lead people to believe.”
“Only about certain topics. I’m vocal about things that matter to me.” I changed my tone so he’d get my point.
“That’s not the whole reason. You want them to like you. I’ve only talked to you this morning, and you tell me your opinion of me, or lack thereof, without much preamble.”
“Again, it’s easy to speak your mind when you’re personally involved. And what’s so bad about wanting to be liked?”
“Ah. So political correctness ranks higher than making your stance known.”
We reached his classroom. “That’s not it at all,” I said. “Here’s your class.” I gestured to the open door, not hiding my relief my duties for the day were over. “Have a great rest of the day,” I taunted as I walked into the room next door.
“Oh, I intend to,” he replied.
CHAPTER 10
L andon fell into step with me as I walked out of my second-hour classroom.
“Seriously?” I asked. How many more girls were upset with me now?
“I was on pins and needles all class anticipating your reasoning for not speaking your mind.” I didn’t like him being sarcastic. I was the only one who could be.
“You purposefully came here to drive me crazy, right? It’s working, so you can stop.”
“It’s not the entire reason. Just a bonus.”
I narrowed my eyes. “So you admit you have an agenda.”
He studied me. “That’s far from a confession.”
“I’m going to figure out what you’re doing here.”
“A threat and a promise, all in one.”
That was the wrong answer. “Usually the villain says, ‘You don’t want to know,’ or ‘I wish you wouldn’t try,’ or ‘You’ll regret it,’ then they laugh evilly.”
He laughed, but it was with amusement, not wickedness. “I am neither the villain nor the hero.”
“Where to now? Your guide anxiously awaits.”
It turned out our next classes were next to each other…again. After that class finished, I wasn’t surprised to see him waiting for me.
I held out my hand for his schedule. After he gave it to me, I asked, “I probably should just keep this, huh? I’m sensing a pattern.”
“Isn’t lunch now?”
“We have the same lunch hour?”
“Yes, Elyse invited me to sit at your table.”
“Unbelievable,” I muttered. I was so distracted with his persistence that I’d forgotten Elyse’s schedule. They had the same third hour.
“Hey, girlie.” Speak of the devil, she appeared.
“Ready for lunch?” I asked sweetly.
She knew what I was implying and ignored me. “Landon’s going to join us today,” she cheerfully said. “He told me he hasn’t had too much of a chance to meet anyone else because you took the position of official tour guide.”
So that was how it was going to be. “It was just supposed to be his locker and first hour,” I complained. “All of his classes are either the same as mine or right next door. It’s not my fault he’s stalking me.”
“If I was a guy, I’d stalk you too, hot stuff.”
“Don’t encourage his behavior.”
“I don’t need encouragement,” he chimed in. “Shall we, ladies?”
Elyse hooked her arm with his. I fell in place next to Elyse, putting as much distance as I could between my hands and his neck.
We made our way to the lunchroom and approached our usual table.
I could feel that the guys were more apprehensive of him than I was, and that said something. They regarded him as he took a seat at our table. Did they see him as a threat? It wasn’t as if he could steal
all
the girls.
Apparently, he was a big car guy. He injected himself into their debate over what was wrong with Zach’s car, and he quickly won them over by asking the right questions about the car’s performance. Based on the answers, he narrowed it down to the problem. Before my eyes, they transformed from coolly regarding him to enthusiastically including him.
As expected, the buzz about the new guy filled most of the time before the start of classes. The girls who had
“Only about certain topics. I’m vocal about things that matter to me.” I changed my tone so he’d get my point.
“That’s not the whole reason. You want them to like you. I’ve only talked to you this morning, and you tell me your opinion of me, or lack thereof, without much preamble.”
“Again, it’s easy to speak your mind when you’re personally involved. And what’s so bad about wanting to be liked?”
“Ah. So political correctness ranks higher than making your stance known.”
We reached his classroom. “That’s not it at all,” I said. “Here’s your class.” I gestured to the open door, not hiding my relief my duties for the day were over. “Have a great rest of the day,” I taunted as I walked into the room next door.
“Oh, I intend to,” he replied.
CHAPTER 10
L andon fell into step with me as I walked out of my second-hour classroom.
“Seriously?” I asked. How many more girls were upset with me now?
“I was on pins and needles all class anticipating your reasoning for not speaking your mind.” I didn’t like him being sarcastic. I was the only one who could be.
“You purposefully came here to drive me crazy, right? It’s working, so you can stop.”
“It’s not the entire reason. Just a bonus.”
I narrowed my eyes. “So you admit you have an agenda.”
He studied me. “That’s far from a confession.”
“I’m going to figure out what you’re doing here.”
“A threat and a promise, all in one.”
That was the wrong answer. “Usually the villain says, ‘You don’t want to know,’ or ‘I wish you wouldn’t try,’ or ‘You’ll regret it,’ then they laugh evilly.”
He laughed, but it was with amusement, not wickedness. “I am neither the villain nor the hero.”
“Where to now? Your guide anxiously awaits.”
It turned out our next classes were next to each other…again. After that class finished, I wasn’t surprised to see him waiting for me.
I held out my hand for his schedule. After he gave it to me, I asked, “I probably should just keep this, huh? I’m sensing a pattern.”
“Isn’t lunch now?”
“We have the same lunch hour?”
“Yes, Elyse invited me to sit at your table.”
“Unbelievable,” I muttered. I was so distracted with his persistence that I’d forgotten Elyse’s schedule. They had the same third hour.
“Hey, girlie.” Speak of the devil, she appeared.
“Ready for lunch?” I asked sweetly.
She knew what I was implying and ignored me. “Landon’s going to join us today,” she cheerfully said. “He told me he hasn’t had too much of a chance to meet anyone else because you took the position of official tour guide.”
So that was how it was going to be. “It was just supposed to be his locker and first hour,” I complained. “All of his classes are either the same as mine or right next door. It’s not my fault he’s stalking me.”
“If I was a guy, I’d stalk you too, hot stuff.”
“Don’t encourage his behavior.”
“I don’t need encouragement,” he chimed in. “Shall we, ladies?”
Elyse hooked her arm with his. I fell in place next to Elyse, putting as much distance as I could between my hands and his neck.
We made our way to the lunchroom and approached our usual table.
I could feel that the guys were more apprehensive of him than I was, and that said something. They regarded him as he took a seat at our table. Did they see him as a threat? It wasn’t as if he could steal
all
the girls.
Apparently, he was a big car guy. He injected himself into their debate over what was wrong with Zach’s car, and he quickly won them over by asking the right questions about the car’s performance. Based on the answers, he narrowed it down to the problem. Before my eyes, they transformed from coolly regarding him to enthusiastically including him.
As expected, the buzz about the new guy filled most of the time before the start of classes. The girls who had
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