I couldn't take it any more. I closed the distance between us, desperate to feel his lips on mine. He responded eagerly, with the same desperation that drove my own actions. Our lips met, pressed hard together, moved in a synchronised kiss that soon became another kiss, and another I locked my arms around his slim waist, pulling him closer, closer. His cool body seemed to merge with mine; we were so close that I could no longer tell where I ended and he began. My blood was set alight, my breath came in quick bursts, the tingles running over my skin intensified. A light moan slipped from my lips as he ran his soft lips down my jaw and over my neck, nibbling and licking sweetly.
The rest of the world was gone from my consciousness. All that I was aware of was him. Everything else was nothingness, as far as I was concerned, and if he left, then I would be nothingness too.
Things heated up. My hands slipped under his shirt, greedily memorising the contours of his firm chest. He shivered at my touch, and his lips returned to mine lustfully. The speed of our kisses increased, our tongues dancing together, our breath blending And then an irritating little beeping noise invaded the dark passion of my dream, my eyes snapped open, and I wanted to throw up.
The alarm clock blared on, unaware, as inanimate objects tend to be, of my growing disgust. With a single clenched fist, I whacked at the stupid thing until it stopped its incessant beeping. Its resulting state was slightly less than whole. Oh, well. I could buy a new one.
But Back to the problem at hand. The dream Now, don't get me wrong. Under normal circumstances, I would enjoy a nice, hot dream just as much as the next unlucky-in-love girl would. It wasn't the heat or the passion that was bothering me. It wasn't even the fact that it would most likely never become reality. No, what was making my blood boil and my fists clench and my teeth grind together was the fact that the lustful, eager, sexy young man in the dream had been none other than Joseph Burns, school bad boy and my worst enemy.
Yep, I, Angel Kennasyn, she of the unyielding loathing of Joseph and his gang of sycophants, had had a hot dream about the guy that I hated most in the world. What the hell was wrong with me? I couldn't just go around dreaming about arrogant pigs like him! Was my subconscious so twisted that it couldn't even present me with a decent guy to dream-lust after? Arghhhhh! If anyone ever found out about this, I'd be screwed. Joseph would never stop teasing me. My friends - few though they were - would scorn me for giving up my beliefs (those beliefs being that even if Joseph was the last man on Earth, I'd never sink that low).
No, I could not tell ANYONE about this. Not even Felix, my best friend. The very basis of our friendship was our shared dislike of Joseph. Besides, one little dream didn't mean anything, right? It wasn't like I thought Joseph was hot or anything. It wasn't like I actually wanted that dream to come true. It was just my subconscious being a douche bag - and believe me, if said subconscious was a corporeal being, I wouldn't hesitate for a second to give it a good beating for that.
Yeah, I would just forget about this. It wasn't a big deal. Right?
Unfortunately, it was Friday. That, of course, meant just one thing - school. And, worse, double Maths. Ugh. I disliked Maths at the best of times, but recently our - ahem - wonderful teacher had chosen to give us a seating plan. And the result of this was that I was stuck right next to Joseph. For this reason, Felix and I chose to loiter around outside the Maths classroom for as long as we possibly could before going in.
"So, how was your night?" I asked Felix curiously, eyeing his new hair. Felix changed his hair more often than anyone else on the planet. I couldn't even remember what his natural colour was. Currently, it was bright, bubblegum pink, and styled with an emo fringe and spikes at the back. His big brown eyes were just visible beneath the fringe, and the colour made his cute face look even cuter.
Before you ask, no, I am not interested in Felix in a romantic way. He's strictly my best friend. Partially because he isn't my type, and partially because he's gay. But still, we're so close that people are continually asking if we're a couple. We find it amusing to tease them by pretending to kiss, but we know there's nothing more to it.
"Ehh, it was ok," Felix answered, pulling a face. He had been at his Dad's house for the night. His parents had split when he was young, and while he loved spending time with his Mum, he and his Dad had never really seen eye-to-eye.
Knowing that it was most likely less than 'ok', I hugged my best friend quickly. He sighed into my shoulder and kissed my cheek lightly in thanks. "Did you tell your Dad about, you know " I began.
"My gayness?" Felix finished for me. He leaned his cheek against my shoulder, still hugging me. His soft hair tickled my cheek a little. Felix was silent for a long moment, and then he answered, "No. I tried to, but I don't know how to say it. I'm scared, Angel."
I knew how afraid he was of his Dad's reaction. We had had this conversation many times. I tightened the hug a little. "I know, Felix," I murmured. "But the guy's still your Dad. Even if this shocks him he'll still love you just as much as I do."
Felix snorted disbelievingly.
"Well, ok, maybe not quite as much as I do, but nobody loves you as much as I do," I corrected, trying to lighten the mood.
That got a little laugh. "Love you too," he replied, seeming slightly happier now.
