Title: Amour Nouvel
Author: Night of the Land
Rating: M (for strong language and some adult themes)
Summary: Clarissa McClarin was new: New to the school, new to the state, new to the country. And she's caught the eye of a certain bad boy hotshot Son of Ipswich: Reid Garwin.
A/N: So this story has taken a life of its own, I swear it really has. I had a plan for it, an outline and everything, but it's kinda diverted from all plans and is now a living breathing thing. Really these past chapters have basically written themselves.
In response to some questions I have received, the almost human comment: I was merely stating that his attitude was more polite, more 'human' if you will, not his appearance. He also has found that he can't stop thinking about her, meaning that he really doesn't see any other girl, so the only way he would get release would be by his own hand or her.
I thank everyone who reviewed! They make my day, and help me to get through my other work so that I can get back to my creativeness! And here's chapter 3!
Chapter 3
Reid Garwin collapsed on his bed with a tiny groan. He ached, and he knew it would be worse tomorrow. Shifting to the middle of his bed, he winced slightly. And here he was thinking he was in good shape. This impromptu practice proved otherwise.
He sighed, settling into his covers, not even bothering to remove his clothes, his hair still slight damp from his shower. He closed his eyes, letting his body relax into the soft bed.
Across the room he head Tyler give a sigh of relief as the slightly younger boy settled down as well. "Ow." He heard him moan in pain. Reid chuckled darkly.
"And here I was thinking I was in shape." Reid muttered to his ceiling.
Tyler made a noise that sounded like agreement. "I'm with you, man." He shot back across the room, shifting slightly.
Both boys lay in silence, eyes closed, bodies threatening sleep. With another long sigh, Reid rolled painfully over to glance at his alarm clock.
6:23 flashed back at him in luminescent green numbers.
With yet another painful sigh, he rolled back over onto his back, staring up at his ceiling. He really should get up and continue to study some more, or at the very least change his clothes. But it was no fun to study by yourself, he realized not to long after he had taken over the other side of Clarissa's table.
Clarissa. Her name brought a smile to his face, and desire coiled through his veins. He was almost too tired to be turned on, almost being the key word, but there was something about her. She certainly was something, a force to be reckoned with. Like a tiny brown headed whirl wind, she swept into his life and mucked up the waters. Before her he had had no problems with picking up any girl that met his fancy, but recently the only girl he had his eyes on was her. Any one else just felt like he was cheating… even though they weren't even together.
With a fetid curse he vaulted from his bed. Together… later… he was supposed to meet her later. "Shit." He swore again, not even bothering with the buttons, slipped his shirt over his head.
"Wha?" Tyler asked, lifting only his head from his pillow, watching as his best friend hopped around their dorm on one foot as he pulled his school loafers off.
"I have to meet…someone." Reid told him, his voice muffled as he pulled a green grey sweat shirt over his head. Hastily pulling jeans on, he was once more on one foot as he tied his shoes.
Tyler let a little laugh out, "Must be important…. Just a sec ago you wanted to die." He said wistfully to his brother.
Reid stopped, casting a look over at the youngest of his brothers. He smirked at him; "Yeah..." he trailed off, fighting the urge to just grin. He shook himself mentally, before grabbing his keys from his desk and his beanie. "Be back in a bit, Baby Boy, don't wait up."
He closed the door just in time to miss being hit by a flying pillow. He chuckled as he mounted the stairs, grimacing as the stiffness in his muscles made itself know. Trice damn swim practice, he just hurt. Coming to Clarissa's floor he headed down the hallway, once more fighting the grin.
Stopping in front of the wooden door, he lifted a hesitant hand to knock, he stopped, rolled his eyes, the rapped his knuckles on the wood. Inside he head someone scrapping around, and a moment later the door opened.
"Garwin?" Lilly James greeted him, eyes wide then narrowed in suspicion.
"James." He greeted back, trying to peer around her into the room, "Is Clare there?" he asked, giving a mental wince at her glare.
"What if she's not? Why do you care? So you can officially say that you fucked every girl in school?" Lilly demanded, folding her arms across her chest.
