June
The next day, I was back in the vice principal's office to hand in the assignment he'd given us.
"Miss White, you did this alone. There are just two skimpy pages. Do you think I just started my job yesterday? I've had students try to pull one over on me for an entire lifetime."
"Pull one over? What are you talking about? Hunter and I did it together."
The vice principal didn't want any excuses; he seemed pretty intent on making me swallow the assignment I'd just given him.
"I want both of your signatures at the bottom of the assignment, and that thug will have to do half the work."
Mortified, I left the office. Hanging my head.
I hoped with every fiber of my being that he wouldn't call my mom, otherwise I'd be screwed for sure.
William: Are you coming to class?
It was William. Finally.
I got to chemistry and found him sitting on a bench, with his perfect hairstyle and a smile that was equally as dazzling.
"Hi, Will."
I distinctly felt my wall come down. I could've feigned all the disinterest in the world, but I was unable to. I was happy to see him, and I couldn't hold a grudge.
"What'd you do over these past few days? Study like a hermit?" he asked, leaning against the back of his seat.
"Well, actually . . ." My eyes darted to the door where James Hunter was hunched over his phone. "I studied less than normal, and tomorrow's exam—"
The words stopped as James headed toward us and halted in front of us. He stared at me insistently.
"What do you want?" I asked.
"Maybe for you to leave?"
"Huh?" My eyes widened, incredulously.
James pointed at William. "We need to talk, move."
"James, behave around her every once in a while," Will said, shaking his head.
James's shoulders tensed, he took off his stupid leather jacket and grabbed a seat, turning it around backward to sit with us.
"Suit yourself, I'll talk in front of her, then."
"I didn't say that."
Will tried to dissuade him, but he was already talking.
"I have the poker game tonight."
Wow, riveting. Now that I'd heard that earth-shattering news, the tide was turning on my whole day.
"Okay."
"What's so shady about that?" I interjected.
Neither of them answered. I took it to mean they were excited.
William leaned forward and whispered, "At the club?"
"It's the only way, Will."
"They'll never give it back to you."
James crossed his arms. "I'll try. If worse comes to worst, I'll have fun."
William unexpectedly turned around to me. "Do you want to come?"
James and I exchanged glances. His was horrified, mine was confused.
"What the fuck are you saying, Will?" he burst out.
I blinked a few times. Was that a joke? It had to be. Will and I had planned on going out, instead he was inviting me to go I don't know where, with I don't know who, but most importantly, to do what?
I laughed, thinking it was a joke, but I soon understood that William was serious.
"Snow White's virgin eyes definitely would burn if she went in there." James said, laughing.
"Meaning?" I growled at him.
"That it's no place for you."
Will grunted while James looked at me with an arrogant smirk, so I got up to leave. I needed some air, and they confused me. I was collapsed against the hallway wall when Will caught up to me.
"June, what's going on?"
If he liked me as much as he said he did, why couldn't he be alone with me for a single damn night? Maybe Amelia was right; a little strategy wouldn't hurt since William seemed to take me for granted.
"Why don't you ever say no to him, Will?"
"You don't get it, June."
"Can you not even say no to him once?"
William tried to push a lock of hair behind my ear, but I pulled back.
"June, listen. If James gets himself into a bad situation, it's my fault too."
"Then tonight you have a choice. It's either me or him."
I said it out loud, but I couldn't bear to see William's expression, so I turned around and ran to the bathroom.
#
"Mom, someone's at the door!" No answer.
The doorbell kept ringing. I looked out the window but didn't see a car in the driveway.
"Mom!" I went hoarse.
I finally remembered that she'd left for her painting night class. I prayed that if it was a delivery person that they wouldn't be cute. I was in pitiful condition. I flung the door opened and was speechless.
"Will?"
A sound escaped my lips that was so shrill that I barely recognized my own voice.
"I don't like ultimatums," he announced.
"You're right, I was impulsive."
"Wait. Let me say something." He stopped me. "I want to make time for us. For me and you."
He seemed sure and sincere, but I couldn't believe him anymore.
"You're only gonna invent another excuse not to see me tomorrow," I said, running my fingers through my messy hair.
I tried to hide that I was primping right in front of him, but Will was so focused that he didn't seem to notice.
