RING THE ALARM
“Today I blinked,
and accidentally fell in love.”
Melody Manful
Even though I wanted to deny it, Gideon’s presence unnerved me. Could he really be the guy from my nightmare? I didn’t have prophetic dreams, did I? I tried to shake off my unease. After all, what was the new guy going to do, ask for a ride and kill me? No way whatsoever!
I stole another glance at him. Mysterious, good-looking guys weren’t killers, right?
History class ended, and we were given only five minutes to get ready for our next lesson, English Literature, which was also with Mr. Bernard. Those who didn’t have literature with him left while others joined the class. I couldn’t concentrate when Mr. Bernard started teaching again.
I wanted to turn and see if Gideon was staring at me, but I decided against it. Within minutes, I’d decided to avoid him, forever.
Eventually, the bell rang for lunch. Some of the students rushed out like a pride of hungry lions.
“Doreen, baby, walk with me,” Jake said as he walked toward Doreen and wrapped his arm around her waist.
“Ewww!” Doreen pushed Jake away. “Don’t ever touch me again!” She glared at him and walked briskly away.
Jake stared after Doreen with a puppy dog face. “She so wants me.”
We laughed. Out of all the girls in school that he could have a crush on, he chose Doreen, who didn’t even want to breathe the same air as him.
“Yeah, in your head,” Danny teased.
“Aren’t you coming?” Tristan asked, looking down at me.
His voice pulled me out of my thoughts about Gideon and my nightmare. I looked up at him.
“Go on ahead.” I cleared my throat and looked down, careful not to say anything else and push my luck since that was the most comprehensible thing I had said to him all day.
“Should I stay with you?” he asked.
I quickly looked up to make sure Tristan was talking to me. His eyes were on me.
Say yes, Abigail!
“Hmmm…” I choked on my words, my mouth felt suddenly dry. “That’s okay.” I looked away from his intense gaze. I wanted to take back my words, tell him I meant to scream yes. But my shyness wouldn’t let me.
“Yo, Gideon, care to join us?” Jake called to him.
“Later. I have to take care of something,” Gideon said.
“We’ll save you guys a chair,” Jake said.
Danny followed Jake outside, but Tristan hesitated before following. He glanced at me one last time and then left the classroom. I turned to Sarah.
“What?” I asked, looking at her playful expression.
“I think someone likes you.” She nodded toward the door. Sarah had been saying this ever since Tristan had invited me over for an early dinner two weeks ago. It wasn’t a date, though, because my bodyguards were also invited. And we didn’t even talk about ourselves; we talked about schoolwork. Tristan intimidated me—that much I’d admit. I always felt shy around him, but then again, he had that effect on every girl I knew.
“Tristan doesn’t like me.” If only my voice didn’t sound overjoyed, she would have believed me.
“Are you kidding? He was asking to spend time with you.” Sarah smiled knowingly and then turned around, fanning her face. “Wow, Gideon is burning up the place.”
“Go and bring back a fire extinguisher.” I played along. She laughed and walked out.
“Gideon, do you want a tour of the school?” I overheard Doreen asking Gideon.
Gideon asked, “Who’s asking?” And I looked up at them curiously.
“Well…” Doreen leaned on Gideon’s table, facing him. “I am,” she said, and I could only guess why she was in that position.
“Well, I am,” Gideon said, and I almost snorted. “I know this school by heart. There was a map in the student brochure.”
“Well…” Doreen stood up, reached into her left bra cup, and pulled out a card. “Call me if you change your mind. I’ll be waiting.”
Gideon took the card. “I wouldn’t hold my breath if I were you,” he said, placing the card on the table.
“Don’t count on it,” Doreen said in her sexy voice—the one I’d heard her use whenever she wanted something from someone. “I’ll see you around.”
“I hope not,” Gideon answered, and although I couldn’t see Doreen’s expression, I was sure she was surprised and maybe a little embarrassed.
“They always come around,” Doreen said and then turned and walked out the door.
“What a jerk,” I mumbled as I collected my things.
“Now, Miss Cells, that’s a bit judgmental, don’t you think?”
At the sound of Gideon’s voice, I froze. I didn’t know when he got there, but Gideon now stood directly beside me. I had been a good four seats away from him. Breathe in, breathe out—I thought I might collapse. Maybe if I closed my eyes and prayed really hard, a meteor would crash into Earth. Worst-case scenario, but it would be the best thing that could happen to me given the situation.
“Do you have a sight problem?” he asked, and then without warning, he sat down beside me.
“Excuse me?”
“It seems, Miss Cells, that you have a hearing problem, too,” he said as he took my history book from the table.
“I don’t have a hearing problem, and there’s nothing wrong with my eyes.” I was going to apologize for calling him a jerk, but he could just forget it.
