Head Above Water

17. Jealousy All Around

The next day I felt marginally better thanks to Connor, but I could tell those riotous emotions were still simmering beneath my skin, just waiting to be provoked. When Creative Writing rolled around and I discovered Mal was still giving me the silent treatment, my restraint dissolved, leaving me angry once more.

By now I wasn’t even sure why I was still so wound up and it was beginning to bug me like an itch under my skin. The feeling had made me antsy and tense all day and by the time I reached my last class, I was more than ready to go home and call it quits.

To my frustration, when I reached choir there was a note on the door directing students to go to the theater today for class. Perfect. Yet another class where Mal can ignore me.

I followed the instructions and entered the theater to find it bursting with noisy chatter and way more students than a normal class. I assumed it was because the theater students were in here as well. My guess was confirmed when I spotted a few members of my lunch group scattered around, including Connor.

As I continued to scan the crowd, I zeroed in on a pair of golden eyes at the back of the room. An unwelcome wave of desire passed through me and I sucked in a breath. Mal was leaning against a doorjamb at the back of the room, his arms crossed over his broad chest. His stance was casual, but he seemed as harmless as a crouching panther ready to pounce.

Jennifer sidled up to him at that moment, effectively cutting short my admiring. She pressed herself against his side looking for all the world like she would jump him right then and there if she could.

I scowled. This is ridiculous! How many girls do I have to compete with? Here’s Connor, saying that Mal barely talks to anyone, yet here he is cozying up to Jennifer.

Admittedly, I spoke to soon though, as a moment later Malcolm stepped back politely. It calmed my inner harpy somewhat, but then they started up a conversation and my scowl deepened again.

“We hijacked your class,” a cheerful voice piped up next to me and I turned to find Jeremy grinning at me. His freckled nose was scrunched up by his smile and his eyes were shining a clear spring green, making him look younger than his age.

“Hey, Jer,” I smiled genuinely. “What’s going on? You know?” I asked, gesturing to the crowded room.

“Maybe,” he smiled mischievously and I rolled my eyes, shaking my head in mock exasperation.

Without my consent, my gaze drifted back to Malcolm. He was looking at me, though Jennifer still seemed to be talking to him, and his brows were pulled down in a frown.

It seems Mr. Chick Magnet is a bit angry himself. Too bad. I glared right back at him. As I glanced around the room I caught sight of Mr. Taylor sitting on the edge of the stage. I shot him a friendly smile and he smiled back.

“Okay guys, settle down. Take a seat,” a teacher I didn’t know spoke up. “If we’re out of chairs grab one from the wall over here,” he pointed to a long line of folding chairs leaning against the wall.

Everyone shuffled around to find a seat.  I glanced over at Connor thinking I’d sit next to him, but he hadn’t saved a seat for me. Punk. I turned in almost a full circle looking around for a chair, but as fate would have it, I seemed to be the only one left standing. I sighed and had taken one step toward the folded chairs the teacher mentioned, when I bumped right into Malcolm…again. It was quickly becoming a habit.

“Sorry,” I mumbled sheepishly and I looked up briefly to see his lips quirk in the tiniest of smirks. I glanced back down and noticed that he was holding a folding chair in front of him, supposedly for me. I shot him a surprised look, my eyebrows raised. What happened to him being mad at me? His smirk softened fractionally as he opened the chair and set it down for me.