Chapter Nine
Suffering, Surrender and Surprises
______________________________
Leah Fox
_________
I shifted my head into the crook of my elbow, trying to find a comfortable spot on my bony arm. The sounds from the hallway were drifting into the silent room as the rest of the student body rushed back to their dorms or share-houses. There was a tapping noise coming from the desk behind me, whoever sat there was slowly but surely infuriating me with the sound. I turned around slightly so that I could glare but the guy - pale, lots of dark hair and amused icy blue eyes - simply grinned at me and continued hitting his pen against the desk. I opened my mouth to speak but the teacher up the front interrupted me.
"Miss Fox, this is detention, not lunchtime. Didn't the teacher who sent you here give you any work to do?"
Tap, tap, tap, tap.
"Yeah, notes. I've already done them." I crossed my fingers, hoping I would be set free.
Tap, tap.
"Well then get out some homework and carry on with that. There's still half an hour left."
Tap. Tap. Tap.
"Would you quit it!" I snarled, whipping my head around so fast that I felt an instant of dizziness.
"Miss Fox!"
The guy sneered. "Miss Fox," he taunted. "How impolite!"
"Shut up, you ass. I've got a screaming headache, I'm running on about two hours of sleep and I'm bloody tempted to shove that pen down your throat until you poop out ink!"
"Miss Fox!" reprimanded the teacher again. He stood up from his desk and began to make his way down towards us. "One more word and I'll set you another detention."
"What a childish temper," the boy goaded softly. And then he winked, as if this was all a joke. I felt like shoving his desk so that it pummelled into his stomach. But the teacher had reached us.
"Move seats please, Leah. I can see that you are too distracted with Vance."
I sent one last glare at the boy and stood up swiftly, gathering my things, my temper boiling. I picked up a pen of mine and turned back to Vance, my control snapping. "I guess I should return this," I said in a casual tone, lifting the pen.
"Err..." Vance gave me a confused look.
I smiled sweetly and flicked my wrist, sending the pen into the asshole's face. "Oh, oops. My hand slipped."
He leapt out of his seat. "You bitch!"
Geez, what an overreaction. "You had it coming!"
"Miss Fox, Mr Shepherd, please settle down," warned the teacher.
I picked up the rest of my things and moved to a table closer to the front, feeling the heat of Vance's glare at my back. I slammed my stuff onto the desk and plonked down in the seat, immediately resting my head back onto my arms.
"Leah Fox, at least act as if you are doing some work."
I lifted a pen and pretended to write something on the table as I closed my eyes and waited for the time to be up.
__________________________
Haezel O'Malley
________________
I slid a folder from my locker with a sigh. I had plenty of coursework and it was only the first week. And with Fox in detention it meant that I really had nothing to do but study. Or I could go check out Faye's work in the studio. She had invited all of us at lunch but it was obvious to everyone, well except maybe Faye, that Matt was longing to be alone with her. So I couldn't really go there, not that I know enough about music to be any critic anyway. I slung my heavy backpack over one shoulder and made my way through the throng of students to the exit.
"Hey Hazelnut!"
I turned warily. After the dance class I'd lost any dislike for Blake, he seemed only to have a problem with Fox and I didn't bother trying to figure out why. Blake himself probably didn't even know. Guys were idiots, they did things without explanation. At least I knew now that he wasn't entirely a bad guy. But I was still unsure around him. He always scrutinized me, and I'd noticed him do it to anyone he came across, as if he were seeking out anything hidden. And he was Greg's best friend.
"What's up?"
He draped his arm over my shoulder, earning him a glare. He smiled easily back. "In this crowd I could lose you."
I raised a brow, looking around. There were a few people rushing through and some groups hanging around lockers but it was hardly a 'crowd'. I wondered if he was trying to make Greg jealous again and tried to subtly look for him nearby. Unfortunately not subtle enough.
"Looking for your true love?" he teased, letting me go and rubbing his back. I guess bending down to lean on me was not the most comfortable of positions. "I did say I'd meet him here."
I frowned. "What? Here in the first year locker's hallway?"
He grinned down at me and winked. "More accurately, the locker hallway of his love."
"Seriously, Blake, you can drop the whole 'Greg loves you' charade," I sighed. "That kind of thing only happens in women's dreams."
