Page 14 of The Heir

I heard Karen laugh, no doubt enjoying my embarrassment.

“It’s okay. I can help you.” He took the pencil from my hand, and moved his chair so that it was on my side of the table. Our legs brushed against each other, and I looked up at him, pleasantly surprised. “Is this okay?” he asked as his eyes gazed into mine, his voice so low as he leaned in to whisper in my ear. I thought I was about to melt into him.

“Oh yeah, sure,” I said–but inside of myself, I was screaming:Yes!

Yes!

Yes!

I heard a grunt from Karen but didn’t bother looking at her. Shad started explaining the problem, and I really tried to listen to him, but the song inside of me, the one I’d made up for him, was so loud and our bodies were so close together, that his bare arm brushed against mine, and I felt the same electric jolt from when we first met, and I sucked in my breath. He looked at me with a smile, and I wondered if he felt what I was feeling, too. As much as I wanted to lean into him and smell his cologne and kiss his face, I was proud of myself for my restraint. I tried to merely make sure our legs were touching the entire time.We were done before the bell rang at the end of the period, and at the bell, I quickly packed up my bag and turned in my paper. Shad was still talking to the teacher as I slipped out. I hurried because I wasn't sure if I could control myself and not run into his arms and beg him to hold me.Yeah—I am a crazy stalker.

As I walked out, Ryker was there at the door, smiling. I tried to calm myself. I had a strange feeling ofhomebut also of irritation, which wrapped around me as he approached. I shook it off. It was Ryker, my best friend. My emotions, my mind, and my body were really out of sync, and again, I was afraid that I was going crazy.

We walked to the lunch area to eat. The cafeteria was large, and it was completely filled. I saw Shad in the corner, surrounded by girls. I tried looking all around, but I kept seeing those golden eyes, standing out in the middle of my search.What is it about him that makes me wish that I could be over there?

“So how has it been so far? Is operation make-everyone-think-you-are-fine going as planned?” Ryker smiled at me. I usually loved his smile, loved everything about him, really, but not then, and I tried to shove that thought away into the area of my brain where all my crazy thoughts seemed to be hanging out, along with my vampire theories and other fantastical ideas.

“Good—except I have math with the evil cheer queen,” I frowned.

“That sucks,” he said, taking a bite of his cafeteria pizza. “She seems to have found her next love interest,” Ryker said with a laugh.

I turned and again looked toward Shad, but his eyes were already on me. He lookedamazed? Or excited?What the heck?I felt my heart sputter, and I quickly looked away. Ryker looked at me with a strange expression, his lips tight.

“What’s up with you?” he asked, taking another bite.

“I don’t know—something about that new boy. You know him, right? I heard you guys outside this morning,” I said, nodding in Shad’s direction.

Something is different–even weird–about Ryker, and I can’t put my finger on it. What is it? Is it me? I’m obsessed with Shad,I want to cry every five seconds, and I want to kiss and hug Shad for no reason other than I feel that I just need to do it—as much as I need to breathe, and now, I feel like something is off with Ryker, too? What is happening?I was so glad that I had kept all that in the crazy area of my brain and that it didn’t spill out of my mouth.You are good at one thing, at least, not letting the crazy spill out.

“Oh, yeah, he moved in across the street. I know him.” He took another bite of food.

“Howdo you know him?” I asked as I picked up my fork, wondering if he would tell me more about theirnot so secretiveconversation in front of my house that morning.

“Oh, uh—” He looked embarrassed.

“Yes?”

“Oh, it’s nothing.”

“Doesn’t sound like nothing.”

“We used to be, uh—friends, but he moved away for a while.” He shrugged.

If that is the case, why had I never met him?I wondered. As far as I knew, I was Ryker’s best friend, and he didn’t have any other close friends, just like me. So,who is Shad to him?It didn’t make sense.

“Let me just say that that boy is the finest thing I have ever seen, also wearingthat? Now, that is classy,” a girl sat down beside me, picking a fry from off my plate and placing it into her mouth as she spoke.

“Excuse me, but do we know you?” Ryker asked, looking from me to her as I shrugged in confusion.

“I am new here, and as a new kid, I figured I had my pick of the tables. Good excuse to just sit anywhere and make some friends, right? You guys made the top of the list,” the girl said to Ryker.

“Hey, Emma, is this seat taken?” I looked behind me and saw Sam.

“Oh, hey, Sam. No, it’s all yours,” I answered with a happy smile. He sat down with his cafeteria tray and began eating his slice of pizza. The rest of Ryker’s football team buddies found seats around us as well. The new girl took a seat beside me.

“My name is Ashlyn, but I go by Ash,” the new girl said, holding out her hand to Ryker and then to me. Ryker looked at me with wide eyes, and I cracked a smile.

“We could always use a new friend,” I said, taking Ash’s hand in a firm shake, hearing the dozens of bangle bracelets she wore clank together. She had straight, black hair; purple-ish, blue eyes; and her smile, which was outlined in a dark purple-brown lipstick, seemed genuine and light. She wore a white T-Shirt with a hole in the collar and one hole on the side, exposing some of her tanned skin. I noticed, too, that she wore a clear gem around her neck; it looked like some kind of rock but when she moved, it picked up the light and sparkled. She wore a pair of ripped, light denim jeans and double black high-top converse.

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