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Authors: Shannon Dermott

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BOOK: Waiting for Mercy (Cambions)
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Okay, I’m not a confrontational person by nature. That is why my mom and I’d been at an impasse for a couple of months last year when I needed her to give me certain information about what I was, so I could move forward in my relationship. But everyone has their limits. And today was mine.

 

“So look who’s decided to join us with her roses today,” a voice said from the other end of the table. The word ‘roses’ was spoken as if it was a dirty word. The game of the corniest pickup lines was apparently over. The table got so quiet and others nearby stopped to listen as well. It was expected. With her tone, it was clear she’d wanted to start in on me. I am not sure why Nina hated me. She and Luke had broken up a couple of weeks before Luke and I had gotten together late last year. And we weren’t together anymore, so why did she still have it in for me. Maybe she’d noticed how he’s directed his lines at me. Ugh!

 

I looked up and noticed her for the first time. She sat on the opposite end of the table. She’d cut her hair off. It was now short in the back and layered longer in the front. The style was quite cute with her shiny midnight hair. Nevertheless, today wasn’t a day for compliments. I should have held my tongue, but I didn’t. Maybe it was the stress of being at the table. Maybe it was because I’d hoped to remain in the shadows and not draw attention to myself.

 

Although it felt longer, it had only been less than a few seconds before I said back, “What is your problem?” I asked. My voice was steady and sure. I looked her straight in her eyes. My eyes held all the confidence I’d gained in the last several months. I didn’t need her or any of the rest of the popular crowd’s approval.

 

 “Did you get those roses by sleeping with every boy at this table?” she asked, using a caustic tone while holding my gaze. Her eyes weren’t friendly and her face held a scowl.

 

Although things were quiet, I could hear murmurs from those around me. They waited with bated breath for an escalation of violence. There was nothing I could say to that. I hadn’t slept with anyone. I was still a virgin, which somehow I doubted she could claim the same. However, I didn’t know that either. Whatever I said would sound too much like how a child would say ‘
I know you are but what I’m I’
. Even so, I couldn’t help myself. In a calm manner, I stood with my tray in one hand and flowers in the other.

 

Amber tried to put a hand on mine to stop me, whispering something like you don’t have to go. But I didn’t listen. Maggie may have spoken too, but my head had cleared itself free of all the background noise. I said in a normal tone that with the silence around us, I knew she’d clearly hear me, “I didn’t. And your invective against me proves just what a bitch you are and why no guy wants you.” So it wasn’t the best line, but it made my point. She paled for a second. With that, I walked with all my dignity intact. Tossing my uneaten lunch in the trash which had been broiled chicken over a Caesar salad, I exited the lunch room.

 

In the hallway, I had my next surprise of the day. I’d careened right into Tom, who was headed into the lunch room.

 
Chapter Three
 

 

 

 
perspicacity
(adj.)
shrewdness, perceptiveness

 

 

 

Tom, Brent’s cousin, whom I met over Thanksgiving break last year when Brent ended up in the hospital after a bad bear attack, stood in front of me. I’d seen him maybe twice since then and on every occasion he’d made it quite clear that I was someone he needed to avoid.

 

“Hey trouble, where are you off to?” he asked with a grin.

 

I looked up into his gray eyes before I rolled my own with a slight laugh. “Hey yourself,” I said half heartedly.

 

His happy face changed into one of concern. “You look pissed. What happened?” he asked.

 

“You know me and misfortune,” I said, holding up the roses for him to see with a grimace on my face.

 

 “What are you doing here?” I asked, trying to head off any further questions directed at me. We continued to stand on the outskirts of the cafeteria. I hoped no one would come after me before I got away.

 

“Long story. Where are you headed?” he asked.

 

“Anywhere away from here,” I answered, my eyes traveling to the side exit door.

 

Following my gaze, he asked, “So you want to ride with me to get lunch then?”

 

Tom had made it a point to steer clear of me. So the question was so odd, I frown up at him.

 

“I’ll tell you why I’m here on the way,” he added, to sweeten the deal. I nodded at him thinking he was my best option to get away from things. Plus my curiosity was peaked, wondering why he was at my school in the first place.

 

Off campus lunch was strictly forbidden. But most everyone did it on occasion. And today I was in the mood to break the rules to gain my freedom from the situation in the lunch room. He peered again at the roses in my hand on our way out a side entrance closest to the cafeteria. “What are those for?” he asked.

 

Offhandedly, I said, “Val-O-Grams,” sighing so he could hear my disgust.

 

He grinned. “Who’re they from?” he asked.

 

Rather than answer him, I shrugged.

 

He shook his head then said, “I knew you were trouble.”

 

“Your perspicacity knows no bounds,” I said haughtily, while rolling my eyes.

 

 

 

We walked up to a car with the familiar intertwined circles that were the Audi symbol centered and the letters TT to the side on the back. It was a sporty looking car in silver. I had to admire it. He popped the locks then opened the door for me. “Where should we eat?” he asked.

 

Ducking into the car, I wasn’t really hungry because Nina had killed my appetite, so I said, “It doesn’t matter.”

 

“Taco Bell fine then?” he inquired.

 

“Sure. I’m surprised since, you know, I’m trouble and all.  Why would you want to be seen with me,” I said smartly, eyeing him with a grin as he closed his door. Free of the cafeteria and all the prying eyes, I was starting not to feel so angry.

 

He started the car and said, “Trust me, if I hadn’t already heard that you and surfer boy weren’t together anymore, I’d steer clear of you.”

 

“Surfer boy,” I said, “Funny.” I drew out the last word. But inside I laughed because it was true.

