Fight (#0.5, Fierce Series) (5 page)

I smash my lips together to prevent a squeal
from escaping. He’s hot, but I look like a mess. No, correction, I
am a mess.

I’m like a fully decorated Christmas tree in
the middle of fall.

Embarrassing. I can’t believe this is his
first impression of me.

Well, it’s not like I have a chance with guys
like him. They don’t go after nerdy types like me.

Straightening my glasses, I try to ignore
everyone looking at me. I put up a horrible smile as I walk toward
the dorm halls, trying to pry the last pieces of leaf from my hair
that just won’t come off. It’s like they’re glued to my head or
something. I couldn’t have imagined a worse time for my hair to
turn into its usual giant magnet, attracting and attaching to all
kinds of strange things, because it’s as sticky as spider legs.

Sometimes I think I’d better just cut it off
and be rid of it. Maybe I could donate it to science, so it can
become the new-and-improved Velcro.

I smirk from my own jokes, which are
terrible, I know. Still, they make this day a little better after
that scene.

My dorm’s at the end of the campus, a
ten-minute walk from the bus stop. I’m glad my parents helped me
move in my stuff last night so I wouldn’t have to do it alone
today. As I enter the door, a deafening squeal makes me plug my
ears.

“Autumn!” Evie yells.

She throws herself against me and wraps her
arms so tightly around me that I can’t breathe. Wheezing, I wriggle
myself free from her hug so my lungs can expand again.

“I can’t believe we’re going to be roomies,”
she says, squeezing my arms.

She bites her lip and looks at me with big
eyes, like she’s about to explode into her usual happy dance.
“Isn’t it awesome?”

“Yeah, I can’t wait to make myself at home
here,” I say, nodding, trying to make it sound genuine.

“Wow, you sound excited,” she says with a
sarcastic undertone.

“Sorry, I do like that you’re my roommate.
Honestly, I do.” I sit down on my bed and she sits down next to me.
“But I think I just made the worst and most laughable entrance
ever.”

“What happened?” she asks.

“Oh … you know … a leaf blower … my hair …
the usual crap.”

She snorts. “Well, that’s just you being
yourself.”

I shake my head and smile. Evie nudges me
with her shoulder and winks. “Oh, c’mon. It’s not like they’ll
remember you for it. Who’d remember girls like us anyway? We’re the
nobodies. The ‘invisible.’ Nobody’s going to blink at us.” She
makes quotation marks with her fingers.

I laugh. “You got a point there. ‘Not being
anyone’ makes life a lot easier.”

Evie lets her head rest on my shoulder and I
sigh.

“Dork for life and proud of it,” she
muses.

And then we both burst out into laughter. We
fall flat down on the bed and Evie puts her arm around me like she
usually does when it’s just the two of us. I don’t remember her any
other way. We’ve always been this close. Ever since I met her in
high school she’s been my best friend. Both teased, we sought
comfort in each other’s presence. Dorks have to stick up for each
other. That’s the only way to make it through that thing called
puberty.

I’m so glad we’re both past that now. I
expect college life to be different. A lot better, maybe.

Someone clears his throat, and I immediately
push myself up on my elbows.

“Am I interrupting you guys? I can come back
later, no problem.”

“Brody!” I scream, and jump up from the bed.
He’s standing in the doorway. I run to him and wrap my arms around
him.

“I get that you’re happy to see me, but no
need to crush my ribs,” he says, almost choking on a laugh.

“Sorry,” I say, releasing him from my
grip.

“So, had a look around campus yet?” he
asks.

“Yeah, I did the tour yesterday. I can’t
believe how huge it is!”

“I know, right?”

We look at each other, and I can’t help but
squash him between my arms again. I haven’t seen him in such a long
time. It feels like it’s been forever since we were at the same
school together. I never liked that he was three years older than
me, but when he left to go to college, I was even more distraught.
Suddenly, my best friend was gone, and I had to fend for
myself.

Luckily, I met Evie not long after. She’s
been my only friend since. I think I can safely say I have two best
friends. Although I don’t really know if it’ll be the same now that
I’m here. Brody looks so different now, I can hardly tell it’s him.
I hope things will be the same like always, though.

“Hmm …” he mutters. “Seems ages ago since I
was last a newbie. Wasn’t the greatest experience.”

When he sees my scaredy-cat face, he chuckles
a little. “Relax. You’ve got me to back you up. I didn’t have
anyone to show me around, to help me out when I needed it. But you
two have me now.”

Evie rolls her eyes when he looks at her.
“Don’t go thinking you’re a mogul now.” She walks up to him and
pinches his cheeks. “Still little Bro-bro to me.”

He scowls at her, and she laughs.

“And now for the formal introduction: Autumn
Blakewood and Evie Carder, I hereby welcome you to campus.”

“Why thank you, generous lord.” Evie makes a
bow, and I muffle a laugh behind my hand.

“It’s tradition. Well, it’s not like you
understand any of that,” he says, snorting. “Evie Peeved.”

She frowns and nudges him forward. “Okay,
that’s it. Out.”

“What? Can’t take a joke?”

“I hate that name.”

“Exactly. That’s why it suits you
perfectly.”

“Well, if you’ll excuse me, I have other
stuff to do besides talking to an annoying dork.” She storms out
the door and walks through the hallway.

“You’re a dork yourself, too!” Brody yells,
laughing out loud.

“I know. That’s why it’s even more pathetic!”
she yells back, laughing too. Then she disappears through a door
with a ‘ladies’ sign above it.

“That’s what you get when you push her
buttons,” I say when Brody directs his attention back to me.

