Keep You From Harm (9 page)

“Nice going,” Kellie snaps at him. Then she puts her arm around Sophie and leads her away.

“I’m going to catch a ride back with them,” Jake announces before following behind the two girls.

“Well, this has been fun,” Myles quips.

Lucas scrubs a hand over his face.

“You ready to go?” Gwen asks me.

My gaze shifts back toward the stage door. Then I nod. It might be better to find Chad at school and ask him who his band mate is. It’s obvious he knows who I am. It would probably be wise if I tried to find out more rather than storming in there and making him talk to me right now.

As we head for the exit, behind me I hear Lucas ask Gwen, “Where are you parked?” After she tells him, he says, “We’ll walk you.”

Once we step outside, the muggy night air feels cool on my damp skin. My boots click on the pavement. Gwen and I lead the way with the three of them trailing close behind.

“Why did you and Sophie break up anyway?” I hear April ask.

I try to keep pace with Gwen, pretending I’m not listening intently to the answer. After a long silence, I think Lucas isn’t going to respond. But then he says, “I was never going to feel the way she wanted me to. It wasn’t fair to be with her.”

“Wow, that sucks for Sophie,” April says. Then she giggles.

I glance back at her wondering if she somehow got her hands on a few drinks.

When we finally reach Gwen’s car, she turns and gives them all a little wave. “Thanks for walking us.”

As I move toward the passenger side, Lucas steps up beside me. “Are you going to tell me what that was about?” he asks quietly, so only I can hear.

“Kellie and Sophie were rude to me, as usual,” I answer glibly.

“You know that’s not what I mean.”

I reach for the door handle wishing I could tell him. Wishing I had someone I could trust. Knowing all too well that I don’t. “Goodnight, Lucas.”

He face tightens with annoyance. Once I’m seated, he closes the car door for me. Through the side mirror, I see him standing there, watching us as we drive away.

“W
here
would I find Chad Bleeker at school today?”

Myles just stares at me.

“What?” I ask.

He runs a hand through his hair. “Why do you want to know? Are you becoming another crazed Isolation fan girl?”

We’re almost to April’s house. I want to wrap this conversation up before we get there. “Look, I just need to talk to him. I’ve never seen him in school, and I have no idea how to track him down. I promise you that fandom is the last thing on my mind.”

“Fine,” he says, shaking his head like it’s against his better judgment. “He’s probably feeding his nicotine habit down by bleachers.”

“Thanks. I’ll see you later.” I speed up and wave to April as I jog across the street. Once the school is in sight, rather than heading up the front steps, I detour around to the back. Sure enough, down on the field behind the school building, there is a group of smokers congregated on the bottom step of the bleachers.

I spot Chad surrounded by three guys who look similar to him, all wearing a sort of emo-punk fusion style with lots of visible tattoos at their wrists and necklines, and black skinny jeans that disappear into biker boots. They all stop talking to watch my approach. With tunnel vision, I see only Chad, who is eyeing me as white smoke spills smoothly from his nostrils.

I stop in front of him. “Can I talk to you?”

Someone beside me whistles. “Bleek’s got another groupie. She’s the hottest one yet.”

“Talk,” Chad orders, looking me over.

“In private,” I add. More whistles sound. I roll my eyes at his friends as I wait for his answer.

He tosses his cigarette onto the ground and begins walking around to the other side of the bleachers. I follow behind him, assuming he’s not trying to escape me. Once we’re away from his smoking circle, he turns to me abruptly.

“If I decide to fuck you, I don’t want to hear from you after. Okay? One and done. That’s the deal.”

I stare in disbelief and then try not to laugh. He’s decent looking in a badass way, but he’s mostly just an ass with ashtray breath. “That’s a really interesting offer,” I reply calmly. “But I just wanted to ask you a question.”

He slants his head at me like he’s not sure he heard me correctly.

“I was wondering if you could tell me about your bass player, the guy with the long ponytail.”

Now he’s squinting at me. “You mean Rob?”

I nod as though I know who that is. “Yeah, Rob…”

“Jarvis,” he finishes for me.

“Right. I know him from somewhere, but I can’t put my finger on it.”

“Did you fuck him?”

My shoulders tense with the insults I’m holding back. “No,” I reply with a hard to maintain neutral expression that is actually hurting my face. “Is he from San Diego?”

Chad barks out a laugh. “Hell no.”

“Has he traveled there recently?”

“I’m pretty sure he’s never left the state,” he replies, growing impatient.

“Are you sure? Maybe he was in California visiting a friend or something. Maybe he was traveling for a job?”

He shakes his head and laughs again. “I don’t think janitorial work requires much travel.”

“He’s a janitor?” I ask surprised.

Chad shrugs. “That’s just his day job until we get a record deal.”

“Where does he work as a janitor?”

“Don’t remember,” Chad replies, and his eyes zero in on my chest. “Why are you so interested in him? Maybe we wouldn’t have to keep it to one time as long as you didn’t get too clingy or expect anything from me.”

