Rival Love (8 page)

Chapter 15

Skylar

“Twice in one day? My, my, Miss Fletcher, seems you’re going to be a handful, aren’t you?” Principal Keegan asks.

His slender finger taps against the file that contains all record of my former life. Duke University, I just kissed you goodbye. Swimming and softball, looks like you’re on the farewell train too.

“I’m not certain I understand our problem here. Mr. Timmons…” And as if on cue Brian enters the room.
Awesomesauce!
“Ah! There he is right now. Brian…would you care to inform Miss Fletcher here what you said about her in order to get her into this private school at such short notice?”

I look up at Brian in spite of my resentment of him for being part of the reason I’m in this stupid office in the first place. Brian adjusts his tie and clears his throat. “Well, um…I uh…just said what a good kid you were. Never caused trouble. Did community service. Helped out down at the food banks during the holidays. Good leader skills, and is a very smart student.” He looks deeply confused. “Why are you in here again?”

Damnit
. My mother told him a lot about me, and he made me look like a saint to this principal. She left out the part about bailing me out of juvie for breaking curfew, because Kevin and I were…destroying this very school’s football field. We were almost to his house when we got busted. We lied and said we were at a movie. Thank God my evil side is intelligent and I bought two tickets in advance for one of the midnight premieres.

Yes, I can be devious and caring, and I like keeping both hidden. Especially the community service, no one needs to mark me as a softy. No one respects a softy, not that it matters as long as I’m here.

“Miss Fletcher here thinks it’s okay to disrupt class, harass students, and not follow the rules set for this school. Isn’t that right, Miss Fletcher?”

I smile. “I plead the fifth.”

“This isn’t a courtroom. Pleading the fifth doesn’t work here,” Principal Keegan practically screams. His face went from a nice olive complexion to a beet-red in a matter of seconds.
Wow, I must really bring the best out of this guy.

“Skylar?” Brian starts.

I frown, even though I should scream, “What?” Silence fills the vacant spaces words should be deflecting off. It’s crazy, I know, but a small part of me respects Brian. Oh, yes, I hate him very much for putting me in this position and having a hand in my transfer. But I still respect him because of how he treats my mother. She hasn’t been very happy after my father, and most of the men she dated were assholes. Total douches that didn’t bother calling me “Liv” or “Sky.” No, I was known to them as Kiddo, Princess, or Hey You.

“I’m having a bad time adjusting, that’s all. I’m sorry.” It’s not a total lie, but it’s not the whole truth either.

Mr. Keegan leans back in his chair and observes me. “Disrupting classes is not how you should start the school year off. Now, I understand that being a senior you might think you can just get away with this kind of behavior. But let me be clear, you cannot behave like this. Detention after school. Hopefully that straightens out your attitude.”

Brian nods. “Skylar will not let this stuff happen again. Come on, it’s time for lunch.”

I’m not supposed to be seen with Brian, so I ditch him as soon as possible.

Where am I going to eat lunch? That’s the question of all questions. I can’t go to the cafeteria, that would be flat-out stupid on my part. I’m definitely not eating in one of the girls’ bathrooms because that’s just nasty.

Without even realizing where my feet are leading me, I end up at the back entrance to the pool. The front desk is deserted and the boys’ locker room door to the left of me is wedged open a crack. Glancing around, I push open the door and make my way to the pool deck. The smell of chlorine hits me hard and stings my eyeballs. I blink a few times and smile.

I walk past the undisturbed pool and up to the upper deck where the fans sit. Taking a seat on the bleachers, I sigh. If I can’t get my mom to transfer me back to Harris Academy, can I really skip a whole year of swimming? The thought of it makes me ill. Swimming is a part of me, like breathing, eating, living. But I know I can’t join this team. I can’t betray my friends like that. My heart aches. I feel so trapped.

This is completely unfair. For the first time in my life, I wish I wasn’t me. If I sucked at sports this wouldn’t matter. If I was a nobody, no one here would care what school I came from. It’s true, too.

Turning my head to the ceiling I ask, “Why did you do this to me? Am I supposed to learn a lesson here?”

