Spark of Knowledge Page 7

  “That’s right Sprite!” Sebastian chimes in. “What will everyone think if we fail at our one task for the evening? We’re on Emily wrangling duty tonight.”

  “Oh really?” I smirk, raising my eyebrow.

  “It’s a tough job, but someone has to do it,” Clayton grins. I bite my lip and roll my eyes, trying to keep from laughing at the two of them. They both watch me expectantly, Sebastian using his patented puppy dog eyes.

  “Fine, I’ll go. But!” I hold up my hand and give them each a serious look. “I’m taking my car. And no more of that look, Bast. I can’t take your pouty face.”

  “Yes!” Sebastian cheers, picking me up and swinging me around.

  Laughter bursts out of me at his ridiculousness. “OMG Bast! It’s not that serious!”

  “Of course it is!” He grins, finally puts me down and takes a step back. “It’s your first step down the path of corruption! Soon you won’t be able to eat anywhere else!” He laughs evilly and starts backing away. “I’ll see you two there!” He spins and sprints to his SUV. WTF? I look at Clayton, who just grins, his arms folded across his chest.

  “Umm what was that?”

  Clayton shrugs. “Looks like you’re my ride, Trouble. But don’t worry; I won’t let you get lost.”

  Damn, did Sebastian tell EVERYONE that I’m directionally challenged? That boy can’t keep a secret to save his life.

  “You do realize I have a Prius right?” I ask, looking him over. “I’m not sure you’ll fit in it.” His booming laugh rumbles over me, and I start walking. The next thing I know, I’m upside down and hanging over his shoulder. He wraps one arm over my thighs, his steady energy hits me all at once, making my head spin. It takes me a minute to pull myself together.

  “Hey! Put me down!” I kick my feet, only for him to swat my butt in retaliation. Heat floods my face and I stop kicking, not wanting to accidentally encourage him. This is awkward enough already.

  “Not a chance,” he replies, as he carries me through the parking lot. “Bast was my ride. I’m not risking you taking off and ditching me here too.”

  “Hey! I wouldn’t ditch you; even I’m not that evil. So you can put me down now.” I try squirming out of his grip, but he just laughs and holds on tighter. “Ok, but it’s not my fault if you don’t fit in my car!”

  “I’m sure I’ll fit,” he replies, putting me down next to the car. I shake my head and unlock the doors. I spend the next five minutes trying not to laugh, as he fights to fit himself inside.

  “See? Perfect,” he announces as he closes the door and lies back in the fully reclined passenger seat. I bite my lip and pull out of the lot towards Main Street.

  “Fine… you were right, you managed to fit… But can you get back out? Because there is no way I can lift you.”

  “Hey, with all this muscle, I won’t need help getting out.” He says, flashing me a grin. “So what did you think of the game?”

  “It was fun, but someone should have warned me it would be damn ass cold in there!”

  “Cold? We were sweating our asses off down on the ice. Now make a right up here.”

  “Pfft!” I stick my tongue out at him and make the turn. “Come sit in the stands with me next time and you’ll see. It’s like 30 degrees below zero in there.” I tell him as I pull into the lot, making sure to grab a spot with no cars on either side.

  Clayton laughs. “If I do that, we won’t be winning any games. I’m the best goalie we have.”

  I turn to watch him open the door. There is no way he’s going to be able to get back out without crawling into the back seat. He gets one leg out the door and rocks forward, trying to swing his other leg out. I bite my knuckle, my shoulders shaking as I try to suppress my laughter. He slides farther down in the seat, practically doubled over, as he tries to duck his head low enough to get his body out. Instead, he bangs his head on the doorframe and I can’t hold my laughter anymore.

  “Very funny, Trouble. Are you going to help me out here?” He asks, rubbing the side of his head. Snickering, I grab my phone and jump out of the car. I stroll around the front of the car, but instead of going to help him, I continue to the entrance.

  “Hey! Where are you going?” Clayton calls after me. “Trouble!”

  Wiping the tears from my eyes, I enter the brightly lit diner. I pause for a minute, looking for the guys while taking in the vintage red vinyl booths and white Formica table tops. Finally I catch sight of Sebastian’s head at the far back of the room. Dodging between the tables, I make my way to their booth, a wide grin on my face.

