Accepted Fate (34 page)

I'm broken from my thoughts by my sister stealing my pillow and hitting me in the head with it. "Breyson! Did you hear what I said? You're the only one left in the house."

"I'm up, I'm up. Stop hitting me with the pillow Brylee. Where is Braxton and Briar?" Throwing off the covers, I get out of bed and stretch my still sore muscles.

"Ewe, could you put some clothes on? I don't want to see you in your boxers and to answer your question, they both left to go pick up someone for school." She covers her eyes with her hand for emphasis. She is in that dramatic girlie
I'm starting to like boys
stage. The nights she has friends over, I stay far far away.

"For your information, Brylee, you're in my room. This is how I sleep. If you don't want to see me in my boxers, stay out of my room. Doesn't that make sense?" I walk past her and out of the door, heading for the shower.

"Whatever grumpy," she says looking at her nails. "Just hurry up okay? I don't want to be late for class. I have to find my locker and first period before the bell."

"Meet me at the truck in fifteen minutes." I don't give her the chance to say anything else before I shut the bathroom door.

Pulling into the school parking lot, I search for my assigned parking spot and shut off the engine to my truck. Grabbing my book bag and schedule, I step down, out of my truck, and lock the doors. Showing Brylee the direction she needs to go, I make my way towards the entrance doors.

Kids are scattered all over the place, from the parking lot to the front entryway. I walk down the hall in the direction of the lockers. When I arrive at my locker, there is already a few girls waiting on me. It never ceases to amaze me how they get information. It's the first day of school and locker assignments change every year, but somehow they know where mine is. They are so predictable, unlike Kinzleigh. Dammit! I've done it again. Everything ends up comparing to her. I can't deny it though; it's one thing that drew me to her. She is spontaneous and does the complete opposite of what you think she is going to do. I feel like banging my head against the locker to escape the constant thoughts of her.

"What's up, ladies? Do y'all need something?"  What I thought would be a nice diversion from the nuisance of my thoughts, ends up having the opposite effect.

"We were just wondering if you had first period with any of us." They all smile sweetly, just aggravating me further. I need to come up with some way to get a grip on all of these feelings or I'm going to be in a permanent bad mood all year. At this rate, I'll end up an alcoholic by graduation. "What class are you headed to?"

"Physics." I open my locker and shove everything inside, except my pen; slipping it in the pocket of my khaki pants. All the schools went to uniforms a few years ago, leaving the halls dotted with multicolored polos and slacks. Usually, the only people that take physics are the smart kids or the ones that have taken everything else; however, I'm the lucky one that has to get my schedule approved by my dad so here I am stuck with advanced courses. They all put on their fake puppy faces and scatter off towards their classes.

By lunch, I'm in no better mood than I was this morning. All of my classes are hard, so maybe by the time assignments start I can sway my thoughts to my homework and football. Once I get through the cafeteria line with my tray, I begin in the direction of the football table. We sit at the same table every year.

Sitting in my claimed seat, I notice everyone in some kind of serious conversation. Something must be pretty big to have all of their attention. I look across the table to one of the second string players. "What's got them so intrigued?"

His face lights up as if me talking to him just made his day. He's one of the sophomore's if I remember correctly, and doesn't see any play time unless we're up by at least double the points in the fourth quarter on the board. Coach never gets bigheaded about being ahead unless it's a for sure win. I think it's a superstitious thing. "Some new girl. She's been hanging around with Adalynn and Simon all morning. Word is she's Adalynn's neighbor in Canebrake, meaning she is rich, from what I remember that house next door looking like. I think they have been hanging out since she moved here a couple weeks ago. One of the girls on the cheerleading squad said she is one of the cheerleaders now. She's hot as hell though. Too bad she's a senior or I'd be trying to talk to her. I think Simon has pretty much called dibs on her by the way he walks her to all her classes, not giving anyone else a chance to talk to get near her. I had her first period and he was already traipsing after her. The boy moves in quick."