 

His comment about my relationship status wasn’t lost on me. I was struck that he’d heard about my breakup. Did that mean I was the topic of conversation all the way back in New York? Boy, that was just wonderful and not in a good way if true.

 

“Why would you stay away from me?” I rebutted. “Clearly, you’re not interested in me. Why does it matter who I’m dating?” I added sweetly, raising my eyebrows at him to give him a hard time. I may have been flirting a bit in how I said it, but at the same time I wasn’t. He’d set himself right up for that question.

 

“You are a trouble magnet and I have enough of that on my own,” he replied.

 

Quick on my feet I said, “You’ve said that like a zillion times before, but that still doesn’t answer my question. Why are you curious about my dating status?” I flashed him my pearly whites. I wasn’t going to make this easy for him.

 

“I don’t know,” he said honestly. His words didn’t come fast and he almost struggled visibly to say them. “There is something about you. Maybe it’s that ‘
I need to be rescued’
look you always seem to have. But I’m not interested in dating you no matter how lovely you are.”

 

He thought I was lovely. Nobody’s ever called me lovely. “I can’t believe you said something nice about me for once,” I said triumphantly, glossing over the rest of what he said. I sat back in my seat gratified I’d made him squirm. I did, however, speculate about the damsel in distress look he said I had.

 

“I try,” he said with a chuckle.

 

In the drive-through line, I ended up ordering a soft taco that he paid for. It was only a dollar, so I didn’t let it bother me, he wouldn’t let me pay. “So tell me, why were you in my school?” I asked, with a hand covering my mouth after I took a bite of my taco.

 

He nearly had his burrito almost to his lips when I asked the question. He thought for a moment before dropping his hands back into his lap with the untouched burrito in it. “I moved down here for a while,” he said. Then unceremoniously, he took a huge bite of his food giving me a chance to digest the information.

 

I took another bite thinking he might explain further.  Nothing, before my next bite, I said, “And?” Then I bit into my taco again.

 

Swallowing, he took a long drag on his coke before clearing his throat.  “I thought I could help Brent better if I was here,” he said. “And my parents had to go to Ireland to take care of my sick grandfather for a while.  He’s not doing so well and my mom wanted to spend time with him.  So instead of staying at the house by myself, I thought I could help Brent get through his new reality.  He’s having a tough time with the fact he may not play football again,” he added soberly.  His words clued me in on what may have been going on with Brent and his anger.

 

Taking another bite, I let the silence fill the car.  There just wasn’t more to say about that topic.  Sooner than later further conversation revealed that Tom was a junior too. I was surprised. I would have pegged him as a senior.  I thought back to last year when I saw him last at Brent’s welcome back bash.  Brent had nearly choked some poor kid to death for touching Maggie on the bottom.  The poor guy had pleaded it was an accident, but Brent wouldn’t listen.  It had taken both Luke and Flynn to pull him off the guy before Tom had swooped in and manhandled the bigger boy.  Surprisingly, Brent had cowed under his scorn.  It seemed odd then and seemed odder now.  There had to be more to who Tom was.

 

 “Hey, wait a minute,” I said when we pulled back into the school parking lot.  “I can’t believe I missed this,” I said pointing to the little figurine of R2D2 from Star Wars tacked to his dashboard.

 

“Yeah, I love that movie,” he said.

 

“Oh my god, I do too,” I said in shock, getting out of the car.  Once we were headed back to the school, I said, “The original trilogy I mean, not the prequel. Although, the last one of the prequels was pretty good.”

 

He stopped and looked at me for a moment longer. “You look more like a Princess Diaries kind of girl,” he said.

 

I lightly punched him on the shoulder.  “Hey, what’s that suppose to mean,” I said with a scowl.

 

“Most girls aren’t into science fiction,” he said, arching a brow at me.

 

“I’m not most girls,” I said wryly, wiggling my eyebrows.  There I went again with the flirting.  It was harmless though because neither of us was interested in the other.  I think that’s why it was so easy to do.  Talking to Tom was like how it used to be between Paul and me.

 

“That much I’m sure of,” he said, giving me a wink. Then he paused and narrowed his eyes for a quick moment.  He spoke slow and careful when he asked, “So what are you doing tonight?”

 

We were halfway to the school from the parking lot when he said it. I turned to eye him suspiciously, but I didn’t stop walking. “I’m doing the un-Valentine’s Day thing,” I said cautiously.

 

He laughed. “And what’s that,” he said, while trying to suppress his chuckles.

 

“It means ice cream and movies,” I said proudly.  Actually, I wasn’t sure I was going to do that, but it’s what I’d done in the past.

 

“Do you want company?” he asked.  He looked serious.

 

This time I did stop.  I paused on the top step.  We were almost to the front door of the school. He’d taken a few steps before realizing that I wasn’t in step with him. “What?” he asked, turning to look down at me.

 

“You’ve made it clear that you’re not into me, so why would you spend Valentine’s Day with someone you’re not interested in?” I asked, with one eyebrow arched.

 

He held a hand up. “First its un-Valentine’s Day, right?” he asked.  I nodded.   “Second, Brent and Maggie have something planned and have asked, very kindly I might add, that I not be home tonight,” he said, enunciating his words so that we both understood what they were up to.  Brent was pretty well off too.  So his house was not small.  However, my guess was that Maggie didn’t like the idea of someone being in the house at all.

 

I almost forgot my earlier conversation with her.  I needed to find out what she decided.  There was nothing to do about it now though.  The bell would be ringing soon.  The halls would be filled with students long before the warning bell.

BOOK: Waiting for Mercy (Cambions)
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