I glance at Lily but aim my answer at Zach even if he wasn’t the one to ask the question. “Rumours of my leaving school have been greatly exaggerated.”
“Right.”
Zach’s voice is even flatter than mine. No mean achievement. “Are we good?”
The way his face screws up, I think he’s about to tell me no. Tell me that my fit of pique bust us apart to the point we can’t ever sew ourselves back together. Then he rolls his eyes. “Course we’re good. What? You think I want to hang out with the rest of the losers in this place?”
“Careful,” Trent growls with mock severity.
“I was including you in our group. Why the fuck’s everyone so touchy all of a sudden? I’m the one with the grievance.”
Lily roughly glares as he angles in to kiss her. “You? I have the grievance.” He eyes flick to me. “And I notice you didn’t bother to acknowledge me, Caylon. Real smooth. Ever the gentleman.”
“I’ll buy you a treat at lunch to make up for it.”
She tilts her head to one side, studying me more closely than usual. “If you want to make things up to me, you can help my sister with a wee project.”
An automatic no springs to my lips. Children. No. Project. No. Help. Not looking likely given the negative trend. But Zach’s body language doesn’t give me much scope to refuse her offer. I bite back a sigh as I say, “Sure. What with?”
“She’s trying to break into the school computer to get a classmate expelled.”
I laugh, assuming she’s making a joke, but the crease between her eyebrows tells me a different story. “Right. Your sister is how old?”
“Ten.”
“She’s like you,” Zach adds and I’m not sure if that’s an insult to her or me.
“Sounds fantastic. I’ve always wanted to tutor someone in the ways of evil hacking.”
Lily’s frown grows even deeper. “It’s the kid she wants expelled who’s evil. That boy just doesn’t learn.”
There’s absolutely no way access to a school computer, no matter how illegal, is going to result in a boy’s expulsion. Not at that age. But there’s nothing to gain from pointing that out right now. Besides, the work might jolt some of the fun back into a pastime that’s rapidly lost all appeal.
“Speaking of favours.”
“And how it’s too early for you to be asking for one,” Zach helpfully finishes for me.
“It’s still open season on your ex, right?”
There’s a puzzled expression on Zach’s face that only clears when I glance across the quad at Em sauntering by. I press my lips together; amused and appalled. It’s like he literally didn’t know who I was talking about. Like their relationship was flicked aside the same way you’d wave away a fly.
“Guess that’s a yes,” I drawl, edging away with one last glance to Lily. “Send me a text about a play date with your sister, yeah?”
* * *
Second period,I have physics with Em. I glare away any competitors to the seat behind her, the seat beside her already claimed by her bestie Dee.
“Mr Mercer,” the teacher says before starting the lesson. “Good to see you again. Is this something you’re thinking of making a habit?”
“Sure.”
Em twists around, her face expressionless as her eyes run over me before facing forward again. There’s a small rush of colour to the back of her neck. Her long, long neck.
I stare at the sensuous curve of it. The tiny curls at her hairline where the strands are too short to be caught in her high ponytail. The tips of her ears, sharp instead of rounded, giving her the look of a pixie.
A malicious, dark, hateful pixie.
It’s disgusting to lust after one of Zach’s discards like this. The thought, instead of bringing me out of my wallowing glances, excites me. A wriggle of desire grows as I stare at her hair, dark as an oil spill. Remember twisting my hand in its silky length, using it to guide her head where I wanted it.
