01 Untouchable - Untouchable (5 page)

“
Don’t.”

“
Sorry, I didn’t mean to be
nosey,” I said softly. He was still holding my hand and his touch
was hot and firm. He started to let go, but I held on and turned
his hand over, “Even your knuckles are scarred. I’m guessing you
either used to be into football or you’ve picked a lot of fights
with guys bigger than you.”

At this he smiled broadly, “A few.”
Then he continued, taking back his hand, “Dumbbell.”

“
Excuse me!” I couldn’t keep
the ire out of my reply.

He pointed to the scar above his
eyebrow, “I hit myself with a dumbbell.”

“
Oh—I—okay,” I
stammered.

“
You didn’t think I was
calling you a dumbbell, did you?” He started laughing because he
knew from the look on my face that he guessed correctly. “Barbell,”
he said pointing to his chin.

My eyes were drawn to the faint pink
tail of a scar that was peeking out from under the edge of his
sleeve.

“
You don’t want to know,” he
grumbled, catching the drift of my sight.

“
Or you don’t want to tell
me.” I looked away as I came to the point where I was about to turn
off to go to the girls locker room. “But I can guess.”

“
Really? And just what would
that guess be?” He blocked me from going around the corner with one
strong arm stretched out to the wall at about the height of my
shoulder.

I pursed my lips as if I wasn’t going
to say, then I smiled wickedly. “Gunshot,” I blurted.

His lips parted slightly, his eyes were
wide and a look of total surprised filled his face.

“
And probably from the last
girl you were stalking!” I gave a light laugh and watched the humor
come back to his expression.

“
You’re good,” he said with
a nod of his head.

I dodged quickly, slipping under his
arm and headed for the locker room. I didn’t look back, but I knew
he stood there and watched me the whole way.

Fifth period I had Chemistry Honors and
then it was on to lunch. Carlie and Natasha had made it to the
cafeteria first and were saving space for our lunch group. Jewels
was in line with Brent Rushford, quarterback for the football team.
Kevin was just a little ways behind them, but I didn’t see Evan. I
had just gotten into the line when someone put a pair of hot hands
on my hips. I turned, ready to slap whoever, but I looked up and
there was Evan. My hand was already poised to strike so he let go
and backed off.

“
Whoa, Momma—quick
reflexes.”

“
Just don’t grab me like
that again, okay?” I really liked him and flirting with him was
like second nature, but I didn’t want him to have the wrong
impression. In fact, I was hoping by this point he wouldn’t have
had any impression about me. I was hoping he would have been
interested in Jewels, Carlie, or anyone but me. It just seemed that
I couldn’t back off. It was weird but I felt drawn to him even when
I was trying to convince myself to leave him alone.

He winced at the inflection of my
voice, “Hey, I’m sorry, I wasn’t trying to… Ah, I didn’t mean
to…”

“
I’m sorry, Evan.” I was
ready to cut the strings that we had started forming for the last
two days. As much as I liked him, I just couldn’t keep up the
façade of being someone I wasn’t. It wasn’t fair to either one of
us. “You shouldn’t have to apologize. I think I’ve been sending out
the wrong signals.”

“
I thought your signals were
great,” he smiled sweetly, trying to get me in tease mode
again.

I shook my head and sighed.
“I’m not looking for a boyfriend. I
am
a stick-in-the-mud and there are
like six-hundred girls in this school that would be a lot more fun
to be around besides me.”

“
I just have one question,”
he said as we grabbed our lunch trays. “Where’s Leese? I think I
actually saw her out on the track about an hour and a half
ago.”

“
That was just a moment of
me being stupid. I’m not like that.” I reached out and put a salad
on my tray. “At least not here, anyway,” I muttered. I grabbed a
drink and headed for the table. I was on the verge of tears, but I
wasn’t going to be a total freak and break out sobbing. I was ready
to leave my tray and head for the nearest exit if the first tear
rolled down my face.

