Shattered Soul (9 page)

It wasn’t because everyone was dressed all gothic or
grunge-like and she wasn’t. Or even because she wasn’t smoking a
cigarette, there were others who stood here every day that didn’t
smoke.

No, it was something else.

There was just something about her that made her seem
so out of place. Personally, I thought it was because she was too
good, too pure, to be standing here.

Ali’s bright blue eyes found their way back to mine.
I took one more drag off my cigarette and tossed it to the ground,
putting it out with my shoe.

“Ready to walk up?” I asked, and relief washed into
her features.

“Sure.”

“See you guys.” I nodded to Trip and Miranda as we
started walking.

“Later,” Trip said.

“You shouldn’t throw your cigarette butts on the
ground like that,” Ali scolded me once we were a few feet away from
the trees.

“And, why is that? Because it’s littering?” I
teased.

She smiled. “Yes, but because they don’t
biodegrade.”

I grinned. “I’ll remember that for next time,” I told
her, and I would. I knew that would stick with me simply because it
had come from her.

A sudden thought sizzled through my mind. This girl
might change me for the better, and I liked it.

“Really, you shouldn’t smoke those things at all,
people call them cancer sticks for a reason, you know.” She said it
in a teasing tone, but I could sense the seriousness behind her
words.

“True. But, the way I see it, we’re all going to die
sometime, so what’s it matter if my death happens to be from
those?”

“I guess…” she said trailing off, obviously not
agreeing with me.

We were at the front door of the main building before
either of us spoke again.

“I drove by your house yesterday,” she confessed, and
my heart dropped to my stomach. “I didn’t stop or anything because
I wasn’t sure you’d want me to…after what you’d said about your mom
and all.”

I sighed, relived. “I’m glad you didn’t, I wasn’t
home. I spent most of the weekend at Trip’s house.”

“Oh. Cool,” she muttered, her tone sounding strange,
almost as though she was pissed I hadn’t been home.

I cast a sideways glance at her, she was nervously
chipping away at her nail polish again. “So, what were you stopping
by for?” I asked with a crooked grin, and a sudden thought tingled
in the back of my mind. Could Ali Carson really be that interested
in me?

“I wanted to see you, okay?” she answered,
embarrassment flushing her cheeks. “I had fun the other night and I
wanted to hang out again.”

“Oh really? Well, how about today after school?” I
asked feeling bold as we slipped into Mrs. Gilbert’s class.

The first bell rang just as we made it to our seats.
It was the first time in a long time that I’d made it to class
without mere seconds to spare before the tardy bell.

“Sure, after school,” she whispered as she took her
seat. “Oh, here, I almost forgot.” She flipped open her binder and
pulled something out.

I slid into my seat and smiled wide once I realized
what she was handing me. My lip split open again, but I didn’t
care. It was the picture she’d taken of us in her car the other
night. I stared at it hard. We both looked so happy, definitely
messed up, but happy none the less.

“Thanks.”

“Welcome. I have one, too.” She held up her binder to
show me the front.

“Cool.”

I sat back in my desk unable to wipe my smile off my
face as I watched the others stream into class, scurrying to beat
the tardy bell.

Yep, Ali Carson was into me. I ruminated on the
realization for the remainder of class.

My day seemed to drag on at a monotonously slow pace
after first period. I couldn’t wait to see Ali again, and of
course, constantly being asked what the hell had happened to my
face by both peers and teachers bogged down my day even more.

By lunch, I’d invented the lie of a dirt bike
accident, even though I’d never even touched one before. It fooled
the limited amount of teachers who cared enough to ask and gained
me a few coolness points with some kids.

Lying was becoming one of my specialties.

Probably not something to brag about, but in most
cases involving my life, lying was better than the truth. And the
dirt bike lie was gold. It was an accident, but not one that made
me look pathetic, unlike the truth. I couldn’t tell anyone that I’d
gotten beaten up by my brother because I was scared shitless to
fight back.

I stuck with it throughout the remainder of the day,
using it to replace the ‘I got in a fight with some guy over the
weekend.’ Which was actually the truth, but didn’t make me look
very good, considering how tore up I looked.

