AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Cecilia!” The voice was coated in sugar and stung my ears.
I looked up to find Mandy, her friends all huddled around her, all dressed as if going to a party, their hair, makeup, all immaculate.
“Hey!” She smiled in a way that would have put crocodiles to shame. “I’ve been looking for you. How’s it going?”
“Not great. Actually, I’d rather—”
“How are things with Jax? With all the attention he’s been giving you, I should’ve expected to see you dressed in such atrailblazingway. I swear, you’re taking campus fashion to a whole new level of shabby chic. Isn’t she so brave, wearing the janitor look, and crushing it, guys?”
Her friends smirked.
I glanced again at my uniform and its cheap, gaudy design. I’d arrived an hour late on campus, having slept far too long after being out late searching the night before, and my janitorial duties had stretched into class time. I didn’t care what she thought though, my mom was missing, that was all that mattered. “Mandy, you know something? You might have a—”
“A Louis Chetton Guerrero? The limited edition? Girl, wow! Aren’t those on a mile-long waiting list?”
We all turned to see Vesta striding up to Mandy’s side. She was sporting a bottle of water and a devilish grin. I was so glad to see her.
Mandy’s confident look fell at the sight of Vesta’s dazzling black and scarlet tresses, her toned, strong limbs and her glowing fingernails, which started swirling in orange and red.
“Well, uh, I mean, yeah.” Mandy watched Vesta’s fingertips flare and fizzle. “I didn’t have to wait that long though—”
“Can I see?” Vesta snatched the bag from Mandy’s forearm, before she could say yay or nay. “Oh, this is so gorgeous. You’re so lucky. I’m super jealous.” She unzipped the bag and quickly began rifling inside. Then she clasped the inner label, frowning as she peered at it. “That’s weird. It says, ‘Made in China.’ I thought they were made in Italy, no? Oh, never mind, I’d better be careful, it also says, ‘Highly flammable: Keep away from naked flames.’”
Clutching the bag, her fingernails glowed again, until the air around us was filled with the odor of burning charcoal.
Mandy and her friends just stood there, mouths gaping wide. One of them gagged at the strong smell.
Vesta handed the bag back. “You’re so lucky. You’d better take good care of that.”
Mandy stammered out something, but I couldn’t make it out. The wolf girl couldn’t seem to come up with a thing to say.
Faces blushing, they all backed off with wary looks, and Vesta sat across from me, chuckling, and shaking her head. “Bullshit comes in many forms on this campus.”
She reached across the table, and I took her hand, clasping it with both of mine. “Thank you. I didn’t want to waste precious energy on her today.”
Vesta squeezed back. “That’s what friends do—”
“Isn’t it though?” Xander said, plonking himself down on the spare seat beside me. Where the hell had he come from? Was that a vamp thing?
And how had he found me here?
“Friendsleanon each other.” Scooting his chair in close, he leaned his toned arm against mine. He bent his head in. “Hello, my little friend.” His breath caressed my ear. He was dangerous. His presence next to me, the scent of leather and cinnamon, the gorgeous face. I liked it. My mom would have been appalled, but I liked it.
Vesta’s bottle of water was unopened, the plastic’s cloudiness telling it had not long come from the fridge. Xander slid his hand across the table, over hers, and leaned in, drawing near to her face, their noses almost touching. I was waiting on a fiery response from her, when Xander asked, “May I wet my tongue, my lady?”
Her expression softened and she let Xander pluck the bottle, crack its top, and guzzle. He handed it back to her, saying, “How refreshing, thank you.”
I’d only known Vesta for a short time, but she didn’t strike me as the type to act coyly. And yet, she placed a hand over her giggling mouth and replied, “You’re welcome, uh…”
“Xander, please. Delighted to meet you.”
“Likewise.”
“And you are?”
“Vesta.”
“Ve-sta.” He slowed the syllables, rolling them over in his mouth. “A firecracker, for sure.”
