Emily attempted to hike her skirt up higher on her thighs as she stood outside the office, waiting for her peer mentor to show up and give her a tour of the campus.
"Emily Lensherr, right?" a voice interrupted her inspection of her hemline.
"Prentiss," Emily quickly corrected. At the other girl's quizzical expression, she explained, "My last name is Prentiss. I mean, I wish it wasn't because my mother is no picnic, but I don't want everyone knowing he's my father."
The expression that earned her was one that seemed to say Good luck with that... "My name is Alex, by the way. We met briefly the other day."
"Oh, right," Emily said. "Are you my peer mentor?"
She nodded. "To be clear, I didn't volunteer for this or anything – I'm not that person. By my mother bullied me into doing student council and this is one of my duties." She made an exasperated expression that Emily was well acquainted with.
She laughed a little. "That sounds like something my mother would do." A beat. "Well, would've done."
Alex's expression was sympathetic. "I'm sorry for your loss."
Emily waved her concern away. "Don't be. Mother was never sentimental, so she wouldn't approved of maudlin displays of emotion on her behalf."
"Oh... Okay," Alex said slowly. When Emily didn't seem upset at the mention of her mother's passing, Alex followed her lead. "Anyway, let's get this tour over with because I've got to get ready for the pep rally next period. You know... Go Timberwolves!" she exclaimed, shaking imaginary pompoms.
"Just when I thought we could be friends..." Emily muttered.
Alex frowned. "Meaning what exactly?" she asked.
Emily's responding look was pointed. "You're a cheerleader and I'm...well..." She trailed off, gesturing to herself. "Let's just say, I'm the opposite of a cheerleader."
"That doesn't mean we can't be friends," Alex insisted. "I'm not a cheerleader by choice – I was happy living my nerdy hermetic life, but then my mom got all neurotic and anal about me getting into a good university. She says grades aren't enough, you need to be well-rounded and have extracurriculars and sports and crap."
Emily eyed her suspiciously, seemingly weighing whether she believed her. Ultimately, though, Emily didn't have the chance to decide before a boy came rushing up and lifted Alex off her feet, swinging her around, making Alex squeal.
"James!" she shrieked, "James, put me down!"
He laughed and reluctantly obliged, setting her back down, then stealing a kiss. "Who's your friend?" he asked, glancing over to Emily.
Alex smiled brightly up at him, reaching for his hand. "James, this is Emily Prentiss. She's new here. Emily, this is James Blake, my boyfriend."
"What did you say your name was again?" Emily asked. She exhaled slowly, letting the marijuana smoke float past her lips.
"Didn't."
She raised a brow, shot him a look that was unamused and yet intrigued. "Well? Feel like sharing it?"
The boy (well, man, really) laughed. He extended his hand to take the joint from her. "Ian," he said at length. "You're that Lensherr guy's kid?"
Emily groaned dramatically. "How does everyone already know?"
"That's what happens at small private schools," Ian said...and he should know, considering he'd been held back twice already, making him the school's oldest student. "The new girl in school is a hot gossip commodity, even when she's not related to Magneto..."
Rolling her eyes, Emily snatched the joint back and took a puff. "God, high school is such bullshit. At least at the international school we were all the new kid..."
"You're a diplomat's kid?" Ian asked incredulously, suddenly seeming unsure about this dalliance. "Jesus, what are you doing smoking a fat one with me? Shouldn't you be in the library with the other overachievers?"
She scoffed. "Believe me, I'm only here because my father has control of my inheritance until I turn eighteen," she muttered.
"You sure?" he teased, elbowing her gently. "You sure you're not just too embarrassed to admit you're a nerd? I saw you talking to that cheerleader know-it-all earlier..."
She shoved him. "Fuck off," she said, though there was no heat behind it. "She's just my neighbour, we're not friends, believe me."
He laughed, though it was unclear if he was laughing at her or simply because he was high. She supposed it didn't really matter either way. "You sure your father isn't going to kill me for corrupting his precious little angel?" he asked.
She snorted derisively. "Yeah fucking right. For one thing, I'm pretty sure he doesn't give two shits about me. For another, I was corrupted long before you came a long. And thirdly, I'm sure as hell no angel..."
His grin became positively wicked at that.
"What?"
"Show me," he dared her. At raised brow, he said, "I think I'm going to need some proof."
She cocked her head, brow still raised, saying nothing for so long he started to think he'd pushed her too far... Then, though, she leaned in as if to kiss him, then at the last second, she turned her head so her hot breath was ghosting his ear. "Es qu'on peut parler en privé..."
A devilish grin crossed his lips. He didn't know what he'd expected from her, but it wasn't this... "Tu est plein des surprises, dis donc?" he replied, pulling back to look in her eyes, almost challenging her to reply in kind.
"Si tu savais..." she said, eyes twinkling with mischief.
She'd barely had the chance to utter the words before he captured her lips in a hungry kiss, his tongue delving into her mouth when she readily parted her lips to grant him access. She grabbed a fistful of his uniform shirt and pulled him into her body, wrapping an arm around his neck to help keep her upright as he knees threatened to give out from under her.
He broke the kiss to ask, "Are you doing this just to piss off your father?"
She smirked. "Do you care if I am?"
