Chapter 16: Chapter 16
Knowing the storage room door would be unlocked around this time of the daya secret only a few knewI pulled it open, waited for Linda to pass, and silently closed it behind me. A dim shaft of sunlight sneaked through a small window, spilling a muted shade of the afternoons color over the edges of the lined shelves crowded with tools and materials of all sorts. The maintenance room was a relaxing place, one Id especially visited before Lindas arrival. It was the only place in school where I could find peace, and the small old couch in the corner made me feel at home. So with the quiet air pervading the room and
Was that a leak? An incessant, rhythmic sound, like water droplets falling onto the ground, played in the air. Following the nagging, little noise, I realized there was a second sound trailing it. Gasps. Someone else was here. And with the awareness came a clear image. Besides us, I was certain there was more than one person haunting this shadowy roomand I was certain what the noises were. I turned to look at Linda and pressed my finger to my lips, asking her to not break the silence masking us. I tiptoed to the third row of shelves, the noises getting deeper, and stopped at the edge. Wanting to have fun for at least a few seconds, I readied myself and jumped into their space with mighty strength, screaming at the same time, Busted!
The girl unstitched herself from the guy as if shed suddenly touched acid and jerked her head in my direction so fast that it was a wonder her neck hadnt cracked. It wouldnt have been a surprise if shed had a heart attack in the process. But more than alarm, her eyes gleamed with humiliation, whereas the guys wide eyes froze in worryat least, until he grasped the sight of me and realized I wasnt part of the school staff.
What a Kodak moment, I told them with a wicked smile. Just look at your rosy faces and swollen lips. You must be a passionate kisser, huh? I asked the guy who was now straightening his shirt.
He threw me a quick scan from head to toe, one of those that guys specialized in, and stopped on my lips. Want to find out for yourself? he asked huskily, pushing away all trace of worry from his face.
You idiot! The girl slapped him on the arm and stormed away. She mustve seen Linda before snapping the door close because she shouted, Enjoy your threesome you morons!
Since all his focus was aimed on me, the girls biting words didnt reach their goal. His brain only seemed to be between his legs. So are you up for some tasting? he asked, looking at my chest and suddenly finding it hard to detach his eyes from there.
If the circumstances were different, with no Linda waiting for me in one corner, and with no desire to punch him in the face for being such a prick with that girl, I wouldve considered his offer and maybe ended up making out with him. Despite his callous and poised attitude, the guy was really cute, and itd been so, so long since Id kissed someone that it was growing into a sharp pebble in my shoe. I couldnt even remember what it was like pressing my lips against someone elses, and that wasnt normal. For anybody. I wasnt an easy girl, Id hardly had two boyfriends and never kissed a guy who wasnt, but I had my needs and they were calling to meespecially now that my body was desperate to stamp out that ball of fierce fire inside of me. A kiss wouldve helped to the cause, no doubt.
But this wasnt the place, and he wasnt the guy. Kind of desperate, are we? I told him with a tilt of my head, stamping my hands on my hips.
For you, always. He slipped his hands through the arcs of my arms and settled them on my lower back. Ive always known there was some warmth inside all that coldness, he said, looking down at me. And I'm more than willing to have a sample of it. He leaned his face toward mine.
I smiled. If you dont get out, right now, I said calmly, though infusing the right amount of sourness to stop him midway. Ill chop off your friends there, I glanced at his lower part. He shot a glimpse to the same area. And have them for breakfast. I ended with an innocent grin.
Maybe my voice had been more vinegary than Id intended, or maybe the image hadnt been so pleasant to his senses, because he released me a moment later and strode out with a final look at mean anxious look. I tapped my shoulder inwardly for that one.
Linda, standing on the corner as if shed been grounded, stared at me with awe.
What? I asked.
Did you really just tell a guy you were going to chop off his you know. She motioned her hands to the area in discussion.
It worked didnt it?
Sheesh, no wonder why guys are so afraid of you.
Oh, what a cruel world, loneliness hunts me. Ill never meet love.
She shook her head. And you really dont care.
Of course I dont. The day Ill decide I want a guy hell come to me in a heartbeat, easy as that.
Coming from some other girl, I wouldve said she was bigheaded. You though theres no point in denying the truth, you can have whoever you want, she said, suddenly wistful, dropping her eyes to her shoes. Brads image was most certainly piercing her mind. And hell be really lucky, Dafne. You have a huge heart, even if you hide it most of the time, she said, looking up at me.
I gave her small smile. Yeah, yeah, I know the speech. But I'm sure the luckiest guy will be the one who finds this sweet damsel in distress. I waved my hand in her direction. I paused and looked at her, fathoming her sorrow, and sighed. Someday youll find your knight, Lindabecause, believe it or not, knights are the heart-stirring and cool ones. Fairy tales just got it wrong, somehow, I told her. Brad was just the lame, spoiled prince with skin-deep beauty that stumbled in your way.
She chuckled, the gleam back in her eyes. I think Ive never heard a better analogy.
Well, its true. I shrugged. Princes suck.
She laughed. Yeah, you never struck me as the princess type.
Never.
But you do have the heart of one. Just look at the nice things you told me.
I snorted, but kept the barely-there-smile on my lips.
A groan spurted between us. Linda lowered her eyes to her stomach. Looks like I havent totally forgotten its lunch time. She raised her eyes to me once more, a plea brimming them.
If you want to know what happened with Ian, youre staying here. I reached the bottom of my tote and fished out some supplies. Rainbow or chocolate? I held them up in my hands.
Being the curious person she was, she knew she didnt have a choice. Rainbow. She sighed in resignation, plucking it from my left hand. My stomach will resent this, you know.
Its just this once, Linda, I said, settling down on the floor. It was a little dusty, enough to trace random shapes with my fingertip, or to leave the faint print of my butt on it, but I didnt care. I could wash my hands later. There, you can have my throne. I pointed to the couch in front of me.
She walked up to the old fella and bent to wipe off the surface with her hand. A small cloud of dust floated into the air. I guess youve been here more than once. She sat down on the edge, reluctantly, keeping her back away from touching the rest of the couch, her slender arms squeezed to her sides. She reminded me of those well-mannered girls in old movies, all straight and chin high, ready to have a cup of tea in the parlor. The only thing missing was the funny hat, the too long dress and the lacy gloves.
Her stiff posture, however, had nothing to do with old-fashioned manners. Unlike me, dust was a nagging issue to Linda. It wouldve been to anybody whose second name was Tidy.
Once upon a time, this place and I used to be like two peas in a pod. I peeled off the chocolate and sank my teeth into my second sin.
Ill take that as you spending a great deal of time herebecause the simile is kind of loose. She poured some of the skittles on her hand. Two peas in a pod need to
Stop with the mechanics, I said annoyed. I really dont care. Just focus on my next words because I wont repeat them. If I do, I may incinerate myself in a blast of fury.
Before losing the impulse, I lunged myself into the explanation, telling her about the movie session, the humiliating tearful moment, the utterly embarrassing exposure, and the damned truce hed tricked me on, leading me to a whole new level of hate. Being played was something that punched my thin boundaries of forbearance, and the fact that Id been played by Ian, nonetheless, pushed those fences far into the stratosphere, blurring my limits of good judgment.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone