Chapter 7:
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"Do you have any... threes?" Glenn asked Rosalind behind the shelf of the empty library. They sat Indian-style across from each other on the floor, the cards down between them. They both had started to get quite competitive in their simple game of 'Go Fish', but so far, they had both come out tied. Truth be told, Glenn's favorite part of the game was receiving cards from her, savoring that brief moment when their fingers grazed each other in the handoff. So what may have seemed like competitiveness on his part, was really only selfish ambition.
He loved Rosalind's company, and almost everything else about her. Her smile was perfect, her curly brown locks were beautiful, and her kind eyes were wonderful. Glenn had to admit that he found himself distracted from the game whenever he stared at her directly. She didn't seem to mind.
"Go fish," she replied.
Glenn sighed in disappointment, slapping the deck and taking yet another card.
"Any Jacks?" she asked, cocking her head at him as if curious.
"No, ma'am," he answered. As she drew another card, Glenn shoved down the lump in his throat, and decided it was time to be brave.
"Hey, can I ask you a question?" he said quietly.
"Sure, what is it?"
"How's a nice girl like you get with a jerk like Roth?"
She laughed.
"One of his many admirers, I see."
"Doesn't he treat you like he does everybody else?"
"Yes," she confessed sadly. "That's why we broke up yesterday."
Glenn froze at her words, all manner of movement abandoning him. He managed to will his head up slowly to stare at her eyes, as if checking to make sure she wasn't kidding. She looked rather serious; in fact, there was even a little hopefulness in them too, if he wasn't mistaken.
For many moments, they stared at one another in the empty library, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Then Rosalind smiled at him from ear to ear.
-
James opened the door for Evelyn, trying to keep his blissful smiles to a minimum, but he couldn't help himself. He had waited a long time for this, and now the moment had finally come, even if this date was less than romantic. She seemed to be enjoying his company as well; James had caught her staring his way many times.
"You're really handsome," she said. "I mean, really. You are."
Usually Wayne was the one to get that compliment from a girl, so James was quite flattered one would say that about him. He had to admit her forwardness took him a little by surprise.
"Well… thanks," James spat out. "I've always known you were. Well, beautiful, not handsome, I guess."
"Girl's can be handsome too," she laughed hanging onto his arm as they walked up the rocky terrain to the Marblehead cliffs. "Don't worry about it. Just relax."
"I wish I could."
"Do I make you nervous?"
Wow, what a question. James took several moments of silent walking to think of the answer to that. He didn't want to admit his social clumsiness to her, lest she consider it a fault, but otherwise he would have to lie, and he didn't want to do that either.
"Yesyoudo," he said a little too quickly.
"I'm sorry-- what?"
James looked at her with helpless eyes.
"Very much," he admitted. "I don't know what it is… I'm not anywhere near like this with the guys, or even any other girls but as soon as I start talking to you I just can't control what comes out of my mouth and it's like my mind is thinking one thing while my mouth is doing another and--"
She stopped suddenly and put a finger to his lips. Her touch was electric, and James inhaled abruptly in reaction to it.
"You're rambling."
He was paralyzed until she let go of his 'off' switch and he could finally breathe again.
"Com'on," she urged, pulling him by the hand. "We're going to miss it."
James just let himself be tugged along, willingly under her charge. All he could think about was how good she smelled.
When they reached the crest of the hill, they had flat ground to walk on. James immediately found Wayne in the crowd of students, wiping down his motorcycle with Joe nearby. Wayne spotted James as well, waving him over swiftly.
"Yo, Jimmy!" Wayne cupped his hands over his mouth to project his voice. Evelyn let James lead then, and he pulled her over to see his friends. His nervousness immediately subsided when he was around the familiar faces.
"Oh, and you must be the lady," Wayne said, bending over and sweeping her hand to his lips, letting it linger just long enough to make James shift uncomfortably.
"Enchanté, mademoiselle," Wayne said seductively.
"Down, Wayne," Joe said like he was commanding a dog, pulling Wayne away from Evelyn. "She's Jimmy's girl."
James turned his head away to hide his embarrassment at that last part.
"So where's Bee?" James asked. "I was hoping she could hang with me and Evelyn on the sidelines…"
In actuality, she was one of his best friends and he could use her moral support. Plus, her being close friends with Evelyn as well, she might have more to talk about with Evelyn than he would. He was hoping he could use his mouth as little as possible around the gorgeous girl to keep from shaming himself any further.
