Chapter 8

Relief washes over me as I glance around and realize that everyone else has gone back to minding their own business. I suppose I'll have to get used to things like this happening; after all, I am sitting at the popular table. "Jasmine, aren't you going to introduce us to your gorgeous new friend? She must be pretty special if she's sitting at our table," said one of the guys sitting beside Dante. His skin was a deep shade of chestnut, and he had umber, clipper-cut hair. His eyes reminded me of milk chocolate. She rolled her eyes, dismissing Rashaad's comment with a wave of her hand. "Shut up, Rashaad. I just didn't want to bring attention to her and have ya'll thirsty asses lusting after her." She gestured toward me with a sly grin. "Everybody, this is Angelique. Stay away from her. I promise she could pull guys way better than any of ya'll." Dante folded his muscular arms and smirked at me. I blushed, quickly looking away. I've never been so flustered just by someone looking at me before. Seriously, what was wrong with me? The guy with caramel skin on the other side of Dante remained silent, simply observing. He possessed a round face with prominent cheekbones, a small nose, and narrow, dark-brown eyes. His hair was spiky and jet black. Rashaad flashed a grin at me. "Angel," he began, "I can call you that, right?" I nodded. "Fantastic... you're planning to be at the club on Friday?" "Yeah," I mumbled reluctantly. I hoped he didn't think he had a chance with me. It wasn't that he wasn't a good-looking guy—every guy at this table was smoking hot—I just wasn't interested in anyone else. "Maybe I could steal a dance with you?" he suggested, wiggling his eyebrows. Dante's face hardened, but he seemed eager to hear my response. "I'm not much of a dancer," I admitted, feeling a blush creep up my cheeks. Jasmine interjected, "Rashaad, I just told you to leave her alone! Even if she did want to dance, it wouldn't be with you." "Yeah, that would probably make you jealous," he teased, injecting a hint of rivalry. She rolled her eyes. "You wish." "Girl, please, I know you want all of this." He stood up and gestured up and down his own body. Jasmine pretended to gag, though her cheeks were red from blushing so hard. I became hyper-aware of the tension between them. This banter seemed to be a cover for some genuine feelings they had for each other. I wondered if they were both aware of it too. The bell rang, and the collective shuffle of students getting up to go to their next class filled the air. I walked closely behind Jasmine, Peach, and Mya. While dumping my mostly untouched food tray, I couldn't resist stealing a glance back at the table only to find it empty. All the guys had disappeared, and as I quickly scanned the cafeteria, there was no sign of him. "Hey, girl, are you okay? Are you looking for someone?" Jasmine asked suddenly, making me jump. "Oh, nobody," I quickly mumbled, trying to act casual as I followed her and her friends out into the bustling hallway. Apparently, they were also in our Psych class, so we all walked there together. The feeling of emptiness crept upon me once again. Where was he, and why did he just disappear like that? Suddenly, my phone vibrated in my pocket. Meet me near the bathroom 20 minutes after class starts. I couldn't help but smile as I texted him back. Okay. Once we got to class, we sat at the same large, wooden table. My eyes remained glued to the clock as the bell rang, signaling the beginning of the class. Ms. James, the first teacher to ever make me introduce myself, called me to my feet. I awkwardly announced my name, giving a hesitant wave, desperately wishing to disappear off the face of the planet as everyone stared at me. Returning to my seat, I listened as she went over the details of the paper we were required to complete on our laptops. It was a pretty simple assignment, identifying lobes of the brain and their functions. I could easily finish it before I left for my special trip to the bathroom. Exactly twenty minutes later, I submitted my work, and with excitement coursing through me, I informed Ms. Jones that I needed to use the bathroom. Her peculiar look made me want to die of embarrassment again, especially when she advised me that next time, I could just go. Thankfully, no one seemed to hear or care about the awkward conversation, and Jasmine was so busy talking to the other girls that she didn't even glance my way as I disappeared out of the classroom. After a few extra minutes, I located a bathroom. I only realized there are like five different ones just on this floor, so I just assumed we would meet at the one closest to my class. Glancing around, I found no sign of him. Doubts crept in—had I taken too long to get here? Did he mean the closest one to his classroom, but I didn't even know where he was. Would it be stupid to text him and ask? My body heated with anxiety, and a nervous tension settled in the pit of my stomach. After another long moment filled with uncertain, suffocating thoughts of dread, I pulled out my phone to ensure he hadn't texted me again. Suddenly, a tingling sensation enveloped my body as his intoxicating scent filled the air. "Hi," I breathed, looking up to find him towering over me, his eyes radiant with excitement as he peered into my soul. "Angelique," he purred, his voice a velvet caress that sent shivers down my spine. A glorious smile spread across his face. "You're late," I said, playfully glaring at him as I crossed my arms over my chest. The corners of my lips curled into a teasing smile, and I raised an eyebrow, waiting for his response.