Beastly (The Ever After Collection) (8 page)

…

His blatant skepticism of the film made it easier to forget the heat of his body next to hers. “I doubt Simba would have grown to be that large on a diet of bugs. For Christ’s sake, he’s a lion. He
needs
to eat meat.”

“Heath. It’s a movie. A movie about animated lions. For the last time, can’t you
please
suspend your disbelief?”

“I’m just saying.”

…

“You didn’t tell me there was a sex scene in this. Again, I reiterate that I thought this movie was for kids.”

“God, Heath, Nala thought Simba was dead, and he hasn’t seen her for years. They’re just cuddling, which is totally warranted under the circumstances. There’s no…
love making
going on whatsoever.”

“Are you not listening to the lyrics? I mean, they’re straight out asking us if we can feel the love tonight. Pretty sure Simba’s getting some.”

“…Shut up.”

….

Emma would never admit to being as disappointed as she was when the credits began to roll. She snuck a glance at Heath, who was frowning at the screen.

“Well… did you like it?” She didn't know anyone who would dare say they didn’t.

“Well, the rain at the end sure was a convenient way to end the drought that suddenly began when Scar took over as king. I mean, all things considered, was it
really
his fault that food was scarce?”

Emma’s eyebrows shot up. “You’re defending Scar?” she demanded incredulously.

The corner of Heath’s mouth quirked up to form a half grin. “You’re awfully invested in what’s only a movie.”

Emma fought the urge to pout. Seriously, Scar had killed who was arguably the most magnificent character to ever exist. At least in the world of Disney.

Heath rolled his eyes. “Fine, Scar was awful, alright? And the movie wasn’t half bad. You know, for a kid’s movie.”

Emma couldn't have stopped the smile from spreading across her face if she’d tried. “You liked it,” she accused him.

Before he could respond, Emma’s stomach chose that exact moment to let out an embarrassingly loud growl. She glanced at the time. “It’s nearly three. I think I’m going to make myself a snack. Do you want something?” She wasn’t as keen on killing him with her brownies as she had been before. Maybe she could dig out some Pop-tarts or nab one of the sleeves of Girl Scout cookies her father liked to hide in the cupboard directly above the stove.

“Uh, no, that’s okay,” Heath declined, looked troubled by the time as he stared at the clock under the television. “I’m going to be late if I don’t get going.”

Emma tried not to let the disappointment she felt swirling in her belly show on her face as she watched him hastily shove his arms into the coat he had discarded earlier on the arm of the sofa. “Oh.”

Unfortunately, she didn’t think she succeeded in disguising it from her voice.

Heath looked at her, a frown pulling at his mouth. “It’s not that I don’t want to stay, it’s just that...” he grimaced, rubbing the back of his neck in obvious discomfort. “It’s just that I’ve got to work,” he finally said. “I’m still trying to pay off the car that Mr. and Mrs. Potter bought for me.”

It sounded perfectly plausible. But that didn’t stop the sick feeling that Heath was lying to her from settling in Emma’s gut. It wasn’t her place to call him out on anything, however, so she just nodded. “Okay.”

“Yeah,” he agreed, glancing at the front door.

“Maybe we should exchange phone numbers.” The suggestion shot out of her mouth before she could question it. “So we can schedule another time to work on our project,” she hastily added.

Heath shot her an amused smirk. “Why, Emma, here I thought you didn’t like me.”

Emma huffed. “Be quiet and give me your number, would you?”

She was surprised when instead of continuing to tease her, he did just that. She quickly typed it into her cell phone and gave his phone a call so that he would have her number too.

Without further ado, she walked him to the door. “Thanks for inviting me over,” he said quietly after a moment. The words were almost…
shy.
“It wasn’t that awful.”

Or maybe not.

Emma watched as he walked down her front steps. Before he could reach his car, however, she found herself calling out to him, almost against her will. “Hey, Heath!”

He stopped and turned.

Emma bit her lip. “Why… why didn’t you want to work with me?”

Heath sighed, running a hand through his mused hair. “It’s not that I didn’t want to work with you.” He took a stepped towards her. “I guess I just figured that
you
wouldn’t want to work with
me
. In case you haven’t noticed, I’m not exactly the easiest person to get along with, and we didn’t exactly get off to a good start.”

At least he was self-aware.

“Well, you were obviously wrong,” Emma pointed out reasonably. “About me not wanting to work with you anyway. I mean, there’s definitely room for improvement when it comes to your… communication… skills, but I practically cornered you at your job. Clearly, I
do
want to work with you.”

