Page 8 of The Hallows Boys

Not that I’m assuming I’ll jump straight back intoQueen Beeposition, but I definitely don’t want to be someone that blends into the crowd. I like to stand out, especially to adults. I take my high school experience seriously, because I want a successful and bright future, and I need the administration at Blackmore High to understand that.

“You can take my car till we get one of your own.” My grandmother greets me at the bottom of the stairs. “Your trust should be in soon enough.”

I take the keys hanging from her fingers, giving her a little smile in thank you.

The last few days in Blackmore have been interesting. I’ve spent a lot of time in bed, and a lot of time getting to know my grandmother. I haven’t touched on the topic of my parents or the fact I was born in Blackmore again, as I’ve been too scared to hear whatever my grandmother might say.

Right now, I’m just feeling numb – numb to life, numb to the past, present, and future. I feel like anxiety is clawing its way up my throat with every inhale, desperate to break through and strangle me. I’m not sure there’s any way I’m going to survive this besides just experiencing it. I need to find my footing and take it from there.

The drive to school is a straight shot back up Main Street and on the corner of town, so I find my way pretty easily. There’s no way to get lost here, really, since there’s only one road.

The parking lot for the high school is fairly empty, since there’s still about an hour before the first bell rings, but I wanted to get here early and get grounded. I slip my grandmother’s Toyota into a parking spot, then cut the engine.

I take a deep breath in after I step out onto the concrete, savoring the way the fresh, country air feels against my lungs, before I pull my backpack out and throw it on my shoulder. Even with it being mid-October, humidity licks at the back of my neck, making my hair stick to my skin as I cross the parking lot to the school.

Big black letters sit above a set of double doors readingBLACKMORE HIGH SCHOOLso I make the assumption this is the main building that houses the office. I pull open one of the glass-paneled doors to find an older woman sitting behind a large desk, and when the wind blows and slams the door behind me, her head snaps up to look at me.

I clear my throat, walking across the dingy carpet to meet her. “Hi, I’m Sage Lindman, I’m supposed to meet with someone about my class schedule.”

“Ahh.” She jumps up, throwing her hands in the air in excitement. “Our new student!”

She shuffles from her rolling chair, making her way to a door that sits at the back of the room behind her desk. She pops her head just inside the door. “Miss Lindman is here.”

“Oh, good!” I hear a cheerful voice from beyond the drywall, then a slim, tall woman comes sauntering through the frame and across the office to greet me.

“Miss Lindman, so nice to meet you.” She holds a hand out for me to shake as a smile spreads across her youthful face. “I’m Principal Tallen.”

I take her hand. “Nice to meet you, call me Sage.”

I swallow through the lump in my throat, shaking off my nerves as my hands drop back to my sides. I feel a little better now that they’re so welcoming.

“I have your class schedule here.” She turns, grabbing a stack of papers off the desk behind her. “I have to admit, your transcripts are incredibly impressive, Sage. Although, there are a few classes you were taking back in California that we don’t offer here.”

She licks her thumb, flipping through the papers to find what she’s looking for. “Advanced Philosophy, Psychology, Filmmaking, and Graphic Design are not classes that we have.”

“Oh.” I knot my fingers together behind my back. “So what will I take here to replace them?”

“Well”—she meets my eyes—“I’ve added you to all of the Advanced Placement classes wedooffer, of course. English, Mathematics, Science, general things like that, but as far as electives go, you’ll be taking Spanish and P.E. The state of Georgia requires them for graduation.”

She levels me with a look, trying to read how I’m absorbing the information. I just nod while I take a big breath in. “Is there any way I can take the extra classes online or something, maybe at a college nearby? I really don’t want to lose any credits before I start my college applications.”

She gives me an impressed smile, like she’s surprised to hear that someone my age actually gives a shit about their education. “I will definitely look into that, Sage.”

My cheeks go a little red at her intrusive gaze. “It’s my goal to attend an Ivy League University, so I really just want to stack up my transcripts the best I can.”

She gives me another appreciative smile just as the door behind me opens and I’m hit by the chill of the outside air and the intrusive, overwhelming smell of straight upman.Notes of amber and smoke hit my senses all at once, as the wind blows inward from the closing door. I spin around on my heel to look at who it is.

“Here’s your tour guide now!” Mrs. Tallen says from behind me, but she might as well be speaking French because I’m too busy getting sucked into the atmosphere of this guy to register that she’s still here. Staring back at me, narrowed gaze and twisted up lips, is six feet of sex and destruction.

Dark eyes pin me in place, making my knees feel weak and my lungs squeeze in my chest. My stomach starts to burn as I trace along his features with my gaze. Puffy, pillowy lips surrounded by a light stubble on his razor-sharp jaw leads to a throat that looks like it was carved from marble. I find myself swallowing thickly as my eyes stay fixated on the column of his throat, hoping he’ll swallow with me so I can watch it move.

He turns his head, giving me a good view of the vein that runs up the side of his neck, and I swear to God my hands start tingling with the need to trace it with my fingertip. I snap my head up to meet his gaze when Mrs. Tallen starts talking again, pulling me out of my lust-haze.

“This is Kaiden Thorne, our Student Body President.”

“You’rethe student body president?!” I gape, but slam my mouth shut as I realize I just said that out loud. I inwardly cringe when he grins at me.

“Sure am.” He slides his long fingers into the front pockets of his black jeans, rocking back on his heels as his head drops to the side. “Student Body President, Captain of the basketball team, Prom King last year. I spend a little time tutoring elementary school kids too.”

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