think much about it, though.
Swallowing hard, I crossed the parking lot. It was still early, and there weren’t many cars around. Only a group of girls talking at the bottom of the stairs, and a couple of guys goofing around with a soccer ball.
My hair had curled into small waves, and I tried to flatten it with my hands as I stepped inside the main hallway. Strangely, I wasn’t surprised to see Nathan leaning on my locker waiting for me. I had successfully avoided him over the last few days since our math teacher had been sick. Every time I thought of him, his intense eyes and the comment about my smile brought back the feeling of butterflies fluttering in my stomach.
Then again, they guy was persistent. I hated to admit this, but he looked good in those dark blue, ripped jeans and gray shirt. It somehow enhanced the color of his eyes. I was glad to notice the bruise on his left eye was almost imperceptible. It was still a bit swollen, but not as much as the day he got punched.
My steps faltered as I approached him, but I straightened up and stepped in front of him. “Do you mind?” I raised an eyebrow, peeved.
His lips tugged up in a crooked smile. “Don’t you ever greet people?”
My heart started to race at that stupidly good-looking smile, and I retaliated with a sickly-sweet smile. “Hi, Nate!”
He chuckled and moved aside so I could open my locker. “You look nice, by the way.” He grabbed a strand of my hair with his right hand. My heart was beating a mile a minute as my cheeks warmed. I tried to ignore it as I worried my lip and took out my English book. The strand of hair slipped out of his hand.
Oh, thank God.
When I turned around, he was passing a hand through his hair. Which made me feel envious of his whole just-out-of-bed hairstyle. Boys will always have it easier than girls.
“Listen, about the other day,” he drawled as my heart started to race even faster, since I couldn’t stop thinking about it myself. His eyes were serious. The distinctive sound of students chatting and milling around filled the hallway. His voice was steady as he said, “You can’t go out there again, not even with your friend or Chris.” It sounded like an order. What the hell?
“Excuse me?” I raised an eyebrow, not liking the tone of his voice.
He sighed and brushed his tongue over his lips before determination set in his eyes. “Half the guys out there are in gangs.” He hitched his backpack strap higher on his shoulder. “It’s not a safe place for a girl like you.”
“A girl like me?” Defiance laced my tone.
“Yes. A girl like you.” He set his jaw as he straightened up and looked at me boldly.
I closed my locker door with more force than necessary, making some of the students nearby look our way. “You can’t tell me where I can or can’t go.”
A lopsided smile played on his lips.
I ignored the way my heart skipped at the sight of it.
Taking a step closer, he added, “If I see you there, I’m going to pick you up and drop your cute little ass back at the school grounds.”
My breath caught in my throat at his proximity and the blazing intensity of his eyes.
“You’ve been warned, Taylor,” he said in a tone that meant we were done with this conversation before walking away.
My blood boiled. How dare he forbid me to do anything? And what does he means by “a girl like me”?
The bell rang, and I stomped toward English class. Farah was already in her seat doodling in her notebook. She eyed me quizzically. “What happened?”
Rolling my eyes, I dropped my backpack on the floor. “Nathan is an idiot.”
Farah’s lips twitched as she tried to suppress a smile. “Nathan? The same Nathan who got punched for you?” She crossed her arms across her chest. “The one who’s a total nobody ?” She raised an eyebrow, and the smile she had previously tried to suppress was now a smirk.
Pressing my lips together for a moment, I slumped in my seat. “The one and only,” I
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