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“You should be.”
We keep walking toward the front entrance, everyone we pass calling out to Corey and slapping hands or doing a bro-hug, like they haven’t seen each other all summer, instead of just ten hours ago. I roll my eyes and he laughs. “So dramatic.”
I stick my tongue out and he moves like he’s going to pull it. I finally laugh and let him swing an arm around my shoulders. When we breeze through the front doors, my mood starts to lift. Then, I feel it. Awareness sings in my blood. Corey falters next to me at the same time and I hear him curse under his breath.
“What?” I turn to ask, noticing the smile on his face looks more forced, a mask falling into place.
“He's here. The mobster grandson. Fuck. I should have drunk less.” He groans.
“Ya think?” I chastise him, while trying to see where he’s looking. It doesn’t take me long to find him, half the female student body has noticed the newcomer and he’s surrounded. His back is to us, but he looks familiar. Feels familiar. The closer we get to the group, the more my heart starts to flutter in my chest. He turns to laugh at something one of his friends says and recognition kicks in. I can see his profile, the dark slash of eyebrow with the cut through it, his sharp jawline and the darker hue of his lips as he keeps talking. He’s the guy I collided with last night outside Ms. Patti’s. “His family is in a gang or something?” I whisper to Corey, feeling claws of panic start to grip me.
“Not a gang. Old school mafia in New York. The word from Rip is that the grandson made a deal with his grandfather that if he gets his music career going, he’ll be left out of the family business, so his grandfather sent him here. Middle of fucking nowhere.” Corey shakes his head.
“What kind of music career?” My brow furrows, remembering him saying something to me about renting recording equipment in the basement of the studio. That makes sense now, even though I never knew Ms. Patti had the space.
“He’s a rapper. He’s not bad, an up-and-coming lyric genius is what he’s being dubbed.” Corey smirks at me. “You live under a rock though so I doubt you’ve heard of Onyx Kiddrick. The Kid.”
My heart stops. No. No way. I grab my phone and Corey talks to the person next to him, another basketball player, while I scroll to my favorite playlist. A list of music I picked to always get my heart racing, the songs I dance to when I need to feel the music more instead of thinking. The songs I have danced to every time I want to escape from the loneliness waiting in my apartment or outrun the worry that nothing I do will ever help my mom again. When I feel so lost that the only thing I can do is dance. Five songs down, I run into my favorite track. Number 6. “Run in Circles” by The Kid.
Heat blooms in my cheeks as I swing my gaze back to Onyx. The voice that has reminded me to keep breathing, keep moving, almost every day for the past year. I never Googled him, never looked up more than liking his musician profile on the music app. I had no idea what he looked like or how old he was. I fell in love with the song and craved the gravelly melody of his voice, thrumming in my blood, while I moved around the dance studio. When I ran into him last night, never in a million years would I have thought he was the same person. Cringing, I try to remember how often I’ve listened to his song the past few weeks that he’s also been renting space. I’ll want to crawl in a hole and die of embarrassment if he assumes I’m some groupie, playing his music while he’s around.
“Come on.” Corey pulls me with him over to the group.
I want to pull free and head to class, but it’s already too late. The other guy with Onyx from last night makes eye contact with me and I see his lips move, his chin nodding toward us. Onyx glances over, those dark chocolate eyes, once again, colliding with mine and I’m swept away again. Everyone else in the hallway seems to disappear. There is no noise, except the beating of my heart in my chest. Nothing else matters, except the space we share, the warmth I feel all over with his attention on me. His eyes blaze with a spark of heat, that feeling of belonging is there but fleeting before it’s chased away and the real world crashes back into us.
“Hey, Patterson,” Gage acknowledges us first, the rest of the crowd around Onyx parts to make room. Onyx’s eyes jump from me to Corey and back, silently watching.
“Sup, man.” Corey tips his chin up at Gage and slaps hands with a few other guys in the crowd. I keep my gaze from returning to Onyx’s, even while his presence calls to me like a beacon.
All the girls are practically drooling, looking from Onyx to Corey, and I notice a few of them step closer to Onyx, while giving me a look that reads as stay away, and I raise my brow, feeling conflicted at why I feel almost jealous. I can feel heat creeping up my neck. I only met him yesterday so I have no claim over him but neither do they. I can feel the weight of his eyes on me while we continue to stand here.
Corey makes a noise in his throat, his head tilting to the side. “You’re Onyx Kiddrick?”
I glance from Corey to Onyx, waiting for his reply, and once again become ensnared by his dark gaze. It can’t be normal for him to be watching me this long. I can feel his eyes penetrating my skin, trying to crack my skull and read my secrets. I probably should be freaked out by his intensity, but he feels familiar, dangerous yet safe, like free-falling through the sky, waiting for a parachute to open. I’ve never been stared at like this. I’ve never wanted anyone’s eyes on me this long. It feels like forever when, in reality, it probably wasn’t more than a few seconds, and then he does look away from me to meet Corey’s gaze and nods his head.
“I am. Heard a lot about you, Corey Patterson.” His voice is still as gravelly as last night. I can hear his lyrics in my heart and soon shivers run down my arms.
“All good, I hope,” Corey gives him his charming smirk, “we can catch up later though. Gage gave you the rundown on signups for football?”
“Yup,” Gage adjusts his backpack, looking proud of himself, “Coach said he could try out if he was interested.”
“I’ll keep it in mind.” Onyx rubs his hands together. “I have a few other things to take care of first.” He glances from Corey to Gage, almost dismissive, before he glances back at me. Corey stiffens at my side, shifting closer, noticing Onyx’s attention.
“Little Star, you aren’t endangering any lives today, are you?”
My cheeks flush, embarrassment coating my skin. I wish I could shrink away from the crooked smile on his lips, while at the same time, I have the crazy urge to run my fingers over those lips.
“Not yet, but it’s still early.” I manage to bite back a little. Onyx’s eyes deepen until they are almost black in color, befitting for his name. His grin grows wider and a deep chuckle escapes him.
“This is—”
“Jade,” I finish saying before Corey can. For some reason, I want to be the one giving my name to him. I want him to hear it from my lips and still have him call me Little Star.
It feels like the crowd goes quiet and I can feel Corey’s arm tighten on my shoulders, his protectiveness rearing back. The bell rings, I force myself to break eye contact with Onyx and look at Corey. “I have English first. See you at lunch?”
Corey gives me a smile, but it’s tight. I roll my eyes, reminding him he doesn’t need to protect me so fiercely, before heading to class. Fire dances over my back; yet, I manage to keep walking down the hall, ignoring the dark looks from girls and the tension rising in the air. I make it into the classroom and right as I slide into my brand-new seat for the year, my legs decide to give out. Meeting Onyx was entirely different than standing in front of him and knowing who he is. For the first time in my life, butterflies dance in my stomach. I hope I get to talk to him again.
ChapterSix
