Chapter 29

After a night of utter blackness, my dad roused me even as the alarm continued to squawk. With me still recovering from the China bug, hitting my head on a rock, screwing up with Beth, and then spending more “quality” time with my mother, I struggled to move. Heck, I was struggling to breathe. If the dream girl had appeared during the night, I’d no recollection.

As the school bus lumbered along our rain-swept street, my eyes drifted to Beth’s house. Although her mother’s car was out front, hers and her sister’s were missing. Beth hadn’t called or texted.

“Bet she texted Jimmy,” I mumbled before emitting a heavy sigh. “Probably was talking with him the whole time she was in Greece. ‘Cause you told her to, idiot.”

Once past the neighborhood, my chest remained tight, and my fists clenched the armrest. Well, at least they’d all returned safely.

“Whatever! What did it mat—”

My muttering ended when Shayna thrust her muzzle into my arm. Her bottomless emerald pools gleamed up at me. Thwop, thwop, thwop. Like a slow fluffy metronome, her tail wagged.

“Yeh, okay,” I whispered while gliding my fingertips deep into her silky neck fur. When a jolt of the bus had my nails catch the edge of her collar, Shayna’s eyes widened, and tail froze. “Sorry. Time to get over her, huh?”

After lurching to a rattling halt, the bus deposited me on the puddle-strewn concrete before the school’s main entrance. It took me a few seconds to realize that Shayna was still aboard.

“Come on, dog.”

At my call, she shook her head and loped from the bus. That was weird. But before I could think more about it, I turned at the sound of laughter from a clump of beautiful people.

This was gonna suck.

No Jeri.

And no Beth. Or worse.

Yep, as I rolled through the door, I caught sight of Beth. So, yeh—worse. In a body-hugging white t-shirt and blue jeans with the deep gleam of a fresh tan. Sleepy, her black-ringed eyelids drooped as she lay her head against...

Yep, much worse. Just like old times. Before that blip of a driveway encounter. Jimmy’s arm was draped around Beth’s neck, with his fingers dangling over her pert chest. When he saw me, he glared. After only a curt glance, Beth dropped her eyes. With her skin flushing, she snuggled tighter to him. You know, her boyfriend.

Message received. Loud and clear. Oh, yeh. I’m sure “idiot” was written across my face. And I didn’t need to look at Shayna for confirmation. I’d screwed that up. Whatever that could’ve been.

At a sudden burst of laughter, I shifted to Nina. Well-fucked and also well-tanned, she was still on the rebound. Literally. While bouncing and rubbing amongst several football players, she joked with another crowd of the beautiful people.

When Shayna’s cold, wet nose nudged me, I lowered my gaze to her. At the impish gleam in her eyes, my pulse stuttered upward. As a grin crossed my face, I slowed and returned to Jimmy. The still glaring Jimmy Devlin, boyfriend slash owner, and future manager of Beth “The Most Beautiful Girl in The World” Winston.

Just as I was about to laugh at my pathetic attempt to impress her, a drumbeat started in the hazy distance. Rhythmic and low, but forceful. Something far inside me hardened, and I halted the chariot.

At my abrupt wink at him, the mighty Jimmy Devlin jolted. In a flash, his glare warped into a wide-eyed gape. No, I hadn’t forgotten. Not a single detail. In nothing but a pink leather harness, his mother riding Darnell White. And dear old daddy, in a pink collar, slurping hungrily along Darnell’s glistening black cock.

Nope, I wouldn’t forget that image for the rest of my life. Nor would Jimmy. He was still shaking as Beth looked up at him with concerned eyes. After that scant victory, I turned away to roll to my classroom.

Well, its locked door.

Late to class and huffing so much we thought he’d die before starting, the first day’s substitute was a silver-haired, wrinkled guy in cheap blue polyester slacks. Also wrinkled, a loose-fitting gray suit jacket hung from his stooped shoulders to cover a stained, once-upon-a-time, whitish shirt. Though he mentioned his name, nobody, including me, cared as he handed out worksheets and reading assignments. As we faked completing the busy work, he chewed on mints and read.

Frankly, the high point of the morning was Haley. Although she wore the same looser clothing, her hair was—neater. And shinier. She’d also applied makeup. Not that she needed it.

Tingles slithered through me at her much longer glances. Guess we didn’t have any beautiful people in the room. Poor Haley. Stuck with me, the only non-standard high schooler around. Hey, it kept her happy, right?

As bored as me, at least Shayna could sleep.

But things were about to become weirder. And a lot less boring.

After the bell released the hordes into the hallways, I plowed through, heading for my next class. Beside me, Shayna was weaving, until she wasn’t. With my brow furrowed, I pulled to a stop along a wall between locker sets to search for her amid the rushing crowds of students.

At last, once the masses had thinned, I spotted her. Shayna sat with her head raised and eyes fixed on the girl’s bathroom.

Just as I was about to call her, the door popped wide and Haley ... My God, Haley! Wow! As my heart lurched into high gear, my jaw slipped downward.

While tussling her dark hair into place, she stepped out wearing a short, pleated dark skirt, an open-collared white blouse tight to her ample chest, knee-high, black socks, and shiny coal-black pumps. You know, the classic “fuck me schoolgirl” costume.

When she saw me, she stumbled to a halt, shifting from foot to foot while glancing at me and Shayna. It took 9.6 million years for me to clear my throat and run my shaking tongue over the puffy desert that coated my dry mouth.

“Why did you change?” is all I came up with. Hello? Insane voice? Help.

“Daddy.” Haley rolled her redder and glossier lips. “He wouldn’t approve.”

“Oh.” Yep, another brilliant retort, thank you very much.

“It’s, uh ... It’s complicated, Kyle.” While twisting a loose strand of raven hair, she shifted one hip outwards. Less than mid-thigh length, the skirt swayed from her waist, sending a surge of blood through my—everything. “Since mom died. It’s just ... Well, it’s complicated between us.”

You know how that little itch starts on the back of your neck and a red warning light spins when you’re near a dangerous topic? Yeh, that happened. Yet, despite having no clue what she meant by “complicated,” I nodded.

“Well, um...” While trying not to be too obvious, I gave her a quick scan before grinning. “In that outfit, you’ll definitely get some attention.”

“You think so?” As she beamed at me, her hands swept along alluring flanks.

As they glided, I followed her palms downwards. My pulse elevated. My shaft elevated. And like a puppet on a string, I kept nodding. Yep, alluring. And yep, she’d get some attention all right. When Shayna leaned into me, her furry head slipping under my fingertips, I looked at her. Her eyes—softened. Really? Really, dog? With a long exhale, I returned to Haley, whose azure eyes glimmered.

“Yes, but is it the type of attention you want, Haley?”

Yeh. Yeh. I know. Even as I shrugged and forced a smile, who was I to critique? All of a sudden, I was a psychotherapist? After another slow scan of her figure, I turned the chariot from her.

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