New girl? Why am I just now hearing about a new girl at lunch? News like that usually travels quick around here. People can't wait to stir up the latest gossip and drama. I would think a new girl qualifies as a topic of conversation. If half of the football team is talking about it, then it has to be. "What new girl?"

"I don't remember her name. I think it starts with a K maybe. It's one of those names you don't hear very often. She moved here from..." he begins scratching the back of his head, trying to gather his thoughts. "Oh yeah. California."

My heart skips a beat and my eyes go wide. I jump to my feet, causing my chair to fly backwards. The sound drawing a crowd of stares and a temporary hush across the cafeteria but I don't care. It can't be her, can it? A tidal wave of emotion courses through my body. Could my dreams really be becoming a reality? This has to be a coincidence. There is no way it's her. The entire football table stopped talking and is staring at me like I've lost my mind. I place my hands together down the center of my face. "Kinzleigh," slips from my lips before I can stop it.

"Hey that's her name. Have you met her? She's one of the hottest girls I've ever seen." He is still rattling off worthless information that I care nothing about. One thing does stick out though: Simon. He just said Simon is trying to get his grubby little paws on her. Over my dead body; that stupid prick. He uses enough of the girls in this school and others, that he damn sure isn't getting mine. He doesn't have lunch this block.
He will not get her
. If I recite it to myself enough times, it's bound to be true. All this time I've been going mentally insane and she's been under my nose for two weeks as well as about ten freakin' minutes down the highway. This is the kind of shit that happens when I stay cooped up in the house. 

Two weeks she has possibly been hanging out with Simon; the weasel trying to sleep with her probably. My hands begin to clench by my sides. I have the twitch beginning in my arms, ready to swing. The thought makes me see red. I have to find her. Once I get to her, I will not let her go. She can fight it or not. Saying nothing else, I storm off in a rage.

I know she can't be with Adalynn right now because she is on my lunch block and sitting at the cheerleaders' table. That can only means one thing. Kinzleigh is with Simon somewhere. I hope and pray that when I talk to Adalynn that she didn't know who Kinzleigh was and keep it from me. After we had that little heart to heart in the boat house at Simon's, she should know better. I know she wouldn't do this to me. 

When I get to the table that the cheerleaders sit at, Dallas widens her eyes and mumbles something I can't hear. Adalynn turns around, confused by the look on her face. "Breyson? What's wrong?"

"I have one question to ask you. I swear Adalynn if you lie to me I am going to be pissed." I am not trying to be rude but I have almost lost my sanity over this girl and Adalynn knew her name. I can't help but to feel like she could have picked up a phone. "Did you know?" It's a simple question but an important one.

Her breath catches as she realizes what I'm referring to. "I didn't know your number Breyson. I knew you would be at school. What did you want me to do?" She looks up and down my face, starting to panic. I have been known to have a temper and when I do it shows.

I slap my palms down on the table, causing a ruckus in the cafeteria. Stepping back slightly with my left leg, I bend over trying to clear my raging thoughts. I bury my face in the bend of my arm, trying to calm myself down before I completely snap.
One, two, three, four, five, six, seven
...I count to myself but it doesn't help. Looking around the table at the rest of the girls in shock, I stop on Adalynn directly to my left. "Where is she Adalynn?"

"Breyson, I'm sorry. I thought it would be a nice surprise, but don't be a dick. Geez, I didn't think it was this bad. I've never seen you this worked up over a girl before." Standing here listening to her ramble is just making it worse and deep down I know she didn't do it maliciously.

"Tell me where she is Adalynn." I've wasted enough time in misery to continue on.

She looks at her cell phone. "She should be coming out of Chemistry in about five minutes. Do you want me to text her?"

"No! I'll handle it." I didn't mean to be such an ass but all this stored up frustration seems to come out in waves. Taking off in a sprint towards the glass doors, I push them open a little harder than I meant to. I'm sure everyone will be talking about all this activity next period.

