them.
“Thanks,” I said taking my books back and putting them in the locker.
Adam leaned against the lockers. “You need to be careful in the woods when you go on that hike. Stay with the others and don’t separate. I’ll try to make it, but I don’t know if I’ll be able to. If I don’t go, promise me you’ll stick close to Brian. He’ll look out for you.” He waited as I stared at him, and then gave me a rueful smile. “Yeah, I know. I may not like him, but I know he won’t let you out of his sight. So, promise?”
“Okay,” I wasn’t sure how the conversation had gone this way. One minute he didn’t want to look at me and the next he was worried about me.
He smiled and walked off as Brian came running.
“Sorry, Nikki. Class went over and I couldn’t make it in time over to yours,” Brian huffed.
“It’s okay, I know my way around now.”
“What did he want?” He jerked a thumb over his shoulder at Adam’s retreating back.
“He just wanted to tell us to be careful and stick together if we went on a hike this weekend.”
“Is he coming, too?” He grimaced.
“No, I don’t think so.”
With Brian in much better spirits, we went to the cafeteria and sat at our usual table. I set my tray between Ronnie and the wall, forcing Brian take the seat next to Beth. The guys at the table across the room were deep in conversation, sending occasional glances my way. Ed and Erik both waved and smiled when they saw me looking back at them. There was one girl I hadn’t seen before. She didn’t look very happy with whatever the conversation was about.
“That’s Hannah,” Ronnie whispered to me. “She tries to hang all over Adam. I don’t know what they’re talking about over there, but she’s giving you some pretty bad looks. Looks like she’s jealous.”
She’s not the only one, I thought, as I caught the look on Brian’s face. His blue eyes seemed to be shooting darts at Adam.
Adam got up and walked toward us. He stopped and smiled down at me. “Nikki, I was wondering if you would eat lunch with me today.”
“S-sure,” I mumbled as I picked up my tray and followed him back over to his table.
Hannah stood up and took her tray, dumping its contents in the trash as she left, her long hair swinging wildly behind her. Everyone else at the table seemed oblivious to her and smiled at me as if my eating lunch with them happened all the time. Chairs scooted around the table, as they made room for me to sit next to Adam.
Erik gave me his usual huge grin. “Hey, Nikki.”
Leave it to you to be the icebreaker, I thought as I smiled back. “Hey, Erik.”
The other two boys I hadn’t met smiled as Adam introduced them as Michael and Tommy. They were cousins. They could have been twins, I realized, as I looked into two very similar faces. Each had a dimple on their left cheek when they smiled. They were younger than Ed, Erik, and Penny by a year or two, which made them sophomores. That was the reason why I hadn’t seen them in any of my classes. Next to the others, the cousins looked younger and smaller. Even more so since they sat next to Ed, who was taller than Adam by an inch or so.
“When are you available for another English lesson?” Adam asked me.
“Whenever you want.”
“He needs all the help he can get,” Erik teased, “He is available tomorrow evening. If you want, I can take you over after school.”
“If she wants to go, I’ll take her.” Adam shot him a look, but Erik only grinned wider.
“I can get a ride. It’s not a problem,” I said, trying to calm the tide of testosterone that seemed to be rising.
Ignoring Adam, Erik turned to me. “I’ve seen you driving Brian’s old jalopy. When are you going to get your own wheels?”
“Whenever I can find a cheap car,” I assured him. Soon wouldn’t be soon enough.
“I talked my mother into letting me get rid of my old car. It isn’t much, but if you’re interested, I’ll make you a great deal on
“Thanks,” I said taking my books back and putting them in the locker.
Adam leaned against the lockers. “You need to be careful in the woods when you go on that hike. Stay with the others and don’t separate. I’ll try to make it, but I don’t know if I’ll be able to. If I don’t go, promise me you’ll stick close to Brian. He’ll look out for you.” He waited as I stared at him, and then gave me a rueful smile. “Yeah, I know. I may not like him, but I know he won’t let you out of his sight. So, promise?”
“Okay,” I wasn’t sure how the conversation had gone this way. One minute he didn’t want to look at me and the next he was worried about me.
He smiled and walked off as Brian came running.
“Sorry, Nikki. Class went over and I couldn’t make it in time over to yours,” Brian huffed.
“It’s okay, I know my way around now.”
“What did he want?” He jerked a thumb over his shoulder at Adam’s retreating back.
“He just wanted to tell us to be careful and stick together if we went on a hike this weekend.”
“Is he coming, too?” He grimaced.
“No, I don’t think so.”
With Brian in much better spirits, we went to the cafeteria and sat at our usual table. I set my tray between Ronnie and the wall, forcing Brian take the seat next to Beth. The guys at the table across the room were deep in conversation, sending occasional glances my way. Ed and Erik both waved and smiled when they saw me looking back at them. There was one girl I hadn’t seen before. She didn’t look very happy with whatever the conversation was about.
“That’s Hannah,” Ronnie whispered to me. “She tries to hang all over Adam. I don’t know what they’re talking about over there, but she’s giving you some pretty bad looks. Looks like she’s jealous.”
She’s not the only one, I thought, as I caught the look on Brian’s face. His blue eyes seemed to be shooting darts at Adam.
Adam got up and walked toward us. He stopped and smiled down at me. “Nikki, I was wondering if you would eat lunch with me today.”
“S-sure,” I mumbled as I picked up my tray and followed him back over to his table.
Hannah stood up and took her tray, dumping its contents in the trash as she left, her long hair swinging wildly behind her. Everyone else at the table seemed oblivious to her and smiled at me as if my eating lunch with them happened all the time. Chairs scooted around the table, as they made room for me to sit next to Adam.
Erik gave me his usual huge grin. “Hey, Nikki.”
Leave it to you to be the icebreaker, I thought as I smiled back. “Hey, Erik.”
The other two boys I hadn’t met smiled as Adam introduced them as Michael and Tommy. They were cousins. They could have been twins, I realized, as I looked into two very similar faces. Each had a dimple on their left cheek when they smiled. They were younger than Ed, Erik, and Penny by a year or two, which made them sophomores. That was the reason why I hadn’t seen them in any of my classes. Next to the others, the cousins looked younger and smaller. Even more so since they sat next to Ed, who was taller than Adam by an inch or so.
“When are you available for another English lesson?” Adam asked me.
“Whenever you want.”
“He needs all the help he can get,” Erik teased, “He is available tomorrow evening. If you want, I can take you over after school.”
“If she wants to go, I’ll take her.” Adam shot him a look, but Erik only grinned wider.
“I can get a ride. It’s not a problem,” I said, trying to calm the tide of testosterone that seemed to be rising.
Ignoring Adam, Erik turned to me. “I’ve seen you driving Brian’s old jalopy. When are you going to get your own wheels?”
“Whenever I can find a cheap car,” I assured him. Soon wouldn’t be soon enough.
“I talked my mother into letting me get rid of my old car. It isn’t much, but if you’re interested, I’ll make you a great deal on
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