Cheat Sheets

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Twelve

At school on Monday, Josh seems to be battling a serious mood and as I go up to him at our lockers his teeth are chattering together. “What’s up with you?”

He shrugs and gives me a onceover, as if finally noticing what I look like for the first time. “Some punks vandalized our house and put my pants in the freezer. I mean what up with that? What was even the point? Now I’m cold. And some dick put a virus on my laptop.”

“Sounds like you had a rough weekend.” I offer him a sorry pat on the back.

The sardonic look he shoots me is killing. “Yeah, rough, whatever. I’ll see you around.” And like that I’m dismissed. I swear to god I’m happy I found out when I did, because this dismissive attitude of his is a bummer. Not every aspect of Josh Walters is all sunshine and rainbows; most of the time he’s an asshole.

I’m so glad I’ve got Braeden. He kind of makes putting up with Josh worth it.

Speaking of Braeden. As of late it’s like wherever I go he’s not far behind. “What’s up gorgeous?” He asks me whilst raising his hand to me for a fist bump. The hallway is near empty so I see no problem with saddling up next to Braeden to walk to English together.

I compliantly bump his fist with mine and chuckle. “Josh is in a crappy mood. You’re too good at this bad boy stuff; it’s quite scary actually.”

He pretends to flick dirt off of his shoulder. “Babe, I’ve had years of experience. I could do this stuff in my sleep.”

“You’ll grow up one day Brae” I conspiratorially pat him on the back in sympathy “what are your plans after the summer? You doing that whole college thing?”

The smile Braeden shoots me tells me all I need to know about how excited he is to go off to college. “Yup, I’ve got these big dreams of being a frat boy, getting my Psychology minor and my Psychiatry major, getting white girl wasted every day and then settling down in my thirties in a house with a white picket fence, two dogs, a wife and a handful of kids.”

“Wow.” Talk about plan ahead. I didn’t even know what I’d eat for lunch today; I can’t imagine having every step of my life planned out like that.

Braeden rolls his eyes and pokes me in the ribs with his elbow. “I’m teasing you, Kee. Although now that I think about it, marrying my high school sweetheart and getting two dogs does sound like a nice idea.”

I blush at his pointed smirk in my direction and hide my reddened face behind the fall of my hair. “Shut up.” I mumble, pushing Braeden into English and following mutely behind him, not daring to show my tomato face to anybody in case I get caught out.

When I get to my seat at the back of the classroom, I’m surprised to find my desk buddy Graham on the other side of the classroom and Braeden slinging his backpack down on the table besides mine. “What are you doing?”

As if the answer is obvious, Braeden slumps into the seat next to mine and tips it back onto its hind legs. “Playing X-Box, what does it look like I’m doing?”

“I don’t appreciate your sarcasm!” I stick my tongue out at him whilst arranging my notebooks and textbooks neatly around myself. When he snatches up my spare pen and rips a couple of pages out of my notebook, I swat him up the side of the head.

“Yeah well I don’t appreciate your-”

“Mr Reigns, couldn’t find your allocated seat?” Mrs Burns asks from the front of the classroom, swiftly cutting off Braeden’s smart ass retort, her hands on hips and eyes looking at Braeden and me as if in amusement.

Braeden chuckles and pretends to sniffle. “Sorry miss, allergy season, can’t sit by the window.” He shrugs as if that explains it all before rocking on his chair legs and sending me a wink.

“Oh yes?” Mrs Burns harrumphs “and what exactly are you allergic to?”

Everything’s quiet for a while as Braeden scrambles to come up with a plausible answer. “Air, Miss?” Braeden questions dumbly as if not sure of the answer himself and the whole class – myself included – breaks into sniggers and giggles.

Mrs Burns smiles and taps her whiteboard. “Hmm, nice try Mr Reigns, but because I’m in a lenient mood today you can stay where you’re seated. Now everybody get your books out and turn to pages 145-6.”

We all quickly do what Mrs Burns ordered and I flip to the correct page with a triumphant smile. It’s not until I hear a ‘pssst’ besides me do I look up in Braeden’s direction and wait patiently for him to speak. “Hey, would you share your book with me?”

I shake my head in denial “no, what happened to yours?”

Braeden shoves the end of my pen into his mouth and shrugs “I was using it as a coaster and it got drenched in iced tea, it’s at home drying over the radiator.”

With a huff, I spread my book between us and point at the line that’s currently being read out. “At least pretend to care about the lesson, okay?”

A guilty smile graces the corners of his mouth and he suddenly sets his chair on all four legs to lean onto the table and over the book as if fully absorbed in every single word. “For you, Keira, anything.”

Under the table, I spread my fingers through his and let him set our hands in his lap as we diligently take notes. I feel special, knowing that I’m the only one Braeden shows this sweet side of himself to, knowing that it’s all for me makes me feel giddy with excitement. I really think I love this boy.

(A/N short and sweet and totally a filler chapter, sorry, but dedicated to PikaKatt who demanded more from me ;) )