Page 52 of Defiant
Alas, even thoughts of Jacob Hall and his scruffy, cute self could not distract me from the havoc that took place the next day.
Chapter Thirteen – Vaughn
When Monday rolled by, I was actually excited to go to school. Not for the classes or anything like that, but for Jaz. I wanted to see her, looked forward to sitting by her at lunch and listening to her smooth, entrancing voice.
I never thought I could fall for someone else, never dreamed I’d want to feel someone else’s skin on mine, but with Jaz here, everything I used to think was wrong.
She made me feel. When I all but confessed these things to her, I didn’t think she really understood what I meant. Sure, other girls had tried to get with me. Ones other guys would call pretty, but I’d never looked at them twice. I didn’t care to. But Jaz?
What could I say about Jaz? She was different. I had no idea what that difference was, but it made me feel things I never dreamt of feeling. I felt almost normal, which was ridiculous in and of itself, considering the family I came from and what went on in my house’s basement.
I hadn’t seen it for myself yet, but I would. I would join ranks with those who worked the shifts in the basement, as Markus said I would. I never once cared about my future or what it held.
Now…now I was starting to. Now I wondered what Jaz would do, after Midpark High. Where would she go? What would she do? Would she go to school somewhere, enroll in college and take new classes and meet new people?
Call me selfish, but I didn’t want her to meet anyone else. Why bother meeting strangers when she’d already met me?
I spoke with Markus over the weekend, told him I’d need to use the family’s connections to dig up dirt on one particular person. Jaz and I would take them down, one at a time, knock them down like dominos and watch them fall with smiles on our faces.
Well, she could be smiling, anyways. Me? I’d be content to watch her satisfaction.
Things were rolling now, and I knew it wouldn’t be long until I had something concrete. Everyone had secrets in Midpark. You didn’t live here and not have something buried in your backyard, so to speak. Everyone had money, so everyone thought their dirty little secrets were hidden away, tucked safely in the darkness where no one could find them.
Those people would be wrong.
When Monday morning rolled around, and I stepped foot in Midpark High, I found things had changed. Not much, but the rumor mill was going, and it took me until third period to put the pieces together, to have the whole story.
There was new blood in Midpark High, someone who was a bit frightening to the other students, if the way they gossiped about him was any indication.
I was not curious about most things—Jaz, mostly—but I would be the first one to admit, the possibility of another unknown did draw my attention. What were the odds that Midpark had acquired two new students in less than a month? Things like that didn’t happen around here. Not at all.
Not ever.
So, after third period was over, I stalked the halls. I didn’t particularly care if I was late to fourth; I did what I could to pass my classes, but nothing more. Hell, at this point, since I was eighteen, I could drop out and work for the family—but Markus had a thing about finishing high school. No stupid family members. At least no stupid family members who were also important.
And, even though I tried not to care much, I did want to become an important Scott. Like Travis, or Lincoln. Or our resident Butcher.
I walked the halls, quickly scanning as I went, looking for a new face, a face that would bring fear or uncertainty into the hearts of the more typical Midpark populace. I was about to give up and head back to fourth period, when I found him bending over a water fountain to get a drink, something I couldn’t remember ever seeing anyone else do. Everyone brought their own bottles, most electing for those reusable ones.
And half the time I doubted it was just water in those bottles.
He wasn’t carrying any books, his jeans torn just below the knees, scuffed-up, flat-soled shoes on his feet. A leather jacket hung around his shoulders, even though the halls of Midpark were comfortable. That would be enough to earn the disdain of any group of Midpark students or teachers, but that wasn’t all.
The sides of his head were shaven, thick tribal tattoos curling around most of his skull. A few inches of brown hair sat atop his head, hanging off and over his forehead.
Hmm. Must be the tattoos. Everyone really hated tattoos around here, it seemed. Midpark was stuck in the olden times, viewing tattoos as something only lesser people got, things only the poor would waste their money on.
I was intrigued by the newcomer, I’d admit.
I watched him straighten his back, run a hand through the hair left on the top of his head—he had muscles underneath that leather jacket. He was strong, and he looked a bit older, like he’d been held back or something.
When he turned away from the fountain, he locked gazes with me. Two blue eyes stared back at me, an icy threat radiating from them. It was not the gaze of someone who was nervous, not the kind of stare anyone who was anxious would wear. He was comfortable here; that, or he didn’t care.
He headed straight for me, smirking as he passed me, and I watched him go, wondering why I had the notion that I’d be seeing a lot more of him.
I returned to my fourth period class, making it back to my seat mere moments before the bell rang.
I was unfortunate enough to sit beside two best friends, who constantly chatted, even during class. As the teacher fumbled to get the computer hooked up to the projection screen, I overheard their conversation.
