Chapter 27 Jade
Abell sounds overhead, breaking the mounting tension. I have no idea what it means, but it seems to mean something to Hazel and Roderick. Looking around, I find that most people left while we were talking, leaving us and a few stragglers in the large office.
“Here, Jade, I got your stuff,” Hazel says, handing me the last two books I was missing for my classes and my laptop. “My first class is just down the hall from yours if you want to walk with me.” She offers a gentle but shy smile, and I can’t help but smile back.
I nod, and her smile widens, losing a bit of her shyness. I like Hazel. Something about her is calm and comforting, and I can't help but feel drawn to her.
She seems so genuine.
Roderick finally removes his hand from my shoulder, and I turn to look at him in question. I can’t exactly tell him to put his hand back without sounding like a nut, but that doesn't mean I don't want to.
His lip twitches, almost a smile, but not quite, almost as if he can read my mind. My cheeks heat both from the thought of him knowing and the way it makes me feel when he looks at me like that.
Get it together.
“I have a few things to do off campus before our class later. If you need us, don’t hesitate to call,” he tells me, and all I can do is nod, worried about what might come out of my mouth if I try to talk to him right now. I’ve embarrassed myself enough for one morning, thank you.
He reaches out, ruffling my hair as he walks past. He doesn’t say a word to the others, and then he's gone, leaving me standing with Hazel, Trent, and Leo.
The feeling of unease creeps back in now that he’s gone, but Hazel quickly steps in while I soothe my hair back into place. I should have yelled at Roderick for messing my hair up like that, but something about it was kinda cute at the moment.
Not so cute now, though.
“Come on, let's go before we're late,” Hazel calls back to me over her shoulder as she makes her way out the door. I’m quick to follow her if it means getting out of this office.
Hazel moves around the school like she was born and raised here. She hardly even has to look to know which turn to take, pointing out things to me as we go. Zander walked the grounds with me and showed me my classes, but it’s clear to me that Hazel not only knows the school, she loves it.
I doubt I’ll remember a single thing she tells me, but I find myself nodding anyway. I don't have the heart to tell her she's wasting her time explaining the layout to me.
“Haze, wait up,” Trent calls from down the hall the way we just came.
We both stop to look back at him. I have zero issues with Trent, but the moment I see Leo’s with him I feel my smile all but melt away.
I’m not sure what it is, but something's off about him. Who's that happy after running into someone? I know I met him like fifteen minutes ago, but he’s been happy the whole time, and it’s kind of freaking me out.
We wait for them to catch up, and I take a moment to try and convince myself I’m overreacting.
“I’m showing Leo to class, and I figured we could all walk together,” Trent says as they reach us.
Hazel rolls her eyes. “Yeah, so happy to do your job now that seeing Jade is part of that, huh?” she asks him, every word dripping with sass.
It's not at all what I would have expected from Hazel; she seems much too quiet, but damn if it's not funny. Trent stands in front of us, seeming as shocked by her words as I am. Before I can think better of it, I throw my head back and laugh. I don’t know what it is about them, but their sibling fighting is entertaining.
I used to dream of having a sibling when I was young and alone, but I never pictured it like this.
I wonder if all siblings are like they are.
He shoots her a look that clearly tells her to shut up, but she ignores him, which only makes me laugh harder. I cover my mouth, trying to shut myself up, but it's no use. Hazel laces her arm through mine with a smile, and we continue down the hall, leaving Trent and Leo behind.
“Let’s go before my brother decides to throw himself at you. The last thing you need in your life is more alpha assholes,” she says loudly, and I get the feeling she was talking to Trent more than me.
“What the fuck does that even mean?” I ask as she all but drags me down the hall.
It’s not until we round the corner that she drops my arm, and I realize I don't mind her touching me. Usually, with strangers, it takes a few to warm up to them. Even with Clair, it took a few days for me to get used to showing affection. I hadn’t even noticed with Hazel.
Weird.
“It means you already have the Vengeance guys. You don’t need Trent. He doesn’t deserve someone as awesome as you anyway,” she tells me with a laugh. I’m unsure if she’s serious or joking, but I bark a laugh regardless because I don’t have any 'Vengeance guys.'
