Afterglow

skate

As it turned out, having ties with the children of the owners of the school came in handy, because detention was all that I received for the impromptu wrestling match that had erupted in the cafeteria not a few hours earlier.

The bell had sounded a few minutes before and with that, I stumbled to the library where punishment would be doled out.

Every single spectator from the 'group' along with the main participant of the fight had received detention for the next week, but other than that, it seemed like little more than a slap on the wrist, and I knew I had Blythe and Lachlan to thank for that, especially after the both of them disappeared into the headmaster's office for a few minutes alone, no doubt pulling their 'parent' card. I didn't blame them, in fact, I praised them for it.

I hadn't seen Jenna since the fight, and I was glad that when she walked through the doors of the library that she was flanked by Holden and Sloane, because at least those two wouldn't let her get to me, at least I hoped. Especially not after Sloane surprisingly having my back after the nasty words Jenna had spewed at me before things got physical.

Lincoln and Taylor strolled through the doors with Evan trailing behind and then Vera and Blythe arrived as a unit, holding hands and whispering sweet nothings into each others ears. The sight brought a tightness to my throat, their connection so strong that it physically hurt to see two people so utterly happy and blissfully ignorant to the things going on around them.

I didn't want to drag Vera into my problems, that much I was sure of. She might have been my best friend, but that didn't mean that she had to know everything, especially if knowing those things would put her in harms way.

No, I'd let her stay in her happy, content, and most important, safe bubble with Blythe, and I would stick it out on my own. Or maybe with a certain ex bully of mine...

"Hey, it's like the Breakfast Club in here!"

My head whipped to Taylor, eyes raised as I was unsure where he'd gotten that reference from considering he didn't seem the type to watch old eighties rom-coms.

"What? My mom has movie night every week, and they almost always feature Molly Ringwald in one way or another."

Well, that answered that question, and he was right. All of us in detention was giving off a certain eighties movie vibe.

Jenna sat as far across the table as she could from me without meeting my eyes, her face a mask of blankness and boredom. That was fine by me. If she left me alone I wouldn't give her a second thought.

We were all seated around a big conference table used mostly for group projects at lunch or during study hall. I sat beside Blythe and Vera on my left and Evan on my right like we normally did at lunch, with Lincoln and Taylor at one end and everyone else seated at the front of the table closest to the door, only one seat left for the head of the table and that was when Lachlan strolled in looking as delectable as he had earlier in the morning stood beside a roaring fireplace without a shirt on.

Our eyes locked and it was almost impossible to turn away.

A blush stained my cheeks and I quickly averted my gaze, directly in the path of Evan's inquiring eyes, and I didn't want to know if he had noticed the heated stare we'd shared before I looked away. 

"Hey, you feeling okay?"

I focused on Evan's sandy brown locks of tumbling hair atop his head and his warm light brown eyes.  It was easier to stare at the spot just above his eyebrow than really look him in the eyes, though, knowing the kinds of secrets I was keeping from him.