Chapter 36 #2
We looked at each other’s mouth and consumed them with furtive glances. It lasted the blink of an eye, but now it was done. I was at risk. I should’ve fled to the North Pole. I should’ve booked the first ticket on the hot mess express.
I saw him and he saw me.
James leaned his elbow against the locker behind me. His arm loomed over my head, and his wrist dangled over my nose. He curled a lock of my hair between his fingers, and I turned to stone when I saw his sparkling light eyes.
“Quit acting like this.”
Slowly, he grazed the side of my neck with the tip of his index finger, sending a chill down my spine.
“But look at how much we’re finding out . . .”
“What are you talking about?”
“I didn’t know. That you liked me.”
“You disgust me, Hunter.”
I felt his boiling lips press against my ear. He let out an imperceptible moan, a warm breath that made my knees weak.
“It’s mutual, White,” he whispered hoarsely.
I ignored that umpteenth intense chill and froze against my locker as he walked away.
“Ah, I forgot. Try talking to me again, and I’ll make you never want to set foot in this school again,” he said.
“I already don’t!” I retorted irritated.
He joined his friends. “Let’s go. I don’t know why I waste time with this one.”
“I know why,” Marvin interrupted nonchalantly.
“Shut up, Marvin.”
When I hurled myself into the bathroom, I found Amelia fixing her messy hair with her fingers. “Everything okay, June?”
“What happened to you?” I asked, noticing her blouse slightly wrinkled around her waist.
“Um.” Amelia immediately redirected her attention to me and my uniform, which was now soaked. “What happened to you?”
“James Hunter,” I replied succinctly, as if that was enough of an explanation in and of itself.
Amelia, unlike her usual self, didn’t wink at me this time. She seemed particularly distracted this morning.
Okay, but get out now so I can change, I thought, staring at her.
I was embarrassed to get changed in front of anyone, boy or girl. But I had to get back to class as soon as possible, and Amelia didn’t seem to be paying attention to me, so I unbuttoned my shirt.
I didn’t have a change of clothes in my backpack except for an extra-large T-shirt that I used for gym class.
“And Ari?” I asked, putting the shirt over my uniform skirt to not expose myself too much.
“Can you believe that I can’t talk to her? Are you coming to Tropical with us tonight?”
“Who’s ‘us’?” I asked skeptically.
Every once in a while my mom possessed me.
“With me and Poppy. I’ll try to convince Ari, too, but it doesn’t seem like she wants to talk to me lately,” she muttered, coming up behind me as I put on my sweatpants.
“Did something happen?”
Amelia’s facial expression hardened. “Don’t tell anyone, but I think she left Brian for someone else,” she whispered.
“What?”
“Do you know anything?” Oh no.
“No, nothing,” I lied breathlessly.
“Okay. We’ll see each other tonight. I’ll tell you if there are any updates.”
I went back to class the next hour full of thoughts. I found James, Jackson, and Marvin leaning against the door like three vultures.
The latter must’ve just made a joke because his friends were scolding him.
“Enough with this shit, Marvin,” said James.
“What do you want? The heart wants what it wants.” Marvin laughed, giving me a once-over.
“Yeah, the heart. Sure,” James replied without moving an inch when I passed him by.
“You don’t like her that much.”
“She’s already pretty busy with Will and Hood.”
Those words caught my attention.
“I told you it was an accident. But even if it wasn’t, do you not get that it’s none of your business?”
Marvin and Jackson barely held back their laughter. They seemed to get a kick out of seeing a girl stand up to James, and I was now an expert at that.
He looked at me speechless.
“Don’t you dare talk to me like that again, do you understand, Hunter?”
“Or what, huh?”
“How do you feel about getting kneed in the balls?”
He pushed his tongue into his cheek and blocked me when I tried to go back into class.
“James, forget it,” whispered Jackson, between laughs.
“I don’t know if I want to. She acts like such a Goody Two-shoes, but then . . .” I lifted my arms to shove him but he grabbed my wrist before I could touch him.
The dickhead had great reflexes.
“You’re hurting me,” I hissed in his satisfied face.
“You know I could do worse.”
“What’s going on here?” asked Mr. Beckett walking toward the class. When he saw James crushing my wrist, he added, “Vice principal’s office, Hunter. Get going.”
“Sucker,” I chuckled triumphantly.
But I cried victory too soon because James shot the teacher a challenging look.
“Mr. Beckett? Are you sure?”
He seemed to change his mind unexpectedly. “Um.” He cleared his throat. “Both of you. White, in the vice principal’s office.”
“What? But he was grabbing my wrist. Are you blind?”
“I said both. Don’t argue.”
“Are you deaf?” James asked, patting me on the back before passing me by. “Marvin, finish my homework for me,” he ordered his friend.
“Do you only have slaves now? You don’t even know how to—”
“Quiet,” he spat as we walked through hallway at a safe distance apart.
“What a moron.”
“You’re one to talk. It’s your big mouth that landed us in the vice principal’s office.”
“You’re so terrifying, Hunter. Your mom put in a lot of effort that night, huh?” I sighed with rage.
“Yours did, White. She couldn’t wait to drop a nice pair of MILF panties in my dad’s bed.”
I stopped. “I don’t know what kind of women you’re used to in your family, but that would never happen.”
“You’re so na?ve,” he muttered pulling out a crumpled packet from his pants pocket.
“What are you insinuating?”
He gave me a malicious smile before biting his vape pen.
“Do you think they haven’t boned yet?”
I covered my ears with both hands. “La-la-la, I’m not listening.”
“You’re such a fucking child.”
“Their relationship is strictly professional,” I explained, trying to convince myself of it as well.
“Yeah, sure—they fuck talking about paintings. Great work, huh.”
“Cut it out!”
I felt my cheeks flush.
“You’re so funny.” James pushed a finger on my cheek so hard that it stung. “You’re turning red. You never turn red.”
“You’re talking about my mom!”
“Are you embarrassed by sex, White? What, are you twelve?”
I punched his stomach, but that had no effect on him. He dodged the second one, pushing himself against me.
“You don’t have to use the excuse that you want to fight me just to touch me, Snow White.”
“You wish. You don’t scare me, Hunter. I’ll tell you that until I’m blue in the face.”
“Oh no? You shake every time I’m near you.” I felt out of breath again. “Did you think I didn’t notice?”
“I can’t wait to tell Will what a dick you’re being to me.”
“Try to tell him anything, and I’ll tell him how you liked rubbing up against that asshole Hood.”
My ears rang with embarrassment. “Try to do better than that, Hunter. If you think that’ll separate us, you’re wrong.”
“Is it because he invited you to meet his parents? Are you really that sure about it?”
Doubt wormed its way into my head. “Why shouldn’t I be?”
James burst out laughing, walking away. “Congratulations. Have fun, White.”
“Where are you going? The vice principal’s office is that way,” I hollered as he walked away.
“Pass along a message to the vice principal from me.”
“What kind?”
“Tell him.” He lifted his middle finger like a moron. He was a lost cause. Why was I wasting my time with someone like him?
I grabbed my phone out of my locker and texted William.
June: Are you coming to Tropical tonight?
William: Only if you’re there