I was about to say something else when I heard a horribly familiar laugh. A laugh that ran through my veins like poison and set my blood alight. My body tensed automatically, and I pulled away from Felix, only to be greeted by the oh-so-lovely sight of Joseph and his best friend Konnor sauntering toward us.
Even I had to admit that Joseph was decent - ok, gorgeous - looking. His messy black hair, accented with strands of blue and purple, was luxurious and shiny. He could've been in a shampoo advert with that hair. And then there were those eyes, a striking shade of pale blue, that seemed to look straight through me and right down into my soul. Add to that a toned body, a septum piercing, snakebites and skinny jeans and you had the school's most lusted-after bad boy.
The thing about Joseph, though, was that he knew he was good-looking. He knew every girl in the school wanted him. And he loved it. It gave him an ego so big he put most celebrities to shame, and the confidence that came from said ego made him pretty much unbearable. I still found it hard to believe that he managed to get girlfriend after girlfriend - what girl in her right mind would actually WANT somebody with a personality like that? Evidently though, they couldn't see past the looks. Shame, because the never-ending stream of girls only boosted his confidence even more.
Joseph's bright eyes were currently fixed right on me, and they were sparkling mischievously. He casually ruffled his hair with one hand, keeping it just the right amount of messy. Those full, kissable lips of his were tilted into a faint smirk. A memory rushed at me - the dream. Those lips connected to mine, those toned arms wrapped around me, that body pressed against mine "What're you looking at, freak?" His melodious voice snapped me out of my thoughts, and I realised I'd been staring. Oops.
Automatically, my snarky side flared up. It was an unavoidable reaction to Joseph - my antagonistic switch just went off the moment I saw him. "I don't know, but it's looking back," I retorted. I know, I know, it was a childish response, but I couldn't help it. It just came out.
Joseph just smirked, not at all fazed by my response. In fact, he seemed to anticipate arguing with me. Judging by his continual smirk, and the way nothing I said ever seemed to affect him, I could only conclude that he enjoyed our little bouts of bickering.
I knew he would have some smart response for me, but I was a little surprised when he took a few graceful steps closer, until he was standing not two inches away from me. So close that I could feel the chill of his body, and yet not so close that we were touching. He leaned down a little, so that our faces were level. Well, ok, he had to lean down a lot - I'm only like five feet tall. But the point was, his face was so close that I could feel his breath, and his body was so close that I could smell his delicious cologne. It was so much like the dream I found myself unable to move.
Joseph smirked again. Uh-oh. "And, dear Evangeline, would you like to know why 'it' is looking back?" he asked in a low, velvety tone laced with danger. I tensed up at his daring. Nobody EVER called me by my full name! Nobody except the arsehole in front of me.
"My name's NOT Evangeline, Joseph," I said through gritted teeth, ignoring his question. He also hated to be called by his full name - his friends referred to him as Joey. Naturally, I refused.
Joseph grinned, knowing that he had succeeded in irritating me. "You didn't answer my question, Evangeline. Want to know why 'it' is looking back?" he pursued smoothly.
I glared at him. "Because it's an arrogant, self-obsessed bastard?" I guessed.
He sighed mockingly. "Close, but no cigar. No, 'it' is looking back because 'it' is trying to work out why there is a skanky little freak standing in it's way," he corrected acidly, running his eyes down me.
Ok, I will admit that I like wearing skirts, but calling me 'skanky' was uncalled for, considering the whores he dated. My outfit consisted of a ruffled black skirt and ripped tights, with black Converse hi-tops and a purple vest. Hardly skanky. At least it covered me up.
Before I could come up with a response, he continued, "And why are you standing in my way still, little whore? MOVE." Then he pushed me lightly aside and strutted off into the Maths classroom, ruffling his hair again and leaving me staring after him.
Konnor, Joseph's friend, obviously felt left out from Joseph's little bullying spree, because he laughed nastily and followed his master into the classroom, taking care to shove into Felix's shoulder en route. Of course, sweet gentle Felix would never even consider fighting back, but I wasn't quite so placid. I was about to leap at Konnor and give him a good slap, but Felix, sensing my intentions, hastily caught me around the waist and yanked me back to him.
"Down, girl," Felix teased softly. "Can't have you starting fights before our first class has even begun, now can I?"
I growled incoherently, but Felix spun me around and pulled me into a hug, soothing me. "By responding, you just give bullies what they want, and show them that they're getting to you," Felix murmured sagely. "So rise above it. Let them say what they want; it means nothing. Ok?"
"Fine," I grumbled. "But if he shoves you again, I'm not letting it slide."
Felix ruffled my hair playfully. "Then I'm sure he won't dare. Besides I didn't mind that much. Konnor's hot."
I elbowed him. "That may be, but he's also the enemy," I reminded him. It was true that Konnor was every bit as gorgeous as Joseph. Well, maybe not gorgeous - more like, cute. Adorable, even. He was small for a guy (though still taller than me) and compact, with dark eyes and light-toned skin. His dyed-black hair reached almost to his shoulders, and was styled in messy layers. But still, no matter how cute he was, he was no friend of ours.
Felix grinned innocently. "I know, I know. Besides, my gaydar tells me he doesn't swing my way anyway. No fraternising with the enemy for me."
"Good," I laughed.
Felix smiled, maybe a little wistfully, and then clapped his hands. "Now, come along my sweet. Class time!" His smile became a slightly mischievous grin. He knew how I hated this lesson.
Reluctantly, I followed him into the Maths classroom for two hours of torture.
-[[Joey's POV]]- I slipped into my seat, making a big show of hating having to sit here. I even went so far as to ask the teacher, Ms Robertson, if I could move over next to Konnor. I knew she'd refuse. That didn't matter; the point was to reinforce my 'dislike' of my current seating arrangement. Those who were already in class - pretty much everyone except Evangeline and that guy with the pink hair - laughed at my daring. I leaned back casually and snuck a glance at the empty seat beside me. Evangeline would be sitting there soon. For two whole hours.
Sure enough, just before the bell rang, she hurried in with the pink-haired dude. The guy took a seat on the other side of the room, and Evangeline exchanged a disgruntled glance with him before dropping reluctantly into the seat next to me.
Hmm, what to do? I couldn't just say nothing to her; how would that earn me her attention? But I couldn't say too much either; it wasn't like I could just start a conversation with her in a classroom crowded with my 'friends' - the people who were thoroughly convinced that I hated the girl next to me. What to do ?
Eventually, I settled for shooting a mocking grin her way, along with a little salute. Part of me wanted to do more, say more but I couldn't. The people around me counted on me to provide entertainment in the form of bullying. Who was I to disappoint Evangeline - or Angel, as she called herself - didn't respond to the smile or the salute. She didn't even look at me. I frowned; that was no good. Her full attention was focused on the scrap of paper in front of her. She was drawing something, her dark brown hair falling over her shoulder. I always got an insatiable urge to touch that hair, with its artful streaks of burgundy, pink, blonde and dark blue. I always managed to stop myself, but still I couldn't help but wonder what it felt like.
By leaning over a little, I managed to glimpse a sketch of a butterfly on the paper. Well, not really a sketch; it was too good for that. It was more like a miniature work of art, despite the fact that Evangeline had evidently done it in the last five minutes. I studied her face, the concentration on her delicate features. I had no idea she was so talented.
She glanced up, obviously feeling my eyes on her. No doubt my face currently displayed an embarrassing expression of awe. I hastily changed it into my usual cold smirk, and, meeting her striking emerald green eyes, I mouthed, "Skank." Then winked coolly.
She fixed me with a look of puzzled disgust. She was probably wondering what she had done to deserve this new round of name-calling, and in truth she was right to wonder. Even I didn't know why I was doing it. It just came out.
Naturally, it didn't take long for that fiery temper of hers to heat up. She scrunched up the scrap of paper and threw it at me, hard. I merely grinned and caught it with one hand - showing off, I admit. I then quite calmly threw the paper, with perfect precision, into the wastepaper basket by the door. A few of my classmates laughed appreciatively. That blonde girl, the one that kept making obvious attempts at flirting with me, giggled loudly. Jeez, I wasn't that funny. I just barely kept myself from rolling my eyes.
When I turned my attention back to Evangeline, her eyes were locked with those of the pink-haired guy - Felix? He seemed to be mouthing something to her. She gave him a look, which I couldn't interpret, but apparently Felix knew what it meant. He mouthed something else, smiling sweetly at her, and she smiled back.
An icy feeling passed through me, as it always did when I saw the two of them together. At first, I had tried to convince myself that I was simply disgusted at their sickeningly sweet show of love for each other. Nowadays, I knew better. It wasn't disgust that I was feeling. I watched as Felix drew a little heart on his notebook and showed it to Evangeline, smiling cutely. I wanted to stab him with my pen. She grinned widely at him and mouthed, "Love you" back.
Ugh. Such a cute couple they made.
I had always suspected they were dating. Their responses when people asked if they were proved it; they would always give each other secret grins, or kiss lightly, or hold hands, or ugh. Now they were proclaiming their love across a Maths classroom.
I clenched my fists and looked away, refusing to torture myself by looking at Evangeline. The look on her face killed me.
Ms Robertson announced that the lesson was beginning, and launched into a dull, tedious lecture that went right over my head. I was too busy suppressing my anger, my longing, all the feelings that welled up inside me, and pushing them back down into the dark recesses of my heart where they belonged. They were feelings that I would never voice, would never show because I was Joey Burns, bad boy, player, sex symbol. I was meant to be popular, not have feelings.
