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“It’s not that. I am just annoyed by Professor Barker. His whole, ‘I’m not a regular teacher, I’m acoolteacher,’ thing is going to get old, fast.”
I snort a laugh. “You may have a point. But what if that’s just his personality? Maybe he is just a realist?”
Milo’s lips curl into a sardonic grin. “We’ll see.”
“So, Layla, what’s your next class?” Landon pipes up from my other side.
“Erm,” I check the schedule on my phone. “I have Bio 103 with Calhoun.”
“Cool, me too! I’ll show you the way. We all had freshman orientation last week, so I know the campus pretty well. See you at lunch, Milo.”
“Yeah, I’ll meet you guys in front of the cafeteria. Jared is supposed to find me after my class.”
“Who’s Jared?” I glance between their faces. This is the first time they’ve mentioned him.
“He’s our other… friend. We’re kind of like the three musketeers,” Landon jokes, but I don’t miss how he tripped over the word ‘friend.’
“I see. Okay, we’ll see you at lunch, Milo.”
I smile, and he hits me with that sexy half-grin again. “See ya Lex.”
Landon leads, and I follow him from the main building across the courtyard to the Donnager building, where the science and math classes are held. Science has never been my strong suit—I’ve always preferred literature—but it’s a requirement, so I have to get it done at some point, might as well be now.
We pick a black-topped table near the back, and I set out my notebook and pens. We’re not chatting, but it’s a companionable silence. I’m getting the impression that Landon is a little more introverted than Milo, and I kind of like it. Milo has his whole cool confidence going on, but I’m definitely an introvert, so I’m far more likely to be awkward than cool.
I’m minding my business, writing the name of the class and the date on the first page of my notebook, when a nasal voice sneers, “So it’s true, Smoky Falls has a brand new princess.”
That fucking nickname again.
I try not to overreact and glance up casually. A pretty blonde girl, wearing a nearly identical outfit to mine, stands in front of our table. She’s flanked by two large guys, twins from the looks of it, with reddish-brown hair. They’re all glaring at me with marked dislike, perhaps even hate, clear on their faces. Why, I have no earthly idea, but people rarely make sense to me.
There’s a low rumbling sound to my right, and I realize Landon is actually growling—growling!—deep in his chest.What in the…
Deciding to play it cool, I flip my hair and glance at them with casual disinterest. “Oh, don’t worry about me, blondie, I’m not after your title.”
An immediate rumble circulates the room as my classmates react. I didn’t realize until now that they were all watching this little showdown.
“You say that, and yet you’re here all the same,” she sniffs. “You should never have come here, Harridan.”
Wait, how does this bitch know who I am? And what the hell is her problem?
“Okay, stalker. I don’t know what business it is of yours what I do, but I’m just here for an education like everyone else. So why don’t you flounce back to your seat and mind your business?”
“Yeah, no one believes that. But we’ll deal with you soon enough.”
Landon slams his hands down on the table, arms trembling and face red with restrained rage. The sudden motion and loud noise make me jump, along with half the class. “That’senough, Amber. Take your lackeys and get out of my face before we have aproblem.”
The way he said that made me think there was a hidden implication, but I had no idea what it could be. However, his intervention worked, and Amber sniffs once more before turning on her heel and marching away, followed by her bodyguards.
“I’m sorry about that,” Landon leans in to whisper, his warm breath tickling my ear. “I should have stopped her earlier.”
I turn to him with a smile. “It’s alright, I’m used to dealing with assholes. I’m just surprised it took this long to meet one,” I joke. “Not sure what I did to piss her off, though. You think it’s because she doesn’t like to be twinsies?” Amber’s cardigan is nearly the same as mine, in a baby pink color instead of lavender.
Landon snorts. “Maybe, maybe not. Either way, I know you can probably handle yourself, but the point is you don’t have to. You have Milo and me now, and Jared. If Milo were here, he’d probably have sent her off with her tail between her legs before she got a word out, but,” he ducks his head, cheeks reddening, “I’m not as brave as he is.”
My heart lurches for him, and I place a hand on his arm. “I disagree. I appreciate you let me deal with it myself, and then came in when she didn’t get the hint. You certainly sent her running fast,” I giggle. “Truth time: are your palms killing you? That slap was loud.”
He chuckles. “Yeah, to be honest, they do kind of sting. It’s okay, it’ll go away in a few minutes.”
