He’s the snake in the Garden of Eden, coercing me to take a bite of the forbidden fruit. I grip the edge of the desk with sweaty palms, still looking forward. I clench my thighs together because his words conjure up images I shouldn’t be thinking of.
“You want to feel my dick inside of you. Be honest with yourself.”
I love Trevor, I do, but when Art entered the picture, everything became muddled.
“You’re clenching your thighs together. Tell me. Is your pussy wet?” He licks my ear.
When the bell rings, I race from the classroom. Why do I want him? My life was so perfect before he came here. I’m tempted—I’m so fucking tempted. I hope he’s not in my last class of the day.
“What’s the matter?” Anneli asks. She keeps pace with me while we run laps around the track.
“Nothing. Why are you asking?”
“You seem distracted.”
“I’m fine.”
“You know you can tell me anything. I know when something is bothering you.”
“There’s just been a lot going on with Art moving in.”
“You said he wasn’t bothering you.”
“He’s not.”
“Then what’s going on?”
“I’m nervous about track season. First practice will be here before we know it. I have to get in shape if I want to beat the competition this year.”
“You’ve never been nervous about track before. Anyway, you’re already set, so don’t overthink things.”
“I still want to get first place this year.”
“Don’t worry. You will.”
I have to get Art out of my thoughts, but it’s impossible. Maybe I’ll spend the weekend at Lilah’s house so I can put some distance between us.
“You know it’s going to be trouble at Bri’s party Saturday night when Art arrives. With him on the guys’ shit list and Bri and Lilah fighting over him, it’s going to be a disaster.” Anneli rubs her forehead.
I can only imagine.
Friday came and went without a hitch. Art played nice with his peers. Except me, that is. He teased me at every opportunity. No matter where I sit in trigonometry class, he follows me. I stood at his bedroom door with my ear pressed against it again last night and listened while he relived the day he found his brother floating in the pool. I wonder if he cut himself. How can pain ease pain? I wanted to go inside to offer comfort, to hold him, but I knew once I crossed that invisible line there’d be no going back. He would’ve taken more from me than comfort, and I would’ve freely given it to him.
I arrive back at the house after my morning jog, but instead of heading inside, I walk over to the building that houses the sweet potatoes and slips. I bag up a few for breakfast. When I hear the door open, I glance over expecting Ricky, but instead it’s the boy I can’t get out of my mind.
His gaze slides over the contents in the room before settling on me.
“What are those?”
He tilts his head towards the pots covering the tables throughout the large open space.
“This is where the slips are stored in the winter. The temperature in here is kept between fifty and sixty degrees to trigger dormancy. If it’s too cold, the slips will freeze, and if it’s too hot, they’ll dry out and can’t be used when planting season starts.”
“What are slips?”
“They’re vines that grow out of the sweet potatoes. They’re planted to grow more sweet potatoes.”
“Why is it so dark in here?”
