Liam parked outside the pool the next morning. We entered through the natatorium doors and walked the long hallway between the pool addition and the historic school. The last time Liam and I walked that hall together, I’d thought he was a ghost or a serial killer. When he’d disappeared into the guys’ locker room, I’d gone with ghost.
He nudged me with an elbow. “Nervous?”
“No. I was thinking of the day you followed me to the pool. I was afraid of you.” I leaned my weight against his side and pulled his arm around my shoulders.
“Only you would think that’s a silly notion. I assure you. I’m quite dangerous.”
“Oh, I know.”
He stopped. “I am.”
Laughter bubbled from my chest. “I know.” I fought to suppress a smile. “I do. You are very dangerous.”
He sighed. Back in motion, he tugged me along beside him. “I am dangerous.”
“Definitely.”
He laughed.
We rounded the corner into student traffic and slamming lockers. The bus crowd had arrived and every inch of walking space was jammed. Kirk and a group of kids I didn’t know almost plowed into us.
“And this is apparently where you take your eight AM booty calls.” Kirk laughed like a hyena, despite the wide purple welt over his eye. He never learned. Maybe too many head injuries. Which reminded me. I’d never asked Justin if it was him or Adam who knocked Kirk down at Roll With It.
“Would you like me to match your right eye to your left?” Liam’s smile was casual. The sharp edge in his tone confirmed he was absolutely dangerous.
“You’re not a funny guy.” Kirk scoffed. “Personally, I don’t care who she’s humpin’. I’m done with her, so, enjoy.”
Liam squeezed my hand, warning me to silence. His eyes slid to the expressionless group of guys behind Kirk. They nodded in unison, an almost imperceptible motion.
Liam pulled his phone from his pocket and looked at it.
“Callie.” Liam turned to face me, ignoring the others. “I need to go. I’ll pick you up after school. You”—he pointed to Kirk—“were warned.”
“But…” I gasped. What had happened?
“I’ll walk with you.” A tall redhead with piercing green eyes approached, along with four other boys.
I stepped closer to Liam.
“You’re safe here. Trust me. If you need anything….” Liam let the sentiment hang. He kissed my lips, my temple, and the top of my head before leaving me alone with Kirk and the strangers.
“I’m Tom.” The redhead stared into my eyes. “This is Mark, Dustin, Paul, and Lars.” The guys dipped their chin as their name was called.
Lars wasn’t a name I’d heard outside of a movie theatre.
“I can walk you to class, babe.” Kirk reached for me. Tom blocked his arm with one swift movement.
Tips of thin white lines peeked from beneath the collars and sleeves of the new students’ shirts. The runes were almost completely covered. Fall in Ohio required too many clothes. How could I know who was human?
“I’ll take her,” Tom repeated.
I bristled. Take me. I looked into the distance where Liam had disappeared.
“We’re Mahonings.” Tom waved a palm forward.
Oh-kay. The Mahonings dressed like they came from a raid at the local Nike outlet. Either they got paid to wear the gear or were trying extremely hard to look young. If the latter was true, they’d failed. Stubble covered half their chins and Lars had a scar from eyebrow to ear. I couldn’t stop looking.
He noticed. One massive hand traced the scar on his face. “This one was a killer.”
Oh. Boy. “Um. I’m fine. You should finish your school tour with this dick, and I’ll move along to class.”
Kirk barked an ugly laugh. “You say that like you’d know one if you saw one.”
His witty repertoire failed. Everyone scrunched their noses.
“I do see one, moron.”
I marched away, squaring my shoulders against the final word. Kirk always had a final word. Sometimes it took him a minute to think.
“You dated him?” Tom walked at my side.
“Sadly.”
“And you date Liam Hale now?”
“Yes.” No one had introduced them. Had they met before?
“I forgive you,” Kirk called after us.
I sighed. Here it came.
“I can’t stay mad at your sweet ass.”
My feet rooted in place. I turned on my toes and started back in his direction. His expression changed from surprise to idiotic hope as I charged closer. His hands stopped their obnoxious motions, simulating how he’d had his hands on me once. My internal dialogue begged for me to stop. My hand swung back and snapped forward, connecting perfectly with his cheek. The crack of skin on skin echoed around us.
“What the fuck!” He said that a lot lately.
“Do not speak to me or about me like that ever again. Do you understand me? I’ve had enough and I’m done ignoring you. You’re a bully.”
