Like a door slamming in my face, he became hard and aloof once again.
Thirteen
Mark looked relieved when I told him I had to stay late the next day and that Ryan and Kennedy would be picking me up. I also told him I would be taking the bus in the morning. He nodded in agreement. Work was really starting to get hectic and stressful so he didn’t argue with me.
The next morning I was re-thinking that decision when I had to get up over an hour earlier than my usual time. I dragged myself to the bus stop, still half asleep, with my coffee container in hand.
The day passed quickly enough. I was feeling a lot more comfortable and was beginning to find a rhythm. It was a normal day, so for me that meant it was an abnormal day. The only thing that struck me as odd was Sam seemed to move away from me whenever I was near. At first I thought I was just imagining things, but when Eli did the same, I wondered if it was more than just a coincidence. Was this his version of a truce? Yeah, he was going to be so much fun to work with.
I walked into the lunchroom where we would be training for the ropes course. A guy with a bluish-black and red striped Mohawk and eyebrow piercings stood at the far end of the room. Tattoos covered both his arms and neck, but they were partly hidden by a t-shirt that said “Rock the Rope.” Mrs. Sanchez told us he was also an extreme sports enthusiast. Jumping out of planes with a snowboard and insane stuff like that. I had tried bungee jumping and really liked it, but I was nowhere near an extremist.
I waved to get his attention. He looked to be in his mid-thirties but definitely had a young skateboarder-surfer vibe about him. He loped over to shake my hand.
“Oh hey, I’m Jason. I guess you must be Ember? Cool hair.” He smiled at me.
He stopped shaking my hand, but continued to grasp it as he looked back and forth between my eyes, seemingly transfixed by them. He leaned, so close I could see the tiny stud on his eyebrow ring. “Holy shit, man, those are the most freakin’ unbelievable eyes I have ever seen. They’re wicked!”
“Yeah, and if you get any closer to them, you might get a wicked view of my fist,” a voice growled behind me. I spun around to see Eli leaning against the doorframe. His arms were crossed over his toned chest. He looked like he was relaxed and carefree, but I knew it was all a façade. I could see in his relaxed pose, he was tense and ready to pounce. His green eyes glinted brightly.
He looked between us apologetically. “Oh, uh, sorry man. I-I wasn’t . . . I didn’t know.”
“Yeah, well now you do.” Eli pushed himself off the wall and lumbered up to us.
My mouth was agape. “There’s nothing to know. We’re not together.” I turned to Eli. “What the hell is your problem? Is being a jackass just another one of your many hidden talents?” I glared at him.
“I won’t deny I’m good at it, but it’s definitely not one of my many hidden talents. Or so I’ve been told.” His expression revealed nothing, but there was no doubt as to what he was hinting at. My cheeks turned a deep shade of pink and I quickly turned away from him. I didn’t miss the smirk cutting across his face.
“T-that’s not . . . I mean . . . I wasn’t insinuating . . .” It usually wasn’t easy to turn me into a stammering mess, but he seemed to do it effortlessly.
“What’s wrong, Ember?” A cruel, smug smile tugged at the corner of Eli’s mouth. “You don’t strike me as the type who gets thwarted so easily.” Eli’s bright eyes penetrated so deeply into mine it made me feel as if all my inner thoughts and feelings were being unveiled.
“Thwart suggests you defeated or outwitted me.” My eyebrows arched in a mocking response, challenging him. A slow, unsettling grin spread over his face, but he stayed silent. “What’s wrong Eli? You don’t strike me as the type who gets surmounted so easily.”
You want to play vocabulary? Fine,
Thirteen
Mark looked relieved when I told him I had to stay late the next day and that Ryan and Kennedy would be picking me up. I also told him I would be taking the bus in the morning. He nodded in agreement. Work was really starting to get hectic and stressful so he didn’t argue with me.
The next morning I was re-thinking that decision when I had to get up over an hour earlier than my usual time. I dragged myself to the bus stop, still half asleep, with my coffee container in hand.
The day passed quickly enough. I was feeling a lot more comfortable and was beginning to find a rhythm. It was a normal day, so for me that meant it was an abnormal day. The only thing that struck me as odd was Sam seemed to move away from me whenever I was near. At first I thought I was just imagining things, but when Eli did the same, I wondered if it was more than just a coincidence. Was this his version of a truce? Yeah, he was going to be so much fun to work with.
I walked into the lunchroom where we would be training for the ropes course. A guy with a bluish-black and red striped Mohawk and eyebrow piercings stood at the far end of the room. Tattoos covered both his arms and neck, but they were partly hidden by a t-shirt that said “Rock the Rope.” Mrs. Sanchez told us he was also an extreme sports enthusiast. Jumping out of planes with a snowboard and insane stuff like that. I had tried bungee jumping and really liked it, but I was nowhere near an extremist.
I waved to get his attention. He looked to be in his mid-thirties but definitely had a young skateboarder-surfer vibe about him. He loped over to shake my hand.
“Oh hey, I’m Jason. I guess you must be Ember? Cool hair.” He smiled at me.
He stopped shaking my hand, but continued to grasp it as he looked back and forth between my eyes, seemingly transfixed by them. He leaned, so close I could see the tiny stud on his eyebrow ring. “Holy shit, man, those are the most freakin’ unbelievable eyes I have ever seen. They’re wicked!”
“Yeah, and if you get any closer to them, you might get a wicked view of my fist,” a voice growled behind me. I spun around to see Eli leaning against the doorframe. His arms were crossed over his toned chest. He looked like he was relaxed and carefree, but I knew it was all a façade. I could see in his relaxed pose, he was tense and ready to pounce. His green eyes glinted brightly.
He looked between us apologetically. “Oh, uh, sorry man. I-I wasn’t . . . I didn’t know.”
“Yeah, well now you do.” Eli pushed himself off the wall and lumbered up to us.
My mouth was agape. “There’s nothing to know. We’re not together.” I turned to Eli. “What the hell is your problem? Is being a jackass just another one of your many hidden talents?” I glared at him.
“I won’t deny I’m good at it, but it’s definitely not one of my many hidden talents. Or so I’ve been told.” His expression revealed nothing, but there was no doubt as to what he was hinting at. My cheeks turned a deep shade of pink and I quickly turned away from him. I didn’t miss the smirk cutting across his face.
“T-that’s not . . . I mean . . . I wasn’t insinuating . . .” It usually wasn’t easy to turn me into a stammering mess, but he seemed to do it effortlessly.
“What’s wrong, Ember?” A cruel, smug smile tugged at the corner of Eli’s mouth. “You don’t strike me as the type who gets thwarted so easily.” Eli’s bright eyes penetrated so deeply into mine it made me feel as if all my inner thoughts and feelings were being unveiled.
“Thwart suggests you defeated or outwitted me.” My eyebrows arched in a mocking response, challenging him. A slow, unsettling grin spread over his face, but he stayed silent. “What’s wrong Eli? You don’t strike me as the type who gets surmounted so easily.”
You want to play vocabulary? Fine,
Similar Books