Reid clenched his fists at his side, and took a deep breath, "We were supposed to meet later tonight. Do you know where she is?" he asked, giving her a hopeful and slightly abashed look at the same time.
Lilly gazed at him a moment longer, her blue eyes cold and hard before she rolled said eyes. "She's down at Jimmy's. You know the skating rink, she left about ten minutes ago." She told him.
Reid gave her a charming smile and a tiny kiss on the cheek, "Thanks, Lil!" he dashed away.
"Don't you hurt her, Reid Garwin!" Lilly shouted after him as he raced down the hall way, shaking her tiny fist in his direction.
Reid simply raised a hand to wave her warning off as he dashed down the stairs. The ache in his muscles all but forgotten.
Clarissa had let her hair down to flow around her shoulders as she glided around the rink. A little could of breath appeared in front of her face as she skated, a smile on her face, arms held away from her body. Grin widening she pushed off with her foot picked up speed, skating circles around the rink. The wind cold air blowing back her hair made her laugh in joy.
Taking a breath she set up for a Lutz and with a thrill of adrenaline through of her veins wrapped her arms around herself and gave a gasping laugh as she hit the ice still upright. Swinging back around, with her back to the entrance on the ice, she settled into a sit spin, hair whipping around her head.
Clapping from behind her made her stagger to a stop, spinning on her heel she saw platinum blonde hair first then saw its owner. She grinned, making her way to the wall. He stood next to the entrance onto the ice, a smile on his face.
She did a hockey stop and sprayed him with ice. He laughed and wiped the water from his face.
"Wow." He said with a laugh, "Who knew? You're really good." He told her, taking her hand as she leaned over the wall.
Clarissa blushed slightly at him, "Not really but thanks." She told him, letting him give her a smile kiss on the lips.
"You're welcome. Sorry I didn't meet you sooner, Coach called practice." He told her, brushing his thumb along her cheek.
She smiled at him. "It's okay… I take it Lilly told you where I was." She said, giving a knowing nod when he answered in the affirmative. Green eyes met icy blue and she gave him a devilish smirk, "Have you ever skated before?" she asked.
Reid gave her a look, "Uh, when I was real young, like two I think…why?" he replied, shifting uncomfortably under her intense gaze.
"Well, c'mon then, go rent some skates, and join me…" she laughed as he began to protest, kissing him quickly, "Think of it as a first date." She murmured against his lips, before pushing off the wall and out to the middle of the ice again.
He blushed slightly at her, wondering at himself, he felt like he was thirteen again, blushing anytime a girl even looked in his direction. Watching her for a moment before he turned and headed to go rent some skates he found that he liked that feeling.
Clarissa tried not to laugh, but she just couldn't help it. If only she had her camera! Smothering a giggle, she glided up next to a struggling Garwin. He was clutching the wall for dear life, as if when he let go the world would open and swallow him. His face was pale and his eyes wide at her.
"Give me your hand." She told him, stopping beside him, holding out her own hands, smiling reassuringly at him.
He gave her a look, and swallowed hard. "C'mon, Garwin, trust me. I won't let you fall." She coaxed, giggling as he took her hands, and with a hopeless look back at the safety of the wall allowed her to lead him out on the ice.
Skating backwards, she smiled at him, "Just like walking, one foot in front of the other." She said his grip relaxing as he got more comfortable.
Reid sent her a smile, squeezing her hand, "Ha, not as hard I thought." He said, with a cocky grin.
"Keep telling yourself that tough guy," she giggled, slipping her hands from his, biting back as laugh as he flailed his arms slightly before balancing again. She skated a circle around him, smiling, "See, easy as pie." She told him, taking his hand, leading him around the rink slowly.
Reid let loose a little laugh as the gentle breeze they generated blew in his face. He could see why Clare would want to come here. It was peaceful. He looked over at his skating partner, and wondered at her. She seemed to be everywhere in his life suddenly, study partner, skating partner, swim cheerleader (if only in his head).
Clarissa caught him staring and smiled at him, "What?" she asked, as they once more leisurely skated around the rink, just enjoying being together. She even found that she didn't mind his fingers laced with hers, in fact it was kinda nice.
