The Sweetest Inclinations

Prologue

Not many girls were able to see through Thomas' act. He was an actor, and a damn good one at that. He made every girl quiver at his preformances, the way he moved across the stage felt so authentic that the girls just knew that it was really him. Thomas was the sweet prince, the kind peasant, the heroic student, and the caring friend all in one form.

Every girl to ever fall into Thomas's trap forgets that what they see up on the stage isn't the guy they see walking through the halls. The boy doesn't even try to hide his true nature, girls have only put them into a certain light and expect him to live in the light only.

Still when they see him, and all of him, their minds go blank, their hearts do all of the thinking in the clenched fist of Thomas Howard. They gave, he take, they cry. Yet most of them have a difficult time leaving. Holding on for dear life that there is something beautiful behind that sly smile, they stay and endure the cruelness of the Esteemed actor.

Nonetheless not every girl gave Thomas the time of day. In the summer of junior year, a pretty city girl came to town.

She carried herself like a queen. And still calling her so would be an understatement. Many girls in Magnolia Valley tend to blend in with each other. But this girl she stood out with her high cheekbones and dimples. Her dark locs in curls cascading down her back, her gorgeous brown eyes looked at her new home with wonder sparkling along the irises. She was the first girl Thomas's heart thudded for in a long time.

The pint-sized beauty stepped out of the cab, her dreaded mane braided behind her and floral print bag in her hands. She turned to thank the cab driver before they drove off, and the middle aged man blushed.

Earlier in the school year there was talk about a girl coming to town to help Mr. and Mrs. Cleo with her demon of a son Jackson. Ayanna Rose. She's Mr. Cleo's little cousin, and resembles him more than she does her own parents. When Thomas saw her cross the street into the massive yard going up the hill to the Cleo residence, he had to get to know her.

"Here, let me help you with that bag." Ayanna looks sweet, but the look she gave Thomas was sour, and the responce she gave him was bitter.

"No, go away." The sound of her voice was gentle, like she never yelled before.

"I'm sorry I'm just trying to help you with your bags." And get in your pants obviously. She looked up at him, she had to pull her head all the way back to get a good look at him.

"Touch me, and your dead. Undress me with your eyes and you'll be buried alive." With a lingering glare, Ayanna went up the hill without looking back not once to say she was joking, or to say she hadn't realized who she was talking to. But she didn't do that. Like the proud queen she is, she marched up the hill with her head held high.

The following semester, Thomas got the same treatment. Getting disgustes looks from her everytime he thought about her in lude ways. His eyes gave him away often. The way he looked at her made her skin crawl, and it made him long to have her the more she push him further away.

How could she not want to be with him. All the girls call her crazy for rejecting him over and over again. Some ever make fun of her calling her lesbian for not wanting anything to do with Thomas. It amused Thomas. They were jealous he wanted her, but they didn't know he wanted Ayanna so bad because she was the only one that saw straight through the mask he wore every single day.

Finally a girl worth his time.