Strung (Seaside) (2 page)

“Thanks.” Alec smiled warmly and nudged me back towards the door.

The lady who fainted in her chair reached out and grabbed my shirt.

“Mrs. Smith!” the principal scolded, “He’s under eighteen.”

“Oh.” She blushed.

“Aww, teacher wants to play with the student?” I smirked and blew her a kiss. She continued fanning. And Alec pulled me by the shirt out of the office.

CHAPTER THREE

Alec

WATCHING MY BROTHER
stroll through the halls as girls literally stared and gaped — well it was like watching a lion strut around its cage and suddenly come to the conclusion that he was going to try and capture every damn female within his reach.

“Daaaamn.” Demetri’s eyes scanned the halls with interest. “High School girls be looking good.”

“Keep it in your pants,” I grumbled. Irritated that he wasn’t taking anything serious. But who was I kidding? I was the serious one. Not Demetri — hell he was happy enough for the both of us. If I lost control, then who would be his parent?

Control. I breathed in and out, counted my breaths, and started mentally singing the lyrics to one of my newest songs.

If all else failed I could go home and organize the fridge.

Wow. How awesome was I?

Too bad it was illegal to bring alcohol on school premises — then again I was starting rehab tomorrow, alcohol would probably be frowned upon.

My fingers itched at my sides as we slowly made our way down the hall to Homeroom.

I’d gone to school once.

I really had no idea what I was doing.

I’d been desperate. When your desperate you find yourself doing lots of things that make you want to ram your fist into the wall.

Demetri stopped and pulled out his phone to send a text while I kept walking.

A girl was a few feet ahead of me. Girls. Girls. Girls. Shit. I was so sick and tired of the female sex.

Her hair was really pretty, it kind of bounced when she walked, and I was kind of irritated that my eyes followed each bounce like I was getting hypnotized.

Her outfit wasn’t anything that made her stand out. Everything about what she was wearing was sporty and semi-plain. But damn that hair.

I picked up the pace a bit, following the dark blonde as she made her way towards the same room I was going to.

Suddenly, she let out a
squeak
as she tripped sending her messenger bag flying across the floor.

On instinct, I ran up to her and knelt down.

“Crap!” She huffed, her hand reaching out to grab her books just as mine covered it.

She jerked in response and looked up.

Mouth agape, her eyes widened just slightly before a pretty blush stained her cheeks.

I didn’t know what to say. For the first time in my nineteen years of living, I was speechless. I was a writer — it didn’t happen often. But my brain just suddenly stopped working. I tried to pull out words, phrases, sentences — even a smile would have been helpful.

But those eyes.

Those deep brown eyes.

It was the first time in years that I actually felt like someone saw me — not just the rockstar, but me. And I craved it — in a way I never thought I’d crave something.

The pull — to just collapse into her arms — a stranger’s arms, was so overwhelming it freaked me out. Was I that stressed? That strung out?

Her eyelashes fluttered a few times.

My breath hitched in my throat as I offered my hand and helped her to her feet.

I’d spent my teen years writing about that moment — when you touch a girl for the first time — when your fingertips graze her skin.

My words — hadn’t done it justice.

An electrical current made its way from her body into mine, almost bringing me to my knees.

Just as I was about to say something, I heard Demetri approach.

“Knocking girls off their feet already, hmm Alec?” He patted me on the back and flashed the girl one of his typical Demetri grins.

I felt sick.

Sick because I knew in that moment — she wasn’t for me. If he wanted her, I’d bow out. I’d do anything — short of committing murder — to get my little brother back, even if it meant that the one girl he wanted was the only one who’d been able to make me feel for years.

My heart hammered in my chest as she returned his grin.

Their eyes locked.

It was like drowning and knowing that nobody was going to offer you a life raft. I felt the blow like someone had punched me in the stomach.

“Um…” She took his hand and shook her head. “He didn’t knock me down, he was helping me. I tripped and…” her voice trailed off as she swallowed and rocked back on her feet.

Demetri’s head turned to the side; he was captivated and amused. I could tell. “No worries. Demetri, and your name?” He invaded her space, making it so that his chest almost brushed across hers.