"Nothing." He shook his head, returning her smile, simply enjoying being with her.
They skated for about an hour. Talking about everything and yet nothing at all. Clarissa told him of her home, a smaller manor just out side of Brecon Beacons in Trecastle. About how the lane leading to her family's home was line with Daphne mezereum that flowered in the winter with beautiful red blossoms.
Reid told her of his life growing up in Ipswich, his deep companionship with his brothers and for some reason, he spoke of his fear in disappointing them, afraid that he wouldn't live up what he thought his brothers thought he should be.
After they had skated their fill, Clarissa led him to a small café that served coffee even close to nine o'clock in the evening. They sat in the café, talking and laughing before Clare happened to look down at her watch.
"Shit!" she gasped, jumping up from the table, her hands wrenched from Reid's.
"What? What's wrong, Clare?" he asked, looking up at her.
She grabbed her coat and his hand, pulling him from the café, "We have an English exam tomorrow at eight o'clock!"
Reid looked down at his own watched. Funny how time always seemed to pass by him when he was with Clare. It was almost eleven. Damn.
"Do you need a ride?" he asked, his breath little clouds before him, and he shivered. It was cold, and it looked like snow.
"No," she said, "I drove down here. Thanks for the offer though." She smiled at him, as they re-entered the rink's parking lot. They stopped in front of a faded red PT Cruiser. "This is me." She murmured.
He nodded, leaning down to kiss her gently. For some reason he just couldn't get enough of kissing this girl. There was something in her taste, chocolate sandalwood and something uniquely Clarissa that made him ache for her. Gasping into the kiss she brought her hands up to thread in his hair, sinking under his beanie cap. He moaned into her lips, pushing her against the car, biting down on her bottom lip as she gasped.
She pulled away with a smile on her lips. "I'll see you tomorrow?" she asked.
Reid nodded, "Yes." He whispered, kissing her one last time, pulling back gazing down at the girl he held in his arms. They stared up at each other before a single snow flake fell and landed on the tip of Clarissa's nose. She giggled and smiled.
"See you tomorrow." He murmured, as she got in her car. He shut the door for her, leaning in her window when she rolled it down, "Be careful." He told her.
"I will." She said, reaching up and grabbing his beanie from his head. Laughing at his "hey!" she pulled it down over her own hair, looking at herself in the rear view mirror. "I like it." She said, smirking, "What'd you think?"
Reid laughed at her, brushing his hand down her cheek, "Looks better on you anyway." He told her, before he smiled and backed away, "Be careful." He said again, giving the sky a concerned look.
Clarissa gave him a smile, "I promise." She said, before she rolled up the window and left the parking lot.
Reid stood for a moment in the gentle snow watching the tail lights until she past around a bend and he could no longer see them.
Reid Garwin stared down at his exam paper in utter distain. What the hell? Why was any of this important anyway? He just didn't get it. Glancing down at his watch he gave a silent groan. It had only been twenty minutes into this two hour exam, and already he had no idea what was going on.
Sighing heavily, he picked up his pen, hoping that he could BS this exam. I mean c'mon, how hard is it to BS multiple choice? He's got a twenty-five percent chance. Sighing once more he turned back to the first page and began, writing the letters next to words that he thought were vaguely familiar.
By the time he had finished the multiple choice, he looked at his watch. It had been another forty minutes. Only an hour left to finish the essay. Damn. He glanced around the room from under his bangs and smiled.
Sitting a row in front of him and to his left sat Clarissa McClarin. Her head was bent low over her paper, her back hunched, and her hand flying as she wrote out the answers. He smirked when he saw that she had on his black beanie cap, pulled low over her dark hair that was down and long. She cocked her head to the side momentarily and sat up.
Reid admired the way she moved. Her body flexing under her school uniform, the sleeves of her white oxford pushed back, tie loose and her blazer hanging over the back of her chair. She turned slightly to look his way, and he noticed she was wearing thick rimmed glasses. Brown eyes met blue and Clarissa smiled at him. Reid raised an eye brow. 'Brown eyes?' he thought, 'thought they were green.'