"Naw, Bee didn't come with us," Joe said, shooting Wayne a look. "Wayne did something to really tick her off. I found her storming out of his room in a blind fury. I've trying all night to get him to tell me what he did, but no cigar."
"I don't kiss and tell," Wayne explained.
Evelyn giggled, and James couldn't help but smirk as well.
"I'm guessing this kiss wasn't by invitation," James piped in.
Wayne just shrugged.
"What can I say? She wants me. I'm just helping her admit it to herself."
Joe's turn to crack up behind him.
"Wow, you are quite self-assured," Evelyn observed.
"I only speak truth."
"Head's up," Joe tapped Wayne on the shoulder. "Concordat alert."
Wayne put a cherry lollipop in his mouth just as Damien Roth rode his motorcycle up the rocky hill, Sean Wen doing the same behind him and Blake Hunter trailing on foot.
"No freakin' way," Wayne growled angrily under his breath. James looked to him with confusion.
"I thought you knew they were coming?" he said with confusion.
Wayne threw his lollipop aside and took out a brand new pack of cigarettes. His hands shook angrily as he did so, his eyes flashed a ring of fire in them quickly to ignite it in haste. James waited impatiently for his answer, still in the dark what was affecting him so to make him light up again after so many months of nicotine sobriety.
"Yeah," he grumbled through his infuriated tone. "But I wasn't expecting Beatrice to come with him."
James whipped his head around to the group of Concordats once more, and sure enough, Beatrice was riding the passenger's seat behind Damien.
"Damn," Joe muttered. "That must have been some lousy kiss…"
Wayne ignored him and walked up to meet the Damien and the other Concordats, as his own two Covenants trailed at his heels in a good-old-fashioned standoff. The audience that had gathered to watch the races turned its attention to the two favored participants.
"Hey, Roth," Wayne said good naturedly, advancing on the group in wide strides, acting his best not to be bothered by his girl standing beside his worst enemy. "How's it floatin'?"
Just to spite him, Damien swung his around across Beatrice's shoulders possessively, but Beatrice gently pushed it off with discreet displeasure.
"I have to admit I was only expecting Wen to show," Wayne went on. "Not the whole crew. I'm flattered."
"Just wanted a chance to be the one to de-throne you," Damien replied in his usual snappish tone. "Then again," he added, putting his arm tighter around Beatrice's shoulders so she couldn't shove him away. "I think I've already won, don't you?"
"That's a pretty nice bike you have there…" Wayne said with an abrupt change of subject. "Very detailed, very expensive… very large. Not trying to compensate for something, are we, Roth?"
James snorted and promptly tried to stifle his laughter. Joe, ever the composed one, just smirked in amusement.
"Compensate?" he heard Blake Hunter mutter to Sean Wen. "Compensate for what?"
Blake Hunter was, needless to say, never the brightest bulb, and it only annoyed Damien further.
"Let's see if your bike is as fast as your mouth, Parry," Damien retorted. "Let's talk wagers, shall we?"
"I'm guessing you mean besides the usual hundred dollar entry fee," Wayne assumed. "What do you have in mind?"
"Loser skinny-dips in the ocean down there. In front of everybody here."
Wayne shrugged.
"Is that all?"
Damien leaned closer to Wayne, a dangerous look in his eye, lowering his voice so that only the select few could hear.
"And winner gets Bee for the night," he sneered.
The idea was immediately protested by all the Covenant members present.
"--Yeah, right!"
"--Forget it!"
"--No freakin' way!"
"--I'll do it."
Everyone's eyes turned to Bee, who was defiantly folding her arms across her chest.
"It's my decision anyway. Just don't think there's any sex involved, and you got a bet."
Wayne stared at Beatrice in disbelief, but couldn't help but let his thoughts wander to the thought of if he won.
But if he lost, he would be tormented all night by the mere imaginings of what Damien might try to pull with her.
But Wayne had never lost a race. Not once. This was not a fair bet; it was a sure thing. And it was just the time he needed to get with Beatrice, especially after the stunt he pulled today. She would avoid him like the plague otherwise.
"Wayne, don't even think it…" James warned, concerned for Beatrice's well being. He knew Wayne had a hard time backing down from a challenge, but he was hoping the fact that Beatrice was on the line might make him back off.
Yeah, right.
Wayne finally slapped his hand into Damien's, and shook it vigorously.
"You got yourself a race."
-
Make sure you have this on alert… you won't
want to miss what happens next. Please review.
Signed,
--RedRogue