I was meant to be ice cold.
-[[Angel's POV]]- I eyed the clock on the right-hand wall longingly. Just an hour and a half left. Was it just me, or was the clock ticking slower than usual? Was the little hand extra-sluggish today? Or was it just that being stuck this close to Joseph Burns made me wish for time to hurry the hell up?
Joseph was currently flicking bits of paper at me, a wicked little grin on his face. When he first started doing it, I flicked them back - hard - but that only seemed to amuse him more, so I quickly learned my lesson and did my best to ignore it. But still, you try being pelted with so many tiny bits of paper it looked like you'd been snowed on! There were literally tiny mountains of paper on the desk in front of me, and still the jerk hadn't gotten bored of it. And Ms Robertson might as well have been blind! Weren't teachers supposed to control their damn students? But no, she just went on rambling about whatever fascinating mathematical crap we were supposed to be understanding.
One of the flying bits of paper was evidently a better flier than the rest - it landed on my chest and slid down my vest, coming to a rest in my bra, of all places. I closed my eyes in irritation, hearing Joseph snickering quietly to himself. The urge to shove the damn paper in his face was very strong right then, but Felix's soothing advice came to my mind: "By responding, you just give bullies what they want, and show them that they're getting to you." Damn it, he was right. So, I (very maturely) ignored the scratchy bit of paper down my bra and continued to stare at the diagram Ms Robertson was currently drawing like it was the most interesting thing in the world. (It wasn't, take it from me.)
Another bit of paper landed on the desk in front of me. This one was larger than the rest, and there was writing on it, obviously hastily scribbled in black pen. Next to me, Joseph watched out of the corner of his eye for my reaction. Sigh. Three guesses who wrote this, then.
Unfortunately, curiosity got the best of me, and, like they had a mind of my own, my hands unfolded the paper, revealing the writing. Damn hands! I'd be having words with them! Or something less crazy. Anyway. The writing. Scribbled on the paper was the message: 'Want a little help with that? ;)'
It quite obviously referred to the paper that was currently making my boobs very itchy. So, basically, Joseph was 'helpfully' offering to reach down my bra. I gritted my teeth together and threw him a look of pure venom, outraged that one person could manage to annoy me so much. I wanted to bruise that stupid, pretty face of his. Or rip out his ridiculously perfect hair. Anything, just to wipe that unbearable smirk off his face!
"You fucking perv," I mouthed at him furiously, clenching my fists.
Joseph merely winked, then very slowly and noticeably ran his eyes down to my chest and back up.
I gave him a disgusted look and mouthed, "In your dreams." But that, of course, only reminded me that it was in MY dreams, quite literally. Ugh!
Joseph blew me a mocking kiss. Thank God he had no idea what I was thinking about; once again, visions of the dream were taking over my mind. Oh God, those lips "Miss Kennasyn! Mr Burns! Are we paying attention?" Ms Robertson cut in suddenly, making me jump. Oh, she could quite conveniently miss the paper-throwing and teasing, but she had to look NOW, the one time I wasn't pretending to pay attention!
I dragged my eyes away from Joseph as he shot Ms Robertson an angelic smile and answered, "Why of course we're paying attention. Or, at least, I am. Evangeline here just can't quite manage to tear her eyes away from me for long enough to take in your fascinating lecture."
I gritted my teeth, willing myself not to respond, but "Joseph, shut the hell up!" I burst out. "It's pretty hard for me to pay attention when you're throwing bits of paper at me all lesson, you childish pig!"
"Miss Kennasyn!" Ms Robertson chided. "If you please, no name-calling in my class."
My mouth dropped open. That was so unfair! "But he started it!" I exclaimed. Across the room, I could see Felix making frantic 'shut-up' gestures, but I couldn't bring myself to stop. "He won't stop perving on me!"
A few of the girls in the class laughed loudly. "I'm sure Joey Burns has better things to do than perv on some freak," a blonde cheerleader-type scoffed.
"Ha. 'Better things to do'?" I snorted. "Like contracting herpes from the likes of you?" As the blonde's mouth dropped open in outrage, I continued, "Well, he's welcome to it. Wanna switch seats with me so you can be nearer to darling Joseph? Cos I'd much rather be as far away from him as I can possibly get!"
"MISS KENNASYN!" Ms Robertson yelled. "I will not have you verbally abusing other members of class. Out."
My mouth dropped open in shock. "That's so bloody unfair! I was just defending myself!" I exclaimed, glaring at her.
"No. I won't hear any more of this. Out," she repeated, motioning at the door, probably not taking in a word I'd just said.
I was very tempted to yell more. Or punch Joseph. But instead, I gritted my teeth, picked up my bag, and stalked out of the classroom. Of all the people there, only Felix looked back at me with sympathy. His look said that he understood how unfair it was, and he was on my side. I fully expected Joseph to be smirking over his victory, but instead he merely watched me leave with a thoughtful, distant expression. Huh. Strange.