He rubbed his face with one hand and whistled. “Feisty.” The bravado was thin. Worry creased his obnoxious brow. I’d never stood up to him. The Mahonings gathered behind me, practically emitting testosterone and warning.
My hand stung. I’d never hit anyone in my life. My heart ached. I wasn’t a fighter.
“Maybe I can’t beat you up, but I know things about you, Kirk.” I spat his name. “We dated for two years.” I let my gaze drift over his body. I’d never tell, but he knew what I meant. I knew some very private things about him. Things he wouldn’t want broadcast.
“Man, whatever. You don’t have anything on me that I don’t have on you, too.” He shifted his weight.
“We’ll see.”
I pushed through the line of Mahonings behind me.
“Man, she’s a grade-A certified bitch. She was a fucking prude until Hale got here. Now she prances around town like a show pony, showing off her tits and acting like a nympho.”
I crossed my arms over my chest and kept moving. It was the third day in a row I’d worn a fitted top and it felt good not to hide. I didn’t have to worry about Kirk groping me in public anymore. Being a girl was a lot more fun when I embraced it, and being with Liam made me love my double X chromosomes. In fact, thanks to Liam, I didn’t hate my barely Cs anymore either.
“Did he say you’re a nymph?” Tom kept pace with me.
I elbowed past a throng of counselors in black. “No a nympho. Like a sex addict.”
“No wonder he has a black eye.”
I laughed. “Right?”
Justin walked through the front doors and I changed course. “Hey.”
“Hey.” His eyebrows rose into his hairline as he took in my entourage. All five Mahonings flanked me.
“These are Mahonings.” My lips twitched in a smile. Who called themselves by their collective last name? Images of Mom and I announcing ourselves as “Ingrams” made me smile. It was so Neanderthal.
“What’s up?” Justin nodded once in greeting.
“This is my best friend Justin.”
Tom extended a hand and Justin bumped fists with him. After Tom made a thorough introduction of his clan, er, “brothers,” I excused myself.
“She hit a child this morning,” Lars tattled.
I stopped. “Wait a minute.” I raised a palm between us.
Justin burst into laughter. “What?”
“I slapped Kirk, but I shouldn’t have. He earned it, but still, hitting was low, and he’s not a child. He’s an asshole.”
I stared into Lars’ curious eyes, begging him to recognize his error. “He’s the same age as me. Probably the same age as you and your brothers.” I tipped my head. “He acts like a child, but he’s a senior.”
“You hit Kirk?” Justin grabbed my shoulder.
Tom stepped forward. My new guardian. I needed another guardian. Not at all. What the hell was happening? I yanked my phone out of my pocket to text Liam a hate mail for ditching me with the cavemen.
“Yep, I got him good. Just like you taught me,” I said.
Justin slapped his palms together and waved them in the air. “Why did I miss that?”
Tom relaxed.
Justin’s easy smile settled my jumpy heart. He gave the Mahonings a closer look. “Where y’all from?”
“Pittsburgh,” Lars explained in what sounded like a thick Russian accent. “We were homeschooled.”
My life was ridiculous.
“Well, all right. Where are you headed?” Justin asked.
The Mahonings looked at one another.
“Check your schedule,” I suggested. “The one they gave you when you signed in today at the office.”
“Math,” one of the brothers said.
Justin laughed and shook his head. I dug fresh books from my locker and grabbed Justin’s arm. “See you later,” I called to the Mahonings as we walked away.
“They seem nice. Who said homeschooled kids are weird?”
I laughed. “I hope they find Math before they’re late for homeroom.”
“Shit.” Justin’s eyes widened.
The bell rang and he walked away with his head hung low. Poor Justin. His homeroom teacher wouldn’t be swayed by those dimples much longer. He’d been late to homeroom every day this month. I ducked inside my room with a warning look from the teacher. She lined sharpened pencils on her calendar.
“Too busy to make it to Kristy’s memorial?” Rosie Krebs leaned over her desk toward me the moment I sat. Silence fell on the room. Rosie and Kristy had been close.
“I was sick.”
“We heard. That’s rough. Too sick to make a memorial service, but well enough to be here today. Sucks.” Her mouth curled in distaste.
“I wanted to be there.” The protest died on my lips. It didn’t matter what I said.
“Sure. We know.” Rosie turned in her seat until her back faced me.
I shoved my hands under my desk and texted Liam. He responded, Family emergency. Pick you up after school. Great.