"Yeah, and I wouldn't fault you for thinking that. I'm just saying—"
There were two steps between us, but he rushed over and kissed me. I parted my lips, letting his tongue seek mine, and I suddenly felt my head get lighter.
William stopped only to put my face in his hands.
"All I do is think about you. That has to mean something, right?"
"Well, are you coming in, or are we just gonna stand at the door like two idiots?" I chuckled before letting him in.
I saw him crane his neck to familiarize himself with his surroundings.
"Were you eating?" he asked, when he smelled the delicious scent in the kitchen.
"Not yet, my mom left me lasagna. I was just heating it up in the microwave. In fact, I need to take it out. I got distracted with my science homework."
"Only you could forget to eat because you're too busy studying." And then my hips were in his hands, and his mouth was on my lips.
Everything was wonderful, but I had to remember the roller coasters, a little voice in my head told me.
I pulled back slowly.
It was weird seeing William at my house. "Is your mom out?"
"Yeah, she told me she had a painting class. But I think it's all excuses to hide the fact that she's dating someone." I groaned, pulling the tray out of the microwave.
"Eh, put yourself in her shoes. She'll wanna meet someone after the divorce."
"Depends on who." I swallowed. "Wanna eat with me?" I asked, showing him the generous portion.
William Cooper was at my house in the flesh, but I was hungry. And when I was hungry, not even the hottest guy in the world could match up to a nice plate of lasagna.
"Are you only gonna eat that?" Will said as he helped me set the table.
"Will, of course not," I chuckled. "My freezer's full." He laughed with me.
"Where are your parents?" I asked him as we sat at the table sharing the food.
"In the Middle East for work."
He told me about their pharmaceutical company. He explained that his parents were trying to patent a drug that they'd been testing. What he told me gave me the impression that he came from a wealthy but rather absent family.
We ended up splitting three servings of lasagna, and dinner went by without a hitch. A few minutes later I got up to brush my teeth and freshen up in the mirror. I was wearing a white oversized T-shirt over a pair of jean shorts. If I'd known he would be visiting, I would've at least fixed my hair, put on socks that were a color other than fluorescent yellow, and maybe I'd . . . but who was I kidding?
I caught him on the phone when I went back to the kitchen.
"Was that James?"
"Jackson," he answered as he hung up. He looked deep in thought.
"Wanna talk about it?"
"They're at Austin's place. James and Marvin are fighting. James is drunk."
"Oh. Did Jackson ask for your help?"
Will nodded, leading me to my next question.
"You're not going?"
"No. I'm here with you."
I saw him massage his neck. He pressed so hard with his fingertips that it left marks on his skin.
"Will."
"I said that I'd stay here with you, June, and for once I wanna—"
"I was wrong today. I shouldn't've told you to choose between James and me. It was immature of me to ask you to do that." I bit my lip.
"Maybe, but I want to make things work between us."
"Ignoring your friends isn't the way to get things to work between us. The only way we can work is if you don't ghost me, and you're honest with me, Will." I said this decisively, and his peck on my lips was just as decisive.
I closed my eyes and let our mouths lock to perfection.
"Shall we?" I suggested.
Bewildered, Will raised both his eyebrows. "Are you serious?"
"Sure, it's no problem." I downplayed the situation.
I wanted to trust William, but trust is a risky game.
Jackson picked us up around ten minutes later, and as soon as we got there, Will jumped out of the car to separate Marvin and James. The meeting place was always the same. The outside of the building was packed.
"What's going on?" I asked Jackson, who was standing next to me.
"Something about Marvin's cousin. Who knows."
"Man, fighting over a girl has really become the cool thing to do," I commented.
Jackson stared at me for a while, and I shot him a confused look back.
"What is it?"
"I wanna see what you'd say when they do it for you, White."
"Huh?"
"Sure, play dumb, but you should know it doesn't suit you."
Jackson had made it clear on multiple occasions that he hated me. If I could only figure what he had against me.
"Look, I don't want to fight for someone I don't give a flying fuck about," James burst out, pointing at the brunet with the bob to Marvin's right.
"Maybe it's better to bring him home. He's drunk," announced William, as spectators of the unfolding tragicomedy skit surrounded us.
"Why, isn't he always drunk?" I said sharply.
"No, he can't handle hard liquor."
I turned to look at Marvin, who was stroking his clean-shaven head, confused.
"What do you want from her, James?"
