Denial (Goblin's Kiss Series Book One) (7 page)

I should not be doing
this.

Her breathing picked up and I knew
from where I stood what I would do next. She would be mine if I had
to lose everything to have her. Either way, I knew I was in deep
trouble.

I mouthed for her to take a breath
hoping it would foster the energy field around her. When she
released it, she released me. Yep! Deep, deep trouble.

Class started and I kept my head
and thoughts forward filled with economic talk. Mr. Vamp and his
jokester attitude kept worries outside the classroom more than any
other teacher.

The only positive thing in my life
was my teachers. The last few years have been rough being me, and
crossing into otherworldly dimensions was the only out.

It
wasn
’
t until Mr. Vamp remembered to call roll that I flashed back
to the previous situation. That
’
s what it was, right? A situation
to be solved. I
’
d spent years solving others
problems with little good deeds as I called them. It
didn
’
t always go the way I planned. My power was a secret to all,
even Tonya. Oh, she knew I wasn
’
t right, but she never asked.
Well, once or twice.

In sixth grade
another girl was harassing her into doing something she
didn
’
t want to do so she asked me if I would do my “mind thingy”
on the girl to stop her.

I did.

Tonya kept it a secret
still.

The teacher
called roll in alpha order making my name near the last. When he
called out “
Ames
Cahn
” the majority of the female
population making up the room went into fits of giggles and the
guys all groaned.

Mr. Mystery kept
his coolness factor with a solid grin and a
“What
’
s up?
” to the teacher.
I rolled my eyes at Tonya. When he chuckled even the smallest
sound, it rolled over me like syrup. Every time I heard his laugh,
it just...did things.

“For now, you will keep your
seats. In a week after the meet and greet of back to school wears
off, you will begin your first project. I will assign you partners
and the both of you will invent a new product, decide the buy and
sell options we will discuss this week, and give a speech about the
supply and demand of your product. If you like, you can make this
product for your classmates, your customers, to try before they
buy.” Mr. Vamp laughed to himself.

Great. I might not get to be with
Tonya. I peeked under my hair at the dark cloud of emotion behind
me. He was snaking the same look at me. I saw my future before it
even came my way.

“Your partners are as follows,”
the teacher turned around to face the whiteboard where our names
were already lined up beside each other. What are the odds? I
feared for one lonely second that he might have made it that way
and the smug look on his face told me he probably did. I needed to
stop looking at him.

I
didn
’
t know if he did this time. But I did know
he
’
d
made the words change in writing class to be something they
weren
’
t. Whatever he was...whatever I was...I decided right then I
was going to find out.

My outlook just changed to that of
the predator. I was tired of being the prey.

“Um, Mr. Vamp.
Perhaps the new guy would be better suited to a guy. Let him show
him the ropes or something,” I cooed at the teacher knowing
he
’
d
be all cool and say that was just fine like he usually did for me.
So did not happen.

“Miss Steele.
You are full of imagination and quite capable. I
’
ve already made the
list in my gradebook. I
’
m afraid it
can
’
t be changed.”

Gradebook? He
could change a freaking gradebook, couldn
’
t he? I folded my arms down
to myself and heard Tonya groan beside me. I glanced up and saw who
her partner was.

“What on earth
are you talking about? You get hotness all to yourself and you
would throw it away? I
’
m stuck with the baghead
Christina. What is wrong with you?”

Oh, the end of
the world. Everything I ever knew was now alive in a whole new
perspective. I wasn
’
t alone. I
wasn
’
t the only one.

“Wanna trade?” Tonya
giggled.

I
didn
’
t look back at him. I somehow knew he
’
d be
looking.

A feeling came over me as I
gritted my teeth, “NO!”

Since I
wasn
’
t looking at her, I don
’
t know how she
reacted.

Ring!
Class ended and Tonya and I headed for the door.
I hugged my notebook and new economics book left out for me on my
desk. My head buzzed with confusion.

Tonya asked if I was eating lunch
and all present worries left me for the inhalation of food. That
would make me sane again.

I said a loud,
“Heck yeah.” She looked at me weird. I swallowed the gulp and
hurried out with, “Senior patio here we come.” We high fived and
for a short minute Tonya was all kinds of normal for me and my
world. Then the shackled bubble popped again when Rick was in the
food line. I raced on and tugged Tonya against me to avoid him. I
hoped he wouldn
’
t try to sit with us this year. I
whipped through the cafeteria and headed out to the bench Tonya and
I had picked out for our crew last year trying to make sure it was
full when he emerged.

I
didn
’
t even stop to think about Rick and his crew being there at
the same time. What would I do if I had to survive his face daily
at lunch? I hadn
’
t seen him all day except outside
the bathroom and that was relief alone if you
didn
’
t count the dark prince who followed me around half the
day.

I briefly
wondered where he would be for lunch and decided the devious
clutches of said cheer groupies were attacking all at once.
Poor him
.
He sure didn
’
t seem to care if they fawned all
over him.

