Exaltation (Insight #11)(49)

She was in her seat long before the warning bell rang. She had enough time to look for a good song on her iPod. She wanted that sensation she felt in the Veil back more than ever, that peace. Rydell. I kissed a boy without knowing his name. Raven turned crimson. And he was so good at kissing.

The girl next to Raven tapped on her desk. Raven looked up in time to see the teacher making the motion to tell her to pull out her headphones. As soon as she did Raven heard her say, “Welcome to the class. Miss BellaRose.”

When she turned to erase the board, a note was slid around from behind Raven. It read: what song is making you blush?

Raven glanced over her shoulder and turned beet red. Rydell King was sitting behind her and he had shaved. He ran the back of his hand over his cheek, as his lush lips curled into a smirk. Raven turned around at the speed of light.

Her nervous tick was to flip her hair over her shoulder and when she heard the long strands brush across his desk she was mortified.

What was it about this boy that makes me send out all the wrong signals? she thought with a curse.

Raven never heard another word the teacher said.

When the bell rang she took her time getting her things together. She only had to go across the hall and wanted to make sure Rydell was going in the opposite direction. She waited and waited…and waited. He never moved. Finally, Raven grabbed her bag and stood.

She wasn’t sure how he did it, but all at once he was right before her, blocking her path.

“How did this happen?” he asked as he reached for her white streak.

Raven held a breath as she felt his warm hand against her neck. Normally she would have said something sarcastic but he wasn’t hitting on her. His brow was furrowed and a protective stare was in his eyes.

“Dye.”

He moved his head side to side. “No dye has ever touched this hair,” he said as the strands moved through his fingers.

What is this silk barrier between us…surely not a spell? Rydell thought to himself. How he could touch her and not really feel her was blowing his mind.

“Do you moonlight as a hairdresser?” Raven asked in the hardest tone she could muster.

“Nope. Just not blind. What happened?”

“Bad first date. Kinda turned me off to the entire idea of them. Especially when it comes to trusting boys.”

He seemed angry all at once. Raven was pretty sure it wasn’t directed at her and was glad it wasn’t. He looked downright fierce.

“What did he do to you?”

“Ah, you know, the usual,” Raven said as she moved her hair away from his fingertips. “He wanted more than I wanted to give him in more ways than one.”

“Did he,” he said as his jaw clenched.

If he only knew the rest…he’d probably run like hell away from me, Raven thought.

The next class was starting to pile in so she made her way out. She spotted Soren walking down the hall with his schedule in hand, looking from door to door. Raven grabbed his book bag and pulled him back toward where they were supposed to go. She looped her arm around his like he was the most prized possession she had because she could still feel Rydell’s eyes on her.

She sat in the back corner with Soren next to her. And damned if Rydell didn’t stroll in right after them. Instead of sitting in front of Raven he sat on the opposite side of Soren.

Rydell started some kind of conversation with Soren about cars that Raven was sure was lost on him. The only wheels Soren cared about were ones at his feet, whether that was a board, bike, or skates.

This was shaping up to be the longest day of Raven’s life.

That point was backed up when Rydell strolled into third period. Some guy was already sitting in the back corner so Raven had to sit one up from where she liked to be in the room. Rydell sat behind her, one row over.

Before Soren sat down he leaned into her ear. “Can we sit by the door? By the way, I hate this school.”

Raven glanced around him toward the front seats, but they were already filling in.

“Too late. What burned you?”

“Just stay close to me,” he breathed as he sat down across from her.

Rydell was right behind him but chose not to try and start another conversation with him.

Kimberly popped down in the seat in front of Raven. “You’re in here now? River had this class before. Now she’s in my second. Shame,” she said as a huge grin spread across her face. “I was hoping I could get her to tell me more about your mystery boy. Does he really taste like sin or was she just playing it up—did you chicken out?”

Right then Raven heard Rydell try to cover a laugh with a cough.

“What?” Soren asked.

Raven glanced to him. From the corner of her eye she saw Rydell leaning back in his desk, slanting to the right and failing miserably to hide his grin. The boy in the back corner was apparently failing to hold in a laugh as well.

Kimberly was oblivious. She noticed them laughing but had no idea why. She glanced around Raven and her eyes went wide.

“Hey, Dagen.” Her flirtatious smile emerged then. “Good karma helping Kade out with his car. Too bad you guys couldn’t come in second at the rink, too.”

The boy cleared his throat before he answered. “I would agree. I was hoping my boy would show up to help us get everything running right but at times he can be sinfully distracted. He was focused at the field though. Kade will win soon enough. Mark my words.”