"Lucky you, living the dream," he said, but his voice had lost all teasing.
I stuffed my hands in my pockets, angry that he was still continuing trying to fool me. I wasn't going to fall for it. No matter how stunning Greg looked, or how kind he was, or how talented he was as a dancer, or how just one look from him had my bones melting til I was a pile of mush. I was really hopeless.
"Drop it, Blake."
He shrugged. "Where's the feisty little Leah?" he asked, changing the subject.
"Need to vent some anger? Too bad. She's in detention." This guy must really have it out for her. Had she said something to him while I wasn't around? She probably had and been totally insulting. I guess it wasn't entirely Blake's fault that they always argued.
He chuckled. "What did she do? Annoy the wrong person?"
"Nah, she refused to participate in her music class. I don't think she got much sleep last night and she is one hell of a cranky grump when she's tired."
His lips turned up but it didn't seem like he was smiling. "Is she an insomniac? That would be a bad thing; she could turn her wrath against the entire school."
I looked up at his face. He didn't notice, he seemed thoughtful and his eyes seeing far away. I could have sworn I saw concern in his features.
"You care," I accused teasingly. "You don't actually hate her do you?"
Immediately he snapped out of it and scowled. "I do not like her."
"Oh ho," I giggled. "Blake doth protest too much, methinks."
He gripped my shoulder and turned me to face him. "Okay, so maybe I don't totally hate her. But that doesn't necessarily mean that I want to be her friend."
I kept a straight face. "So you want to be more than friends? Have you got the hots for Fox?" Ah, it was good to be able to tease HIM for something. I struggled not to laugh.
He narrowed his eyes. "You and Greg are absolutely perfect for each other, together you could be dangerously irritating. You've both said the same thing and I swear that you are both wrong."
"Greg and I are not perfect for each other and we will never BE together." I glowered, my good humour fading.
He looked down at me with cunning eyes. "Thou doth protest too much, little Hazelnut."
I slapped his hand off my shoulder. "Unfortunately, I'm telling the truth. It's not just Greg. I won't be dating anyone until I'm at least out of college."
"Why?" asked Blake with a frown.
"Yeah, why?"
My stomach dropped suddenly and I turned to see Greg standing a little way off, his arms folded, showing off his impressive muscular forearms. He held no emotion on his face and his blue eyes were ruthlessly pinning mine.
"None of your business."
His features didn't change. "I think it's my business to know why you refuse to go out with me."
I shook my head.
He took a step forward, a long step that brought him a foot away from me, and it was like his closeness blocked out the rest of the world. He leant forward, looming over me.
Then he said something that I did not expect.
"Did someone hurt you?" he asked softly.
I felt the blood drain from my face, the simple sentence bringing up memories of harsher words and the feeling of utter rejection. I looked around, feeling like everyone was staring at me but only a few were glancing this way, more curious than laughing or mocking. Blake, as if sensing that we needed privacy had moved away, talking with another group across the hall.
All of a sudden I felt a warm hand wrap around my arm just above my elbow. Greg leaned down to whisper in my ear, "Come with me outside for a bit."
I nodded numbly and he led me through the exit to a secluded part of the school courtyard. The frosty air weaved through my jacket and swept over my skin, pulling me sharply back into reality.
"Uh, I should get back, um, to the dorms," I said, looking over my shoulder to the school doors, hoping a friend would come out so that I could call to them and excuse myself away from Greg. I'd told myself not to be alone with him. I had no doubt he had the power to change my mind about him and I didn't want to be fooled. I didn't want to be tricked into believing he was sincere, only to have him break me, as I'd been broken before.
He'd gone back into his hard-ass stance, his arm muscles flexed as they folded over his chest. "You can't avoid guys for the rest of your life because of one experience."
"I never said I'd been in a hurtful experience," I said quickly.
"No? You just look ghostlike and frail every time someone asks you if you were hurt? Then give me a good reason why you won't go out with me."
"You're a man whore," I answered without hesitation, my anger rising, shielding the freshly exposed grief.
He looked taken aback by my sudden hostility. "Am not," he argued.
"Man whore, player, gigolo, whatever you want to call it. You can't deny that you've been with a lot of girls at this school." I stretched to my full height, nowhere near enough to get close to intimidating him but enough to show I could hold my own.