  “Clay is in need of some male assistance outside,” I announce with a giggle. The guys look up at me in confusion, but I’m not giving away the surprise. I rock back on my heels and smile innocently. Ian motions for me to sit down, but I just shake my head. There is no way I’m missing the second half of this shit show.

  “What’s up?” Sebastian asks as he slides out of the booth.

  “He’s having technical difficulties,” I manage to say, barely keeping my innocent smile. Jared shoots me a suspicious look as he gets up and follows Sebastian to the door. Trailing behind, I switch my phone to video mode and hit record. Sebastian’s laughter hits me as I exit and I discreetly check to make sure I'm capturing all the action while keeping the phone low enough to avoid being obvious. Sebastian is holding his stomach, doubled over with laughter on the sidewalk. While Jared slowly circles the car, examining the situation.

  “What the hell man?” Jared asks after looking things over. While I was inside, Clayton managed to get himself wedged in the open door. Who knew he was that flexible? “How’d you even fit in there in the first place?”

  “Shut up and get me out of here,” Clayton growls, focusing on the boys. I use the opportunity to double check my recording.

  “Hmm, I think we can get you out feet first,” Jared muses, coming to a stop next to Clayton. “Bast, get over here and help.” Still laughing, Sebastian joins Jared at the door.

  “Can you get your other leg out?” Jared asks, crouching down to get a better look. Clayton grumbles, unsuccessfully trying to free his other foot.

  “Maybe we should just bring his meal out here,” Sebastian snickers. “Or call for the Jaws of Life to rescue him.”

  “Oh hell no! You are not destroying my car.” I cross my arms and glare at the three of them. “It’s not my fault Sebastian ditched him. And I warned him he wouldn’t fit.”

  “That’s what she said,” Sebastian quips, busting into laughter again.

  “Maybe if he slides farther up the seat, he can get his other leg out?” I suggest, adjusting my grip on my phone. Sebastian climbs in the backseat and grabs Clayton’s shoulders, pulling him up the seat, till he’s sitting on the back section. Good thing it was fully reclined or that trick wouldn’t work. God, I hope they don’t break my car. Clayton has to be well over 200 pounds. Jared stands and grabs Clayton’s other leg, finally freeing it from the car.

  “Can you get out now?” Jared asks, taking a step back. Clayton leans forward towards the door, bending practically in half.

  “Not like this,” Clayton groans. “God damn tiny car.”

  “Grab his feet and drag him out?” I ask, snickering. Three pairs of eyes glare at me and I flash an innocent smile. I’m actually surprised Ian and Samil haven’t come outside to find out what the holdup is. Good thing I’ve got it all on video, preserved for posterity.

  “We’ll have to lift him out, but we need to turn him the right way first. Come on Bast.” Jared directs, grabbing Clayton legs. Sebastian crawls out of the back and moves to the driver’s seat. Lowering the seat all the way down, he looks at Jared for confirmation.

  “Yup,” Jared confirms. “Grab his shoulders and swing him over. Then we can pull him straight out.”

  “I can’t believe this is happening,” Clayton moans.

  “Next time you’ll listen to me,” I smirk. “The woman is always right. Learn that lesson and you’ll live a long and happy
life.” I can hear him muttering under his breath, but I ignore it. They’ve got him laying across the front seats now. Luckily no one has tried to park next to me and the Prius doesn’t have the e-brake in the center console. Otherwise, this plan would be a no go.

  “Ready for step two?” Sebastian asks, moving back around to the passenger side and positioning himself next to the open door, ready to grab Clayton’s arms.

  “Let’s just get this over with,” Clayton grumbles. Jared slowly walks backwards, dragging Clayton’s legs out the door. He pauses as Clayton’s ass hits the edge of the seat. Sebastian moves forward.

  “We good, man?” Sebastian asks. Clayton nods and the two of them lock forearms.

  “If you guys are ready, let’s do this.” Jared says impatiently.

  “Go for it,” Sebastian responds, bracing himself. With a hard pull, Jared drags Clayton the rest of the way free, so he ends up swinging between the two of them. Sebastian’s grip on his arms prevents Clayton’s head from hitting the pavement.

