Tear

I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn’t hear anyone approach.

Someone tapped me on the shoulder. I dropped all my books to the floor.

“Geez, Nat, you’re so jumpy.” Demetri knelt down to pick up all my books and then dumped them in my locker. “I need help.”

My eyes narrowed. “With?” I always had to be direct with Demetri. He was the type of guy who could get even the most moral of girls into bed.

“Math. Remember? I suck?”

“You’re asking me for help?”

He shrugged. “We’re friends.”

Oh. I suddenly felt kinda guilty. I was officially going to delete all the gossip sites from my computer. The guy couldn’t be as bad the media made him out to be, and he’d been really nice the past week. At least when he wasn’t trying to get me to go to parties or flirt back with him.

“Well…” I studied him for a minute. He didn’t seem to have any ulterior motive. In fact his eyes shone with desperation. “I guess I can help you, I have to finish all my stuff first. Do you mean tonight?”

“I mean tonight.” He chuckled. “How about I come over around eight, would that be okay?”

“Yeah, um… sure.” I choked on my words.

“Cool. Thanks, Nat!”

He hit me in the arm and ran down the hall, leaving me to wonder what the heck just happened. Crap, I was under his spell just like everyone else.

I banged my head against the locker. Maybe it would jostle my memory, remind me why I shouldn’t get close to a guy whose idea of prioritizing included picking which girls he would sleep with before leaving Seaside and putting them in a chronological list.“Headache?” A smooth voice said from behind me.

Maybe it was all a game? AD2 thought it would be fun to torture the local girl and make her life confusing and hormonal.

“Alec.” I breathed.

He licked his lips and then looked down at the floor. “Do you have any more taffy?”

“Huh?” Not what I was expecting.

“You mean now?”

He nodded.

Was he for real? “Um, I have a few pieces in my bag, why?”

His shoulders sagged in relief.

Without waiting for him to answer, I pulled out a few pieces and handed them over. He popped all three in his mouth and moaned. I felt the rumble of his moan all the way down to my toes.

“Thank God.”

“So brooding Rock Star has a thing for taffy?”

Alec grinned the first grin I’d seen since his first day at school. “You could say that. Or maybe Rock Star just needs something in his mouth ever since he quit smoking.”

“And the world makes sense again.” I nodded. “Ever try lollipops?”

“Yup.” He cursed. “Too much sugar.”

“Gum?” I offered.

Somehow we had gotten from my locker to the front doors.

“Loses flavor.”

I nodded again. “So taffy is your best bet.”

He grinned again. He was beautiful. Even more beautiful than Demetri when he smiled. Crap! I needed to help him with his homework and I still had to work and finish mine! “I gotta go, Alec!”

His eyes narrowed. He looked unsure, and then he nodded and walked off in the other direction without even saying goodbye.

By the time my work shift was over, I only had a half hour to do homework before Demetri came over for help.

Wait.

He didn’t even ask for directions and he just invited himself to my house. Wasn’t that a bit strange? I knew he had my number saved so maybe he was going to text me for directions later?

I leaned against the truck. I seriously had no more energy left after today. Maybe I liked boring better than interesting. I still couldn’t figure out why these two guys were even giving me attention.

I shrugged and walked into the house.

Chapter Five

I had officially turned into “that girl”. The one who watches the clock as the hand goes around and around. It was eight, and he still wasn’t here. He was going to be late. By one minute. And I, being the boring, paranoid, oh so socially-sheltered girl that I was, allowed myself to sweat over that simple fact.

Maybe he found another girl to help him?

Or guy, it didn’t always have to be about girls.

I tore my gaze from the clock and went to the fridge to grab a soda. If he wasn’t coming it was fine. I would be fine. It’s not like I didn’t have stuff to do.

Like watch Wheel of Fortune, or scream at The Bachelor. How depressing.

I looked at the clock again.

One minute? It had only been one minute?

I banged my head against the counter loud enough to make a noise.

“Rough night, beautiful?” The voice crooned from across the hall.

My head jerked up to see Demetri walking toward me from my mom’s office. What the—?

“What are you doing here?”

My mom walked out of the office, Alec followed her.

It was like all my nightmares come true.

“Oh, hi, Honey!” Mom adjusted her glasses and walked to the fridge to grab a bottle of water. “My next client should be here in about ten, so I’ll be up late tonight. Have fun studying!”

She walked back into her office and shut the door.

“Explain. Now.” I directed my voice toward both of them, since they were both guilty, and looking anywhere but at my face.

Alec was the first to open his mouth. “I have…” He looked down at his feet and cursed.