Is that really what they call them?
What a lame name.
“First of all, I don’t have any 'Vengeance guys.' Why you would think that is beyond me.” She gives me a look that screams she doesn’t believe me, but I ignore her and keep going.
“Second, I was referring to whatever it was you called Trent,” I clarify, because I have no idea what she even said to repeat it.
I can feel Trent and Leo not far behind us as we continue down the hall, and before Hazel can answer me, Trent is by my side.
“She’s just mad that she’s not as cool as I am, is all,” he says with a shit-eating grin.
She rolls her eyes at him and stops walking.
“As if, I’m more than happy to be nothing like you,” she tells him before turning to look at me.
“Alpha assholes are like the guys that think they are top shit. They like to run things and be in charge. For example,” She gestures to her brother, “Trent. He thinks because he’s a cop, that he’s so great.
Spoiler alert, he’s not,” she fake whispers the last part to me, but I know Trent hears her by the way his face scrunches up in annoyance.
I still don’t understand, but I nod anyway.
“No. The alpha assholes at this school would be the guys you happen to be running around with all over the place,” Trent says, and I look back to Hazel to see what she has to say about that.
She nods. “Well, yes. They are alpha assholes, but that doesn’t mean you're not.” She waves her hands around, making it look like she's trying to clear the air. “Besides, they worked hard for that title and are proud of it. I was warning her of you because you try to pretend you're not one. I didn’t want her to be blindsided while you try to charm her.” Her eyes narrow as if she’s daring him to disagree.
I’m unsure which part she expects him to disagree with, though. The alpha part or the charming me part.
I hope it’s the latter because my brain is already overwhelmed with the guys and what I feel around the three of them. I can’t imagine adding another guy.
And Kratos.
My brain helpfully supplies without permission.
Fuck.
Yeah, I don’t need to have anyone else making this more complicated than it already is.
Trent smiles at her but doesn’t comment on what she said one way or the other. “Anyways, like I was saying. I’m showing Leo to class, and since it’s a class the three of us have together, I figured we could all walk together.”
“Yeah, yeah, come on, Romeo, before we're all late,” Hazel answers for me before once again grabbing my arm and herding us down the hall and outside. We end up on a path between the main building and a few of the smaller ones. Picnic tables are set up every few feet in the grass, and tall trees offer shade from the sun. A few students linger around with books or talking with people around them. The campus has five buildings aside from the main one we were just in. I have classes in two of them this semester, but from what Zander explained, the other buildings are for courses that are more specific to certain degrees. So, if I decide to stay and pick a major, I’ll probably end up in other ones as well.
As we continue down the path, I notice both girls and guys wave at Trent, greeting him as he passes.
He smiles and sends them greetings in return.
Hazel and Leo are both ignored, not that it seems to bother either of them.
But I can feel eyes on me. Looking around, I find that most people are looking at me with questions in their eyes.
Some are just curious, while others look downright hostile.
“Why the fuck is everyone looking at me like I’m an alien?” I ask Hazel.
She cringes a bit. “I was hoping you wouldn’t notice, but I guess it’s hard not to, huh?” I shoot her a look of disbelief; how could I not notice?
She lets out a sigh. “Well, honestly, there could be a lot of reasons. The city is huge, but most people here are from wealthy families, and the wealthy tend to stick together no matter what.” She scrunches up her face as if the thought is ridiculous, and I agree.
What does money have to do with anything?
I don’t think I’ll ever understand rich people.
Lowering her voice, she leans in closer.
“Which means that everyone knows who you are.” She gives me a small frown as if she’s sorry to be the one to tell me.
It doesn’t bother me, though. I had no delusion that word wouldn’t spread, and I’m not ashamed of who I am.
I did what I had to so that I could survive, something that I’m sure most people would never understand.
Nothing about that is shameful, no matter what they might think or say.
I wave that off. “Okay, I get that, and whatever, that doesn’t bother me.”
The shocked look on her face lets me know that’s not what she expected me to say.
“What I don’t understand is why some of them are looking at me like I’ve personally done them wrong. Besides you three and the guys, I don’t know these people,” I tell her, not even bothering to whisper.