“Natalee, but everyone just calls me Nat.” Her eyes flickered from Demetri to me, “It’s nice to meet you both.”

Hah. Riiight… More like it was nice to meet sunshine standing next to me. Pretty sure right now she thought I was evil incarnate. Maybe it was because I’d forgotten how to smile. But how the hell was I supposed to be excited about the fact that Demetri already had her in his hold — and she had no idea.

“Yeah well” — Demetri shrugged — “We’re new in town. I’m sure you’ll be seeing more of us.” He winked.

She smiled.

My heart ached so I looked away, feeling a bit pissed at the whole way things were going down but unable to do anything to stop it.

“Right.” She started backing up. “Um, like I said, nice meeting you. I’ll just…” Yeah she turned and practically ran away.

“Dude,” Demetri swore, “Stop scaring them off.”

“I wasn’t scaring her off,” I said defensively, “I just didn’t want to be late for class.”

The tardy bell rang.

“For real?” Demetri threw his head back and laughed. “Who died and made you a nerd? Can they even give us tardy slips? We’re new.”

“Whatever,” I snapped. “Let’s just go.”

Of course the same class that the cute girl ran into was the exact same class we were going to.

And it was just my luck that the teacher looked like he’d swallowed a lemon when we walked in a few seconds late.

The teacher introduced us.

And bowed.

He freaking bowed!

My eyes scanned the room. All male expressions — totally bored. The girls? Yeah, looked overheated. I looked at every face, memorizing them, categorizing them, and purposefully chose not to look at Nat.

The last thing I needed was to burn into my memory the way her lips looked when she smiled, or those damn eyelashes. Were they fake or something?

“Well” — the teacher clapped — “Again, welcome to Seaside High.”

Demetri strutted towards the empty seat; I followed, my body tensing as I passed Nat’s desk.

I wasn’t sure if it was her or if it was just the ridiculous sexual charge in the air, but her pen fell from her desk right onto my feet.

Without thinking, I bent over to pick it up. Hey I wasn’t a complete ass!

I picked up the pen and held it in front of her; our faces were inches apart. Her eyes dilated as her breathing picked up noticeably. I flexed my fingers around the pen and stared. I stared so hard I was surprised I didn’t break that pen in half.

“I think” — I cleared my throat — “You dropped this.”

Our fingers brushed as I handed the pen back to her and walked to my empty seat.

My fingers were still buzzing by the time I sat down.

My heart was beating so hard it almost hurt.

A few seconds after I sat, she turned around and stared at me.

I met her gaze and all but jumped out of my chair and attacked her with my mouth.

I could make out the screen form her phone, a picture of me and Demetri was splashed across the front.

Just as I was about to give her a cocky grin, the teacher snatched her cell phone and said she’d get it back after class. Wanting to play the superhero, but lacking the know-how, I jumped to my feet and approached the desk.

“Actually,” Holy hell what was I doing? “That’s my phone, sorry about that.” I snatched the phone out of the teachers hands and on my way back to my desk slid my iPhone 5 across Nat’s desk.

Our fingers met again.

My knees threatened to buckle. I was officially losing my mind why the hell had I saved her like that?

When I finally took my seat and stuffed her cell phone in my pocket, I was shaking.

“Dude,” Demetri whispered, “There are easier ways to get a girls number, you know that right?”

My laugh was hollow, “Right, I was just helping… not hitting.”

“Hitting?” Demetri tapped his pencil against the table.

“On her, I wasn’t hitting on her.” I whispered back.

Demetri elbowed me and nodded in her direction. “Well, that’s a shame, she’s really pretty.”

“Yeah.” I cleared my throat. “I guess.”

“You don’t mind then?” He squinted at me like I’d completely lost it. “I mean you saw her first.”

“No.” I half laughed. “Hell no. Go for it man, you deserve some happiness, right?”

The first real smile I’d seen in a long time spread across his face. “Yeah. Thanks, I mean, that’s really cool of you.”

I shrugged like it wasn’t a big deal. I shrugged and I freaking stared at her the entire class.

Damn. I was in some deep shit.

CHAPTER FOUR

Demetri

“SO, WHAT ARE
you doing tonight?” I leaned close to Nat’s body, nervousness rolled off of her in waves.

