Chapter 90: Benjamin
I found myself at school the next morning trying to desperately come up with a more plausible story than the one I told Alison, or at least to fill in the holes in my horrid lie, failing miserably even as I ran right into my friends.
The nook by the door where we all met every morning was in full sunlight, giving me a clear view of the worry on their collective faces. They crowded around me, touching me as if to reassure themselves I was in one piece. Simon's glasses caught the light, his thin face puckered with concern, heavy dark hair falling in his eyes over and over again.
"Syd," he said. "What happened to your face?"
Stupid bruise. How embarrassing. Even more so that I had to lie to cover it up. "I think I ran into a tree." So weak. Pathetic even. But my little friend actually winced and patted my hand.
"Been there," he said. I believed him. Simon was the king of klutz.
Beth actually hugged me twice, the scent of her shampoo reminding me of my mother.
"I saved you a smores pack." She pressed the little sandwich bag full of graham crackers and chunks of chocolate into my hands. The simple caring behind her gesture, so very Beth, made me want to cry.
I hugged her hard when she reached for me the second time.
Pain hung back a little, her blue eyes wise behind the layers of black makeup. She worried me the most of all, with her bricked up talent that managed to escape now and then. Blood just grinned like a goof.
"Righteous," he said. "Nice color." He gestured at the side of my face where the bruise throbbed on my cheekbone. "Hope the tree suffered."
I smiled weakly back. He had no idea.
"Sorry," I managed to stammer. "I didn't mean to worry everyone."
Amazingly, they took it in stride and let it go. How cool is that? I would have worried about my mother tampering with them or something, but nope. They were my friends and all they really cared about was that I was okay.
I felt even worse about it. They didn't deserve to be lied to. Not like I had a choice or anything.
Pain was the only one to stay quiet. No hugs from her, not a moment of concern for my well being. Instead, she backed off and left without a word. That bothered me way more than I was willing to admit. Even my demon grumbled about it and took it personally.
Pain was slippery all morning, dodging my every attempt to track her down, from skipping out on English until the bell rang to going the other way when I crossed paths with her near the bathroom.
At least she sat with us at lunch. But nowhere near me. I was starting to feel like I'd really screwed up with her and wondered how I was ever going to make it up to her.
Determined to take my punishment and win my friend back, I waited until Blood left to dump their trays before sliding the full length of the bench and up against her.
Humiliated but knowing I had to do it, while the others looked on with oddly horrified expressions, I grabbed her arm and held her while I gushed all over her.
"Pain, I'm sorry you're mad, I'm so sorry I hurt your feelings, I didn't mean to, please forgive me, I can't stand it if you're mad at me." I gasped in some air at the end of my pathetic tirade, ready to go on if necessary.
She faced me with the same blank expression from earlier that morning. No change. Instead of rambling on further, I faced the facts. She wasn't willing to forgive and forget. I fell silent, miserable, my cheeks flushing, wishing she would say something. Anything.
I gasped in surprise when she lunged forward and hugged me so hard around the neck I could barely breathe.
"Don't ever scare me like that again." She pulled away, blushing under her pale makeup. "Ever."
She lurched to her feet, her platform combats trembling under her, and bolted. Blood bent over where she'd been sitting with a shrug and a grin. "She's, you know. Protective."
He left to find his emotional girlfriend. Alison sniggered while Beth patted my hand and Simon made a snuffling noise that sounded far too sad for my liking. Put in my place by my friend's concern, I went back to class feeling like a total jerk.
Chemistry. I hated it. Sucked at it. Witches aren't true alchemists, though some, like the Vegas and Sandra Crossman, are in tune with natural elements like herbs and plants. But earth magic and chemistry are two different things entirely. I just couldn't wrap my head around it and didn't know a witch who could.
Thank goodness Simon was in my class, the king of the Bunsen burner. And that our teacher, Mr. Prusse, recognized my ineptness from day one and paired me with my young friend so at least one of us would be competent enough not to set the lab on fire.
I was dragging my ass to the door when someone bumped into me. My knee-jerk reaction was to apologize, but when I met the eyes of the guy who ran into me, I couldn't say a word. Not sure why. He wasn't super hot or anything. Kind of ordinary really, except for his lovely blue eyes. And he seemed oddly familiar, like I should know him from somewhere.
"Hi, Syd." He shrugged his backpack into place, a smile on his face. "Sorry about that."
"No worries." I desperately hunted my brain for his name. He knew me, so I had to know him, right? Damn, I hated it when that happened.
