Beautifully Unnatural: A Young Adult Paranormal Boxed Set (110 page)

“I see.”

“Do you want to come inside for a few minutes?” Gabby stepped closer.

He moved back. “No. I mean, weren’t you headed out somewhere?”

“Yeah, to the high school. I thought I’d register for classes before I check out cheerleading practice.”

“Sammy already headed over there.”
Wait, that’s it.
He’d catch Sammy and she’d have no choice but to walk with her. “You know what? You two should walk together. Let me call her.”

“You don’t have to do that.”

“It’s no problem. Hang on a sec.” Alexander pulled his cell phone from his pocket. “Sammy. Gabby’s walking over to school now. Why don’t you swing by here and walk together. I can pick you both up after practice.”

“No. I’m captain. I can’t just leave. Practice is about to start,” Sammy said in a firm tone.

He turned away from Gabby and spoke softly, covering his mouth. “Sammy, please.”

“No, Alexander. Walk her yourself.”

He shoved the phone back in his pocket and looked at Gabby. “I’m afraid practice already started, so you’re stuck with me escorting you to school.”

“You don’t need to do that. I’m fine.”

“It isn’t safe in the woods alone.”

“Why? What’s going to get me? Bears?” Gabby teased him.

“No.”
Something much worse.
“It’s just not safe. Come on.” Alexander grasped her free hand before he thought better of it. Their arms brushed, causing a dull heat to spread over his skin. He dropped her hand and moved away.

He wanted to ask about what he’d overheard earlier, about the name change and why her father was so protective, but it took everything he had just to focus on keeping his distance. Each time her hand brushed his, a fire inside him erupted to the point of pain. The longer they walked, the more difficult controlling himself became. If he corrupted her, or used his angelic abilities to seduce her he’d fall to hell and take her with him.

****

Gabby’s calves burned from power walking to keep up with Alexander. What was his deal? At first, she thought he wanted to spend time with her and used the whole ‘it’s not safe in the woods’ thing as an excuse. But when he dropped her hand abruptly and marched through the woods at a feverish pace, she was forced to face the truth. He only escorted her out of some sort of obligation to his sister. That all too familiar twinge of rejection that her father left behind every time he abandoned her for his job pricked at her.

She held her sides, trying to catch her breath as they reached the school. Not a good way to start cheerleading practice. At least she had a few minutes to compose herself and get a second wind while she registered for school.

Banners decorated the front of a gray brick two-story building.
Welcome back, Students!
and
Congratulations KMHS Football Team!
were written in bold, bright colors.

Football. Everyone in this town must love football.

Alexander opened a door and waved her inside. “The office is the second door on the left. I’ll pick you and Sammy up in a couple of hours.”

Gabby stepped inside the air-conditioned building, surveying the long white and gray halls.
Looks like a prison.
“Thank y—” Before she’d fully turned to face him, he was gone. “That’s it,” she muttered. “I’m done. I don’t care how cute or sexy he is. He’s an epic jerk. No more. I—”

“Excuse me. Can I help you?” said a woman behind her.

“Oh! Uh, I-I’m trying to register for school.” She held up the envelope.

“Right this way. I’m the principal, Ms. Mastema.” Principal Mastema motioned her down the hall then into the second office on the left.

Great, now the principal thought she was crazy, too. But who could blame her? She had to be crazy if she thought Alexander could be interested in her as more than a friend of his sister’s. Well, at least he was one of her more pleasant hallucinations. Guys that looked like that didn’t go for girls like her. Nope. No way. Especially if he ever caught her having an
episode
.

“Miss? Are you okay?”

Gabby jerked to attention, confused for a moment as to how she’d come to be sitting on the opposite side of the principal’s desk. “Yes, I’m fine. Sorry, I’m not use to the heat.”

The principal glanced down at the paperwork in front of her then back at Gabby. “But it says here you’re from Texas.”

Great. Focus, Gabby. “Our air conditioning isn’t working so it’s been difficult sleeping.”

