Milayna's Angel (12 page)

“Um, Chay and I are partners, Xavier,” I said
as nicely as I could without coming across as bitchy, which was
exactly how I was feeling.

“Oh, I know. I just meant this time.”

Geez, how do I get out of this?

I sighed. “I guess.”

I can’t believe I’m agreeing. I don’t want to
do the lab with him. Why can’t I say no? It’s just two little
letters. N-O.

“Great.” Xavier grabbed his things from the
desk behind me and sat in Chay’s seat. It felt like I was somehow
betraying Chay.

Ugh, this feels so wrong.

Class started and Xavier and I began our lab
assignment, the book open between us. Each time he’d reach over to
turn the page or adjust a piece of equipment, I got a whiff of his
cologne. The smell made me dizzy. And not the bad kind of dizzy.
The he-smells-really-really-good kind. Which I guess was the bad
kind of dizzy since I shouldn’t have been smelling anyone but Chay.
So I spent the class hour trying not to inhale in Xavier’s
direction.

When class was over, I gathered my things,
shoved them in my bag, and said a silent prayer of thanks that
calculus didn’t include any labs for Xavier to worm his way into. I
reached for the strap on my book bag when he snatched it away from
me and threw it over his shoulder.

Oh. This. Is. Not. Good.

“I got it.” I reached for my bag.

“No, that’s okay. Chay isn’t here to carry it
for you.”

“Yes, he is.” Chay flicked the strap off
Xavier’s shoulder and caught it against his palm. “I got it. Thanks
for keeping my seat warm.” He turned on his heel and walked out of
the room.

Oh, crap, crap, crap.

“Did I do something wrong?” Xavier looked at
me.

You know you did, ass wipe.

“Nope,” I lied. “Everything’s great.” I
followed Chay and prayed he wasn’t as upset as he’d seemed.

He wasn’t. He was more.

“How could you…” He looked up and saw Xavier
leave the classroom. Chay put his hand on the small of my back and
guided me away from the door. “How could you let him sit next to
you?”

“You weren’t there and since he didn’t have a
partner, he asked if we could do the lab together. I didn’t know
how to get out of it.”

“There are two letters of the alphabet that
would have gotten you out of the situation if you’d really wanted
to—N and O.”

“That’s not fair, Chay.”

“Life isn’t fair.”

“No kidding? No one’s ever explained that to
me before. I mean, it’s not like I’ve had anything bad happen in my
life or anything.” Yeah, I was going for sarcastic, but Chay was
too mad to catch it. It was a wasted effort.

“I can’t believe as soon as I wasn’t around…
Xavier of all people.”

“It’s not like we shacked up or something.
Geez, get a reality check. We just did a freakin’ chem lab together
while you were gone.” I brushed past him and headed toward
calculus.

“Do you realize we’ve fought more since
Xavier’s been around than we have in the entire four months we’ve
been dating? Why do you think that is?” he snapped.

“You’re jealous,” I answered calmly.

“Like hell.”

“Whatever, Chay.” He started to say
something, and I put my palm in front of his face. “Stop. I don’t
want to hear it.”

“Milayna.” He pulled me to him and tried to
kiss me. I turned my head. “Damn it. See, that’s what I mean.” He
let go of me so abruptly, I stumbled backward.

“Give me my bag.” I reached out and yanked it
off his arm. “I don’t want to talk to you until you get it
together, Chay. There’s nothing between Xavier and me. Never has
been, never will be. And you know why? Because I’m in love with
you. Although, for the love of all that’s holy, I can’t figure out
why sometimes.” I turned and tried to walk—not run screaming like I
wanted—down the hall, leaving him standing in front of chemistry
class.

I walked into calculus a few minutes later,
just before the bell rang. Chay wasn’t in his seat.

“Everything okay?” Xavier asked when I walked
by his seat.

“Peachy.”

“You need a ride home?”

I froze. Looking at him over my shoulder, I
said, “No, but I’d ask Muriel before I’d come to you.” I heard
Chay’s faint chuckle and turned. He stood a few seats away,
listening. I rolled my eyes.

***

“So let me get this straight—you have two
guys fighting over you, and I have zero, zip, zilch, nada, none.
Right?” Jen asked in history class later that morning.

“You can have Xavier.” I made a face and
doodled on my notebook.

