Jaded

listened to whatever Chet was saying. Corrigan stood on the outskirts with a girl with dark brown hair that fell to her waist. She was short, but had exotic eyes. They glowed when she looked at Corrigan, but she still looked awkward.

My guess, this was the girl from last night. And I smirked when I saw that Becky Lew stood on his other side, just behind him. Becky chatted with her friends while New Girl glanced self-consciously around. She hugged her books to her chest and averted her eyes when they trailed and met mine.

Holster nudged Corrigan and nodded in my direction. Corrigan immediately left the group and fell in line beside me. He threw an arm around my shoulder and said, cockily, "So what do you think?"

"I generally try not to think."

Corrigan laughed and tightened his hold around my shoulders.

"No, about Logan. What do you think about her?"

"Are you serious?" So that was her name.

"Yeah. Why?"

I kicked my locker open.

"Because," I murmured as I reached inside, "you just ignored the girl."

"Well, yeah, but…it's the first morning. You know how it is."

"The school hierarchy, you mean. If you're all into her, everyone might think you have a girlfriend and they can't think that."

"Yeah." He said like it made perfect sense.

"Sometimes," I started and leaned against my locker, "being the arrogant womanizer that you are might bite you in the rear."

"What do you mean?" He shifted on his feet, but listened intently.

I shrugged.

"Corrigan, someday you're going to meet a girl that's going to know her place with you and not be alright with that."

"Huh?" he questioned.

"Look, you know me. I don't care about these girls as long as you don't ask me to be nice, but one day one girl that you're going to actually want won't be okay with your chain of command."

"Not following."

Bryce walked to us just then and punched Corrigan in the arm.

Corrigan ignored him and asked me, "Seriously. What do you mean?"

Bryce glanced between the two of us.

I saw Becky Lew pass behind us. She skimmed her eyes over all three of us and her mouth tightened.

"Do you really want a girl that's okay with all the other girls you got going on?" I continued.

Bryce went still beside me.

I ignored him and waited for Corrigan's answer.

He shrugged.

"Not really thinking about that right now, you know," he responded thoughtfully. The moment vanished when the first bell rang and self-assured Corrigan fell back into place.

He threw an arm around my shoulder and walked beside me.

Bryce disappeared in the opposite direction.

"Seriously." Corrigan asked, "Should I take Logan, Mena, or Becky to Harris' party?"

"Since when do you take girls to the party? You usually just show up and pick."

"That's right." He laughed. "That's why we're friends. Sure you don't want a ride with me?"

"A ride?" I teased, my eyes darkened. "Or a ride?"

Amusement leapt to Corrigan's eyes and he smiled slowly.

"You know which one." He nudged me with his shoulder and patted my ass as he left for his own class.

I stayed in place and watched as he passed his first period classroom.

Corrigan didn't go to classes. That was a universal law. And someday, sometime, that law would come back to bite him in the butt.

Leisha smiled warmly as she approached the classroom and asked, "No Corrigan this morning?"

"Nope," I murmured and walked to our table.

We both sat down and I asked, "Why can't we have coffee in our classes?"

"No doubt," Leisha huffed and yawned dramatically.

Leisha was pretty cool. She wore the most outrageous outfits. She had on a taffeta shirt with ruffles on her neckline that spread past her shoulders.

Outrageous.

We had grown used to each other since we were assigned table-mates in the beginning of the year. I hadn't known who Leisha was before our first day in Calculus, but she had informed me that she'd always known who I was. At first she'd been on guard around me, but when she figured out that I wasn't going to screw with her, she started to relax. Now we almost seemed friendly to each other.

Just then Mr. Aldross entered the room and said, "Miss Jeneve, you are wanted in the counselor's office."

I stiffened and asked, tensely, "Why? What for?"

He started to write on the chalkboard and responded, "That is none of my business, Miss Jeneve. I would not know that information."

I stayed in my seat.

Leisha watched me. So did the rest of the class.

Mr. Aldross wrote the daily set of questions from our assigned homework.

"Okay, class…" He turned back around and saw I had remained. His lips tightened as he stared at me. Clearing his throat, he asked, "What are you still doing here, Miss Jeneve? You are wanted in the counselor's office."

"And I told the counselor yesterday that she can expel me. I'm not going to talk to her and you can't make me."

He started to say something, but the words died in his throat.

Bryce walked in, late like normal.

Irritation flickered across Mr. Aldross' features before he spoke, "Mr. Scout."

Bryce dropped in his seat and leaned back in his chair. He didn't respond.

"This is becoming a daily routine that grows tiresome."

I met Bryce's eyes and smiled haughtily.

Bryce looked amused, but he stayed quiet.

"Maybe you should sleep some more," I suggested.

Our teacher snapped his attention back to me.

"Why do you say that?" he asked, but looked cautious.

"You just said that it's getting tiresome. If we can't get enough sleep at night, you should let us bring coffee. That's what I think."

"You shouldn't even be sharing your opinions, Miss Jeneve. You are supposed to be in the counselor's office."

"Yeah, well," I crossed my arms over my chest. "I'm not going." I raised my chin up and stared back, steadily.

Mr. Aldross stared at me and I knew he was wondering what he would do with me.

"Then you may go to the principal's office," he quickly named his only other alternative.

I rolled my eyes and stood up. When I was at the door, Mr. Aldross commented, "Please wait, Miss Jeneve."

"Changed your mind?"

"May I please see your homework?"

"I don't have time for that, Mr. Aldross. The principal needs to see me," I taunted him and dramatically threw open the door.

I hadn't gone a few steps before the door opened again and Leisha ran to catch up.

"Hey," she gave me a tentative grin.

"Mr. Aldross asked you to escort me?" I asked, already knowing.

