Darker Than Sin

2.

It is starting to concern me how much my mind is consumed with Haze, since I only met the mysterious, inked stranger this morning.

Ever since I showed him around, my mind is reeling back to his ice-cold eyes, his delicious arm muscles and his perfectly lined jaw.

I have never met anyone like him. Living in a small country town comes with a certain type of people who live in it. Haze is certainly not one of those. 

"What are you thinking about?" Heidi asks me as we walk to lunch, giving me a sidelong glance, quirking one of her ginger eyebrows up.

"The new guy," I reply honestly.

"What about him?" she smirks, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

"He's just so different?"

"Definitely," she nods as we walk through the entrance to the people-filled cafeteria. "No other boy like him around here, that's for sure."

Immediately, my eyes begin scanning for him. I notice he's lined up at the canteen, his hands dug into his jean pockets, his shoulders hunched. He looks starkly out of place with his dark-wash jeans, heavily tattooed arms and especially the ring that's looped through his ear. I can't name a single guy around at this school that has a tattoo, or a piercing of any kind. Only girls have piercings – most of us have our ears done. Heidi has her belly button pierced and hasn't told her parents, as they would disapprove. She would have a nose piercing if it was as easy to hide as her belly ring.

"I'm going to buy some lunch," I tell Heidi, as I see Kai making his way over to us.

"Okay," she shrugs, linking arms with Kai, before going to find a seat.

I walk over, trying to appear nonchalant as I line up behind him. I can smell the faint stench of cigarette smoke, mixed with his aftershave. His defined muscles are visible through the white school uniform shirt, making my eyes walk across his back.

"Hi Haze, how's it going?" I question with a bright smile.

He doesn't respond.

"Haze?"

After ignoring me, again, I lightly tap his shoulder.

"What?" he growls, peering down at me with a scowl, which for some reason, only makes me smile more.

"How is your first day going?" I ask politely.

"Fine," he grunts, before facing the front again.

I tap his shoulder again. He lets out a sigh, facing me.

"What?"

Ignoring his rude attitude, my smile only grows. "May I sit with you for lunch?"

"No."

"Why not?" I ask.

"Look, thanks for being nice and whatever, but I'm fine sticking with myself, okay?" he frowns, brushing his unruly, dark hair back from his forehead, before facing the front.

I nibble at my lip, making no further attempts at conversation.

Usually, if someone is so openly rude to me – which never happens around here – I wouldn't go out of my way to speak to the person again. But something about this boy is pulling me in. It seems the harder he tries to push me away, the more I want to know about him.

He grouchily orders his lunch and doesn't make eye contact with me as he skulks away, his head low.

I head towards the table where my two best friends are sitting, deep in conversation.