"I don't want shit. Why don't you ask her. She's been on my ass all night."
What a child.
Melanie kept warbling loudly from her end.
"He asked me if I had a friend! Why would he ask me that if he's dating me? He made a fool out of me!"
James burst out laughing.
At that point Marvin finally came to his cousin's defense.
"And I asked you not to be a dick. At least not to her."
"What'd I do wrong now?" James kept egging the girl on. She met him halfway. Marvin could barely restrain her.
"You humiliated me with that terrible joke!"
"What joke?" asked Marvin.
James lost it. He looked like someone who had felt everything at eighteen, and boredom was all that was left.
"I didn't want to get into the details, but you've given me no choice. The lady here said she wanted to"—James stopped to put a finger on his chin, holding back giggles like a bratty kid—"take a stroll holding hands, and I said no. I'm allowed to turn down a walk, aren't I, Marvin?"
"Get to the point," the other snapped, irritated.
"And then I said, 'Unless you have another friend. In that case, I might reconsider.' What's wrong with that?"
"You're an animal! You said something completely different. And besides, am I not enough for you?" squawked Melanie, waving her arms around.
Her intent was anything but friendly. She wanted to get to James at all costs, but Marvin held her back and tried to calm her down.
"This is too much for me, Will. I'm sorry, but I don't want to stay here and listen to this crap," I whispered into his ear before walking away.
"Where are you going? June!"
"Inside," I replied, without really knowing how to find my bearings.
That neon sign had glowed over my head twice and now, the moment finally arrived to discover what this bizarre place was hiding. I heard the music blasting inside as rays of light shone out the door.
"Wait, not alone."
William took my hand, grabbed James by his leather jacket, and dragged him in with us.
A bored bodyguard at the front door greeted Will without asking questions, despite us clearly being too young to be in a place like this. I wasn't planning on staying, I just wanted to take a peek inside once and for all.
"James and I are gonna take care of something, then we'll go home." William's words sounded far away even though he was close enough for our arms to touch.
The bass pounded in my chest, and my eyes took forever to adjust to the psychedelic lights. My vision seemed blurry, or maybe there was just a ton of smoke. The only thing I was sure about was the persistent smell of alcohol that enveloped me along with a hint of a woman's perfume.
A guy with reddish hair approached me menacingly. It didn't take long to realize it was Ethan Austin.
"Is blondie with you or Hunter?"
Will didn't seem to understand, given how focused he was on holding James up by his jacket sleeve.
"Who are you talking about, Austin? Hey, do you have anything here that's nonalcoholic?"
The only thing that seemed to matter to Will was to make sure his friend was drinking water and then bringing him home.
"Do I look like a waiter, Cooper? I'm the owner. Ask them," answered Austin, pointing at the waiters with bottle service.
I didn't notice at first, but they were everywhere. Waiting tables, behind the bar, around metal poles.
My eyes went wide as I realized that I was in a strip club. I was surrounded by men dressed in somewhat nice suits and girls who danced suggestively as the low lights emphasized their curves. Their outfits were the definition of what my mom called trashy. One of them passed by James and winked, but he seemed to focus what little attention he had left on Ethan Austin.
"Hey, Austin, how's your girlfriend?"
"Is he the guy James owes money to?" I asked Will.
He squeezed my hand harder. "Ethan's his son."
"James talks to him like that? Isn't he afraid of getting beat up again?"
"Why do you think he's always getting into shit? He's not afraid of anything, June. That's the issue."
William sounded exasperated, and I got frustrated. "I don't know anything because you never told me about an accident, Will."
"Trust me, that's for the best. I don't want to put you in danger."
He leaned toward me and touched my face with his fingertips before planting a kiss on me. It was less romantic than usual, maybe because of where we were. I didn't even close my eyes; in fact I saw James chug another bottle nearby.
"James, quit drinking! Will, don't get distracted," I exclaimed.
Austin disappeared. William grabbed James by his jacket sleeve again and took the bottle of vodka out of his hands.
"You won the poker game, yes or no?"
"Yes."
"Did they give it back to you?"
James shook his heads. "No gun." I froze.
I saw James hold back an almost irritating childish smirk that reminded me of his brother. Then he turned around toward me, surprised.
"Fuck, White. You're here too?"
