On the opposite side of the room, a boy dressed in black ogled Maddie. The stare was so intense it was palpable, and Chase’s hackles rose. But he didn’t own Maddie and he hadn’t even asked if she had a boyfriend. He drew in a deep breath and focused on the calculator. Within a few minutes his heart rate calmed and the irritation passed.
The bell rang, and he packed up his things and headed to French. Without the Goth and Maddie, the class passed quickly. Maybe that meant he didn’t handle distractions well.
He shouldered his pack and headed to the lunchroom. Most of the tables were full, save one. Maddie sat alone, her hair falling forward and draping her face.
He approached the table. “This seat taken?”
She lifted her eyes and shook her head. For a moment Chase hesitated. She didn’t look overjoyed to see him. Maybe she wasn’t attracted to him… and maybe he was creating problems. Maybe he should get to know her first. Maybe he should stop overthinking everything and eat before the lunch period was over.
Taking a deep breath, he set down his tray and took a seat. “Is the cafeteria always like this?”
“Most of the time. It’s even worse on rainy days.”
“I bet.” He took a bite of the hamburger and moaned.
“Is it good?” she asked, a smile tugging the corner of her lips.
He shrugged. “Let’s just say it’s not as bad as yesterday.”
The conversation faltered and they ate in awkward silence. She fingered her burger wrapper. “Is Dougal staring at me?”
“Excuse me?”
“The guy dressed in black and sitting next to Stephanie, is he staring at me?”
Chase looked in the direction she gestured. That guy, yeah. “I think so.”
Maddie groaned and pushed her tray aside, burying her head on her folded arms. He almost patted her, but stopped himself.
She glanced up. “I just don’t get it. He hangs out with Stephanie but he still watches and flirts with me.”
“Oh,” he said, wadding his napkin.
“I just don’t understand guys.” She blew air from her mouth.
She had noticed that she was speaking with one, right? “Is there anything I can do to help?”
She pursed her lips. “I don’t think so. Unless you can read minds.”
“Afraid not.”
The food on her tray grew cold. Determined to distract her from Dougal, Chase pulled out his schedule. “Do we have any other classes together?”
Maddie secured a strand of hair behind her ear and flashed him a timid smile as she ran her finger over the list. “Yeah, fourth period and sixth.”
How had he not noticed her in class the day before? He must have been out of it to miss someone like her. He folded the sheet of paper and shoved it in his back pocket. “Great. You can guide me there after lunch.”
They left the lunchroom and traveled the crowded halls. Several people did a double take, watching them walk together. He ignored their scrutiny. Hey, she’d been attending Coal Creek High for several months. If they’d wanted to walk with her, they could have done it at any time. Now that he was here, though…
“Here’s chemistry,” said Maddie.
They both stretched a hand forward, and his collided with hers atop the doorknob. An electric shock rocketed through his body. The hairs on his arm stood on end and he swallowed. Maddie jerked away and rubbed her wrist.
“You okay?” he asked.
“Yeah, I’m fine. Must have built up some static.”
That hadn’t felt like static electricity. That felt like… he didn’t even know. But nor did he know what to think, much less say. Hey, that was weird. Let’s do it again. Yeah, right. So with a strange prickling feeling still in his thumb, he nodded and stood aside, allowing Maddie to enter first.
****
Maddie massaged her tingling wrist as she entered the classroom. What had just happened? She’d thought Dougal’s bizarre glowing eyes had made her day weird. But that shock — that was worse, because it had been up close and personal. She needed time to think, but loud voices interrupted. Oh, great: Stephanie and her court.
“Have you seen the other new guy?” Marley asked.
“No. But I saw his truck. Yuck! And double yuck!” said Stephanie.
“What kind is it?”
A boy replied. “It’s an old pickup, like from the eighties. Ancient, man.”
Marley added, “Yeah, but wait until you see him. He’s so dreamy, his body more than makes up for his vehicle.”
Stephanie crossed her arms over her chest. “It doesn’t matter! I wouldn’t date a guy who drives an ugly truck.”
Maddie’s heart thumped. They were discussing Chase. One glance at his brows drawn together and she knew he realized it, too. But seconds later his face relaxed and Maddie hid a smile. Why should he worry about what Stephanie and her crew said? Chase had to know he was awesome. And besides, Stephanie had set her sights on Dougal, right? She hadn’t even noticed Chase yesterday, because she’d been concentrating elsewhere.
In the middle of another nasty comment, Marley’s jaw dropped.
“What’s wrong with you?” asked Stephanie.
Marley lifted her shaky finger. “Th-that ain’t natural.”
Maddie gritted her teeth. It wasn’t natural that someone would want to walk with her? Oh, one of these days Stephanie and her crew would go too far.
Stephanie stared at Chase and Maddie as they passed by. “What’s happening this week? Is it the coming of the apocalypse or something?”
“That’s him,” whispered Marley, loud enough for everyone in the room to hear.
“Him, who?”
“The other new guy.”
Stephanie groaned.
Maddie would’ve smiled if she hadn’t been distracted, but Dougal sat in her seat again. She stiffened as she prepared to approach.
Maybe Chase sensed her discomfort, because he leaned down and whispered in her ear, his cool breath tickling her neck and sending shivers along her spine. “Is that your seat?”
She nodded.
“Do you want me to say something?”
Grateful, she shook her head.
Chase stopped at an empty stool and Maddie continued to her lab table. Dougal stood and held out his hand. “I hope you don’t mind that I saved your seat.”
