And another good part is that none of the snotty girls I now hate are in the class or any of the jocks. Novels is mostly full of quiet types and bandsies. It's a nice change from the usual.
After first hour I leave the room and pause, seeing Manny and his group of friends gathered around his locker up ahead. I'd love to run up to him and kiss him, but I don't think I'll be welcomed. Manny and I texted most of the night before after he dropped me off after the party. I want to spend more time with him and have him hold me in his arms again and run my fingers through his gorgeous hair.
But we didn't talk about how today would go. I didn't ask if I was allowed to walk up and see him, talk to him, hang out with him. With a sigh, I decide to leave him be and turn around to head to second hour. And I run right into Michael.
"You dumped my class?" He has a little smile on his face, and I can't tell if he's mocking me or what. I try to go around him, but he stops me with his arm and curls it around my waist, pulling me to the side of the hall. "Tired of me?"
"Leave me alone," I murmur, trying to leave again.
He pushes me back and keeps his hand on my arm. "You are keeping your mouth shut, right, Taryn?" He's smiling, so it looks like he's just chatting with me to the other students milling around.
"I haven't said a damn thing." I glare at him and wish he'd move his hand. Who the hell does he think he is?! "Let me go, or I'll make a scene."
He laughs, putting his face closer to mine. "You'll make a scene?" His thumb moves in circles on my bare arm. I used to love how that felt when he would do that as we made love. Now it makes my skin crawl. "What are we, in a black and white movie? Listen..."
I don't want to listen, but I can't move; he's standing so damn close to me. How can he not realize this doesn't look right? His standing there, touching me right in the hallway, with all these other people around is not a good idea.
"I've been thinking," Michael is saying. "About giving you another chance."
I stare at him. He cannot be serious. "What?"
"We were good together, Taryn. I miss you. If you play your cards right and keep your mouth shut like a good girl, we can be together again. What do you say?"
"You've done this with other girls, haven't you?" I look at him with disgust. "You're sick. You're like a predator!"
"Predator!" He snorts with laughter. "I have not done anything to anyone who hasn't wanted it desperately. Besides, Taryn, you should be honored. You were the first. You were the one who unleashed the monster I've tried so hard to keep under control. You were my trigger. You and that paper you wrote."
I want to throw up. I shove him away. "Stay away from me!"
Rushing down the hall, I feel someone take my arm and turn around, my hand raised to strike.
It's Manny, and he's staring down at me hard.
"You want to tell me what I just witnessed between you and Hayes?"
I wither under his icy glare.
◆◆◆
"It's nothing," I say for the tenth time. We're sitting in Manny's car, having walked out of the school to "discuss" the matter of Mr. Hayes and myself.
"If you tell me that one more time, I swear to God..." Manny shakes his head, his hand curled into a fist on the steering wheel. "He had his fucking hand on you, Taryn! And you're telling me nothing is going on between the two of you?"
"There is nothing going on between us, Manny!" I yell. Because it's true, as of right now, nothing is going on, aside from Michael harassing me. "He was pissed off because I dumped his class."
Manny gives me a sideways glare. "And why did you do that? You never said a word to me about doing that."
"I wasn't aware I had to tell you everything I did!" I snap back. I'm feeling defensive, even if I have no right to be.
We sit in angry silence for a long moment.
"The guy's sick, he's a perv, I can tell," Manny says finally. "Has he messed with you? Because if he has, I'll fucking kill him."
I have to calm him down before he goes off on a rampage. Manny killing Michael won't help anything.
"Please, stop. I'm so tired of talking about him. We had such a nice day yesterday." I lay my hand on Manny's knee. "Can't we keep that going?"
His jaw is working, grinding, and his lips are thinned, but as I rub his thigh, he starts to calm down, and then finally, he looks at me, taking my hand.
"I don't want to go back in there," he tells me.
"I don't either," I whisper back. Mom and Patrick are both at work, the house is empty. "Let's go to my place."
◆◆◆
Manny and I are in my room and the house is ours. But to be on the safe side, I close and lock my door because with my luck my mom or Ethan will decide to come home for lunch or something.
Manny has taken off his denim jacket and is standing in front of me in his tight torn jeans and white tee-shirt. He leans forward and kisses me softly and I melt into him, pushing my breasts into his lower chest and then lowering my lips to his neck once the kiss ends.
I slide my tongue over his smooth
