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“Do you know him?” I asked curiously.
“No. Not really. He just moved back to town over the summer. He lives down the street from me. He’s really intense and hard to talk to. I think he stayed back a grade or something. When you try to talk with him though, it’s like he’s so much older, but it’s hot,” she explained smiling. “He’s totally dreamy though, right? I mean, drool city. He’s so not interested in me or anyone else around town for that matter. We all think he has a girl he left behind that he’s hanging on to,” Layken finished, annoyance dripping from her tongue as she spoke about Brent. Rejection was obviously something that Layken was not used to receiving.
“Huh?” was my only reply.
Was that jealousy eating up my insides right now? I pictured him in his room Skyping with some super-model girlfriend miles away, turning to his calendar and marking an x on today’s date, counting the days until he saw her again. Yup, he had definitely been letting me know he was designed for someone else…or not. Wow! I was seriously losing it. I slapped myself mentally.
You really are a freak.
Entering the room, he glanced my way, shooting me a quizzical smile. He stopped in front of my table and said, “Hey Blake, I didn’t expect to see you here, but I’m glad I did. I wanted to see if you could help me with my chemistry sometime. It’s the one class I have a hard time with. Would you mind?”
His question took me by surprise and I sat there looking at him dumbfounded.
You put the words together and you speak, stupid. It’s really not that hard.
“No,…umm…not at all. I can meet you sometime after school if you want,” I finally offered, wiping my hands across my jeans, realizing they were sweaty with nerves.
“Great, thanks so much Blake.” He winked before passing and sitting at a table a few rows back.
Turning to look at Layken, I laughed as she sat open-mouthed; staring as though she was frozen. I waved a hand in front of her face to get her to move again.
“Wow!” was all she said, and then burst into giggled laughter.
Pondering Brent’s request, I became agitated. Of course, the pull I felt was not what he was feeling. He was simply being nice to me so he could get an easy A in chem. Stupid came to mind in reference to myself for my thoughts that any interaction with him was anything more. Idiot also came to mind. How could I have possibly thought for a second he would be interested in the freaky girl, from the even freakier family? He was gorgeous and I was, well, I was me. It would be better this way though. Perhaps I was designed to be his chem tutor and nothing more.
Now you’re just being a brat!
The rest of class went by rather quickly. Layken was very nice to me, suggesting that we should hang out sometime. She told me about her trip to Hawaii with her family over the summer, asking me if I had ever been. I had not, which was remarkable considering I lived in just about every other state. I wondered if my parents were still alive if we might have moved to Hawaii at some point. She told me how blue the water was, and how she had wanted to parasail but chickened out as soon as they got to the boat. I misjudged her initially – putting her in a category of girls I assumed would not like me. Shutting people out was a weakness of mine and something I needed to work on.
Layken and I exited class together chatting. Brent caught up with us.
“Hey, Blake, mind if I walk you to your next class?” he asked me, flashing a smile that made my knees tremble. I had to look away before someone had to call the janitor to mop me off the floor.
Hearing Layken giggle, I looked up at her astonished face.
“Hey, I’ll see you tomorrow, Blake,” she teased, turning down the hall with a wave, mouthing OMG. I chuckled at her calling me Blake. I was really going to like Layken.
“Sure, I have history,” I finally replied to Brent.
“Me too. Shall we?” Brent encouraged, gesturing toward the hall for me to join him. He held his arm out for me to take, which I did, trying to keep my smile to a minimal grin. The realization of another class with Brent had my inner teenager doing cartwheels. Knowing I was becoming comfortable with being near him had my sub conscious screaming, run, stupid! My subconscious really needed to pipe down and let my inner teenager play!
Brent and I made our way casually through the hall. I was laughing and talking so normally with him – a boy. Wrapping my head around how at ease I was with him was difficult. A few girls passed by giving Brent huge smiles while tossing me dirty looks. Hearing whispering all around, I could feel the stares burning holes into the two of us. I was sure Brent had to be aware of it. My heart raced as he ignored the pettiness in the air and pulled me closer, placing his hand over mine, on his arm. I looked at the floor to avoid eye contact with him, afraid my cheeks would blaze garnet looking at him smile. Clumsily bumping into someone, I felt the force of the person pushing me back.
“Hey, watch where you’re going, freak!” I heard a male voice shout.
I stumbled, thankfully catching myself before I fell. Holding my backpack in my hands, I glared furiously at the sight of my attacker. A large, blonde haired boy, at least six feet tall, wearing cargo khaki shorts and a polo shirt was in front of me. His eyes were aimed at me and they didn’t look friendly.
Before I had the chance to apologize, Brent was in front of him, right in the boy’s face. They were so close I thought Brent could have felt his breath. Before I could shout, “Brent, no!” he yelled out. “What the hell is wrong with you, Logan? Didn’t your mother teach you any manners?”
“Screw you, Brent. The girl’s a freak, like the rest of her family,” Logan growled back to Brent, his eyes so dark they were almost black.
Watching Brent tighten his fists at his sides, I was sure he was going to throw a punch. He screamed through his clenched jaw. “If you ever touch her again, Logan, I’ll be the one to teach you some manners, you got that?” He yelled so ferociously that spit escaped his mouth after stressing each word to make his point.
Logan backed down, starting back up the hall, mumbling something under his breath about the Blakes and the weird shit going on in my aunt’s house.
Brent cursed at him once more. “Leave her alone Logan. I mean it!”
“Yeah, yeah,” Logan called back, before disappearing into the crowd of students.
