"Hi."
Jace squinted up at the sound of a female voice. Her head and shoulders were blocking out his sun. All he saw was a ball of red and white.
The new girl? The cute red-head with the balance problem?
"Hello," he greeted, sitting up in the bench. Almost immediately, Jace realized he was wrong about the hair-color and the girl.
"Do you want to sit with us today?" Aline asked, with a confidant smile. Her girlfriends were watching in silent envy from their picnic table, praying that he would say YES.
She was attractive. Even her voice was nice. Kind of husky. And her almond-shaped eyes promised a good time.
But he wasn't interested in an attractive, nice, good time. Especially when it came with a crowd, twittering over everything he said or did.
Contrary to popular belief, he found the fawning annoying. That's why he usually chose to spend his free period with Alec. If Jace was a magnet for girls, Alec seemed to be…well, like a magnet flipped around. When they sat together, he just had to put up with the staring and the cell phones and occasional wave.
On a good day, he might even wave back. Then get back to his nap.
"Sorry, I've got this thing…" he replied, smiling in apology. "Gotta talk to Coach," Jace added, getting up and stretching. He didn't miss the girl's eyes scanning down to his tapered waist, where the shirt rode up. He may have held his arms over his head a little longer than necessary. He wasn't disappointed. She was staring. And her friends had turned into hungry succubi, wanting to pounce.
Damn Alec for dipping out on him. He was supposed to be his back up against the she-demon hoard.
"See you," Jace drawled, dropping his arms as strolled briskly back inside the building - before he had to dodge another pass.