Last night I received an email from Principal Hollensburg to report to his office by 7:30. Why? I have no freaking clue, but I'm about to find out.
I walked through the doors of Harker Heights High School, home of the Knights. The very same place I've spent the last three years in, studying my ass off so that someday— someday soon — I could go far, far away from here.
The halls were quiet, as I expected being that school doesn't start for another hour. I stopped off at my newly assigned locker and placed my things in there. The clang of a locker startled me causing me to look up.
There was a boy several feet away from me with headphones in his ears looking frustrated as all get out, probably trying to figure out how to open his locker. I'd never seen him before. He was tall, with a head full of sandy blonde curls. He had on a grey and black long sleeve henley that he had pushed up to his elbows and a pair of dark washed skinny jeans.
He was highly attractive, and by highly I mean he looked god like. His jaw line was chiseled and made me think all sorts of dirty thoughts. Namely, running my tongue over it.
While lost in my thoughts I hadn't noticed him look over in my direction. Meeting his gaze he had a smirk on his face. I gasped and quickly averted my eyes. Shit. He probably thinks I'm a creep now. I rolled my eyes and closed my locker before hearing him smack his.
"Bloody freaking hell!"
His words made me stop in my tracks and close my eyes. Well fuck. Hot and British. My life truly isn't fair.
I took a deep breath and walked towards him cautiously. He groaned in frustration, "What could you possibly want?"
His rudeness radiated, and brought me back from the cloud of godlike creatures. "I was coming over to help you, but since you clearly don't need my help," I turned on my heels and headed towards the principals office. I heard another groan and a slam into his locker before rounding the corner.
He may be gorgeous, but I'll be damned if I'm talked to like that. I get enough of it from my mother, I sure as hell don't need it at school too.
As I walked into the front office Ms. Wallace was sitting on her phone, "Good morning, Lovie."
I smiled at her, "Hi, Ms. Wallace. Is Mr. Hollensburg in yet?"
She nodded, "Yeah, he's in a meeting. As soon as he's finished he will be out."
"Any idea what this is about?"
She glanced down, "New student."
I scoffed and shook my head, "Let me guess, a brooding British boy?"
She pursed her lips and and nodded at me. I groaned in response. Why me?
A few minutes later, Mr. Hollensburg's door opened and an extremely beautiful couple emerged saying their thank you's to the principal.
The blonde woman who had just emerged looked back to Mr. H, "Ezekiel is a good boy. He just— he needs some guidance." British.
I guess it makes sense that the godlike boy from the hall came from two insanely attractive people. How is that even fair? Are couples that attractive even how allowed to procreate? It's honestly not fair to the rest of us.
I scoffed under my breath, but apparently Mr. H heard me. "Ah, Ms. Boswell, come over here please." He had a large smile plastered on his face.
Mr. H had always been one of my favorite people, my freshman year he wasn't principal, he was my Geometry teacher. I struggled with geometry so I frequently spent study halls with him trying to figure out my homework.
I sat up from my chair and walked over towards him, mustering up a friendly smile.
The couple smiled back and Mr. H patted my shoulder, "This is Lovie Boswell, she's one of our top students here at Harker Heights. I'm hoping," he glanced at me with worry, "that she will be more than willing to help out with Ezekiel."
I nodded with a small smile, understanding what he was saying. He always places troublesome new students as my shadow, I guess he thinks because I have a unique home life that I understand these students. Who knows. "I'll try my best."
The dark haired man in front of me extended his hand, "I'm Edward Fox, Ezekiel's father." I smiled back and shook his hand. He had this whole Beckham vibe going. Tall, lean, older, hot.
I turned to face the woman to his side. She was tall as well, taller than me anyway. She had piercing blue eyes and a large white smile, "Elizabeth. It's a pleasure to meet you Ms. Boswell." They sure like their E names. She pulled me into a hug before I knew what hit me. In my startled state I felt my eyes widen before awkwardly reciprocating her hug.
"Don't suffocate the poor girl, Liza" Edward chided. I let out a laugh before Elizabeth let me go. Taking a moment to catch my breath, I couldn't fathom how the rude boy I met came from these two affectionately nice people. It boggles me.
