Protective Wings

Chapter 2: The New Guy

Summer finished her free period hunting her way back through the school to her classes. Finally finding her classes again, she meandered off to her calculus class with a slightly bored sigh. Wandering into the class room she took her usual seat in the back row of the desks. She sunk down in her seat as others began to stroll in. 

“Yo, what’s up, Mer?” Someone called from the doorway. Looking over at the door, Summer smiled as Scott and Jesse walked towards her. 

Scott was tall and built like a linebacker. His short golden blond hair made his sun kissed skin stand out and his dark blue eyes glowed like sapphires. Dressed in dark jeans, a t-shirt and black leather boots, Scott was intimidating at first site. However, once you got to know him, he was nothing but a giant teddy bear. 

Walking beside Scott and only a few inches shorter than him, Jesse was lean with short dark hair and brown eyes. Dressed down in wrangler jeans, a white t-shirt and a pair of old brown riding boots, Jesse looked like he’d just walked off a southern ranch instead of from the Sin City where he was from. 

“How you doing Mer?” Scott asked as he ungracefully slumped into one of the seats beside Summer. 

“Scotty, sweetie, what have I told you about calling me ‘Mer‘?” Summer asked sweetly with a slight hit of annoyance. 

“To only call you it when we’re at the club?” Scott replied with a mischievous grin. Jesse chuckled and took the other seat beside Summer, while she shook her head at Scott. 

“You know I’ve known you my whole life Scotty and you still find ways to annoy me.” Summer sighed as the class began to settle. 

“Well you know, Summer if he didn’t bug you a little how would you know he cared?” Jesse asked. He received a scathing look from her. 

“By the fact he loves me enough to stay quiet.” She replied, sticking her tongue out at them both. Scott and Jesse laughed while Summer shook her head. 

Suddenly Summer heard a gentle hum in the air; almost like a song or a quiet melody she could hear in the distance. As she looked around for the source of the noise, she found her eyes travelling to the door. The young man she bumped into early had just walked in. Her face turned red and she shrunk in her chair more as he walked towards her row. 

Hiding behind her hands slightly, she tried everything she could not to look in his direction. Thankfully it seemed to work, because he took a seat in the row just in front of her. Sighing quietly, Summer straightened slightly. 

She could feel Jesse staring at her questioningly, but he turned his attention to the front of the class as their professor entered. 

For the whole class Summer could barely focus on the board without her eyes traveling to the newcomer in front of her. But the moment her class ended she was out of there as quick as a roadrunner. 

However, it seemed every class she went to, the new arrival was there as well. She stayed so quiet in her classes that one of her professors marked her down as absent for the day. Finally finishing her last class of the day, she hurried to the parking lot to meet up with Faye and the boys. 

Just as she turned the corner of a building, she ran smack into somebody and fell back with a hard thud. 

Ugh. Not again. Summer thought quietly and she struggled to get to her feet. 

“Let me help you.” A deep gentle voice said. Looking up, she met a set of gray eyes set into a well tanned face that was completely flawless. The man has short blond hair that sat messily on his head and he stood at a good height of at least six foot. 

Holding his hand out to her, Summer took it and allowed him to help her to her feet. He reached down and picked up her book bag for her as she tried to keep from staring. This man appeared to be in his early to mid twenties and had a similar beauty to him of that of the man she’d seen earlier today. 

“I’m sorry, I don’t really pay attention to where I’m going most of the time.” Summer said with embarrassment. 

“Oh, don’t you worry about it sweetie. Things happen.” The man replied, before holding his hand out to her, “Names Raphael Church, pleasure to run into such a beauty.” 

Blushing profusely, Summer took his hand and shook it as she replied, “Summer Jones.” Raphael smiled. 

“What a pretty name for such a pretty girl.” He said smiling at her. Her red face turned redder as she tried not to meet his eyes. 

“Um… thanks. I have to go. I’m, um, meeting my friends right now.” She said, trying to sound polite. 

“Of course, I hope we can meet again, gorgeous.” Before Summer could say another thing, Raphael stepped around her and disappeared around the side of the building. 

She stood there for a couple minutes trying to figure out what had happened when she heard Faye calling her name. Shaking her head she hurried on ahead and to the parking lot.