She bit the end of her pencil and studied me
for a few seconds before shrugging. “Okay, I’ll take him off your
hands.”

I laughed. “Okay, you do that. I’d be
eternally grateful.”

“Why?”

“Why what?” I looked up from my
scribbling.

“Why are you picking Chay over Xavier? He
seems like a nice guy, and Chay can be so… moody sometimes.”

“First, I love Chay. And second, you don’t
know him like I do. He’s not moody when we’re together. He’s sweet
and even a little romantic, but don’t tell him I said so. It would
ruin the dark and brooding reputation he’s worked so hard to
maintain.”

Jen laughed and shook her head. “Whatever
gets you off, Milayna. I’ll take the hottie.”

When class was over, Jen and I walked into
the hallway. It was already full of students pushing and shoving
their way to class. I turned the corner to my locker and came
face-to-face with Chay.

“What are you doing here? I told you after
calculus that I’d see you at lunch. Jen and I can walk
together.”

He’s almost impossible to deal with some
days.

He didn’t answer me. Well, not with words
anyway. He reached out and lifted the strap of my bag off my
shoulder with two fingers, letting it fall with a thud on the
floor. Hitching his finger in one of the belt loops on my jeans, he
pulled me to him. I flattened my palm on his chest—a very hard,
very defined chest—my other hand gripped his arm, another
well-defined part of his body. He threaded the fingers of one hand
through my hair, undoing the clip that held it in place and letting
it fall down my back.

He bent his head and touched his lips to
mine; his mouth moved in a slow, sensual caress, building in
intensity as the kiss continued. I sighed, leaning into the
kiss.

“Jackson and Roberts, need I remind you that
this is a PDA-free campus?”

We jumped apart, feeling as guilty as we
looked. “No, Mr. Rodriguez,” I said, feeling a red-hot blush start
at the top of my head and work its way down to my toes.

“Didn’t think so.” Mr. Rodriguez smiled.

“So does this mean you forgive me?” Chay
asked.

“What?” I was still reeling from his
kiss.

“You kissed me back. Is that a sign of
forgiveness?”

“Are you going to stop acting like a horse’s
ass?”

His lips twitched, trying to hide his grin.
“Yeah, I think I can manage that.”

“Then there’s nothing to forgive. We’re
good.” I bent down to pick up my book bag. He snatched the strap
before I could. I’d almost forgotten the cardinal rule—Chay carried
the books.

We walked to the lockers to stow our stuff
for lunch. “So, how’d the dentist go?”

“I need to floss more… Milayna? What’s
wrong?”

I’d frozen in mid-stride. My eyes darted from
side to side, but they weren’t focused on the lockers lining the
hall or the people walking past. They saw other images. Blood.
Gore. Me.

A bloodied hand. A bejeweled knife. A beloved
face contorted in fury and loathing.

“Milayna?” Chay shook me gently.

“What?” I blinked the vision away and looked
at him.

“You zoned out. Were you having a vision?” He
framed my face with his hands.

“No. No, I was just trying to remember if I’d
finished the rough draft of our term paper due in English class.” I
wasn’t sure why I lied. It just didn’t feel right telling him I was
having visions that he was the one going to kill me.

***

“We should all go to the basketball game
tomorrow night.” Jen tore the breading off her corn dog. Drew
snatched it from her tray and popped it in his mouth. Muriel made a
sound of disgust.

“What? It’s the best part,” he said around a
mouthful of soggy corndog breading.

“It’s all school cafeteria food. That makes
it all gross.” Muriel shook her head. Drew leaned over to kiss her,
and she held her hands up and tried to dodge him, giggling.

Jen looked at me and rolled her eyes. “I
thought it’d get better when they got together and all the
unrequited love drama was over. But I think it’s worse now. They’re
almost as disgusting as the school’s corndogs.”

“I can’t believe you want us to go to the
game, Jen. Don’t you remember what happened the last time we all
went to a game together?” I asked.

“Yeah, but that was football. This is
basketball,” Jen clarified like I was dense.

“And that makes a difference because…?”

“I dunno.” She shrugged, dipping her naked
corndog in mustard. “Sounded like a good argument.”

“Basketball isn’t really my thing anymore. It
rates right up there with football.” I tossed my uneaten corndog on
my tray and pushed it toward Drew.