A loud mass of giggles echoes up to me. I peer over the glass railing and see a group of swimmers with their Bobcat Swim t-shirts on, fanning out over the pool deck.
Shit!
They haven’t spotted me yet, but I’m not about hang around until they do. I snatch my paper-sack lunch and sneak toward the nearest exit.

I hear someone whine, “I hope that bitch doesn’t try out for the team!”

I keep my eyes on the girls while making my way to the other end of the stands. Amber snarls, “If she does, it’ll be up to us to get rid of her, because you know Coach will want her on the team.” She looks at the three girls with her. “She’s not even that great of a swimmer. Do you see how she roams the halls? Like, ‘I’m Skylar Fletcher. I won state in not one but two sports, three times. I’m so awesome, bow down to me. Blah-blah-blah.’ God! Why’s that freaking bitch even here?”

Covering my mouth I try to stifle back the laugh building in my chest over the imitation I just saw. I hear Laura from my English class start. “She totally acted like the queen bee in English. I mean, can we say, needs attention or what?”

Heads nod, and I’m finally at the door. The handle clicks, and heads turn to the popping sound.
Oh, man!
“What the…” I hear as I dart out the door and sprint down the flight of steps. I don’t even wait to get to the last step and jump from the fourth to last. Hitting the ground, aftershocks ripple up my legs, but I ignore it as the locker room door bursts open with a group of girls flying out.

Sprinting, I rush through the commons. The girls are following, but I’m outrunning them by two full car lengths. High-pitched screams, along with shouts and some deep authoritative voices follow. “Hey! Stop! Hey!” I don’t listen. I keep running, whipping down a long hall and darting right, then jumping down four steps and taking off. I test the first door on my left. Locked. Rushing to the next one on my right, I test it. “Score,” I whisper and step in. I flick on a light, and find myself in a janitor’s closet. “Nice.”

My fingers swing the lock and I switch off the lights. Pressing my back against the door, I slide to the ground and sigh. Pounding footsteps file down the hall and then the doorknobs start jiggling. I pull out my phone and start playing a game of Angry Birds because I have a feeling I’m going to be in this closet for the rest of the day.

Chapter 16

Caleb

At lunch there’s rarely any entertainment. It’s mostly people shooting the shit and eating. Today, we got a whole lot of fun-filled action when Skylar outruns Amber, Laura, Jillian, and Pam, along with our athletic director, Mr. Chamberlin, and my football coach, Mr. Dillon.

Skylar eventually vanishes, and no one can find her. She doesn’t even attend her last set of classes. The whole school won’t shut up about it either. “The Bulldog finally ran home.” If only this were true.

As soon as the final bell rings, I head to my car. My uncle is waiting beside it, and with his worried expression, I know exactly what this conversation is going to be about. He better not even mention her name with all these people flooding the parking lot. Someone will overhear him and then I’ll be the next one running away from a mob of people.

“Caleb, a word. In my room.”

“I’ve got practice.”

He narrows his eyes. “Practice can wait. This is a family matter.”

I roll my eyes. Family matter my ass. Skylar hiding out is not my problem. She’s not even family! She doesn’t want to be here. I don’t want her here. Sure, there are some perks, like a hot chick living across the hall from me, wearing skimpy shorts and all that jazz, but it’s Skylar.

Uncle Brian is not taking no for an answer and I reluctantly follow him up to his room. Once we’re there, he shuts the door and says, “I need your help finding Skylar.”

I wrinkle my nose and shake my head. “Seriously, why should I help? She’s been nothing but a brat since she got here.” Plus, it’ll be better for all of us.

“Look, I know you guys have your differences right now, but Caleb, this is Erin’s daughter. If she hears about any of this, I’ll lose her forever. Please. Help me find Skylar.” The way he’s pleading makes me cave.

I sigh. “Fine, I’ll help.” Can’t believe I’m missing practice for this. Coach is going to have a field day with me when I get there.

Heading down to the music room, my phone rings. I look at the caller ID and hit the ignore button. No one can know what I’m doing right now, that includes Derrick, who calls me three more times. I make my way down the halls and try a few of the doors. All of them are locked. I roll my eyes and kick the one on the right. “Damnit!”

“Crap!”

“Skylar?”

“Caleb?”

I glare at the door. It opens a crack. She looks around and then straight at me.

“Are we having fun in there?” I ask.

