“Bye, Saint,” she whispers, her mouth taunting mine with the small amount of space she leaves lingering between us.
I claim her smile for myself. I kiss her hard, deepening the kiss until she moans against me and maybe I won’t leave. Maybe I’ll stay here perched on her window frame forever.
Until the door knob rattles with a turn, and I free fall the fuck out of that room before I have to hear my sister say that fucking nickname one more time.
The violent slashing wind ripping at my limbs and body mirrors the emotions spinning in my chest. It’s a beautiful, terrifying feeling that I want to cling on to and push away all at the same time as I fall.
But I guess love does that.
Seventeen
Izara
Warm sunlight kisses the horizon in blooming colors of pinks and oranges. My first day back is almost over. But my detention work is just beginning.
“Slather the bricks, don’t swamp them,” Professor Moore demands with a bellow of his croaking voice.
And I thought I was done with Professor Toad. Unfortunately, it seems he volunteers for after school detention time.
Perfect.
I scrape my metal spatula across my recycled brick that’s missing about forty percent of its actual size. What’s left of it is a cracked and jagged little square but as I know firsthand, Academy of Six doesn’t put the budget into its first years. This will do just fine for the rebuilding of Dormitory J.
My poor jagged brick is placed on top of the others I’ve been building up. I’m... twelve bricks in. About four inches off the ground.
This. Is. Going. To. Take. FOREVER!
A puff of air pushes from my lungs, blowing my inky hair around my face as I glare down at the insignificant work I’ve done over the last hour.
“This cannot be the most successful way to do things around here,” a voice like pure disappointed seduction says.
I look back from the spot I’m kneeling at on the dirty ground to find Heaven assessing the work myself and five other students are doing.
“This is a pathetic sight to see, Izara.” Her deep red lips purse and she dusts her hands off in front of herself as if by simply being here she’s become dirtier.
Clad in a clinging dress the color of wine with black pantyhose underneath, her whole outfit—heels included—looks like it repels dust just by being on her. She’s immaculate, beautiful as usual.
I’m in a dirty gym uniform with wet cement stuck to the front and dirty knees with holes in them. I’ve never felt less glamorous in my fucking life.
“I couldn’t agree more,” I grab another crumbling brick and repeat my process of slathering not swamping. “Why are you out here?”
She leans against a tree and crosses her legs in a comfortable stance that says she might linger for a while.
“Saint asked me to keep you company.”
My hands halt their work as a slow smile spreads across my lips.
He went back to talk to his sister after trying so hard to avoid her.
For me.
Warmth sears through my chest and I try not to show how much I’m preening right now in the middle of fucking detention.
“I’ve really come to rather enjoy your presence, Snack.” Her pure blue eyes wink at me and I swear she almost smiles. Almost.
I think that might be her way of telling me we’re real friends.
I smile back at her.
