Page 3 of The Jack*ss in Class

The one who still hadn’t looked up from her book.

“Got it all,” Isak announced triumphantly, finally lowering his phone. “This is going to break my record for views. Artemis, that fall was epic.”

“Shut up, mini-Kingman.” Artemis and Gryffin joined us, both covered in grass stains. She punched Gryff, in the chest this time. She should have been a boxer instead of a rugby player. “Your tackling form needs work.”

“Excuse you, I am a Heisman nominee. I have perfect form.” Gryff rubbed his rock solid chest, grinning. “You’re the one who missed the donkey.”

“Pretty sure we all missed the donkey.” I gestured to where the little troublemaker was now contentedly leaning against mystery girl’s, Tempest’s chair, wings drooping. “Nice defensive moves, though. Both of you.”

A crowd had gathered around us, phones still out. Instead of the academic excellence PR the athletic department had wanted, we were about to go viral for chasing a winged donkey across campus.

Not exactly the senior year legacy I’d been going for.

I’d met a lot of beautiful women in my life. Came with the territory of being a Heisman-nominated linebacker for a D1 school. But I’d never met one who completely ignored me while casually taming a runaway donkey.

“So,” I cleared my throat, trying to get her attention. “That’s your donkey?”

She turned a page in her book. Actually turned a page. Without looking up.

“No,” she said, her voice low and smooth. “Currently, that’s Freddie’s donkey because they borrowed without asking. Isn’t that right?”

“Don’t be mad, Tempest.” Freddie dropped down to sitcross-legged next to the chair. “Look how cute he is in his jersey. I thought he’d love the pep rally.”

“Hmm.” Another page turn. The donkey had settled completely now, sitting at her feet like an oversized gray puppy, its tiny wings drooping.

“I’m Flynn,” I tried again. “Flynn Kingman.”

“I know who you are.” She still didn’t look up, but I caught the slight curl at the corner of her mouth. “Everyone knows who you are.”

“And you’re Tempest...” I waited for her to fill in her last name.

“Yes.” That was it. Just yes.

Behind me, I heard Gryff trying not to laugh. Jerk.

“Your donkey just crashed our pep rally,” I pointed out, wondering what it would take to get her to actually look at me. “Almost took out half the chemistry department.”

“Again, not my donkey at this particular moment.” She reached down to scratch behind its ears, her book never wavering. “Though I suppose I should reclaim him before he decides to join one of the athletic teams. Those are some impressive moves he’s got.”

Was she making fun of me?

“Better moves than some of your running backs, boys,” Artemis chimed in, dropping into the chair next to Tempest’s. “You should bring him to one of the women’s rugby team practices, Freddie.”

Now, Artemis was definitely making fun of me as she fucking flirted with Freddie while I couldn’t even get Tempest to look at me.

“¡Mira!” Freddie held up her phone. “Isak’s videoalready has ten thousand views! The donkey’s wings look so cool when he runs.”

“Fantastic.” Tempest’s tone suggested it was anything but. “I can’t wait to explain this to the farm sanctuary.”

“I can help with that,” I found myself offering. “I mean, I can explain that it wasn’t your fault. Or his fault. It was just a series of unfortunate?—”

“Events?” She actually looked up then, one eyebrow raised. Her eyes were dark and sharp behind black-framed glasses, and they saw way too much. “Did you just quote Lemony Snicket to me, Flynn Kingman?”

“I... might have.” I hadn’t meant to. “I have a little sister who reads a lot.”

“Hmm.” Those eyes stayed on mine for a moment longer than was comfortable, like she was reading something she didn’t quite believe. Then they dropped back to her book. “Well, thank you for the offer, but I can handle the sanctuary staff. And Freddie can handle cleaning out the stalls for the next month as penance.”

“What? No.” Freddie flopped dramatically across her sister’s legs. “Tempest, no. I have games, and practice, and studying.”

---