Page 48 of Alive and Kicking
I grin as I see the shiver that she tries to suppress, and those hooded eyes that look into mine almost send me over the edge. Nobody would notice if I fucked her right here against her car, right? Forcing myself to back away, I wait for her to get into her car. She pauses for a moment like she’s going to protest but then looks around and seems to realize we’re still at school and out inthe open where anyone can see. Zane might be into that kind of thing, but I’d only ever let the people who live in our house see Viv like that.
When she gets into her car I take a breath. I don’t move until she’s backed out of her spot and left the parking lot. Only then do I finally get into my car and follow after her. I’m riding a high so good I have a hard time focusing on the road, all I can seem to think about is the fact that Viv loves me.
She fucking loves me.
Viviana
The semester is more than halfway over when we get a new T.A. in criminology. I hate him. I’m sure he’s a smart guy or whatever because Cain wouldn’t have picked him if he weren’t. There’s just something about him that rubs me the wrong way. It could be his pretentious as fuck name, because he introduced himself as Theodore Jeffery Johnson the third. Or maybe it’s just the fact that even in the span of one short introduction speech I could tell he had an ego big enough to rival Cain's.
Sure, Cain might be a little big headed, but at least he has reason to have an ego bigger than Alaska. The man is saturated in confidence, and he should be after all of his accomplishments. Johnson, however, is a junior who has no accomplishments to his name. He’s just the kind of guy that’s been raised to think he’s better than everyone else.
I know the type well. My early teen years were full of associates of my father introducing their spoiled sons to me, hoping that we would “hit it off.” We did not. All I wanted to do was yank the silver spoons out of their ass’s and stab them with them.
When I was seventeen, I did stab one of them after he told me all about how, once he ‘bagged’ me, his dad would be promoted within the family.
Surprisingly, word got out about that and nobody brought their children around me again. I lost contact with the few girls who hadn’t been sent off to boarding school, but it was worth it in the end.
My dad had looked at me with disapproval, but Enzo had given me a fist bump the moment he looked away. I kind of thought the whole Luca thing was a punishment for scaring off all the other suitors.
Cain finally moves on from his introduction of the Coglione?1 and moves on to his lecture for the day. I push everything out of my mind and focus on my notes. Cain likes to slip questions about things only covered in the lectures into quizzes, so I make sure to pay close attention to what he says.
By the end of the class I’ve calmed down on the irrational hate. It’s probably just the change in hormones from the birth control I got yesterday mixed with it being the second day of my period. Taking a pill everyday seemed like a hassle and I’ve seen horror stories about the IUD. Something weekly like the ring or the patch just seemed like it would be irritating, and I googled the shot for three minutes before learning it gives people brain tumors. So I settled with the arm implant. It was a quick procedure, though I am developing a pretty nasty bruise.
It’ll be worth it in the end. I definitely don’t need an accidental pregnancy. Actively having sex with three of my guys just seems to be asking for it. They’re all great about using condoms, but accidents happen. In the middle of a dangerous situation like this is not the time to be considering family planning. Plus I’m pretty sure Zane would be ecstatic and use it to push our marriage plans up.
Shaking my head, I pack up my stuff and head out of the room. Johnson smiles at me but I just stare at him as I walk out the door. I’m not sure what it is about the guy that makes me despise him, but sometimes people just don’t click. Maybe it’s something like that.
Sandy is already talking animatedly when I sit down with my tray. Red doesn’t look interested in what she’s saying but she nods along with whatever has Sandy so excited. Zane just smiles at her while Sloane ignores everyone to shovel food into his mouth.
The moment I sit down, Sandy pounces. “Viv, you’ll help me won’t you?”
I blink at her, but shrug. “Sure. I’m not sure what we’re talking about, but I’ll help with whatever.”
She lets out a little squeal and does a happy dance in her seat. “For my environmental studies class we did a project on how to do something environmentally sustainable for campus, and I got an A. It made me think that maybe I could really do something to help the environment. Here…” She digs around in her bag before handing over a paper that’s obviously been read and re-read a bunch of times. “I think we could actually make this happen.”
I read through the paper, and it does make sense. The plan is pretty smart. The college goes through hundreds of disposable water bottles a day. While reusable ones are an option, most people continue to use the single-use bottles because they want purified water. Sandy’s plan is to supply students with reusable water bottles and install purified water refill stations. This waypeople can get crisp drinking water instead of the lightly filtered water running through the fountains.
While I don’t really care about the environment as much as Sandy, I’d do anything to help her. “Yeah. I’m in. Where do we start?”
Sandy deflates. “I’m not exactly sure.”
I grin. “Okay, how about this Saturday we have a planning and research party?”
Sandy immediately perks back up. “That sounds amazing. Could we do it at your place though? I’ve got a roommate in the sorority house and she’s got two jobs outside of classes.”
I nod. “Sure. We can do it at my place.”
“I’ll bring pizza and drinks, and we can make a game plan,” Sandy says excitedly.
Zane pouts, probably while coming to the conclusion that if Sandy is staying the night with me then he won’t be able to. He doesn’t say anything about it and I appreciate it. He has a hard time letting me have all the freedom I want, but he never demands that I do what he wants instead.
Zane
Ilook over at Viv who has a Sweeney hockey jersey on with the name McKenna on the back of it. She’d refused to do anything but go to Sloane’s game tonight. She’s missed the last few games with everything that’s been going on lately. So when I asked if she wanted to go on a date after school on Friday, she told me she would, but only if it was to Sloane’s game. So here we are, watching a grown man race around an ice rink to steal a little black disk.
I haven’t been to one of Sloane’s games since middle school. Back then he would mow half the city’s lawn to be able to afford the fees to be on the hockey team and. Nox and I were the only ones from the group home that went to all of his home games. I’m not sure why, but we slowly stopped going over the years.
Sloane kind of keeps hockey separate from the rest of his life. So much so that I honestly can’t even name any of the guys on the team that he’s friendly with. I’m startled from my thoughts when Viv jumps from her seat and starts squealing. My eyes skim over the rink just in time to see Sloane make a goal right before the first intermission. He whips his helmet off and looks right at Viv, pointing at her before tapping his chest right over his heart. I’ve never seen him do something so sappy and itmakes me strangely happy to know that he feels that strongly about Viv.
