The Recruit (14 page)

‘Really? What parts?’

‘Your colouring, your smile and your defiance,’ she added with a smile. ‘Go on, you’ll be late. I’ll see you after school.’

‘Bye,’ she said heading straight towards the lawn area where her friends were waiting.

‘You’re late this morn…what happened to you?’ Anna’s eyes bulged.

Taylor drew in a shocked breath. ‘Jasmine!’

Jaz laughed. ‘Didn’t you know, Anna, you accidently hit me with the Wii controller when we were playing tennis!’

‘Me?’ Anna said confused.

‘Just kidding. I told Mum it was from having a scratch match with Tick at The Ring.’ Jaz sat down on the seat and leant her back against the trunk of the tree behind her.

‘Your lip looks sore; it’s a bit swollen.’

‘You should see my ribs,’ Jaz said and held out her fingers. ‘My hands are tender too.’

‘What the? You don’t end up like this with Tick.’ Taylor took one of her hands and gently held her swollen red knuckles, then saw the bandage on her hand.

Jaz nodded, the concern of her friends warming her heart. ‘I was walking home from The Ring and got attacked by a few guys.’

‘What!’ Anna and Taylor yelled together causing some nearby students to turn their heads.

‘What happened, did you snot them all?’ asked Taylor.

‘Well I’d like to say I could hold my own against five guys…but.’

‘FIVE guys! You were attacked by five!’ Anna looked about ready to faint.

Taylor still held Jaz’s hand, stroking it softly with his thumb. ‘Holy shit, how did you get away?’

‘Um, well it wasn’t looking good but then Ryan showed up and opened a can of whoop arse on them all. He saved me from…well I don’t know what they were going to do with me, but I can guarantee you they weren’t taking me to a party.’

‘Ryan? Really, he saved you?’ Only Anna could see something romantic in this.

‘That older guy from the fencing comp?’

‘Yes, Tay and he’s not old, he’s yummy. He goes to The Ring all the time with Jaz,’ explained Anna.

Taylor glanced at Jaz for confirmation.

‘Yep, and thank God too. He drove past on his way home and spotted me. He was amazing, Anna. And he stitched me up.’

‘Huh?’

Jaz unbuttoned her white sleeve and rolled up her shirt showing her stitches. Taylor and Anna both leant in for a closer look, narrowly missing each other’s heads.

‘What did that?’ Anna’s green eyes sparked with awe.

‘A knife, a few of them had knives. I got a small cut on my hand too.’

‘Jesus Christ, Jaz! Did you call the police?’ asked Taylor.

‘No, didn’t have time and after…well let’s just say they were in bad shape too. I think Ryan was more worried about trying to fix me up.’

The siren went and Taylor stood up. ‘This is weird. I’m glad you’re okay, Jaz but I don’t like this Ryan guy. He sounds a bit suss. Stitching you up instead of going to the hospital.’

‘That’s because I didn’t want to go. You know my mum would have freaked, Tay. Ryan did a great job. It’s all okay.’ She reassured her friends.

‘Just watch out, okay. Look, I better catch up with Dan. See ya’s in class.’ He gave her stitches another glance before jogging off to join his mates heading inside.

Jaz did up her sleeve while Anna swooned back against the tree. ‘You are sooo lucky. He took you back to his house?’

‘After he took off his singlet to stop the bleeding.’ Jaz couldn’t help but share that juicy tidbit.

Anna’s jaw dropped just as Jaz expected it would.

‘NO way.’ Anna sighed. ‘Damn it, I say again, you are so lucky.’

Jaz was tempted to tell Anna about his tattoos but decided against it. For some reason that seemed too personal to share. Funny, considering she shared everything with Anna. But this was personal to Ryan and she felt like he’d trusted her with it, and she didn’t want to let him down.

As they picked up their bags and walked towards their class, Jaz couldn’t help but wonder what Ryan was up to today.

‘The freak show has come to town. What happened to you? Someone finally tried to make you look better?’ laughed Minka as she paused by her desk. Her blonde hair was shining like spun gold. Jaz wondered how many products she’d used to get that look.

For once, Jaz ignored Minka, and swallowed all her smart arse comebacks. Instead she picked up her bag, and left the classroom. School was finally over for the day and she wouldn’t have the constant stares. The rumour mill must be working overtime. Everyone had given her a wide berth today; well, most of them. Minka wouldn’t let anything stop her from taunting people unless they had something contagious.

‘What…is it that bad you can’t share with the rest of us?’

Bloody Minka, Jaz thought she’d left her arse behind in class. Jaz took larger steps.