"It's Benjamin." He stuck out his hand. Who did that? I shook it, a little weirded out.
"Right." Nope, no bells ringing.
"I just moved here," he said. "I'm in your homeroom."
I guessed that explained it. "You in Chemistry?"
"No," he laughed. "On my way to English."
"Well," I said, "nice meeting you."
His teeth shone really, really white. Like movie star fake white. I only knew they practically twinkled because he never stopped smiling. Not once. The dude was seriously creeping me out.
"I was wondering what you were doing later?" Hadn't I just said 'see you'? He made no move to leave. Oh, right, he wanted to know... oh crap.
"Um..." I prayed the bell would ring. Prayed hard.
"I saw you and your friends at Johnny's on Saturday." We'd gone for burgers at our favorite hangout just before camping. "Do you go there a lot?"
"Sometimes." Okay, don't get me wrong. The guy seemed okay, creep factor or not. I didn't want to just brush him off. But if for some strange and twisted reason he was into me, I was so done. Times were tough enough balancing my recent ex-boyfriend Brad and all the tension and weird feelings I was having about Quaid Moromond...
Speak of the devil. Tall dark and delicious-I mean, jerky-leaned against the doorframe to Chemistry class, watching me talk to Benjamin. The adopted son of the very witches who tried to destroy my family's coven only six months ago may have had nothing to do with their plans, but he had everything to do with the pain in my ass. It didn't help he kissed me just a month ago. Mind you, he thought he was going to die before he laid those lips on me. Still. You don't do that kind of thing to a girl then revert to total jerkdom again after the danger is over.
Unless, of course, you're Quaid Moromond.
Benjamin obviously had no idea my attention was divided, because he went on.
"I'd very much like to join you sometime."
Who talked like that? Okay, a bit of a relief there. He wanted to hang with my friends. Sheesh, Syd. Get over yourself. I shrugged, trying to think of a reason why he shouldn't. After all, he still creeped me out.
"Not sure when we're going again." Man, that was so weak.
"I see." He shifted the pack on his back one more time as if he wasn't used to the weight. But his smile never faltered. "You could call me? On my cell phone?" He handed me a slip of paper from his pocket. I almost didn't take it. The elegant handwriting scrolled so polished I wondered if his mother wrote it for him. "Your friends seem like the kind of people I'd really like to hang with."
Those words sounded so awkward coming from his mouth I almost asked him if he moved here from another country. Like he was trying to sound like he belonged. Then it hit me. Of course. The outcasts. He wouldn't fit in with anyone else. He and Simon would probably hit it off, one boy genius to another.
I had to ditch this guy somehow. So I lied yet again. Starting to be a bit of a habit.
"Sure." I pocketed the note just as a leather-clad arm settled around my shoulders. I looked up, startled, to see Brad glaring at Benjamin. I wanted to shift myself away from him, feeling the zing of his latent power looking for a way in. I'd cut off the connection between us when I destroyed the locket he gave me in the battle with Cesard, but that didn't mean the part of him wanting to be connected to my power was willing to give up.
Which meant Brad wasn't either.
"Hey, Syd," Brad said all casual, like he wasn't really trying to intimidate the other guy.
I rolled my eyes. Boys. "Brad." I shrugged at Benjamin who smiled brighter.
"I'll look forward to your call then." Benjamin hesitated another second, Brad glaring, the moment stretching out into impossible awkwardness until I just wanted to scream at him to leave. He finally did, bobbing his head at me, strolling down the hall and out of sight.
I pulled away from Brad. "I wish you wouldn't do that." Quaid was still watching. Damn him.
Brad seemed hurt. "I was just looking out for you, babe. That kid is creepy."
At least I wasn't the only one who saw it. Hey, wait a minute. He totally just didn't.
"Don't call me that," I snapped, blushing, hating that my eyes drifted to Quaid who smirked his smug and hateful smile at me before oozing his tall leanness into the classroom, leaving Brad and I alone.
"Can I come over tonight?" He almost sounded desperate. It broke my heart.
"I... uh... I have to study." What was with me today? Lies and lameness all around.
"I could help you." Brad was a senior, graduating in a month. "We could study together."
How do you say no to a puppy dog face when it's as gorgeous as his? Chiseled jaw, dimples, green eyes that swallow you up with their need, wavy dark blond hair, a chest and shoulders that could hold up a house... sigh.
"Better not," I said with far more regret than I should have. The bell rang, finally rescuing me. I dodged away from him, offering a bit of a wave which he answered with a forlorn one of his own.
I really had to do something about that. I just had no idea what.
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