Fallen Crest High (5 page)

"I'm not even surprised." I spoke in a calm voice. My heart was racing. I knew my face must've been red because I felt my blood boiling. My arms, legs, knees, everything trembled and shook, but my voice sounded like I had asked if it was raining.

He paused and watched me.

"Isn't this the cliché ending to us?"

"Ending?" His Adam's apple moved up and down.

"Yeah," I laughed outright now and swept a hand towards the bedroom. "You were making out with another girl."

He narrowed his eyes and pulled up his pants.

A door opened behind him. It was quiet, so quiet that if I hadn't seen it, I wouldn't have sensed his presence. Mason came out with a skinny blonde on his arm. She looked unable to stand, but I saw his hand grip underneath her legs and he lifted her against him. She hung on around his neck and leaned a head against his chest with a contented smile on her face. He narrowed his eyes when he saw me.

Then Jeff broke the spell. "I know it looks bad."

"Looks bad?" I spat out. "Are you dense?"

"Yeah, well, you had me going so hard all night." He gestured at me. "Look at you, Sam. You're hot,
hella
hot. And I get nothing. I've been your boyfriend for three years. It's taken me a damn year and half to see your tits."

My eyes turned to a glare.

He ran a hand through his haphazard hair. "I'll change, Sam. I've
gotta
. I love you."

"You don't love me." I said it quietly.

"Three years. That's
gotta
mean something. Please, Sam."

"You don't love me."

He looked ready to argue, then something flashed over his face, and a snarl came out instead. "Why don't you get off your high horse? Fine, we're done. I'm not even going to kiss your ass. It hasn't done me a damn thing in the three years we've been dating or the two it took me to get you. I can be half the nice guy I am to you and I've got no problem getting panties to drop."

I geared myself.

He spat out, "You're just some high class bitch that
ain't
high class, Sam."

Mason lifted his head. His eyes remained narrowed to slits, but no other reaction came from him. His face was a blank mask.

I tore my eyes from his and found my soon to be ex boyfriend's in a glower. "Don't you want to know who I've been with? You don't have any inkling?"

"I know that you've been cheating on me. Even my mother knew."

"That makes you look like a fool." A cruel smirk came to him. He stuck his hands in his pants and a prideful look came over him.

"Maybe.
Or maybe I didn't give a crap."

He grew quiet. "Yeah, you're screwed up, Sam. I've never known another girl who'd stay with a guy if he cheated the whole time."

My heart skipped a beat.
The whole time?

He laughed again. The sound sent shivers up my spine. "You've got no clue who with, do you? You've got piss poor taste in friends."

"Friends?"
I wrung out. My eyes gleamed with an ugly feeling.

He was so smug. "Jess has been giving it to me for two years now."

"Jess."

"And Lydia knew. She's known the whole time. She's helped us cover it up too."

"Lydia knew?" I parroted like a fool.

Jeff chuckled and shook his head. "I'd be up here with her now if she wasn't so obsessed with
Kade
. Ever since the car bombing, it's all either of them talk about. I told her to get straight. The
Kade
brothers are going down. They set fire to those cars. The cops have to know—"

Mason started to step forward.

I cried out, "Shut up. You don't know a thing about it!"

Jeff frowned.

"I was there. I was outside and you don't know anything. Jessica and Lydia were inside. They didn't see a thing. They were wasted that night."

Mason moved back a step. The girl on his arm looked up with concern, but settled back against his chest a moment later.

"It
don't
matter. They'll get what's coming to them." His mouth curled up in an ugly smile.

I slapped him. When it was done, his head snapped back and he stared at me, his eyes wide. The air had grown thick, tense. I found it hard to breathe. Then I turned and left. This time I found the front door and I drove off. The hand I slapped him with shook even after I got home and crawled in bed. I tucked it under me and tried to go to sleep.

I never fell asleep that night.

CHAPTER FIVE

When the morning came, I rolled out of bed and went for a run. I didn't last long, four or five miles, but I slowed to a walk and I didn't return home till noon. When I did, I was surprised to find a bunch of cars parked in the driveway and on the road. Then I rounded to the back patio
and saw a ton of people by the pool area. The door in the divider wall was open and more people were on the beach.

The
Kades
were having a party. Joy.

Then I checked my phone after I had showered and ate a few crackers. Lydia and Jessica both wanted to know where I'd gone from the party and why I hadn't said goodbye. I turned my phone back off. There was no one else I cared about who would call.

As I headed to the kitchen,
Mousteff
was there in his chef's white apron and he wore a hat too. He brandished a cutting knife and gestured to the table in front of him.

"Sit," he grunted.

I sat.

He sliced up some meat and put it between two pieces of homemade bread. A parsley and tomato were placed on the side before he set the plate in front of me. A knife and fork were plunked beside it, along with a glass of water.

"Eat," he grunted again.

An apple was cut up next. He put the bowl beside me, turned his back, and left. I didn't see him for the rest of the day.

Later in the afternoon, I headed back to the kitchen for some water. When I went past the patio, I peeked out again and saw the group hadn't left. A bonfire had been lit on the beach and most of the people were around that now. Loud bass blared through the windows. It got louder when a door opened and closed.

I didn't glance up, but Mason stepped next to me. He reached around me and pulled out a pitcher. When he moved back to pull out a glass, I let out my breath. I hadn't known I'd been holding it.