Once outside, I knew I had nothing better to do than wait for Felix, so I wandered over to a seat across from the classroom and got out my sketchpad, hoping that drawing would soothe me. I fished in my pocket until my hand closed around a pencil, then searched the other pocket until I discovered my iPod. Nestling the earphones deep into my ears, I scrolled through until I found the artist I was looking for - Yashin, my favourite band in the world. (Seriously, they're incredible.) I went through their songs until I found Black Summer, my favourite, and then leaned back and drew with their wonderful music in my ears.
I ended up drawing a burning candle. I'd always liked fire. And, to be honest, it matched my personality. I liked the way it looked, the colours that danced through it, the way it flickered, and, most of all, its unpredictable nature. It appealed to me on a deep level.
By the time the class came out, I'd finished my drawing and listened to nearly every Yashin song I had. I'd also calmed down a fair bit. As soon as I saw Felix exit the classroom, I switched my iPod off, shoved my sketchbook in my bag and headed over to him. He immediately pulled me into a tight hug.
"That was totally unfair," he whispered supportively in my ear.
"I know," I muttered. "But what the hell, life's a bitch and so is Joseph. Whatever."
Felix kissed my cheek affectionately. "Yeah," he agreed. "He's just jealous cos he can't have any of this." He squeezed by butt playfully, illustrating the 'this'.
I giggled. "Felix, you perv," I laughed. I didn't mind, really.
Felix pulled back and gave me a mock-flirty look. "Baby, if I wasn't gay " he murmured, waggling his eyebrows suggestively.
I giggled again and, going with it, added, "Oh, we would so get it on."
He linked his arm through mine and we began to walk up the corridor. "Hell, yeah," he agreed, winking.
We paused midway up the corridor because Felix spotted Eddie, his older brother. He had been instructed by his mum to tell Eddie that he was in trouble for coming home drunk again. "I'll be one moment," Felix told me. He kissed my cheek and headed off toward his brother, leaving me alone.
Unfortunately, I wasn't alone for long.
Joseph sauntered up to me, a taunting grin already stretching across his face. "Enjoy the lesson?" he teased.
I gave him a bored look. "Oh, go bother some kids your own age," I said wearily.
Joseph pouted. "Aww, Evangeline darling, is your memory fading already? Must be all those drugs. I AM your own age, babe," he informed me mockingly.
My fists clenched. That bastard. I would never, EVER do drugs and he knew it. It was a struggle to keep my face blank, but I managed it. "Oh really?" I drawled. "Because I was under the impression that only five-year-old kids found throwing paper at each other amusing. Seventeen-year-olds should really have moved on to more mature pursuits."
He took a step closer, his gaze burning into mine in a way that gave me the urge to look away, yet kept me unable to at the same time. "Impressions can be mistaken," he murmured, grinning. "Besides, it was far more fun than actually paying attention to the lesson. My aim is fantastic, wouldn't you agree?" Smirking, he once again pointedly eyed my boob region.
Under that gaze, I wanted to hide myself. I felt naked. Like he was x-raying me or something. I got the urge to blush, but somehow managed to keep my face blank and even. "Actually, I think your aim is abysmal," I shot back. "In my eyes, if you had decent aim, you'd have managed to throw a piece of paper down your throat and choke on it."
He put a hand to his heart and affected a hurt expression. "Oh, ouch! That hurts, Evangeline. That hurts my poor little heart. Must you be so horrid to me?" he pouted mockingly.
Daringly, I stepped closer to him, working very hard not to inhale his sweet scent. "You got me kicked out of class, you douche," I accused. "I think I have every right to hate you after the things you've done to me."
He only moved closer, tilting his head to the side a little. "Aww, don't say that, babe. You don't hate me," he grinned. "You want me."
I met his smouldering ice-blue eyes and, coming up with an excellent comeback, looked down demurely before leaning up a bit, so that my lips almost touched his. "You're right," I breathed, gazing up at him. "I do want you " His breathing had actually sped up a bit. I placed one hand on his chest and finished, "to go die!" before pushing him back forcefully.
His expression - previously oddly dazed - twisted into one of anger. "Whore!" he snapped, evidently having run out of smart comebacks.
"Dick!" I retorted, not about to lose the name-calling contest.
"Bitch!"
"Jerk!"
"Slut!"
"Douche!"
"Retard!"
The name-calling would probably have gone on for a very long time, but, just as I opened my mouth to respond - and it would have been a dazzling response, I assure you - Felix's arms wrapped around me from behind and he pulled me back a little.
"Angel," he murmured. "Come on, let's go."
I struggled. "No, Felix, this arrogant pig deserves to get a piece of my mind! Or maybe my fist!" I protested.