  “Ugh Clay, you need to go on a diet,” Sebastian groans, lowering his shoulders to the ground. Once he’s down, Jared releases his feet. “And stay the hell out of small cars!”

  “It wasn’t my fault,” Clayton complains. “I got in just fine… And you left me without a ride! Technically this is all your fault, Bast.”

  “I blame the Pixie,” Jared jumps in, and I roll my eyes. “Who buys a Prius anyway?”

  “Hey, don’t dis my baby.” I respond, closing and locking the doors. “The Prius is a great car. She’s just not designed to haul giants.”

  “Your car’s a she?” Jared raises an eyebrow at me, before turning back to offer Clayton a hand. Between him and Sebastian, they get Clayton back on his feet.

  “Of course. The Prius is smart and efficient, so obviously it’s a woman,” I reply cheerfully. “Anyways, I’m hungry. See ya inside!”

  I dart inside and rush back to the booth, sliding in next to Samil. “So would you like to see my masterpiece?” I ask, pulling my phone out of my shirt. Without waiting for an answer, I send the video out to the group text. Sebastian slides in next to me just as phones start chiming around the table.

  “Trouble,” Clayton groans, falling into the booth next to Ian. “What did you do?”

  “Who, me?” I flash him a smile. “Why nothing.”

  “You boys want your usual?” the waitress asks, appearing at the table. The promise of food distracting them from the group text. After verifying that they’d be sticking with their usual, she turns to me. “And how about you, Hun?”

  “Can I get a cheeseburger with fries, a coke and a chocolate malt?” I smile at her. “Thank you!”

  “Sure thing, Hun. I’ll be right back with your drinks, and refills for you boys.” She says, heading back to the kitchen.

  “Thanks, Gladys!” The boys chorus after her, and then turn as one to stare at me.

  “What?” I ask, opening my phone to text Mom that I’ll be home late. She won’t reply, but hey, I did my part. I glance up to find them still staring at me. “Yes? Do I have something on my face?”

  Ian clears his throat, looking embarrassed. “We’ve just never seen you eat anything but granola bars.”

  “That’s because there is nothing to eat in my house,” I laugh. “Mom thinks ‘young ladies’” I air quote. “’Should always watch what they eat in mixed company.’ So I bring what I can find. Which happens to be granola bars most days.”

  “You could buy lunch in the cafeteria,” Samil suggests, just as the waitress returns with our drinks. I make a face, shuddering at the idea of going in the cafeteria for any reason. Instead of answering, I turn my attention to… to… Damn it! The waitress… whatever her name is... Sigh...

  “Thank you,” I say again, and she gives me a wide smile in return.

  “Well at least one of you has some manners,” she teases and the guys look embarrassed, mumbling their thanks.

  Samil’s watching me again with that appraising look, and I return his stare with a raised eyebrow. “What?”

  “Why don’t you want to go into the cafeteria?” He asks before taking a drink of his soda. Damn, he must have noticed my reaction. I scramble for something to say that doesn’t make me sound completely crazy.

  “It’s hard to explain,” I shrug. “When I go in the cafeteria, it feels like there is this pressure crushing me, but this probably isn’t a good place to talk about it.” I give Samil a pointed look. He clearly wants to ask another question, but Ian jumps in before he can.

  “We can grab you something, if it’s too uncomfortable to go in there.” He offers and I give him a smile. I can tell from Samil’s expression, that he’s not going to let this drop. Still, I’m happy for the momentary reprieve.

  “That’s sweet of you, Ian, but I don’t really know much about food or what I like to eat. Why waste money on something and then not like it. There is no way I’m going to force myself to eat something gross.” I tell him, wrinkling my nose.

  Sebastian laughs, “You’re sitting with us. Trust me; we’ll eat anything you decide you don’t like.” The others grin and nod their agreement.

  “Well, you can keep your hands off my burger and fries.” I warn, giving them the evil eye and picking up my dinner knife to illustrate my point. “I’ve had them before, and already know I like them, so no assistance will be required.” Clayton throws his hands up in surrender.

  “You’re food is safe with us, Emily,” Samil says solemnly, a twinkle in his eye. The waitress returns balancing a huge tray with enough food to feed a small army. The conversation dies as the guys dig in, like they haven’t been fed for days.

