The Stone Sisters: Lyssa (The Stones Sisters Book 1) (2 page)

“You must be lonely, moving around all the time.
 
It’s a defense, isn’t it?
 
This cold bitch routine.
 
You don’t want to get too close because you know you’ll be leaving again soon.
 
It’s a defense.”

“Why are you so persistent?”

“Why are you so resistant?”
 
He countered just as some guys walked into the room and called out his name.
 
Kyle turned back to them and grinned, “Brad, Steven.”

“Yo, hittin’ on the new girl?”

Lyssa turned back to the window and tuned them out wishing class would start.
 
The warning bell rang much to her relief and the teacher walked in.
 
Mrs. Johnson, according to the schedule.
 
She just hoped Mrs. Johnson wouldn’t single her out as the new girl.
 
She didn’t, thank the stars.
 
She also didn’t rearrange seating, and that was a plus because she got to sit in the back.
 
A minus because that meant Kyle wouldn’t be moving.
 
She had to be careful to keep physical attraction to just that.
 
She could handle that.

The teacher launched right into a lesson, which made most of the class groan, but was fine by Lyssa.
 
She had her hand up for every question.
 
Easiest way to get people to not want to hang out with her was to establish herself as a cold girl who was a know it all.
 
People usually hated that.
 
So she was shocked when at one point she found Kyle looking at her with a grin.
 
Great.
 
It would figure that she’d run into the one guy in this school into brainy coldhearted girls.

Bell rang and she got up, taking her bag and heading for the door.

“Miss Stone?”

Unfortunately, the teacher wanted her, which meant she would be delayed.
 
She smiled and walked over, “Yes Mrs. Johnson?”

“You have such a great grasp of the material, have you taken this course before?”

“I just really like learning and actually took an online course in physics over the summer.
 
Sorry if I had my hand up too much.”

“No… keep doing that.
 
I won’t always call on you, but it’ll be nice to have someone that I can call on in a pinch.
 
I look forward to having you in class this year.”

“Thanks, Mrs. Johnson.”

Lyssa tried to hurry out of the room, Kyle was coming up and she didn’t want to end up talking to him anymore.
 
He was trouble with a capital T.
 
She darted out of the classroom and headed to the library.

“What’s your next class?”

Damn, too late.
 
“Not that it’s any of your business but I have the next two periods off.
 
 
I’m going to the library.”

“The next two?
 
How many classes are you taking?”

“Four.
 
AP-Physics, AP-Calculus, English, and PE.”

“What, no language?”

“I already have three years of languages.
 
I have enough credits I only need those four classes.”

“What about taking more courses for college?”

“Not going.”

Kyle stopped so she had to turn back to him when he spoke, “What do you mean you’re not going?
 
You’re obviously super smart.”

“Not going, I have other things I want to do in life.
 
If I need college later I’ll go then.”

“What about a job?”

“I’ll manage something.
 
I am smart after all.”

“Not if you don’t go to college you’re not.”

“Well college isn’t everything.
 
You should hurry along and get to class.
 
I have a date with a book.”

Before he could answer, Lyssa hurried off to the library and found herself a quiet corner.
 
Curling into a chair, she relaxed as she pulled out her old worn out copy of H. G. Wells’ The Time Machine.
 
It was a favorite.
 
For that matter, Wells was a favorite, which was why she had a large bound volume of his collected works back home.
 
This was just her travel copy.
 
Opening up she started to read.
 
It was at the part where Weena and the Time Traveler were making their way to the museum.
 
She always wondered if Weena survived, as Lyssa assumed she died, would their relationship have gone further?
 
Also with their lack of curiosity and motivation, how did the Eloi even bother to reproduce?
 
Sure they did, they also played, but motivation was involved in those things as well.
 
Therefore, she had a hard time seeing it.
 
She smiled and read on.
 
It was always these side points in a novel that she found her mind wandering and speculating on.
 
Other than a quick jaunt to check on what Lexa wanted, this was what she was doing after the bell rang, starting her second free period when she heard someone sit next to her.