Joseph grinned, but somehow his grin wasn't as wicked as usual. Something in his eyes was strange, and he kept glancing at Felix's arms around my waist. "Then come give me a piece of your fist or whatever other body part you want to touch me with." He winked.
I broke away from Felix. "You're a damn filthy perv!" I informed Joseph angrily.
"You still want some help with that paper?" he grinned. "It's still down there, I assume?"
It was, but I wasn't about to tell HIM that. "Fuck you," I snapped.
"Ooh, I love it when you talk dirty," he teased, and then - before I could respond - he had snaked his hand down my top and fished the bit of paper out of my bra, getting a good feel in the process. He raised one eyebrow at me in a way that was - I can't deny it - extremely sexy.
For just a second, I was stunned, but then my senses returned, and I slapped him across the face, blushing furiously. I couldn't even form words.
Felix slipped his arm around my waist again, glaring at Joseph. "That was going too far," Felix said in a low voice.
Joseph only smirked, totally unfazed and unafraid.
Felix leaned down and kissed my cheek. "You ok?" he whispered in my ear.
I nodded mutely, wondering why my heart was beating so fast and my skin was tingling.
"Let's go," Felix murmured, and quickly guided me away, keeping his arm locked comfortingly around my waist. He was probably afraid I was going to go back and punch Joseph. I considered it.
For his part, Joseph just grinned silently and watched us go.
-[[Joey's POV]]- I slipped the little bit of paper in the pocket of my skinny jeans, aware that I had most likely, as the pink-haired dude had said, gone too far. Calling Evangeline names and annoying her was one thing; reaching down her shirt was a whole different story.
Not that I regretted it. I would never have gotten to touch her in any other circumstance. It was quite pathetic to admit that I was reduced to making up excuses to touch the one person who probably hated me more than anyone else in the world. Sigh. Life's a bitch.
My face was still stinging a little from that slap, but it was a good kind of pain. A hot, burning kind of pain. Much like Evangeline herself. I kind of hoped I wouldn't end up with a bruise, though; there'd be no end to the mockery of my peers if they discovered I'd let a girl bruise me.
"Joey!" a voice yelled from somewhere behind me. I didn't bother to turn around, or acknowledge them. Instead, I merely waited for whoever it was to catch up to me.
I wasn't waiting long. Within seconds, what appeared at first glance to be an extremely lifelike Barbie doll popped into view. After a moment, it became apparent that it was only that cheerleader girl from class, the one who kept laughing hysterically at every joke I made. It had to be said, though, that she was remarkably like a life-size Barbie - dyed-blonde hair, vacant blue eyes, even a teeny little pink outfit. The huge smile she directed at me was also faker than plastic.
"Hi, Joey," she said, with a slow smile that was obviously intended to be sexy. To me, the smile only induced a faint urge to dab at her lips with tissue until all that sticky pink stuff came off. Honestly, why did girls think overdosing on lip-gloss was clever? Evangeline never wore lip-gloss "Hi," I answered after a moment, throwing the blonde a noncommittal smile and hoping she went away soon.
"So, I was thinking, tonight is Tiffany's party " she began, still smiling widely at me.
I merely nodded, waiting. Please, please, don't let her be hinting at what I think she's hinting at, I thought desperately.
She had obviously expected me to leap at the chance to take her hint and ask her to go with me. Ugh. I supposed I should, really, if only to keep up appearances, but still surely there was somebody a little less vacant that I could ask?
"So, are you going with anyone?" she asked, trailing one hand up and down my arm. I got the urge to shift my arm away, but resisted it - there were people watching. I couldn't be seen to turn a girl down when she was so obviously throwing herself at me, now could I?
"Not yet," I answered calmly, figuring, what the hell, might as well make the little Barbie doll happy. "Do you want to change that?"
Her face lit up, and I could already see her shooting glances around the corridor at her friends, checking that they were watching her get asked out by me. "Definitely!" she exclaimed. "Pick me up at seven?"
I offered her what would pass for a flirty smile. "It's a date," I agreed, despite the fact that I was screaming on the inside.
The blonde leaned in and gave me a big kiss on the cheek, no doubt leaving sticky marks from all that stupid lip stuff. "We'll have a lot of fun," she beamed, her smile still every bit as fake as I had first noticed. Jeez, what was I, a popularity booster or something? Because she obviously wasn't going out with me because she liked me.
Which didn't matter one bit. It was only for one night, and then I'd forget she existed. Just like every other empty romance with every other empty girl "Sure," I agreed, forcing one last smile as she bounded off back to her friends.
Now, to find out her name
-[[Angel's POV]]- The next lesson passed remarkably quickly, and without incident - perhaps because Joseph wasn't in my class. Thank God. I'd already had enough of him for one day; just the memory of his hand slipping down my shirt was enough to make me shiver. I definitely did NOT need to see him again today.
