Hang Ten - 9 Guys and a Girl

Chapter 15 - Enemies

Sang

As I step into my AP US History class, I stop just inside the door. I know it is no use trying to find a seat of my own; at this point I am sure that Victor will be saving me a seat near him. I glance around the room and see him sitting in the back row with an empty seat next to him—well not really empty, his book bag is sitting on top of the seat—but when he sees me coming, he moves it and waves me over. I take a deep breath and make my way to the back of the classroom.

I steel myself for the inevitable. Each time I meet one of Mr. Blackbourne's boys, they reach out to shake my hand. I already know that I will feel the familiar warmth up my arm, so I am not surprised when I reach for Victor's hand and that is what happens. The heat creeps up my arm and my face burns bright. I glance at Victor and see he is in a similar state.

"Wow," he says with awe in his voice, "I know they said there would be some warm feelings when I touched you, but this is nothing like what I had imagined."

He regretfully releases my hand and stands from his seat, gesturing to mine. "I'm so sorry. I know I should stand when I greet a lady," he says as he looks directly at me. "Please, will you forgive me, Princess?"

Oh. My. God, is he for real? He is handsome, talented and any girl in this room would give anything for a word from him, and he is begging for my forgiveness? Especially considering that I have never been the recipient of such courtesy before, I don't even know how to deal with it.

I wave my hand airily—albeit a bit shakily—and say, "Of course, Victor, there is nothing to forgive."

I am not sure why, but a smile kicks up on his face and he looks down for a moment. He gives a tiny shake of his head, as if clearing his thoughts, and sits back down. He stares straight ahead for a moment, and just when I think he is going to ignore me, he turns to me and says, "Sang, it is a real pleasure to meet you."

When I look into his eyes, I see a brilliant fire blazing within his gaze. I have heard of the term "fire in his eyes" before, but never really knew what it meant. I always thought it was just a flowery literary turn of phrase to make a person seem more intense. Well, let me tell you, it is real and it is beautiful.

I blush a fiery red when I realize that I am staring at him and not saying a word. "It's nice to meet you as well," I mumble. If the floor could just open up and swallow me whole, that would be awesome!

The teacher comes in and class begins. I pull out my history book and open up to the page she indicates. I decide that I am going to put Victor Morgan out of my mind and focus on class. I can't spend any more time today mooning over these boys. However, my mind betrays me and I think about each one and how I met them. In my mind, I see Luke's blonde hair and brown eyes. He makes me feel so happy. Then I remember North's black hair and brown eyes. He makes me feel protected and special. Then there is Silas—he is a big teddy bear and I felt so comfortable and safe in his arms.

Meeting Dr. Green was surprising. I didn't expect a doctor to be so young, or so handsome. He looked at me and I felt cherished. It was something about his southern charm and how he could make me laugh.

Mr. Blackbourne is an imposing-looking gentleman, but there is something in the core of him that reaches out to the core of me. He takes control and gives me a structure that has been missing in my life. I know that he will always be looking out for my interests.

Kota was a surprise; I had no idea that Mr. Blackbourne had asked his team to walk me through the halls. I am still not sure how I feel about this cocoon of protection they seem to be weaving around me. However, I cannot be upset about meeting Kota. He is so handsome and smart, but with a core of steel beneath his exterior. He is so much more than he appears, and I look forward to getting to know him.