He suddenly looked awkward. "I was just, you know, practicing. So that when I found you I would be perfect at making a girl happy."
I was amazed he was able to keep a straight face. "According to gossip, you practiced a helluva lot."
"I swear, Haezel." He unfolded his arms, holding his hands together and twisting them nervously. "I swear that you mean something to me and I will do anything in my control to keep you from being hurt."
I wiped my hand over my mouth, making sure that it was kept closed and firm. I would NOT fall for THIS. "You probably said it to every girl. Did they all fall for it? Is that why you're so sought after?"
He ran his hand through his hair. "I don't... I want you to believe me. I want you to understand that everyone else, anyone who I've ever been with, they all mean nothing to me. Mere specks to your overwhelming presence in my mind."
"You can't just say that and expect me to give in." I heard a slight waver in my tone. I hoped he hadn't noticed as well.
"Then what can I do?"
I shivered suddenly from the cold and from the intensity of his question. He really wanted to get with me. Did he want to have me so that he could claim that all the girls in the school fell to his feet? I rubbed my arms to fight off the chill and glared at him. "You can leave me alone."
His hand gripped his hair, tugging it in frustration. "I can't do that."
"Why, Greg? Why me? Why couldn't you hassle another new girl?"
His hand dropped and he turned his head away, avoiding my eyes. Ah, finally he realised that he wouldn't be able to change my mind. I waited for him to walk away, feeling the tinge of disappointment even though I knew he hadn't really wanted me. It would've been nice if he had been sincere, if he had been telling the truth. But that kind of thing never happened in the real world.
"There's a simple answer and a more intricate answer." His voice was low and hoarse as if he didn't really want me to hear. I didn't understand. Why wasn't he walking away? Why did he want me so badly? Why was he trying so hard?
He flicked his eyes back to me, the soft, calming cobalt sending a soothing warmth through me. Damn him and his beautiful eyes. I was a sucker for blue eyes.
"I think I'm in love with you, Haezel." He bit his lip and looked down to the ground.
My breath caught in my throat and I didn't know whether I should laugh or choke. He was a very good actor, very good. I could almost believe him. But love didn't appear at first sight, that was a silly romantic notion to appease lonely hearts, and it did not occur when people knew each other less than a week. I didn't even know Greg at all. He couldn't know much of me.
"You aren't," I said in a hard voice. I knew what love felt like, and it had taken years to bloom for me.
"You can't tell me if I am or not. And I am. I really think I am."
"Stop it." I didn't need to hear this... even though I really wanted to.
"Why? Afraid that I'm really telling the truth? Are you afraid of falling for me? I won't hurt you, I don't think I could bear it."
"Greg, stop it." He wasn't supposed to be like this. He was supposed to be leering and heartless. Why was he confusing me?
He placed his hands over mine on my arms, defrosting my fingers with his warmth. The heat from his touch warded away the cold air.
"No. Give me a chance, please."
It was like a scene out of a movie, one of those movies I used to watch with hopeful and totally naive eyes. I shook my head, knowing if I spoke I could accidently say yes, my foolish heart overriding my mind.
"Please. We could start off as friends."
"We could JUST be friends."
He grinned, his cocky side showing through his sensitivity. "I could change your mind after a while."
"I won't fall for you, Greg." There, I'd said it out loud. I knew he wouldn't but I just wished he would hear the words and give up.
He didn't even flinch.
"Like I said, I could change your mind."
___________________________________
Blake Amherst
_______________
I stood with a group of second years in the first year locker hallway but I wasn't really listening to a word being said. I was thinking about Haezel and it wasn't even about how she had gone as white as a sheet when Greg whispered to her, I wasn't even curious about that even though I should be. I could only think about what she'd said about Leah and Greg's similar opinion. What did I feel towards that brat?
Whenever she was around me I felt like shaking her teeth out and arguing with her just to see her eyes light up with an inner fire and her voice to come out cool and fiery at the same time, an almost husky tone. And I couldn't help looking out for her or wondering where she was. The little idiot had implanted herself into my mind and it was driving me insane. But did it mean I liked her? She was short but she had an attitude that made her seem six feet tall and she stood up for her friends. Janelle hadn't even remembered half of her 'friends' names.