As if he knew I
was thinking of him, the flutter I couldn
’
t quite pin a point to in my
body yet, started to go off signaling me he was close. I searched
for his scent. I could find it anywhere, I think. Or maybe it was
his cologne. It was different than any I
’
d found. Tonya and I were
experts on men
’
s cologne.
We
’
d
sprayed every single one of them on the little cards in the mall
stores upstairs and downstairs numerous times. I had it pinpointed.
This guy pheromoned off a crisp pine earthy
scent.

I bit into my
red apple just as Scott and Ames came through the inner cafeteria
door and onto the patio. My bite froze in mid-chew as Scott eyed my
reaction to his “new friend”. Why did he have to befriend
him
?

Not missing a beat this time, Ames
sidled up to the stone bench and sat right stinking beside me. I
finally finished the bit of apple left in my cheek and swallowed
but it felt like the size of a cantaloupe.

“Hi Emma,” he
charmed me with his voice and set off a halo of sunlight above his
head with the way he popped his head in my direction. “Tonya.” He
didn
’
t look at her as he greeted her because he framed his eyes
exactly on me. I promised myself not to look at the way his hair
fell over his eyes again. I failed myself.

He finally turned back to Scott,
his apparent new bestie. “I have class with them before lunch.”
Turning back to me he said, “Scott here invited me to sit with you
guys. I know you hated the idea of having me for your project
partner, but maybe you can make an allowance for lunch time
chitchat.” He took a bite of his own apple and watched
me.

No freaking duh!
And I don
’
t need an itinerary.

Stunned, I looked to Scott for
help. He threw up his hands and said, “On your own, Em. I was just
being a nice guy.”

I resolved to
act respectful and show that I indeed had manners. I was going to
get to the bottom of his secrets, but I had to get to the bottom of
him first. His red herring wouldn
’
t be hidden
forever.

“It
’
s all great, Scott. I know he
’
s fine. I mean
he
’
s...not fine. Uh...he was quite the gentleman on several
occasions already.” I batted my eyes with the fakest smile ever and
lied through my teeth trying to hide my embarrassment. He was kind
of a silent one, at least. Ames stuck with friendly and flirtatious
in front of others. His sexy look didn
’
t help matters. He dressed
like he was older, worldly, experienced. I wanted to front him out,
but didn
’
t have any idea where to start that wouldn
’
t have me end up
looking the fool.

Ames chuckled a
little, “That
’
s right,
Em
. Nice guys are us. Will I assume
you will be here daily at this table for lunch?”

His saying my name like my friends
stunned my tongue. “Um...um...”

Stunned into
staring at him longer than I meant to, I realized too late
I
’
d
just been caught checking Ames Cahn out in full body
detail.

Scott finally
sat and dug into his food offering up, “Yes, she will be.
She
’
s not usually this quiet. Got quite the sarcastic mouth most
of the time. This year is going to be very interesting.” He eyed me
and then Ames strategically. Another bite or two and his whole meal
would be down his throat. Turning the subject over completely
seeing I was desperate, Scott showed his non-ending enthusiasm for
being a senior. “Awesome. Great. We are gonna rock this
town.”

I mouthed him a “thanks” and he
guy nodded back at me.

Tonya threw a hand in the air for
Scott to high five and he did. Ames threw it up there too and both
Tonya and Scott copied the gesture. Among the throng of noise
around our table, a voice I knew well sounded behind me.

“Well, well,
well. My girl is sizing up the new guy. Let me meet the guy who
plans on trying to match up to me,” Rick
’
s pretty boy voice sounded
beside me. Christina popped a kiss on his cheek and headed off to
the cheer table near the fence where Ames watched her go. The girl
inside me screamed and kicked into a mad fit.

I watched Rick take my pizza slice
and then I checked Ames reaction. My insides told me seconds before
that he was gnashing teeth and his face confirmed it. Why was he
mad?

Ames left the
glare he gave Rick for me, but it softened. He
didn
’
t show what he copiously thought, but somehow I knew he was
really just mad at Rick. Maybe he was just a nice guy inside and
all bad boy in appearance. Ignoring them all, I turned back to my
remaining
food.

Okay!

Scott introduced
Rick and Ames to each other. After a few tense glances between
them, Ames stuck out his fist and bumped it with
Rick
’
s forcing him to relinquish my food back to my tray. They did
the manly hem and haw causing even sure of himself Rick to appear
relaxed so he sat on the other side of the bench with Scott.
Jackson and Laura soon joined us and all were in a fit of laughter
over the recent movie theater altered version of vampires vs.
werewolves. I joined in forgetting the lingering cloud hovering
over me and the boy next to me. I closed myself off to have
normalcy. If this was him doing this to me, he
’
d go away like the
others did. I
’
d shown him too much, but I still
had a few tricks up my sleeve if I needed rid of him. Years of
running from your freak show self could make a girl
tougher.

First, I needed
answers.

I
couldn
’
t help but see it from Ames
’
view. To him, we appeared like
an altogether close group of friends starting their senior year of
high school in high spirits. What he didn
’
t see was the sad
truth.