Chapter 215: New Guy
"Hey, Syd. Hey, Alison." Page's voice had a sticky sweet quality that turned my stomach. Not to mention she looked even worse in the daylight. Her skin seemed so pale and thin I could see the thick veins under it, bones jutting from her now skeletal frame. She vibrated with need, an aching emptiness, longing for connection, but I was heartless.
I would have kept walking if Alison hadn't forced me to stop by sheer body weight. She pulled against me, halting us right in front of the still smiling waste of space.
"Page." Alison looked her up and down, all arrogance and queen snooty. Seeing as she used to be the head cheerleader herself and the master of mental nastiness, regression seemed to come easy to her.
There was a ton of expression in that one word, so much it actually triggered a moment of compassion which I very quickly and angrily smothered with a jab of memory-Uncle Frank, kneeling at Odette's feet while Page accused him of feeding from her, replaced by the sight of his half melted face.
Yup, pretty much killed the flicker of empathy.
I watched her smile tremble, but she didn't back down. "It's great to see you both. Just the two of you now, right?" She'd acquired a twitch in her right cheek making her wink to an off beat. "So perfect, right? We can hang out, right?" If she said right one more time I was going to hit her, I swear.
Before I had a chance to shoot her down, Alison looked away and, in the coldest voice I've ever heard, said, "We'll be late for class."
We moved off, arm in arm still, leaving the crushed remnants of Page behind us and I didn't feel at all bad about it.
"Brilliant," I said, my demon hissing her vindictive pleasure while she suggested a few more nasty things to do to Page. I shushed her while Alison beamed at me, reminding me the girl hanging from my side was in almost as bad of shape. She just hid it better.
"You thought so?" Her arm uncurled from its death grip on mine as she straightened her shoulders. A bit of the old Alison shone out of her face and I took what I was thinking back. She was going to be okay.
That knowledge alone brightened my day.
I spotted Beth up ahead, returned her wave where she stood with... "Damn, what's his name?"
"Tim," Alison supplied promptly.
I'd really have to make an effort to remember. Beth seemed happy, cheery as always, but I didn't bother to stop and talk because Tim seemed to be taking up her attention.
At least one of us was normal.
Shocker, as we strolled past the cheergirls, they actually smiled and waved. Smiled. And. Waved. I'd have assumed something terrible was about to happen except they seemed genuinely cheery. No pun intended.
Could it possibly be my senior year would actually be fun?
While my cynical nature told me it couldn't last, I decided no matter how long it did, I'd take it.
A quick sorting in the gym and we were off to our lockers and first class. Alison pouted over the slip in her hand.
"We're in different homerooms this year." Her blue eyes welled, but she held it together. "I'll see if Mom can get them to switch my class to yours."
"I'm sure it'll work out, Al." I watched her go, waving at me as she did, smile fading as she disappeared around the corner. I sighed and loaded my locker, picking out my books for first period before slamming it closed. Maybe some independence would be good for her right now.
Or would turn her into a clutch monster. Either way, there was nothing I could do about it without leaning on her with my magic and there was no way I was using power on her.
I turned, head down, mind elsewhere, with I'm sure a scowl on my face and ran right into a T-shirted chest. A very delicious scented T-shirted chest. I backed up hastily, my senses full of a rich, earthy aroma woven through with fabric softener and looked up.
Tall, blonde and handsome looked down at the same time. And smiled.
"Sorry if I'm in the way." He shifted slightly to the side, the sunlight coming into the hall from the open classroom door catching red glints in his hair. "I'm a little lost."
He stared at me with his hazel eyes like I was supposed to respond. "Um, okay." What the hell was wrong with me? I'd seen cute guys before. Was in love with a hot morsel in black leather. But there was something about this guy stirring my blood, a deep and almost familiar feeling holding me captive.
His smile hung lopsided, head ducking while color flushed his cheeks. "Are you okay?" It shook me out of my rapture. What was he seeing on my face that made him blush?
Embarrassed myself, I backed off, tromping on someone's foot. I cast a quick, "Sorry!" over my shoulder before turning back to Mr. Mysterious.
"I'm Liam." He offered his hand which I took quickly. Too quickly. What the hell? "Liam O'Dane. Nice to meet you...?"
"Syd." I had to shake off this spaz attack. I pulled myself together and smiled what I hoped wasn't a creepy smile. "Hayle. You're new."
Classy. Idiot.
