“Yeah,” I agree.
“Hey, listen, you were amazing. I mean, no one has ever climbed the rope that fast. Well, except for those guys over there.”
I know who he’s talking about without looking in Venom’s direction. What are they, like gods at this school? “Yeah, it was no big thing.”
“Actually, it is. If you beat Edge’s time, you’re not only a real badass, you’ve set a new record.”
“If you say so.” The feat might be big to some, but as long as it got me an A, I’d be happy.
He chuckles. “I’m Josh, by the way.”
“Kinsley.”
He plays with a loose string from the hem of his shirt. “This school isn’t one for making newcomers feel very welcome—we actually never get any.”
I scoff. “Thanks for the heads-up, but I got that the instant I stepped on campus.”
“It isn’t their fault. They’ve— Well, we’ve all known each other since grade school.”
I know what he’s trying to say. It was the same at my last school. We all stuck together. Even if we hated each other, it was better than letting some newbie into our pack. “Yeah, I get it.”
Another student is called to the rope. She gets farther than Zepher but doesn’t make it to the top.
“Listen, maybe if people see you out, not on campus?—”
“You’re joking, right?” What would make him think I would voluntarily hang out with people who don’t like me?
He jumps in to explain when he sees the what-the-hell expression on my face. “No, I’m serious. Just hear me out.”
Each student is called to the rope one by one. Only a few come close to reaching the top. Of those, even fewer can reach high enough to ring the bell. Most of them probably haven’t had nearly the training that I’ve had or the abuse I’ve sometimes put my body through to be better than my opponents.
Josh continues to talk endlessly. Although it’s not as irritating as it should be. His droning prevents my attention from navigating toward Venom. I play with the ends of my hair to do something useless with my hands.
The coach calls his next victim in a loud voice that booms across the gymnasium. “Hunt.”
Everyone goes quiet. My attention falters from Josh to Edge, who purposely makes a point to walk around the back of the crowd and come up alongside me before heading to the rope. As he peers down at me, a secret smirk touches the corner of his mouth. Neither of us moves. Deep in his heated stare is something raw and primal, a reckless need snaring more than my curiosity. It only lasts for a brief moment, but it’s long enough to awaken the interests I felt earlier. Fuck!The second the connection breaks, I blink a few times to dissolve whatever just transpired. I swear the guy’s got to be into voodoo or some shit to make me feel that tug to him whenever he looks at me like that.
“Watch out, little girl.” His voice is gruff and threatening.
“So now I’m little girl, not Ninja?”
His mouth settles into a cruel grin. “I haven’t decided yet.”
He makes his way to the rope and grips the length of it. His eyes never leave mine until the whistle blows. His muscles bulge as he scales the rope with graceful speed. He’s in a different dimension altogether from the other students. His legs grip around the rope, pushing him upward. It’s more than impressive to watch. I hate to admit that I wish the rope were higher so I can continue to watch the muscles in his sculpted body contract and define with each movement.
He rings the bell.
I can’t help the satisfied smirk spreading over my lips as his feet touch the floor. He knows I beat him. And any second, the entire class will know, too.
The coach announces his time, then adds, “Hunt, it’s a new record for you, but you were just shy of West. She took you this time. She beat you by seven-tenths of a second.” He jots the time on his clipboard. “You better watch out for her.”
I couldn’t have said it better myself.
With less than one freaking second, I have officially gained bragging rights against the big bad Viper himself. Not wanting to draw too much attention, I hold my smile inward.
After a few more people are called to participate in the drill, the coach dismisses the class for the day.
Just when I think I’m done with the drama, Edge steps into my path. “Not so fast.”