“Doubtful,” Theo retorted.
James began circling Theo. His hand shot out, a dark blue shimmering fire sparkled in his hand, and he caressed Theo’s face. Theo’s gray eyes narrowed and his chest heaved. The veins in his neck and arms were beginning to stand out.
“Don’t insult me, Theodore.” By now, my breath was out of control. I was worried that Theo was going to go nuclear on the man. Everyone in the room waited with bated breath for what Theo would do.
Theo twisted his face to the side to escape the flames that flickered near his cheek.
James chuckled. “You are different than I remember, Theodore,” he said and then came to me. He smiled at me and tugged my ponytail back. I gasped from surprise, not from pain. The flames crept toward my face and I could feel the heat. Sweat beaded on my skin. “I guess it’ll take more to get under your skin than I originally suspected.” Theo turned and saw the man’s arms around me.
“Get away from her!” he screamed and thrust his hand out. A force hit James and he went flying across the classroom releasing me in the process. His cackle filled the room.
Adelaide looked at me with wide, dark-blue eyes. Her plump lips were open in surprise and she couldn’t seem to form a coherent sentence so she just stuttered.
We both turned to watch Theo stalk toward the teacher. He lifted the large man up by his shirt and said, “I think it’s you that needs to learn control. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll stay away from her.”
James’s eyes dilated in … fear? I couldn’t blame the man for being afraid of him—when Theo was like this he was a total bad ass. Theo dropped the man and stalked toward me. His movements were quick and smooth, and I found myself once again comparing him to a ninja. He had a grace to him.
Class was over, but no one moved. Theo picked up his jacket and shrugged it on. Everyone stared in awe at him while James quietly stalked out of the room. Theo turned around and looked at the people lingering in the room. They ceased their excited babbling. The silence filling the room seemed somehow louder than a thousand voices.
“You do know it’s time to go, right?” he asked, looking at them like they were idiots.
Several people jumped up, gathered their bags, and ran out of the room. I guess they were afraid he might attack them next. Others seemed frozen. Theo shook his head and rolled his eyes while he came toward me. “Honestly,” he said with a cocky grin and then took my hand in his, “you’d think no one had ever seen a fight before.”
Chapter 14
HEY, DICKWAD, WHAT ARE YOU READING?” Theo flicked a fry off his plate and onto Winston’s head.
I shot a glare at Theo.
Could he not be a dick for five seconds?
Winston looked up and over at him. “A book,” he replied in a duh tone.
“Yeah, but it’s dinner. I’m sure having a conversation with me would be much more interesting than whatever you’re reading.”
I stepped on Theo’s foot hard and he glared at me. “Can I help you?” he asked.
“Yeah, you can, by shutting your mouth.”
I didn’t understand what his problem was with Winston. As far as I knew, Winston seemed like a pretty decent guy. Plus, he was like me. Shouldn’t that count for something?
“Aw, but where’s the fun in that?” He smiled, a dark curl falling over his forehead. “Besides, if I shut my mouth, you’d be awfully bored. I’m a great conversationalist.”
I shook my head. “You’re impossible.”
“You never answered my question.” He turned back to Winston. “What are you reading?” he enunciated each word slowly and carefully.
Winston placed a bookmark in the book and closed it before holding it up. “Happy now?” he asked, tilting his head in challenge. He knew Theo was full of shit and poking at him for no good reason.
“Pride and Prejudice? Interesting choice. I didn’t know you had a vagina.”
“Oh, my God,” I muttered. On my other side, Adelaide shook her head but didn’t intervene. I guess she’d learned by now it was pointless.
Winston cracked a smile. “On the contrary, I find being well read gets me laid.”
“There’s only like five girls here and I doubt any of them would go for you,” Theo sneered. “No offense, but you kind of look like a weasel.”
“Well, weaselness aside, the panties sure do drop. Must be the accent.” Winston smirked at Theo not backing down. Normally, he seemed to take his shit, but not today. “Your sister sure had no problem screaming my name.”
Adelaide choked beside me and, before I could blink, Theo growled and launched himself across the table, grabbing Winston by the shirt collar in the process, before the two of them tumbled to the ground.
“Theodore, stop!” Adelaide jumped up, running to the other side of the table. I did the same while others looked on curiously with no intentions of stopping the two guys.
I made it around in time to see Theo smash his fist into Winston’s nose, blood spurting all over the place.
“Theo,” I pleaded making a grab for his arm.
His elbow jolted back into my abdomen, knocking me back.
The air left my lungs and I fell smack on my butt on the floor. I grabbed the spot where he hit me, and it throbbed beneath my touch.
Suddenly, Theo stopped attacking Winston and whipped around with a horrified look on his face.
“Mara,” he breathed. Not doll face. No, I was Mara in that moment. The way he said my name was slightly heartbroken and desperate. He dropped to his knees beside me. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to. You have to know that.”
Winston groaned and slowly stood up, wiping the blood that had dripped from nose to mouth. “Maybe you’ll finally learn to watch your temper.”
Winston rolled his shoulders and sat back down calmly, flipping his book open like nothing at all had happened.
“Let me see,” Theo pleaded, gripping at my shirt and trying to pull it up so he could see my stomach. Adelaide stood behind him, her eyes wide with horror, a hand over her mouth.
“Don’t touch me. I’m fine.” I pushed his hand away roughly and he fell back on his butt too.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered, his jaw clenched like he was angry with himself.
I shook my head. I knew he didn’t mean to, and I’d probably only get a bruise, but I was angry with him for losing his temper and provoking Winston in the first place.
“Grow up,” I told him as I slowly gathered myself to stand.
Adelaide scurried to my side and helped me up. “We need to go to astronomy,” she whispered.
“Lead the way.”
I had barely eaten my dinner but I couldn’t stomach anything now.
Theo stood from the floor to follow us. I wanted to tell him to go away and I didn’t need him, but I also knew it’d be dumb of me to send him away. He probably wouldn’t go anyway.