Mr. Heartbreaker: Black Mountain Academy

Truly special.

“That’s Violet Raines. She transferred here from California.”

“California?” I ask, still staring at her. I could see her shopping on Rodeo Drive. She definitely would fit in with all the beautiful people. “Why would she willingly switch to BMA?” I muse out loud.

“I heard her mom died and she had to move out here to live with her aunt,” Ben answers.

“Who told you that?” Davis laughs. “Was it Camden?” he adds snidely.

“Fuck off, Davis,” Ben growls.

There’s something going on with Ben and Camden. They wouldn’t appear to mesh, but I can see the fireworks there.

“You going to go over there and show her that Big Mike charm?” Davis asks, having no idea the bitterness his simple question causes.

“Nah, man. When it’s time, Violet Raines will come to me,” I respond, smiling.

I’m already anticipating Violet coming to me.

And she will…4VioletI can feel his eyes on me.

I spotted him when I walked to the table and he’s been watching me the entire time I’ve been here. I’ve been eating my apple and trying to read the chapters I’ll be going over in my next class, but I can’t concentrate because I can feel the weight of his stare on my back. It heats my skin and makes me nervous. I imagine the things he’s making me feel are what a deer would feel like when a hunter is chasing them.

I don’t know why he’s staring at me. Maybe he’s pissed because I turned him down on his offer. Whatever the reason, I refuse to turn around and acknowledge him.

I’ve survived through life with one credo.

Don’t poke a sleeping bear.

I don’t think this guy is sleeping, but maybe if I ignore him, he’ll grow bored.

Guys like him are a dime a dozen and they usually grow bored quickly and move along to new eye candy sooner rather than later. I’m hoping that’s what happens here.

The last thing I need is to grab the attention of anyone here at Black Mountain. And I think that’s probably especially true for him.

“Damn, you’ve caught Big Mike’s attention.”

I look up to find a tall blonde with an athletic build standing beside my table. Her hair is long and wavy. She’s wearing jeans and a shirt – they’re nice, but they don’t read designer. If they are, it sure doesn’t scream it. I again have the thought that maybe I’m overdressing for this place. Next week the new school uniforms are dispersed, and at this rate I’m almost looking forward to it. It might actually help me blend in.

I try to hide my frown. I don’t really want to talk to anyone or get to know them. I’d rather keep my head down and be left alone.

“I’m sorry?” I ask, frowning up at her. I’m trying to walk a thin line of being pleasant but also not encouraging friendship.

The girl sits down across from me without an invite.

So much for solitude.

“I’m Camden Galway,” she says, reaching her hand out to shake mine like she’s on some kind of job interview.

“Violet Raines,” I murmur shaking her hand.

“I know, you’re one of the new kids this year. There’s a lot of them. You applied for one of the scholarships that the school was offering. I heard you got really close,” she says, and I frown.

“Close doesn’t really count for much.”

“Except in horseshoes or hand grenades,” she agrees. “Reese really needed that scholarship, though.” I frown, but don’t know how to respond to that, so I don’t. “Anyway, it looks like you’ve clearly attracted Big Mike’s attention.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I mutter, mostly lying. I have no doubt that this Big Mike she’s talking about is the jerk from this morning who is currently staring a hole in my back. But, since I don’t know that’s who he is, I’m playing dumb.

“He’s the big dumb-looking one behind you,” she says and waits. I just stare at her. “Well? At least take a look,” she says like she’s exasperated.

I give her an annoyed expression – which she ignores – then look behind me. There are three guys talking, and one is definitely the guy from earlier; the one I know Camden is talking about. When I stare at him, our eyes lock and his lips spread into a smile. Something inside of me is dying to wipe that smile off his face. Instead, I flip up my middle finger, which only makes them all laugh – especially him.

I turn back around to face Camden with a heavy sigh. “Ugh,” I grumble.

She starts laughing. “You’ve met him.”

“I’m not sure you can call it meeting him,” I mutter.

“You definitely have his attention,” she repeats her earlier declaration. “Then again, I suppose that’s not hard, considering he’s a giant horndog and nails everyone in this school who has boobs.”

“Now that I would believe. Some chick with giant boobs and long hair was giving him a blowjob behind the stairs earlier,” I respond, forgetting that I don’t talk to people and completely oversharing.