Jaded

"She thinks she's my girlfriend."

Bingo. We just found the problem. So many thought they were the girlfriend.

"That’s why you want me to bring Steele's sister." It made sense. A movie star's sister would trump Becky Lew on any day.

"Oh no, I just want to get laid by a movie star's sister. You know me better than that, Sheldon. I can dodge Lew all week." He flashed another arrogant smile.

I think the girl behind me fainted, but I didn't care. I called him a not-so-nice word instead, but I did it with a sparkle in my eye.

"Please," he huffed. "You and Bryce are always all over each other, but the minute emotions might come into play, the two of you are all over someone else. Who's the bad guy between us?"

My eyes cooled. "Watch it." He knew where to step and where to avoid. He'd just stepped wrong. Corrigan knew the conversation that had words like Bryce, me, and emotions were always off limits.

"I'm just saying, help me out."

"You don't need my help getting laid, Corrigan." Had he not just left Becky Lew in his dust?

"It's different. Girls in school are different. Seriously, make friends with Steele's sister for me?"

"How do you even know if she's hot? Maybe there's a reason why she's not known. She could be ugly and fat."

"She's not. I've already met her." He cursed at his slip.

I arched an eyebrow. That was new. "You didn't want me to know that?"

"Look." He glanced up and down the hallway and moved closer. One of his hands rested at my hip as he whispered, "She's not exactly a fan of mine."

I slapped his hand away and said, "You already shagged her, didn't you?"

"Not quite," he sounded pained, but shook his head. "Just do it for me? Please, Sheldon?"

Whatever.

I sighed and replied dully, "Yeah. I'll make buddy-buddy and bring her round."

"To the party?" he pressed.

"To the party." I was such a sucker.

Chapter 2





When I entered Spanish, I saw the normal crowd in the back. Bryce sat, listening to whatever Chad Yerling was saying. A few of the other guys were also listening while some of the girls either gossiped or had perched on the guys' laps.

Stephanie Hills was perched on Bryce's table, but not his lap.

As I moved forward and dropped to the empty seat at Bryce's table, she shot off and scurried away.

Bryce switched his attention to me and leaned closer.

"What were you talking to Corrigan about?"

I shrugged and refused to meet his eyes.

"Wanna skip?" he suggested.

I smiled and asked, "And do what?"

"You know." His eyes fell to my lips and stayed there. One of his hands rested on my knee and started a slow rhythmic caress.

"Scout," Chad called.

Bryce ignored him and asked me again, "Now or never. Wanna go?"

I bit my lip, knowing it'd turn him on, but murmured, "You're in a weird mood today."

Bryce sighed and leaned back. His hand stayed in place.

"So a no, then?" he asked. Bryce and I had our own language. And we both knew my response was an evade.

I could never say no or yes. Neither could he.

"Scout," Chad said again, a little huffy now.

I leaned forward and pressed a slow, torturous kiss to Bryce's lips.

He grasped the back of my head and held me in place as he explored me in return. I heard Chad groan in frustration. He'd lost the battle for Bryce's attention.

"Mr. Scout and Miss Jeneve."

Our teacher, Mr. Dwellsworth, banged a ruler on his desk.

I tried to pull back, but Bryce finished the kiss before he released me. I was a little relieved to hear him panting right alongside me.

"Mr. Scout and Miss Jeneve!"

"Yeah?" I asked, knowing my voice was hoarse.

"I don't want the two of you to sit at the same table. Mr. Scout, please switch seats with Miss Veera."

"Who?" Bryce asked as he stood, relaxed and confident.

A girl in the back, tiny and pissed, stood up as she grabbed her books. She glared as she retorted, "That's me." She brushed past him and her red hair smacked him in the face as she dropped into his vacated seat.

Bryce chuckled as he took her seat.

She glanced my way, but hunched her shoulders as she opened her book to read.

She wanted to be alone. I didn’t give a damn so I leaned close. "What's your first name?" When she ignored me, I reached out and plucked her book away. "What's your name?"

