Storm (Elemental 1)

“Mr. Merrick?”

Goddamn Beamis.

Chris flung himself back in his chair. “What?”

The teacher raised his eyebrows. “Every student in my class deserves a chance to learn. Do you understand me?”

“Sure.” Chris didn’t have a clue what he was talking about.

Beamis clearly wasn’t convinced, either. “Are you harassing Miss Chandler?”

Harassing her? Was that what this guy thought? After that dick two rows over had been tossing “notes” onto Becca’s desk? After what Drew and his friends had done? Beamis thought Chris was harassing her?

And now the whole class was staring at him. Half the school had probably heard what happened on the soccer field—or some approximation of it. He wondered just what stories were flying around.

And where he fit in.

“He’s not,” Becca said quickly. “He was just repeating a point I missed.”

Beamis gave him another long look, then nodded and turned back to the board.

Chris didn’t dare say anything else to her. He sighed and looked at his notebook.

His eyes kept straying to the page of notes she’d written.

Becca tapped his arm and gestured to her notebook.

Sorry. I didn’t mean to get you in trouble.

He shrugged, then reached up with his pen.

Not your fault.

Then Beamis turned around, addressing the class, and she didn’t write anything else.

But the end of the period brought an activity, fifteen minutes for them to begin work on the semester project and design an outline.

Chris started a new page, fully expecting her to want to work exclusively on the project. But she put her hand over his to stop him from writing.

o;Thanks.” Quinn climbed onto the bleachers and pulled out her own Trig book.

Gabriel stepped closer, watching her. “Didn’t I see you sucking the face off Rafe Gutierrez last weekend?”

He was quickly killing any of Becca’s residual feelings of gratitude.

“Jealous?” said Quinn.

“Maybe,” said Nick.

Quinn was suddenly blushing again. “Well, I came to watch him practice.”

“Good luck,” said Gabriel. “I think Coach sent him to fill the water jugs.”

Quinn shrugged. “He told me to bring my homework, so I figured as much.”

“Why’d you come?”

Chris’s voice. Becca snapped her head up. He was watching her, his eyes hard and daring.