Page 9 of Surge

I hoped that it had just been a coincidence they were talking about dead fish and looking at me. Who was I kidding? They were, and now it was going to bother me the rest of the day.

I headed toward homeroom with Aiden. Most of our classes were the same, with a few exceptions.

"Stop worrying. We've got your back." Aiden looped his arm through mine and we walked into Advanced English.

We were a few of the first to class, so we chose seats in the back. I might have been a top student, but I liked seeing the entire room.

I was getting my notebook and pen out when I heard Aiden gasp, and I turned my head toward him. "What?"

"Blake Huron just walked in and is headed straight for the seat next to you," he said under his breath.

Blake had never been in any of our classes. It wasn't that he wasn't capable of handling honors and AP classes, but he was rumored to pay other students to do his work for him.

I sat back in my chair and our eyes met as he walked down the row. He had a cocky grin on his face and his dark brown eyes sparkled. Out of the three Tritons, he was the most approachable.

He dropped the blue binder he had picked out at the office supply store on the desk and slid into the seat next to me. He moved it over so his knee touched mine. I scrunched my nose and moved my desk an inch.

He laughed. "Imagine my surprise seeing we have English together." He angled his body toward mine and I sat up straighter. I didn't know what the hell was going on.

If my stomach kept seizing up like it was, I was going to end up with an ulcer. Why were they all of a sudden taking interest in me? It couldn't be a coincidence that first Jax had approached me and now Blake.

Was it because of my father? Were they curious to get firsthand information from his daughter? They had to know I had nothing to do with him.

"Back off, Huron." Aiden leaned forward and pinned him with a glare. "Our kind don't put up with your bullshit in our classes."

"Your kind?" He flinched. "You of all people should know the harm of those words."

Aiden flinched. "I didn't mean it like that. I meant in advanced classes we are focused and drama free."

Blake moved his desk a few inches from mine. "We'll see about that. It seems you don't know your classmates very well."

Class started, and all I felt was Blake's eyes burning into the side of my head. I tried to concentrate on the expectations for the semester, but it was nearly impossible with his proximity and gaze.

Why wasn't the teacher asking him to move his desk back to the row?

"Since this is your senior year and most of you will be attending college next fall, we will start to focus on some of the skills you will need to successfully make the transition. Starting with a study group." I was a few sentences behind processing what she was saying. "You will be placed in small groups and meet two times a month to work on your assignments and get support from each other."

I internally groaned. I didn't mind group work with certain people, but even in advanced classes there were a few that just coasted along not caring about their grades. They made more work for the rest of us.

"I know you might not feel like you need it, but next year, you might find you need to work with others to continue your success. It's a whole other world filled with distractions, and a study group will help you stay on track." She then pointed around to make groups of four.

"Did you hear that, Kline?" A shiver ran down my spine as Blake leaned over and whispered in my ear. "We're going to be study buddies."

"Mr. Huron." Mrs. Williams' voice held a warning. "Is there something you'd like to share with the class?"

I did an inner squeal of delight at him being called out for talking. I was a senior, but there was still joy to be had over the class disruption getting put in their place.

"Mrs. Williams, I was answering Riley's question."

No. Hell no, he wasn't about to make up something to get me in trouble. What grade were we in?

"And what is that?" She crossed her arms over her chest and looked between me and Blake. Mrs. Williams might have been a newer teacher on the staff, but she was one of the best.

"I can't repeat it. It was grossly inappropriate, and probably sexual harassment." He sounded so sincere that even I believed I had been inappropriate.

A few students in the class giggled, and Mrs. Williams narrowed her eyes at Blake. "And you expect me to believe that?"

I had never had Mrs. Williams as a teacher before, but I assumed most teachers had knowledge of the top students.

Disruptions in advanced classes weren't tolerated.

"Ma'am, if I told my father what you allowed to go on in your classroom, he would not be happy." Everyone knew that Blake's father, as well as Jax’s father, had major pull in the town of Salinity Cove. Their families had been here since it became a town.

Her hands fell to her sides and she cleared her throat. "Ms. Kline, if you and Blake are done being inappropriate, I'll get on with my lesson for the day."

I nodded, and Blake sat back in his chair with a smirk. Whatever the hell he was up to, I didn't like it one bit.

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