Serenity (8 page)

“Mr. Daniels.” Mr. Carson stood up.

“It’s D-D-Daniel,” Jolin muttered.

“Mr. Daniel,” he emphasized the name without the “s.” “To the office. Get a pass.”

“I’m not lat-t-te.” Jolin closed his eyes and took a breath. If he was still on the team this would not be happening.

“Pass,” he repeated.

Jolin blew out a breath, turned on his heel, and walked out the door.

The halls were empty since everyone was in class like they were supposed to be. Jolin’s Chuck Taylor’s squeaked when he walked back to the office. He reached out to grab the door but stopped when he heard her voice.

“Casanova.” Ren stood just past the wall of windows outlining the office.

Jolin dropped his hand, looked to make sure no one saw him, then walked past the office to where she stood. “Skipping?”

She swept her hand down her body and posed. “Apparently my clothing choice is in violation of the District Dress Code. Or at least Mr. Carson said it was inappropriate for the learning environment. I think it interfered with him getting a woody during lecture.” She smiled.

He looked her up and down taking in her attire. A grey bustier buttoned up her flat stomach, pushing her breasts up behind a long sleeve blouse. She’d unbuttoned the top three buttons, but she didn’t have much cleavage so other than a black scarf thing tied around her neck no one was getting a view. When he scanned his eyes down he discovered what was probably the culprit to her being asked to change her clothes.

Her legs were incredible. Long, lean, and out in the open for the school to see. The school had a policy for shorts. They must be as long as the length of the person’s arm when at their side. Down to the finger tips. Ren’s shorts were wrist level. But she looked good. The shorts were a grey and black stripe pattern that aided in extending her already long legs. A thick brown belt hung low on her hips. She’d outdone herself. He did understand her anger at being called out on her clothes. Her shorts were short, however only about five inches of skin could be seen because she was wearing loose black boots that ended halfway up her leg. Another black belt cinched around the top of each boot holding them tight against her thighs. She was making him sweat, but he had his own problems this morning and decided he’d drag her into his crappy mood.

“I wonder why t-t-today was different than all the other d-d-days your clothes were inappropriate.” He meant it to come out a bit snarky and sarcastic, but with his speech pattern fucked up it came out as more of a rude insult.

“Fuck you.” She turned around and headed down the hall.

Jolin closed his eyes and tipped his head back. What was wrong with him? His fall from grace was bad enough with his classmates, but when the teachers joined in it verged on ridiculous. Ren had been nothing but nice to him.
Very nice
in fact. He shouldn’t be taking his irritation out on her. Right now he possessed one friend and took off down the hall to chase down the only other prospect. “R-R-Ren wait.” She didn’t turn around or slow down. He caught up to her and grabbed her arm. “Ren. I’m sorry.”

For a split second the hard mask she kept seemed to falter, and she looked confused. Had no one ever apologized to her before?

Quickly she regained her tough exterior and pulled her arm free. “For what? Spreading a rumor that you did me yesterday?” She took a step backward. “Because I thought you made your feelings on me pretty clear when you knocked me on my ass,” she snapped.

“What? No.” Jolin paused. The doctor told him to pause and give his mind time to catch up with his mouth. One, two, three, he counted off in his head. Ren looked like she was going to walk off again. “C-c-can we meet after school?” Jolin forced the words out before he could change his mind.

She raised that damn eyebrow again. “So you can
pretend
fuck me and tell the world?”

“I d-d-didn’t say anything.” He needed her to understand. His stutter was getting worse the more frustrated he became. “You know how the gossip train works. Blow it off. It’s no big deal. C’mon. We need t-t-to work t-t-together.”

She readjusted her messenger bag. “Look, Casanova, I need a good grade on this lab project so why don’t you give me your stuff and I’ll do it myself.” Her hands moved to her waist, and she shoved out a hip. Jolin could definitely see why Mr. Carson thought she’d be a distraction. Best he sent her out before he broke the code of conduct between teacher and student and laid her out across his desk.

“I’m not g-g-going to leave you to d-d-do the p-p-project alone. We c-c-can g-g-go t-t-o the library.” Dammit he needed a do over here. If he could get a few hours to pull himself together after this morning maybe he could talk to her without sounding like a skipping record.

