“No.” A smug smile dances in the corners of his mouth, fighting to break free.
I stop, gripping the straps of my bag. “What do you want now?”
Devlin pauses a step in front of me, half-turning to glance over his shoulder. “I have another task for you.”
The morning light gleams off the black hair hanging in his face. With his chiseled jaw and high cheekbones, he looks like every beautiful temptation. If he wasn’t a total dick. An untrustworthy snake in the grass. A man.
He tips the sunglasses down his nose, peering at me over the edge. My stomach bottoms out unfairly.
I shove down the stupid fluttering sensation, telling my heart to shut up. It’s confused. The misguided little traitor doesn’t understand that nothing good would co
me from liking Devlin Murphy.
Swallowing to soothe my dry throat, I shoulder past him. “What do you want me to do now? Take over the office? Quack like a duck in class? Hotwire the principal’s car?”
“That last one has some merit.”
The hair on my arm tingles under the uniform blazer and shirt, aware of Devlin’s presence beside me. His body heat seeps into my personal bubble. I sidestep to gain some distance. A second later, he closes it, his arm brushing mine.
Leather and spice drifts on the air, seductive and hypnotic.
“You better pay big if you seriously want me to commit a criminal offen—”
“What, you have morals now?” Devlin chuckles and pats the top of my head. “Good little angel, so wholesome and pure.”
His mocking tone makes me grumble under my breath. We reach the steps and begin to climb. It’s weird to be walking into school with Devlin.
“I’m bored of our game. Time to change it up.”
“What? You don’t get to change the rules now!”
Devlin laughs. “It’s my game. I can do what I want.”
I purse my lips. Damn Devlin Murphy back to the demonic pit he crawled out of.
He gives me a leering once over. “I want to show everyone how much school spirit you have locked away behind your thrift shop emo girl aesthetic.” His tongue peeks out to swipe his lower lip and heavy innuendo laces his voice. “How much you support the athletes.” He bounces his eyebrows suggestively. “You’ll know it when you find it.”
With that mysterious hint, Devlin jogs ahead of me, leaving me in the dust on the steps.
Ugh, bastard. School spirit… Whatever he has planned, it’s bound to be even more humiliating than being labeled Devlin’s dog. Unease spreads through me for the new hell Devlin cooked up.
By the time I reach the top step, he’s long gone. Sighing, I head for my locker.
Once I reach it, I’m distracted by the safety pin bursting off my busted zipper. Groaning quietly, I fiddle with it as I open my locker. Swinging the door open, I go to hang the backpack from the hook to fix it, but my gaze locks on the telltale green and white heap of fabric waiting for me inside. My frustration melts to horror faster than an ice pop on fire.
Oh, hell no. Hell no.
Screw you, Devlin!
Nina happens to be nearby. She peers into my locker and scoffs. “Thinking of joining the squad, Raggedy Anne? I don’t think so.”
My spine snaps straight at her sneering voice.
“Speak for yourself, Nina.” Trent from the soccer team slings his arm over her shoulders. She sticks her huge boobs out more, like a proud peacock. Trent takes me in with a sweep of his eyes that makes my skin crawl. “I’d like to see her in the cheer uniform. And then I’d like to see it on my floor.”
Gag. To guys like Trent, the women around him are nothing but objects for him to ogle.
“Can you do a split, Davis?” Trent leans into my space. “How flexible are you?”