Jaz walked towards the front of the school grounds but could still feel Minka and Angelica behind her, no doubt gesturing rudely behind her back. No one could miss their overpowering perfume. You couldn’t smell the rubbish for the tip.

Jaz heard a girl beside her draw a breath. ‘Oh, look at him, he’s gorgeous.’ She looked up, and no more than twenty metres in front of her stood Ryan. Tall, brooding, imposing and dressed in loose jeans and a black long-sleeved shirt. He smiled when he caught her eyes as she kept her steady path towards him. But inside she was flying.

‘So my creepy stalker is back,’ she said coolly.

‘Hey, Jaz.’ Ryan watched as Minka and Angelica sashayed past, putting on their hottest smiles.

When he glanced back to Jaz she had her hand on her hip, shaking her head.

‘What? I trying to spot their devil horns.’ He gave her a wink.

‘Were you now?’ Ryan just accumulated a few extra points for being able to sniff out bullshit, in the form of Minka. ‘So what are you doing here?’

Ryan folded his arms in front of him. ‘Just wanted to see how you’re going, thought you might like a ride to The Ring.’ He nodded to his car parked down the road.

‘Hey, Ryan!’ said Anna as she practically came running up to them.

‘Hi, Anna. What you up to? Do you want a ride to The Ring too?’

‘Oh, yes please, that’d be great.’

Ryan turned around and headed to his car. Jaz threw Anna a look and said, ‘I didn’t know you were coming to The Ring today?’

Anna waved her hands around trying to ‘shh’ her. ‘I have nothing else on.’ Anna leant in to Jaz’s ear. ‘Come on, he invited me. As if I’d say no!’

Grabbing Jaz’s hand, Anna took off after Ryan.

Just before jumping into Ryan’s car, Jaz caught Taylor’s stare as he stood by his Mustang up ahead. The breeze ruffled his long fringe as his eyes threw caution at her. Now, Taylor worries about her! A part of her hoped he was jealous.

She gave Taylor a reassuring smile and a wave before sliding into Ryan’s back seat. Anna had silently called dibs on the front seat but Jaz didn’t mind. She didn’t want to think about the last time she was in that seat, bleeding.

‘So you saved Jaz last night, I hear.’

OMG! Should I just die now, thought Jaz as her face burned hot. The quiet computer type Anna was not! She was also on the debate team. Go figure she’d jump Ryan with questions the moment she could.

‘And were there really five guys?’

Jaz leant forward, threaded her hand around the side of the seat till she found Anna’s arm, and pinched it.

‘Oww…I see you’re not really the talkative type,’ said Anna.

‘Well there’s probably not much to tell, I’m sure Jaz has mentioned it all,’ said Ryan. He glanced in the rear-vision mirror, his eyes watching Jaz for a second and she felt herself blush even more.

‘Jaz isn’t good with spilling the beans. If it weren’t for the obvious split lip she probably wouldn’t have said anything.’

Ryan raised an eyebrow. ‘Really?’

‘One time it took her a whole day to tell me that one of the guys had asked her out, and even then I found out about it on the grapevine first!

Could we just get to The Ring now, Jaz begged.

‘Hello, I’m still in the car, Anna!’ said Jaz. ‘And I didn’t tell you about Brad asking me out because it was just a prank. I knew it was crap when I saw Minka watching nearby with that sadistic grin she gets on her face.’ Jaz flicked her hair over her shoulder crossly.

‘Soooo, Ryan,’ said Anna, changing the subject. ‘Where do you hail from?’

‘North of the city. I grew up in Carine, went to school at Guilford Grammar and now live not far from here.’

Jaz’s ears perked up. Anna had just got some major details that she’d never thought to ask. Why is that, she wondered?

‘How come we’ve only just seen you around The Ring now?’

Jaz saw his hands tighten around the steering wheel, it wasn’t really noticeable but she could just feel his body tense. This was one of those questions he liked to avoid.

‘I’ve been busy with work, and I’m now on holidays and I’m not handling the whole “doing nothing” scenario so I joined up at The Ring. Don’t worry, in a few weeks I’ll be gone again.’

That last part was depressing and came with no warning. Jaz even felt Anna’s disappointment. The car fell silent for the last few minutes of the trip.

When they got to The Ring, Anna went straight to Pax’s computer to fire it up while Jaz walked in with Ryan.

‘What?’ he asked when he caught her watching him.

‘So when you go back to whatever it is you do…you won’t ever come back here? To The Ring?’ Jaz hoped she wasn’t sounding too needy.

