aren’t lovers.”
“You sure about that? Because I can never tell with you two.”
“Hmmm, let me think,” I sarcastically say, thrumming my fingertip on my lip. “Well, there was that one time when we kissed under the bleachers and I nearly swooned on the floor. It was so magical.” I roll my eyes. “What are we, gossiping girls?”
“Hate to break it to you, but you are a girl.” He scans me over, his gaze remaining a little too long on my chest.
I cross my arms and decide to put him on the spot. “Okay, so why were you two meeting up before school? Because I’d really like to know for the band’s sake. I mean, for all I know, you two could be having a bromance quarrel.”
He stares at me blankly, clearly unimpressed. “You’re too clever for your own good, Lyric Scott.” He tucks his pencil into the spiral of his notebook then leans back in his chair with a lazy grin on his face. “And I’m not telling you my secrets unless you tell me yours.”
I scrunch my nose at him. “Well, this game isn’t fun if you’re not going to play.”
“Sorry.” He seems very unapologetic. “Besides, I don’t want to talk about this with anyone until I chat with Ayden first.”
“You’re being very cryptic.” I examine him intently. “You’re not thinking about springing the band, are you? I know we haven’t gotten any gigs yet and everything, but working my magic takes time.”
“I know it does.” He reaches into his pocket for his phone. “And it’s not that. Trust me, I’m way too comfortable with you guys to ever start over with a new band.” He reads something on the screen of his phone then smiles. “Well, looks like our boy got his phone back.”
“Ayden just texted you?” I lean over my desk to look at the screen of his phone, but Sage quickly presses it to his chest.
“Dude, that’s private shit right there, Lyric.” He stuffs his phone into the pocket of his blue hoodie. “I know you and Ayden don’t have boundaries and everything, but seriously, you can’t just read people’s phones whenever you want.”
“Sorry.” I’m not, though. I’m actually really curious to read what’s on his phone, more than I was before.
“It’s cool.” He shuts his book, giving up on us finishing the assignment. “We should probably finish the project up after band practice or something since we wasted so much class time.”
“Sounds like a plan.” I close my textbook and shove it into my bag.
For the next seven minutes, I mentally chant the lyrics of an angsty song I wrote during first period, trying to cool off and not get jealous over the fact that Ayden texted Sage before me.
Am I another obsession?
An aching in your brain?
Am I a complicated attraction?
Driving you insane?
Tell me why I can’t get you out of my head!
What it is you’ve done to me?
Why do you drive me so fucking crazy!
Please, please, tell me
Something.
Anything.
That will help me think
Clearly agaaaaiiiin!!!!
By the time the bell rings, I’ve chillaxed a smidgeon. I enter the busy hallway and spot Ayden leaning against the lockers across from the classroom. He’s texting on his phone with his head angled down so he doesn’t see me right away.
Sliding the handle of my bag over my shoulder, I push people out of my way as I march up to him. “Hey, what’s up, buddy?”
His head jerks up at the sound of my voice, and he almost drops his phone. “You scared the shit out of me.” He presses his hand to his heart and his breathing turns ragged.
My lips tug upward. “Clearly.”
“Hey, we’ll talk at practice later!” Sage shouts to Ayden as he walks backwards down the hallway. “I seriously have something important to talk to you about, so no blowing me off again!”
Ayden holds a thumbs up in his direction as he finishes sending his
Learning to Kill: Stories