Storm (Elemental 1)

But wait—hadn’t she asked for a new partner? So she wasn’t going to sit next to him at all. Someone else would drop into the empty seat, and he’d obsess over Becca from across the room.

That would probably be better.

Chris felt the air move as someone stopped next to his desk. He swung his head around as Becca slid into the seat beside him.

“I thought you switched partners,” he exclaimed, before realizing he sounded a bit too frigging excited.

“Beamis wouldn’t let me.”

Oh. That explained it.

Chris flipped to another page in his notebook while she pulled her textbook from her bag. Had she walked in with Hunter? Chris hadn’t been paying attention—and the new guy was already in his seat, staring at the board.

He had no idea what to say, so he pretended to listen as Mr. Beamis called the class to order.

“Here,” Becca whispered, pushing a piece of paper his way.

Chris glanced down. The notebook paper was covered in her handwriting, careful cursive that looked nothing like the big bubble letters of the girly-girl set. Had she written him a letter? His heart tripped before catching itself. Then he read the words.

Class notes.

Figures. This was probably a subtle reminder not to cut.

“Thanks,” he murmured. “I’ll copy them and get these back to you.”

“They’re yours,” she said. “I took two sets so you wouldn’t miss anything.”

He swung his head around. She wasn’t looking at him, but her cheeks were faintly pink.

“Thanks,” he said again. He hesitated, then leaned the tiniest bit closer. Almonds, vanilla, torture. “You know, you didn’t have to—”

“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.