I ignore her and walk off, but she's hot on my heels. Following like a puppy, it pisses me off. I do an about-face and crush her hopes face to face. “Barbara, don't follow me.”
“My name isn't Barbara.”
“Whatever. You are fucking ugly. Do not follow me.”
My mother would roll over in her grave if she knew how I talk to these girls but being crude is the only thing that makes them back the fuck off.
She glances around to see if anyone overheard, then she slinks away.
The sad part is she'll be back. She'll gang up with her friends, and they'll talk about what a shit I am. They'll give her a makeover, and she'll try again.
I push open the office door. Mrs. Strickland greets me with a smile, “Jocko, take a seat. Principal Davis wants to have a word with you.”
* * *
Parking my jeep at Sunnyville High, I head inside. It's been a week since graduation, and already I feel out of place. Walking through the hall, the atmosphere is relaxed. Everyone's milling around, waiting for the bell to ring.
When I round the corner to the lockers, I see Jorja. Her back's to me, and her long hair hangs straight down. She's leaning on my old locker laughing with Margie.
I'm going to miss teasing Juicy.
Joseph Pruitt walks up to her. His smile and his posture piss me off.
He's hitting on her.
When she smiles at him, a vise clamps down on my heart.
When he hands her his phone, an unknown force punches the wind out of my gut.
When she begins to tap the device, giving him her digits, realization hits me right between the eyes, and I advance on them.
Margie’s face lights up when she sees me, then her mouth drops open, and her eyes bug out of her face.
Both Jorja and Joseph turn to see what's frightened her.
My eyes lock on Joseph’s, and he starts stuttering. “Jocko, I … I thought y … you were gone.”
I grip his shoulder, and he visibly cringes, then I hand shuck his stupid ass away. “Backoff, Motherfucker.” I growl.
He stumbles, slips, lands on his ass, then crawls away.
When I turn to face Jorja, Margie takes a few steps back, clearing the space between us.
Jorja’s eyes narrow, and she opens her mouth to say something sassy, but her words are lost.
I'm on her. Pushing her body against the locker, I pin her there with my own.
She stiffens in resistance, and her eyes flash with anger, then defiance.
But this time, I don’t taunt or tease her. This time, I cup her face and tilt her lips to take my kiss.
As I lower my mouth to hers, the defiance in her eyes fades to fear as her willing body melts into mine.
Damn. I’ve been a fool. I should’ve done this a long time ago. She's been resisting me, not because she doesn’t want me, but because she does.
My lips crush hers, and a blast of sensations overwhelm me.
The sweetness of her scent, the softness of her breath, the exquisiteness of her essence fills my emptiness completely. I press her willing body, needing to feel her curves meld into mine. Then her lips part and her mouth opens, wanting my tongue.