"Yeah." She ducked her head. "Sorry."

"It's cool," I shrugged. "I'm not going. You know that right?"

At my locker, I traded my books for my purse.

"So are you skipping?" She asked, her shoulders hunched.

I eyed her outfit again. The taffeta clung to her skin. She wore some type of tight khakis that were pinned to itself with large black buttons that ran up and down her legs. She almost looked like a naughty librarian.

"Where'd you get that outfit?" I asked.

"What?" Confusion crossed her face as she glanced down at herself. "This?"

"Yeah. Where'd you get that?"

"Hot Topics. Why?" She frowned.

"It's cool. I like it." And I did, I wasn't lying.

Just then the door opened again and Bryce strolled out. He grinned at the sight of us and moved to lean beside me.

"Hey," he murmured.

"Did he kick you out or send you after us?"

"He's got his ass all twisted," Bryce commented.

"Nice articulation," I joked and Bryce grinned ruefully.

I yawned and asked Bryce, "Wanna go for coffee?"

Bryce frowned, but said, "Sure."

I eyed Leisha and asked, "Wanna come?"

Her eyes widened.

I saw the glint of a smile at Bryce's mouth, but he just watched.

"I shouldn't." She shifted on her feet and glanced at the classroom door. "I should go back. I mean, Mr. Aldross is expecting me."

"You're right." I grinned wolfishly. "You should go back."

"Um." Her eyes glanced between Bryce and myself again, anxiously. And then she exclaimed, "I'm going to go." She disappeared down the hallway, but was back within a moment with a black purse tucked underneath her arm. And she looked nervous, very nervous.

I felt a pang of conscience and said, "You don't have to come."

She bit her lip and asked, "What do you mean?"

"Leisha, you're a good kid. Lying to a teach is not your forte. You can't really want to skip with us."

"I do. I really do," she insisted.

"Okay." I exchanged a look with Bryce. He raised an eyebrow, but that was the extent of his feedback. "Let's go."

Bryce took shotgun in my car and Leisha hopped in the back. She giggled as we left the parking lot and confided, "You're right. This is the first time I've skipped school. I kinda like it. It's a rush."

Bryce and I both chose to remain quiet on that matter.

When I pulled into the coffee shop, I informed Bryce, "You're paying."

"What?" Bryce asked. "Why am I paying? We're not on a date."

Leisha giggled behind her hands.

Maybe bringing her wasn't such a good idea.

"You're paying because you're the man. Men buy things."

"And women put out?" Bryce finished the sentiment and flashed a suggestive grin.

"Exactly," I murmured and pushed inside. I wasn't serious, but I grinned a little at the Leisha's sudden intake of breath.

She hesitated at the door when Bryce held it open for her. "Girls first." Bryce ushered her inside with a hand at her back.

Leisha looked like a deer in headlights.

The clerk frowned at us, but filled our orders. I moved to study the magazines when Bryce dropped onto one of the couches. After we'd gotten our coffee, we sat there in silence. Bryce leaned back and closed his eyes. Leisha watched Bryce, shyly, and then nibbled at her nails when she looked to me. And I drank my coffee while I watched her. I almost felt sorry, she was out of her league and she knew it.

When the door's bell jingled, Bryce sat up and bumped his knee into mine.

"What?" I asked and he gestured towards the front door.

It was Mena and Denton.

Mena had a glazed look in her eyes and Denton looked bored.

I remembered the blank look that had been on her face when I first left for school.

"Do you guys know them?" Leisha asked and then gasped. "That's Denton Steele."

"They're weird, Sheldon." Bryce murmured and leaned for his drink.

I was starting to agree.

"Oh my god. Do you guys know them?" Leisha pressed again, eagerly. All her virgin-blushes and awkwardness was gone now. The presence of a celebrity could work so many miracles.

"Something like that," I murmured and plastered a warm smile on my face when Denton noticed us. He did a double-take, but left Mena's side. Mena remained at the counter.

"Hey, Sheldon." Denton flashed a smooth grin my way and took the seat beside mine.

Bryce leaned back and watched underneath his eyelids.

"Skipping school?" Denton managed to condemn and flirt with me at the same time.

"I have first period free," I lied smoothly.

"Really?" He raised his eyebrows.

"Hi." Leisha stuck her hand out. "I'm Leisha Summers."

"Hi." Denton turned celebrity in a flash.

"Can I have your autograph?"

"Sure." He winked at me. "Sheldon, do you want an autograph?"

I looked at him coolly and murmured, "I think I gave you my autograph."

"Oh right." He flexed his back and added, "I never knew nail marks stung so much."

Mena sat beside Leisha at that moment and handed a drink to her brother.

Denton dropped the celebrity façade and turned into big brother immediately. It was impressive.

"Thanks, Mena," he said softly.

She ignored him and gazed at me. "Hey, Sheldon."

"Hi, Mena."

She glanced warily at Bryce. Her eyes lingered a moment and Bryce raised an eyebrow when he looked at me.

Denton's jaw clenched. He thrust a hand out, "We didn't meet yesterday. I'm Denton."

"Bryce," Bryce grunted as he shook hands.

"Did you guys get your friend out of jail?"

Bryce and I both grinned and enjoyed the startled looks on Leisha and Mena's faces.

"Sure did." Bryce lifted his cup in a salute.

"Who was in jail?" Mena asked.

"A friend," I answered and switched the topic, "So, Mena, you're not going to school today?"

Denton frowned and answered first, "She's not feeling well today."

"Looks fine to me," Bryce commented.

"Looks fine to me," I repeated.

Mena gave her brother a forced smile and said tightly, "I'm feeling fine, but Denton thinks he felt a fever coming on."