"Well aren't you the sharpest tool in the shed?" I replied acidly as Will leaned against the counter to order some water.
James curved his lips and stared vacantly at my mouth.
He was clearly rip-roaring drunk, and his red cheeks didn't point to anything good either. "And why are you here again?" he whispered in a tone that sent a chill down my spine.
I was overwhelmed by conflicting emotions a moment later. His cobalt eyes looked so bright in the dark that they reminded me of the brushstrokes my mom used to intensify the ocean in a storm. A cocktail of conflicting sensations surfaced in me. I was reliving what he'd said in his room. It wasn't just sadness that seeped into his story last night. There was fear, rage, and lack of understanding. I'd just seen the tip of the iceberg while the rest remained under the cold waters of his eyes. It was too deep to swim there.
"He's drunk. We'd better get him home. And I'm not a fan of these people," Will said, handing a water bottle to his friend who pretended to take a sip. I saw a group of shady guys around a table overflowing with glasses and half-open bottles. They were most likely from the Austin family. I decided I'd play detective another time because the oldest one was looking at me in a way that made me uneasy. We left. Neither Jackson nor Marvin were there, nor was his cousin.
Will pointed at Jackson's fire engine–red pickup truck in the parking lot as James kept laughing. He'd managed to steal a bottle of tequila without anyone noticing, and he found that particularly exhilarating.
"Lie down in back and don't make a mess," Will commanded.
"Why is White here?"
James was distracted by me, so William turned around to the back seat and took the bottle out of his hands. "This. well, no. I won't give it back to those assholes. Here, June, I'm gonna call Marvin and Jax. Let's go home."
Will gave me the bottle to hold.
"Will, don't leave me here . . ." to babysit.
James pushed himself out of the car far enough to grab me with both his arms.
"What are you doing?" I yelled, feeling myself yanked across the front seat. In the blink of an eye, I found myself straddling him.
"James."
"Eh?"
I was still holding the bottle in the air for fear of spilling it.
"Are you out of your mind?"
"Have you always been this beautiful?"
I was stunned. This guy seemed capable of scrambling everything in my brain, but most of all, he had a disarming ability to manipulate my emotions.
"You're trashed. You're confusing me with someone else," I stuttered.
James didn't seem to care about what I'd just said and started to play with my hair, forming little blond ringlets around his index finger.
"Tell me something, princess." Oh no.
I felt trapped.
He's drunk, and he's just messing with you, I told myself to calm myself down, but that calm didn't last long.
"Do you think I'm attractive? Tell me the truth."
My bare thighs scorched against his hips.
"What's gotten into your head? Of course not—" I whispered weakly. On the one hand James's pout was almost endearing, on the other hand I was playing with fire. And as inexperienced as I was, I knew that the first time our eyes met. I didn't want to play with that.
"Come on, admit it, White. It doesn't mean you want to bone me."
"Don't talk to me like that. It's repulsive."
"Maybe to hear, but not to look at."
"Be quiet. We're talking about serious stuff. The vice principal caught me red-handed. He said we have to do the assignment together."
James put both hands on my bare thighs with a shit-eating grin.
I tensed up at his touch.
"So that's why you already put yourself in position."
Shivers radiated up to the nape of my neck, but it lasted only a second because James grabbed my hands and put them on his chest
"You idiot! The homework. We have to do the homework together."
"Keep thinking that. I don't think so, Snow White."
"And you'll do it instead. I can't write ten pages alone, you know? I did my part, and you'll do yours."
"No." He sneered, biting his lip.
"James!"
At this point he stretched his chin out to repeat it with more conviction. "No."
"I'm coming over to tutor Jasper tomorrow. I'll leave the homework with you. Do it, and we'll hand it back in. We don't have to be in the same place to do it," I explained, putting a finger on his chest.
"You afraid of being alone with me?" He provoked me, this time getting up on his elbows.
His face came closer to mine, and I could get lost in his dark eyes. There was nothing soft, warm, or beguiling in his electric irises.
"No. Not at all. You're the one who's established that you don't want me in your house."
"Because you always give advice instead of requests, White."
"I'm just trying to help, Hunter."
"But we're not friends," he declared, staring at my mouth.
I felt a shiver so strong that it made my head spin.
I looked down, feeling guilty.
"James, look, I don't know what you're thinking, but—"
"Exactly, you don't know," he said sarcastically, sounding more lucid than I expected.