“So is that some girly paranormal romance novel?”

Lyssa froze, unwilling to turn to face him.
 
Was this seriously happening?
 
Three and a half years she managed to avoid guys with her attitude in schools and this guy just wouldn’t quit.
 
What was she?
 
Some challenge?

“It’s H. G. Wells.”

“It’s… what?
 
Are you serious?”

She held up the book cover and then buried her nose in it, hoping he’d go away.

Smiling, he said with a tease in his voice, “I read all his books when I was a kid.
 
What are you doing reading this now?”

“I like to re-read favorites.
 
It wasn’t written for children so why can’t I enjoy it now?”

“Well… no.
 
But…”

“Mr. Adams, are we going to have a problem?”

“No, Mrs. Sanderson, just trying to get to know the new girl in school.”

Mrs. Sanderson tucked a pencil into her gray bun and frowned, “No talking.”

Lyssa looked up at Mrs. Sanderson and smiled brightly, the one she always used with teachers, who invariably loved her, “Sorry about that Mrs. Sanderson, he was just trying to help me out.
 
We’ll be quiet.”

The older woman nodded and headed to another area where three girls were giggling.
 
Lyssa turned back to her book and soaked in some more Wells.
 
Or, at least she tried to.
 
She felt his eyes boring into her and finally she sighed and looked up.

“What?”
 
She said in a voice barely above a whisper.

Kyle gave her a wicked grin and leaned over to look at her, “You know how to be nice.”

“So?”

“So, you choose not to be.
 
Why?”

Lyssa frowned.
 
Why did the hottest guy she had ever laid eyes on have to be smart too?
 
Couldn’t he have just been some dumb jock who she only saw from a distance?
 
It’d be easier to not be interested if he wasn’t smart.

“Why do you even care?
 
It’s not like I’ve been even slightly nice to you.”

“I know, which is just making me more interested in you.
 
Most girls like me.
 
A girl who knows how to be nice, but acts like a total bitch to keep people at a distance.
 
A girl who is smart enough to know every answer in class and only has to take a few more courses to graduate but chooses not to go to college.
 
What’s your deal?”

“I told you, there’s no point in making friends at this time.
 
In May, we’ll be out of here and I’ll never see you or any of these people again.
 
Now if you don’t mind, I want to read.”

“I’ll let you read.
 
For now.”

Kyle leaned back and stretched his long legs under the table but didn’t go anywhere.
 
He just quietly watched her as she read and she did everything to ignore him.
 
Instead of succeeding, she found herself reading the same line over and over again.
 
It pissed her off, but she refused to look up at him.
 
Why was this guy still pursuing her when all she wanted was to be left alone?
 
By now, most guys would walk away muttering curse words.
 
Not Kyle.

She glanced up at him.
 
Damn.
 
Why did he have to be so sexy too?
 
Lyssa wasn’t dead.
 
She knew when guys were hot.
 
Hell, she’d been attracted to a number of the guys who, over the years, tried to chat her up.
 
But her untiring cold behavior always scared them off eventually.
 
This guy was sticking it out longer than the rest, but he’d break eventually.
 
Eventually they all stopped.

Kyle grinned at her and looked right into her eyes, studying her.
 
Yep.
 
Not going to happen.
 
She’d just wait him out and he’d stop.
 
But damn.
 
As he looked at her, for a moment, she wanted to see what it would be like to date a guy. For once, it would be nice to just have a normal teenage life.

Chapter 2

Lexa
hung out at her locker and took the time to personalize it.
 
It was a little routine, which helped her to feel a little normal.
 
She put in a little LED light, which would go on when she’d open the locker, pointing it at the small disco ball she hung up in there.
 
Next, she put her mirror on the door and gave her makeup a quick check.
 
Still perfect.

“Hey!”

Turning at the cute little voice behind her, Lexa found herself looking into some bright green eyes, set in warm cocoa skin, that belonged to a beautiful girl about her height.
 
