Perfect Enemies

6

“Very good! It sounds like you won’t have any trouble adjusting to our rigorous curriculum. Now, the point is, we’ll be doing a number of projects in class because hands-on learning is far more effective than listening to me blather on.” He continued to outline our semester, but I tuned him out. When he turned his back to write on the board, Valentina slipped me a small scrap of paper. I unfolded it and read her message. I thought you had trouble reading the board from the back of the room. The corners of my mouth fish-hooked upward. It didn’t surprise me that she’d been paying attention first period or that she’d call me out on the fib. I took the cap off my pen and jotted two words before passing back the note. I lied. Her response was swift. Stay away from Reyna. I studied her for a moment before penning my reply. You two an item? It was a joke … mostly. A tiny part of me wondered what it was between them that explained Val’s odd behavior toward me. Her eyes shot from the paper to me then back down. Would you leave her alone if we were? Nice try. I grinned. She crumpled the note in her fist and refused to look my way again. OceanofPDF.com 3 OceanofPDF.com I VALENTINA ’d been able to see Reyna today, but that was the only good thing to come of our first day back. Just the thought of Kane Easton sent angry flames licking up my neck as we walked to the front of the school. “Did you end up having any other classes with him?” I asked Reyna, eyes trained on the path ahead of me so I didn’t smack into anyone in the throng of people exiting the school. “Who?” “Kane. Don’t fall for his bullshit, Rey. He’s a total player.” “I appreciate you looking out for me, Val, but dating is the last thing on my mind. If that’s what you’re worried about, you can lay off him. You know you’re only egging him on.” She wasn’t wrong, but how could I ignore him when he pressed every one of my buttons? I groaned as we stepped outside. “I know. I’m just worried about you.” “I may be quiet, but I’ve survived seventeen years in my family. I’m not totally helpless,” she chided me playfully, bumping my shoulder with her own. “You’re right, I’m sorry. I’ll try to chill.” I’d spent months looking out for Reyna, so it wasn’t easy to just push those protective instincts aside. Maybe she was tough beneath the surface, but her quiet nature made her seem vulnerable. I didn’t want her to latch on to a guy who would only hurt her. We took our places on the sidewalk out front, where we usually waited for our rides, which were always some of the last to arrive. While we watched students slip into cars in the circle drive, I noticed a pair of blondes approaching us from the corner of my eye. Not every blonde in the senior class belonged to Harper, but there were enough of them that it was a safe bet to assume this could be trouble. Addison and Penelope. Not just part of Harper’s cheerleader crowd; they were Thing 1 and Thing 2—her closest co-conspirators. In sixth grade, the popular kids in our class separated into two groups after Principal Hale, our principal at the time, announced a new ambassador’s program. One student from each grade for sixth through twelfth would be selected as a part of a committee on a new inclusiveness initiative. Not only would members work collectively but each would also spend time with Hale individually as he mentored them on team building. I’d been ambitious early on and knew that kind of experience would be great for getting into college. I applied for the sixth-grade representative position and was selected. That was, until Harper sent her mom in to insist that her daughter was more qualified for the role. She’d raised enough stink that Hale sat me down to explain that the role had been reassigned to Harper and that hopefully, we could work together the following year instead. Hale ended up leaving that year unexpectedly, so I never got that chance. An uneasy rivalry had already been festering between Harper and me. When she usurped my ambassador position, a line was drawn in the sand. She became increasingly catty that year, and I refused to have anything to do with her. Even after Hale was gone, the divide between us grew. Any friends we’d had in common had been unofficially forced to choose between us. Most of the girls who followed Harper mirrored her shallow behavior, making that group absolutely intolerable in my eyes. They knew not to mess with me overtly, but that didn’t stop them from the occasional petty jab. When the two girls came toward us, I steadied myself for snide comments, but they were seemingly absorbed in conversation. I’d almost let my guard down when Addison swung her bag from one shoulder to the other, slamming it into Reyna in the process. Reyna stumbled forward, nearly dropping her phone. Addison drew to a stop, mouth gaping in exaggerated shock and contrition. “Oh my gosh. I’m so sorry. I totally didn’t see you there. My bad.” Penelope snickered, drawing a satisfied smirk from Addison as they started to turn away. “Puking your guts up every day after lunch must be affecting your vision,” I shot back dryly. “Might want to get that checked.” Addison’s head shot around so fast it nearly came unscrewed, but she didn’t say a word. With eyes narrowed to slits and lips puckered so tight her mouth resembled an asshole, she just glared before storming away. It took precisely thirty-five seconds for Reyna and I to burst into a fit of laughter. “They haven’t tried something like that in a while,” she said when our giggles subsided. “Just testing the waters after break, I’m sure. Hopefully, that put them back in line.” I glanced down the sidewalk in the direction they’d gone, only to find Kane watching us intently. He was too far away to hear our exchange, but I had no doubt he’d witnessed the entire scene. All signs of the suave Casanova had melted away, and what remained startled me. Brutal intensity. Savage ferocity. A predator. What the hell was his deal? Every ounce of that concentrated scrutiny was aimed at me, and I held his stare with my own unwavering strength. He absolutely would not intimidate me. After what felt like an eternity, he finally severed our connection. My eyes stayed glued to him. I watched as he threw his leg over a sleek black motorcycle, strapped on a helmet, then gracefully glided away from the school. “What kind of parents let their kid have a motorcycle in high school?” Reyna mused. She’d been watching him too. I peered at her with raised brows, thinking of the shiner she’d had a month before from her monster of a father. She caught my drift and shrugged. “I guess it takes all kinds.” My eyes trailed back to the street. While I couldn’t see him anymore, I could hear the acceleration of his bike in the distance. “Yeah, but he’s definitely unique. I don’t know what it is, but I get an odd vibe from him. He makes me anxious.” “It could just be that he’s the hottest guy to walk the earth.” I smacked Reyna on the arm. “You said you weren’t paying attention to that stuff right now!” She giggled. “He’s kind of hard not to notice.”