“I see.”

Mrs. Mastema handed her some paperwork. Gabby concentrated as she filled out her name and social history.

“So, Ms. Moore. Do you have any interests like drama, dance, cheerleading?”

Gabby paused. “Um, well, I’m going to check out the cheerleading thing after this. Sammy Lohr invited me since I have a background in gymnastics.”

She clapped her hands together. “Wonderful, yes. I believe that students should be involved in extra-curricular activities. It tends to keep them busy and out of trouble.”

Gabby scribbled down her address and father’s cell number. Perhaps cheerleading was a good idea. At least she wouldn’t be at home alone all the time, maybe she’d make some more friends.

“That’s some smile. I’ve never seen a student so happy to fill out paperwork before.”

She signed her new last name with a curve at the end for something different and original. “I guess I’m excited for school to start.”

“Well that’s a first.” Ms. Mastema placed the papers inside a folder. “I do hope I have an opportunity to meet your father. It’s not usually our practice to sign a student up for school based on notarized letters from a parent.

“Sorry, my father is a busy man this time of year. He’ll stop in soon I’m sure.”

The principal offered her hand. “Welcome to Kemp High School.”

After a quick handshake, Gabby darted from the office. She didn’t stop until she reached the football field.

“Gabby, over here.” Sammy was jumping up and down, waving her arms, as if she were hidden in the middle of a large crowd instead of just a few girls.

Gabby trotted over to them and stopped a few feet from Sammy. French manicures, designer shoes, and glossy lips, they all looked perfect. Not a hair out of place. She’d never fit in with her plain white tank, frayed blue jean shorts, and dirty old tennis shoes.

“I wanted to make some introductions before we start.”

“Hi,” Gabby said in a low, soft voice.

“Gabby, this is Avery, Jolie, Jen, Stacie, Tory, London, Zoey, and Katie. Of course, you know me.” Sammy flashed her magical smile. It had to be magical. It had convinced her to join cheerleading.

“Hey, Laura! Stop fraternizing with the football players and get over here!” Sammy shook her head at Gabby. “Geesh, turn my back for one minute and she’s already getting into trouble. Line up, everyone. Let’s get started.” As the girls formed a line, Sammy took on a different persona. A taskmaster, who made a drill sergeant look like a sissy, replaced the sweet, charming and lighthearted Sammy that she knew.

Gabby tried to feign a cheerful attitude, smiling and greeting people as they lined up. What a fraud she was. Couldn’t they see she didn’t belong here?

“Okay, ladies. I know it’s a little hot but we have a lot of work to do.”

Hot? Talk about an understatement. Who did Sammy think she was kidding? At ninety-five degrees and a hundred and twenty percent humidity, unbearable was a better description.

An hour later, pride and surprise filled Gabby. She’d picked up the routines as if she’d been doing them all her life.

She lined up next to Avery, Sammy to her right to practice a cheer for the third time. They jumped and clapped four times then shouted, “Hey, we’re back. The best is yet to come. KHS, look out for number one.”

Each did a front kick, step out and double turn. “Excellence, perfection, teamwork, success.” Gabby’s blood pumped with exhilaration with each yell. “The Kemp High School Panthers, a step above the rest.” She landed her Russian perfect and continued, “Pride and spirit. Need we say more? KHS – we rock the world.” A double back handspring landed her in the back, but for the first time she felt like she belonged in the middle of it all.

The gray mood that haunted her daily disintegrated with the last clap of her hands. Maybe Florida wouldn’t be so bad. There was the smell of the ocean, fresh cut grass, and a new friend. And she had to admit, cheerleading seemed fun.

“Okay, ladies. Let’s change things up, let’s get back to pyramid work. This time Gabby take the top. Avery, Jolie, Katie, and London on the ground. Jen, Stacie, and Tory second. I’ll take third with Zoey. Laura, you spot.”