She smiled brightly.
 
One of the things Lexa was best at was making friends and it was go time.

“Hi!
 
I’m Lexa.”

The girl tossed her super curly black hair back and grinned, “Melissa.
 
You can call me Missy.
 
You’re new, aren’t you?
 
I mean I don’t recall seeing you last year.”

“Yep, we just moved in during the summer.”

“What bus are you on?”

“Oh, I don’t take the bus.
 
My older sister has a car and I hitch a ride with her.”

“Lucky.
 
My older brother makes me take the bus.
 
Says I’m a pain in the ass.”

Grinning, Lexa re-arranged her books before putting the finishing touch in her locker.
 
A little picture of her and her sister.
 
Sure, it was corny.
 
Sure, most girls wouldn’t.
 
But, Lexa loved her sister.
 
Lyssa had done everything to keep them safe.

“Wow!
 
You and your sister are practically twins!”

“Not really.
 
When you see us both in real life, you’ll see.
 
What’s your first class?”

“Bio, you?”

“The same… Mr. Doyle?”

Missy laughed, “Yes, new girl, Mr. Doyle.
 
Let’s go or we’ll be late and he’s a pain in the ass about that.”

Slamming her locker shut, Lexa followed Missy to the class.
 
It was a good thing she met the girl because, unlike Lyssa, Lexa hadn’t wasted time memorizing the school’s layout.
 
Lyssa was a stickler for that.
 
Lexa just went with the flow.

“So what’s your brother’s name?”

“Ben.
 
I call him Benji and it really pisses him off.”

Lexa laughed, “Is he cute?”

“Ew, no.”

Lexa grinned.
 
She didn’t want to get involved with any guys this year anyway.
 
After the fiasco at the last school, Lexa had decided to swear off boys for a while.
 
Didn’t mean eye-candy wasn’t on the menu.
 
Speaking of which, she watched as a really hot looking blond made his way past them.
 
His eyes were a brilliant sky blue, his skin warm and tanned.

“Wow.
 
Who was that?”

“That?
 
Jason.
 
He’s hot and he knows it.
 
Why do the good-looking ones always have to be bastards?”

“You know it,” Lexa sighed, “always.”

Missy plopped down at one of the tables and eyed her, “Sounds like you’ve had experience.”

“Just a guy I went out with thought that yes to the date meant yes to other things.
 
Lucky for me my sister came by and kicked his ass.”

Those green eyes widened into saucers, “What?
 
Are you serious?”

“My sister’s practically special forces.”

“This I gotta see.”
 
Missy grinned, “Maybe she can beat up a few of the asses around here.”

Lexa snorted, “Lyssa isn’t a showoff.
 
She did it to save me.
 
She’d probably do it to save someone else but…if you are looking for a demo she’s not going to do it.
 
She likes to,” she paused and then smiled, “be in the background.
 
Which is funny because she really stands out.
 
Mind if I’m your lab partner?”

“That’s cool.
 
What’s your sister like?”

With a grin, Lexa took the seat next to Melissa and continued, “Taller than me, people say she has my face, and she’s curvy with slightly muscular arms.
 
But, while she looks and acts all cold and formal, she actually super weird.
 
The other day I found her binge watching some alien teen romance television series from the late nineties.”

“Are you serious?”

“Yep,” Lexa grinned.

Missy frowned, “Do you like… have a crush on your sister?
 
Cause you totally light up while talking about her.”

“Ew, no!
 
That’s super disturbing!
 
She’s just all I’ve got.”

“What about your parents?”

Lexa took a breath and tried to slow down.
 
Lyssa always said she talked too much and had to be cooler about things.
 
The last thing Lexa wanted was to end up having to move mid-year.
 

“Our parents both work.
 
A lot.
 
For the most part it feels like Lyssa raised me.”

“So… you guys are close?”

“Yep.”

“Then you better introduce me to her.”

Lexa grinned just as the bell rang and Mr. Doyle started with attendance.
 