“Are you sure?” he asked. “You did run into me.” He opened my book and started flipping lazily through the pages.
“I was—” I decided to leave the pee thing out of it.
“Go on, I’m listening,” he said, his eyes focusing on the contents of the history book.
I had no idea how I went from wanting him to disappear to talking with him. Now I wished I had only thought he was a jerk rather than saying it out loud. “I was—”
“On second thought, don’t tell me,” he cut me off.
“You don’t have to be rude,” I replied, snatching my book away from him. I stood. I didn’t want to go outside and have people stare at me, but if it meant I’d be away from Gideon, I’d take it.
He stood, too. “I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just that I’m not—”
“Used to thinking before you speak?” I finished for him, feeling a surge of confidence.
He smiled. “No, I was going to say not used to human conversations.”
“Human conversations?” I asked. What the hell was that supposed to mean? “I’m pretty sure non-human creatures have brains, too.” I shoved my books into my bag.
“I know what this is,” he said as I shoved my laptop into my bag. “You’re angry.” He dangled my notebook in front of me.
“What gave that away?” I snapped.
“Your heartbeat.”
I wasn’t expecting that answer.
“So, where are you taking me?” Gideon asked, a cocky smile playing on his lips. “I figured since you bumped into me, you owe me a tour.”
“I’m pretty sure I heard Doreen offering to take you.”
“Eavesdropping doesn’t suit you, Miss Cells.” He handed me my notebook.
“Abigail,” I corrected. “And I wasn’t…” Suddenly I couldn’t breathe because he stepped closer toward me.
“Abigail.” Gideon leaned toward me. My heart started thumping. “Breathe,” he whispered, and then he proceeded to tuck a loose strand of my hair behind my ear.
The sound of him speaking my name was alluring. My name on his lips brought with it an accent I hadn’t heard before, making the name itself seem intimate and special, as though on his lips it made sense. Come back to Earth, Abigail!
“I…I can’t take you on a tour.” I turned away from him and untucked my hair from behind my ear in an attempt to hide my face. I glanced up at Mr. Bernard, but he stared at a book in his hands. His focus was lost on us.
“Why not, Abigail?” Gideon asked.
I zipped my bag. “Because,” I breathed out, shaking off my sudden shivers, “I’m trying to avoid going outside, and you’re…” A stranger. A jerk. Scary. All of the above.
“That doesn’t sound like enough of a reason,” Even though I was kind of annoyed at him, I wasn’t completely immune to his charm. “Come on, it won’t take long.”
“I just…” I just can’t because you freak me out. “I’d like to give you a tour, but frankly, you’re kind of a jerk.”
He sat on the table. “Heard that this morning.”
“And arrogant.”
“My middle name.” He smirked, making my heart jump.
“Are you a serial killer?” I asked without thinking. His smile quickly disappeared before returning with less enthusiasm.
“Miss Cells, that’s an odd question. But no, I’m not.” His green eyes watched mine.
I dusted myself off just for something to do and slowly shrugged on my jacket. My eyes met Gideon’s, and the moment they did, my heart took a violent leap. I was sure he heard it, but he studied me calmly. I didn’t know what else to do, so I grabbed my bag and started to walk away.
He called after me, “Jake likes her, doesn’t he?”
“Who, Doreen? Yes,” I answered.
“I’d rather have a friend than an enemy,” he said, his eyes still on mine.
“Why are you telling me this?”
“I’m telling you because you think I’m a jerk,” he answered. “I wasn’t trying to be. Jake seems like an awesome person, and I didn’t want to ruin any chance of becoming friends with him. That’s why I had to decline her invitation.”
Okay, so maybe I had misjudged him, but it still didn’t explain why he was rude to me. “I have to go,” I whispered and continued to the door.
“Miss Cells?” he called again, pushing away from the table. “You forgot this one.” He pointed at one of my books, which was still lying on the table. “The sight problem I was talking about.” He tipped his head to the side and smiled at me. He was being a jerk again, but he was a handsome jerk.
“The jerk thing I was talking about,” I smirked and walked back to him.
I reached out for my book at the same moment Gideon did, and our hands touched. In that second, it was as if the whole world stopped turning, and we were the only two people caught in the moment. I felt the heat of his palm, and my whole body warmed as my pulse climbed. Suddenly it felt as if the air between us electrified, amplifying Gideon’s touch and making me feel as if he were touching every nerve in my body.
Gideon was the first to pull his hand away, breaking the connection.
“I…” I was tongue-tied. “I…” I had no idea what I wanted to say.
“Your...” Gideon gave me the book. He didn’t continue what he was saying; he only stared at me, confused.
I was confused, too. “Thanks,” I whispered and then rushed out of the classroom. The moment I stepped outside, I breathed in, not remembering at what point I started holding my breath.
What the hell just happened?