He sat across from me and never said
another word. I think it was because he knew I was getting ready to
start bawling. I wanted him to believe I was an idiot and, so far,
I think it was working. The lunch bell rang as I twisted my way
through the thickest part of the crowd and headed down to the math
wing. I walked through the door and went straight to Mr. Lucas’s
desk. I was his teacher’s aide and he kept a list on his desk of
those who needed help. I walked over and looked down and couldn’t
believe what I saw.

“
Evan Lewis? You’ve got to
be kidding?”

“
No,” Mr. Lucas stated with
surprise, “You know him? He’s new.”

“
Yeah, I know him,” I said
with a little too much irritation to my voice.

“
His transfer grades were
low in math so I figured you could work with him to get him up to
speed, unless you don’t want to, of course.”

A pink piece of paper was tossed onto
the teacher’s desk. I looked up and there was Evan staring at me. I
wondered how much he had heard, but from the look in his eyes it
was enough to hurt. “No, that’s fine,” I sighed grabbing an extra
textbook. “Where do you want him to sit?”

Mr. Lucas handed back the schedule to
Evan. “Welcome to Algebra II, Evan. I’m Mr. Lucas,” he held out his
hand and Evan shook it in silence. “I guess you know
Annalisa.”

He only nodded.

“
She’s going to catch you up
on what the class has been doing since January. Sit at the study
table in the back of the room and after a few sessions with her,
we’ll move you to a permanent seat.” He walked past me and went
straight to the back of the room.

I’ve got to be all business, I kept
telling myself. No more teasing, no more staring at his face or
looking into his emerald eyes, and no more chit-chat, all business.
I opened the book and began with factoring equations. “Do you
remember how to do any of this?” I asked blankly.

“
I hate math.” He sounded
nothing like the guy I met yesterday. He kept looking around the
room, not paying attention as I tried to show him how to work the
problem. He fidgeted and leaned back away from me in his chair.
Wow! I had done too good of a job of turning him off. If anything,
he acted totally pissed to be sitting there beside me.

I got what I wanted, so why couldn’t I
be at least semi-happy about it? A lump rose up in my throat, and
audible bubbles fought to struggle through it.

He reached across me and closed the
textbook.

“
I wasn’t finished,” I
rebutted with the half copied problem.

“
I am,” he said with a
threatening growl. He got up and walked to the front of the room,
grabbed a green pass from Mr. Lucas and went out the door. I sat
there for at least two or three minutes just trying to absorb what
happened.

He must think I’m a total jerk. I
wondered at that moment if he would even stay at Pensacola High? A
sickening knot began to form in my stomach as I thought about him
quitting high school and never getting a degree because some stupid
little girl ruined it for him. I worked with two other students
before the last bell, but I don’t know how much good it did them
because I just couldn’t get my head back into algebra.

I was slow finishing up after the bell.
I collected the scattered textbooks and stacked them neatly, put
away the calculators and wiped off the board. I was stalling
because I didn’t want to face him or Jewels in the parking lot, but
I had to leave because I’d be late getting Kimmy if I didn’t go
pretty soon.

I was right about the parking lot. Only
a couple cars remained as I walked to my bug. I put down my books
and fished out a tissue from my purse. Alone in my car it would be
okay to let a few tears fall. Tissue in hand, I turned the key in
the ignition. The most amazing thing happened: absolutely nothing.
“No way,” I said out loud. “Crap!” I checked the stick and made
sure it was in neutral, still nothing. I pushed in the clutch and
put the car in first gear; no response from the engine. This can’t
be happening. I’m going to be late getting Kimmy. I’ve got to call
the elementary school. I’ve got to call Bev or Matt. “This day
sucks!” I said as I slammed my forearm into the door
panel.

I had just taken my cell phone out of
my purse when a knock on my window made me jump. There was Evan
standing outside my car. I hadn’t heard him pull in behind
me.

He opened my door as I quickly dried my
face. “Hey, Leese, what’s wrong?” His tone was smooth and
soothing.