She gave him a ‘
you’re an ass’
look.

“I mean. There are a lot of b-b-books there.” He couldn’t believe he’d just said that. What a moron. It’s a library.

The corner of her mouth twitched. Her lips were beautiful.

“I’ll meet you here at three.” He watched her ass walk out the door and wished he had the guts to run after her.

-oOo-

Note in hand, Jolin returned to Mr. Carson and settled into the monotony of his lecture. A vision of Ren in the hall kept floating back into his mind and distracted him from most of what he said. Jolin wasn’t used to listening, but his rights as a popular student were being revoked and unless he could get Elizabeth to take him back in the next day or two, he’d be on his own for the next test.

Jolin knew Ren dressed to get a reaction. He just wasn’t sure what the reaction she wanted was. Her thigh high boots and short shorts screamed “do you want some of this?” Although he was beginning to wonder if they were really saying, “I’m collecting clothes for my future job in the circus.”

The class was supposed to be working with their partners, however Jolin’s had been removed from class. At this rate they were never going to get this project done.

“Hey, Jo?” Brock kicked his chair.

Jolin glanced over at Mr. Carson, then back to Brock.

“How’s the new lab partner?” Brock waggled his eyebrows at him.

“I know what you’re doing.”

Brock leaned back and covered his heart with his hand. “What am I doing?”

“You can’t just take everything that’s mine. Being the quarterback doesn’t mean you get respect handed to you.”

Brock gave him a cocky grin. “I’m not looking for respect. I want power.”

Jolin shook him head. What an idiot. “Power without respect makes you a dictator.”

Brock let out a loud laugh. “Dude. Power means I get to have the head cheerleader on my arm and eventually under me.”

“You’re an asshole.”

“Call me what you want but while you’re banging the school circus freak I’m laying with your old girlfriend showing her what a real man can do.”

Jolin narrowed his eyes. Brock was stealing Jolin’s life away, and he hated him. “We’re lab p-p-partners. That’s it,” Jolin mumbled.

“Yeah,” Brock said sadly. “That may be the case but Liz and I…” He looked around like he was sharing some secret information. “We’re lab partners with benefits.”

“You’re a liar. She hasn’t and she isn’t going to have sex with you.” Jolin had never told anyone he’d had sex with Elizabeth and as far as he knew she hadn’t either. Liz had a rep as a ‘good girl’ and she wouldn’t be careless enough to risk her holier than thou persona by sleeping with Brock. He didn’t have to be a rocket scientist to know the only reason she wanted to keep him around was to fulfill her sexual needs. He supposed maybe he should be flattered…but it really just made him feel like a gigolo.

Brock leaned back and stretched. “Sex has so many definitions. I can be very creative.”

Jolin couldn’t decide if Brock’s comment made him nauseous or if it made him want to punch him in the face.

“Ren has creative talents of her own.” Brock stuck his tongue in his cheek to mimic a blow job.

“I told you…” Jolin was cut off when Elizabeth joined them at their table, glaring at Jolin while lightly elbowing Brock in the ribs. He reached over and tickled her. Elizabeth’s giggling filled their corner of the room.

Shit.

He was so screwed.

Serenity

Thursday, October 17

7:30 a.m.

After her brief chat with Jolin outside the office, Ren walked around outside the school for a few minutes debating whether she should go home or not. She pulled out her cell phone and texted Quill to see where he was.

Got kicked out where are you?

His text back was almost immediate.

Fuck why?!

She closed her eyes and debated whether to tell him or not.

Clothing disagreement. Where are you?

Her phone buzzed with his reply.

Bummer. In class for once.
She had to smile. The one day she could be up to no good with her delinquent twin brother, he’s in class.

Without a better plan, she headed home.

When she got there the truck was gone, she could only hope it took her mom with it. She knew better than to hope.

Mom was sprawled on the couch nursing a beer. “Why aren’t you at school?” she slurred.

“I didn’t realize you knew I went to school.” Ren headed straight for the stairs. The house was a pit. Whatever they’d been up to this morning left clothes and dishes scattered everywhere. A strange smell filled the room and made her stomach feel queezy.