I come into the main hall right as the bell rings. Doors open and kids start filing out of classrooms, one after the other. About halfway to the chemistry classroom I see those blonde curls and my heart stops. All I want to do is run up to her and pick her up in my arms. She doesn't see me right off hand because she has her head turned talking to Simon. Jealously floods through my mind covering every rational thought, causing me to stop mid step. Maybe I should just lay him out right here in the middle of the hall. He may get any girl he wants, but he isn't getting this one. I'll kill him first.

She is coming directly towards me. When she gets in hearing distance it feels like my heart starts up again; pounding so hard I can feel it all over my body. She is even more beautiful than the last time I saw her. The old saying goes,
absence makes the heart grow fonder.
I'm starting to believe it's true. Maybe I should listen to the words of the wise. "Kinzleigh."

Immediately, she turns her head at the sound of my voice and her eyes connect with mine. I'm drawn to her like a magnet is to metal. She freezes in the middle of the hall, clutching her books in her arms. I move forward, slowly, as her eyes search mine. "Breyson?" My name comes out in a whisper as if she's not sure I'm real and maybe a figment of her imagination.

"Yeah...It's me beautiful girl." In this moment, no one else exists but her. I feel like I've been walking around with half of my heart, not beating, and now I've found the other half. Like the pull of gravity, they collide, intertwining with each other and begin to beat again as one.  Her eyes gloss over, attempting to hold back tears and she drops her books to the floor.

When I get close enough to touch her, a solemn expression forms but her eyes never turn away. One sole tear escapes the corner of her eye, trickling down her cheek. Reaching up, I catch it with the back of my index finger. "Don't cry baby," I whisper.

"It can't be you. This can't be real. What are the chances of this happening?" I can't stand it anymore. It's been too long since I've touched and tasted those lips. We have a no PDA rule at school, but sometimes rules are made to be broken.

"Maybe serendipity is real. I've left you once and it almost drove me insane. Don't ask me to do it again. Come hell or high water, I'm staying." Placing my palm against her cheek, I cup my fingers around her neck, pulling her to me carefully. Her lips mere inches apart from mine. "I just have one thing I need to know. Did you mean what you said in that letter?"

Her eyes scan mine for a moment before she closes her eyes and exhales. "Every word." That's all I needed to know before my lips clash with hers.

Kinzleigh

I have missed these lips. More than I should, I know. I've dreamed about them every night since the last time I got to experience them in reality. I can't stop kissing him and I don't want to. He doesn't seem to want to stop either. His kiss is like my inhaler. I don't want to need it but I do. His kiss speaks where words aren't needed. He lets me feel his emotions, opening himself up to me. Misery. Torment. Aggravation. It's all in his kiss.

I can't imagine anything ever being perfect, because nothing ever is, but that kiss is as close to perfection as I will ever get. Now that I'm here, surrounded by him for at least a year, there is no use in fighting it. It's only going to wear me down. I want him. I just have to be careful not to get my heart involved or all will be lost. I can't let that happen. One year is what I can give and then I have to set him free. I
have
to. What scares me, is that something makes me think I've already set myself up for failure. Something tells me I'm already in too deep. One word comes to mind when I think of him: quicksand.

Reluctantly, I break free from his lips. Looking around, everyone is standing in the hall with their mouths wide open; gaping at us. This should be good. Not only am I the new girl, but now I am standing in the middle of the hall making out like a tramp. For all everyone knows, I don't even know Breyson. "Breyson. How do you know Kinzleigh," Simon asks clenching his jaw.

I forgot he was even standing there. I feel really rude right now. Simon has been a really good friend over the past two weeks. I've hung out with him a few times but nothing serious. He flirts but I just pretend not to notice like I have all my life. Well, up until...him. He changes everything. A prime example would be right now, making out in the middle of a huge school hallway that is packed full of kids from changing classes.

Breyson never breaks eye contact with me. "I'll get her where she needs to be Simon."  

"Why don't you let her decide? She's not one of the girls that usually follow you around like a little pet." A look comes over his face that I've never seen. It's scary.

Most of the other kids finally scattered off to their classes and it's just us three. I look over at Simon. "It's okay Simon. I need to talk to Breyson anyway. I'll catch up with you later okay?"