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Lifting a shoulder, I glance at her, meeting her silver eyes for a second and reply, “Not if I use color protection shampoos and conditioner.”
“Brilliant!” She holds out a lock of her auburn hair. “Reckon it would take?”
I snort. “Umm, definitely not. You’d need to either gradually go to a platinum shade like I did and then apply a pink, or nuke it with bleach, apply a pink and have pink hair for two weeks before it all snaps off.
She looks disheartened. “What’s your natural shade?”
Why do these people ask dumb fucking questions? “Pink.”
“No, seriously.”
I deadpan, “Pink.”
It’s obviously not pink, but it’s also none of her business. I lift my braid into the light and admire the pastel pink sheen. I honestly thought they’d make me change my hair to fit their image at this school, but they haven’t said a thing about it. So long as I roll up in their plaid skirt and navy blazer, they seem content with anything else as it is.
“A woman of mystery, I like it,” she mutters to herself and I find myself smiling for real this time. She’s funny, in a natural way, not the attention-seeking kind of way. Then, just when I think she’s done talking to me she adds, “I’m Mack, by the way, short for Mackenzie.”
I look at her outstretched hand and clasp mine together, letting her know I don’t want to touch her. “I’m Lilith.”
She retracts her hand, still smiling at me. “Lilith Deville, right? Very biblical and kinda creepy, no offence.”
“None taken.”
“Good, I got worried you’d snap my prized pencil,” she holds up a metallic rose gold pencil with her name inscribed in the side in black lettering. “Isn’t she a beauty?”
“If you don’t poke me with it I’m sure it will survive the semester.”
“Awesome,” she whispers as the teacher walks back into class, having stepped out five minutes ago for something. I don’t know what thing. “So that’s why you snapped Loki’s pencil?”
“Does it really matter? It’s just a pencil.”
“It was rude,” Loki hisses.
I spin and glare at him. “Rude is poking somebody you don’t know with a pencil.”
“Wasn’t like it was the pointy end,” he grumbles to himself.
“Settle down, class.” The teacher’s voice sounds as mundane as I’m feeling. “Ah, we have fresh meat. Welcome to Lakeside Preparatory, Miss…”
“Lilith Deville,” I reply for the millionth time since yesterday.
“Ah yes, I have you here…” She presses something on her tablet, and I wonder why all of the teachers but Mr. Bromley have high-tech gadgets to take the roll call. “So where do you hail from?”
“Everywhere. Mom’s an environmentalist so we travel,” I answer robotically, also for the millionth time since yesterday.
“Wow, that’s interesting. What kind of things does she do?”
I sigh and shrug my shoulders. “Environmental stuff.”
The class snickers as the teacher frowns but she doesn’t comment on my reluctance to respond with genuine answers to her prying. “Okay, well, I’m Ms. Bacon, it’s nice to have you in my class.”
“Thanks.” I look away, out of the window, hoping to daydream my way through the rest of the day. I blink twice when I catch sight of somebody by a big tree across a staggered stepped walkway that leads to the main entrance.
It’s Nokosi in his uniform, and some girl in a white top, standing in the rain beneath the budding leaves of the tree. He has her caged in, his hands on the bark either side of her head, she’s smiling at him. He smiles back, leans in, and kisses her lips, then deepens it, making her cheeks hollow and her body relax. Her hands grip his blazer-clad waist until he pulls her leg over his hip. The dark skin of her bare navel makes his bare arms look almost red in comparison. Hers bronze, his umber. Both so attractive. But I can guarantee she’s not his girlfriend. Nokosi doesn’t have girlfriends, I can tell that about him already.
I can’t tear my eyes away, the way he commands her body with just his tongue in her mouth. I’ve never been kissed like that. Sure, I’ve been kissed but he’s not just kissing her, he’s possessing her.
She’s bending her body to meet his like she’s desperate for more of a taste. How much more of a taste can she get with her tongue in his mouth already?
I’ve never seen anybody kiss like this, let alone be kissed like that myself.
I touch my lips, imagining a tingle there that will probably never be there.
Principal Cooper appears out of nowhere waving a finger at them, pointing towards the parking lot while his lips form words I can’t hear. Nokosi peels himself away from the girl and pushes his wet hair from his eyes before sauntering back into the school. The girl walks away from the school entirely. Her lack of uniform just shows that she doesn’t go here. I’m pretty sure she’s native, maybe half and half because her skin is darker, and her hair is poker straight but is starting to frizz where the rain has been wetting it