He shrugged, just one more mystery for him to find out about Clare. Even after spending almost the whole night with her last night he was still amazed by her. He grimaced as he thought back to last night after they had parted. Checking his phone, he had found fourteen missed calls from his brothers, twenty messages from his brothers and four voicemails from guess who, his brothers.
After sneaking back into his dorm he had gotten what-for from Tyler, who in Reid's opinion worried like a girl. He rolled his eyes at the thought and looked back over at Clare. She was still hard at work on the essay. Heaving another sigh, decide he should follow her example, he set to work on the essay that he had less than an hour to complete.
The lunch room was strangely quiet when Reid and Clarissa entered two hours after setting foot in exam room. The students seem to have either fallen asleep at their lunch tables or where back in their dorms sleeping.
"Oh, it was horrible." Clarissa bemoaned, sitting down at a deserted table.
Reid chuckled at her, sitting down on the other side of the table. "From where I was you didn't seem to be having any problems." He told her with a laugh, taking her hand in his, lacing his fingers through hers.
She sighed, and placed her head down on her folded arms. "It was still horrible." She murmured.
"Yeah, they shouldn't be allowed to give us exams on Fridays, anyway." Reid agreed, gazing loving down at the top of his hat. He had a feeling that he wasn't going to get his hat back anytime soon, and that was just fine with him.
Clarissa lifted her head to roll her eyes at him. He smirked at her. "Can't really see your eyes when you do that. I didn't know you wore glasses." He commented, brushing his thumb against her cheek.
She smiled at him, "I usually wear contacts, but I slept in them last night so I wanted to give my eyes a chance to breath." She told him. Taking his hand, turning it over and tracing a pattern over his palm.
"Oh, so your eyes are brown?" he asked gazing at her, smiling when she smiled up at him.
"Got a problem with that, Garwin?" she asked raising an eyebrow at him, her tone mockingly serious.
He shook his head at her, leaning forward to steal a kiss. She giggled when he pulled back. "Guess not," she whispered against his lips.
Reid pulled back as his phone vibrated against his leg. Giving her an apologetic look he pulled his hands from hers and fished his phone out. He rolled his eyes when he saw the number and the message.
Engs a bitch u want food ill by
He laughed and looked up at Clarissa. "You want something other than school food? Pogue's buying." He asked smiling at her.
Clarissa shook her head, "No, I'm good, me an Lil are going to Nicky's later anyway." She told him, "celebrate the fact that we have one exam left."
Reid nodded and typed back a message:
Naw, im good c u later
He looked up from his phone and caught her staring. "What?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at her.
She shook her head, "Nothing." She replied, but continued to stare. There was something about Reid Garwin that was different, something that she couldn't quite put her finger on. He could be sweet and in the same breath a jerk. Just sitting here with him across from her set her blood on fire and she felt her body flush. She didn't know how she could look him in the eye after all the nights she woke in a cold sweat, horny as hell after having erotic dreams about the boy sitting across from her now. She clenched her teeth as desire rippled through her at the mere thought.
He took her hands back in his, "You sure you're okay?" he asked, concern in his voice.
She nodded, giving him a smile, cocking her head to one side. There was something she had been meaning to ask him, now what was it? Oh yeah. "Garwin?" she muttered, giving his hands a squeeze.
"Yeah?" he muttered back, locking eyes with her, happy that he was seeing the real colour of her eyes for the first time.
"What do you want for your birthday?" she asked simply.
He gave a short laugh at her unexpected question, trying to fight back the cold chill that ran down his spin at the thought of his eighteenth birthday.
"You." The answer was out before he could stop it, and he swore to himself as her face heated up and she pulled her hands from his.
She stood, face beat red, and grab her school back. "I, uh, I have to, uh... I have to go." She murmured turning to leave.
"Clare." he pulled her to a stop, "I'm sorry, I didn't…"
"It's okay, Reid, really, you did mean it." She told him, before she swept from the cafeteria.
Reid stood in total shock at her reply, kicking himself. After almost two months of watching what he said, and getting on her good side, and the amazing night they had spent last night, he had to go and open his big fat mouth. It didn't what scared him more, the fact that she knew he really did mean what he said, or the fact that she had used his given name.