Unfortunately for me, it seems that fate really doesn't like me. Maybe I did something to piss it off.
I saw Joseph in the cafeteria, when Felix and I were sharing a chocolate cookie and chatting about music. We were sitting alone at our table. Joseph, on the other hand, was surrounded by people, all of whom seemed to glance at him every two seconds for his opinion. Jesus, did they think he was omniscient or something?
Joseph didn't seem all that interested in them, though. He didn't even appear to be paying attention to the blonde girl hanging onto his arm. No, strangely enough, he was staring right at me. Not smirking, or winking, or mouthing insults at me. Not even looking at my boobs. Just looking at me, with an oddly soft, distant expression. He seemed to be deep in thought.
When I felt his eyes on me, I automatically glanced up, meeting his gaze with curiosity. What was he looking at me for? And what was he thinking about? For just a second, I found myself caught in his gaze, under the spell of his frost-tinted eyes. It was just a second, but it felt like an eternity.
As soon as I regained my senses, and Joseph realised I had caught him staring, the eternity shattered.
He went back to talking to his army of followers. I went back to chatting with Felix. It was like we were in two separate worlds.
The separation wasn't to last, however.
The next lesson was Music - a class Joseph and I shared, unfortunately. Felix was there, too, along with Konnor. When the class arrived in the music room, we were told to head down to the auditorium. Curious, we did so. I had no clue what was going on, though I did have a faint suspicion that it might have something to do with the upcoming Dance.
My suspicion was proven correct.
As soon as we arrived in the auditorium we were greeted by Ms Chandler, the dance teacher, who went on to explain that the faculty had decided they didn't want a repeat of the 'abysmal antics' at last year's Dance, and had therefore chosen to give us all dance lessons. Wonderful.
As a firm believer that dancing was for the coordinated only, I had never really danced before in my life. I was about to be forced to. This was my idea of Hell.
And guess what made it even worse? Ms Chandler, being the pain in my ass that she is, had decided that she was putting us into pairs to practice dancing. You can probably guess who I ended up with. I'll give you a hint: it wasn't Felix.
Yep, my partner was to be Joseph, who, upon learning that he was paired with me, smirked coolly and muttered something to Konnor that, knowing him, wasn't very nice.
For my part, I groaned and asked Felix if he thought I had time to escape out the window. Felix laughed and gave me a supportive hug before heading over to his partner - a shy-looking girl who was eyeing him appreciatively. Too bad for the poor thing that he didn't swing that way.
When Joseph sauntered up to me, he bowed ironically and kissed my hand, a gesture reminiscent of an old-time gentleman. Except the old-time gentleman wouldn't have smiled tauntingly and whispered, "Do try not to ravage me while we dance, Evangeline. I know it's hard not to run your hands all over me, but at least attempt to curb your lust, hmm?"
I narrowed my eyes at him. "I'm sure that won't be a problem," I shot back. "You're the one that seems to enjoy touching me in inappropriate places, so I think I'll take this opportunity to warn you: try it again, and I will not hesitate to kick you where it hurts."
I thought I saw a flash of fear in his eyes, but it was gone within seconds, replaced by his customary ice-cold amusement. "Ooh, I like it rough," he teased in a husky tone.
I just rolled my eyes, refusing to justify that with a response. I seriously hoped this went over quickly.
"Joey! Joey!" an irritating voice called from across the room.
Joseph glanced over to the source of the noise and a tiny grimace appeared on his face, for just a second. Curious despite myself, I followed his gaze over to the blonde girl who had been hanging onto his arm at dinner. She was blowing him kisses and beaming at him. Ugh. Clearly her brain cells had abandoned ship a long time ago, judging by the dopey grin - and the fact that she was dating Joseph.
Joseph smiled and made a kissing motion at her, but this close I could see that there was no warmth, no animation in his eyes. His smile looked empty. Obviously the blonde didn't think so, because she giggled like an idiot in response. Was I the only one who could see that behind his flirty grin and charming demeanour, there was just nothing?
When Joseph returned his attention to me, he smirked and asked, "Jealous?" Evidently, he had noticed me watching his little exchange.
"Nauseous," I corrected sweetly.
"Admit it; you wish you were her," he stated, nodding his head toward the blonde girl.
"And why would I want to be her?" I asked coldly. "Barbie-doll looks and single-digit brain cells really aren't among my aspirations."
He started when I said the Barbie-doll part, but recovered quickly, leaving me wondering why he had looked so surprised. He swiftly pulled up a grin and leaned down to whisper in my ear: "You envy the relationship I have with her."
I saw right through that one. "Relationship?" I scoffed. "You don't HAVE relationships; you have one-time encounters with random whores."
He put on a hurt look. "I resent that!" he protested.
"Oh really? What's her name?" I challenged, meaning his 'date'.