Heath snorted, but Emma was pleased to see a small grin form on his mouth before he could hide it. “I guess you’re right,” he acquiesced. He lingered for a moment longer before glancing once at his car and then back at her. “I’ll see you, Emma.”

Emma watched him until he reached his Chevy, finally shutting the front door when he threw himself into the driver’s seat of the vehicle. “Bye,” she offered quietly as she stared at the closed door, her eyes tracing the intricate designs engrained into the wood. The patterns were as beautiful but complex as the boy who’d just left her house.

CHAPTER SIX

Emma stared at the cheesy piece of cardboard otherwise known as the school cafeteria pizza. Puddles of grease pooled between shreds of mozzarella and cheddar. Unappetizing as it looked, it was still probably the tastiest thing they served at Maple Valley High and so she grudgingly took a bite.

She flinched when Collette, who was sitting in her regular spot on Emma’s right, flicked a finger against her ear.

“Hey!” Emma complained, rubbing the stinging appendage. “What was that for?”

Collette eyed her in disbelieving exasperation. “Oh, I don’t know, Emma. I’ve only said your name ten times or so in the past minute, but I guess you were too busy staring forlornly into the grease puddles of your pizza to notice. Honestly, what is up with you lately?”

Emma hunched into herself defensively. “Nothing.”

If she’d been paying more attention she would have seen Collette exchange a mischief-filled glance with Luca. “Oh, I see. You’re still pining over the new boy.”

Emma nearly choked on her own spit. “What? No! First of all, I am not pining over anybody.”

Luca grinned. “Okay,
mooning
then.”

“Or mooning!” she contradicted him. “And secondly, Heath’s been here for about a month now. I think you guys can stop calling him the new boy.”

“Okay,” Collette agreed easily enough. “So
Heath
isn’t the reason you’ve been such a grouch this week?”

“No.” She knew she didn’t sound very convincing, however, and buried her undoubtedly burning face into her hands.

“Hey, I don’t blame you, Emma. Heath’s cute. And if some guy cuddled with me while watching Disney movies, I’d be hooked too.”

Emma groaned. She never should have told her friend about Saturday. “Collette, you know we didn’t cuddle,” she protested, finally lifting her face from her hands.

“Yeah, but you were sitting on the same couch. And your legs were touching,” she teased.

“Legs touching? I hope you used protection, Emma,” Luca chimed in.

Emma threw a half-decayed cabbage leaf at him. “Have I ever told you guys how much you suck?”

“All the time,” Luca assured her.

“At least once a week,” Collette agreed. “But seriously, since when have you ever pouted over a guy? Here I was starting to think you were asexual.”

Emma glared as her two friends dissolved into laugher. “I’m not pouting,” she denied. “It’s just…” She and Heath hadn’t even talked since Saturday. He hadn’t made an effort to talk to her in class. There’d been no texts or calls to her phone. Heath
had
clotheslined Gunther yesterday during Phy. Ed. after the jock had pretended to grope her during a game of capture the flag, but Emma had told herself firmly that she wasn’t going to read into
that
. After all, it could have been an accident. Even if Heath and Gunther had been on the same team.

“It’s just what?” Collette demanded and Emma realized she’d been caught up in thoughts of Heath. Again.

“Have you ever noticed that he’s never in the cafeteria for lunch?”

It wasn’t what she’d meant to say, but it was a true observation nonetheless.

“Huh?” Luca asked, blatantly searching the large, crowded room.

Collette frowned. “No. Not really, I guess. Weird.”

Emma hadn’t noticed either. At least not until earlier that week when she’d started to actively look for him. She’d thought that maybe he’d been out sick on Monday until he’d shown up for American Literature right after. He’d been absent in the cafeteria on Tuesday too. It was now Wednesday and there was still no Heath to be seen. “Yeah.”

Her concern must have shown on her face, though, because Collette treated her to one of her patented “you’re testing my patience” smiles. “Oh, Emma, I’m sure he’s fine wherever he is. You’ve seen him. He’s not exactly starved looking if you know what I mean.” The redhead actually wiggled her eyebrows at her.

Emma sighed. Heath
did
have a nice physique. “Yeah, you’re right,” she agreed. And maybe Collette
was
right. But Emma had a stubborn streak a mile wide and she wasn’t quite willing to let the issue go.

* * *

The next day Emma was ready to put her haphazard plan into action. Rushing out of her Advanced Chemistry class – it was the course she had before lunch – Emma booked it in the direction of one of two other classes that seniors had at that time. Hoping she’d picked the right class (she’d ventured that Heath was more likely to take Civics than Public Speaking), she hid herself behind a hallway corner. Feeling like a complete stalker, she watched as her fellow seniors exited the room.