At the bell, I darted into the hallway before Rosie could make a bigger deal out of me missing the memorial. I don’t know how she’d noticed I wasn’t there. Liam had said it looked like the whole town went.
Kirk and Hannah rubbed on each other outside the door to Ohio History.
I slipped inside, avoiding contact. Kirk raised his face from hers and winked at me over her head. He flipped his tongue up and down in his open mouth. I dropped into my seat and put my head down.
The teacher clapped her hands together when the bell rang. Hannah rushed to her seat and reapplied the pound of lip gloss Kirk had sucked off. I pressed fingertips to my forehead. I did have a temper. I needed stress counseling. I’d hit someone this morning. I dropped my face into my palms.
“Time to turn in those papers, class. I expect every student worked diligently on the assignment and the rubric wasn’t ignored.”
I rifled through my bag, searching for the right folder.
Hannah turned in her seat. “I see your partner’s missing.”
The teacher moved along the perimeter of the room, closer with every step. Where was my folder? Gah!
“Is he sick? Maybe you gave him whatever you had yesterday.”
“I was tired,” I snapped, pulling everything from my bag and stacking it on the table in front of me. I’d put the paper in the folder this morning. Where was it?
“Maybe it’s the herp?”
“What?” I stared at Hannah.
“You never know what kind of disease he could have. They might have something worse than the herp over in Iceland. I heard you two were swapping body fluids in the pool this morning. Better get checked out.”
“Miss Ingram. Miss Snyder.” Mrs. Potter stood beside our tables.
A ripple of laughter washed through the room.
“Sorry, Mrs. Potter.” Hannah put on her best I’m-the-mayor’s-daughter-and-you-can’t-touch-me face.
“Is this Ohio History?” A baritone voice rumbled through the room. A guy with skin the color of night stole my breath. His stark white hoodie emphasized his complexion and enhanced his pale green eyes. He bowed his head to get through the door.
“Hot damn.” Hannah’s phone appeared a second later and her thumbs flew across the screen beneath her desk.
Mrs. Potter took a slip of paper from his hand and gave him a closer look. “Class, this is Eli Hawk.”
Eli looked at the desks and walked to mine. He sat in Liam’s empty seat. To say he was good-looking was a complete failure of the English language. I closed my mouth and concentrated on finding my paper.
“Very well,” Mrs. Potter said. “I’ll request another table tomorrow. We’re filling up in here.”
“How are you?” Eli asked.
I blinked. “Err.” Runes ran over his bald head, around his ears, and down each side of his throat. “Uh.”
Hannah flipped long blond and blue locks over her shoulder. She slid her lips together on fresh gloss. “Don’t pay any attention to her. She’s a freak.”
The runes mesmerized. My mouth dropped open again. His hand swept over the white marks in his skin, breaking my reverie. A frown fell over his gorgeous green eyes. “Is there something on my head?”
“Nope. No. Uh. No.”
“You see?” Hannah complained. “Careful. I think she’s contagious.”
I texted Liam. More runes.
“Miss Ingram? Do you have a cell phone in my classroom?”
“No, ma’am.” I dropped the phone into my bag and piled books on top. Finally, my folder. “Mrs. Potter.” I waved the blue file overhead. Thank goodness. My grades couldn’t stand a zero at this point in the semester without kissing every scholarship opportunity on earth good-bye.
Mrs. Potter accepted the paper. She stole another appreciative look at Eli as she walked away. Not even the blind would blame her.
* * * *
The influx of new students took the focus off me most of the day. Aside from Rosie in homeroom, only Kirk and Hannah bothered me. The five Mahonings filled the seats at Justin’s lunch table, so I went to the parking lot. Allison opened her car door the moment my feet hit the gravel.
“Hey!” I waved my hand overhead.
“Hey!” Allison waved back. “Get inside.”
We slid into her car and she started the engine. I pointed the heater vents at my face. Allison picked the song she wanted and lowered the stereo volume to background noise.
“Liam went home. Have you talked to Oliver?” I asked.
“Ollie’s sick.” Allison stuck out her bottom lip. “I’m bringing him chicken noodle soup after my last class.”
“Oh.” I didn’t have siblings, but I doubted I’d skip school if my brother was sick.
“Is Liam okay? Maybe he caught what Ollie has.”
“Maybe. I don’t know. He said he’s picking me up from school.”
“Are you swimming tonight?”
