Forbidden Law (An Alien Love #1)

Chapter Six

The rest of the day went by as a blur of jumbled images. The inappropriate behavior from teachers and female students continued, though maybe I just hoped for it, seemed to be ebbing slightly. It was plausible for chemistry and physical attractiveness to control this reaction, though I theorized that I was somehow immune by continuous proximity. Jace would often stare in bewildered silence at the blushing and giggling bands of girl packs. Isabella's clique was no different; they all openly pined in frustration. In fact, the obvious disinterest seemed to intensify the pursued attention from that group.

After the last class of the day, I walked Jace to the gym so he could get his tryout uniform. Those consisted of basketball shorts, a gray t-shirt, and some running shoes. He could dress in a rice sack and still look like a model fresh off the runway for Calvin Klein. I tried to ignore the way dark coloring contrasted nicely to his skin and eyes, the green of the shorts complimenting a warm glow in his face.

There were at least fifty guys sitting in the bleachers outside waiting to get started. A lot of them rubbed hands together and crossed their arms against the windy chill in the air. Jace joined them as I sat in my cozy, oversized sweater, watching and cheering when expected. Honestly, football was quite dull to me, but my idea of great social opportunity for him was this.

At lunch, I had explained football rules and tactics, how to play and what each position did. He had nodded while concentrating on every word, a new light of interest shining from his face.

"I think I will like this game. It sounds... somewhat challenging. Though I do not know why they call it 'football' when it clearly has no association to the feet."

I still chuckled at that last comment. So I sat back and crossed my fingers for the best.

Jace's group was up, shaking me out of my daydream. The try out routine consisted of throwing balls at targets and tackling dummies while simultaneously receiving throws from all directions.

The coach had them run around the field three times, cheerfully yelling at Jace to exhibit a few bursts of speed and finesse. During our football rundown, I'd reminded him that his faster-than-sight speed could not, under any circumstances, be shown off. He was still displaying now, but it was obvious to me that he was restraining his physical alien abilities through controlled speed and strength. He didn't look tired or out of breath, even after running about a mile, tackling five guys, and hustling through some snakes and push ups. I almost worried that others would notice this fact, but looking around proved otherwise; the onlookers only cheered and girls whistled in admiration. Every ball was caught perfectly, every throw slicing through the air in even arcs to the objective.

I cheered and whistled for him, his eyes glancing up at me with a satisfied glint. Mike, sitting on the sidelines, didn't look in the least bit happy. His nose was swollen and purple with blooming bruises. Isabella and her squad danced off to the side, her face a mask of possessive tension; this sent discomfort to set in my bones. The fact that he didn't notice her was probably a turn-on. I had the sudden urge to gag. I was actually quite surprised she hadn't broken up with Mike after that display this morning.

But then it hit me: he was now the most attractive male in the school besides Mike and a select few others. No matter how much girls declared to be all about "it's the inside that matters," they were just as superficial as guys. 

Tryouts being done, I waited patiently until Jace came out in fresh clothes, his raven hair still damp from a shower. The clouds above stirred in a puffy soup with no hint of the setting sun. With winter well on it's way or already here, the sun was going down earlier and earlier every day.

"How did I perform?" he asked as he joined my side. I smiled up at him.

"Great! You beat every other boys' scores by quite a margin." He nodded, satisfied. I took his arm in mine, unable to help myself now. His head bent as he stared at our contact, expressionless. I was uncertain, but he didn't pull away, so I continued to relish the warm shivers that sent waves up my arm.