"Yeah, maybe you don't understand. If I'm helping Jasper, I'm doing it for him. It has nothing to do with you."
His glare pierced through me. "But sometimes you look at me like that."
"How?"
"The same way you were staring at me yesterday at my house."
"I—" My words got stuck in my throat when his thumb brushed my lower lip "I wasn't—"
James stared at me in a way that made me feel like I had to shower.
"Like you're staring at me now."
My body went weak. I felt like jelly.
Without applying too much pressure, James hooked a lock of hair behind my ear and brushed absentmindedly against my neck with his fingertips, making me shiver again. My eyelids got heavy from all the tension. Then he reached for my hand that held the tequila. He grabbed the bottle, leaving me with my jaw dropped.
"You fell for that? Really?" What an asshole.
"Give me back that bottle, Hunter!"
"No!" he exclaimed, laughing.
I grabbed it again in one fell swoop, but when I tried to get out of that position, he wrapped his arm around my waist, forcefully pushing me against his pelvis.
I almost lost my balance and to avoid being all over him. I pushed him onto the seat with a hand on his chest.
"Are you a dumbass? I spilled everything! Jackson will have a fit!"
I saw him shake his head to break free of the hair covering his eyes. "White! Give it!"
"No!"
He held me still with one hand and fumbled behind my back with the other. As soon as he realized how ticklish I was, he decided to be merciless.
"James, no. Please. No, really, we'll spill everything." I couldn't stop laughing and howling out of frustration. "James, we're making a mess, look at how—"
I swallowed another curse word because it was too late. My fingers were soaking wet. The bottle fell out of my hands spilling part of its contents on Jackson's leather seat.
"Oh shit." I heard him laugh louder.
"You got the seat wet, you idiot!" I tried to breathe normally.
"You're the one who got the seat wet, you moron!"
"What's so funny?" Oh for god's sake. It was Will.
"Nothing," I exclaimed suddenly jumping out of the truck.
James's hair was messy; he was flushed and out of breath. Just like I was. William was looking at us like we were crazy.
"Nothing. Snow White said Austin looks like a koala with a wig."
I laughed as I got out of the car.
"Will you sit in front, June? With me?" I noticed a hint of gruffness William's words, but I decided not to pay attention to that.
"Jackson?" I asked as I got into the passenger seat.
"He's going back with Marvin. He left the car here and asked me to take care of it. You guys didn't do any damage to it, did you?"
"Who, us?" James quipped from the back seat; I held back a laugh. "Of course not." I wasn't in a position to tell Will we'd already done a few hundred dollars' worth of damage in there. James bashed his forehead against the back of my headrest, then reached his arm over to play with the hair on the nape of Will's neck.
"Cut it out." Will admonished him patiently. It looked like he was used to James's bizarre behavior when he was drunk.
He snapped in reply, turning around with his shoulders on the seat.
"Austin seemed preoccupied with other things tonight. I wonder if he really meant to—" Will started to talk, but cut himself off as soon as he realized his friend wasn't listening.
Something tickled my side, and I almost jumped out of my seat. "Everything okay?" Will asked when he saw me squirming in place.
"Yeah, everything's fine."
I shooed away James's fingers by elbowing the seat as he started to laugh again. Obviously he was drunk.
"James?" Will tried calling him, but he was on the phone.
"Will you take me to Tiffany's?" he asked at a certain point.
"You sure?" Will raised his eyebrow.
"Actually, no, Taylor's."
"Sure, what is that, an auction? To whoever offers more?" I grumbled, irritated.
"No, it's a pajama party."
"What does that mean?"
"You don't want to know, Snow White."
After a quick ride, we reached an exclusive gated community with guards and railroad crossings. The security guy stopped and looked in the car, but when he saw James he motioned for us to pass.
The car stopped in front of a mega mansion. I'd never seen such a big building.
Will seemed mildly concerned; James looked the total opposite.
"We're at Taylor's, man. You sure you can do this?"
"I don't know, Will. Ask her about it tomorrow."
James planted a kiss on his friend's cheek then turned his chin to look me right in the eye, trapping me in the depth of his eyes. And that moment of distraction was enough for him to take the tequila bottle out of my hands.
"Hunter!"
He laughed and got out of the car.
"Work on your reflexes, White!"