CHAPTER 4

CHAPTER 4

I keep ignoring him as I try to keep my mind focused on the easy chemistry exercises.

"Oh, look, Mouse" says James next to me. "Look at the girl approaching the teacher."

"Leave me alone," I complain, nudging him.

"Oh, come on, just a moment."

Giving up because I know that if I don't obey him he won't stop insisting, I lift my face to look in the direction of the teacher who is sitting at his desk reading a book.

"What's the matter?" I ask him as I look at Kelly, the girl who.... Mmm... How can I say it... The girl who has a lot of special friends? Yes, that!.... Kelly, the girl who has many special friends, approaching the teacher.

"The girl is arranging her huge boobs for the teacher to see" James says before she does exactly that. He laughs when he sees that he got his words right. "Now she's going to bend over..." I furrow my eyebrows when I see that he's right again, "and she's going to put the pencil in her mouth."

And again... that happens.

"How do you know?" I ask, still not taking my eyes off them.

"I'm observant" I feel his breath on my cheek, but I still don't look away from the teacher. "Let's play, shall we?"

I look at him out of the corner of my eye and yes, he is definitely very close.

"Whenever we play I always lose" I tell him in a whining way.

"That's because you're too distracted."

I roll my eyes, but I don't retort because I know he's right.

"What's the game this time?"

"I bet the teacher is going to look at the girl's tits and help her do the exercise," he says, looking at the scene with narrowed eyes. "If I win, you'll steal chocolate chip cookies for me from your mother."

That's an easy task.

"I say that the good teacher Ortiz is very decent and will not fall for Kelly's flirting" I whisper, totally sure. "And if I win, you will explain math to me to win the next exam."

"Deal."

We watch closely as they interact and.... No way, he's won again!

The teacher has looked at Kelly's breasts and has taken her notes to solve the exercise for the very.... very... very flirtatious Kelly. Well, she knows how to use her great gifts, I can't blame her for doing so.

"I expect my cookies tomorrow" James says with a smug grin next to me, a grin that I've been staring at for over a week now and it still bothers me.

I grimace at him and fix my gaze back on my planner to continue doing my exercises.

"Stop" I tell him when he starts to peck my cheek with his pencil. "Stop distracting me, James."

"I'm bored, Mouse," he replies as if it's my job to get him out of his boredom.

I'm still wondering at what point I decided to give him those chocolates over a week ago, he hasn't left me alone since!

Santa Macarena, help me not to skin him like a chicken.

"So solve the exercises" I look at his agenda with a completely blank sheet. "It's gradable, you know?"

He shrugs his shoulders, not giving the matter any real importance.

James is a complete slob, I would never take that attitude for a grade.

"I already know the solution to all those exercises by heart" he says, now fiddling with the brown hair that falls on my shoulder. I correct, tugging, not fiddling with my hair. "You got number seven wrong," he says, looking down at my planner with disinterest.

I frown and check exercise seven.

"I knew it," I mumble as I angrily correct the exercise, "I got it wrong on purpose to see if you'd notice."

"Yeah, right" he says, laughing at me the very... very... very silly.

"I'm still wondering how you're doing so well," I mumble, smacking his hand as he tries to take off my glasses. "You never do your homework."

"But I get the best grades on my exams."

"That's lucky."

"It's not luck, it's because I'm extremely smart, you know that" I roll my eyes at his smug tone. "This is the third time I've repeated last year, Mouse. I know all this stuff by heart, besides, it's very easy."

"Mathematics is not easy."

"It's just that you're so gros... Fuck!" He screams as I bury my pencil in his leg.

"Is something wrong, Mr. Harrison?" The teacher asks, and that's when I notice that everyone in the room is staring at us.

"No," James denies, grabbing my hand tightly under the table, "I jammed my finger on my chair, that's all."

The professor looks at him over his huge glasses - nothing like mine, which are nice - and turns his attention back to the book in his hands.

"Let go of me" I try to pull my hand away from his grip, but he holds it tighter and brings it to his lips to give me a hard bite that leaves me sore. "Holy cowl, James" I whisper softly, avoiding screaming. "That hurt."

"Me too" he says, caressing his leg in the area attacked by me.

"Let me do the exercises" I warn him, giving him my bully girl look.

I smile internally because it has worked and he has stood still, watching me as I finish doing the chemistry exercises.