She shrugs. “My battery just died. I was on level fifteen of Angry Birds.”

“That game is for five-year-olds. Come on, my uncle has been looking everywhere for you.” She enters the hallway and looks down at the ground.

She doesn’t say anything as we walk up to my uncle Bri’s classroom.

When we reach the landing on the first floor, she huffs. “Stop.” I do and she faces me. “Why did you do it?” Before I answer, she shakes her head. “Why are you being nice to me and I don’t know, looking for me instead of going on with your life?” she mutters.

“Brian guilt-tripped me into it. This doesn’t mean anything.”

She nods. “Good.”

We continue toward my uncle’s room. He smiles as soon as he spots us. To say Skylar and I were as pleased as him would be an absolute lie. “Skylar, where have you been?”

“I was in a janitor’s closet playing Angry Birds.” She smiles. “So…should I be heading to detention now?”

Brian frowns. “Yes. We can talk about this later, I guess.”

“We don’t have to. I mean, look, Brian, you’re a cool person. But let’s be real here. You’re not my dad, so the whole talking thing…” She sucks in a breath. “Yeah, that’s not going to be happening.”

I don’t know who’s more shocked—me or my uncle. “Um…I need to get to practice.”

My uncle looks at me and nods. “Yeah, sure. Uh…let me give you a note.” He walks over to his desk and starts writing on a Post-it. My gaze follows Skylar as she makes her way to the door and leaves. Brian sets his pen down and sighs. “I don’t know what happened today. Skylar is usually the sweetest kid you’d ever meet.”

“Maybe it’s her time of the month.” I take the sticky note and start to head toward the door.

“Oh, Caleb, before I forget, could you pick Skylar up at her work tonight? She gets off around seven.”

I glare at the glass in the door. “Why do I have to do it?”

“I think it’d be best if you picked her up. Spent some time with her. She’s a pretty good person once you get to know her.”

Annoying—yes. Hot—yes. Good person, as in a saint?
Please
. I nod though. “Fine.” I walk out the door before he tacks on more crap for me to do like go to the grocery store or something equally dumb.

***

“Run, Morgan!” Coach Dillon screams from the fifty-yard line. Sweat is pouring off me as I turn a corner and run across the end zone, heading for the sideline. My punishment for being late: twenty laps. The entire field. I’m currently on lap eighteen, and my sides are on fire. My legs beg for me to stop, but thanks to that freaking Bulldog I can’t.

The more I think about Skylar the more ticked off I get. If she were in front of me I’d wring her neck. She’s screwing up my life.

Lance runs up beside me and says, “Hey, there’s an after-game party Friday night at Amber’s. You going?”

“Yeah, count me in.” One good thing came out of this shitty day. The weekend can’t come soon enough. Beer, chicks, and no Skylar.

I finally finish up the laps and it’s the end of practice. Coach Dillon hands me a bunch of papers stapled together and growls, “New plays. Study up. Be ready tomorrow. We’re going to run a few.”

I nod and head down to the locker rooms. It’s a little past six forty-five when I get my shower, change, and am in my car. Lance jerks open the passenger-side door and says, “Hey man, Derrick left my ass, can you give me a ride?”

“Um…I kinda gotta get Liv from work.” His eyes light up, and it makes me instantly regret telling him that.

“Well, I don’t mind. Besides, I wanna meet the hot chick. Derrick won’t shut the hell up about how he got to meet her first.”

God, I’m really going to regret this. I nod. “All right but she’s a total bitch. Warning you now.”

“Most hot chicks are.” He slides into the passenger seat and we take off to Coffee Junky’s Dream.

It’s way after seven when I pull into the parking lot. I hop out and tell Lance to wait in the car. Stepping inside the small coffee bar, I instantly spot Skylar sitting in the back next to some tall guy. She tips her head back and laughs, and he laughs too. I don’t know what’s so damn funny, but I think it’s the first time I’ve ever seen her laugh with another person. And if Skylar Fletcher could make herself any hotter than she already is, she just accomplished it. My heart speeds up, as I make my way toward her.

Her eyes meet mine and she instantly stops laughing. The dude she’s sitting with looks at her and then up at me. “What are you doing here?” she asks.

“I had to pick you up. So, um…are you done working?”