Missy was so…normal.
 
It was great.
 
Bio was boring as hell though and Lexa let her mind wander.
 
That was a mistake, Mr. Doyle asked her a question and she totally failed.
 
Everyone laughed at her, but at least Missy still seemed like she wanted to be friends and that was key.
 
Lexa wanted, no needed, friends.
 

All the science classes were in the same area and as she left class, she spotted Lyssa.
 
She was about to call out when she froze instead, eyes wide.
 
Lyssa was talking to a guy!
 
Lexa wasn’t sure but from here it looked like he liked her and he was hot.

“That’s Kyle Adams, imaginary father of my future children.
 
Wait…is that your sister?”

“That’d be Lyssa.
 
I’ve never seen her talking to a guy before.
 
Not voluntarily at least.”

“Well her face says she doesn’t know what to do.
 
She might like him…or she might shank him.”

Lexa giggled, “Let’s leave her alone for now.
 
You can meet her later.”

“What do you have next?”

“Algebra.
 
Mrs. Keen.”

“Aw, damn, I don’t have that.
 
Do you know how to get there?”

“Not a clue.”

“Take those stairs and then the third door on the left.”

“Thanks Missy.”

“Hey, when’s your lunch?”

“Forth period,” Lexa replied.

Missy grinned, eyes shining, “Awesome!
 
I’ll meet you at the cafeteria, sit with me!”

Lexa’s heart almost skipped a beat.
 
A normal lunch with normal girls.
 
This was exactly what she wanted, nice human girlfriends.
 
At least, she suspected it would be more than just Melissa.
 
Waving brightly, Lexa dashed off to Algebra.
 
She was the first one there and she found a seat in the middle of the room.
 
Middle was safe, she’d be surrounded by people, and surely one of them would be cool.

A petite brown haired, brown-eyed girl with pale skin and sharp features sat next to her.
 
Lexa turned and smiled, “Hi, I’m Lexa Stone.”

“Yeah…I know who you are.”

Great, the other side of teenage girls,
Lexa thought.
 
A hater.
 
And for what reason?
 
Lexa had no clue so she smiled and continued on, “Oh?
 
How?”

“Missy texted me.
 
Ben is mine.”

“Um…what?”

“Missy told me you asked if he was hot.
 
He is.
 
He’s mine!”

Well, that explained that.
 
This girl liked Missy’s brother.
 
And the way she was acting, Lexa bet he had no clue.
 
This was easily solved.
 
She smiled brightly.

“I’m not looking for a boyfriend…or anything like that.
 
I like to look, but I am not interested in touching.
 
He’s safe from me.”

The girl eyed Lexa for a moment, and then turned towards the front of the room as other students filed in.

“What’s your name?” Lexa asked hopefully.
 
Missy seemed cool, but if this girl hated her too much, there was a chance Missy would end the friendship before it began.

“Anna,” the girl said distantly.

“Anna, I was thinking about going out after school, want to come?”

The girl turned and gave Lexa a look that had her seriously wondering if she had grown a third eye on her brow.

“My treat,” Lexa persisted.

“Listen,” Anna replied, “I don’t think being friends with you is a …”

“Look, I’m not interested in dating any boys.
 
I don’t want to steal him from you.
 
I’m just looking for some friends and Missy seems cool.
 
If you’re friends with her, then I bet you’re cool too.
 
I’d just like a shot.”

Rolling her eyes, Anna said, “Fine.”

Lexa grinned, “Great!”

Now she just had to get Lyssa on board and hope this worked.
 
There were a lot of kids in this school, but Missy had seemed really cool.
 
If she brought up the whole friends thing, Lyssa might be willing to go.
 
When the teacher’s back was turned, she sent Lyssa a quick text asking her to meet in-between classes.
 
Lyssa had Lexa’s schedule memorized so it was easier to get her to come to Lexa.
 
After the bell rang, Lexa made her way slowly towards her next class confident that Lyssa would show up at any moment.