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Book: Starcrossed: Perigee - A paranormal romance trilogy by Tracey Lee Campbell
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Authors: Tracey Lee Campbell
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followed him through the school's mostly empty hallways. He made a beeline to the boys' bathroom. As he shoved the door open, I hesitated, not sure whether I should follow into the male's precinct. Through the open door I spotted Michael struggling on the floor, being dragged toward the urinals by Simon. I charged in angrily after Aric.
"Let him go." Aric's voice was calm and authoritative, his self control was impressive - I wanted to deck the bully.
A range of emotions flickered expressively across Simon's face. Surprise, defiance, uncertainty, then fear. He let go of Michael's shirt, and pushed him away with a sneer, then stood, stretching up to his full height to face Aric warily. Even though the kid was much bigger than his classmates, Aric was easily a foot and a half taller than him and I was pretty sure Simon, even if he was as dumb as a brick, realized he could never take Aric on.
Michael scrambled to his feet and skirted around the room, giving Simon a wide berth, until he was standing awkwardly beside Aric. He looked back and forth between Aric, who was staring silently at his opponent, and Simon, who's ruddy face, now clean of volcano ooze, was growing paler, his eyes widening.
"Er, Aric, it's okay," Michael tried to intercede. "Me and Simon were just... um, mucking around." His voice trailed off as Simon's expression grew more stricken.
"I think Simon would like to apologize to you, Michael." Aric's tone was almost conversational. His eyes never left Simon's face.
"It's okay, he doesn't need..."
I felt for Michael. No doubt he was thinking ahead to the confrontation he'd have with Simon once Aric wasn't around.
"Oh, but he wants to," Aric interrupted. "You see, he's had a bit of an epiphany. He realizes that if he doesn't apologize to you, and if he's less than pleasant to you in the future, you might take it upon yourself to let everyone in the school know a few things."
Michael threw a confused look between Simon and Aric. "I don't know any..."
"You know," Aric prompted, his voice smooth, but with a hint of steel, "embarrassing stuff, like how Simon still wets the..."
"Sorry!" The word erupted out of Simon like a giant belch. His pudgy white face reddened and he backed up, only to come up against the wall. He stood awkwardly, shifting his weight from foot to foot.
Aric shrugged, the tension disappearing from his body. He smiled down at Michael who was eyeing both of them in confusion.
"Well, I'm glad we could sort this out. Simon's so keen to be mates now, he's even going to clean up that mess for you." He gestured toward the urinal. The green plastic bowl, squashed out of shape, had been thrown into the steel trough. "You may as well throw that out Simon, and you owe Michael's mom a new bowl."
Simon's head bobbed vigorously, and he quickly retrieved the bowl, holding the dripping object gingerly between two fingers.
Michael's eyes were just about popping out of his head. Simon, cowed and obedient, was apparently a rare sight.
Aric, clapped his hands together, a signal the situation was dealt with.
"Right, well, ready to head home then?" His charming smile was aimed at the two of us. We were standing, speechless, still unsure how he'd managed to defuse the situation so easily, with so few words.
I nodded, still lost for words, and we headed out the door, leaving Simon alone in the bathroom, holding the crumpled bowl.
* * * * *
The next day I found Aric waiting in front of his truck outside my school. He waved to me and I veered away from the school bus line.
"Thought I might try and talk you into having something to eat with me? I hear you have a particular penchant for the greasy delights of that fine Josie's establishment..."
I shuddered dramatically. "Yuck! - who told you that?"
He opened the car door for me and I climbed in. "They actually do a decent pie and milkshake, but you have to make sure you've had your tetanus shots before you step inside the door," I said.
"I think I can
"Let him go." Aric's voice was calm and authoritative, his self control was impressive - I wanted to deck the bully.
A range of emotions flickered expressively across Simon's face. Surprise, defiance, uncertainty, then fear. He let go of Michael's shirt, and pushed him away with a sneer, then stood, stretching up to his full height to face Aric warily. Even though the kid was much bigger than his classmates, Aric was easily a foot and a half taller than him and I was pretty sure Simon, even if he was as dumb as a brick, realized he could never take Aric on.
Michael scrambled to his feet and skirted around the room, giving Simon a wide berth, until he was standing awkwardly beside Aric. He looked back and forth between Aric, who was staring silently at his opponent, and Simon, who's ruddy face, now clean of volcano ooze, was growing paler, his eyes widening.
"Er, Aric, it's okay," Michael tried to intercede. "Me and Simon were just... um, mucking around." His voice trailed off as Simon's expression grew more stricken.
"I think Simon would like to apologize to you, Michael." Aric's tone was almost conversational. His eyes never left Simon's face.
"It's okay, he doesn't need..."
I felt for Michael. No doubt he was thinking ahead to the confrontation he'd have with Simon once Aric wasn't around.
"Oh, but he wants to," Aric interrupted. "You see, he's had a bit of an epiphany. He realizes that if he doesn't apologize to you, and if he's less than pleasant to you in the future, you might take it upon yourself to let everyone in the school know a few things."
Michael threw a confused look between Simon and Aric. "I don't know any..."
"You know," Aric prompted, his voice smooth, but with a hint of steel, "embarrassing stuff, like how Simon still wets the..."
"Sorry!" The word erupted out of Simon like a giant belch. His pudgy white face reddened and he backed up, only to come up against the wall. He stood awkwardly, shifting his weight from foot to foot.
Aric shrugged, the tension disappearing from his body. He smiled down at Michael who was eyeing both of them in confusion.
"Well, I'm glad we could sort this out. Simon's so keen to be mates now, he's even going to clean up that mess for you." He gestured toward the urinal. The green plastic bowl, squashed out of shape, had been thrown into the steel trough. "You may as well throw that out Simon, and you owe Michael's mom a new bowl."
Simon's head bobbed vigorously, and he quickly retrieved the bowl, holding the dripping object gingerly between two fingers.
Michael's eyes were just about popping out of his head. Simon, cowed and obedient, was apparently a rare sight.
Aric, clapped his hands together, a signal the situation was dealt with.
"Right, well, ready to head home then?" His charming smile was aimed at the two of us. We were standing, speechless, still unsure how he'd managed to defuse the situation so easily, with so few words.
I nodded, still lost for words, and we headed out the door, leaving Simon alone in the bathroom, holding the crumpled bowl.
* * * * *
The next day I found Aric waiting in front of his truck outside my school. He waved to me and I veered away from the school bus line.
"Thought I might try and talk you into having something to eat with me? I hear you have a particular penchant for the greasy delights of that fine Josie's establishment..."
I shuddered dramatically. "Yuck! - who told you that?"
He opened the car door for me and I climbed in. "They actually do a decent pie and milkshake, but you have to make sure you've had your tetanus shots before you step inside the door," I said.
"I think I can
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