Ugh, I had to forget about her. I wasn't interested in the types of girls that went to this school, who were so determined to be in the spotlight. I had to get out of the campus this weekend and hit a club to find a normal girl. It had been a long time since I'd had a girl, even though I'd known that I would break up with Janelle I hadn't been with anyone else over the holidays. I had morals, even if she didn't. That must be why I was thinking about Leah so much. I just needed to get a girl. I just needed to get Leah out of my system.
"Leah! Where the hell are you?!"
I scowled at the sound of a deep voice and turned to see a trio of guys walking down the hallway. Two blondes that looked like brothers and one with darker hair and eyes that were similar to the girl that haunted my head. The dark haired one punched one of the blondes.
"Idiot. Do you really think she's gonna come out with a big smile and say 'here I am!'? She's probably hiding away from you now."
"No bloody way. She'd come running into my arms and I'd whirl her around, covering her face in kisses." The blonde that was punched grinned.
I clenched my fists and watched the dark-haired one roll his eyes. The other blonde guy spoke. "She'd probably knee you in the guts for embarrassing her," he said dryly.
My hands loosened and I looked down at them, wondering why I was getting so worked up over what they were saying.
"Maybe she's already headed back to the dorms," said the dark-haired one, who looked likely to be her brother.
I stepped forward to help. "You won't find her there. She's in detention."
The three pairs of eyes all narrowed at me and I felt like I was underneath a microscope for some kind of scientific investigation.
"Are you a friend of hers?" asked the brother.
"Oh sure, we're good pals," I said, holding my face expressionless. I fought the need to grin. If Leah heard what I was saying she'd probably try to beat me. I couldn't stop a smile forming at the thought.
The two blonde brothers' looks turned suspicious and I quickly wiped the smile away. "I guess you're her brother?" I said to the one that looked similar to her.
He nodded. "I'm Rhyley, Leah's brother." He held out a hand.
"Blake," I said in return, shaking his hand and then I turned to the blondes.
"Didn't Leah tell you about us?" said the shorter one dubiously. "That's not like her."
"She must have been... distracted." I so badly wanted to laugh aloud. Oh boy, she was going to murder me.
"I'm Jack," said the taller one. "And this is Kurt."
Kurt scowled. "Are you dating our girl?"
Before I could speak, Jack shook his head. "She wouldn't, not without saying anything to us first."
"What are you guys? Her gay parents?"
I had thought that they would get defensive and angry but to my surprise they both laughed.
"Gay parents?" gasped Kurt, wiping a tear away. "That's a good one. We should use it sometime."
"That's stupid, unless you want to be gay incestuous parents," Rhyley muttered disgustedly.
The four of us shuddered with revulsion, the humorous mood disappearing.
Rhyley looked at me with a frown. "So? Are you dating my sister?"
I shook my head and grinned. "Would I have to ask you first? Or go to your dad to ask permission to court her?"
Tension suddenly appeared in the air and the faces of the boys turned hard.
"Our parents died a few years back," said Rhyley with a haunted face. Then he gave me a solid glare. "I wouldn't talk about it around Leah, she still gets hit pretty hard about it."
All humour gone, the hallway was suddenly silent. I looked around and saw that they were near empty.
"Her detention should be over soon." I looked into Rhyley's eyes, hoping that he could see that he could trust me with this information and that I wouldn't hassle Leah with it. "I can take you to the room if you need."
Rhyley nodded and we headed in that direction.
"We're the band 'The Cubs'," said Kurt. "She's our lead singer and she's gonna go far."
"Oh, I'm sure," I said sincerely. She'd probably beat anyone who tried to stop her.
Kurt glanced at me and I saw approval in his eyes.
"Just so you know," he said, "you need to ask all three of us for permission.
I grinned and tucked my hands into my pockets. "You might hear from me one day."
I wasn't even sure if I was joking.
________________________________________________
Okay, I now realise that I am more of a fantasy writer and not much of a 'college-story' writer. My hands were itching to write about something nonsensical occurring in the middle of this normal school. Lol. I can see it now; Haezel sprouting angel wings, Blake growing horns and Janelle turning into a gazelle. Sigh, I really should get a grasp on my imagination. [Just in case some of you get ideas, none of these things will happen. This is a 'normal' story. No wings here. Ever.]
x