Shift (The Neturu Chronicles) (2 page)

               
Startled, Kayla jumps when she hears, “I knew all that stuff before I moved to
China,” whispered behind her.  She glances over her shoulder at
Jackson.  He relaxes in his chair and smirks.  For some reason, that
one action rubs Kayla the wrong way.  Returning her focus to the front of
the classroom, she crosses her arms and pays attention to Mr. Finley, though
she swears she can feel Jackson staring at the back of her head the entire
time.

               
When the bell rings, Kayla grabs her stuff and practically runs out of the
room.  She has calculus next and needs to prepare for the big test. 
When she arrives, she takes her seat and grabs her notes for one last
look.  Kayla tries to concentrate, but Jackson keeps popping up in her
head.  Grumbling, she is relieved when class starts and he doesn’t show
up.  The hour flies by, and Kayla breezes through the test.  

               
After class, she blissfully walks to her locker where she finds Tracy waiting
for her.  When Kayla is finally within ear shot, Tracy exclaims, “Oh
my gosh
!  Have you seen the new guy?”

               
“Yeah,” Kayla mumbles. “He's in my first two classes and sits by me.  His
name is Jackson.”

               
“Dude, he’s hot!”

               
Kayla rolls her eyes.  “I guess.”

               
“I guess? There is no guessing. He’s hot.”

               
 “Aren’t you interested in Bradley right now?”

               
“Well, yeah, but I can still admire other guys.  So what’s he like?”

               
“I don’t know,” Kayla exhales.  “I can’t say yet.”

               
Tracy leans against the lockers.  “Have you talked to him?”

               
“Yeah, he’s kind of cold.”

               
“Whatever you say. He was just in advanced calculus and corrected Mr. Smith.”

               
With a tug, Kayla opens her locker.  “He’s in advanced calc?  Good
for him.”

               
“Hey, he’s an intelligent and attractive guy. Maybe I shouldn’t be the one curious
about him,” Tracy quips as she playfully elbows her.  Kayla shoves her
books in her locker and ignores her friend.

“Watch out, here comes
Jude,” Tracy whispers.

               
Kayla stiffens and closes her eyes.  She shuts her locker door and turns
around to watch Jude approach her. 

“Good morning, Kayla,” Jude
says.

               
“What not-so-charming platitude do you have to bore me with today?” she asks.

               
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Jude replies with a cocky attitude
and an evil smirk.

               
Kayla crosses her arms.  “What do you want?”

               
“I heard you got corrected in class today.  That doesn’t happen very
often, huh?  Maybe the smartest girl in school really isn’t that smart.”

               
Narrowing her eyes, Kayla says, “I never said I was perfect.”

               
“That’s obvious.”

               
“Why don’t you go jump off a bridge?” Kayla suggests with a smile.

               
Jude smirks. “That would make you happy, wouldn’t it?”

               
“Do you know what would make me happy? Kicking you between the legs.”

               
“If you really want to get him, take the inside of your shoe and shove it down
his shin.  You have hard soles on; it’ll leave a mark.”  Kayla turns
toward the voice to see Jackson standing behind her.  “And if you are
going to kick him between the legs, do it from behind him, that hurts more, but
it may also keep him from reproducing.”  He shifts his eyes to Jude. 
“Not that that doesn’t seem like a good idea.”

               
Tracy laughs.  Kayla can’t even move her lips.

“Dude,” Jude says.
“
Who in the hell do you think you are?”

               
“Your worst nightmare if you aren’t careful,” Jackson replies.  He glares
at Jude for a second and then brushes past him, but not before shoving him into
the lockers with his shoulder.

               
“That was awesome!” Tracy exclaims as she laughs harder.

               
Jude growls. “I’m surprised to see a guy defend you.  I didn’t even think
you liked guys.”

               
“I like guys,” Kayla retorts.  “Just not pigheaded losers with
small…minds.”  Tracy doubles over laughing as a large smile spreads across
Kayla’s face.

               
“Whatever,” Jude spits out before storming away.

               
Tracy steps in front of Kayla.  “Whatever you said to the new guy must
have left an impression.”

               
“I guess,” Kayla whispers, staring down the hall where Jackson disappeared into
the crowd, confused by why he stood up for her.

               
The girls look for Jackson in the cafeteria at noon, but they don’t see
him.  Tracy can’t keep quiet and immediately tells their friends what
happened with Jude.  Kayla is lost in her thoughts and eats her lunch quietly. 
She can’t seem to get Jackson off her mind, and everyone talking about him
isn’t helping.

               
Her next two classes pass without incident, and she totally forgets about the
new guy.  Finally, she heads off to last period, creative writing. 
Kayla takes her seat by the windows.  She fishes out her notebook and
sighs.  Writing just isn’t her thing.  She always feels like her
ideas are way too out there and weird, and Kayla doesn’t want to be
judged. 

When someone sits in front
of her, she looks up and then straightens in her chair.  Kayla instantly
recognizes the figure.  “Jackson,” she barely breathes out.

               
Jackson slowly turns in his seat and looks at her.  “Yes?”

               
Totally embarrassed, Kayla’s eyes widen.  “Nothing, sorry…I sometimes
blurt things out.”

               
“That could make for some interesting situations.  Do you like to just
yell things out, like, Tourette’s style?”

               
Kayla’s jaw drops.  “No!”

               
He gets a devilish grin on his face.  “Wow, I didn’t think someone could
get that red.”

