The Girl Who Doesn't Smile

Chapter Four:Fight and Flight Responses

 Crossing my arms defensively, I look at the four new boys and wait for the introductions. We all stand in silence as they look at me I raise an eyebrow at them when they remain smiling but silent. I narrow my eyes at each of them in turn. Just because I gave into going over with Nic doesn't mean I'll make it easy for these boys. Nic looks at me then the boys then to me again. "Oh." He blushes and a hand runs through his hair. He nudges one of the guys close to him. "Introduce yourselves." He makes a mock disappointed face. " If you're trying to impress her it's not going so good."

The guys all laugh and turn to me. "Hi," the one sitting next to Nic starts," I'm Lathan." He grins and winks at me. His smiling sky blue eyes and white blond hair are a striking match on him and if that wink indicates anything, he seems to know it.

"I'm Sebastian." A guy with black hair says. He grabs my hand and kisses the back of it. "At your service m'lady." His midnight blue eyes hold a playful glint to them and tell me he's a flirt. I smirk and pull my hand back. "Lucky for you I'm not a lady." I pause. "Or a damsel in distress." I wink. He takes it in stride with a deep chuckle.

"I'm Jacques. Also known as the one in your dreams." I turn to Jacques and I squint my eyes at him. His brownish-reddish hair, hazel eyes, and handsome face are a good match but I'll never tell him that. It appears he doesn't need any help regarding self confidence. "Jacques?" I ask. He flashes me a dimpled smile. "You can call me Jack, sweetheart." I look him up and down. "Well, Jack," I start slowly," I believe those dreams you mentioned are called nightmares but good try." The others smile in my direction as Jack gives me a blank stare. "She's a tough one Jackie." The last guy teases. "Shut up." Jack mumbles but a smile slips through. I turn to the last guy. "And you are?" Last guy opens his mouth but is interrupted.

"Who the hell are you?" An angry voice says. I turn around to meet a pair of familiar steel colored eyes that pin me to the spot.

I stop turning and stare at him, my mouth open slightly in a mixture of confusion, desperation, and most of all, hope. Is it really- I stop my thoughts when I take a wider view of him. Light brown hair instead of the dirty blond I wanted to see. A green rim around his grey eyes when I had been looking for violet. This person is also shorter, maybe 6'2 while I was waiting for 6'5. My heart plummets when I realize who I was looking for. He's dead. Stop looking for him. He's dead.

"I said. Who. The hell. Are you?" The new person repeats slowly. In my shocked and disappointed state, I can't form a reply. "Are you deaf or just stupid?" Anger sparks somewhere deep inside me. I focus so much on the newcomer that I don't register Nic's voice in the background.

I stare directly into his eyes as I smirk and say, "I'm me. Who the fuck are you?" The guys around me stop what they're doing and watch us so intently. I'm thoroughly amused by their trepidation. Like this punk is going to hurt me. He's too self centered to notice the things around him. And with that thought I realize I should have know he wasn't the same man I was looking for. The person in front of me has a certain arrogance that he would never have.

He grins at me crookedly. "I'm more than you and that's all that matters." His crooked smile turns cocky in seconds. I have the strongest urge to wipe it off his face in more ways than one.

I clench my fists so hard that I can feel the skin stretched on my knuckles. "Oh really." I stare cocking my hip. Two can play this game. "If you are more than I am, then prove it." Excitement fills my chest as I hope he will take the challenge. I haven't had a person to take my pent up anger out on for a while so just the thought hypes me up. Fighting has always been my release. My own personal drug. And the newcomer is an easy prey. Men are all alike. To provoke them, all you have to do is question their pride. And with the way her looking at me now, with his held tilted, it seems to have worked.