“
No,
you
push her buttons.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I say, and I
put my hands on my waist.

“You know what I mean … cuddling up on the
bed and all that.”

I blush. “We’re just friends. It’s no big
deal.”

“To her it is.”

I sigh. “I’m not into that kind of thing, and
you know that.”

“I know, but she won’t give up, and I can
already tell this is headed toward disaster. Someone’s going to get
hurt, and I know it won’t be you.”

“Stop making such a huge deal out of a hug.
She’s not … we’re not. It’s nothing. Forget about it.”

Brody holds his hands in the air and closes
his eyes. “Don’t come crying to me later when your friendship is on
the line, because I’ll only say ‘I told you so.’ Don’t mess with
chicks, that’s all I’m saying, and I know plenty about that.”

I grimace. “Yeah … What do you know about
relationships? Last time I saw you trying to hook up with a girl
you got a milkshake in your face instead.”

“Hey, I’m not that guy anymore. It’s been
three years since then, Autumn; I’ve changed.”

I purse my lips. “We’ll see about that.”

Brody squints, a devilish smile creeping onto
his face. “I guess so. See you around!”

He walks through the hallway, and I hear him
go downstairs before I turn around again and go back into my room.
Staring at the clock, I pull up my sleeve so I can fiddle with the
bracelet I got from Evie before summer. The only problem is, it’s
not there.

What? I stare at my wrist, but my bracelet is
clearly missing. What happened to it? Did I take it off? I remember
twiddling with it in the bus, so it can’t be at my parents’
place.

I grab my suitcase and rummage inside, but
it’s nowhere to be found. Oh God, I hope I didn’t lose it. What if
that leaf blower blasted it away into the grass? What if someone
else picked it up? I’d never find it again.

Frantically I search my room, but can’t seem
to find it anywhere.

“Looking for this?” someone says.

I turn around only to stare into those
piercing gray eyes again. It’s him: the guy who was staring at me
when I left the bus. The one who turned my cheeks redder than a
beet.
That
guy.

He leans against my doorpost, casually
holding up his hand. Pinched between his index finger and thumb is
my bracelet.

My bracelet. He’s holding it. Him. The guy
who caught my eye the moment I saw him.

And he’s talking to me.

Oh God, I can’t breathe.

I swallow away the lump in my throat as I
walk toward him, holding my breath.

“This is yours, right?” he says. His voice is
deep and husky, and I don’t think I’ve ever heard anything
sexier.

I nod, still staring at him. I’m only just
close enough to be able to reach for the bracelet, but not nearly
far enough away for my liking.

My heart is beating like crazy as his eyes
scan my face, while I try not to breathe. I feel like if I do, I
might start panting.

He looks so goddamn ridiculously handsome up
close. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a guy this gorgeous before.

His spiky hair all gelled up, the tan skin of
his hands peeking out from underneath his leather jacket, his broad
pectorals visible through his tight white tee. All of it is making
my head explode.

A hot guy is standing in my doorway, talking
to me, giving me back my stuff. Stupid as it sounds, it feels like
a dream.

Things like this never happen to me. Hot guys
don’t come so close to me.

I never anticipated something like this
happening. I don’t even know how to behave. I didn’t expect this at
all.

I catch myself staring at his amazing
features so I raise my head to look up at him. His eyes follow
mine, and then I know he knows exactly what I was looking at.

Oh God. This is embarrassing.

A cute smile curls up his lips. “You can’t
talk?”

My mouth feels like it’s stitched together,
as if I’m unable to pull it open and say anything. I must look
ridiculous.

I push my glasses farther up my nose so
they’re not askew anymore. Flushing, I force my lips to part.
“Yeah,” I say. “I was so scared I lost it. Where’d you find
it?”

He cocks his head, and it shows me his
muscular neck, making me blush even more. “Outside. Thought it was
yours. It looked expensive.”

I hold out my hand, but he doesn’t give it to
me.

“I think it’s important to be careful with
stuff you think is valuable. Money doesn’t grow on trees. Besides,
not everything can be replaced.”

“I agree, but I lost it by accident. Can I
have it back now?” I say. I’m not in the mood for a lecture. I try
to snatch it from his hand, but he grasps my bracelet and pulls
back his hand.

“What kind of a ‘thank you’ is that?” he
says, squinting, taunting me.

Suddenly, he looks a lot less attractive. I
cross my arms and say, “Thank you.”

He smiles and tilts his head, dangling the
bracelet in front of me. “That all?”

“Yes. What else do you want from me?” I
snap.

“Your name.” He mimics my stance and crosses
his arms, burying the bracelet deep within the socket of his elbow.
His biceps bulge against his leather jacket, and I have trouble not
gaping at them.

“Autumn Blakewood. Yours?”

“Autumn? What kind of name is that for a
girl?”

With furrowed brows, I say, “Well I like
it.”

He starts twirling my bracelet like it’s some
kind of toy. I risk a chance and reach for it, but he pulls back
again. Goddammit.

“I don’t have time for games …” I say,
sighing.

“Oh … I’m not playing games, Leafy.”

“Leafy?” I say, scowling.

He points at my hair and immediately reminds
me of the embarrassing scene outside. Now I have to fight off the
heat rushing to my cheeks.

“Here,” he says, and he tosses me the
bracelet. “Name’s Hunter Bane,” he says.

I barely manage to catch the bracelet before
he saunters off again. Frowning, I watch him walk off.

“See ya, Leafy.”

“My name isn’t Leafy, it’s Autumn!” I yell
after him, but he only waves as he walks into his room.

Which is only five feet away from mine.

###

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