“You need to be in school,” she muttered. “Education is important.”

Ren turned on her. “Dammit Mom why aren’t you at work? Why are you home in the middle of the day instead of earning some money so we can keep living in this shit hole? Because if you don’t do something, we’re going to lose this place. And we can’t afford anything better.” She hadn’t meant to yell, but her voice got increasingly louder the more she talked. At the mention of a job her mom pulled herself from the couch and stood wavering.

Before Ren knew what happened, her mom’s palm hit her cheek, knocking her to the side and into the corner of the stairwell. Her head cracked against the wall, and she fell to a knee.

“Don’t you talk to me like that,” she hissed, spit hitting Ren’s cheek. “I’m your mother.”

She braced herself against the wall and stood. Her face burned where her mom’s hand made contact. Ren’s temple throbbed where it hit the wall.

“You’re not my mother. You gave that right away when I was ten.”

“If you’re so unhappy call your stupid case worker and get out. It would make my life easier.” She took a swig of her beer.

Ren clenched her fists, digging her nails into her hands.

“Oh that’s right. You won’t call because they’ll take your beloved Quill away from you.” Her voice was so patronizing Ren wanted to punch her. But she was right. Ren couldn’t risk being put back into the system. She wouldn’t risk being separated from her brother.

“You don’t know shit.” Ren grabbed her backpack and walked back to the door.

Her mom grabbed her arm. “I’m your mother. I carried you in my stomach and gave birth to your sorry ass so I expect some respect from you.”

“I will never respect you.”

Her mom raised her hand to slap Ren again but stopped herself. A sad look crossed her face but was quickly replaced by one of resentment. “I tried to be there for you but do you know how hard it is raising twins alone? I needed help.” Her hand gripped Ren tighter. “Every man who came into our lives…every time I found someone willing to help you screwed it up. You stole them from me.”

Ren pulled her arm free. “They were pedaphiles you stupid whore. They didn’t want you they wanted Quill and me.”

-oOo-

Ren had gone by the drug store and got a cheap bottle of concealer then stood in the store bathroom trying to hide the red welt her mom left on her cheek. She was thankful her head hadn’t split open when it hit the wall, but a purplish bump formed along her hairline. The concealer was too thick, and she ended up washing it all off. It was better to have a welt than look like she’d caked on the make-up. She hoped by the time she made it back to school it would fade.

Jolin’s Camero sat in the front lot. The school ran a lottery for kids with cars to see who got the prime parking spots. It was rigged though. All the popular kids ended up in the front lot, especially the football players and the cheerleaders. Ren slid onto the hood of his car and settled in to wait. She wondered why the debate club never got preferential treatment. Weren’t they the future leaders of America?

Ren knew the minute Jolin left the building. She felt the hair on the back of her neck tingle. She shifted so she could watch him walk across the parking lot. He was incredibly good looking. Although they hadn’t talked in years, if playground banter in fourth grade even counted, she knew as soon as she walked through the doors of the school who he was and the power he held. She’d also watched that power slowly fade after his injury. Brock’s motives for giving her over to Jolin were spurred by his need to destroy what little popularity Jolin had left. Ren should have felt bad for her part in Brock’s diabolical plan, but as Jolin slid from his throne and his rose colored glasses of popularity dissolved he seemed to be able to see her clearer. She wasn’t sure that was such a good thing. Living apart from his kingdom of high school popularity had made her invisible up to now.

She held little doubt Jolin had no idea she was in his elementary school classes or that she disappeared until ninth grade. She should hate him for his lack of interest in anything without a cheerleader uniform on, but she couldn’t. No matter how far off his radar she was today, he’d invited her to her first and only birthday party. She never got to go, but the sentiment remained with her. As much as she hated it, she liked him, and she liked spending time with him. Even if it was under completely fucked up circumstances. He’d find out sooner or later. Ren had no doubt eventually Brock would spill the plan and totally screw her over. But it didn’t matter. As soon as she graduated she was taking her money and Quill, and they were out of there. And Jolin would forget about her as easily as he had in fourth grade.

“Get off the car.” Jolin was in a crappy mood.