Pyramid? She was going to have to be the top of a pyramid? What was she thinking? She wanted to hang out and do something new so badly, she hadn’t thought it through. There was no way she could be up that high, not with her fear of heights.

Gabby rubbed her sweaty palms on her shorts and tried to look around for a way out of it. But the bottom row of girls were already kneeling down on the ground. Her chest constricted. Her hands wouldn’t dry, no matter how hard she rubbed them against her rough jean shorts.

“Sammy, I’m, uh, bigger than most of the girls. Why don’t I take the bottom? I don’t mind, really.” She held her breath, hoping Sammy would answer in her favor.

“Don’t be silly, Gabby. These girls need to toughen up.”

Her legs shook as if she were standing on a washing machine. Her mouth felt like she had been making out with sand paper. She managed to lift one leg and step on the back of one of the girls as she reached up for the hand of another. Flips, tucks, and the bottom of the pyramid worked just fine. There was no way she could handle standing on top of three other girls.

No doubt meaning to be helpful, someone pushed her body upward.

It was too much.

Her head swayed so fast she swore she was stuck on a tilt-a-whirl at an amusement park. It only lasted a second then the pyramid started to crumble. The grass, goal posts, and people spun around her.

She fell.

It took a moment to comprehend she wasn’t on the ground. Blinking her eyes against the bright sun, she saw a face staring down at her. Flattop haircut, chiseled jaw line, and strong shoulders told her it was the guy sporting a letter jacket from the beach.

“You can put me down now. I’m fine,” Gabby muttered to the guy still holding her in his arms. Her feet touched the ground and she swayed, clutching his shoulder pads.

“You can lean on me as long as you like.” He winked.

“Let her go, Forras,” Sammy ordered, and Gabby frowned at the stress in her friend’s voice.

“I’m just trying to help. Is this the thanks I get for saving your new cheerleader?”

“I didn’t need saving, but thanks.” Gabby pushed free of his arms and stood on wobbly legs.

Although, the other girls swooned around him and the other three football players behind him, it was obvious Sammy didn’t like the guy. So, Gabby stepped back and really looked at him. Seconds later, she agreed with Sammy’s opinion. He had an air about him that reeked of arrogance and a hint of cruelty. Yeah, he was built and good-looking, but almost too muscular, his eyes stone cold.

“You’re the new girl who moved into that house the old couple died in, aren’t you?” The boy he’d introduced as Carson at the beach stood beside him with a similar flat-top cut and strong build. Were they genetically modified?

“Yes. And you’re the obnoxious guy wearing the letter jacket in a hundred degree temperatures that I met at the beach, aren’t you?”

“Yep, that’s me. Football extraordinaire.” He posed like an old statue Gabby had seen in an art book once. One arm stretched out and the other flexing his bicep. “So, how’s it feel living in an old haunted house, secluded from everything? They say no one could hear the old couple’s screams before their mysterious death.”

“That’s enough, Forras.” Sammy moved closer with hands on her hips.

“Aren’t you worried someone will try to hurt you in the middle of the night? If they did, no one would hear you.” Gremory took a defiant step toward her. Behind him, Carson and Donn hooted their encouragement.

“No, not really, I’m not a screamer.”

Both guys laughed as if she’d said something funny.

Her annoyance bubbled to the surface. “I’m more of a shooter. Someone enters my house, I won’t be cowering in a corner. As the saying goes, I’ll shoot first and ask questions later.”

Forras raised his eyebrows. “Spunky. I like that. Are you any good?”

Looking him straight in the eye, she said, “I can put a bullet in the center of that zero on the back of your helmet from the other side of the field.”

Forras leaned toward her. “Well, I guess you’ll have to come hunting with us next time.”

“She will not,” Sammy chimed in.

Gabby didn’t miss Sammy’s worried tone. “I don’t hunt.”

“You must practice somehow, if you’re that good. Of course, that is if you’re telling the truth.”

“You’re right. I practice on rude football players who think too highly of themselves.”