mentor-a-riff-raff week?” Nadia wore her eye makeup so dark today, the rest of her face all but disappeared. Combined with her black hair, she looked every inch the goth she’d aimed for. “Or are they playing some cruel joke on us?”
“I don’t know. Maybe Hayden’s trying to be nice. You know, pay me back for tutoring him.” I froze, wishing those words hadn’t slipped out. If I made the party seem safe and enticing, they’d try to drag me there. I didn’t want anything to do with that kind of party.
“We should all go.” Nadia grinned, a mischievous glint in her eye. “That’ll teach him to invite you anywhere — unless he means it.”
When one of those two got a plan in their head for something new to do, it was hard to dissuade them. Since the three of us were a team and went everywhere together, they’d nag me until I gave in. Nadia would have better sense. I hoped.
“Oh, I think he means it. And by the way he watches you, Tessa, I suspect his reasons are less than noble.” Corinne giggled.
“All the more reason to avoid him.” I snuck a peek at Hayden and found him watching me.
“You should seize the moment. He’s so yummy.” Nadia fanned herself with her hand. “If I went as Goth Girl, I wouldn’t need a costume.”
“It’s a costume party?” Corinne practically bounced in her seat as she swiveled to face Nadia. “I think I’ll go as a slutty angel. With your black hair, you’d make a great devil’s helper.”
Nadia pointed a black painted fingernail at me. “I’ve got the perfect thing for you.”
If they were thinking about costumes, they wanted to go. I slumped on the lunch bench and covered my face with my hands. “You guys, no.” Why hadn’t my boss at Delia’s Deli put me on the schedule for Friday instead of Saturday? It would’ve been the perfect excuse to get out of the party.
“We’ll be at your house at eight sharp.” Nadia looked pleased with herself. “We’ll arrive dressed then get you ready, since you’re practically a hostile witness.”
“You sure nothing’s going on with you and Hayden?” Corinne’s eyes narrowed.
“Nothing. I swear. He’s too full of himself.” I raised my right hand as if a bible were present then remembered the first day Hayden and I worked together. “Oh, wait. Once, he suggested we make out instead of study.”
“And you said no ?” Corinne dropped her jaw.
Clearly, my friends would be no help. I said a quick goodbye when the warning bell rang then bolted for my locker.
As I reached for my combination lock two students flew past me. One slammed against the locker next to mine. My body jolted into the flight side of fight-or-flight mode but my breathing steadied when I saw it was Hayden and not a stranger.
“What do you want with her?” Hayden growled, readjusting Bryce by the collar so his feet dangled higher off the ground.
“Wh-what?” the captive replied.
“You were tearing down the hallway straight for her. What were you going to do?” Hayden pressed Bryce firmly into the hard metal wall.
I pushed at Hayden’s arm, trying to unlock his steely grasp. “Hayden. He wasn’t going to hurt me. It’s Bryce. You had to have seen him sitting at our table. C’mon.”
Hayden glanced at me, then slowly eased his grip on Bryce. “Sorry. He was moving toward you pretty fast. I went on automatic and didn’t take the time to identify him. I didn’t realize…”
The guy could move when he needed to, that was for sure. At that moment, I had one word to describe Hayden — intense.
He lowered Bryce to the floor, then turned him in a new direction. Away.
Bryce scurried off. He looked a little shaken but I was pretty sure he’d be fine. I stared at Hayden in disbelief. And awe. Though I felt badly for Bryce, Hayden’s display of testosterone — on my behalf — made him sexier than ever.
Chapter Nine
Hayden
Tessa gaped at me like I was a
“I don’t know. Maybe Hayden’s trying to be nice. You know, pay me back for tutoring him.” I froze, wishing those words hadn’t slipped out. If I made the party seem safe and enticing, they’d try to drag me there. I didn’t want anything to do with that kind of party.
“We should all go.” Nadia grinned, a mischievous glint in her eye. “That’ll teach him to invite you anywhere — unless he means it.”
When one of those two got a plan in their head for something new to do, it was hard to dissuade them. Since the three of us were a team and went everywhere together, they’d nag me until I gave in. Nadia would have better sense. I hoped.
“Oh, I think he means it. And by the way he watches you, Tessa, I suspect his reasons are less than noble.” Corinne giggled.
“All the more reason to avoid him.” I snuck a peek at Hayden and found him watching me.
“You should seize the moment. He’s so yummy.” Nadia fanned herself with her hand. “If I went as Goth Girl, I wouldn’t need a costume.”
“It’s a costume party?” Corinne practically bounced in her seat as she swiveled to face Nadia. “I think I’ll go as a slutty angel. With your black hair, you’d make a great devil’s helper.”
Nadia pointed a black painted fingernail at me. “I’ve got the perfect thing for you.”
If they were thinking about costumes, they wanted to go. I slumped on the lunch bench and covered my face with my hands. “You guys, no.” Why hadn’t my boss at Delia’s Deli put me on the schedule for Friday instead of Saturday? It would’ve been the perfect excuse to get out of the party.
“We’ll be at your house at eight sharp.” Nadia looked pleased with herself. “We’ll arrive dressed then get you ready, since you’re practically a hostile witness.”
“You sure nothing’s going on with you and Hayden?” Corinne’s eyes narrowed.
“Nothing. I swear. He’s too full of himself.” I raised my right hand as if a bible were present then remembered the first day Hayden and I worked together. “Oh, wait. Once, he suggested we make out instead of study.”
“And you said no ?” Corinne dropped her jaw.
Clearly, my friends would be no help. I said a quick goodbye when the warning bell rang then bolted for my locker.
As I reached for my combination lock two students flew past me. One slammed against the locker next to mine. My body jolted into the flight side of fight-or-flight mode but my breathing steadied when I saw it was Hayden and not a stranger.
“What do you want with her?” Hayden growled, readjusting Bryce by the collar so his feet dangled higher off the ground.
“Wh-what?” the captive replied.
“You were tearing down the hallway straight for her. What were you going to do?” Hayden pressed Bryce firmly into the hard metal wall.
I pushed at Hayden’s arm, trying to unlock his steely grasp. “Hayden. He wasn’t going to hurt me. It’s Bryce. You had to have seen him sitting at our table. C’mon.”
Hayden glanced at me, then slowly eased his grip on Bryce. “Sorry. He was moving toward you pretty fast. I went on automatic and didn’t take the time to identify him. I didn’t realize…”
The guy could move when he needed to, that was for sure. At that moment, I had one word to describe Hayden — intense.
He lowered Bryce to the floor, then turned him in a new direction. Away.
Bryce scurried off. He looked a little shaken but I was pretty sure he’d be fine. I stared at Hayden in disbelief. And awe. Though I felt badly for Bryce, Hayden’s display of testosterone — on my behalf — made him sexier than ever.
Chapter Nine
Hayden
Tessa gaped at me like I was a
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