She slid across the warmed wood. Dougal bent forward and blew against her neck. His bronze eyes grew dark as he straightened and walked away to sit next to Stephanie.
Chills raced along her body and she hugged her middle, hoping no one would notice. Finally the teacher entered. The lecture should have been a good distraction, but Maddie struggled to focus. Without wanting to, she kept glancing over to the other table, where Stephanie’s eye twitched and her head jerked while she rubbed her hand along Dougal’s thigh. He tweaked her nose and cooed. Her shoulders slumped, a lazy smile spreading over her mouth.
Maddie drummed her fingers on the lab table. When next she glanced up, Dougal was watching. He blew her an air kiss. Heat flushed her face and she lowered her eyes, vowing not to look back up.
The teacher listed instructions and her lab partner jotted them down. Chemicals mixed and the reaction complete, Maddie filled out their answer sheet and prayed the bell would ring soon. She couldn’t make it much longer. Jealousy was eating her alive.
****
Dougal flirted with Stephanie then looked to see if Maddie watched. Her eyes darkened. Her pulse thumped against her neck. A smile tugged at the corner of his lips. She did watch. The thrill of his effect on her tickled him, and brought some relief, too. Serena would be pleased and perhaps ease up on her continued harping.
Stephanie squeezed his thigh, and he gritted his teeth. She reminded him of a girl from his childhood home. The Irish village had been filled with beautiful girls, but one had thought she was more perfect than the rest. And in truth, she had stood in stark contrast to the other girls, with her long blond hair and her skin unblemished by freckles. Her hands had been smooth and untouched by work, a lady’s hands.
Every day she’d prowled the market, swayed her hips, and enticed the local men. Then one day she’d been found dead, face down in a pile of rotted fish. A scrawled note had been pinned to her back: Now your outside matches your inside.
The perpetrator had never been found. Dougal assumed it was like the death of Julius Caesar — there hadn’t been one culprit, but many.
He covertly snuck a glance at Stephanie. An imaginary target hung from the girl’s back. Students paid attention to her because of her popularity and head cheerleader status, but once that was gone, the adoration would leave with it and she would either self-destruct or someone would help her along.
“What are you thinking?” Stephanie asked, her breath smelling of mint.
“I was thinking about your future.”
She knitted her brows together, but asked no more questions as the teacher began to lecture about covalents.
****
Chase couldn’t believe it, but Dougal openly flirted with both Stephanie and Maddie. He gritted his teeth until his jaw ached and couldn’t make himself stop. What was wrong with him? He couldn’t be jealous. No, it wasn’t jealousy; he just hated jerks.
The class bell rang and he ran to his next class. It was a complete bore and failed to occupy his mind. The teacher strutted about the room discussing supply side economics and Chase fought off yawns. He’d had economics before, both macro and micro. Why was he even in that class?
He lowered his chin and movement to one side caught his eye. In the back corner Stephanie filed her nails. Marley sat beside her, doodling in a notebook. Suddenly she glanced up and their gazes meshed. Marley’s lips twitched and she waved. Embarrassed at being caught staring, Chase silently groaned and looked away. Hopefully she wouldn’t think he was interested. The queen’s lady-in-waiting wasn’t his type.
Finally the boring class ended, and Chase grabbed his books and rushed to the gym. The locker room echoed with voices, and he picked an empty stall for changing clothes.
Voices drifted from the next row over. “Have you seen that Dougal guy?”
“No, man. I don’t look at guys.”
“No, stupid. I meant, have you seen him play football? He puts us all to shame.”
“If you say so.”
Maybe he should try out for the team, despite what he’d said to the principal, and take the guy down a few pegs. Someone needed to. Chase strode from the stall, shoved his belongings in a locker, and went to stand with the other students.
The gym class was co-ed. Girls grouped in the corner while the boys milled about. Some played basketball while others talked.
He grabbed a ball and took a shot. It bounced off the rim and tumbled in.
“Lucky shot.” Dougal retrieved the ball. He lifted it above his head and sent it flying. It whistled through the air and swooshed in. “Nothing but net,” he said, rubbing his knuckles across his chest and blowing on them.
Yep, he really hated jerks. Chase bent to pick up another ball when the gym doors slammed.
“Line up!” Coach Johnson yelled.
The students complied and Chase moved as far away from Dougal as humanly possible.
“Since the weather is nice, we’re going to hit the track.” The air filled with groans. Coach lifted his hands in defense. “If you don’t want to run, then you can do push-ups. Your choice.”
In a single file line, boys first, they moved outside and onto the track. Chase took off in a steady jog.
“So how do you like it here?” asked Maddie as she jogged up beside him.
He couldn’t stop the smile that spread across his face. But he needed to act like her interest hadn’t affected him. He shrugged without breaking stride.
“Coach Johnson really isn’t so bad. At least he didn’t make us race each other.” She smiled and he smiled back. “I wanted to thank you for your offer earlier,” she said, a little out of breath.
“My offer?”
“Of help.”
“Oh, that. No problem.”
“Still, I wanted to thank you. Not many people will go to bat for me right now, so knowing I have a friend makes all the difference.” Chase didn’t respond and she hesitantly added, “I can call you my friend, right?”
“Absolutely.”
She placed a strand of hair behind her ear and sped up. “See you at the finish line.”
Ready to chase her, he was surprised by a rush of air blasting past. He blinked. Dougal had flown ahead of him and pulled alongside Maddie. Scowling, Chase slowed his pace and continued to the finish.