I didn't turn around. No way.

Suddenly the door flew open again. Logan's voice carried through as he howled and ran through the house. Then a car door was slammed shut in the front of the house. When I looked over I saw Mason watching through the kitchen window. A small smile was on his face. He looked softer, just a bit.

My stomach kicked a notch.

I spread a hand against it and frowned. What the hell was I doing?

Then the front door was thrown open and we heard Logan holler, "Finally!
Dude!"

Male laughter responded. When Mason left the kitchen window, I took his place and saw Logan trying to dry hump some guy. I didn't recognize him, but they had so many friends. He was tall, over six feet and his jet black hair matched with Mason's. The two almost looked like twins. While he went out to greet the new arrival, both gave each other a hug with a smile on their faces. It was so genuine, that I clenched my hands around my glass and turned away.

I didn't come out of my room for the rest of the day. When I did, it was past ten in the evening. The party was still full force outside by the beach. No one was beside the pool and I was surprised by that. Then I checked my phone and regretted it. Lydia sent me a test, 'Jeff said you guys broke up. CALL ME!'

I turned it off and put on a movie.

My body was tired so I did nothing on Sunday, except for the little homework I already had. I heard my mom's voice once when I ventured downstairs, but
Mousteff
told me, "Mr. and Other are gone for day. Cooking in cities is better than cooking at home. No one cares. You eat." And he dumped a bowl of soup in front of me with some crackers on the side. When he went back to the kitchen I heard him muttering to himself.

It was late when I heard Mason and Logan in the hallway. A third male's voice was with them so I assumed that it was the guy from before.

"Nah, man.
That's her room. You're parked in the east wing." Logan's voice carried down the hall.

Two doors shut after that and it was silent for the rest of the night.

When I left for school,
Mousteff
stuck his hand out as I passed by. He held a brown bag to me and barked, "Eat.
Lunch."

I took it and there was more muttering as I left. I couldn't hold back a small grin, but it was gone when Lydia and Jessica caught me at my locker.

"What happened with Jeff?" Lydia sounded breathless.

Jessica frowned and readjusted her hold on her books. "You never reply to my calls anymore. You're not a very good friend."

I slammed my locker shut. "Get away from me you whores."

Lydia gasped, "Me?"

Jessica got red in the face and hurried away.

I watched her go, but when Lydia stayed I snapped, "You covered for them. A disloyal bitch is the same as any other disloyal bitch. Shove off, Lydia. I don't want anything to do with you."

She hung her head, but glanced up quickly. Her feet shuffled in place and she said in a hush before she scampered away, "Adam Quinn is going to ask you out. Everybody's talking about it."

I closed my eyes, not something I wanted to deal with.

When I went to my last class, my lab partner kept glancing at me. After the twelfth time, I sat back. "You got something to say?"

She looked around and then pulled back her red curls from her face. It didn't matter. The frizzy hair clung to her skin. She didn't seem to mind. Her excitement couldn't be contained when she leaned forward. Her pudgy elbow rammed mine off the table. "You and Jeff
Sallaway
broke up, right?"

I nodded and crossed my arms over my chest.

"Is it true that Adam Quinn asked you out?"

I lifted an eyebrow.

A high-pitched squeal left her. It sounded like laughter. "He was asking your friends about you this weekend."

"They're not my friends."

"Oh." Her eyes kept darting around. "So are you
gonna
say yes?"

"Who are you?"

"My name's Becky
Sallaway
."

My mouth quirked up.
"You're Jeff's cousin?"

She shifted in her seat.
"Only through marriage.
My mom married his dad's brother. Are you going to go out with Adam Quinn?"

"Why are you asking me? Did Jeff ask you to?"

Her mouth gaped open a second before her pasty white cheeks matched the color of her hair.
"That pipsqueak?
He's a loser. Not like Adam Quinn."

And she wasn't one? I rolled my eyes. "Why do you care so much?"

She shrugged. "Maybe I want to be friends."

"Friends are overrated."

"Not if you've got good ones."

"And you're going to be a good one?"

"Better than those two.
Jessica Larsen's been jealous of you since sixth grade when Forrest Adams thought you were cute and Lydia Thompson doesn't have the backbone to be a good friend. She always does what Jessica tells her. Everyone knows that. I've always wondered why you didn't know that."

I sighed. "He hasn't asked, but the word is that he's going to."

"Are you going to say yes?"

The bell rang and I scooted my chair back. "Why don't you say yes for me?"

She hurried to catch up as I started to shoulder my way out the door and to my locker. The day had been long and I was in need of a good tiring run.

Panting, she tried to mop back her hair again. "Do you really want me to? I'll go find him right now."

"Sure."

When she stopped and headed one way, I kept going. The girl was a freak. But then a different freak planted
herself
in my path.

I groaned on the inside while I couldn't hold back a snarl. "Jill."

She tilted her chin up and her blue eyes flashed. As she flipped her bleach blonde hair over her shoulder, she responded, "Samantha."

I started to move around.

She blocked me.

"What do you want?"

"I'm dating Jeff."

Nothing surprised me anymore. "That was quick. You two been scooting and booting for awhile?" Then I gave her a smile. "Are you my
homewrecker
?"

She narrowed her eyes. "Jeff asked me out last night. I've decided to date him."

"And you're going to make him change?"