Cameron waited for the engine to shut off, his pulse picking up a bit in anticipation of seeing her. He could hear the sound of heavy metal music thumping from her car before it finally stopped and her door opened.
Totally unlike the relentless chords of distorted guitars and pounding drums that vibrated through the muscle car, Ebony stepped out like a ray of sunlight. Wearing a jean skirt that stopped mid-thigh and a Masked Gods band t-shirt knotted at the side, along with a pair of pristine Converses, she looked stunning as per usual.
Cameron waved at her and crossed the line of cars still prowling for a space. He went to stand in the empty parking spot next to her car. Cameron glanced at the empty space and the procession of cars that passed the space. He knew without even needing to wait and see that no one would take the space. No matter where Ebony parked the space next to her had an unspoken rule—it was reserved for Gavin.
Pushing down his annoyance at just another sign of his friend's omnipotent power over this town, Cameron greeted Ebony. "Good morning, Miss Rosebank."
Grabbing her bag, Ebony threw him a suspicious smile over her shoulder and shut her door. "And hello to you too, Mr. Hayes."
Cameron grinned, walking alongside her as they headed toward the building. "What's your first class?" he asked, even though he already knew.
When the school released the schedule weeks ago, he had looked hers up right after his.
"AP Lit," she sighed, and he didn’t blame her. The class was notoriously difficult. "You?" she asked.
He gave her a commiserating smile. "Same."
Ebony laughed as she stepped around a group of students lingering by the door. Like seagulls spotting food, everyone's head turned her way. A chorus of "Hey Ebony" followed them down the hall interrupting her as she greeted everyone back mostly by name.
Ebony was queen of Stardust Cove High, a title earned by volunteering in practically every club, sitting as student council president, and treating every classmate with a warm smile. She was the one students went to for help. If a student felt a teacher was treating them unfairly, they turned to the student council and by the end of day Ebony would be at their side mediating a meeting with said teacher. There was hardly anything the student council didn't have a hand in, that included accusations of bullying. If a student was getting bullied, then God help them. Because Ebony only handled situations with the female student body—Gavin, the Conduct Officer, a position totally made up just for him—handled the rest. And Gavin's version of handling everything normally involved violence.
"Where's Gavin?" Cameron finally asked after they got through the hall and into their class.
They didn't need to stop by their lockers since all of their textbooks were loaded into their tablets. Hell, Cameron wasn't even sure why they had lockers at this school. The school wasn't just supported by taxpayer dollars, it was funded by the Rosebanks themselves. The billionaire family could have easily sent their children to the private high school in Stardust Heights, the ritzy district in the mountains populated by some of Texas' one percent but instead Gavin and Ebony attended Stardust Cove High and because of that the school was a sprawling multi-million dollar complex that boasted state-of-the-art classrooms, expert teachers, expansive science labs, and athletic facilities that rivaled universities. Every student in Stardust Cove got to thank the Rosebanks for their advanced education.
Inside the literature class, Ebony pulled out a chair next to a lanky guy with messy brown hair. "When I left, he was in the gym, probably in the sauna," she mused. "You know how he is. He'll get here one minute before the bell rings."
Cameron nodded, his gaze flicking longingly at the empty chair next to her and then back to the lanky guy. "Hey Taylor," he nodded at him.
Pulling his eyes away from his handheld game system, Taylor blinked as if slowly coming back to the land of reality and then smiled. "Hey Cam. Did you sign up for the Survival Tactics class I told you about?"
Cameron groaned and looked to Ebony's amused expression and back to Taylor's eager one. "Umm no, I didn’t." A class full of nerds talking about their theories on how to survive the apocalypse for an hour. He’d rather eat glass.
"Aww," Taylor voiced his disappointment just as the first bell chimed on the overhead speaker.
The class seats were shaped like a giant horseshoe, allowing students to see the other students as they discussed and debated topics. Taking the seat across from Ebony, Cameron pulled out his tablet from his bag and froze—actually the whole class froze. A guy sat down in the empty seat next to Ebony, a guy who was not Gavin. Instantly everyone's eyes bounced to Ebony, but she just gave the guy her classic friendly smile. Cameron's eyes narrowed at the guy. He could see his doubletake of Ebony as he sat down as if he hadn't expected to see her or he hadn't expected to be sitting next to someone as gorgeous as her. Was this asshole new?
Cameron wracked his brain for a name but came up with nothing. But that wasn’t unusual, there were over two hundred seniors this year alone and unlike Ebony he could give two fucks about trying to keep up with each of their names.
The problem however worked itself out naturally. Just as the bell rang an even bigger figure loomed over the nameless guy. Most likely feeling the hairs on his neck stand and the awkward silence of the class the guy turned and looked up.
With his bag slung over one shoulder Gavin gave the guy a huge grin. "Howdy. You must be new, my name is Gavin and you're in my seat."
Cameron shuddered. His tone was friendly, no one could argue that, but it was his overly bright demonic eyes and crazy smile that sent a shiver down your back.
The guy frowned. "There's other-"
"You can sit over here," a girl called out from Cameron's side of the room. She was clearly throwing a lifeline to the guy judging by the wide-eyed almost desperate look she was giving him.
Cameron smirked as he watched the pride in the new guy's eyes ignite and turn back to Gavin towering beside him, clearly ready to argue. But then it happened, just like a drop of water hitting a still pond. The same realization Cameron had watched come over countless of Gavin's opponents—fear.
Like being caught in the emotionless dead-eyed stare of a lion, the guy visibly swallowed. He must have realized Gavin could and would resort to physical means to get his spot. The teacher wasn't saying anything, the students were just eagerly watching, and the smile was starting to slip off Gavin's face in impatience.
Without meeting anyone's eye, the guy stood up and walked to the empty seat across the room. Promptly, Gavin took his spot. As the teacher began speaking, Cameron watched as Ebony leaned over and whispered to Gavin, most likely chiding him on being mean. Gavin simply gave his sister a long slow smile, his eyes holding hers as she lectured him, basking in her presence.
As the class began to discuss the summer reading of Virginia Woolf’s "Mrs. Dalloway," Cameron found himself staring across the class at the familiar pair of black and white Converses. He didn’t have to try hard to see what that new kid must have felt when he realized he was sitting next to a girl who could dismantle you with a glance. Cameron had felt it too three years ago when Ebony guided him through the school for the first time. And just like today, Gavin had come out of the shadows and staked his claim on the spot at Ebony's side. Cameron wondered, what if the new guy hadn't backed down? What if someone challenged Gavin and called his bluff?
Slowly, Cameron lifted his gaze from the black and white Converses and followed the shape of her narrow ankles and up the smooth skin of her legs until they stopped at her knees. Her skin was shiny and smooth and he could imagine the silky feel of the lotion still coating her skin. He couldn't help but keep looking. He couldn’t stop himself as his gaze traveled up and landed on her soft features. And for a second, he watched her unguarded face as she looked at the teacher.
