Chapter thirteen

Okay, it couldn't be hard to walk through the doors. Sure it was different for her and Darin but why did this feel a whole lot like... The butterflies in her stomach spoke for her feeling. And so did the pounding of her heart. It shouldn't be hard. As the day went by the feeling reduced. And Tom played his part very well, it helped her keep her eyes off him as well. But she already missed him. The day could not end any faster so she can see him... better again. And maybe call him. She would have to change his name on her phone. The girls had a way of snooping around.

Sitting in the lunch bar again, she took a seat that gave her quite the vantage point. With the distance between their tables, Lacey kept her eyes on her friends as she spoke. The best plan was to ignore him like she did the day before. That plan failed when his gaze caught her's. "I'm telling you when mother walked in and saw him in the house, with his shoes on no less she freaked." She looked at Fay and Anita to her left and Bethany and Jody to her right, all listening to her spinning a tale while she tried to shake of his look. But he too, also talking kept his eyes on her. The smile forcing it's way on her face made it hard to keep talking, especially since he was smiling too. She bent her head and burst into laughter. "He was out of there before I could think of how to explain the whole thing." The day couldn't end any faster.

The other girls laughed at her story. "Your mother is something else."

"You have no idea. She yelled at me for daysss..." Her voice trailed off when Dennis and his very low hair walked up to their table. Her eyes darted to Tom who was trying his best to hide his concern. She swallowed, the tension among them growing. She couldn't bring herself to look at any of the girls. She kept her face impassive. Waiting to see what would happen next. Her heart beat and sweating palms betrayed her expression.

Dennis stood with one hand in his pocket, his eyes focused on Lacey. "Hi, Lacey can I speak to you?" A small smile plastered on his face.

She needed to find a word much stronger than no. Filled with venomous anger. Or she could jump over the table and hit him in the head till she was satisfied. After everything and nothing, now he wants to talk. What was there to talk about even? And why now anyway? Who did he think he was? A beating to the head wouldn't cut it. Rage surged through her hands. The energy to hit him hard filling her. And yet she was impressed at how impassive she still remained. Eyes were on her, waiting to see what she would do. "Dennis!" Tom's voice echoed as he strolled towards her table. She could hug him. "Marshal has a new bet." He placed his hand on his shoulder. Dennis looked at her and looked at Tom. She kept her eyes locked on Dennis. "He says Bradley and Christopher both want to take Diana to the prom." He steered him towards his own table. "Place your bet Dennis, Bradley or Christopher?"

"As in they both want to take hot Diana to prom?" He looked back at her one more time before focusing on Tom's information. "The girl is like a hot road runner to... us guys Wyle coyotes."

"Right? So come on. Who do you think gets to take her? I got a hundred on Christopher. Or you wanna go..." She could no longer hear them. She let out the sigh of relief she struggled to hold back the moment Tom stepped in.

"Wow! The nerve on him." Anita stated, breaking the silence he had brought with him.

Lacey turned to her with closed eyes, which shot open holding much anger. "You should have said that when he was here." She fought back the urge to get to her feet and bang the table.

"Hey, Lacey it's okay, he's gone now." Fay held her hand. "Don't let him take the smile you had minutes ago away from you."

She shook off her hand from her's. "Well he just did."

"Its not like you said anything." Anita shot back. Lacey stared at her in shock. What was there to say to him?

"Oh come off it Anita. What would you say to the guy who cheated on you and decides to talk to you out of nowhere?" Bethany interfered.

"A lot actually." She replied with folded arms and a scowl.

"That's because you never shut up Anita." Lacey stated plainly and got to her feet. That was enough bickering and enough time to leave without it looking like he was the reason. At least her last words shut Anita up. The day had to end soon.

Tom waltzed into her office, a concerned look on his face. Lacey quickly got to her feet, both closing the distance between them. He stretched out his hand she placed her hand in his, pulling her closer. "I was wondering when you would get here." The school day was over, waiting for him made her anxious. She breathed in his scent, her arms wrapped around his torso and her head on his chest. "I was still contemplating giving Dennis a beat down. Are you okay?"

"From the moment you took him away, yes. And thank you for that." He stepped back to look at her face. The smile on her face was enough assurance.

"It was tempting to walk up to you and kiss you when you came in this morning. I really had to pull myself away." He smirked.

"Well now's the chance to do it. I also felt the same way." She couldn't help smiling, even when he bent his head to kiss her. A thrilling excitement ran through her when his lips touched her's. This, was something she could do every day. Wasn't that one of the signs of addiction? That and thinking about it, which she had done ever since he kissed her in the girls bathroom.

Why would he want to stop something so intoxicating that he can't get enough of it? Because he has to breathe, and speak. "I like this whole rendezvous thing." He pulled away. "It's like I know what I want but I can't have it. But then I have to take what I can in little time."