“Homework.” She slammed her locker door and smiled. “And you?”

“Whitney,” I teased.

“Huh?” Her eyebrows pinched together like she actually didn’t get my joke about banging one of the cheerleaders. Aw hell, tell me I wasn’t flirting with a virgin. That’s just what I needed. A girl who didn’t know how to kiss and thought that sex was called making love. Kill me now.

My smile grew as a comfortable silence settled over our conversation. “I’m kidding, girl. You really need to get out more.” And I would be more than happy to show her all that needed to be shown.

“Okay.” She didn’t return my smile, if anything she looked pissed off like I’d just told her I was going to drive over to her house and kick her puppy.

Nat turned her back on me — like I didn’t matter. Like I wasn’t Demetri Daniels. Seriously?

Moving in front of her, I braced her shoulders and tried again. “What’d I do?”

I caressed her shoulders, running my hands up and down her arms, memorizing the way she felt beneath my touch. Yeah, she’d be fun. And she’d be beautiful, freaking beautiful. I couldn’t wait to taste her, to peel back all those layers until she was naked beneath me. My eyes widened so I could take more of her in — drink her until I was satisfied.

“Really, Demetri?” Alec’s hand gripped my shoulder so tight I almost winced. “Begging isn’t your style.”

I forced a smile. “Sorry Nat. He’s right. I don’t beg. I don’t usually have to, but you make me want to.” I licked my lips. Her eyes darted to my mouth.
That’s right. Focus on the lips, little girl.

“Run along,” Alec encouraged. His eyes basically threatening me within an inch of my life. Fine. I’d go. He could play the hero all freaking day but in the end? She’d be mine. Because the last thing he took and played with — he killed, and he and I both knew it was time for me to be happy.

Alec could go to hell for all I cared.

With one last smile, I turned on my heel and walked away almost colliding with another guy who’d been talking to Nat earlier.

“Sorry man.” I sidestepped him then grabbed him by the arm. “Hey, you know that girl?”

“Nat?” The guy shrugged. “Sure. Why?”

“Does she work somewhere?”

“Why? Are you going to stalk her?”

I smirked. “My man, do I look like I need to stalk girls in order to get a piece?”

“No.” He laughed. “Hell no.”

“Right. So her job?”

“Seaside Taffy,” He answered quickly, “I work there with her.”

“And Seaside Taffy is??”

He rolled his eyes, “Downtown, you can’t miss it, there’s only one main street.”

“Damn I hate this place.”

He chuckled. “Yeah, well, welcome to the club rockstar.”

I waited exactly ten minutes before calling my brother’s phone — the same phone Nat had in her pocket.

“Hello?” She croaked on the other end.

Ah, my heart picked up speed. Her voice was so sweet so innocent. I could do with that — innocence. “Naughty girl stole my brother’s cell phone.”

“Hey, Demetri.”

“Hey, yourself.”

A few seconds of silence went by. “Is there something you need?”

Sex. You. Redemption. Drugs.
Really there were so many choices at that moment it was hard to decide. “That depends.”

“On?”

“If you’re offering to help me with my… needs.” If she didn’t catch on to that innuendo then there was no hope for her and I was going to have to step up my game.

“You’re disgusting.” I could feel her scowl.

I tried to hold back my laughter. “Aw, thanks sweetheart.”

“Look.” Her voice shook, “I didn’t mean to take Alec’s phone is there a place I can drop it off or something?”

And ruin all my plans?
“Why don’t you just keep it until tomorrow? We’ll see you at school and make the swap?”

“He’s going to know his phone’s missing, besides he has mine.”

Yeah he did, only big brother was losing his touch. When we’d gotten home he’d set the phone on the counter and allowed me the opportunity to hack into it.

“I know.” I sighed, “I’ve already hacked into it. High School Musical, Nat. Really?”

She groaned. “It’s good running music.”

“So is the entire Hannah Montana Soundtrack — doesn’t mean you put it on your playlist, Nat.”

“Wait, how do you know that?”

“That’s beside the point. We’re talking about you now.”

“Did you need anything else?” she snapped.

You.
“Are you offering”

“Bye Demetri.”

The conversation ended.

Shocked, I stared at the phone.