Minder

Chapter 9

OLALLIE

“Hi, I’m Vayden.” A tall guy with short curls and appealing eyes stops at my lunch table.

“Hi, Vayden, are you also lost?” Because you must be if you are at my table.

“No, but I see you have been quarantined from the others. What disease is it? From the looks of Lawson, I would assume it’s love.” Vayden checks to were Lawson and a group of guys ignore everyone else in the lunchroom.

“I apologize. Can I help you?” Manners first, always.

“I thought we could be friends.” Oh wow, that seems like a big commitment. But he offers nonetheless.

“You were misled by my cheerful interactions if it was what brought you to my table. I assure you that was a warning to stay away, not an introduction to proceed with caution.” I cough, scrambling for a way out.

“I knew I would like you.” He plops down in front of me, and I flick my head side to side to make sure someone isn’t playing a prank on me.

Kalonie has gotten more secretive, and I can’t trust her demeaning looks any longer. It isn’t safe to be in her pathway.

“Probably easier if you didn’t; what would your crew think?” Motioning to the Sonny boys, who have two tables pushed together, every day at lunch was a Thanksgiving feast.

“Not my crew, my brother’s.” Vayden seems relaxed, even if we are strangers.

I look to find one that mirrors his features, but I come back to Lawson’s vacant glare.

“My brother is Lawson’s, right-hand man.” He thumbs behind him, and I match surprised eyes with who he points at.

“What’s your brother’s name?”

“Verse.” Vayden keeps munching on his sandwich, and when he stops to take a breath, he starts on his chips.

“I thought all the guys in the group had a son on the end of their name.”

Vayden takes a minute, looks back, and shrugs, “Most of them do, but not all. It isn’t like the old restrictions anymore. Not after Lawson’s cousin, Maroon got sentenced. It actually started to dwindle after Lawson’s dad got sent to prison.”

I don’t act shocked because nothing seems to phase me anymore. Vayden says it, and all I do is stare at him until he is satisfied that I won’t ask him to continue. The why is not necessary; the why is the reason everyone wonders. But I blink, and the awareness is stored; we move on to another subject.

“Vayden, huh?”

“Better than my first name.”

“Which is?”

“Haiku.” His dark eyes peak and wait for some reaction, but I’ve got none to share.

“Your brother, Verse?”

“His middle name is Matteo.”

“Are your parents’ writers?”

“My mother is a screenwriter for some teenage Korean soap opera; my dad owns a boxing gym.”

“Is it the two of you? Verse and Vayden?” I guess this isn’t as bad as I thought it would be. It could be worse; Vayden could

“We’ve got two sisters, Lyrick and Storie.”

“Do they go by those names?” I love names, how one can identify you, while the other isolates you.

“Lyrick does; her middle name is Itzel. After a Mayan Rainbow lady in mythology or some s**t. She sure doesn’t live up to her name. My other sister Storie is Esperenza; we call her ZaZa. She is this dark, brooding artist that feels too much, my father says.”

“She sounds like my type of person.” I can feel myself relax a bit more with each easy word.

“Olallie Lovett has a dark side?”

“Don’t we all, darlin’?” This time, I give him a wink as I lean closer.

“I can’t wait to find out.”

“It isn’t a fun type, mostly the despairing kind.”

“That is f*****g fascinating.” Vayden loves every minute he can get with the weird girl. His curse word makes my lips pucker.

As I scan over his unique landscape, I start to wonder what ethnicity he embraces. “So, Vayden, what’s your favorite food? Chinese or something with more spice?”

“Well, I am glad you asked. Best if we get the most important questions out of the way before we become friends.” He talks on before he realizes I am still staring at his beautiful face. “Olallie Lovett, was that a sly way of asking me what race I am?” Vayden gives me a wink, and I bat my eyes.

“Maybe.”

“Thai and Mexican.”

“Intriguing.”

“Not really, although when my parents argue, it gets exciting.” This time he delivers a wink I smile back at.

“Well, well, what do we have here, baby brother?” Verse comes over, smacking Vayden’s back.

“Matteo, my man, I was just informing Olallie about you wetting the bed last week. She was thrilled to know you are still a virgin and are saving yourself for the right woman or man. Either will work as long as your heart is happy.” Verse starts bickering back while Lawson and two other guys surround us.

