Ravens, Nightingales, and Bluejays

Chapter 2

Before now, I didn't have to think about him. His sharp jawline, his smile, his biceps. But now that I was walking through the big grey gates at the entrance of my school, I couldn't get him off my mind. I walked over to my locker to grab my science book. Physics. I didn't take any of my books home over break. No homework; no books. I didn't even have to take my backpack with me, but it would've just felt weird not having it. A door slammed behind me and I flinched back to the present.

"Well, you're jumpy today," Kai said leaning against the locker next to me. "How was Christmas?" She asked and I could hear the spite in her voice when said the word 'Christmas'.

"Fine," I told her quietly.

"What's up with you?" I shrugged and walked away trying to avoid the question. "Did something happen over break?" She asked suspiciously and a little smirk appeared at the corner of her mouth. I averted my eyes because the moment I looked at her, she'd know. "Something did happen. Was it a girl? It was, wasn't it? What happened?" There was barely a breath between her words.

"Shut up while you're ahead," I teased.

"So I got it half right?" She asked quirking her eyebrow eagerly. "What did I get right?"

"Nothing."

"That's a lie. Even if I didn't already know you, Levi, I'd know you were lying. Spill."

"I never kiss and tell," I joked smugly.

"Also a lie. You tell me everything. Spill, now."

"No."

"Come on, Levi," she stamped her foot. "I'm dying of suspense."

"You'll be fine," I said patting her on the head. Reaching the top of her head was a piece of cake cause she is way shorter than me. But to be fair, I'm a pretty tall guy.

"I'll get it out of you eventually," she said menacingly.

"Eventually, but not today."

"If I get it out of you today, you owe me $20." I spun around so we were facing each other and I was walking backward.

"Then you can hand that over now, 'cause I'm not telling." I looked her straight in the eye and after a moment, she rolled her eyes.

"Okay, you win. Forget the money, but I'm still gonna make you spill sooner or later." At that point, I was satisfied. I turned around and walked right into someone: Nicholas DePonte. He fell to the floor and his backpack dropped spilling half its contents. Out of the blue, time stopped. I felt everyone staring and my heart raced. I couldn't breathe.

"Uh- Nick. I'm so sorry," I blurted out stuttering with every word.

"Watch where you're going," he answered gruffly. He glared at me from the ground until his friend helped him up. Then he took a moment to glare at me to.

"He said he was sorry, Nick," Kai came to my defense. "It was an accident." Both of us tried our best to stuff his books back in his bag. A lot of his pens, his charger, and other miscellaneous stuff fell out too, and not too far from his backpack was a bottle of pills.

"Don't touch my stuff," he told me as I picked it up. He yanked the bottle out of my hand, grabbed his backpack, and a few more pens that I'd missed, and left the scene with the guy he was talking to before.

"A word of advice," Kai said pulling me away from the crowd judging me. "Don't apologize to 'Mr. High and Mighty.' He won't care either way. And what did you pick up?"

"A pill bottle and some pens. Why?" I asked.

"What pills?"

"Just regular pills. I don't know."

"Did you see the name on it?"

"It was per-something."

"Percs? Nice."

"Yeah. Nice," I told her as I was trying to play along.

"You have not idea what that is, do you?" She giggled. "You're so clueless, you're lucky it's adorable. 'Percs' is short for Percocet. It's a painkiller. Way better than ibuprofen. I should ask him how much he's selling them for. No, you should."

"Why would I do that?"

"Cause if I ask him, you could get in trouble for snitching," she explained. "If you ask him, then he probably won't suspect that you said anything."

"He'll probably think I spilled anyway. So either way, I'm dead."

"Sure," she chuckled, "But less likely if you ask. I mean, I know you're a snitch cause you told me, but he doesn't know you said anything."

"I'm not a snitch," I said defensively.

"But you still don't know how to keep your mouth shut," she teased. "Hence why I said you'd tell me before the end of the day what girl you kissed over the break."

"You asked what it was so I told you."

"And that's snitching, so go ask."

"I'm not asking him," I said defiantly.

"Then have fun being as known as the snitch." She walked a few steps away and I almost let her go, but that small voice in the back of my head told me to do damage control while I could.

"No, wait." I pulled her back so only she would hear my next few words. "I'll ask after school or something. Just don't say anything."

"'Kay, fine. But I want an answer tomorrow morning at your locker or I'm asking him. Good luck." She waved as she walked away and I sighed, but not out of relief. I shared a class with Nick but he was never alone. Ever. He made it a habit of talking to someone or having a bodyguard around. Not only that but how on earth was I going to get Nick to give me drugs? Me, the skinny kid from the swim team who couldn't lie to save his life.

"Thanks," I muttered, more to myself than Kai because she was long gone.