But he grinned and nodded, letting go of my hand. I missed the warmth of his skin when he did. "You got it. Smart girls in this one horse town."
It wasn't helping he reminded me of a cross between drop-dead gorgeous Brad Peters who, for all his faults, was yummy scrumptious and my own divinely tasty Quaid.
My laugh ended in a snort. Seriously? "That's us all right." Great comeback. I was devolving into loser rapidly with no help in sight.
Until he came to my rescue. Which only made it worse.
"I'll know who to hit up for help with my homework." Sweet and a smartass. Oh dear.
I literally got a grip on myself through sheer force of will and shrugged. "Homework? We're too smart for homework here."
His laugh reminded me of something, a churning something which dove deep inside and warmed me to my core. I found myself laughing with him, feeling flushed and delighted and absolutely enraptured.
"I could use some help," he said. "I have no idea where my class is."
What a great excuse to sidle up next to him and glance at the paper in his hand. The scent was stronger so close to him and I felt his breath against my cheek as he bent down to look. He was taller than Quaid and I found myself wondering if it would make a difference when he-
I jerked a step away from Liam, all the blood rushing from my face. I was not just contemplating kissing another guy. I. Was. Not. I loved Quaid.
Bad, Syd. Bad, bad, bad, Syd.
Liam noticed my retreat, but didn't say anything, just kept an easy smile, a kind and gentle energy my demon lapped up while Shaylee sighed and swooned.
They were so not helping.
"Right this way." I gestured for him to follow me, which he did, falling in step easily. "You have the delightful Ms. Fiat for your homeroom this year, lucky you."
Liam's nose wrinkled. "That bad?"
"Don't worry," I said. "She hated me, but I'm sure she'll love you." I gulped around the word, mentally kicking myself. But Liam didn't seem to notice.
"I'll be charming," he said. "It'll work, right?"
He had no freaking idea. "Should," I said while I screamed at myself. Was I flirting? Flirting! I had to get away from this guy.
"You just arrive in town?" Small talk. Yes, good. Distraction.
"Me and my mom." Liam made his way around a group of students, blocking them from running into me with his body. Delicious, sweet and chivalrous. Um-hum.
"Cool." Really? This was the best I could come up with? "I've only been here a year myself." Better. "It takes some getting used to, but you'll like it after a while."
"Maybe you could show me around?" Liam shifted his backpack over his shoulder, bare arm brushing mine for a tingling moment.
I was never so grateful and disappointed at the same time to pause at the gaping doorway to his class. "Here you are." I met Ms. Fiat's eyes for a moment as she shot me a glare, I'm sure just as happy as I was I'd never have to take another class from her ever again. Miracles do happen. When I turned back to Liam, he was still smiling a soft, curved smile making his face all kinds of perfect.
"Thanks, Syd Hayle." He saluted. "Are we on for the tour?"
"Yup, you bet." This was a disaster. I simply could not keep from being a total and complete loser. "Meet you for lunch? 'Kay, cool. See ya." Absolutely horrendous crash and burn in the normal girl department. Best to beat a retreat before I did more damage.
The moment I turned away from him, out of the sphere of his influence, my witchy senses started buzzing. And the awkward, simmering connection that made me a little breathless and very pathetic in his presence ebbed away, leaving me with a tingling feeling I associated with magic.
Hmm. That pulled me up short, leaving me standing in the crowded hall, lost in thought while kids jostled around me. I'd touched him, shook his hand. I hadn't felt even a hint of out of the ordinary. But I knew better than to trust anything less than a full investigation.
Of course, I was of two minds about that. It meant spending more time with him, if I wanted to be thorough in such an investigation. And I had to be thorough, didn't I? Wasn't it my responsibility to make sure no outside power came in and messed with my family?
I fixed Quaid's face firmly in my thoughts as I snapped out of it. I had a boyfriend, thanks. But it didn't mean I couldn't enjoy Liam's company.
Oh, Syd. Not just bad, but sadly transparent.
I looked up into the now thinning crowd and realized I was nowhere near my own homeroom. In fact, it was on the other side of the school. And the moment I made my feet move again, the bell rang.
Just what I needed. I ran through the emptying halls, suddenly and completely alone within ten seconds of the fading of the sound. I skidded around a corner, almost there when I slid sideways and nearly took out the tall, skinny woman standing in the middle of the silent corridor.
"And what," she asked, "are you doing out of class?"
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