By the end of the day, I couldn’t wait to reach the
smoking trees, I was in dire need of a cigarette, that and a pain
pill or two for my throbbing rib and tender face. Halfway to the
trees, I began fishing out my cigarette pack. I pulled one out and
put it to my lips. Three steps later, with the minty aroma of
menthol tickling my nose, I lit it, not caring if I got caught.

“Woo, look at you, Mr. Bad Boy,” A familiar voice
purred.

Sidney stood leaning against one of the trees,
cigarette in hand, grinning at me as I walked up. I smirked, but
didn’t speak. I stepped up over the concrete curb and underneath
the shady trees to finish my cigarette while I waited for Ali.

“Avoiding me like the other night, huh?” Sidney
asked, coming to stand beside me.

“Not really, just waiting on someone.”

“Who, Ali?” she asked in a condescending tone I
didn’t care for.

I shifted to look her directly in the eyes. “Yeah,” I
answered simply.

She rolled her eyes and took another puff from her
cigarette. “What are you even thinking hanging out with her?” she
scowled at me, but I could hear the jealousy etched into her words.
“I mean, look at you and what you do…and look at her dad and what
he does for a living. He’s not going to like you dating his
daughter, Seth, it’s just a matter of time before you end up
getting busted for something because you’re dating her.” Her lips
twisted into a wicked smile, as though telling me this was
satisfying to her in some way.

Sidney remained standing beside me with one hand
resting on her hip, waiting for me to respond. I didn’t say a word.
One, because I knew anything I said would only be fuel to flame the
fire already burning underneath her ass; I must have really pissed
her off the other night. And two, because she was right. Who was I
kidding? The second her dad looked at me he’d know I was bad
news.

I glanced at Sidney, she was eyeing me with one of
those annoying you-know-I’m-right looks. I took a long drag off my
cigarette and gave her a half-hearted shrug.

“
Whatever
,” she snapped and stomped off behind
me.

A smug smile twitched at the corners of my mouth. I
kind of enjoyed getting under her skin. I shifted my gaze back
towards the front of the main building and spotted Trip cutting
through the grass, headed towards the bottom of the steps. He
leaned against the rail and pulled out his cigarette pack to tuck
one behind each ear, obviously waiting on Miranda.

I wanted to yell and ask my wing-man how he had
gotten whipped so fast, but the moment I decided to speak, I saw
Ali walk past him and every thought I had evaporated from my mind
in an instant.

I stared at her as she walked, watching her blue eyes
scan the smoking trees searching for me. The moment Ali spotted me
her face lit up, and the rush of excitement I’ve felt so often when
I’m around her surged through me.

“Hey,” she said once she’d finally made it to where I
stood.

“What’s up?” I replied with a grin.

“Don’t smile too big, you’ll split your lip open
again.” She reached out a finger and lightly touched my bottom
lip.

The excitement from seeing her turned into pure
desire in two seconds flat from the feel of her touch. Seconds
ticked away while we stood frozen, our eyes locked, her finger
resting on my bottom lip, our faces inches apart. I wanted to kiss
her, to feel her warm lips pressing against mine. I leaned in
slowly, erasing inch by inch between us.

“Get a room!” Sidney grumbled from behind me and some
of the others standing around us laughed, crushing the moment.

Ali’s cheeks reddened and she let out a tiny giggle
before dropping her hand back at her side. I cleared my throat,
silently wishing I could get a room with Ali, and turned to glare
at Sidney for her snide remark. She was staring at Ali with tightly
pursed lips and cold, hate-filled eyes.

Disbelief barreled its way through me. Was Sidney
seriously that jealous of Ali? All because I’d turned her down?

My eyes passed between the two of them and I had to
look down at my sneakers to hide my amused little smirk. Never in
my life would I have imagined that I would have two girls so fine
interested in me. This was every guys dream, a brunette and a
blonde. My brain tingled. I raised my eyes to sneak glances at the
two of them once more.

They were exact opposites.

Sidney, with her long dark brown hair and those big
brown eyes. Her curvy hips and big boobs that made everything she
wore look good. Sidney was sexy as hell, no doubt about it.

