Page 51 of Spelling Disaster

The three of them slide into the opposite side of the booth and Piper pushes my bag onto the floor.

“Gang, this is Yasmine.” He tightens his hold on my shoulder and jerks me closer to him so that I’m underneath the safety of his arm. “Yas, you know Piper, Becky, and James?”

The arm around me is for good measure and I know it without having to look at Theo. Just like I know the others are putting on happy faces for his benefit and not because they’re delighted to officially meet me.

We’ve all seen each other before.

We have classes together and although they appear friendly and open to me joining the inner circle, this is nothing but pretend.

“It’s great to actually meet you,” James begins. “You came into the semester late, right? But you always raise your hand in class.”

Oh, sure. He laughed right along with Kim and Courtney that first day.

He stares at me like I’m the one with all the answers and he’s not sure where I actually fit, since I’m with Theo now. These people operate on levels, or inside of boxes. Something that allows them to place people in what they think are accurate categories and act accordingly from there.

I’ve stepped outside of where I belong by being with Theo.

“It’s good to meet you, too. I’m catching up slowly but hopefully coming in late won’t make much of a difference in the long run,” I say carefully.

I grab my straw and stick in my mouth, to keep from having to talk to them, and notice my fingers trembling. It’s not like me to be this nervous. I’m used to talking to new people at the library all the time.

Except these are Theo’s friends and I’ve accepted their lines in the sand whether I want to or not.

“Yasmine, how did the two of you meet?” Piper asks. “It seems like only yesterday he was out with Helena and now here you are.”

Her voice is friendly, perky, and spears right through me.

“Yas is in a couple of my classes and we hit it off,” Theo interjects smoothly. He takes the lead in the conversation without any effort. “Things naturally progressed between us.”

It should be an open and shut thing. Yet life rarely follows the path you wish it to take.

“So this is official? It’s not because Helena called it off?” Becky asks. “I mean, you don’t have to go from hot girl toher.”

And byhershe means me.

I expected a bit of venom. Of course, it’s bound to happen. Yet it seems as though some girls feel a certain way about Theo claiming me as his and it’s not a good way.

I push against him to get out of the booth and the suffocating presence of his friends. “Maybe this is a conversation I shouldn’t be a part of,” I say. “I can go.”

Theo refuses to budge. He sits, blocking my way, as solid as stone. “No, I want you here.” His voice gives nothing away and neither does his expression. Both are cool without being hostile or outright pissed in any way. He’s not trembling the way I am.

“Oh?” Piper questions.

“What I do and with whom is none of your business. She’s mine, Piper, and it has nothing to do with Helena or anyone else.”

Becky shrugs. “It just seems to me the timing is a little suspect. You know?”

James looks curious, but also like he’d rather be anywhere else.

Finally Theo stands, digging deep in his pocket and pulling out money before tossing it on the table. He holds out his hand to me and after struggling to remove my bag from underneath the table, I take the outstretched palm.

“Are you ready to go?” he asks as he pulls me to my feet.

I nod.

“Then let’s get out.”

Linking our fingers together, electricity zaps between us and he tugs me toward the door, away from the three vultures trying to pick me, pick us, apart.

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