Those things are vile. I’m not even sure
they’re real meat. And if they are, what kind of meat are they?

“Ice skating,” Chay murmured.

“Really? You’re gonna use the ice skating
card already? You only get to use it once, you know?”

“I know.”

I shrugged. “Okay.”

“Great!” Jen crowed. “Let’s meet at the
concession stand before the game.”

“Is everyone invited?”

Jen looked at Xavier. “Yes. Otherwise, I
wouldn’t have asked in front of you.” She grinned.

Chay groaned. “What?” he said when I elbowed
him in the ribs. “Does she have a thing for him too?”

“Too?” I asked.

He sighed. “All the girls in school, except
you and maybe Muriel, are drooling over him,” Chay whispered. “Does
Jen have a thing for him too?”

“Yeah, a little bit.” I nodded.

“Figures.”

“Is that the green-eyed monster I see rearing
its ugly head, Chay?”

“No,” he huffed. I smiled.

***

That night, the hobgoblin duo showed up. They
stood outside the dining room window; their bulbous noses pressed
against the glass, watching us eat dinner.

Scarface knocked on the window. I looked
over. Friendly gave me a happy wave. Scarface scowled.

“Ignore them,” my father said, not looking
toward the window.

“He’s here for you, Milayna,” Scarface
yelled.

“He’s here, he’s here, he’s here,” Friendly
chanted and danced around the backyard.

“It won’t be long now, Milayna. Your time is
near.”

I flipped him the bird and kept eating.

10

“Will your Uncle Stewart be at the game
tonight?” I asked Chay when he picked me up.

“Yep.”

“Are you helping?”

“I’m helping set-up.”

“Okay. I’ll help, too.” I smiled at the
thought of getting one of his famous milkshakes.

“Hey, Milayna, how are you, darlin’?” Uncle
asked when he saw Chay and me walk up to the concession booth.

“I’m doing great other than the whole
someone-trying-to-kill-me thing.” I smiled. “I’m here to help. What
do you need done?”

“Why ain’t that sweet of ya? You always come
to help out.”

“Well, you give me free shakes. I’d be a fool
not to.”

He laughed, a deep rumbling in his chest. His
round belly jiggled. “I could use some help putting the toppings
out.”

That was always my job. Chay got the hard
ones, like scrubbing the floor, washing down the machines, and
lugging the supplies from the car. But Uncle made sure I was on the
topping station every time. I had a feeling he was a teensy bit
sexist, which was all right with me. I’d pop a piece of chocolate
in my mouth when I didn’t think he was watching. The topping
station had its benefits.

When I’d finished with the toppings and
mixing the ice cream base, I asked Uncle if he had anyone coming to
help him during halftime.

“My cousins will be here.” Chay came up
beside me and tossed a cherry in his mouth.

“Yeah, yeah, they’ll get here after work.
I’ll be fine, dearie, but thanks for checkin’ up on an old man.
Come by during halftime and I’ll give you a freebie.” He
winked.

“Okay, see ya later.” I waved and followed
Chay to meet Drew and Muriel. “Where’s Jen?”

“Parking her car, I think,” Muriel said.

“You left her alone? We’re supposed have
someone with us at all times!”

“Calm down, Milayna. She’s okay. Xavier is
with her.”

“Pssh, what’s he gonna do? Stare them to
death?” Chay muttered under his breath.

I elbowed him in the ribs. “It was his first
time. Give him a break.”

“You didn’t freeze your first time and…” His
words faded, and he pulled his full bottom lip between his
teeth.

“And what, Chay?” I asked with a laugh. “And
I’m a girl?”

He pursed his lips to hide a grin. “Something
like that.”

“Mm-hmm, thought so. C’mon, let’s find some
seats before they fill up.”

“Dude, you got off so freaking easy on that
one. I thought she’d go ballistic,” Drew whispered.

“Give her time.”

“I heard that, Chay.” I looked over my
shoulder. He blew a kiss at me. “Yeah. That’s not gonna get you
anywhere tonight.”

He leaned toward Drew. “What’d I tell
you?”

I found an empty row halfway up the
bleachers, and we filed in and sat down.

“We could see better farther up,” Chay
complained.

“Then go up there.” I wasn’t one for heights.
Halfway up the bleachers was pushing my comfort limit as it was. I
was not going to sit at the top.