But I also take issue with Ryne’s attitude. I step into his space and cross my arms. “Funny, I have zero patience for rude, judgmental Southerners who go out of their way to make new people feel out of place and unwanted.” Unwanted? That came out of nowhere.
Something flickers in his eyes, quick as a flash, and it’s gone just as fast. Ryne crosses his arms too and leans down close to my face. He speaks in a low voice. “That mouth of yours is gonna get you into trouble one of these days, Becker. You better watch it, or someone will have to teach you a lesson.”
“Ohh, sounds fun,” I sass back. “Where do I sign up?” I drop my arms and puff my chest out. It bumps against Ryne and his jaw clenches.
Ryne’s crossed arms flex and his eyes shoot laser beams through me. His lips part like he’s about to retort when Noah grabs my elbow and pulls. “Uh, we gotta go, Dacen, or we’ll be late for homeroom.”
Right. I’m throwing fuel on the fire which is probably not a smart idea. I glare at Ryne and then step beside Noah and Evie. “This day is already going swimmingly well, I must say.” We turn and start to walk away.
“You gonna just leave your locker open for all the world to steal shit from, or what?” I turn around again as Ryne shuts it for me, spins the lock, and walks toward us. He taps my forehead with two knuckles as he passes by. “Better turn that big brain of yours on.”
I pivot in a half-circle and watch him saunter away. His ass looks hotter than it has any right to in those loose black athletic shorts. My shoulders lift and fall with a sigh. Tyler claps me on the back and I turn my head to him. He stares at me with a very sharp, focused set to his pale blue eyes.
“What exactly happened between the two of you at soccer camp this summer?”
Evie already knows the whole truth but Noah doesn’t, and he watches us curiously. I press my lips together and shrug. It wasn’t anything major, at least I don’t think so, but it seems Ryne isn’t keen on sharing with his friends. That’s no shocker considering on the outside he tries to come across as an emotionless robot. So far be it from me to speak for him, because I clearly have no idea what’s going through his brain.
“We played a lot of soccer. Ate some food. Did a lot of running. Pretty much the same as every other guy there.”
Tyler drops his hand and hoists his backpack further up his shoulder. “Right.” He chuckles. “See y’all later.” He walks away waving over his shoulder.
Noah watches Tyler’s form disappear and then turns toward me. “I feel like I’m missing something.”
“It’s nothing newsworthy, Noah, trust me.”
The warning bell rings. We part ways, Evie going one direction, and Noah and I another, with parting words from Evie to Noah to make sure I get to my first class okay. We hightail it to the homeroom, sliding into two empty desks just as the final bell rings. For the next few minutes we watch the morning announcements on the screen at the front of the room, and afterward, Mr. Archer, who I also have for AP Calculus later, passes out our ID badges, goes over general school rules, and other mundane beginning of the year stuff.
Noah drops me off at my first class, AP Chemistry, and leaves with promises of eating lunch together later. The class goes well, not much happens on the first day really. Coach King teaches chemistry, which I’m super psyched about. He’s pretty awesome. Also pretty easy on the eyes but you’ll never hear me admit it out loud. He’s very fair, tells jokes that are actually funny, and wasn’t born in the Stone Age, unlike the tired and crotchety science teacher at my old school. He’s also new to the school this year, which makes me feel less alone even though he’s a teacher. I wave at him on my way out the classroom door once the bell rings ending the first period, and he nods at me with a smile.
“See you later at practice, Dacen. Remember to keep that head up.”
* * *
I was toonervous to eat much breakfast, so by the time lunch rolls around I’m famished. I set my tray down across from Evie’s and take a seat, then waste no time digging in. I chose a grilled chicken sandwich, salad, a banana, and a can of pop. The sandwich gets inhaled while Evie takes precisely two bites of hers because she spends so much time chatting while she eats. I nod along and answer as best as I can. I love to talk too, but there’s no getting between me and food right now.
I do take a half-second to notice it’s just Evie and me. When she takes a breath, I interrupt her tirade on the lack of female members on the school’s talent show committee last year and how she hopes this year will be different.
“Hey, where’s Noah?”
She pauses with her mouth open and then closes it, looking around before she answers. “He got lunch detention. On the first day, if you can believe it. Jenkins is a stickler.”
I tilt my head to the side and stab a bite of salad with my fork. “How do you get a lunch detention?”
Evie pulls her long hair over one shoulder and starts to braid it while she speaks. “You know how you have to show your student ID when you enter the cafeteria? Well, if you don’t have it you get lunch detention because you’re supposed to have your ID on you at all times. How Noah lost or misplaced his on the first day is beyond me.”
“Damn, that blows. So, what? He’s gotta eat lunch in detention or something?”
Evie wraps a ponytail holder around her braid to secure it. “Yep.”
“Bummer.” I make a mental note to never lose my ID. The thought of detention makes my skin crawl. After I finish my sandwich and salad, I pick up the banana and begin to peel it, but pause as I look around the cafeteria. The surrounding sounds of chatter fill my ears and I slowly take in the faces of the students. “I know I’ve said this before Ev, but seriously. The senior guys here look more like men than boys. They don’t grow ‘em like this where I’m from.”
Evie snorts and shovels in a bite of chocolate pudding. Her eyes get big as she stares at something behind me, and she picks up her napkin and quickly wipes her mouth.
Rich laughter rains down around me. “Must be all the extra sunshine we get here.” I stiffen and shift in my seat. Tyler and Ryne stand beside our table. Tyler winks at me and continues. “Looks like you got more than your fair share of it though.”
I can’t help the blush that creeps up my cheeks at his compliment. Tyler’s funny and super nice but he’s also freaking hot. Not Ryne-levels of hotness, at least to me, but he’s gorgeous in his own right. His shaggy blond hair, full lips, and eyes such a pale blue they’re almost silver really work for him. And he has the cutest chin, which is maybe a weird thing to say but it’s the truth. I swear there must have been something in the water when they were growing up because Evan and Roman are really easy on the eyes too. It’s no hardship watching the four of them together anywhere, from an aesthetic standpoint anyway. The amount of attitude they have collectively can leave much to be desired though. But still, when I compare them to the male population at my old school, there is no comparison.
Ryne glowers at Tyler. He speaks quietly, like what he has to say is only for Tyler’s ears, but I can still make out the words since they’re close. “Really dude? Are you fucking flirting with him?”