I wasn't one to be ignored—ever. As she paled, I knew that she had remembered.

"Her name is Shelly Veera and you need to leave her alone, Miss Jeneve," Mr. Dwellsworth spoke over the classroom.

Pff. I glared at him, but leaned back and waited. It wasn’t long before he started his lecture. That was when I leaned over again. "Why are you all pissy?"

She made a sound like she was in pain, but didn't reply.

I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned around to see that Chad held out a note for me.

We should've skipped.

I looked to Bryce and nodded. Then I bit my lip again and grinned when he coughed. So much promise, so much lust. As I continued to hold his gaze, warmth started to burn inside of me. It wasn’t long until I knew that I had grown wet between my legs. His eyes darkened in desire—

"Mr. Scout!"

I rolled my eyes and turned eyes front.

"Yes, sir?" Bryce groaned under his breath.

Mr. Dwellsworth became red in the face. "You continue to disrupt my classroom day after day. I have had enough, Mr. Scout."

Bryce didn't say one word.

That was something I'd always been envious about. Bryce had the hot body that could get him into a magazine, but it was the air that surrounded him. He drew in all the attention. He could muster anyone to do anything for him without a single spoken word.

Sometimes it turned me on and other times it pissed me off.

Today was the former.

Deciding to join the fray, my hand shot up in the air. "Mr. Dwellsworth."

You could feel the enraptured tension in the class. All eyes trailed towards me. Oh yes. They knew something was going to happen. It always did when the two of us teamed up to cause a scene. I should’ve brought popcorn to pass out.

"Yes, Miss Jeneve?" Mr. Dwellsworth was cautious now. He also felt the inevitable.

"Bryce didn't say anything to disrupt your class. He coughed. That was it."

Mr. Dwellsworth weighed his words, but forced politeness came out. "Miss Jeneve, when I ask to debate the decisions of my classroom, you may talk then. Right now, I am the teacher and I will tolerate your disrespect no longer."

"So are you going to have us leave?"

His eyes narrowed as they took in my relaxed state and saw that Bryce mirrored my look. It had been practiced and perfected throughout our lifetime because of parents who thought they could tell us what to do. Or, at least, that's what my third shrink told me when I made the not-so-startling revelation that I struggled with authority. It was because my parents were never parents to me. The little they chose to stick around didn't grant them the right to suddenly turn parent on me for two holidays of the year.

I had liked that shrink, but my parents hadn't.

"No, Miss Jeneve." He sighed and shook his head. "No, I am not. Unlike every other adult figure in your life, I'm going to make you learn something. I think, from now on, you and Mr. Scout will be tutored in the library by two of my student aides."

Shelly gasped beside me and I cast a curious look her way.

And to this, she ducked her head back into her book and tried to ignore everything else. Interesting.

"Are you serious?" Bryce yawned. "We get an hour to ourselves in the library instead of coming here?"

"Trust me." Mr. Dwellsworth grinned, in all his evils delight that a teacher could muster. "You won't be enjoying yourselves."

I didn't really care what our 'discipline' was, but I spoke up, "Are you serious? Just because I spoke up for a friend doesn't give you the right to expel us to the library. You have no reason to remove us from this classroom."

"Oh, Miss Jeneve." Mr. Dwellsworth shook his head. "You are not being removed from this class."

"Shut up, Sheldon," Bryce murmured. "We get out of here."

It wasn't the point.

"You may both leave now, but if you are not in the library when my student aides report there, you will receive detention for the rest of the week."

Well, it was pretty obvious to everyone what we were going to do. Detention it would be!

Bryce stood and waited at the door for me.

I heard Chad starting to laugh just before the door shut behind us.

In the hallway, Bryce asked, "What was that about?"

I shrugged. "I had a point."

"Whatever. I think he's getting used to us after two years." He chuckled. "Wanna skip?"

"That's what got us into this punishment in the first place."

But we both knew we were going to go.

