ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴏʏs (Book 1)

iii. date night

W E D N E S D A Y

Spencer made his way down the nearly empty halls of Emmett High. Heavy irritation weighing on his features from something Colton had said—or done. (At this point, Spencer couldn't remember and didn't care.) He turned a corner, heading to the back exit to have another one of his "breaks" with the burnouts in the back alley behind the bleachers when he spotted her.

Spencer slowed in his tracks at the sight of the new girl alone at her locker. Her inky black hair was pulled back in two plaits with small strands framing her slim face. She wore an army green jacket and black jeans that clung to her slim legs. She shifted through her locker seeming in search of something. So consumed in her actions and utterly oblivious of the world around her, the fire alarm could have gone off and she'd have no clue.

Spencer was a little surprised to find Taylor nowhere to be seen. Usually, she stuck by the new girls side like a glorified mentor. Always had Sutton following her around like a lingering shadow. It was pathetic.

With his eyes narrowed and his brows knitted, he forced himself to continue on. Pushed himself to walk past her like she wasn't even there and go on with his day. He was just going to ignore her. He knew that's what he should have done. But just as he was about to pass her, he found himself stopping yet again. This time coming to a complete halt.

His jaw clenched and his fists curled at his sides as he glowered at the tempting door at the end of the hall. He shifted his gaze to the new girl. Burning holes in the back of her head.

Up close, she was a lot smaller then he'd thought. Barely reaching his shoulders—she couldn't be but five-three, maybe five-four.

When she crouched down to her bag that lay slumped over at her feet, his fist clenched tighter. Now she was even smaller. Something about the image feeding into his darkest delusion.

Incredulous, he called out, "Hey." Half expecting her to turn and blow her cover.

But when she remained still, just flipping through the binder she pulled out of her bag, he found his curiosity only growing. He checked the halls before he called out again. And still got no response.

She unclipped a few papers and closed her binder. She slipped the binder back into her back and stood to her locker where she pulled out her Geometry book and opened to a random page where she left the papers and closed it. Spencer's fingers twitched at his side and he rose his hand. Dragging his middle finger and thumb together, he snapped loudly behind her ear. The sound echoed in the empty hall. Still, no response.

Any doubts he had of her peculiarity were squandered. But his interest only rose.

Sutton closed her locker and turned to head back to class after retrieving her homework from the night before. She nearly jumped out of her skin when she almost ran into a guy standing oddly close behind her. Pressing her hand against her racing heart, she mouthed an apology but his sullen expression only deepened. His brow furrowed and his mouth set in a hard line.