               
Kayla slaps her hands over her face.  “Shut up.”

               
“You blush really easily.  Why are you so embarrassed? I thought you were
stronger than that.”

               
“Why would you think I was strong?”

               
Shrugging, Jackson gives her a stone expression.  “By the way you spoke to
Jude, but maybe I’m wrong.”

               
She studies him for a second.  “Why did you stand up for me?”

               
“Is that what I did?” he replies with almost no feeling.

               
“That’s what it seemed like.”

               
Jackson shrugs again. “If you’re going to hurt someone, you may as well do it
effectively.”

               
“That guy is an idiot. Total jerk.”

               
“So am I, most of the time.”

               
“You don’t seem to be.”

               
The corner of Jackson’s mouth turns up.  “Oh, just wait.”

               
“I’m sure you’re still familiarizing yourself with everything, so if you need anything,
just ask.”

               
The smirk on Jackson’s face disappears.  “I think I’ll pass.”

               
Kayla is so shocked by his attitude that she can’t form a reply before Jackson
turns back around.  She stares at the back of his head with her mouth
gaping open.  The rest of class goes by without any more interaction with
him, but Kayla can’t get past his rudeness.

               
After class, Kayla finds Tracy and says, “Let’s get out of here.”

               
“Oh my God.” Tracy giggles. “I told everyone about Jackson.”

               
“I don’t think you should talk about him,” Kayla whispers harshly.  “He’s
kind of a jerk, and I don’t think he would like it.”

               
Tracy raises her eyebrows.  “Did he talk to you again?”

               
“Yes, but I don’t want to talk about it.  He’s just…I don’t know…kind of
mean.”

               
“Still hot in my book,” Tracy sighs as she opens the door for her friend.

               
When they get back to Kayla’s house, Kayla asks, “Are you coming in?”

               
“Sure, for a few minutes.”

               
They go inside and Kayla yells, “Mom? Dad?”

               
No one answers.  Tracy inquires, “Are they off hiking again?”

               
“Probably. I swear, that’s all they do and then they come back a mess.  I
don’t even want to know what they do out there.”

               
“Ewww, gross.”

               
Kayla shoves her hands out.  “Sometimes they come back practically covered
in dirt.  It’s weird!”

               
“Okay, let’s stop talking about that before I puke on your floor.”

               
“Do you want a soda?”

               
“Sure.”

               
Kayla opens the fridge, but doesn’t see any soda.  “I have to get some
from downstairs.”

               
“I’ll come with,” Tracy says, following Kayla down the basement steps. 
When they pass the basement side room, Tracy stops.  “I swear your parents
are growing drugs.”

               
“Those aren’t pot plants, Tracy.  They’re herbs.”

               
Tracy points to all the plants.  “Kayla, I’ve never seen those plants
before.”

               
“Yeah, that’s because it’s a rare plant from somewhere in China. 
Supposedly, it’s not even allowed in the U.S.”

               
“Breaking the law.” Tracy laughs.  “It’s probably a drug, Kayla.”

               
Rolling her eyes, Kayla says, “My parents have been putting it on our food
every day since I was a kid.”

               
“What does it taste like?”

               
“I don’t know. Good.  It doesn’t taste like anything I can compare it to.”

               
Tracy steps forward. “I want to try it.”

               
“
No
!” Kayla yells.  “My parents said it could have a really bad
reaction in people, and it could be dangerous.  That’s why it’s so
rare.  We don’t give it to anyone.”

               
“And they gave it to you when you were a kid?”

               
Kayla shrugs. “What can I say?  My parents are weird.”

               
“Yeah, I’m starting to think they are,” Tracy says with a laugh.  “Let’s
get some soda; I’m thirsty.”

               
“Okay.”

               
Tracy sighs. “I still think it’s a drug.”

               
“Tracy!” Kayla exclaims, laughing.

               
 A couple of hours later, Kayla is at her computer doing her homework when
she hears, “Kayla?  Are you home?”

               
“Yeah,” she yells toward her door.

               
She hears footsteps coming up the stairs and then her mom appears at the
door.  “Hey, honey, we’re having company over for dinner.”

               
“Okay,” Kayla mumbles, not really caring.  “What are we eating?”

               
“Lasagna. These are old friends of your father’s and mine.”

               
“Whatever,” Kayla retorts, not paying her mom any attention.  Kayla scans
the computer screen in search of an excerpt for her paper.   

               
Her mom sighs.  “Are you going to be able to pull yourself away from the
computer?”

               
“Homework, Mom.  I’m working on a paper about Thailand.”

               
“Okay, but I want you to at least meet them.”

               
Kayla shrugs. “Okay.”

               
“Kayla.”

               
She turns around.  “I’ll obviously meet your friends if we're eating
dinner together.”

               
“You can be difficult sometimes.”

               
“I’m a teenager, Mom.  It’s my job.”

               
“Be down in an hour.”

               
Kayla rolls her eyes. “I will.”  When her mom walks away, Kayla turns back
to her paper.

               
Roughly an hour later, the doorbell rings. The sound is followed by
voices.  Kayla groans but continues her research.  A few minutes
later she hears, “Kayla!”

               
“Coming,” she yells back. Happy about her work so far, she saves her paper and
turns off her computer.  Kayla runs down the stairs, and when she turns
the corner, she smacks into someone. Looking up, she exclaims, “What in the
hell.”