And then there was Ali, with her long blonde hair
streaked with gold when the sun hit it just right, and big blue
eyes that made you feel like she could see directly into your soul.
Her heart shaped butt and small, round boobs that couldn’t be more
than a handful each. Ali wasn’t sexy, she was beautiful.
Heart-stoppingly beautiful.

I put my cigarette out on the bottom of my shoe and
wrapped the butt in the cellophane from my pack. I glanced at Ali,
hoping she’d noticed my good gesture, but realized she was picking
at her nail polish.

“Ready?” I asked.

“Yeah.”

We stepped off the curb and started towards her car.
I reached out and took her hand in mine, it was soft and warm, and
instantly threw my mind back into thoughts of finding a room.

“So…what are we doing?” she said innocently.

I hesitated in answering for a brief moment,
struggling to clear all carnal thoughts from my mind first. I
hadn’t given much thought to what we’d actually do after school
today. I just knew I wanted to go home, get my bowl, and then spend
as much time with her as possible.

“I don’t know…what do you want to do?” I countered,
stopping beside her car.

Ali started around towards the driver seat and opened
her door. “Got anything good at your house?” she asked point blank
before ducking inside.

I blinked, stunned. Her face seemed so innocent
looking, but her words held one obvious meaning, she wanted to get
messed up again. I smiled and got in.

“All right…I’ve got some pot, are you sure you want
to smoke?” I asked, double checking. I’d never want to pressure her
into anything, and I’d hate myself if she ever got into trouble
because she’d been off getting stoned with me.

She put the keys into the ignition and cocked her
head to the side, glaring at me. “Yes, it was fun. Is that okay
with you?” Amusement flickered in her eyes.

I chuckled. “Yeah, it’s cool. Swing by my house, I’ll
run in and get us some.”

Ali pulled into my driveway a few minutes later and
parked beside my mom’s car, which meant Calvin was home. I cringed
inside, my good mood deflated, and hoped they’d all be finished
with their tweaking binge and passed out by now. There was no
fucking way I wanted Ali to meet any of them, especially not when
they were completely strung-out.

“Be right back,” I muttered before she’d even shifted
into park.

“Hey, wait. I want to come with you,” she insisted
cutting the engine off.

“No, you don’t. Trust me,” I said, opening the door
and stepping out.

“Yes. I do. Seth, I don’t care about your mom being
drunk or whatever it is you’re worried about me seeing.”

My eyes flickered to my front door as she spoke. How
could I explain to her that my drunk mom was the least of my
worries? She didn’t know what she was asking to see. She didn’t
know all the horrible things that could be going on behind that
closed door, things I did not want her to see.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea. Just sit here,
I’ll only be a minute,” I told her, closing the car door behind me
before she could protest any further.

I hurried towards the front door without looking
back. My pulse quickened as I opened it slowly and stepped into the
darkness of the living room. I closed the door behind me and stood
blinking rapidly, waiting for my eyes to adjust, while feeling
rushed with Ali sitting in the car.

The second I could see I began tip-toeing to my room,
passing Brent, who was sleeping in the recliner like always, and
Calvin, passed out sitting up on the couch. Jade was curled into a
tiny ball at the other end of the couch, her head resting on the
arm rest.

I couldn’t be happier Ali hadn’t come inside with me,
because I wasn’t sure how in the hell I would have explained to her
why they were all sleeping like babies at 3:30 in the afternoon. My
eyes scanned the coffee table. Well, at least there wasn’t any
paraphernalia sitting out.

I made it to my room and rushed over to my dresser,
pulling out my tin box and reaching inside for my bag and bowl. I
shoved them both into my front pocket, put my box back and
hurriedly began walking back down the hall. I froze halfway to the
front door, my mom stood at the living room window in her pink
bathrobe, peeping outside at Ali. My heart lurched in my chest.

“Mom?” I whispered.

“Is that your girlfriend out there, Seth?” she asked
loudly.

“Shhh,” I hushed her, not wanting her to wake the
others. “Yeah,” I admitted, not only to her, but to myself for the
first time as well.