Falling for the Good Boy *Editing*

Chapter 3

I looked at Blake, then at James in astonishment. They were brothers? They didn't even look alike. My hand was still on James' arm and Blake glanced at the contact briefly. He looked back at James.

"What's her name?" He asked.

"Raelene." James shifted and snaked his arm around me.

"Thanks buddy." Blake winked at me and walked away, cocky as ever. Then it hit me.

I groaned. "Why would you tell him that?" I asked James. 

"You just discovered that Blake and I live in the same house and you only notice that he knows your name?" James walked me to my first class and the bell rang.

"I have a couple of questions for you, James. Unfortunately, they're going to have to wait until lunch." It seemed like his anger had disappeared. I walked into my first class and tried my hardest to focus on what the teacher was saying, but I could only think about why James got so tense when Blake showed up.

* * * * * *

"Follow me." James grabbed my hand and led me to a small table at the back of the cafeteria. It was still loud, but it was more private than the table with Beth and Elliot.

"Are they gonna get made that we ditched them?"

"Nope, I already talked to them about it." James sat down and I sat across from him. "Alright. Shoot me with your questions." James twirled his fork in his spaghetti and shoveled it into his mouth, tomato sauce dripping onto his chin.

"Okay, so you and Blake are related?"

"No. He was adopted when he was 12." James seemed to think deeply before continuing. "I don't know if I should tell you this, but I'm going to. His biological parents skipped town when he was 9 but no one knows why." Instantly, I felt bad for Blake. "He had been living on his own for two years before Blake was caught stealing a pair of sneakers when he was 11 and that's when he was placed in foster care."

"I don't know if you should tell me anymore. I'm sorry, but I think he should tell me this himself." I had to stop James from continuing because it wasn't his story to tell, and he seemed uncomfortable. I knew I was. I felt horrible for even putting him in this position. "I'm sorry for even asking you." I shot him a small smile and he nodded.

"I get it. Do you have any other questions?" James finished off the spaghetti and looked at me. He still had tomato sauce on his chin, but I didn't want to say anything yet.

"Yeah, what's your beef with him? You got all tense when he showed up at my locker." I started to eat my small salad. It turns out that the fancier the school, the more edible the food was.

Just at this question, James went stiff again. "We just don't get along. That's all I have to say about that." The bell rang, signaling the end of lunch, so James and I stood up to throw our food away and head to our next classes.

"By the way, you might want to wipe your chin." I smiled at James as innocently as I could and walked away.

* * * * * *

I crossed my fingers as I walked to my locker after my final class, hoping that James would give me a ride home instead of Blake. I spotted my locker, but no one was leaning on it.

"Raelene. You know, I find that name quite pretty. Odd, but pretty nonetheless." I cringed at the voice and finished putting my textbooks away. I slowly turned around to look at Blake.

"Where's James?"

"He had to pick up Mom from work. Her car is in the shop," he explained.

I started walking out towards the parking lot but I barely made it outside before the rain smacked me in the face. Blake had been following me, and as soon as he saw all of the rain, he pushed me into a small space that was hidden from the downpour.