Ignoring the excitement that rushed through her when she spotted Heath, she followed him as inconspicuously as possible, making sure to leave at least two people between them at all times. She watched as he put his textbook away in his locker and replaced it with what appeared to be a sack lunch of sorts. Emma frowned when he also hauled his coat out of the metal contraption and shoved his arms through the appropriate holes. She continued to follow Heath as he made his way to one of the school’s exits – the one that led to the student parking lot.

Hesitating for just a moment, she followed him out the heavy double doors, making sure to silently close them behind her. The November sky was gray, and although it had yet to snow, it was well below freezing outside. An icy breeze caused her hair to dance and goosebumps to erupt across her bare arms. Ignoring the cold, she stealthily followed Heath to his car – the same red Chevy he’d driven to her house the weekend before. He opened the driver’s side door, and after sinking into what looked like a pliable leather seat, quickly shut it.

Emma bit her lip, unsure whether she should approach Heath or not.

Maybe she should just go back in inside?

No.

Wrangling in her courage, she strode forward and rapped on his window.

She was shocked when without even looking at her, Heath rolled it down. “Is there a reason you followed me out here?” he asked, finally glancing up at her after pulling a shiny, red apple out of his sack lunch.

Emma prayed Heath assumed the sudden redness blossoming across her cheeks was from the cold and not the onset of sudden embarrassment.
He’d noticed her?

“I wasn’t following you,” she immediately denied. “I’m not a stalker.”

Right.

“I just… I had to get something from my truck and happened to see you.” She hoped the lie didn’t sound as obvious as it felt tumbling out of her mouth. “Anyway, what are
you
doing out here?”

Heath raised an eyebrow, shaking his lunch at her like it was perfectly obvious what he was doing. Which she supposed it was. “What does it look like?”

Emma crossed her arms in front of her chest. “It looks like you’re eating lunch. I just don’t understand why you’re doing it out here. You know, it’s warmer in the cafeteria.”

Heath snorted. “Says the girls traipsing about outside without a coat.” And then more seriously. “Look, in case you haven’t noticed I’m not exactly a people person.”

“You don’t say,” Emma deadpanned, to which Heath merely rolled his eyes.

A tension-filled silence descended after that, wherein Emma attempted to stare Heath down, trying not to squirm when he refused to look away.

Until he suddenly did.

“You’re going to stand there shivering and looking at me like that with those big brown eyes of yours until I go inside with you, aren’t you?” he demanded.

Emma shrugged. “Pretty much.”

He released a put upon sigh. “Fine. But only because I don’t want to be responsible for you catching pneumonia.” He shoved his apple back into his sack lunch before ducking out of his car.

Emma couldn't have stopped a pleased grin from forming if she’d tried. “You have an irritating habit taking responsibility for other people’s actions, you know.”

Heath shot her an unimpressed look. “Yeah, well, has anyone ever told you that your disposition resembles that of a mule?”

“No.”

Maybe once or twice, but never so eloquently.

Heath rolled his eyes in what Emma would like to think was fond exasperation. “Now, why don’t I believe you?”

Collette’s eyes threatened to bulge out of her head when Emma showed up with Heath in the cafeteria a few minutes later. Luca, on the other hand, didn’t look surprised at all. A satisfied smile, however, was stretched across his lips.

“Heath,” Emma said, “these are my friends, Collette and Luca. Guys, this is… well, this is Heath.”

“Hi, Heath,” Luca offered politely while Collette continued to stare.

“Hey,” Heath replied, following Emma’s lead and taking a seat.

Collette was finally pulled from her shock when Heath took out his lunch. Along with the apple he’d flashed Emma in the car, he had a bag of potato chips and a nearly foot long cold cut sandwich stuffed to the max with what looked like turkey, ham, and
bacon
. Mrs. Potter’s food had never looked so appetizing.

Emma could practically picture the drool dripping out of Collette’s mouth as she eyed the magnificent looking sandwich. “What the-? You get
that
? While I’m stuck eating
this
?” She gestured vaguely at her tray, which contained a spoonful of what the cafeteria ladies were trying to pass off as tater tot hotdish. “
Please
tell me that you’ll share. I’ll trade you my virginity for a bite of that thing.”

“Collette!” Emma cried.

“Sorry, sorry, I mean I’ll trade you Emma’s virginity for it.”

A strangled sort of noise emerged from the back of Emma’s throat as she tried to remind herself that it wasn’t actually possible to die of embarrassment. Maybe insisting that Heath eat with them had been a mistake.

The amused smirk that pulled at the corner of Heath’s mouth, however, told her that it hadn’t been.

He sat with them the next day too.