He opened his mouth to answer, then closed it again, biting his lip. There was a fantastic look of defeat on his face. I would never get tired of that look. "Her name doesn't matter," he said dismissively, after a moment. "We have a relationship that transcends such trivial things as names."
I wondered for a moment why he was even bothering to defend himself to me; surely what I thought of him didn't matter to him. It was my turn to smirk at his inadequate response, though. I took great pleasure in mimicking the cold, amused expression he often wore. "Uh-huh," I grinned, knowing I'd won this particular argument.
My grin slid off my face a second later when Ms Chandler announced that it was time to begin the dancing lessons.
Oh, God. Now I was going to have to touch him. Could my day get any worse?
-[[Joey's POV]]- Oh, God. I was going to have to touch her. Without losing my cool. Oh, God. Was it just me, or was it hot in here? Was it possible that I was sweating from nerves? No. No. I don't GET nervous. Jeez, I needed to get a hold of myself.
"Let the torture begin," Evangeline muttered as Ms Chandler yelled out rapid orders on how to hold each other.
Argh, did she have to say 'hold'? Did she have to make it sound so romantic?
I quickly forced a smirk in Evangeline's direction. "Admit it; this is the highlight of your day," I teased, and was proud when my voice didn't shake.
"No, the highlight of my day will be the end of school. Know why? Cos then I'll be able to get away from YOU," she retorted. Ouch. I decided not to answer that.
I was aware that I was supposed to be holding her right now, but, truth be told, I was almost hesitant to make the first move. Angel would probably bite me or something if I tried it. Ms Chandler, noticing our lack of touching, glared at us. "Mr Burns, Miss Kennasyn, this is not social time; this is my time. Get into position!" she ordered.
Did she have to use the word 'position'? Now my mind was forming all sorts of inappropriate thoughts.
Nevertheless, I bravely stepped closer to Evangeline, until my body was almost pressed against hers. She didn't move. I placed one hand on her waist, feeling the warmth of her body through the material of her skirt. I held my other hand out for her to take, and shot her a grin, knowing she had no choice but to take it.
She did. She slipped her dainty hand into mine, and I couldn't help but notice how perfectly it fit - like we were made to hold hands. She reluctantly and awkwardly placed her other hand on my shoulder, and the heat of it seared my cold skin. I had to work hard not to smile or attempt to kiss her or do something else equally stupid. Instead, I reminded myself that she hated me, and I was supposed to hate her. I told myself I was feeling was a typical male hormonal reaction to her body; that was all. Nothing more.
Evangeline was looking anywhere but at me, and I could have sworn there was a faint pink blush on her cheeks. I was surprised she wasn't exchanging loving glances with her stupid pink-haired boyfriend. At the moment, she was simply staring at her shoes like they held the secrets of the universe. I almost tilted her chin up. Almost. Instead, reminding myself that there were people watching, I flashed a grin and asked, "Why so embarrassed?"
Her head instantly shot up, and she glared at me. "I'm NOT embarrassed," she protested. A little too defensively.
I raised one eyebrow, knowing that girls found the little gesture sexy. "Then why can't you seem to look at anything but your shoes? And why, dear Evangeline, are you so defensive?"
She didn't seem to find the raised-eyebrow thing sexy. Or, at least, she didn't show it if she did. "Haven't you ever thought that maybe I just find you so repulsive that I'd rather look at my shoes?" she shot back.
I leaned a little closer, so she'd get a hint of my breath on her lips. "Now, we both know that's not true," I smirked.
"Arrogant, self-obsessed pig " she muttered, and probably would have added more insults if Ms Chandler hadn't told us to start dancing.
I really have no words for the dancing itself. I can't describe how it felt to have her body pressed against mine for such a period of time. All I can say is, my heart felt like it was going to burst out of my chest, and my cold blood felt like it had been set alight. I've never felt anything like it.
I also have to say, I'm quite glad everyone else was concentrating on dancing, because I'm sure I didn't mock Evangeline as much as they would have expected, and my facial expressions certainly weren't exuding hate. I couldn't help it; I might never get a moment like that again. I wanted to take pleasure in it.
As the awful music finally ended, signalling the end of dancing lessons, I found myself glancing down into her eyes - and found her looking up into mine. We both stopped moving, and, though I knew I had to let go of her, I didn't. Not yet. I stared into her feline green eyes, savouring her for just a second. Just one more second. She seemed puzzled, but didn't break my hold. She seemed unable to look away from me.
For just one moment, I tightened my hold, memorising the soft, warm feel of her skin. Memorising everything about this. A memory to lock away in my heart and keep forever.
And then, abruptly, I let go, nodded my head awkwardly in farewell, then turned on my heel and left without looking back. I could feel her eyes on me all the way to the door.
My arms were already aching from the lack of her.
Oh, God.