Right Hook (Gaslight series) COMPLETE

1| Fall from grace

Marnie smirks. "Are you sure you're ready? I mean, it's only been two days since he humiliated you. Even you can't have bounced back that quickly."

For a second, we just look at each other. My mother always says that a lady never fights with her fists, she fights with her eyes, so I smile and kill Marnie with kindness. If this advice actually worked, this bitch would be six feet under by now.

My best friend, Tiana, walks over. I pray she comes bearing good news. "New boys," she says, gasping slightly. "There are two new boys joining today. Charity cases from a public school. Rumors are flying that one of them had to repeat a grade. Liss, people are already forgetting about you and Justin."

Justin conveniently chooses that moment to appear, and my smile almost falters. He's surrounded by his teammates, smiling and laughing as though I didn't catch him kissing Suzie Norzac at Marnie's party on Saturday. Unbelievable. 

He glances over and freezes. I stare him down, and he quickly looks away before continuing down the hallway. No doubt he thought I'd be crying over him, but I haven't, and I won't. I'm going to get even instead.

We follow the others to first period, where I sit near the back. I am carefully placing my pencil case in front of me when Miss Granger walks in.

The two new kids are the last to arrive. A thin, wiry boy with auburn hair and freckles, and a taller, lean one with dark hair. They stand awkwardly at the front, looking like they'd rather be anywhere else.

"We have some new students joining us this year," Miss Granger begins, indicating to the boys behind her. "This is Danny Green," she says, pointing to the red-haired one, "and Kino O'Connor."

My eyes shift to Kino, who stands a good two heads taller than Miss Granger. The class remains silent. Miss Granger is forced to clear her throat before telling the boys to find a seat.

The two boys freeze, and so do I. There are only two other empty seats in the classroom. One is next to Peter Farrison, the curly-haired, scrawny boy who made fun of my freckles in middle school. The other is next to me.

Danny quickly snaps up the seat next to Peter. Kino stands at the front as if contemplating whether or not to stand the whole class. When Miss Granger clears her throat again, he reluctantly slinks into the seat next to mine and refuses to look at me.

We don't speak for the entire class, but his thick arm rests on the table next to mine. It's twice the size of my own, and his knuckles are littered with tiny white scars. I should be scared, but I'm not, I'm relieved. Tiana is right, the arrival of these boys is the perfect distraction – for now.

The rest of the day is overshadowed by the new kids, for which I am grateful. It means I get through my classes without being subjected to whispering, and for the first time in years, I manage to keep a low profile.

When school lets out, Tiana and I make our way to the parking lot. Parked next to her black Audi is an old, battered truck, and leaning against it, a man I've never seen before. He's a few years older than us – around nineteen or twenty – and tall, with dark hair, tanned skin, and the broadest shoulders I've ever seen. His face is angelic, all cheekbones and angles, with the faintest hint of stubble on his chin. His jet-black eyes have a wild, untamed glint behind them.

Those same eyes rest on mine as I walk toward the car. Tiana grabs my arm like she thinks he's going to rob us, but then Kino walks by, and the guy on the truck breaks into the most wonderful grin.

"Max," Kino says, patting him on the back. "You didn't have to pick me up."

Max ruffles Kino's hair in a brotherly way, and I catch the dimples on either side of his smile. "You think I'd make you catch the bus on your first day?" He glances up now, catching me staring, and I fumble for the door handle before climbing inside.

I turn on the radio while Tiana reverses, glancing one last time in their direction. They've gotten into their car and are waiting for us to move, so with a quick look at me, she drives off.

I don't believe in angels or God or even good luck, but their arrival is a blessing. With any luck, people will forget about the cheating scandal, and my life will go back to normal.

I'm sure of it.

A/N

Hey guys, where are you reading from?! 🇬🇧

This is a spin-off in the Gaslight series, featuring a new main character, as well as old characters from Gaslight. If you haven't already, don't forget to grab your copy of Gaslight, which is out now! Link can be found in my bio.

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