“Oh Robyn, I’m so, so sorry.”
“I am too. Honestly, it felt so good to think I could give my child what my mom never could. I’m the way I am because that’s the way she is, ya’ know?”
I nodded before prodding her shoulder with mine.
“You still can you know.”
“What?” She asked.
“Give your children what your mom couldn’t. Just wait a little while,” I winked encouragingly.
She laughed and pushed her bangs from her forehead.
“Trust me. I’ve never been as clearheaded in my life as I am right now.”
“Well, clearheaded Robyn, now you have a somewhat clearheaded friend to take the journey with you.”
We both grin at our feet but when I look up, I see Robyn’s friend smiling at the two of us. His blue eyes freeze with mine and my breath catches in my throat.
“So,” Robyn says, peering in Elliott’s direction, “Elliott Gray tells me you like to paint.”
“He....He told you that?”
Elliott looks away like he knew we were talking about him. I glance back at Robyn.
“Yeah, says you’re really talented.”
“He said that?”
“Yeah, he’s the one who asked me to paint your locker for you.”
“What! Robyn, that was you?" I friend-hit her. "You are amazing. Do you know that?”
“Not as amazing as you from what he says,” she jokes. “He rambled on and on while I did it. ‘Did you know Julia has painted since she was seven?’ or ‘Did you know that Julia has her own studio?’. I have to admit, by the end of it, I was ready to pull out my hair as well as his.”
We both laughed.
“Elliott got you to paint my locker for me?”
“Seriously,” she clears her throat. “And he’d kill me for telling you this but do you want to know why?”
“Why?” I ask hesitantly.
“Because Taylor Williams is an obnoxious brat and wrote some pretty nasty stuff on the front of your locker after school on Monday. Elliott caught her doing it.”
“No.” I gasped, covering my mouth with my hand.
“He dragged her snooty butt to the Principal's office. The Principal wanted Taylor to clean it up but Elliott asked for permission to cover it instead and since they pretty much do whatever their star quarterback wants, she let him. He really capitalized on that too.” She laughed. “That’s where I came in. We were up there pretty early Tuesday morning just to get it done by the time you came in. He wanted to make sure you didn’t know about it.”
I swallow the sob building in my throat.
“He did that? For me?”
“He did. Listen, he’s told me that he’s desperate to talk to you but that you won’t even look at him. I’m not sure what’s going on but will you do me a favor, now that we’re friends and all?”
“What’s that?” I laughed.
“Just hear what he has to say.”
My grin fell before turning my gaze to Elliott.
And with that, Robyn got up to leave. She waved and I smiled back, unsure of what to think or even what to feel.
One thing was for sure, Elliott Gray was not who I thought he was.
Which was all the more reason to fear him.
Chapter Three
Restraint, You Are A New Enemy
Of Mine
That Monday, I drove to school kind of early but not so early that there wouldn’t be kids in the lots. I stepped from my truck and slammed its door. The slam rang through the air and I caught the attention of Jake Sotheby.
“Jake! Hey Jake!”
“Hey, Elliott. What’s up? You ready for Friday’s game?”
That was all anybody thought I was good for and all they ever wanted to talk to me about. I was popular but for a singular purpose.
“Yeah, I’m ready. Hey, do you know Julia Jacobs?”
“Yeah, dude. Everybody knows Julia. She’s hot but really weird. Why?”
Hot but weird. Maybe I would be throwing the first punch.
“Oh, nothin’. Does she park in our lot?”
I knew she was in the other lot but I asked a general question to fish for something more specific.
“No dude. She’s in Lot A. She has the spot across from Casey Wuthers.” He smiled. “Why? You thinkin’ about tackling that?”
“What the hell does that mean?” I asked seriously.
“Nothing. See you at practice.”
He knew I wasn’t going to play along. No wonder Jesse likes that guy so much. They share a one track mind. Jerk.
So, plan A was finding Jesse because he parked in the same lot and plan B was ‘running’ into Casey Wuthers, a girl I barely knew but was cool enough with that I could still approach her without it being weird. Honestly, all I wanted was a glimpse of Jules. One more glimpse to add to the millions I had already stolen but this time I needed to see her so it would give me the courage to do what I needed to later that day. The first time I would see her each day would send me hurdling into an anxiety attack. I figured if I saw her early enough, I could be as relaxed as possible by the time we had class together. I had about a million things I wanted to say to her, whether she would respond or not didn’t matter. I needed them off my chest, for my sanity’s sake.
The ironic part is I knew she searched for me too. That’s what killed me the most. It confused the heck out of me. I often caught her eyes on mine like they were that day in Chemistry but she would always make herself appear distracted immediately after. She cracked me up. I was never in control enough to do anything like that. I think she got a small kick out of torturing me but that was okay. Her pretend frostiness was just another thing I liked about her. She was feisty.