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There is always a Jekyll to Mr. Hyde. An ugly side to a beautiful one. Valen has both, and no one realizes it until it’s too late.
Once the other side appears, run.
After algebra, I walk out to the quad. I take a seat on the bench at an empty table and pull out a bag of chips and a can of Coke I purchased at the gas station for seventy-nine cents, compared to two dollars and fifty cents on campus. It isn’t much, but it’s what I can afford right now.
I pull out my schedule for my other three classes when I feel the bench vibrate. A shadow falls over the paper in my hand. I look up and see the same group of guys from earlier in the creative writing class. The guys on the swim team.
“It’s the new girl,” the one with brown hair and brown eyes says.
I pop a chip in my mouth and ignore them, hoping they will go away or ignore that I’m here.
“Leave her alone, Charles. You can tell she doesn’t like dick,” the guy with dark hair seated to his left says.
The other two chuckle. “Yo, Garret. Where’s Valen?”
That has my head snapping up at attention. My eyes land on Charlie. His eyes gleam with amusement. “Hmm, we have a winner. I’m not surprised, though.”
Garret walks over and sits next to Charles. I remember my brother mentioning his name around Victoria once. She said he was nice. He wasn’t a bad guy.
Garett’s dark green eyes meet mine, and he says, “Leave her alone, Charles. I know her brother.”
Curiosity washes over Charles’s expression. “Who’s her brother?” he asks, looking straight at me.
“Adam Price. Quarterback for Ohio State That’s his little sister,” Garret replies.
“Shit. I thought you were the other one,” Charles teases with a wink. He leans over the table and whispers, “The one who likes pussy.” My jaw tightens.
I hate the way he talks about my sister. Joking about her sexuality and assuming I was her.
The other two guys sitting on Charles’s right look at me with a glassy type of interest.
“Charles,” Garret says in a warning tone.
I feel the bench vibrate again, and then someone slides into the seat to my right. I don’t have to look to know it’s him. I can smell him. There is nothing like it. His distinctive scent stays in my nose and refuses to leave, like a memory.
“Having fun, Charles?” Valen says with an edge to his tone.
The chips I ate turn into a ball at the bottom of my stomach. I’m not sure if he’s mocking him or angry that Charles is giving me a hard time.
“I was getting to know the new girl. I figured out what she likes,” Charles says with a smirk.
“And?” Valen asks, like he gives a shit what he thinks. Talking about me like I’m not sitting here is not rude.
Charles lets out a nervous breath. “She likes…dick.”
I stand, having heard enough. The last place I want to be is with a bunch of guys who have the power to make me disappear. I need to leave.
Valen looks up, and our eyes meet. “Sit,” he commands.
It’s the first time he’s said anything to me. He doesn’t introduce himself and isn’t polite. He’s an asshole, just like his friends.
I grab my bag, leaving the chips and can of soda on the table, and turn to Charles. “Fuck you,” I spit, and I walk away.
Laughter trails me, but I don’t look back.
I walk into the hardware store for my shift, glad I didn’t run intohimagain. I make my way to the back, where there is an old punch-out machine drilled into the wall. I take the brown card from the slot, hear the stamp, and place it back.
I didn’t think businesses used these anymore, but this store is old. I’m surprised they have a card reader to accept payments. I walk to the only register to relieve Ariel so he can stock shelves and help customers on the floor.
