Jaded (Jaded 1)

"She thinks she's my girlfriend."

Bingo. We just found the problem. So many thought they were the girlfriend.

"That’s why you want me to bring Steele's sister." It made sense. A movie star's sister would trump Becky Lew on any day.

"Oh no, I just want to get laid by a movie star's sister. You know me better than that, Sheldon. I can dodge Lew all week." He flashed another arrogant smile.

I think the girl behind me fainted, but I didn't care. I called him a not-so-nice word instead, but I did it with a sparkle in my eye.

"Please," he huffed. "You and Bryce are always all over each other, but the minute emotions might come into play, the two of you are all over someone else. Who's the bad guy between us?"

My eyes cooled. "Watch it." He knew where to step and where to avoid. He'd just stepped wrong. Corrigan knew the conversation that had words like Bryce, me, and emotions were always off limits.

"I'm just saying, help me out."

"You don't need my help getting laid, Corrigan." Had he not just left Becky Lew in his dust?

"It's different. Girls in school are different. Seriously, make friends with Steele's sister for me?"

"How do you even know if she's hot? Maybe there's a reason why she's not known. She could be ugly and fat."

"She's not. I've already met her." He cursed at his slip.

I arched an eyebrow. That was new. "You didn't want me to know that?"

"Look." He glanced up and down the hallway and moved closer. One of his hands rested at my hip as he whispered, "She's not exactly a fan of mine."

I slapped his hand away and said, "You already shagged her, didn't you?"

"Not quite," he sounded pained, but shook his head. "Just do it for me? Please, Sheldon?"

Whatever.

I sighed and replied dully, "Yeah. I'll make buddy-buddy and bring her round."

"To the party?" he pressed.

"To the party." I was such a sucker.

Chapter 2

When I entered Spanish, I saw the normal crowd in the back. Bryce sat, listening to whatever Chad Yerling was saying. A few of the other guys were also listening while some of the girls either gossiped or had perched on the guys' laps.

Stephanie Hills was perched on Bryce's table, but not his lap.

As I moved forward and dropped to the empty seat at Bryce's table, she shot off and scurried away.

Bryce switched his attention to me and leaned closer.

"What were you talking to Corrigan about?"

I shrugged and refused to meet his eyes.

"Wanna skip?" he suggested.

I smiled and asked, "And do what?"

"You know." His eyes fell to my lips and stayed there. One of his hands rested on my knee and started a slow rhythmic caress.

"Scout," Chad called.

Bryce ignored him and asked me again, "Now or never. Wanna go?"

I bit my lip, knowing it'd turn him on, but murmured, "You're in a weird mood today."

Bryce sighed and leaned back. His hand stayed in place.

"So a no, then?" he asked. Bryce and I had our own language. And we both knew my response was an evade.

I could never say no or yes. Neither could he.

"Scout," Chad said again, a little huffy now.

I leaned forward and pressed a slow, torturous kiss to Bryce's lips.

He grasped the back of my head and held me in place as he explored me in return. I heard Chad groan in frustration. He'd lost the battle for Bryce's attention.

"Mr. Scout and Miss Jeneve."

Our teacher, Mr. Dwellsworth, banged a ruler on his desk.

I tried to pull back, but Bryce finished the kiss before he released me. I was a little relieved to hear him panting right alongside me.

"Mr. Scout and Miss Jeneve!"

"Yeah?" I asked, knowing my voice was hoarse.

"I don't want the two of you to sit at the same table. Mr. Scout, please switch seats with Miss Veera."

"Who?" Bryce asked as he stood, relaxed and confident.

A girl in the back, tiny and pissed, stood up as she grabbed her books. She glared as she retorted, "That's me." She brushed past him and her red hair smacked him in the face as she dropped into his vacated seat.

Bryce chuckled as he took her seat.

She glanced my way, but hunched her shoulders as she opened her book to read.

She wanted to be alone. I didn’t give a damn so I leaned close. "What's your first name?" When she ignored me, I reached out and plucked her book away. "What's your name?"

I wasn't one to be ignored—ever. As she paled, I knew that she had remembered.

"Her name is Shelly Veera and you need to leave her alone, Miss Jeneve," Mr. Dwellsworth spoke over the classroom.

Pff. I glared at him, but leaned back and waited. It wasn’t long before he started his lecture. That was when I leaned over again. "Why are you all pissy?"

She made a sound like she was in pain, but didn't reply.

I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned around to see that Chad held out a note for me.

We should've skipped.

I looked to Bryce and nodded. Then I bit my lip again and grinned when he coughed. So much promise, so much lust. As I continued to hold his gaze, warmth started to burn inside of me. It wasn’t long until I knew that I had grown wet between my legs. His eyes darkened in desire—

"Mr. Scout!"

I rolled my eyes and turned eyes front.

"Yes, sir?" Bryce groaned under his breath.

Mr. Dwellsworth became red in the face. "You continue to disrupt my classroom day after day. I have had enough, Mr. Scout."

Bryce didn't say one word.

That was something I'd always been envious about. Bryce had the hot body that could get him into a magazine, but it was the air that surrounded him. He drew in all the attention. He could muster anyone to do anything for him without a single spoken word.

Sometimes it turned me on and other times it pissed me off.

Today was the former.

Deciding to join the fray, my hand shot up in the air. "Mr. Dwellsworth."

You could feel the enraptured tension in the class. All eyes trailed towards me. Oh yes. They knew something was going to happen. It always did when the two of us teamed up to cause a scene. I should’ve brought popcorn to pass out.

"Yes, Miss Jeneve?" Mr. Dwellsworth was cautious now. He also felt the inevitable.

"Bryce didn't say anything to disrupt your class. He coughed. That was it."

Mr. Dwellsworth weighed his words, but forced politeness came out. "Miss Jeneve, when I ask to debate the decisions of my classroom, you may talk then. Right now, I am the teacher and I will tolerate your disrespect no longer."

"So are you going to have us leave?"