Enchanter by Kristy Centeno

lie?”
    “Then how come you ended up hurt?’
    “Do I really have to explain that again? People have been
asking me the same question almost every hour of every day. It’s annoying. I
told you guys, I fell. As hard as that is to believe, it’s still the God honest
truth.”
    “Well, only if you say so.”
    “Now, tell me. Have you started your end of this assignment
yet?” I opted for changing the subject because I did not want to give Brandon
any more importance than what I already had.
    Sonya’s face lit up immediately after my question. “Yes.
Harry and I got together last night.” She giggled. “He’s so amazing.”
    “Uh, sounds like you had fun.”
    “We did.” She smiled. “And he wants to see me again
tonight.”
    We both stopped talking when Mr. Lynne began to dismiss the
class.
    “I’ll be right back.”
    Before I could respond, Sonya was gone.
    As I packed my textbooks inside my big purse, Sonya headed
toward where Harry was standing on one side of the room, waiting for her. The
way she fidgeted with her top and giggled every time he said something to her
made me conjure up images of our days in elementary school, when the attention
of a boy was reason enough to behave like total idiots. She might be in her
early twenties now, but Sonya still acted like a love-stricken school girl.
    I could not help but laugh softly as I watched her make a
fool of herself.
    As soon as all items were resting comfortably inside my
purse, I stood. In my haste to rush out of my chair, I knocked over my phone,
which had been lying on top of the table, and it started to fall. A huge pale
hand, the same one from before, ended up rescuing it, again. I glanced up to catch
Brandon’s huge form looming over me.
    “You should really keep this thing somewhere safe.” He held
his hand, with my phone in it, outstretched in front of him.
    “Why do you care?” I tried to snatch it from his palm, but
he immediately retrieved his hand and placed my phone in the front pocket of
his jeans. Horrified, I could only stare openmouthed as my favorite item in the
whole world disappeared.  
    “See, when someone does something nice for you, your
response should be something like thank you .”
    “What, you’re giving me lessons in etiquette now?”
    “That’s because you don’t have any.”
    “You’re one to talk.”
    Brandon’s eyebrows shot up.
    “When have I ever been rude to you?”
    I pushed the chair I was sitting on under the table and took
the four steps that would bring us face to face – or in our case face to neck.
“Remember Tuesday morning, when you nearly knocked me down? I didn’t exactly
hear you apologize for that.”
    “So, I have to apologize because you’re clumsy?”
    I was about to give the biggest bitch fit demonstration to
have ever been witnessed by mankind, but then I caught the glimmer of amusement
in his eyes and I understood he was deliberately annoying me so I caught myself
before all kinds of unholy words slipped out of my mouth.
    “As much as I would like to kill you right now,” it took a
lot for me to speak without cursing at him, but I somehow managed, “I have
another class to get to. So, give me my phone back!” I demanded angrily.
    His pale blue eyes seemed to have gotten bigger as he stared
down at me.
    “Sure.” He leaned forward some and I thought he intended to
grab my cell from his pocket but when his face came within inches of mine, I
realized that was not his intention at all. “When you learn how to say please
and thank you.”
    With that, he marched out of the classroom.
    Stunned, I could only stand there and gape at his huge back
as it walked away from me. Did he really just take my phone and run off with
it?
    “Leah—”
    Ignoring Sonya’s presence next to me, I hurried after
Brandon before he could escape inside his next classroom. As usual, the hallway
was crowded, but my eyes immediately spotted the back of his head as it bobbed
away. Since I already knew where