Foreign exchange student. There had to be rules, right? Conditions they had to obey? Chasing American tail had to be against the rule? She was under eighteen. At least for a few more months.
The more I thought about it. The more all of it annoyed me. She went to San Antonio and just happened to meet him there? Why the fuck did she go to San Antonio?
Her diatribe from the hall echoed in my ears and the gleam of tears that had sheened over her green eyes waited like an assassin to stab me.
That was what had shut me up before she stalked off. The glimmer ofhurt.
“Mr. Standish,” came the officious voice of Mr. Belden, “are we boring you?”
“Yes,” I answered bluntly. “But don’t let that stop you.”
Snorts of laughter rippled across the room. The class was AP Physics focusing on electricity and magnetism. Jake was supposed to take it with me, but he had an independent study class with Frankie instead.
Lucky bastard. Maybe I should have done that.
Mr. Belden eyed me over the top of his glasses. The man was a mad scientist stereotype down to the wispy whites of his hair, and the plaid of his jacket. I swore he smelled like the peppermints he was always fishing out of his pockets.
Shaking his head, Mr. Belden motioned to the board. “Do try to pay attention, Mr. Standish. Missing a question on the test about any of this material would be particularly embarrassing if you think you know it all.”
A snort escaped me at the scolding note in his voice and I saluted him. The man wasn’t wrong. Even if I could answer all the formulas on the board as he discussed them.
I liked taking things apart. I liked knowing things. I liked putting them back together again, making them better. If only people were as easy to deconstruct.
No,a snide little voice in the back of my mind corrected me,if onlyFrankiewere as easy to deconstruct. You have been trying to solve her for years and you’re no closer now than you were then.
That thought was going to linger like a bad bruise. As it was, I managed to focus on the class all the way to the end and took notes. Then it was time to go. The original plan had been to meet at the diner, get food, shakes, and talk homework plans. We always divided up the week between the four of us on who got Frankie when.
I left the class on a quest for the parking lot. I wasn’t even sure she would show up this week. If Coop had anything to say on it, she would. But how cooperative would she be with the new guy in the mix?
He had to go. There was just no two ways about it. I had to share her with our best friends, I was not sharing her with some French lothario with delusions of romance on his mind.
“Archie,” a shrill voice penetrated my focus and I cut a look at Patty who dug her nails into my arm.
“What? And why are you shouting?” God the girl was decent enough at sucking dick, but I really didn’t want to listen to her voice.
Color bloomed in her cheeks and her eyes narrowed as she glared at me. “Because I called your name three times and you were ignoring me.”
I hadn’t heard her, but that could be self-defense. I shrugged off her grip. “Then take a hint.”
With that I started walking again, but the click of her heels against the tiles of the hall floor promised she was following me. “Archie.”
“No.”
“You don’t even know what I was going to ask.”
“Don’t care,” I told her without looking back or slowing my step. If she wanted to chase me to the parking lot, that was on her. “The answer isn’t changing.”
“You are such an asshole.”
Yes, I was. I almost chuckled.
“Too bad you already missed out with the new guy in town.”
That ground me to a halt and I pivoted to face her. The smirk on her face was positively triumphant.
“What?”
“French guy, very sexy, about this tall…” She mimed that he was a little taller than me. He wasn’t, but whatever. “Very hot for a certain blonde that you adore. Apparently,she’shot for him.”
