The Locket

Brent turned to face me and again I found myself drinking in the sight of him. I noted his size, realizing he never seemed large to me, but he was at least two inches taller than Logan, and was much bigger through the shoulders. I was sure he could handle Logan, but I didn’t like the image. I was thankful he was there but more than a little annoyed he thought I was incapable of dealing with Logan myself.

“You didn’t need to do that, Brent. I could’ve handled it,” I scolded as he looked away silently.

Looking down at me, his eyes were dark and icy, and it scared me a little. He put his hand on my shoulder and said, “I had to protect you, Claire. He put his hands on you and I didn’t like it.”

“I don’t need you to protect me, okay? I can take care of myself, you know!” I hissed at him, sounding a little angrier than I meant to, which was not his fault. I lived my whole life with my crazy parents always ‘

protecting me’. Now that they were gone, I wanted to be rid all of that. I was almost eighteen for heaven’s sakes. I could protect myself.

Registering the anger on my face, Brent put his index finger under my chin, forcing my eyes to look at him. My body filled with heat, my cheeks burning once again, so much so I actually felt the heat rising from them.

“I’m sorry, Claire. Perhaps I did overreact. I couldn’t stand it if he hurt you, okay?” he said with a question of forgiveness in his voice. How could I not forgive him the way he was looking at me?

With a quick shift to avoid his gaze I murmured, “No problem,” moving toward the door for history. Brent followed.

After history, Brent walked me to my next class even though we didn’t share it. When we passed Logan in the halls, Brent placed a gentle hand on the small of my back steering me past him while addressing Logan with a protective glare. His smiling face greeted me when class was over, and I nearly ran into the girl in front of me, unable to take my eyes off of Brent. There was something about him that relaxed me and made me completely unaware of anything going on around us. I had yet to decide if it thrilled or terrified me.

Arriving at my last class of the day, I felt surprisingly uneasy about it, which promptly turned into pure terror when I saw Logan sitting in the middle of the room. He was speaking with a group of boys, carrying on about a football game. I heard one of the boys going on and on about what an awesome catch Logan had made last Friday.

“Dude, it was beast!” the kid shouted impulsively.

God, his behavior was deplorable. He was so over the top kissing Logan’s rear that I actually felt sorry for him. Logan kept patting his pumped up chest, laughing and soaking it up entirely. His laughter halted and his jaw went taut when he turned to the door, catching me staring at him. He nearly leveled me with his sinister glare.

Brent slipped in front of me blocking Logan’s view.

“He’s just showing off. Don’t worry about it. But you should stay away from him. He’s not stable,” Brent warned. There was an odd territorial tone to Brent’s voice and I wasn’t sure why but I liked it. He really didn’t need to warn me though. I planned to sit as far from Logan as possible.

“I mean it,” he whispered protectively, causing my insides to tingle. “I’ll see you after class, okay?”

“Okay,” I whispered back, trying to hide how elated I felt knowing I would see him again shortly.

When the bell sounded, the kids all took their seats. The only empty spot was next to Logan, who looked almost amused that the universe hated me so much. The class went by quicker than I expected, and while Logan tormented me with his inky stare for most of it, he didn’t speak to me.

It had been a very interesting first day, more memorable than any before it, and I had many. My chest still ached from where Logan pushed me and my cheeks still burned from all of the blushing over Brent. I had so much to think about where he was concerned. I never had feelings for a boy, ever, which was how I knew without a doubt, that I was developing feelings for Brent Cassidy, the extent of which were beginning to alarm me.

Class was over, and my excitement fizzled when Brent wasn’t waiting for me. He said he would see me after class, and with his dislike for Logan, I just assumed he would be there promptly.

Exiting class, I felt a sharp shove to my shoulder as Logan made a point to push me, asserting his strength. He was glaring at me with incomprehensible rage and snarling, almost animal-like.

I rolled my eyes, annoyed with Logan’s juvenile antics.

“What is your problem?” I snapped my mouth shut after spitting out the words without thinking, somehow feeling braver than I normally did.

Logan turned abruptly and faced me. I flinched.

“You’re my problem, freak,” he answered, laughing and slapping high fives with one of the boys in his adoring posse.

That was it! I was just about to tell Logan exactly what I thought of him when I heard Layken’s voice as she came strolling up beside me.

“Enough, Logan.”

Looping her arm in mine, she pulled me away from the school bully toward our lockers. He instantly backed away when Layken spoke. I heard him shouting something behind us, but it was muffled, absorbed into the chatter in the halls. When I turned to look at him, he was still watching me. His eyes stayed on me until Layken and I rounded the corner.

“Don’t even worry about him, Claire,” she advised. “He’s ridiculous.”

“I know he is,” I agreed. “I just wish I knew what I did to make him so angry. He doesn’t even know me.”

“You did nothing to make him mad. Logan was born pissed off, and you just happen to be his target of the day. That’s all,” she said, letting out a reassuring laugh.