Pinehurst: A Magical Olympian Adventure-Young Adult Romantic Adventure/Fantasy Novel (12 page)

“Roland kissed you last night?” Antonio asked incredulously.

Damn! I kept forgetting he could hear me. “Yeah, so?” I tried to sound indifferent about the whole thing. What did he care anyway? He was the one who said it couldn’t be him—whatever that meant?

“I care a great deal,” he retorted.

“Well, don’t. I’m just having a schoolgirl crush anyway remember? Something that will fade in a few weeks.” I threw his words back at him. “It’s not like it’s any of your business anyway.”

“You
are
my business,” he announced firmly.

“Excuse me? I don’t remember you being my dad,
or
my boyfriend for that matter.” I put my hands on my hips, giving the best haughty look I could muster considering I’d just yakked up my entire lunch and possibly breakfast not three feet away from him.

“I may not be your
boyfriend
Evie, but you
are
my responsibility.” The words came out almost snarled.

I huffed. “So you’re training me. Big deal! That’s gym class. My personal life is just that. Mine!” I started walking toward the dorm. “I can date whoever the hell I want to,” I muttered under my breath.

Antonio caught up to me quickly, yanking me around by the arm. The motion made me want to hurl all over again.

“It’s not that simple,” he snapped. His eyes looked angry for the first time.

My smile felt more like a sneer. “Hey. You want to be my trainer, fine. But you will not tell me who I can go out with.” I removed his hand from my arm and stomped up the steps to the dorm not giving him a second look. Yea Friday!

Well, the weekend officially sucked. And not just for me. Half of the Junior class was feeling the aftereffects of the Ragno with various degrees of sickness.

Ms. Spicer, who’d been reprimanded for her “serious lack of judgment,” was spending the entire weekend in the infirmary, sicker than a dog I’d heard.

“It’s lunchtime already?” I whined, realizing that half the day had passed by, and I was still in bed. Iris brought me a bowl of soup from The Kitchen. I’d been in bed for the past nineteen hours, waiting for Death to take me—the jerk never came.

“You look
awful
.”

“Thanks, Iris. It’s nice to see you too.” I took the soup and sat down in my “comfy chair” to enjoy the only good thing this Saturday afternoon had to offer—chicken noodle.

“Maybe you should go to the infirmary.” She eyed me carefully.

“Even if I did, there’s no room. Gillian said the entire ward is completely full. They’ve never had so many sick students at once. They sent her back to
her
bed to rest. Besides, I’d rather die in my own bed.” I leaned my head back against the chair. “It’s a good thing not everyone had spells yesterday,” I added. “You’d be sick too.”

A malicious smile crossed Iris’s face. “Stacy’s there.”

“What? Where?”

“In the infirmary. She got sick all over her lab partner in biology!” Iris squealed over the juicy news. She toppled over on the bed, laughing hysterically.

“She threw up on her lab partner?” Eww. I remembered how close I’d been to throwing up on Antonio. I’d thanked God quietly many times over for sparing me that embarrassment. I almost felt sorry for Stacy. Almost.

“Yeah . . .” Iris cried. She couldn’t stop laughing.

The door to my room flung open. “Hey! I’ve been knocking.” Aubree stood in the doorway, glowering.

Okay . . . what’s her problem? “Hey Aubree, what’s up?”

Iris took one look at Aubree and irrupted into a state of hysteria that would have startled a hyena.

“Is she still laughing about Stacy throwing up?”

I thought about that. It was funny, but not that funny. I shrugged.

“I suppose she told you who the lucky victim was?” Aubree snapped, not bothering to wait for my answer. She folded her arms across her chest in a huff.

I took in the outraged expression on her face and cringed, fearful that I already knew the answer.

Aubree shouted over Iris’ laughter. “IT WAS ME!”

“Oh Aubree,” Iris cried, wiping tears from her face. “I’m so sorry. I know it’s not funny, but I just keep picturing—”

“Here!” Aubree thrust an envelope at me. “I’ll see you later.” She stormed out, slamming the door behind her.

I set the soup aside, opened the envelope, and pulled out a small piece of paper.

“You’ve got to be freaking kidding me!” I jumped to my feet; the sudden adrenaline-rush no doubt due to the instant fury that shot through my veins.

Iris had stopped laughing and sat up. Her eyes, still filled with tears, were wide with shock.

“Sorry,” I mumbled at her shaken expression.

I read the note once more, just in case by some miracle I’d misread it. “What the hell is he thinking? He knows I’m sick! The jerk!” I rifled through my dresser drawers and found a clean gym outfit.

“What’s going on?” Iris rose from the bed, eying me carefully.

“Antonio!” I growled. “He wants me in the gym right now to make up yesterday’s class I missed.”

“But you’re sick!” Iris shrieked. “And its Saturday . . . we were going to hang out.”

I rolled my eyes. “Apparently, Antonio doesn’t give a flip if I’m sick. I’ll see you later.” I stormed out, slamming the door behind me.

* * *

I found Antonio in the weight room looking incredibly hot in a tight fitting t-shirt and sweats—the creep. If he thought his good looks were going to get him out of this, he was sadly mistaken. I was going to give him a piece of my mind. I hardened my expression.

“Good, you got my note,” he smiled angelically.

I tossed my gym clothes to the floor. Damn! I forgot to brush my hair.

“I see you’ve already dressed.” He eyed my sweats and frumpy t-shirt I’d been wearing for the past two days and smiled.

I pictured at the very least seven different ways I could wipe that smirk off his face. His smile broadened. No doubt Antonio now had a mental picture of just
how
I’d planned to wipe that smirk off his face.
All
seven images I’m sure played flawlessly over in his mind. The element of surprise would never be mine.

