Diary of a Teenage Jewel Thief(5)

“I promise.”

The elevator dings its arrival, and the doors slide open. I rush inside and hit the button for the lobby, then relax against the back wall and breathe a sigh of relief. My mom isn’t typically the nervous type, and her obvious anxiety today has left me a little on edge myself.

Halfway down, the elevator stops, and a tiny, old woman with a tiny dog in a jewel-encrusted collar and leash steps on. They both eyeball me the rest of the way to the ground floor, and I do my best not to make eye contact with either. I may not be a career thief anymore, but I still appreciate all the shiny. And I could be off this elevator with that collar without her ever realizing I’ve touched the dog.

But I won’t. I don’t live that life anymore. I won’t be that person.

Once we land at the lobby, I can’t get off fast enough, and I make my escape before the old woman has even taken a step toward the doors. I square my shoulders and head out of the lobby. The air is crisp, and I suck in a deep breath. And immediately cough it back out. Crisp, yes. Fresh? Not so much. My nostrils sting as if I’ve just smelled the entire city at once. I don’t remember it smelling quite so…pungent. Settling for shallow breaths until I become accustomed to the air, I head in the direction of my new school. I fall into step behind a smartly suited businessman who turns off a block later. Then it’s just me cruising this section of the sidewalk. I’d expected it to be busier, and while the sidewalk isn’t entirely deserted, there’s no one in my immediate area. It certainly isn’t the crowd of people all heading in the same direction like ants that I’ve always imagined New York sidewalks to be.

When I turn the corner a block from the school, I find the missing masses. Teens line the sidewalk, spilling out into the roadway and climbing up onto the wrought-iron bars surrounding the main building. Some stand in groups; others navigate the path alone. Like me. Even though I’m not the only student arriving by myself, I still feel overly conspicuous. I square my posture, heft my backpack onto my shoulders a little more securely, and raise my hands up to grip the straps for comfort. And trudge forward into the melee.

I’m almost to the wide stone steps leading up to the front entrance when a jean-clad leg extends to block me. At first, I don’t look. I don’t have to; I can see in my periphery that it belongs to a boy, a tall boy sitting on the short retaining wall bordering the sidewalk.

“Hey, hey. I’ve never seen you before. Are you new?” His voice is sharp and nasally, and his tone is overly confident.

“I’m new.” I keep my voice even and wait to see what he does next.

When he doesn’t lower his leg, I turn to look at him, more out of curiosity than anything else, and he finally returns his foot to the ground.

His face matches his voice, a little mouselike, and his hair is drab brown and a little greasy. Or maybe I’m just being overly critical because I don’t like the way he’s looking at me.

“See something you like?”

I suspect if his ego grows any larger, it might suck the air out of the space between us. “Does that line ever actually work?” I answer.

“Come on, Nicky. Dial it back,” the boy next to him says in a deep, smooth voice that immediately draws my attention. Not because he’s coming to my defense but because I want to hear him speak more.

Holy hotness, he’s all golden gorgeousness. My stomach flips over, and I can’t seem to pull my gaze away from his perfect features, his square jaw and patrician nose, his high cheekbones and Cupid’s-bow lips, but more than anything, it’s his crystal-blue eyes—light against the darker tone of his skin—that snare my attention, more gray than blue, like the color of a winter storm or a frozen lake. But they’re anything but cold. His eyes are warm and inviting and crinkle at the corners in amusement.

“She’s way too good for the likes of you.” He slaps his friend on the shoulder in commiseration.

The boy seated to his left sniggers, and the spell is broken. I’ve been so absorbed in admiring him, I’ve completely spaced on the fact that there are other people around us. Watching me make a fool of myself. On the bright side, at least I’ve kept my mouth shut and haven’t been drooling all over the pavement at his feet.

A perky, dark-haired girl bounces up onto the retaining wall and circles the boys to land on her knees behind Nicky. Even though he couldn’t possibly have missed her entrance, she covers his eyes with her hands and chirps, “Guess who!”

“Um…Rachel?” Nicky pretends to guess.

Her bottom lip folds into a perfect pout. “No.”

“Angela?”

The girl slides her hands away from his eyes and plants them firmly on her hips. “No.”

Nicky turns to her with a smile. “Come on, Danielle, you know I’m just playing.”

Danielle’s pout turns into a pleased grin, and she wraps him in a tight hug. When she releases him and stands, she asks, “Do you wanna come over after school today?”

“Sure…maybe.” He turns his attention to me while he’s answering her, and she follows the direction of his gaze. Her eyes widen, like she’s only just noticing me.

“Hi, I’m Danielle. Are you a friend of Nick’s?” Her voice is sugary, but her eyes narrow as she asks the question.

I take a step back and fight the urge to throw my hands up as a display of my innocence. “This is my first day. I was just on my way to the office to get my schedule.”