Elizabeth grabbed my hand in hers and looked into my eyes. Her face was full of worry, "Zeke is a good boy. He's just rough around the edges..." I gave her a reassuring nod before I heard the breakfast bell ring.
Saying my goodbyes I headed towards my locker.
++++++++
"Have you seen him?"
Glancing over my shoulder I took in my best friend, Astrid. She was in her typical first day attire: yellow sundress, jean jacket, and strappy sandals. Her mom is big on tradition and everyday since kindergarten she's put Astrid in this exact outfit and taken her annual first day of school photo. While I absolutely adore the idea and wish my mother had those kind of memorabilia for my brother and I, Astrid hates it. But she does it for her mother anyway.
I gave her a confused look, "Who?"
Her eyes widened, "The hot, and I mean smoking hot new guy!" She looked around and lowered her voice, "I hear he was sent away for burning down his old school."
I rolled my eyes, it's barely 8:30 AM and already ridiculous rumors are being spread about the brooding teen walking the halls.
"Astrid, I highly doubt his parents would have moved to America because he burned down his school."
Her eyes widened in curiosity, "He's not from here?"
"Nope." I popped the p just slightly, "Has he not talked? His accent is kind of a dead giveaway."
She gripped my arm, "You've talked to him? No fucking way. Tell me everything."
I scoffed, "There's nothing to tell. He's rude. And unfortunately, I'll be his peer mentor while he is acclimating."
A shrieking squeal came out of Astrids mouth causing me to wince, "What the hell? Can you please not do that! My ear drums can't take that."
"You're his peer mentor?! You get to talk to him and everything?! You're so lucky." She was practically swooning.
"Good God, girl. Get it together!" I snapped.
She bit back a laugh and looked towards the locker I had seen him at earlier. I mentally rolled my eyes at her and grabbed my English Lit binder and a pen.
The five minute bell rang and Astrid jumped slightly. I small giggle escaped my lips before I closed my locker.
Astrid flipped her hair over her shoulder, "So do you have to report for duty this morning?"
Just as I was about to respond to her the loud speakers sounded, "Will Ezekiel Fox and Lovie Boswell please report to the principals office, thank you."
I closed my eyes and groaned, "That's my cue. I'll see you at lunch A."
She waved and headed to class.
+++++++
Almost a half an hour later, Ezekiel and I were finally finished in our meeting with Mr. H.
He gave Ezekiel a run down of what he expected of him and of course informed me of all the normal expectations of myself as well. We have to spend two study hall's a week going over any homework he needs help with, I have to give a written report weekly on what we went over during our time together.
I turned to Ezekiel, "So we can meet Tuesday's and Thursday's during 4th period study all for our mandatory meetings."
He just stared. What in the hell was he staring at. Once I met his gaze, I noticed his brown eyes looked like the cognac I had seen my mom pour many nights in a row. I could feel my stomach flip and my breath catch in my throat. He held my eyes for an uncomfortable amount of time before I tore them away.
"So. I'll see you Thursday." I pursed my lips and gave a small wave before turned towards the door.
"You won't."
I furrowed my brows in irritation, turning back towards him, "What's that supposed to mean?"
Ezekiel smirked, "It means I won't be there."
I scoffed, "Great. Well I'll be at the coffee shop across the street on Thursday at 1:30. If you don't show, I'll just report you. Which is a hundred percent okay with me."
He let out a chuckle, "Great. Enjoy your coffee."
I huffed and turned back towards the doors. I don't even do coffee, I drink tea. That's probably not the point, but it irks me when people just assume everyone enjoys coffee.
As I was walking to English Lit, I felt my phone vibrate in my back pocket. I pulled it out and looked at the screen, Jake— my older brother.
Jake: Mom just left the station. Said she's not coming home. I'll drop by tonight to see if you need anything.
Lovie: O.K.
Great. My mom was arrested a week ago for public intoxication, which really isn't anything new. Luckily, it was my brother who arrested her. Unluckily, if she gets arrested again— she has to spent eight weeks in the county jail. Leaving me in my dead grandmothers house all alone. Well, mostly alone anyway. Jake checks up on me every once in a while, but being that he's ten years older than me, it's more of a 'Hey, I brought you food and toilet paper. Here's some cash if you need it. Text me if you need anything else.' Kind if drop by. We don't hang out or anything, which is fine by me. I just wish sometimes I was able to talk to him.