Chad’s outrageous offer barely registers as I’m beginning to second guess myself. Is it possible the bass player is not the person I saw talking to Apollo? “Well, thanks,” I reply, “I’ll think about it.” With that, I quickly walk away, wondering when my next opportunity to take a shower is.

W
hen
I arrive in history, Lucas is already there. “Are you free to go to the DMV after school today?” he asks just as I’m sitting down beside him, my thoughts still on my conversation with Chad.

“Go where?” I ask, confused.

He faces me. “The Department of Motor Vehicles, to get what you need for your learner’s permit.”

“Right, the driving lessons.” I nod. “What does getting a learner’s permit involve?”

“You need to fill out some forms, get the study book, take an eye test, and pay a fee,” he rattles off casually.

“How much is the fee?”

“Around eighty bucks, I think.”

I begin chewing on my pen. “I don’t think that’s going to work.”

I see understanding dawn on his face. “I can pay—”

“No way,” I interrupt him. “Thanks but you are not paying the fee for me. Once I’ve gotten a few paychecks, I’ll go get it. Okay?”

“You have a job?” he asks.

I nod. “I start tomorrow, at Scoops. The new ice cream place in town.”

He thinks for a minute. “Okay, then. We’ll fast forward to the driving part after school today.”

I agree to that, and all too predictably my nerves send my heart racing at the thought of being alone with him. But my mind is still on other things. I spend the rest of the morning in a state of distraction, still wondering about the guy I now know to be Rob Jarvis, and how I can find out more about him. Whether I’m mistaken or not, I can’t just let it drop without knowing for sure.

Luckily, Kellie ignores both Lucas and I in our next class. I assume she and Sophie are still angry with him. When it’s finally lunchtime, I’m surprised to find Chad Bleeker standing by my locker.

“Hey,” he says, leaning his shoulder casually against the locker beside mine. “I was wondering if you wanted to eat lunch with me at one of the tables outside.”

“Eat lunch with you?” I repeat, wondering if I heard him correctly.

“Hi,” Myles says, appearing on my other side. His eyes widen when he sees who I’m with. “How’s it going, Chad?”

Chad hardly spares him a look. “It’s going, Giles.”

“Myles,” he corrects him in a tight voice.

“Right,” Chad says, uninterested. “What do you say, um, sorry what’s your name?” he asks me.

“Raielle,” I answer, trying not to laugh at him, but failing.

He misunderstands and grins back at me. “Raielle, do you want to eat lunch with me?”

I don’t want to eat lunch with him or do anything else with him. “My friend is already waiting for me in the cafeteria,” I explain. I’m shocked when I see a flicker of disappointment in his face. “But you could join us,” I quickly add.

Chad glances from me to Myles before answering. “Thanks, but I don’t really do the caf. Maybe we could do something else another time?”

I can almost hear Myles’s mouth dropping open beside me.

“Yeah, another time,” I answer awkwardly not sure what’s going on exactly. One minute he’s being a rude asshole to me and the next he’s shyly asking me out with big puppy dog eyes.

“Okay, then. Later,” he says before turning and strolling down the hallway.

When I turn around, Myles is shaking his head at me.

“What?” I ask.

“I wouldn’t have thought he was your type.”

“Please, he’s not. I just needed to ask him a question this morning. I guess he read more into it.” I shrug.

Myles keeps shaking his head as we walk toward the caf.

“Okay, stop it,” I scold. “You’re going to give yourself whiplash.”

He comes to a halt in front of the cafeteria entrance and faces me. “Look, Raielle. I know you’re not naive. I don’t know what your issues with guys are, but please don’t hurt Lucas. He’s a good friend, and he’s been through a lot. If you’re interested in someone else, don’t string him along, okay?”

For a moment, I’m too shocked to respond. “I’m not,” I finally say. “I wouldn’t do that. Besides, Lucas hasn’t asked me out or even acted like he wants to.”

Myles takes a deep breath. He seems disappointed. “Don’t play dumb, okay? It’s not an attractive look for you.”

Then he goes inside, leaving me standing there.

I’m sullen and quiet during lunch. If Gwen and her friends notice, they don’t say anything. I mostly nod as Gwen describes our evening at Atlas. I’m stewing over Myles’s accusation, feeling wrongly accused. If Lucas is telling Myles he’s interested in me, but he’s saying nothing to me, it’s not my fault. Lucas is mostly silent and cryptic when he’s around me. He shoots me these heated looks occasionally, but I’m not a mind reader. I’ve done nothing wrong. Have I? It’s true that I’ve been trying to ignore the attraction I feel for him, but Lucas doesn’t know that. Does he? Even if he did, what does he expect me to do about it? I’m not going to throw myself at him. If he’s interested in me, he should say something. Actually, no he shouldn’t because I’m not ready to hear it. My emotions would be all over the place if I let myself get involved with him. Just standing near him sends my pulse into overdrive. I can’t imagine what it would be like to actually kiss him. My cheeks grow warm and my palms start to sweat just thinking about it. There’s no question about it, getting involved with him would not be smart. What the hell did Lucas say to Myles anyway? What did Myles mean when he said Lucas has been through a lot? I think about him far too much. Yet I know virtually nothing about the guy.

