Not the Only One (Book 1 in the Four of Us Trilogy)

Nine

Luke

Miles Jefferson has an enormous bruise on his cheek today. It looks like someone tried to give him a black eye, but they had terrible aim. This gives me great pleasure, and while I know two wrongs don't make a right, I was glad someone punched him for being an asshat.

But who? Who would punch Miles Jefferson and expect to have any kind of place on the social ladder the next day?

"Luke! Wait up!" a voice called behind me. I turned around and to my extreme surprise, it was Brooke Kane. I had to admit she was pretty...fuck it—she was drop dead gorgeous. Maybe not in the traditional sense, but something about her long, ebony hair flying behind her and her dark, wide-set eyes made her...exotic somehow. She jogged to catch up with me as I stood there, dumbstruck. When she got to me, she put her finger under my chin and pushed up. "Shut that mouth, Salazar, 'fore the flies get in," she said in an over-exaggerated country accent.

"Uh, what's up, Brooke?" I asked, turning and walking with her toward math hallway. Why is she talking to me?

The shock intensified when she looped her arm through mine as we walked. "Aren't you in Mr. Perry's Calculus class this period?"

I nodded, stunned into silence at having a girl's arm linked through mine. In the middle of the hallway. With everyone staring.

"I have Mrs. McCallister for Senior Finite. She's right next door. I saw you go in yesterday morning. I thought we could walk together." 

"Yeah, sounds good," I replied, trying to stay chill. "So, uh, Mrs. McCallister. Is she cool?"

Brooke laughed. "As cool as a math teacher can be, I guess. She knows all of us are in there because we're not smart enough for Calculus or Trig, so she takes it easy on us."

I thought for a moment. This is where I was lacking in social skills...Did I contradict her and say she wasn't dumb or do I just sort of try to change the subject?

"Well, math isn't everyone's thing," I replied.

She laughed. "Well, when you're friends with Rachel Cross, and everything is her thing, it's easy to feel less than genius sometimes." I just stared at Brooke and she waved her hand in my face, saying, "Hello? Earth to Luke."

I shook my head, feeling blood rush to my face. "Sorry...I just..." I felt so ignorant and selfish for what I was about to admit. "I never even thought about someone like you having any self-esteem issues."

By this time, we had reached our adjoining classrooms, and she leaned against Mrs. McCallister's door frame, an amused smile on her face.

"Well, to be fair, Salazar, yesterday was the first time I ever thought someone like you could be cool, so I guess we're even," she said, winking at me and disappearing into the classroom.

For the second time in five minutes, I was stunned into silence.

Brooke

I left Luke in the hallway staring after me; I was sure I had just shocked the shit out of him with my flirty wink.

I sat down, dropping my purse and backpack onto the floor, wondering what had come over me because frankly, I had shocked the shit out of myself too.

Rachel had been right. Luke Salazar was cool. But he was crushing on her.

And God help me, but I was jealous.

Miles

"Dude, what happened to your cheek?" Joseph asked, a taunting tone in his voice instead of concern.