Page 19 of Betraying Bexley

“Accurate r-readings?”

Bronx pulled a tablet out of her bag then opened the cover. She tapped a few things on the screen then turned it to Bex. "See, this measure the pressure in the limb, how many steps you take and balance. It tells me if I have to make adjustments to your knee or your ankle or both."

“C-Cool.”

“It is. So, how’s it going?” Bronx prodded, eagerly waiting for an answer.

“Um. G-Good. S-Strong. I like it.” Bex ambled in the direction of her class.

“Excellent.” Bronx caught up to her. “I’ll see you in P.E.. Enjoy your breakfast.”

“T-Thanks.” Bex waved as she continued down the hall while Bronx went in the opposite direction.

She stepped into the classroom and took her seat. After grabbing everything she needed for the class, Bex opened up the box of food and placed the bottle of cold coffee beside the container. The scent of pancakes and sausage made her mouth water. She sighed and dug into her food. Bronx had paid attention to her. Maybe she did want to be Bex's friend.Wouldn’t it be nice? Yes, it would. To have at least one person she could be free with. A lightness settled over her. She felt normal or whatever a normal high school senior felt like, she supposed.

“Hi,” a guy with a jovial voice said.

Bex turned her head in his direction and swallowed her bite of food hard. She choked and the guy was right there checking on her as she patted her chest. What the hell was it with people just popping up in her life? It was creepy as fuck and disturbing because no one talked her, yet people were beginning to engage her like it was, again, normal.

“You okay?”

She coughed once more then grabbed for her coffee. “Y-Yeah.”

“I didn’t mean to startle you. I need to work on my delivery, I guess.” He grinned.

Bex blinked. “O-Okay.”

“Anyway, I’m Jacolbi.” He held out his hand.

Bex stared at his hand. “B-Bex.”

A smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. His cornflower-blue eyes sparkled with trouble. He also had this bad boy, yet wholesome aura about him. She couldn't peg him, which she'd been good at. "Can I draw on your cast?"

She frowned staring at the white cement compound surrounding her arm. “D-Draw?”

"Mmhmm." He jumped over the desk behind her then took a seat beside her. "I like to doodle. Some say I'm good at it. Can I?"

“R-Right now?” She blinked again. Her stomach cramped from the nervous energy crawling through her.

“Sure. You’re eating and we still have about ten minutes before class starts.” Jacolbi pulled a black marker from his pocket. “I’ve got ten of these in my pocket. Don’t want them to go to waste, do you?”

“N-No?” she whispered, not sure what he was going on about.

“Exactly. Keep eating and no peeking.” He grinned, motioning for her to finish the food Bronx gave her.

“O-Okay.” She dug into the food and sighed. She needed the sustenance more than she realized, but before she’d been full, there was nothing left. Bex went to twist the cap of her drink off then frowned. “A l-little help?”

Jacolbi glanced up. “Sure thing. Least I can do for borrowing your arm.” Her gaze landed on the cast and he covered the drawing his body. “No peeking.”

“R-Right.”

He uncapped the coffee then handed it to her. “There you go. If you need anything else, I am your official opener of bottles.”

She laughed softly before taking a sip. “Thank you.”

“Miss Iniguez,” Mr. Parker called. “Have you been to the office yet?” The teacher stared at her casted arm as Jacolbi continued to draw on it.

“Y-Yes,” she replied.

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