Glass Facades

Chapter six

"Does he always have that expression?" Jay and Logan walked beside me. "As if he's constantly with the smell of shit under his nose? I've never seen anyone with a such a sour expression."

"You'll get used to Mr. Rightwood, and his constant face of absolute hatred for anything and anyone," Logan said walking backwards to face me. "He's been teaching in this high school for over six years, every year the soon to be graduates dress up and serenade him. If I was him I would also hate teenagers."

Logan kept on walking backwards and gushing about Mr. Rightwood and his hatred for his profession and students, I stopped paying attention after a while and turned to look at my cousin who had the goofiest grin while typing something on his phone.

"Are you talking to your girlfriend?" I asked interrupting Logan's blabbering.

"What? Oh yeah. She wants me to stop later by her house so I guess you two can walk home by yourselves. Logan, you walk her home and that's it."

"Come on, do you think I wanna date the girl that forced me into a diaper and pushed me in a trolley for an entire day when we were like seven?" I smacked his shoulder as I laughed.

"For the record, you looked adorable, which is already more than what I can say about you these days." Logan's mouth fell open and his hand flew to his chest as he puffed it in disbelief.  

"Is that so Logan? And when were you planning on introducing them to us huh?" A voice chimed in and when I turned around I was left gawking at the most gorgeous girl I had ever seen. Only two words came to my mind when I looked at the tall blonde girl walking in our direction: intimidating and powerful. She walked confidently down the hall, ignoring the lust-filled looks from the guys and the jealous and murderous ones that came from girls. It was kind of impressive.

"Well, it's probably because Jayden's stench and your intimidating ways don't permit them of approaching me. So technically you're to blame Quinn." Logan called out as he fiddled with the strap of his backpack.

Quinn. Her name definitely fit her like a glove. She had short and wavy blonde hair with very subtle highlights in a baby pink tone. With the body of a model and a smile that could make dentists drool she was definitely bound to be the star wherever she went.

"I bet it is Lo-lo." She pinched his cheek.

"Don't call me that. It's terrible."  

"Whatever Lo-lo." Quinn threw her hair over her shoulder and fixed her gaze on me. I swear this girl looked like she had been taken from a Victoria's Secret ad, I looked like a couch potato standing next to her. "I don't know you. I'm Quinn, nice to meet you," she spoke making me snap back to reality. 

"Yeah, I'm new here. I'm-"

"She's my younger cousin, she's living with my mum and me for some time." Jayden interrupted me and rested his arm on my head as if I was a stool. Yes, he was that much taller than me.

"Could I fucking introduce myself for once?" I said and pushed his arm off. "Thank you. Hi, I'm Willow, and yes I'm Jayden's cousin."

"The girl's got fire, good for you. I think you and I are gonna be good friends." She smiled at me and then raised a perfect eyebrow at Jayden. "She doesn't look much younger than us."

"That's because I'm not." I rolled my eyes and pointed an accusing finger at my cousin. "You've got to stop introducing me like that, people are gonna start thinking I'm three years younger than you or something." I turned to look at Quinn. "I'm in your same year group, it just happens that I'm the youngest and Jayden the oldest in our class."

"Well, that explains it. Now, Jayden? When's Olly due to arrive home?"

Jayden, who was staring at the ceiling for whatever reason turned his head in her direction.

"Huh?"

"You're unbelievable. I hope you've got more brains than this one over here." Quinn nudged me as she shook her head in disappointment.

"Even a piece of celery has more brains than him," I replied and stared at Jay with a blank look.

"Hey! Are you two done bullying me?"

"Not quite, actually." Logan found his way into the conversation and staring right at Jay's eyes with the most serious expression I had ever seen on his face he said: "You stink, and you suck for leaving me this morning."

"Aww, look at you guys. Fighting like an old married couple." I cooed, and Logan and Jayden's heads snapped in my direction as if someone had slapped them right across the face.

"He's so not on my level." Logan played along throwing his imaginary long hair over his shoulder. "I mean, please. I can do so much better."

"You guys are a bunch of assholes." Jayden officially gave up on us and walked away shaking his head.

He didn't get very far though, someone smashed into my cousin making him crash against the lockers and then fall to the ground. And the provoker was no other than Aiden Reese who had an egotistical smirk plastered on his lips.

"Watch where you are going Everett. No wonder you never made it to the team, if you can't even walk properly down a hall I can't even imagine you on the field."

"Fuck you, Reese." Jayden spat as he got up to him and death glared him. His lips quivering in anger and both hands in fists at each side of his body. "What the fuck are you even doing here?"

"I came to check on my protegee, what else?" Aiden, completely unbothered by Jayden's attempt to threaten him, smiled at all of us.

He took a step to the side to get away from Jay and with his hands behind his back he walked towards me and then placed an arm over my shoulders pulling me towards him. It might've taken me more than a second to realize that by protegee he meant me.  

"I'm not yours or anyone's protegee." I spat, slapping his arm off my shoulders.

"Why don't you go and play with one of your empty-brained barbies Reese." Quinn dragged me to her side and shot Aiden a poisonous look.

"Don't be rude love." Aiden smiled sliding his hands into his jacket's pockets and fixing his twinkling eyes on me. "Besides, I am, after all, talking to Willow. She's got a mouth and I know for a fact she's not mute. So I would appreciate it if this time I got an answer from her." Aiden smiled at my speechless friends and then winked at me.

I still hated how on edge Aiden managed to get me.

"What do you even want Reese?" I asked in a defeated tone already knowing he was not gonna leave until he got what he wanted. Whatever that was.

"Nothing special. I just want to get to know you." He smiled, and for once it actually seemed like a genuine, honest smile.

"Why?" I furrowed my eyebrows. I know I didn't exactly know Aiden, I only knew what Jay and Logan had told me about him, and they weren't exactly reliable or unbiased. Therefore, I shouldn't judge him before knowing him, don't judge a book by its cover, they say. Yet I couldn't help but think that he didn't seem like the type of guy that liked to hang simply to "get to know someone"

"You intrigue me." He stated matter of factly with a shrug.

I didn't understand how he didn't get even a little bit flustered saying all of this in front of so many people, especially with them being my friends. I could already feel my cheeks burning.

"You don't need to give me an answer right away. I'll call you, later today." He turned around after shooting me one last smirk and started walking.

"you don't have my number," I said cockily, just to get the final word in this... showdown or whatever it was.

Aiden halted and looked over his shoulder his eyes twinkling with his characteristic mischief.

"I have my ways to get what I want Willow." After saying that he strutted off and left me there looking like an idiot in the middle of the corridor.

I sure as hell didn't manage to get the final word.