I mean, don't get me wrong— I have Astrid, but she doesn't understand my mother, and she's not a huge fan of hanging out at my house. Not since my mom came home drunk off her ass one night, when we were fourteen, and she started cursing me every which way from Sunday for not asking if I could have a friend over. How was I supposed to ask when she didn't even pay the phone bill? Nor was she home. So how was I to do that? But, that scared the shit out of A, so I understood why she never wanted to come back. It's not anything she'd ever experienced before— she even offered to let me stay with her.
Now my brother on the other hand, as I said we were never close, but he was raised by the same woman as me. Laura Jane Boswell. The difference being she was sixteen when she had my brother, and twenty-six when God decided he should allow her to pop out another one of us. When my brother turned eighteen, he enlisted in the Army— four years later he returned home and joined the police force. He's awkward, but he cares for me in his own way. He keeps me on his phone plan, and even gifted me his old Honda Civic so I would have a way to get to and from school. Last year, he also got me a job at the precinct, I answer phone calls and organize files. Nothing fancy, but it keeps groceries in the house and gas in my car— oh and it feeds my book obsession.
A locker slamming pulled me out of my head and caused me to jump. I heard a chuckle and snapped my head to see who it was. I rolled my eyes when I met his eyes. Of course. Ezekiel.
It's going to be a long couple of weeks.
+++++++
After school I made the short drive back to my grandmothers house. She, being the ever kind soul that she was, left my mother her house in the suburbs. It was a 4 bedroom 2 bathroom, craftsman style home. Gorgeous, homey, lonely...
Since my mother was almost never home and my brother lived in his own apartment across town I spent the majority of my time in silence, every so often, Kelso— my cat, makes his appearance, but only to let me know he's hungry. I spend most of my evenings with Astrid and her family but lately I've been putting all of my time into college admissions essays and dual credit courses, oh and work.
As I pulled into my driveway I noticed that the lights were on in the house next door. Of course, this wouldn't normally be cause for alarm, but being that for the last nine months the house has sat empty I was curious.
A white Cadillac Escalade sat in the driveway while a black BMW sat on the roadside. They clearly have money, which made me shake my head in slight envy. I mean, I definitely understand the worth of a dollar. Twenty hours a week at $13.50/hr paid the minimal bills I had and by minimal, I mean all of the household utilities. Water, electric, internet— you know the necessities. I guess seeing other people being able to afford the luxurious things in life left me feeling a little green.
I'd been observing the house next door for so long I didn't hear my mom approach my car, "Some rich British pricks moved in." She scoffed.
I jumped at her voice. I thought Jake said she wasn't coming home.
She looked like shit. I mean, I guess she just spent a week in jail but, she really looked awful. That week without a buzz took a toll on her. Her hair was greasy and frizzy looking, the bags under her eyes were an unattributed shade of lilac, and her thin lips were chapped to hell. Wait, did she say British?
"Did you say British?"
My mom nodded.
Damnit all to hell. That can't be a coincidence.
My mom nudged my shoulder, "Can I borrow a hundred bucks?"
Seriously? I scoffed, "What for?" I started walking towards the porch before she answered.
"Mitch is taking me out of town for a couple of days. I'll pay you back when I get home and find a new job."
I nod. I know she won't pay me back, but I want her to have money for a cab if she needs it. "Yeah." I pulled my wallet out of my pocket and handed her the cash I had.
She nodded in thanks and started walking down the street. Cool.
I looked over at the once empty house next door to see Ezekiel standing on the porch staring at me with a smirk on his face. He saluted me with two fingers and headed to the black Suzuki GSX-R by the garage.
Great, just fucking great.
OKAY GUYS. I'm definitely in need of some comments— and some likes!
I'm going to be putting most of my effort into this particular book! I do have a couple of others in the works as well. But Lavina and Zeke are pretty much my favorite couple ever.
Also, my inspiration for this book actually came from the song, Wildest Dreams by Taylor Swift. So if you wanna listen to that to get the mood of this book in your head!
Please let me know what you guys think is going to happen, and anything you wanna see ❤️