April Clover doesn't know what to think when Alexander Valdez shows up during fifth period Calculus. Instantly, her mind takes her to their chance encounter from the previous summer, and she finds herself drawn to this mystery boy.
What happens when...
I stumble backwards and try not to slam into the banister. I'm partly disoriented from making out for the past however long we were at it.
My back snaps straight and I fall down the last few steps and into a body. I look up into a pair of eyes; stern and familiar.
Alex?
His hand is wrapped around my wrist, preventing me from venturing up the stairs. I pull my arm out of his grasp and cross my arms as he does the same.
"What are you doing," we both ask at the same time.
He clears his throat and gives me a patronizing look.
"Me? Stopping you from making the biggest mistake of your life."
I raise my eyebrows so high they disappear somewhere into my hairline.
"Biggest mistake of my life? So far, the biggest mistake of my life was meeting you. I should never have gotten that job at the center. You're not making any of this easy, are you?"
Now it's his turn to raise his eyebrows. "What are you going off about?"
"You'll be constantly reminding me that I owe you, isn't that right? What better way to rub it in my face than add to my debt! What a genius!"
Alex opens his mouth in shock and looks at me, utterly flabbergasted.
"Excuse me?"
"You're excused."
I roll my eyes at him and turn back to the guy I was about to hook up with. He looks at Alex in annoyance and tugs on my arm again.
"Let's go."
I start to follow him, but Alex pulls me back again. I glance his way and see he seems to be struggling with some sort of internal battle.
"Look. I get you're pissed at me for whatever petty reason, but...Let me reiterate...This is a huge mistake."
He drops his hold on my arm and hesitates.
"I may not be able to make the ultimate decision in the end...But...Come on, don't be stupid."
I laugh harshly. "You're calling me stupid?"
He nods without remorse. "Yes. I'm calling you stupid."
The guy behind me on the stairs puts a hand on my shoulder and tries to drag me into the upper rooms.
"Come on-"
Alex lets out an animalistic growl and throws the guy's hand aside.
"You do that and you're dead meat."
I purse my lips and grab the guy's elbow. "No, don't listen to him-"
"Look-"
Alex pulls back his sleeve to reveal a tattoo. The guy I was about to fuck looks at Alex's arm fearfully and his pupil's dilute in shock.
"Yeah. You see what you're messing with here? This shit's real."
He stutters and looks at me with wide eyes before shaking his head and running off.
"No chick is worth that..."
Alex nods and rolls his sleeve back over the tattoo. It depicts a skull, a cross and an iron fist. I see the last curling imprints of deadened eyes before it's completely covered in cloth.
I look at Alex, thunderstruck.
"What is that?"
He didn't have that tattoo a few months ago. I would have seen it when I was cleaning his cuts and bandaging minor wounds.
Alex shakes his head and puts it behind his back. "It's none of your business."
He almost turns to go, but changes his mind.
"Consider that another score for me. You didn't know whether that guy was carrying protection, did you? You would have blindly done it...Unprotected."
He gives me an angry look and I squint my eyes to look at him. Is this guy for real right now?
"You're lecturing me on safe sex? You? Alexander fucking Valdez? The famous womanizing man-whore?"
Alex flinches and his face goes pale. "Will. You. Shut UP about things you have NO IDEA about?"
His fists clench at his sides and he's full on screaming at me.
"DO YOU THINK I DON'T GET IT ENOUGH? Do you THINK I NEED to be fucking reminded every state I move to? That people can't just MIND their own business?"
"If you're so concerned with 'privacy', why do completely disregard MINE," I ask angrily.
"You don't give a shit about me and MY privacy. You're barging in EVERYWHERE."
Alex rubs his temples together and winces. "OUCH! MY FUCKING HEAD!"
He keels over and squeezes his eyes shut. After a moment he looks at me with fatigue drawn under the circles around his eyes.
"If you consider me saving your sorry ass numerous times this past week alone, then yes. I was barging in on your privacy. What have you done for me? Something worthy you can say demanded peeking into MY private life?"
He reaches into his pocket and takes out a couple of pills. He pops them into his mouth and takes in a gulp of air, muttering something about losing his temper under his breath.
He looks up at me, shakes his head and starts to walk away. I stare after his back with growing contempt, but after I cool down, get home, and slip into the covers of my bedspread, I realize something.
This is the fourth time I owe him.
Our score is 4-0, and I rewarded him by screaming my head off.
I suck.
Ohhh shit. That's a bad migraine...
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