“
I—I—don’t know. My car
won’t start and I’ve got to get my little sister from school.” I
got out and stared at my little blue bug like I was seeing it for
the first time.

“
Did you leave your lights
on?”

“
No, I don’t think so.” But
I leaned back inside just to make sure. Nope, my lights had been
off.

“
When do you have to get
your sister? How far is it?”

I glanced down at my cell phone. “I’ve
got to be there in the next ten to fifteen minutes, but…”
Frustration and emotion choked my throat and clouded my
thinking.

“
Come on, I’ll give you a
ride,” he said softly. There was no hint that we’d just had a
blowup in math class an hour ago. I started to take a step toward
his car, but I knew that neither Bev, nor Mom would be pleased to
know I’d accepted his offer.

“
I—I can’t.”

“
What?” he smiled. “Come on,
it will only take us a few minutes and then you and your sister
will be home. I’ll come back and see what I can do to get your car
started.”

I wanted to say yes, but I was here in
Pensacola because my parents were worried about my safety. I didn’t
know Evan. I wanted to think I knew him, but, to be real with
myself, I’d barely just met him. It would be like stepping out on
the main drag and sticking out my thumb.

I opened my phone and started
dialing.

“
What are you doing?” he
asked, stunned that I was turning down his offer. He reached for my
phone and I pulled away and backed up to my car.

“
I have to call Kimmy’s
school,” I said without looking into his stare. And that was what
he was doing; he was staring at me so hard it was giving me goose
bumps. I was relieved to hear someone’s voice on the other end of
the line. “Hi, this is Kimmy McKinneses’ sister. I’m having car
trouble. Could you have Kimmy wait for me in the office? Thank you.
Yes, I’ll call if I’m going to be much later. Thanks again.” I hit
the end button and began dialing the next number when Evan reached
out and took the phone from my trembling hand.

“
Give me that back,” I
demanded, trying to sound authoritative instead of
afraid.

“
The only thing I’ll give
you is a ride. Come on,” he said, grabbing my wrist.

My martial arts training was not
forgotten as I twisted his arm and jerked myself free. And then I
saw it; anger written all over his face. His eyes had narrowed and
his mouth was not much more than a tight line. His chest seemed to
heave and every muscle and vein looked as if they had doubled in
size, suddenly he looked like a giant.

As scared as I was at that moment, I
heard the sound of something familiar. We both looked up to see the
custodian heading toward us on his golf cart. Evan took a deep
breath and some of the angry red that had filled his face
disappeared.

“
I just wanted to help,
Leese.” He tossed back my phone, got in his car and was
gone.

My knees were trembling as Mr. Garvey
pulled up beside my car. “Are you having some trouble?” He
questioned, but he kept looking toward where Evan’s car was
speeding from the lot.

“
Yeah, actually my car won’t
start. It’s completely dead and I’ve got to get to the
elementary.”

“
Let me take a look,” he
offered with a knowing smile. “I’ve got jumper cables in my cart,
if we need them.” He lifted the hood and peered inside. “Here’s
your problem,” he showed me, as he lifted a cable in the air. “Your
positive terminal cable popped off.” He wiggled it back down on the
post and told me to try cranking the car. I slid the key into the
ignition. My hands were still trembling as I turned it and my car
cranked.

He slammed the hood, “There you go,
young lady.”

“
Thank you, Mr. Garvey. You
don’t know how much I appreciate your help.” I was angry at myself
for forgetting everything Tony Dix had taught me about what to look
for when your car was… I swallowed hard. Cables don’t just pop off.
Someone had tampered with my car! The face that came immediately to
mind was Evan. But why? No, it just couldn’t have been him. I
rolled up my windows and locked my doors as I gathered my thoughts.
There was no one else around but I was terrified. “Stupid girl,” I
chided myself. “You’re going to flip-out like Mom if you don’t
watch it!” I slammed my car into first gear and took
off.