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Chapter One
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“Please tell me youfinished your portion of the assignment last night.” Tanya slides up next to me as I make my way toward my locker, my book bag clenched to my chest. The zipper broke on my way into the building and the damn thing is packed so full I have to hold it shut to keep everything from tumbling out.
“Yes, I finished it. Just like I said I would.” I groan audibly. It’s not even seven-thirty and she’s already tracking me down to harass me. This day is not off to a very promising start.
“Well, I need to see it before class. I want to make sure we came to the same conclusion.”
“I thought that was the whole point. To look at it as a group and then formulate our own opinion. It shouldn’t matter if we came to different conclusions.”
This is what I hate most about group assignments. Especially group assignments when I get partnered with overachievers like Tanya Mackey who think they know better than everyone else.
“Well, I’d still like to see it. This isn’t just your grade, you know.” She huffs next to me, doing her best to keep up with my quick strides.
“Listen.” I turn abruptly when I reach my locker. “I promise you it’s complete and will not reflect poorly on the group. Now, if you don’t mind, I really need to drop my stuff off and get to class. I can’t be late for first period again or I’ll be spending the remainder of the semester in detention.” An over exaggeration I’m sure, but still, Ms. Jennings has threatened detention and I have no doubt that she’ll follow through.
“But,” she objects but I cut her off.
“I’m not discussing this further, Tanya.” I turn away from her to work the combination on my locker.
She remains next to me for several long moments. I can practically feel the heat from her glare burning the side of my face. Eventually, she realizes that I’m not giving her my essay, because after releasing a dramatic huff, she spins around and heads in the opposite direction. Thank goodness.
Under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t be quite so curt with someone. It’s not in my nature to be outspoken or stand my ground. I hate to think of myself as a pushover, but in most cases that’s what I end up being. Unfortunately for Tanya, she caught me in a rare mood.
I’ve just finished gathering everything I need from my locker for my first three periods when the second warning bell rings. Knowing I’m going to have to book it if I want any hope of reaching class on time, I slam the door closed, slide the lock back into place, and take off down the hallway. My feet move as fast as they can to still be considered walking. The last thing I need is to get in trouble for running.
I tighten my books to my chest and break out into a jog once I don’t see any teachers around. Based on when the last bell rang, I assume I have approximately thirty more seconds before I garner my fifth tardy in less than a month.
It’s really not my fault. One day my car wouldn’t start. Another it had a flat tire. The third and fourth times were entirely my brother’s fault because he wouldn’t get out of the bathroom. And then there’s this morning. Let’s just say it’s been the perfect example of Murphy’s Law.
I round the last corner, in the home stretch, when I collide with someone that seems to have appeared out of nowhere. My books fall to the floor with a loud thump and various pieces of paper slide along the checkered tile.
“Shit. Shit. Shit!” I say in quick succession, dipping down to collect my things right as the final bell rings.
“I’m so sorry,” the guy I ran into says right as he kneels down next to me.
I’m so preoccupied with picking everything up that I don’t actually look at him. All I can think is that with how this day has gone so far, I should turn around and head for the front door. If there was ever a day to crawl back into bed and say screw it, today is that day.
“Here.” I straighten into a stand as he extends a few papers of mine out to me.
My fingers wrap around the messy stack right as my eyes meet his.
My jaw instantly goes slack.
He’s gorgeous...
Dark hair, even darker eyes. Perfectly symmetrical features that almost make him look like he’s been plucked from some modeling catalog and dropped into the middle of my school. He’s flawless. All except for a small bump on the bridge of his nose which only gives him even more character. If I had to guess, I’d say he’s broken his nose at least once and I immediately begin to imagine all the ways that might have happened.
Fight. Car accident. Sports injury...
The guy is definitely the athletic type so the latter is totally feasible. Broad shoulders, tall stature, defined bicep muscles. My god...
I lick the corner of my mouth, fearful that I might be drooling.
I have no idea who he is. But I can say with complete certainty that I’ve never seen him before. I would have remembered. He’s not the kind of guy anyone would easily forget.
It takes me a moment to realize that I’m holding onto the papers he extended to me but have not taken them from him. It feels like an eternity has passed since our eyes first met but I’m guessing it hasn’t been more than a few seconds. Trying to shake off the fog that seems to have settled around me in his presence, I take the small stack and stuff it into the front of one of my books.
