Chapter 2 #3
“My schedule varies. I work a few nights a week, but I made sure to adjust my schedule this week so that I could take you to school until we can figure out a ride arrangement,” Scott said. “On weekends I like to practice with my band and—”
“You have a band?” I perked up just a little. Maybe Scott wasn’t some pathetic and boring sap after all.
He chuckled. “I’m in a Pink Floyd cover band. We’re called P. Floyd, and I play bass.”
I settled down, drowning in my disappointment. “Oh.”
“You know them?”
“Not really.” I knew they were an old band, but I couldn’t even think of a single record by them.
It was still pretty neat he was into that kind of thing. Classic rock was my favorite genre, so I was sure Pink Floyd were great.
“We play some shows every once in a while. I’ll have to introduce you to the guys.” Scott drummed his fingers on the countertop, appearing awkward and nervous. “Hungry?”
I stood from the island and went and raided his fridge, discovering a drawer of lunch meat and cheese, and a lot of fruit and vegetables to snack on. In the pantry, there were a lot of dry ingredients, nothing that would be quick to whip up. Something told me Scott was a homemade type of guy.
Upon eyeing the box of corn flakes, I noted that the option for milk wasn’t up to par.
“Almond milk? You a health nut?” I asked.
Scott shook his head. “Nah, a friend of mine recommended it. It just grew on me, but we can get regular if you like. You should try the almond though. You get used to it.”
I smirked. “Like I want to get used to this.”
“I get it, you’re on edge. You must really hate me. I’m prepared.” He said this expectantly and innocently. Like he practiced for my teen angst bullshit.
I didn’t know Scott Stanley, but I felt nothing negative toward him either. I supposed I should’ve hated him, for abandoning me and all, but instead I felt nothing.
“Can’t hate what you don’t know,” I decided to say.
He nodded. “You must have a lot of questions.”
“Why did you agree?” I demanded to know first. “You don’t know me.”
“You’re my daughter,” he stated as if it were that simple.
I wasn’t his daughter two weeks ago. “Barely.”
“There are a lot of unresolved issues here, but I’m glad I can help now. Your mother says you’re reckless, and this last episode is really concerning, Saylor.”
I held up my hand. “Do not shrink me, Scott. You don’t know me to judge me.”
He raised his hands in innocence. “I’m not judging. I’m just assessing the situation.”
Just what I needed. To be “assessed” by another person who did not know me. Wanting to push his buttons, I threw out, “I like going out at night, having wild sex in orgies, and doing drugs and drinking until it all fades away.”
Scott blinked, releasing a breath through his nose. “Well, that certainly won’t be continuing here. This is a fresh start, for the both of us.”
“So no leaving a scrunchie on the doorknob to let the other know we’ve got company?” I questioned.
Scott deadpanned, seeming to lose his patience. “Saylor.”
I groaned and shut the fridge. “Spare me the afterschool special.”
“Listen,” Scott attempted to start again, softening his tone to an almost pleading level. “This isn’t temporary. You are here now, at least until you go off to college.”
“I’m not going to college,” I told him flat-out.
This disappointed him. “No?”
“College is just this big expected cliché. I don’t like to do what’s expected of me.”
Scott made a face. “I expect you to become some uneducated loser then.”
I snorted. “Nice try.” This whole line of conversation was nauseating. “Look, can we order a pizza and save time?”
I didn’t wait for his response before leaving the room and heading for my bedroom.
As I was passing by the front door, a figure appeared behind the frosted glass and knocked a few times.
I should’ve waited for Scott’s permission, but I was hoping it was Jason Voorhees out to kill us all and end this nightmare.
No such luck.
A boy was at the door. Or maybe that was a light way of putting it.
He was massive, completely filling the front doorway.
Beneath his smooth tawny brown skin was nothing but muscle as I took in his toned arms and caught a glimpse of his thighs in his basketball shorts.
Either he was an athlete or he worked out on the regular to achieve such a build.
Definitely an athlete.
I tore my gaze away from his body and traveled to his face where one unmistakable thing stood out: freckles. Freckles littered his nose and swept across his cheeks. Freckles that seemed as though someone had taken a stencil and sprayed them on perfectly.
My journey continued up where I took in his fade haircut. Short on the sides with natural coils on top.
I stopped my perusing when I noticed I wasn’t the only one caught up staring. He was standing there, almost as though he’d never seen a girl before.
For some reason that bothered me.
I snapped my fingers. “Well?”
Blinking, he soon held up what was in his hand. “Is Scott here? Harry keeps delivering his mail.”
“Scott!” I shouted for him.
The boy continued to stare at me while I practiced the patience not to ask him what his fuckin’ deal was.
On his T-shirt was one of those Hello, My Name is…stickers, and on it he’d written Dreux.
Tilting my head to the side, I scrunched up my face. “Dre?”
Dreux peered down at his sticker before looking back to me. “Dreux. Like Andrew.”
Huh. “That’s a different way to spell it.”
He shrugged. “My dad’s family is Creole, so my mom wanted a French name.”
Scott came into the foyer and lit up at the sight of Dreux, as if he were thankful for the arrival of a third party to cut into our awkward tension.
“Dreux! What’s up?” Scott asked as he greeted the boy.
Dreux peeled his eyes off me and faced my father, holding out the mail. “Harry keeps forgetting about a letter a day.”
Scott chuckled as he fiddled with the envelope. “Yeah, I see that. Stanley and St. Julien, what’s to get wrong?”
Dreux gave a half smile, and once more I was caught up observing him. Facial hair dusted his chin and upper lip, taking him from boy to man effortlessly.
Scott reached out and grasped Dreux’s shoulder. “Saylor, this is our neighbor, Dreux St. Julien. He goes to your school as well. Dreux, this is my daughter, Saylor.”
Dreux’s thick brows perked up and he blinked a couple of times. “Daughter?”
Scott bobbed his head. “She just moved to town.”
Dreux was looking at me again, trying to piece together the resemblance between Scott and me. There wasn’t one. He shook his head, stepped closer, and held out his hand. “Nice to meet you.”
I placed my hand in his and immediately took notice of the way his engulfed mine. Firm grip, direct eye contact, and warm touch. I internally shivered and felt uneasy.
I snatched my hand back.
Scott flashed me a smile. “Dreux here is quite the All-American. He’s the star shortstop on the baseball team, am I right?”
Knew it.
“It’s just for fun,” Dreux offered.
I didn’t do jocks.
“Great.” I headed for the staircase without looking back. “Tell me when the pizza gets here.”
Up in my room, I stood in the middle of the floor, examining my surroundings and feeling antsy.
Back home, I’d be preparing to get into something with the guys.
I sometimes ditched school on Mondays, but now none of that would be possible.
At least not until I found some trouble, and trouble was exactly what I needed to survive this dump.
The curtains to my bedroom window were pulled back and the blinds were up, exposing me to our neighbor’s house.
Directly across from my window, I could see into the room next door. A boy’s room, as seconds later I spotted Dreux making his way inside. From my view, all I could see was his bed, the edge of a dresser, and an acoustic guitar.
He noticed me as well and froze.
His eyes remained fixed on me, as if he were fascinated by what he saw. Dark eyes bore into mine, freezing me in place. The longer he stared, the more something in me stirred.
I didn’t know what pissed me off, but I just was.
Feeling the anger build, I made a middle finger and lifted it. Dreux’s face turned blank. He blinked once and looked elsewhere before walking away entirely.
I pulled my blinds down and closed my curtains, letting out a sigh.
I went and fell face first into my bed.
I was going to die.