‘Why, you gonna miss me?’ He smiled but it didn’t make her feel any better. ‘I don’t know, Jaz. I might just have to drop by whenever I get the time. Besides, you can’t call me your stalker if I don’t come around anymore, hey?’

‘I guess not.’ Jaz shrugged, but she smiled with relief. ‘So you wanna spar with me?’

‘For real? You were just beaten up last night.’

‘Nah, I’m good to go,’ said Jaz.

Ryan scooped her up in his arms and squeezed her gently. ‘So me doing this isn’t hurting your ribs at all?’ he asked glancing down at her.

‘Ouch, okay, okay, you proved your point.’ He put her down and Jaz held her ribs. ‘Yeah they’re still a bit sore. Tomorrow then?’

‘You never give up,’ he laughed. ‘How about in three days. I gotta go somewhere over the weekend so shall we book it in for then?’

Jaz studied him, wondering where he could be going. ‘Sure, Monday it is.’

Ryan smiled and stepped back. ‘Well I’m gonna go get changed and work out. Like you said, I might need it.’

Somehow, after last night, Jaz knew he wouldn’t be needing anything. She watched him leave, unaware Anna had stepped up behind her, also watching him go.

‘Such a cute butt.’

Jaz turned around and slapped Anna’s shoulder.

‘He can’t hear me!’

‘He might have.’

‘So what was it like?’ asked Anna.

‘What was what like?’

‘Hello? I just saw Mr Hunk practically hug you. You can’t tell me you didn’t notice his arms around you?’

Jaz shrugged and Anna scoffed, rolled her eyes and went back to her computer while muttering something about wasted moments.

The thing was, Jaz had noticed. She had noticed not just his arms but also his chest beating against hers and the warmth that came with it. Her ribs had only been a tiny twinge of pain amongst the rest of her body, which was in tingles.

‘I’m off to clean something.’ And with that she headed for the storeroom, determined to scrub her thoughts from her mind.

‘Hello, Earth to Jasmine, are you even listening to me?’ Anna waved her hand in front of Jaz’s face and then turned around in the direction Jaz was staring.

‘What’s so interesting about the cafeteria rubbish bin?’

Jaz blinked her eyes and focused on Anna. ‘Sorry, what were you saying?’

Anna sighed. ‘Never mind. What’s up with you today? You’ve been in laa laa land since first period.’

Jaz shrugged. Her mind was in a lot of places. Wondering how Pax was going, wondering if Ryan would be back today like he said, wondering if Taylor would ask her to the school ball. There was no rest for her teenage mind.

‘Are you coming to The Ring today?’ Jaz asked, trying to stay in the present with Anna.

‘No, I’ve got a history essay due on Friday and I want to make a start on it. When are you going to start yours?’

‘Probably late Thursday night,’ said Jaz with a smirk.

‘I don’t know why you leave everything for the last minute, that’s why your grades are crap. If you spent more time with your books instead of at The Ring you’d be as smart as me.’

‘But Anna, it just seems so pointless. What is learning about some piece of art or algebra going to do for me after school? Diddlysquat, that’s what. It wouldn’t have saved me from those goons that attacked me. I’d rather be doing something with my hands.’

‘Like wrapping them around Taylor?’ laughed Anna.

Jaz rolled her eyes and pushed her lunch tray away.

‘Hello ladies, I heard my name?’ Taylor sat in the seat next to Anna.

Both girls flushed a little. ‘Tay, what you up to?’ Jaz asked.

‘Wondering if you girls have found dates for the ball yet?’

Jaz shook her head but Anna turned another shade of red.

‘Anna, has someone asked you?’ said Jaz. ‘You didn’t tell me?’

Anna played with her hair as the light through the cafeteria window caught the red highlights. ‘Well, he only asked me this morning.’

‘Who?’ asked Jaz and Taylor.

‘Ricky.’

‘Oh, he’s the tall one, cute with glasses?’ Jaz asked.

‘Yeah, we were lab partners last term. He’s really nice, so I said yes.’

‘Humph,’ said Taylor. ‘Well I guess that leaves you then, Jaz.’ He swung around to face her. ‘Will you go to the ball with me?’

Jaz laughed. ‘Com’on Taylor, don’t tell me you can’t find a date. I’m sure half the school wants you.’

She reached across to straighten Taylor’s tie as he spoke. ‘That’s actually the problem. So will you save me from them all and go with me?’

She rolled her eyes for dramatic effect, pretending it was a hard choice. ‘If I have to. Okay.’

Taylor leant over and kissed her forehead. ‘Thanks Jazzy, you’re a lifesaver. Catch ya’s later.’ Then he was off again, back to his mates over by the far wall. The ‘cool’ section of the cafeteria.