How much tragedy does it take before someone snaps?
Raised by the president of the Rogue Dogs Motorcycle Club, who just happens to be her uncle, had given Teresa-James O'Dell a tough skin. She didn't waste her time with the gossiping girls who saw...
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17 years old
"Oklahoma," the brunette asked. For whatever reason she was still playing her guessing game that I couldn't give two shits about.
"No," I grumbled. It probably didn't help that I was stuck with the band of misfits. Being part of purgatory was a result of sitting with them the first day in this hellish town. The misfits were growing on me though. Yes, I just admitted to being brainwashed. No, it wasn't from any Stepford treats. I don't think anyways.
Over the last few weeks I discovered that this group of mismatched friends were on the outs with the rest of their classmates. If I saw them interacting with anyone it was brief and focused on school. I could easily understand folks ignoring the angry looking beast known as Oliver, and the feisty chick named Jillian. The only one that could fit in with any other crowd was TJ.
The well mannered, brainiac with dark brown hair was hot as hell. The fact that guys kept their distance from her made me wonder if something was wrong with them, rather than her. The hypnotic color of her eyes would be enough to distract a guy. Once you throw in the curves under the just tight enough clothes, she was hard to look away from.
"Kansas," she chirped again from behind the AP chem book. If the studying while quizzing me wasn't proof that she was smart, the bright red ninety-eight percent she flashed me after my home economics comment did.
"Tracy Jean," I retorted, making her eyes snap to mine. Oliver choked on the swig of water at my response.
"Excuse me?"
"Your name." I threw her another one of my smiles and watched as she shifted from focused to bored.
"Not even close," she bit out.
"It's gotta be a little close, darlin'. Both start with your initials." The book was eased to lay across the table and her brow slowly rose. There was a challenge in those pale green eyes that, yes, even I wasn't immune of getting lost in.
"You'll never figure it out." In a dramatic, uncaring fashion, she gestured to the others in the cafeteria. "These people have been in school with me since we started and none of them know it."
"It's hard when you don't let any of them in."
"Pot," she pointed to her beautiful chest then turned that finger on me, "Kettle."
Damn. Girl knew how the game worked and it was worth admiring. Almost as much as that daring low cut shirt. The brain south of my belt started doing all my thinking. It was getting bored and lonely from the lack of attention. I was still working to find myself something to get me by, but like I said purgatory made that a little more difficult.
I thought I'd have a shot at Jillian when she skipped over to me the first day. Then I found her hanging all over the guy who I assumed was TJ's boyfriend. Even knowing now that they weren't dating, he still watched her like a possessive prick. Any comment that he deemed unworthy instantly sent him into protector mode.