  “So what did Eliza, Andi, and Samantha want?” Jared asks after cleaning his plate. They all turn to look at me again. Shesh. Is this stare at Emily Day? They are going to give me a complex if they keep it up.

  I shrug. “Who?”

  “The girls you were sitting with at the game…” Jared smirks. Like I would have remembered their names even if they had introduced themselves, which they didn’t.

  “Oh, you mean the Catty Crew? They were just spreading nastiness around.” I say with an eye roll.

  Samil frowns, “What exactly did they say?”

  “Nothing important. Just doing what insecure bitches do. Tear other people down to make themselves feel better.” I grab my malt and take a long drink, hoping they’ll drop the subject.

  “Trying to tear you down?” Clayton scowls and I can’t help but laugh.

  “It will take a lot more than those girls to rain on my happy,” I grin. “Don’t worry; when the best insult they could come up with was “Goth Barbie” I knew I was in the clear.”

  Sebastian snickers, “Goth Barbie”? Wow, those girls really do need to up their game.”

  “I know, right! Not much on the insult scale really. Maybe if I had some kind of Barbie aversion. But from what I saw online though, Barbie has a pretty awesome life. She’s got a fabulous wardrobe, a dream car, a dream house, and a dream guy. With the exception of her highly unrealistic figure… I mean really, who could walk with those boobs?” Ian’s face goes red and Clayton coughs up the drink he just took. “I can’t even imagine the back pain she’d have from her bras,” I shudder. “But overall, Barbie’s got a pretty good life. Even if those girls are too dumb to realize it.”

  “They sat with you… just to call you Goth Barbie?” Jared asks, casting me a doubtful look.

  Since there is no way I’m repeating what those bitches said about the guys, I just shrug.

  “Who knows what goes on in their tiny brains? Oh, they did accuse me of chasing after you guys. Typical jealous girl bullshit.” I say, hoping it’s enough to get them off the subject. This time it’s Ian that spits out his drink in surprise. Damn, these boys need bibs or something.

  “Wait, What?” Ian asks, and I laugh as he grabs a napkin and starts wiping up the mess.

  “Apparently I’m trying to get in your pants, all five of you,
possibly at the same time,” I say with a cheeky wink. “I assumed they were just trying to mark their territory. You guys might want to watch out though. They might try pissing on your leg next.” Sebastian bursts out laughing, and I flash him a grin.

  “That makes no sense,” Ian grumbles, tossing the soaked napkins on his plate. “Why would they even care?”

  “Oh Sweetie, you are so naive,” I shake my head and laugh. “Have you not looked in a mirror lately? The new girl is hanging out with the five hottest guys in school. Of course they are jealous.” Happy to have redirected the conversation to safer ground, I don’t think about what I said until I notice they are staring at me again. Rainbow flashes of color fill my vision and I blink rapidly trying to clear them.

  “Are you ok, Em?” Samil frowns.

  At the same time Sebastian asks, “You think we’re hot?”

  I ignore Samil’s question, and focus on Sebastian as he wiggles his brows at me like a cartoon villain, trying to be sexy.

  I snort and roll my eyes. “I’ve got issues, Bast. I’m not blind. Anyways… I should get home.” I drop a twenty on the table and stare pointedly at Jared and Sebastian.

  Sebastian bumps my shoulder. “We’re not done talking about how hot we are.”

  “Ya, no. I’ve stroked your ego enough for one day,” I quip, poking him in the side.

  Jared gets up and grabs his arm. “Come on Bast, behave.”

  “Where’s the fun in that?” Sebastian pouts as he slides out of the booth.

  “Have a good night guys!” I give them a quick wave, backing away from the table. “Don’t forget to watch that video.” Tossing them a wink, I make a break for the door.

  “Video? What video? What is she talking about?” I hear Clayton asking, and I laugh all the way to my car.

  Friday, September 25th

  ∞

  I throw myself in my car with a sigh. Thank God this week is over! Up until now, I hadn’t really paid any attention to the other students at the school. Outside of the guys and Amy (I’d FINALLY remembered Shy Girl’s name, miracle of miracles), no one had noticed me. But apparently the conversation with the Catty Crew must have struck a nerve with them.