In a split second I went from not wanting to call attention to us, to running after him and calling his name out loud.
“Shane I’m sorry, I don’t know what I’m doing okay. I don’t really think those things; well I try not to but you have to admit that the whole idea of you and me is preposterous.”
From the look on his face that argument wasn’t much better. He just stood there studying me for the longest time before he walked back to me.
I shifted from leg to leg as he stared down at me, his eyes moving over my face as if he was imprinting it to memory.
Then he pulled me into him by my nape. “This is how I think I want to act.” And he covered my mouth with his. I didn’t hold a decent thought until the catcalls and whistles infiltrated.
“Don’t do that shit again baby I don’t deserve it. Now let’s get you to class.” He patted my butt which reminded me of all the extra padding, which in turn brought my attention to all the slim cheerleader types that were giving him the eye, while looking at me as if I were an unidentified object that floated into their orbit.
“Ignore them baby, look at me.” He stopped us in the middle of the hallway with most of our peers milling about pretending that they weren’t totally focused on us.
“I’m with you, I chose you, you came to me yesterday yes, but I chose you long before then, try to remember that.” He took my hand and pulled me gently along behind him while people whispered behind their hands.
What does he mean he chose me? Whatever it meant it felt really great walking down the halls with my hand in his and all eyes on us.
I was sure most of them were trying to figure out what was going on with us. Silly me I think I was one of that crowd.
BELLE
“So how’s Sian doing? I tried calling her last night but she’s not answering.” This boy makes me jittery; I don’t like being jittery, jittery is for pansy ass cheerleaders with shit for brains.
Ever since he’s been here I’ve been off my game and I’m thinking it’s about time to take the power back. I just needed to figure some stuff out first.
He makes me nervous the way he looks at me. He’s the first guy who’s ever really looked at me and saw me, but more than that, he acts as if he likes what he sees.
“She’s good, she’s with Jace, he’s got her on lockdown; mom and dad were joking this morning that they can barely get by him. She should be back by Monday though so you girls can get back to whatever it is that you do.”
Does he have to look at me like that, like I’m under a microscope? Like he can read my every thought?
“Why so antsy Red, do I make you nervous?” Of course he touched me then and I lost what little brains I had left. It was only his hand on my cheek, but it felt like the most intimate of touches.
“Of course not.” I cleared my throat and tried to hide my red face. I was working on a snappy comeback when a wayward whisper reached us.
I just heard the words fat, ugly and red. Usually I would’ve handled that mess on my own, but then I would’ve missed Jared Claiborne in action.
I’ve lived in Hollywood my whole life and I’ve never seen anyone do righteous indignation quite so well.
His back went straight and his eyes got this really dark look in them, before he turned and looked in the direction it had come from.
Who wasn’t stuck in their spot as if entranced by his gaze, were scattering. I stood where I was as he walked over to the wall where the group of cheerleaders and their lackeys stood smirking.
One succubus reached out to his chest with her claws, but he brushed her aside like she wasn’t a gorgeous blonde cheerleader with her drawers already around her ankles, figuratively speaking of course.
“You wanna repeat that?” Demon girl retracted her tentacle and tried to slink back into the wall behind her. Her friends, those loyal echelons of humanity, were already trying to distance themselves.
I thought he would leave it there, since nothing else was said as I stood there wondering whether I should make her eat her crocodile purse or let her twiggy ass live.
But then new guy did something that lifted him just a little bit higher in my estimation. He reached his hand back for me. “Come here Red.” I walked over not quite sure what to expect, but nothing I could’ve come up with would’ve been close.
“This is my girl.” He squeezed my hand when it went slack and almost fell out of his. Maybe he didn’t see it, but the stick brigade weren’t too pleased with his honesty if the curled lips were anything to go by.
“Now I’m new around here, so I’m not too up on the way you do things as yet, but where I come from, a man protects what’s his. Anymore of your fucked up remarks just might piss me off and like I said, I’m new around here, I don’t know you, you don’t know me, we clear?”
He didn’t say anything else, but he didn’t have to. I think they got the picture from the look he gave them before pulling me along behind him.
I wanted to look over my shoulder, poke my tongue out like a four year old, but I was too busy trying to keep up with his longer stride.
“Uh, Jared, you wanna slow down a bit? You’re killing me.” It was as if someone pulled a plug. He stopped immediately and looked down at me. “Sorry.”
“It was just a joke, sort of.” He squeezed my hand again and carried on at a slower pace until we reached the classroom door where we found Shane and Tammy saying goodbye to each other.