My tummy tightened. I needed the practice. I also needed more answers. Why did Liam leave? What was really wrong with Oliver? Were all the guys sporting runes at Zoar High School on our side? If Vikings liked to pillage and plunder, what stopped them from turning on one another, especially if fighting made them stronger?
“No. I’m skipping swim tonight.”
Allison turned the music off. “Hmm. You never miss a chance to swim. How do you feel today? That was scary yesterday. Ollie kept me in the loop about your recovery. Once he said Liam was on his way to keep an eye on you, I stopped asking.”
“Yeah. It’s cool. I’m good.” I smiled.
“Oh yeah? Is he?”
I laughed and pounds of stress rolled away. “Yes, but not like that. I mean, probably like that, but I don’t know yet.”
Allison beat her gloved hands against the steering wheel. “You said ‘yet.’ I knew it. Oh, you have to tell me everything when you do. You’ve waited eighteen years for this.”
I didn’t argue, but it wasn’t true. I hadn’t waited eighteen years for anything. I hadn’t waited at all. I’d only realized what I wanted after Liam kissed me the first time, which wasn’t long ago. The fact we’d moved as fast as we had blew my mind. When he touched me, it never felt like we moved fast enough.
“When?”
“When what?” Did I miss something? Too many things battled for position in my mind.
“When’s the big night? Do you have a plan? Will you do it at your house when your mom’s at work?”
“I haven’t set a date.” I leaned my head against the rest. “I want to, but I’m not in a hurry or anything. There’s a lot of drama to deal with first.” My virginity seemed the least of my worries in light of our town’s sudden overflow of Vikings.
“What drama? Why wait?”
Allison’s phone buzzed on the console between us. A picture of Oliver appeared on the screen.
“I’ll see you later.” I popped the door open and climbed into the cold. She’d talk to Oliver until she had class. I didn’t want to play third wheel in a car with two people.
“Bye!”
I shut the door and jogged back into the school. Shaking hands and a grumbling tummy demanded food. I took an apple and a water from the cafeteria line and went to the library.
Justin texted me twice. I assured him I was making up work I’d missed the day before.
Alone at a library computer, I typed Norse rune meanings into the search engine. The new kids and Adam’s clan had tons of marks, but Liam only had one that repeated. I’d found it easily days before. Liam’s rune represented Yew. It meant change, or a turning point, denoted death and/or transformation. I’d assumed all Vikings carried the same mark. That made sense if they all underwent the same change.
I scrolled through a few sites. A bunch of runes looked alike, which made it impossible to discern the meanings. Runes looked different on skin, too. If I hadn’t known Liam’s rune so intimately from years of chalk drawings, I might not have picked it out so easily from the rest. The one on Eli’s head looked like a stick with an upside down v on it. If I was right, its name was algiz and it meant protection. His rune repeated in a pattern end to end. The number of runes related to fertility was disturbing, especially given the Viking urge to fool around with human women. No wonder their bloodlines were so diverse and unpredictable. I didn’t remember enough about the other runes to pinpoint them. I folded my arms on the table beside my keyboard and rested my head.
Four hours until school was out.
* * * *
I dumped every book from my locker into my bag. I needed them all. My poor grades. Liam texted to say he was outside. After the day I’d had, I wanted to climb into his Mercedes and never get out.
“Ingram.” Coach’s voice stalled my progress.
“Yeah?”
“I’ve got a surprise for you. Suit up.”
Uh oh. My heart couldn’t take any more surprises. “I have a ton of work tonight, Coach. I was out yesterday.”
“I won’t keep you long. There’s always time for homework after you swim.”
Sure. Says the swim coach.
“I’m not swimming tonight.” I shut my locker. My bag hit the floor. It weighed about five hundred pounds and had landed on my toe.
“Yes, you are. Come on. Suit up.” Coach pointed toward the hallway leading to the locker rooms.
“Coach.”
“I won’t take ‘no’ for an answer, Ingram. I did you a favor and you’re swimming. Wes Larsen’s in town visiting family and I called in a favor.”
My eyes bulged.
“That’s the spirit. Now, get moving.”
Wes Larsen was the head coach for Tennessee Temple University, and I wanted on his team bad. I’d dreamed of him attending a swim meet and noticing me in the pool. My exhaustion fell away. Coach was offering me Wes Larsen’s undivided attention. I hadn’t studied lately, but I was far too smart to pass up an opportunity like this. I speed walked to the locker room, dragging my bag and texting Liam. I’ve got to swim. Coach brought a scout!