through his teeth.
“Close enough,” I said without a glanced in her direction when she slid her arm around Ben and pressed herself into him.
He didn’t acknowledge her, but turned his eyes away from me. “Guess I’ll let you get back to your thing.” He turned to walk away, his shoulders tight as a drum.
Satisfaction filled me. I had showed him. I’d bet in the future, he’d keep his opinions about me to himself.
I took hold of Francis’ arm and guided him away from London. His mouth was open, his eyes fixed on the perfect blonde just down the hall from us. I didn’t want to go to class yet, though since there were only a couple of minutes until the bell rang, there was no other choice. I had to suck it up and keep the peace which filled me when my friend was around at the forefront of my mind.
It surprised me as we walked in, to find that almost the entire class was present, which was unusual. The problem was, only a few seats were left open and Francis appeared ready to pass out. Ugh. That was JUST what I needed.
I deposited Francis in the first empty seat, then walked to the other side of the room to sit in an open desk.
It made me smile when I recognized the guy directly in front of me. He was part of Francis’ group which had welcomed me in on my first day. He wasn’t the friendliest of the group, but if I couldn’t sit with Francis, he would have to do.
“Hey, JJ,” I said with a smile as he glanced back to look at me. His wildly curly fro and rich brown skin made me think of coffee with caramel mixed in, my favorite flavor combination.
“Hey,” he practically whispered, then flicked his eyes down.
“How was your weekend?” I asked, not too sure if he even wanted to talk to me.
“It was okay,” he said, but with what looked like a monumental effort, he turned his eyes to meet mine. “How was yours?”
I almost laughed at how difficult it was for him to ask even such a simple question. There was no way I would laugh at that sweet, shy guy though. “My sister started teaching me how to drive,” I said and beamed at him. “I think you could say my weekend was tense,” I exaggerated, not sure what to expect from a conversation with him.
JJ’s lips turned up in a pathetic imitation of a smile. He looked almost like he might say something else, but just swallowed and turned back to the front as someone walked past him.
Okay, guess that’s the most I’m going to get by way of conversation with him.
The person who had thrown JJ into his tense silence was Ben. I grimaced at the sight of him. He didn’t appear any happier about sitting a few seats behind me than I was at having him there.
It was a relief when the bell rang, so I simply resigned myself to my day inside and turned my attention to our teacher. He stood in front of us, a dazed look on his face, his eyes fixed on the door.
“Class—” he broke off and cleared his throat, before he went on, “I’d uh . . . like to introduce you to my . . . uh our . . . uh, teacher’s aide. Miss Liadin is going to be with us in . . . class,” he looked like he might pass out as he finished faltering out that introduction.
I didn’t have to look to know it was the perfect blonde. Who else could make our intense teacher into a puddle of hormones like the rest of the guys?
When he turned his eyes away from her, his mind seemed to clear. “Open your books to page one hundred and five and read the chapter on language,” he snapped, his glower back in full force as he turned toward his desk.
I sighed and pulled my book out, but my eyes turned of their own accord to look at Miss Liadin. There was something about her, something familiar, but where would I have seen her? She sat in a chair next to the teacher’s desk, looking unaffected by the world around her. It was like a bomb could go off next to her head and she’d just straighten her hair and go on about her business.
A shiver passed over my skin when this image came into my
“Close enough,” I said without a glanced in her direction when she slid her arm around Ben and pressed herself into him.
He didn’t acknowledge her, but turned his eyes away from me. “Guess I’ll let you get back to your thing.” He turned to walk away, his shoulders tight as a drum.
Satisfaction filled me. I had showed him. I’d bet in the future, he’d keep his opinions about me to himself.
I took hold of Francis’ arm and guided him away from London. His mouth was open, his eyes fixed on the perfect blonde just down the hall from us. I didn’t want to go to class yet, though since there were only a couple of minutes until the bell rang, there was no other choice. I had to suck it up and keep the peace which filled me when my friend was around at the forefront of my mind.
It surprised me as we walked in, to find that almost the entire class was present, which was unusual. The problem was, only a few seats were left open and Francis appeared ready to pass out. Ugh. That was JUST what I needed.
I deposited Francis in the first empty seat, then walked to the other side of the room to sit in an open desk.
It made me smile when I recognized the guy directly in front of me. He was part of Francis’ group which had welcomed me in on my first day. He wasn’t the friendliest of the group, but if I couldn’t sit with Francis, he would have to do.
“Hey, JJ,” I said with a smile as he glanced back to look at me. His wildly curly fro and rich brown skin made me think of coffee with caramel mixed in, my favorite flavor combination.
“Hey,” he practically whispered, then flicked his eyes down.
“How was your weekend?” I asked, not too sure if he even wanted to talk to me.
“It was okay,” he said, but with what looked like a monumental effort, he turned his eyes to meet mine. “How was yours?”
I almost laughed at how difficult it was for him to ask even such a simple question. There was no way I would laugh at that sweet, shy guy though. “My sister started teaching me how to drive,” I said and beamed at him. “I think you could say my weekend was tense,” I exaggerated, not sure what to expect from a conversation with him.
JJ’s lips turned up in a pathetic imitation of a smile. He looked almost like he might say something else, but just swallowed and turned back to the front as someone walked past him.
Okay, guess that’s the most I’m going to get by way of conversation with him.
The person who had thrown JJ into his tense silence was Ben. I grimaced at the sight of him. He didn’t appear any happier about sitting a few seats behind me than I was at having him there.
It was a relief when the bell rang, so I simply resigned myself to my day inside and turned my attention to our teacher. He stood in front of us, a dazed look on his face, his eyes fixed on the door.
“Class—” he broke off and cleared his throat, before he went on, “I’d uh . . . like to introduce you to my . . . uh our . . . uh, teacher’s aide. Miss Liadin is going to be with us in . . . class,” he looked like he might pass out as he finished faltering out that introduction.
I didn’t have to look to know it was the perfect blonde. Who else could make our intense teacher into a puddle of hormones like the rest of the guys?
When he turned his eyes away from her, his mind seemed to clear. “Open your books to page one hundred and five and read the chapter on language,” he snapped, his glower back in full force as he turned toward his desk.
I sighed and pulled my book out, but my eyes turned of their own accord to look at Miss Liadin. There was something about her, something familiar, but where would I have seen her? She sat in a chair next to the teacher’s desk, looking unaffected by the world around her. It was like a bomb could go off next to her head and she’d just straighten her hair and go on about her business.
A shiver passed over my skin when this image came into my
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