Ethereal Love (Book 2 LS Series)

Chapter 54

Skipper's POV

"Ah!" I shriek in surprise, at a hand clasping my shoulder.

"Calm down, jumpy." Carleigh laughs, and I spin around at the speed of light to face her. "Oh," I breathe a sigh of relief, and giggle at my own paranoia. "You scared me."

Jay soon follows her, with his usual grim facial expression. He thoughtfully strokes his goatee as he approaches the both of us. "What're you doing out here?" He says coolly, and then yawns loudly. "I could ask you two the same thing. I was trying to find Michael."

"We're just ditching class, the usual." Carleigh shrugs, and pats her perfectly manicured afro. I'm relieved that it's just the two of them, I don't know what I was expecting to happen. "We were gonna make a vending machine raid, you wanna come? The best one is in the Science hall." Jay looks at me. "I can't cook for you again." I reiterate, as we walk as a group toward the science building.

Jay pushes open the door to the outside, and sighs. "You can't quit The Clan, Skipper." Carleigh narrows her heavily made-up eyes. "She quit?" "Nope." Jay responds all too quickly.

The blue sky that winked at me this morning is slowly being overridden by clouds, blocking out the sun's warm rays. "Come on, let's go around back to the basement. That's where the good stuff is." I second-guess myself as we make our way around, and down into the dank basement of the science building. It smells like some sort of spilled chemical, and the floor is damp cement.

I'm supposed to be finding Michael... "Hey, you want some potato chips? No meat, just potatoes." Carleigh tempts me, wiggling her slick black eyebrows. "Potato chips fried in animal fat." I blink at her. "Whatever, man, your choice." Jay sticks some dollar bills into the machine, and punches in the code for his desired snack item.

"Where is everyone? There's usually tons of people skipping," Jay comments, removing a chocolate bar from the bottom compartment of the machine, and unwrapping the candy beneath. "Good point." Carleigh nods toward the stairs. "Might as well go up into the Science hall." Maybe Michael is there. It wouldn't hurt to check.

I try my best to avoid choking on dust bunnies as we casually scale the stairs to the building above. "So you're coming back to work today," Jay says with his mouth full. It isn't a question, but a simple demand. "No, I'm not," I challenge, pushing the heavy door at the end of the staircase open. We emerge into the empty building beyond, and continue to walk.

"Yes you are." I spot a red smudge on the shiny marble as we make our way, and frown deeply. "Jay."

"Do you want me to say it? Is that what you need?" Jay is serious now, and his eyes have darkened. His fists quake at his sides. "What..." Carleigh trails off, her eyes darting between us as I stare down at the smudge.

"You can cook, girl. Like I've never fucking seen before. And... you're probably the finest fucking girl I ever had." Carleigh scoffs with anger, and crosses her arms tightly across her small chest. "Um, hello. Standing right here." Jay's caramel colored irises seem to plead with me. "I need you." He ignores Carleigh, causing her to scowl. Is that... jealousy twinkling in her eyes?

Click.

"If it isn't the one and only Jay Lewis." A disgusting voice drawls, sending shivers up my spine. The click? I recognize it as the safety on a handgun. I side step, and gasp loudly, clapping two hands over my mouth. "Skipper..." Carleigh keeps her tone even as she pulls me away from the man with the barrel of a gun pressed against Jay's skull.

"Oh my god!" I squeal, and my heart falls out of my ass. "Shut the fuck up, or you're next." He doesn't even have to raise his voice, it's so sinister, it scares me into complete taciturnity.