Bee saluted them as they made their way back to Chase and the rest of the girls.
Ten minutes later, and I was stuck with four women.
So basically, if Hell decided to come to earth, I was in the middle of it, surrounded by perfume and sharp nails.
“So…” Bee reached for my hand again. “Shall we go experience college?”
I let out a groan, pushing her hand away.
Suddenly clammy, I let my wooden legs carry me through campus, biting my tongue, tasting blood in my mouth. I freaking hated this place. Everywhere I looked memories assaulted me.
The first day Trace came to Elite.
Nixon’s warnings.
I looked toward the registrar building, knowing that the building next to it — the Elect headquarters at the time — would be staring back at me. I’d taken Trace in there.
My chest hurt so bad it felt like it was going to crack.
“It’s okay, Phoenix.” Trace spoke up for the first time, nudging me in the side. “We won’t let them hurt you.”
A few girls walked by and waved in my direction.
“Ah, she has jokes.” I managed a tight smile before realizing I was doing it.
Bee let out a loud gasp.
I stopped walking. “What?”
“N-nothing.” Her cheeks blushed bright red. “I just… nothing.”
“Nervous?”
“Yeah.” She nodded enthusiastically. “That’s it.”
“Well, let’s get it over with then.” I pulled her away from the girls and waved goodbye.”Your first class is this way.”
“Right.”
I leaned over and peered into her bright eyes. “You sure you aren’t on drugs?”
“Ha ha.” Her voice was breathless. “More walking, less talking.”
“Read my mind, little girl.”
CHAPTER NINE
His smile was like the sun.
Bee
PEOPLE WERE STARING AT me, and they didn’t even try to hide it. Phoenix kept a safe distance behind me — and it made me feel even more lonely than before. It was like he was trying to show everyone who saw me that he wanted nothing to do with me. At all.
When I tried to slow down, he slowed down. When I sped up, he only went fast enough to keep up with me.
I passed my classroom on purpose.
Phoenix cleared his throat.
I rolled my eyes, backtracked, and went through the door. Twenty-something pairs of eyes all landed on me; everyone went completely silent. My heart started beating so fast that it was the only thing I could hear as blood surged toward my face. Everyone was already seated. Holy crap, I really was late.
With a nervous smile, I opened my mouth to say something when Phoenix smoothly walked by me and approached the professor. He smiled, freaking smiled, the same way he had with Trace. I knew it! I knew I wasn’t losing my mind. Dimple, right cheek, deep, so deep, and sexy. I bit down hard on my lower lip to keep from sighing out loud.
The professor laughed at something Phoenix said, which immediately hurt my feelings. Why couldn’t he laugh with me? Joke with me? Was I that annoying? That must be it. I was annoying. Like the little sister he never wanted but was stuck with.
Who fed him lasagna at two a.m. and wouldn’t shut up even when he asked me nicely. But it wasn’t like I could just turn off my sparkling personality; he just brought out the need for me to get in a good verbal sparring. Again, it was better than nothing.
“Miss Campisi?” The professor addressed me, tilting his head to the side. “Please take a seat in the back.”
I tucked my hair behind my ear and quickly made my way to the back of the class. Just as I was about to make it to the empty table, a guy’s foot shot out, nearly tripping me.
With a quick sidestep, I managed to avoid the collision then leaned over, as if I needed to fix my pant leg, and whispered, “Try that again, and I’m asking the brother to order a hit on you. Better yet, I’ll complete it myself. I may be new to school, but you’re in my world. And in my world, we don’t put up with bullies. We shoot them.” I paused as I stood up. “Didn’t catch your name?” My voice held a slight tremble, but he didn’t seem to notice it. I tended to lash out when I was scared, and in that moment with all those kids, in a school, I was terrified, which meant he was going to be on the receiving end of my wrath. Lucky him.
The guy paled, his skin matching his blond hair. He opened his mouth then closed it.
“Problem?” Phoenix asked, coming up behind me; his hands touched my shoulders briefly before pushing me forward toward the desk.
I turned and shrugged. “Nothing I couldn’t handle.”
Phoenix stayed put while I took my seat. With a smirk — not a sexy one, but one that had me wanting to back up and lift my hands in surrender — he took the seat next to me and leaned forward, whispering in hushed tones, “Didn’t catch your name?”
My breath caught. He’d repeated my words.
“B-brian,” the guy whispered.
“Listen… Brian.” Phoenix sneered a bit.
The professor, clearly unaware of what was taking place in the back of his classroom, continued talking about expectations and rules.
But Phoenix was laying out his own rules and expectations. “I see you look at her in a way that personally offends me… I cut your finger off then mail it to your parents as a reminder to teach their son some manners. I trust you’ll be able to keep all negativity to yourself. After all, we want your college experience to be a positive one, don’t we? Granted, you have to live that long first.”