He didn’t finish that thought when he rounded a corner and somebody ran into him—somebody much shorter. As in this somebody’s shoulder was low enough to knock into his bruising stomach—of all places—sending a flare of pain up his entire body, making him hiss and recoil.
“Watch where you’re going, asshole,” he ground out through gritted teeth, waiting for the flash of pain to fade away from his abdomen.
“Excuse me?” a girl’s voice answered and the venom in her tone made him look at her wearily. He wasn’t in the mood for a fight.
“You don’t pull a goddamn Usain Bolt around a bend in the hallways,” he said, glaring at her. “The person on the other side can’t see you, genius!”
She looked thoroughly unimpressed, and her hazel eyes—which Asa found hard to look away from—flashed with annoyance. “Listen here, Ace—or whatever the hell your name is.” Asa realised she was probably a new student. “I’ve heard enough on my first day here to know the kind of tool you are. And maybe the entire student population here is okay with Mr. Popular walking them over, but I’m not that girl, all right? I don’t take bullshit. From anyone.”
. He was staring at her, completely discombobulated and at an utter loss for words, then the girl shot him one last glare and stomped away.
What the actual hell? When had he ever walked over anyone in school, let alone the entire student population?
This day was just turning out to be one great train wreck. He couldn’t wait to just get home and drown himself in a book.
•••
As it turned out, Asa couldn’t go home just yet. The detention imposed upon him was staying after school and helping put the library back in order.
Having an unparalleled love for books, however, made this task seem rather welcoming than exhausting. For once, he found himself being thankful that people normally assumed the worst of him; it came with the popularity. Because he was sure nobody knew he was actually a bookworm; he was dead certain it wouldn’t have even occurred to them that he knew how to read.
To them, he was just the airhead with a pretty face and a nice body whose saving grace was his athletic abilities.
“Hi.” He heard a familiar voice say from near the librarian’s desk. “I want to fill out a form for my library card? Can I…” Then he heard the sound of ruffling paper and pen scribbling across it. “Thanks.”
Stepping out from around the shelf that housed the non-fiction works, where he was stacking the books in alphabetical order, Asa saw the girl who’d run into him earlier today.
She was sitting by one of the library tables, hastily filling out details on the library’s pale green form. Her hair fell around her shoulders in wavy locks, the deep chestnut colour complimenting her hazel eyes.
He must have been standing there too long because she then lifted her head and looked at his way. Instantly, her shoulders dropped and a groan left her mouth.
It amused Asa, really. He didn’t expect her to fall at his feet or to be mesmerised with him at first glance—he knew most girls had more self-respect than that—but the way she just seemed to dislike him with such vehemence intrigued him. Especially for someone he hadn’t crossed paths with before.
“What are you doing in a library?” she asked him. “Not here for some payback because someone actually had the guts to stand up to you, are you?”
He frowned. “What the hell are you talking about?”
She gave him a roll of her eyes. “Please.” She scoffed lightly. “I know your type. Popular boy with the school at his feet, breaking hearts left and right because he thinks girls are toys.”
Asa didn’t correct her. What was he to do? Drag her along with him as he went about his day and force her to stay by his side just to show her how wrong she was? This shouldn’t bother him anyway. It came with being at the top of the social hierarchy. This was typically what anybody assumed of him, and it was okay.
It had to be okay. He could brush it off and learn to live with it, right?
“But you didn’t answer my question,” she pointed out. “Why are you here in the library?” She cocked her head to the side curiously before a horrified expression settled on her face. “Oh my God, please don’t tell me you use this room as one of your quickie spots!” She sounded so full of disgust that Asa actually debated between feeling offended or laughing out loud. “You don’t make out with people in libraries, it’s just wrong—”
“Calm the heck down,” he muttered, rolling his eyes. “I’m just here on detention.”
She visibly relaxed, but that look of disapproval in her eyes didn’t go away. Asa wanted it to go away. He didn’t like disapproval.
“Either way I was right.” She shrugged, getting out of her seat and walking to the librarian to hand her form over. Miss Garcia shot the girl a warning look and told her to keep her voice down. Asa watched as the girl’s cheeks grew pink.
“Right about what?” he asked once she came back to the table to collect her bag and pen.
“You being in the library for no good,” she said, slipping on the strap of her bag on one shoulder. “I mean, what do testosterone-filled jocks like you know about books anyway?” She sniffed and tilted her chin up, daring him to say something. Then she walked out of the library with a triumphant face when he didn’t.
Because what could Asa have said, really? She’d painted such a picture of him in her head already. And she’d called him a jock. A jock. That was