Oh God, I've scared the tough guy in my class!

My imaginary self pats my original self twice, totally proud.

"That result is positive, not negative," he says, holding his finger up to the last exercise. "You ate a sign."

I purse my lips because he's right, so I erase and correct.

"Thank you," I mumble through my teeth.

"You're welcome" he says, putting his things away because the doorbell has rung. "I'll wait for you at three o'clock in the library."

"At the library?" I ask, imitating him as I put my stuff in my backpack. "What for?"

"I'll explain math so you can win the next test," he says, looking over his shoulder. Then he turns to leave without waiting for an answer from me.

I smile.

"Thank you!" I yell at him before he leaves the classroom.

I catch a glimpse of his head shaking, as if he's laughing.

Yes! I will win my next test!

***

"I give up on you!" James mumbles in desperation, throwing his pens on his notebooks.

"But I'm paying attention to you!" I retort, lowering my voice as the boys next to us give us dirty looks for shouting in a library.

"No, Thea, you're not," he sighs, frustrated. "You were most amused looking at the table leg, then the corner of the page like it was the most interesting thing on this planet, and finally, you're staring at the ceiling!"

"I'm distracted" I whisper as I feel the heat rise to my cheeks.

"Oh, really?" He asks sarcastically, "Pay attention to me, will you?"

"Okay" I whisper, but I'm already distracted looking at a tattoo on her neck -. "Who is Anna?" I ask, looking at that name tattooed on his skin, under his ear.

He seems to realize what I'm talking about because he brings his hand to the area, as if it were itching.

"My sister" he answers, putting his hand back down to the notebook. "So, when you multiply this figure by.... Thea?" He tries again to get my attention.

"Huh?" I give him my cutest smile when I see that he has become angry. That seems to relax him, as his eyes fall to my lips and slowly his frown disappears. "What were you saying?"

He shakes his head, as if trying to concentrate.

"Haven't you been to the doctor, Mouse?"

"If you're wondering if I have attention deficit, the answer is no" I lean back better in my chair. "Apparently, being distracted is just part of my personality... or so the psychologist said."

He laughs softly.

"Have you paid attention to anything I've told you?" I deny his question, lowering my gaze with a bit of embarrassment. "Okay, let's rest for a moment and then continue, shall we?"

I nod, agreeing.

"Do you love your sister a lot?" I ask, dropping my gaze back to his tattoo.

"She's my sister" is the answer he gives me while shrugging his shoulders.

"I love my sister too" I tell him, remembering Ginger. "She's studying music. She's very good, the best."

"I don't doubt it" he answers with a tender smile. "Don't you have any other siblings?"

I deny. It's just Ginger, Mom, Dad and me.

"What about you?" He also denies and then, sneaking out of sight, takes out one of the cookies I brought him and eats it. "You can't eat in the library, James. It's the rules."

"I break the rules, Mouse."

"Is that why you got kicked out of the other schools, for breaking the rules?" I ask, finding the movement of his lips as he chews very interesting.

"Maybe."

I bring my gaze back to his green eyes.

"Aren't you going to tell me?"

"Do you want to know why I was kicked out of the other schools? Okay, I'll tell you" he leans towards me and whispers in a deep voice: "I killed the smart girl in the classroom, chopped her into little pieces and scattered her all over town."

My eyes widen like saucers and I actually reach to believe him because his face is totally serious as he speaks, but then his lips stretch into a smile and I know he's playing with me.

"Silly" I reach out my hand and tap his shoulder playfully. "Will you tell me?"

"The first time was because I smashed a teacher's car to pieces. The second time, I punched a bastard who was the principal's son. The last time..." he shuts up, looks at me and slowly says, "They found drugs in my backpack."

"Oh, wow..." I look at him, trying not to judge. I've been with him long enough to know he's not a bad person, so he must have his own reasons for doing everything he did.

Or I'm just very naive.

Either way, I push any bad thoughts about him out of my head.

"Did you sell drugs?" I ask cautiously.

"Yes, I was" he answers without taking his eyes off mine, as if trying to gauge my reaction.

"And are you still doing it?"

"No, I'm done with it" I nod because I believe him. "And you?"

"Are you really asking me if I sold drugs?" I ask incredulously. He nods with amused eyes. "Yes, James, I'm the number one drug dealer in the country" we both laugh at my words. When we finally stop, I dare to ask him: "Have you ever used it?"

