’t interrupt me when I’m talking.” She looked taken back at the soft, yet harsh tone
When Its Least Expected Page 11