Bryce shot me one of his melting grins. He tugged me close and rested his forehead against mine. As his lips rested above mine, he said again, "Let's go somewhere else."

"And do what?" I smiled and enjoyed the brush of my lips against his. Bryce transferred my book into his hands and clasped me closer to him. I reached around his neck, bringing my body flush against his. Turning, he backed me up against a locker and then started to kiss my neck.

"You guys need a room."

Who else? Only a few would dare… Corrigan.

Bryce didn't stop.

"What are you doing out of class?" I remained in his arms and tilted my neck for better access.

Corrigan leaned against the locker beside us and stuffed his hands into his pockets. He looked dejected when he mumbled, "Nothing. I could go for some food."

I teased, "Isn't Becky Lew in your second period?"

Corrigan rolled his eyes and pushed off from the locker. "You guys coming or not? My treat."

I sighed and Bryce felt it so he stepped away.

We shared a glance and both turned to follow our best friend. Something else was up. When we got outside, I saw that Corrigan was already in my car.

"Of course," I said sarcastically as I took the driver's seat. "You're the one who wants food, but I'm the one driving."

Corrigan grinned at me. "You like driving stick, Sheldon. We all know it."

I shared a resigned look in the rear-view mirror with Bryce before he laid down in the backseat.

"No sleeping," I remarked as I pulled out of the parking lot.

"Yeah. Yeah," Bryce mumbled back, but Corrigan turned and punched his best friend in the stomach.

Without shock, pause, a reaction, anything—Bryce reached up and slammed Corrigan's head against his headrest.

I shook my head, grinned, and pulled out into the street. This is why we were best friends.

"Oomph," Corrigan breathed.

Bryce laughed and punched Corrigan in the shoulder before he went back down.

"So what's up with this impromptu food trip?" I asked, shifting gears.

"No reason. I'm just hungry," Corrigan murmured as he turned back in his seat. He tapped the dashboard for awhile and then reached to change the radio station.

Uh, that wasn’t normal. When Bryce sat up and met my gaze in the rear-view mirror, I knew he thought the same thing. Corrigan was evading my question. Corrigan only evaded when he was upset.

"Right, you're just hungry." Bryce studied his best friend.

"If you wanted food, you would've gone to the vending machine," I added and pulled into my house's driveway.

"Thought we'd go to a restaurant or something," Corrigan protested.

I didn't like restaurants. He knew that.

"Whatever," I brushed it off as I climbed out and led the way into my kitchen.

Having rich parents had its benefits. When I requested a chef to come in, a chef came in. I wasn’t a hearty eater so the chef was only requested when Corrigan and Bryce ate through my stock. As they did now—they both attacked the fridge to find lasagna while I heated some grilled chicken. It wasn’t long until we headed for the media room and I curled on the couch as the guys sat on each end. They inhaled their food.

After Corrigan got up for more, I leaned forward and punched Bryce on the arm.

"What?" he asked as he cradled his arm.

"You start it."

We both knew what I meant.

A pained look crossed his face. "Oh, come on. You're the girl. Be girly."

I punched him again.

"Ow! That one hurt."

"Bryce," I warned.

"Fine. Alright, just stop hitting me."

I raised my fist again, but Bryce caught it and hauled me onto his lap.

He grinned in satisfaction as he leaned back against the couch. Both of his hands moved to my hips and he held me in place when I moved to slide off.

"This will be more enjoyable if you stay exactly where you are."

Hearing the microwave door open and shut, I leaned forward, kissed Bryce quickly and twisted his nipple.

"Ow! That hurt too," Bryce cried out.

I slid off his lap as Corrigan returned with his second helping. Another heated look passed between us, but then Bryce groaned. "Alright, man. What's up?"

Corrigan froze mid-chew and looked over.

He finished chewing, swallowed, and settled back against the couch. He kept his plate on his lap.

Bryce looked at me with raised eyebrows, but I watched Corrigan instead.

"Alright…you should know…I'm moving."