“No,” I snapped, correcting her. “An accident would be, had we both been watching where we were going, and a blind spot caused our wreck. But that’s not what happened, now, is it?Iwas watching whereIwas going while you were too busy being self-absorbed to realized that other people walked these hallways, too.”
She went from sweet and apologetic, to offended and pissed right before my eyes. “Itwasan accident,” she snapped back. “I just didn’t realize kings and queens walked these hallways. Next time, I’ll be sure to do better.”
Knowing the clothes she was wearing cost more than my entire wardrobe put together had me fuming over her kings and queens jibe. I stepped into her personal space and told her so. “Well, if anyone knows how to spot royalty, I imagine it’d be you, now wouldn’t it, Princess?”
“You don’t know anything about me,” she hissed.
I shook my head slowly; tauntingly. “Oh, sweet thing, that’s where you’re wrong,” I whispered. “I knowallabout you. I know that ridged back of yours can only come from years of debutant training. I know that outfit you have on wasn’t bought at the mall. I know skin so perfect can only come from not having one day of worry in your entire life. And I know those perfectly manicured nails of yours are not fake, which means only money could keep your natural nails looking that pristine.”
“You don’t know shit,” she rumbled, her voice raspy and full of anger.
The last warning bell rang above our heads, and the punch to my gut pissed me off even further, because, now, I had no desire to go to class. Nope. I wanted to stand here and fight with this girl forever. The unreasonable fear crept along my spine that if I let her out of my sight now, I’d never see her again.
The feeling was positively violent.
Her light brown eyes darted around before falling back on my face. “As wonderful as meeting you has been, I can’t be late for class,” she sneered as she went to step around me.
And what did I do?
The stupidest thing I’ve ever done in my life.
I reached out and grabbed her upper arm as she tried to skate past me to her class, and the current that sizzled in my veins earlier was nothing compared to the shock that rocked my body at this one touch.
And, fuck me for being a fool, but she felt it too.
She gasped and her eyes widened as my hold on her tightened and she let out a tiny whimper of discomfort. Her chest started rising and her lips parted in shock. We were so close I could feel the heat from her harsh breaths warm my chest through my shirt.
She snatched her arm from my grasp and snarled, “Don’t ever touch me again.”
Fucking hell.
Chapter 4
The direction of our influences.
Talon~
Her name was Kenzlee Mitchell.
And how do I know her name, you ask?
I knew her name because while, second and third period had been a struggle, fourth period had been a special kind of hell.
Lars and Hunter had known immediately that something was off when I had stormed into second period pissed and distracted, but I had waved them off with the promise to explain later. And I couldn’t tell you what I was supposed to be learning in third period because I had still been pissed and distracted even then. But when Kenzlee waltzed into my fourth period class, and Mrs. Thompkins made a brief introduction, I knew I was fucked.
Even her name had me fucked up. Why couldn’t she have a normal fucking name? What the fuck is wrong with Jennifer or Sarah? No. This goddamn girl had to go and have a Disney name, and I knew my Disney princesses. I read enough of those Disney stories to Edie when we were little to know a fucking princess when I saw one. And, while I knew Disney didn’t have any princesses named Kenzlee, her name just sounded like it could belong to one.
I spent forty minutes trying to remain seated in my chair as I burned a hole clean through the back of her head all through fourth period. There had been an empty desk in the front row of the class, and she had planted her fine ass in it the second Mrs. Thompkins finished introducing her to the class. And, when Ryan Sturgess looked over at her and smiled, I had wanted to beat his face in with my fists. The only thing reason I hadn’t was because when she returned his smile it was out of politeness and she didn’t further engage in getting to know him.
When the bell rung for lunch, I stayed seated until Kenzlee was safely out of the classroom and I couldn’t accost her.
Now, Hunter and I were sitting at the table Lars, Hunter, and I always sat at during lunch waiting for Lars. His fourth period was in the D Section, the farthest classrooms from the lunch square. We always ate outside, even if it was raining. The tables had umbrellas to ward off the heat from the bright California sun or the rain on its depressing days.
“So, what the fuck is up your ass?” Hunter asked right before popping a fry in his mouth. We always opted for the concession stand food rather than whatever they were serving in the cafeteria.
“I’m only doing this once,” I replied. “Let’s wait for Lars.” And, just then, I spotted Lars making his way to our table with his lunch.
“Thank fuck, already,” Hunter grimaced. “Now, out with it, Tal.”