He seems to think about his answer, as if trying to find the right words.

"A few times, but it was just out of curiosity" he brings his fingers to his lips to play with them and that action easily captures my attention. "But if I'm honest, I didn't like that shit, I didn't like what he was doing to me."

I nod because I understand him. My father has told my sister and me that when he was in his rebellious teenage days he got to try marijuana, but he didn't like it and that's why he never did it again.

"Did your parents know about it?"

"No" he shakes his head. "My mother was too busy working to get money to bring it home, and my sister the same."

"What about your father?"

That seems to be the wrong question because his eyes darken and the amused, relaxed James disappears immediately.

"The rumors you hear in the corridors are true, Thea," he leans back in his chair, turning away from me. "My father was in prison."

I remain silent because I suddenly feel like a busybody. I never wanted him to talk about subjects that visibly make him uncomfortable.

"James..."

"Shall we continue?" He asks, bringing his gaze back to the notebook in his hands.

My mother, Thea, why are you so reckless?

James continues with his explanation and this time I manage to pay a little more attention. I can't say I understood everything perfectly, but I definitely prefer him over the professor.

"How will you get home?" He asks me as we walk down the hallway, about to leave the school.

"I'll walk" I answer, looking outside where it's already dark. "I don't live far."

"If you want I can..."

"Thea?" Mathew's voice, entering the school, interrupts James' words. "What are you doing here so late?"

I stop my steps when he stands in front of me.

"I was in the library with James" I point at him with a gentle wave of my hand, but Mathew doesn't even look at him and that annoys me. "We were on our way out."

"Oh, wait" he smiles at me. "I have to take these books to the library" he raises his hand with two books in it. "Wait for me for five minutes so I can take you home."

It bothers me that he acts like nothing happened between us, like he's not in a relationship with Ariana. I know he thinks that when he breaks up with her, I will be there for him, welcoming him with open arms.

He couldn't be more wrong.

Before I can open my mouth to reject his proposal, it is James who speaks: "I'll take her" he says without a hint of emotion in his voice, on the contrary, his tone is cold, devoid of feeling.

Mathew finally looks at James, he looks at him with a frown.

"No, you're not taking her," he laughs in a way that makes me want to slap him. "She's going with me."

Without looking at him, I know James is pissed because of Mathew. I feel it when he takes a step forward and his chest collides with my back; he's totally tense. So I bring my hand to his and intertwine our fingers to try to calm him down. That seems to work.

I totally ignore the shuddering of my body from his touch.

"I'll go with James," I tell Mathew.

"I can take you in my car, Thea" Mathew points at James in a somewhat dismissive way and says: "He has a motorcycle."

I shrug my shoulders, downplaying that fact.

"She's going with me, are you deaf or what, man?" James says behind me and, without waiting for a response from Mathew, he pulls my hand and leads us out of the school, leaving my former best friend totally dumbfounded... and furious.

"Difficult boyfriend?" James asks me when we get to his bike.

"You have no idea," I tell him as I watch him get on it.

"Hop in, Mouse," he says, pointing to the seat behind him.

"Don't you have a helmet?" He shakes his head, denying with amusement. "What if the police stop us?"

"We'll decide what to do then" I look at him doubtfully. "Come on, get in."

I shake my head, but decide to obey him and climb in behind him.

"Start" I tell him when he continues to stand still in the school parking lot.

Do I have to give him a push or something?

"Aren't you afraid of motorcycles?" He turns his face as he asks, allowing me a view of his profile.

He's so handsome, how did I not notice this before?

"My sister has one," I tell him, explaining, "I'm used to motorcycles."

"Damn, so you won't hold on to me?"

I deny and take advantage of my position to playfully slap his back.

"Some other time."

"Another time, Mouse."

As he starts the bike and the air hits us, I can get more of his scent in my nostrils. It smells good, clean, minty and manly. Of course, not that I know what man smell looks like, but I imagine it's this one coming off James' body.

I don't know at what point I do, but suddenly I find myself with my cheek on his back and my arms around his marked abdomen.

I feel his laughter in the vibration of his stomach under my hands.

"I thought you weren't afraid of motorcycles, Mouse."

"And I'm not."

I can almost see his cocky grin, but I don't care.

I just know it feels good.