She arched a brow at his comment. "So what am I, candy you can't have till Halloween?"

He laughed heartily. "First, I doubt there is any kid who has to wait till Halloween to get candy. Unless they are diabetic, in which case they can't have it at all. But you Lacey Atkins, are you and I cannot hold you or kiss you when I want to."

He had a way with his words. Always making her smile. "Is that complaining I hear?" Tom kissed her forehead.

"No. I can't explain it, but it is exciting. And also sort of annoying. Because waiting sucks."

Lacey laughed, shaking her head. Walking away from him, she went over to her desk. She pressed a button on the phone and spoke into it. "I'm not getting any more calls. So I'll be upstairs till its time to go." The person on the other line answered and she dropped the phone with a sly smile. She walked back to him and intertwining his hand with her she said, "follow me."

"Uhh... where to? And what exactly do you do here?" They walked into an elevator. "Pent house?" He asked as she pressed the Ph button.

"Yes. And I'm kind of like my mom's assistant's assistant. I confirm plans and arrangements made for the clients and guests, and Darin is like the manager's assistant... and more, I can't explain it but it's really cool."

"I'm sorry. I stopped listening after you pushed the button."

She chuckled. "You think you're funny."

"Me?" He looked at her. "No not really. What are we doing in the pent house?"

"Spending the time we have together."

"Weren't we doing that already?" He raised both brows.

"It's a much better rendezvous spot." The doors opened up into a large white living room with two grey chairs and a couch and matching drapes. A forty three inch flat screen TV facing the couch.

"A sexy rendezvous spot. Actually the office is also a sexy spot." She elbowed him hard in the rib and walked to the couch. Coughing and laughing he said with his voice strained. "That hurt shorty."

"You can't take a hit?" She crossed her legs.

"Oh I can." He cleared his throat. "Just can't take yours." While she laughed at his words he lunged at her, digging his fingers into her hair and claiming her lips before she could recover from the jolt of her heart rate, he was pinning her on the soft cushion. "Maybe we could go back down to the office and sweep everything off desk and-"

"Shut up." She shook her head. Bringing his face down to her's again.

"Kiss you silly." He rushed.

They spent the early evening hours together and talked on the phone the rest of the night. Lacey laid on the giant teddy bear, staring at her laptop blankly. "So they just made it so your names rhymed?"

"What?" She laughed.

"Its like the last words in a poem." He cleared his throat, "beware the wind dear Marvin - come to her rescue mighty Darin - that I may see again the fair Lacey - to keep in peace her sister Sadey." She shook her head laughing. "Okay, maybe Marvin and Darin don't rhyme."

"You're an idiot."

"Hey. Don't go calling me names. That was off the top of my head, you should be impressed."

"Really?" She rubbed her forehead.

"Yes. Literature class is good for times like this."

She scoffed. "Even Sadey would shake her head at that."

"Wow. She must be something huh?"

"Yeah. Cute with a smart mouth. Sometimes it's like hush kid." She faced the ceiling. The subject was beginning to feel touchy. Regret washed over her. Who brought up the subject again? What if he feels like he has to talk about his because she talked about her's? The other end of the line was silent. She could feel the tension.

"My um..." He was going to do it. "My um..."

"You don't have to talk about it. Or what it is you might think I was thinking you were thinking of saying." She blurted out. She didn't wait for him to speak up. "Change of subject. Does Abby still talk to you."

"Yeah. Why, you jealous?" She sighed in relief.

"No. I'm just asking." What was there to be jealous of?

"Speaking of. I told her to quit bothering you... rather the girl she keeps calling a witch. I covered my tracks pretty good if I do say so myself." She could hear him smiling. "She said she would stop."

"Thanks." Who's to say she would stop, especially now that her reason for harassing her are very true-ish, considering the fact that she is now his girlfriend. Abby would freak, most definitely. But, what she doesn't know can't hurt her. Or in this case, what Abby doesn't know can't hurt Lacey.

Jody hushed the table, all four looking at her, questions filled in each ones eyes. "Guys, Darin just made like seriously intense eye contact with me."

Fay, who had a sandwich half way into her mouth, paused in shock. As did everyone else. Bethany blinked slowly, as if just snapping out of a trance. "I'm sorry, what?"

"Darin was just looking at me, we made serious eye contact just now." They all stared in shock. She looked from one to the other, they just stared.

"Oh you're serious." Bethany broke the silence. Lacey burst into laughter. The reactions of everyone on the table fairly hilarious.

"What? Yes!" Jody sat up straight. "Two days ago, after Mrs Rochdale's class she called me back, remember Lacey?"

"Yeah." She nodded.

"And then I was rushing out cause I was late for gym class and I was about to leave my locker when he was like 'Hey' and he just walked passed me. I mean it didn't make sense at the time but maybe it makes sense now."