“Humph.” He could at least act like he was nervous.

“Oh, I am.” He grinned at my death like stare. My eyes narrowed.

“We need to start working on basic combat maneuvers.”

“Today? You couldn’t have waited until Monday?” I had my hands on my hips, looking extremely put out. Not to mention un-attractively pasty. But who cared. I was moving on. I was with Roland now . . . I think?

Antonio’s cool look was momentarily shaken. “I’ve increased your training to seven days a week—”

“Seven days a week? But that’s going to ruin my whole social life.”

“If you hope to pass finals . . . there’s no other way. Your . . . ‘
social life’
will have to wait.” He stifled a satisfying grin.

I sucked in my cheeks. This just completed the weekend from hell I’d been having. Not only did I have to train while sick, but I also had a rigorous seven-day a week butt-kicking to look forward to.

“You can’t be serious.” I searched his expression, desperately seeking humor. There was none.

“I am. Now stand here and try to block me.”

Try? I was going to knock him on his ass! Not only did he
not
care that I was still sick, but he expected me to spar with him? Seven days a week? He was so going down!

Antonio’s leg came around and swiped under my feet—knocking
me
on my butt before I could finish my inner rant.

“You weren’t even trying!”

“I wasn’t ready!” I yelled.

“Then let’s try again. This time, why don’t you spend more time defending yourself instead of plotting my demise.” There was an arrogant look about him, which was very un-Antonio like. Or was it? Maybe he’d just been pretending to be nice? Whatever, It was his turn to eat mat.

I braced myself. There was no way he was going to do that—

Boom!

I was starting to become familiar with the ceiling in the gym. We’d gone over the same move a half a dozen times now, and each time I’d ended up on my back, staring at the same light fixture. How in the world had someone managed to paint the word “HI” on the ceiling?

“Again!” Antonio shouted, bringing me out of my quiet place. He wasn’t even breaking a sweat. I honestly didn’t know why he’d kept doing the same move over and over? I obviously wasn’t getting it!

“That’s why we’re doing it over and over. And we’ll keep doing it until you
do
get it,” he added sharply.

“What’s your problem?” I snapped, as I rose to my feet.

“What are you talking about?” He had the nerve to look meek.

“I mean, what’s this really about?” I held my arms out, motioning to the training room. “Why are you pushing me so hard?”

“I told you. You need extra practice. It’s nothing more than that.”

“
Really
?” Now, I may not know a lot about the way guys think, but I believe it’s safe to assume, that when a guy hauls your sick butt out of bed and says it’s because you need “extra training” that can’t wait . . . he’s probably full of crap.

I was just about ready to call the bullshit card when Antonio dropped to the floor, and swung his leg around, taking me out with one swipe. Again! Only this time I landed on my stomach.

I tried to flip around fast, my legs getting tangled up with his. I reached out, blocking his arms from restraining me. Somehow, I found myself on top of him, straddling him awkwardly. I could feel the hot burn of flush, branding my face. I’d never been in such a position with a boy before. I didn’t know if it was embarrassment, or excitement I felt? I
did
know that being this close to Roland would not stir such an emotion inside me. Damn if I wasn’t confused. And why was Antonio looking at me as if I was his next breath?

Antonio’s hands were on my waist, gripping it tightly. His eyes smoldered like the embers in a fire, bright and beautiful. “Focus!” he growled below me, his expression hardening. For a moment I thought he was scolding himself.

With skilled precision, he’d gripped my wrists with one hand, and held the side of my neck with the other. I couldn’t break free. A small flame rose inside me. I felt mad all of a sudden. I mean
really
mad. His hold was firm—too firm. It freaked me out. I’d never been restrained like this, and I didn’t like it.

Antonio flipped me onto my back, and just like that, our roles were reversed. He was straddling
me
now. My wrists were slammed against the mat, the weight of his body pressing hard against them. He’d won!

Antonio was leaning over me, his face inches from mine. His brown hair, now tussled, hung loosely around his face. His breathing was loud and uneven like my own. But his wasn’t due to exerting himself. There was a hunger in his eyes as he watched me struggle beneath him. His gaze settled on my lips.

He wanted to kiss me; I knew it! It was just like on the track field, only now Antonio looked as if he wanted this kiss even more. No matter how much he tried to hide it, here, close like this, his body touching mine, the desire was unmistakable. I’d seen it in movies a hundred times.

Now, this could have been considered intimate if it weren’t for the sudden “gotcha” look on Antonio’s face. Was he toying with me? My eyes narrowed. Rage emanated from every fiber of my being. Embarrassment claimed me once again. Why did he have to keep making me think he liked me? I growled mentally. Game over. I didn’t care how much I wanted to kiss this guy. I wanted him off me and I wanted him off
now
!

Antonio flew back. His body crashing into a nearby wall with such force, his eyes crossed for a moment before he slid down it, landing on the floor in a dazed heap.

I stared at him in disbelief as I scrambled to my feet. I held my hands as they shook. I wasn’t sure I could even speak. “Did I . . . do . . . that?” The words came out broken.

Antonio rose to his feet, rubbing the back of his head as he walked back over to me.

I backed away from him. Afraid I might hurt him again.

“I want you to do it again,” he commanded lightly.

“What? No! Get away from me!” I shrugged away from his outstretched arms.

“Evie.”

“I mean it, Antonio. Stay away from me. I don’t want to hurt you.” I meant it. I’d been mad at him for playing with me, but there had to be something seriously wrong with me. Either I just imagined that I threw Antonio across the room with my
mind
, or I really did. Either way, I was cracking up.

“There’s nothing wrong with you, Evie.” He spoke with such certainty, I almost believed him—almost. Did he just miss me throwing him across the room at warp speed?