“How’s it going, O?” It isn’t Lawson who asks, but he raises his eyebrows, waiting for an answer.

“I’m good, thank you for asking.”

“Are you coming tonight?”

“Yeah, Olallie, you coming tonight?”

“No, she isn’t. I already asked; she’s busy. Has a date with some big hot shot across town,” Vayden says as he catches his breath while in a headlock.

This time, my eyes perk just a little at the lie.

“Who the f**k would dare date you?” Lawson, so cruel and controlled by his venom. Passion blossoms over his smooth, chiseled cheeks. My face turned to him and was greeted by a pull of positive and negative force—opposites attracting their counterbalance.

“Awe, Lawson, was there an off-limits tag taped to my backpack?” My perfectly polished nails graze the stubble growing on his chin.

His rough fingers catch on my wrist, stopping the trail. I notice his clean attire, his wardrobe looking like he takes pride in his appearance as much as his friends do.

The scent of his cologne almost makes me squeal, and the pinch in his eyes lets me know he would like that.

“Babe, didn’t you realize by now your mine?” The heat in his breath makes my skin crawl, another layer reacting to him, making me more uncomfortable.

It proved difficult to ignore the sensation every time I passed Lawson in the hallways. The connection made me almost crumble with need. But I took his direction and avoiding our situation seemed to be the brightest idea.

“Ha-ha, pretty girl is still a virgin? Of course, you are, darlin’. Shame because maybe if you were experienced, we could rough each other up in my bed Saturday night.” The depth of Lawson’s voice made me quiver.

Gulped down a breath and held my head high. If he wanted to experience, I could gather as much, knowing he wouldn’t be an active memory in those participating.

“Vayden, would you mind showing me how to have sex.” My stare contains nothing, a blank expression, and he does not move away either.

“Lawson?” Vayden doesn’t look at me; instead, he hovers at the guy's approval in front of us.

“You heard her baby brother. She wants you.” He tips his chin up in a nod, and Vayden takes that as confirmation.

“Lawson, think this through. Once you give him the okay, you can’t take back your approval. Vayden walks clean without backlash.” Verse seems on edge, his voice worried for both parties.

“I stand by what I said. Baby brother, make sure you break her in real good for me. One day, I’ll need to see what innocence tastes like.” He walks away, his eyes lingering on the angle of my chin, leading up to my ears.

His gray-brown eyes make sure I have my implants in, knowing what I heard was confirmed.

“She won’t be innocent for long.” Vayden takes my hand, and we stride to the school's exit.

“I lost my innocence a long time ago. But you can have what’s left, Vay.” I go on my tiptoes as I press a kiss on his cheek.

Lawson spoke those words, and yet they didn't just hurt me. His fist rubs his side where his own challenge stabbed him.

Tears fell from my eyes; it was silently him that wiped them away as if they trickled down his own face.

I began to hum.

And when the song ended, so did the hurt of being outlived. Lured into a world of love and laughter, left ungrateful dead.

I trailed my fingers across the edges of the metal lockers, my Kawaii nails bringing out the blue in my sundress.

“Did you hear what he said, Olallie?”

I nodded.

“I'd kick his ass if Verse wouldn’t retaliate.”

“He didn't mean it.” I keep humming away the hurt.

“We both know he wished he did mean it.”

My tips stop touching, and I finally look up. Vayden looks down at me with pity swelling his wide eyes.

“Come on, let’s go do our victory lap.” Fisting his shirt as I lead him away from the scene, hoping what comes next is as appealing as everyone made it seem.

“Stop, Olallie. I’m not going to f**k you. Forget about what Lawson said. He has been an asshole since he was born.” Smoothing out his crumpled shirt.

But the look I give him is anything but timid. I don’t want to be pitied; I want to be vengeful.

“Damn, are you serious right now, girl?” He huffs out a sigh, and I start to wonder if we could be more than friends.

“Scared to kiss the freak?” The pleasure of taunting him.

“No, scared to get shanked in my sleep because Lawson changed his mind. But, no strange girl, I’m not scared of you. In fact, I’m freaking fascinated. Let me show you my bedroom if you want to piss him off. It has a lava lamp!” Tall and goofy, he wraps an arm around my shoulders as he takes me to his mancave.

It does indeed have a lava lamp.