Fay dropped her lunch. "Okay, so you believe or think rather, that the Darin Atkins has a thing for you?"

"Well obviously." Her eyes widened, looking at them and they stared still in shock. "You don't believe me?"

"NO!" Came the startling chorused answer.

"Why the hell not?" She folded her arms.

"Because Darin Atkins hasn't even acknowledged the other Atkins at this school, that's Lacey. And she was the gist of the school with the whole Dennis thing. So were you, and it didn't put you on his radar then so why now?" Bethany asked.

"Because sometimes all it takes is a look."

"A look from you. I don't see this as possible." Fay added. "Somehow it's far fetched."

"Don't forget his track record. He dated Toni, who was a freshman with us and she was or is quite the catch. After that he only dated seniors. Hot seniors like that one girl that time, what was her name Alicia. And she was hot. Why would he leave that... okay granted he is a senior now. Why would he leave his classmates, or even popular juniors and go for you who would still be here after he graduates when he can have college girls?"

"Right?" Fay added.

"He might just want a short thing, not even a full on relationship." Jody defended.

"The question still stands Jody. No offence to you. And Darin's the kind of guy that asks for what he wants right out. Why would he make eye contact and say 'hi' was it? I don't believe it. It probably wasn't you he was talking to or looking at. And Fay is right beside you how come she didn't see the look and why would you not tell us about him saying Hi to you when it happened why wait?"

Lacey looked at her beeping phone. Whatever was going on, she needed to find out. The message from Tom had her smiling.

-TW "I can't make it today, see you tomorrow?" Disappointment taking hold of her.

-"Spending the weekend with my mom." She replied. Changes had to be made to his codename.

"I... It... because it seemed impossible." After contemplating her choice of answers she sighed in defeat. "But I swear he looked right at me and we held it for like a second and it might have seemed impossible cause it was a fleeting 'hey' but still." Fay and Bethany shook their heads.

"Jody, even Anita is lost for words. And I just don't believe you." Fay stated plainly.

"Neither do I." Bethany added.

Jody gasped and then scoffed, looking at Lacey. "Lacey?"

"Anita hasn't said a word which really is strange-"

"No Lacey! You... you believe me right."

"She gave her her most sympathetic smile. "Maybe it was someone else." She shrugged.

"No it wasn't. I'm telling you." Her hurt showing in her eyes. She shook her head and left the table abruptly.

Lacey's phone beeped again.

-TW "the whole weekend?"

-"Yes. And by the way. I won't be going there next week."

Her eyes were glued to the screen while the other girls had shifted their topic of conversation.

-TW "That's not good. Can't we still meet there?"

-"Not without raising questions from the staff who will tell my parents." Substituted for the word mother. It wasn't good. She missed him already.

"Lacey don't tell me your telling people about Jody's..." Bethany chuckled half way through asking. "No words." She chuckled again.

"No I'm not." She slipped her phone into her bag.

"Good. No one say anything to anyone. I... I don't even know what to make of it. But especially you Nita." Fay pointed at the talker who had grown silent.

"What? I won't for goodness sake. I'm biting back a whole lot right now."

"Yeah. Clearly." Bethany rolled her eyes.

If Lacey had to judge the entire thing, it was very entertaining. Even if it was a little bit confusing.

"Darin." Tom called out, walking up to him. Darin glanced behind him and kept walking. "Hey how you doing?"

"Just because you are seeing her, it doesn't mean you can walk up to me or talk to me." He kept walking.

"What? No that's not... guidance councillor wants to see you. How did you know?"

He glanced at him again. "My warning still stands." He stated and turned around, keeping his head up he walked past Tom.

"How can I forget about it when I can still remember the feeling." He mummured to himself. Rounding the corner, he bumped into Tate.

"What's with you and Darin?"

"What?"

"You thinking of taking his place as the brooding guy everyone fears?"

"What?" Tom scoffed

"They wouldn't call you Devil Tom obviously, but you just might have the spot if you keep beating up people."

Tom laughed at his friend and his ridiculous smug look. "I don't need the title of school brute fool. And the guy doesn't fight. Hardly fights. He just knows how to instill fear."

Tate punched his shoulder lightly. "Is that admiration in your eyes my friend?" Tom scoffed and shook his head. "You've been talking to him so much I believe you might just get the part."

"I hardly call that talking."

"Man of few words I know."

"The guy's really cool and no one comes close to him. I'll be fooling myself if I thought I could control my temper the way he does. And as for talking to him," the truth was not an option. "A teacher asked me to go get him and I did. There's no talking there."

"Fine. But come on. Coach would flip out if we're late. Well... If you are late."

"Who cares?" Tom waved his hand in the air.

"I intend to be captain mate so I do." He slapped down his hand.