I’m getting too worked up about this. I need to calm down and clear my head so I can keep my emotions in check. I abruptly excuse myself and walk quickly out of the cafeteria, purposely not looking at the usual table where Myles and Lucas sit.

In art class today, our assignment is to use pastels on paper to interpret the way we’re feeling. Beside me, Grady, a beefy guy who has never spoken a word in class, is drawing two stick figures who appear to be having sex. He has a creepy little grin on his face as he’s eyeing his work. The girl beside me is sketching the beach. I pull out a black pastel and proceed to cover my entire paper in solid black. I’m done in less than five minutes, and I spend the rest of class watching the clock. When the teacher comes around to collect our assignments, she’s too astounded by Grady’s picture to notice mine.

I
manage to cool off as the afternoon drags on. But a minor run-in with Kellie threatens to throw me off kilter. “So, it’s Chad now,” she taunts as she passes me in the hallway. “You do get around.”

I don’t bother to deny it. I say nothing and hope that Myles is not the one spreading that rumor.

As I’m emptying the contents of my locker into my backpack at the end of the day, Lucas appears beside me. He doesn’t say hello. He just stands there waiting for me, his face a mask of coolness. I clench my jaw and decide that Myles has no idea what he’s talking about. I zip my backpack closed and automatically head toward the back stairwell.

“I’m parked in front,” Lucas says, indicating the front stairs that I’ve been avoiding.

I nod and turn around. Lucas is behind me as I quickly move down the stairs, careful not to come into contact with the other students who are descending with us. I finally stop and wait once I’m out on the sidewalk in front of the parking lot.

“You in a rush?” Lucas asks, eyeing me with what looks like disdain.

“No,” I reply, trying not to sound out of breath.

He walks ahead of me toward his truck. “I thought we’d drive over to the industrial park,” he says without looking at me. “There’s a section of parking lot there that’s usually empty, and there are some private roads in the back we can use.” He’s the one moving quickly now, not bothering to see if I’m even with him as he speaks.

“If this isn’t a good time, we can cancel the lesson,” I offer since he seems less than thrilled about giving it.

He stops short and whirls around at me. “Do you want to cancel?”

I rear back, startled by his reaction. “No. You just don’t seem like you want to do this. If you’ve changed your mind, it’s no big deal. Just tell me rather than acting like a dick.”

To my surprise, his glare softens. Then he nods once. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I’m in a shitty mood, and I’m taking it out on you. I still want to do this if you do.”

I briefly consider calling it off, but I then I think about Myles telling me that Lucas has been through a lot and decide to give him a break. Finally, I just nod at him and he opens the passenger door for me.

“I’m sorry for calling you a dick,” I tell him once we’re moving.

He smirks at me. “Sure, you are.” After a few moments of quiet he asks, “Are you nervous for your first driving lesson?”

“It’s not exactly my first lesson,” I say sheepishly.

He turns, raising his eyebrows at me.

“One of the foster kids I lived with for a while liked to jack cars and take them for joyrides. I’d go along, and he’d let me drive sometimes.”

His eyes grow round. Then he laughs. “I wasn’t expecting you to say that.”

I shrug, amused by his reaction. “My checkered past again.”

He smiles at me, and I have to look away before I start wishing I could see that smile directed at me more often. “Why are you in a shitty mood?” I ask, watching the scenery out the window.

He sighs, pulling my curious eyes back to him. His fingers open and flex before closing over the steering wheel again. “I’m going to suck it up and be honest with you,” he says.

My brows arch up. “Oookay…”

He’s looking at the road when he says, “Chad Bleeker isn’t good enough for you. He treats girls like dirt. You deserve better than him.”

I sink down into my seat and shake my head. This school is unbelievable. CNN’s got nothing on these kids. “I’m not involved with Chad Bleeker.”

He glances at me. “You’re not?”

“I sought him out this morning to ask him a question, and I guess he misinterpreted our conversation. He thinks I want to go out with him or something.”

“Or something,” Lucas remarks dryly. “Does this have something to do with why you wanted to talk to the bass player the other night?”

“Yes.”

“If I ask you again what that was about, is there any chance you’ll tell me?”

While I consider my reply, I reach back to lift the hair off my neck. The interior of Lucas’s truck suddenly seems hot and cramped. “I know you were at Myles’s house when he learned I was moving here. But I don’t know how much you might have overheard about what happened before I came,” I begin.

Lucas’s eyes travel from my exposed neck, to my face, and then back to the road. “I know your mom had some,” he pauses, “issues. So you spent time in foster care growing up. I know she died just before you moved here.”

I shake my head ruefully. “Did Chloe give my story a G rating or did you?”

“I guess I did.” One side of his mouth curls up sympathetically. “This is it,” he says, maneuvering behind a brick building and into a large parking lot that has only a smattering of cars. After putting the truck in park, he sits there and looks at me. “I’m really sorry about your mom,” he says quietly. He sounds so completely sincere I suddenly feel the threat of tears. I take a deep breath as I try not to cry in front of him.