Natti handed Wanda her racquet. “Well, first off, you’re gripping the racquet too tight. Here, let me show you.” Natti cuffed Wanda’s hand around the grip. “Place base knuckle over the second panel of the grip. Loosen up a bit. Think of it as a handshake. You want it firm. Not loose enough to lose the grip, but not hard enough to break your fingers.”
Wanda laughed and shook the racquet in her hand to feel the grip. “That’s it,” Natti complimented with a smile. “Oh, and be sure not to overlay your thumb. There you go. Brilliant! Now, let’s work on some of your strokes.”
The final bell rang in the distance, announcing the end of class. Natti and Wanda walked off the court together.
“Thanks for standing up for me, by the way,” Wanda said. “You really didn’t have to do that. I’m used to being laughed at.”
Natti rolled her eyes. “They were being jerks. Someone had to put them in their place. Especially that slimeball, Ky.”
“You don’t want to get in trouble with him, Natti,” Wanda warned.
“Quite honestly, I think those three can go screw themselves.”
Wanda smirked. “You won’t feel that way for long.”
Natti’s brows furrowed, her temper beginning to boil. “Why does everyone keep implying that? First Kevin. Now you.”
“Because you’re pretty, and pretty girls always drift toward them eventually. Rumor has it Seth has already slept with half the girls in this school.”
“I wouldn’t doubt that.” Natti sniggered. “But I’m not about to become one of his trophies.”
Wanda glanced over at Seth then focused on the ground. “Yeah, well . . . I have to catch the bus.”
“And I have to go run some laps before I can head home. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Wanda sighed. “Yeah. It was nice meeting you.”
Natti looked at her bewildered, wondering why everyone was acting like it was her funeral. It was only her first day, for goodness sakes. Unfortunately, before she could ask, Wanda disappeared through the gate.
“Ms. Stone!” Mrs. Kuft called as she tapped her pencil on her clipboard.
Natti groaned. The mystery of Seth and his so-called power over the school would have to wait. She rushed over to Mrs. Kuft, who waved for her to follow. They walked to the track field where Mrs. Kuft pulled out a stop watch from her pocket.
“I want you to run five laps—”
“Five?”
“Three for your tardiness and two for your little temper tantrum today. Five laps starting . . .” She pressed the start button of her watch. “Now!”
Natti continued to stare at Mrs. Kuft until she realized she was supposed to be running laps. She took off down the track and slowed down into a comfortable pace. Her mind began to wander. The only sounds were the wind rushing by her ears and the beating of her heart. She took the first bend when she heard someone come up alongside her, falling into her pace.
“Dear God!” Natti growled.
Seth beamed at her. “Hi.”
“Why can’t you just leave me alone?”
“Don’t you want some company?” His elbow brushed up against her arm, and a fog began to drift over her mind. Natti shook it off.
“I’d rather be alone!” she hissed, sliding away.
Seth shrugged, but he didn’t fall back. He only flashed another kind smile.
“What is it that you want, exactly?”
“I don’t want anything,” Seth cooed.
Natti felt the weight of his lie, making it feel as if her heart crashed right into her stomach. “Liar!”
Seth jumped back, surprised. “How would you know?”
“I just do. I always can tell when someone is lying.” Seth cocked his head as if looking for more of an explanation. Natti didn’t really have an answer, not one he would take seriously. It was more like a gut feeling, except it took place inside her heart. “It’s all in the telling. Now the truth, what do you want from me?”
“Can’t a guy just be curious about his new classmate?”
“Curious?” Natti laughed.
“Like I told you, you’re not like the other girls. You fascinate me.”
“It’s more likely that you’re trying to get your leg over with me.” Seth’s brow crinkled, clearly confused by her remark. Though the expression made him look sexier, she did her best to ignore the flutter in her stomach and rolled her eyes. “Leg over. You know . . . to have sex. Which is not going to happen, by the way!”
Seth burst into laughter. The sound was like listening to Big Ben’s chime singing across the Thames River. Natti couldn’t help but love it, though she hated the guy.
“So, they’ve told you, have they?”
“Some,” Natti admitted while her head begin to feel light and fuzzy. She still didn’t understand how he had such a power over her hormones or the hormones of practically the entire female student body. “The rest I pieced together from our little encounter this morning.”
“Then why are you still resisting me,” Seth asked, increasing his charm, “when you already know the inevitable?”
Natti’s head began to pound. “Look, I don’t care how charming you are, it’s not going to happen!”