“Maybe you are! You’re acting just like a damn idiot!” The librarian shushes us.
He abruptly stops, causing me to run into his back.
“You might want to go visit with the nurse, they have morning after pills. I’m sure you’re acquainted with that kind of thing.”
“Fuck you!” I yell, not caring who can hear. I push him as hard as I can in the back.
He turns to face me. “You just did that,” he snarls nastily. The look on his face is something I’m more used to seeing on Onyx’s face. Even Slate’s. To see it on Kalen’s stings.
Anger burns through me at the way his face morphs into a smug smile. The sound of my hand hitting his skin bounces off the walls around us.
“Screw you, Kalen Knox, don’t talk to me again until you pull your head out of your ass! I’m friends with Baxter, and if you don’t like it, then that is your problem! He may be twisted, and have a warped way of doing things, but he has had my back since I stepped foot in this place. He’s an asshole, but you know what? So are you. At least I know where I stand with him. You just fuck with people’s emotions. Everyone said the twins were worse than you, but at least they didn’t treat me like shit and play with me!” I throw my hands in the air and storm around him. It’s like talking to a brick wall and what he just did made me feel like the cheap whore he claims I am.
My mood is no better when I arrive at the music building, steam still shooting from my ears. Slate is strumming away at his guitar when I walk in.
“Nice of you to join me.” I know he is joking around but I snap at him.
“I’m here, aren’t I? Let’s get this done.”
“Okay then, let’s run through the minimal dance steps. I want them to believe there's chemistry between us.”
Because God forbid a whore like me could have chemistry with someone. These Knox guys just keep digging the knife in deeper.
“Try to sing along as we go. But focus more on the dance,” he says, ignoring my mood.
How Monty expects me to be on my best behaviour until Christmas is beyond me, especially when his son is being a damn jerk. Eight weeks until my family could be arriving and I have already smashed a girl's head into a table, got a detention, screwed Kalen in the library and made a scene as I was leaving. Idon’t believe in snitching, but you bet your ass I will sell my soul to the devil to get my family here. Knox boys be damned.
“Amelie!” Slate snaps. “Where is your damn head at? Concentrate, we only need to run through this once and you can leave.”
“Sorry. Let’s do this.” I shake the anger from my arms and Slate laughs.
“Better?”
“Much. Let’s run this from the top.” He starts the song on the stereo system and we take our spots.
Slate has all the music recorded, he has played all the instruments and arranged it all. He really is damn talented. He takes his position behind me as the music starts. I count out my steps until he spins me to face him. The choreography is very similar to the movie, except the part where Zendaya flies into the air, for that part I just run backwards and Slate turns to face me. I particularly like the part where we roll on the floor and I straddle him.
Once we get to the last line, we look into each other’s eyes, his arm on my waist. This is the part where I walk away, yet Slate looks me in the eyes. I love that when we are in this room, he sees me, all pretences of who we are outside fall away, so much like the song. His lips press to mine, soft but sure.
There is no rush; it’s slow and sweet, but still passionate. It feels like it’s based on a connection.
“You smell like sex, Amelie,” he murmurs against my lips when he pulls away. He seems reluctant to break contact, his head pressed against mine, hands still on my waist. “That’s so damn hot.”
“Your brother just screwed me over, literally.”
“I wish you’d give me a shot,” he whispers against my lips, sounding almost wistful.
“Does me being with your brothers not bother you?” He shakes his head no.
“I will let you in on a little secret. We like to play games. Usually Sawyer picks a girl he thinks won’t sleep with any of us, and then the rest of us try to sleep with her. There’s always a prize for whoever succeeds first. And before you jump to conclusions, it’s never been like that with you.”
“Sharing a random stranger is not the same thing. I’m so confused. I feel this overwhelming chemistry with Sawyer. Kalen is just Kalen.” I laugh. “And you and Onyx send me these vibes that I want to explore. It’s not just fucking for me. But I guess the ‘whore’ painted on my door today isn’t too far from the mark.”
“Don’t let anyone, not even my idiot baby brother, make you feel less. Sexuality should make you feel powerful. Who cares if you screw one person or a hundred? Own it.”
“It’s not that easy.”
We sit on the floor and Slate pulls me into his arms, wrapping them around me. He leans against a wall, me on him.
