Fearless The King Series Book One - By Tawdra Kandle Page 0,9

with Nell Massler. He was a senior, he already had a group of friends, and there was no good reason in the world for him to be interested in me.

At my locker, I swapped out books, taking what I needed for morning classes. My speech notebook was caught on something in the back, and I stuck my whole head in the locker, trying to pull it loose.

“Hi. You trying to climb in there?”

I jerked my head out, banging it against the top of the locker in the process. Michael was leaning against the wall, looking at me speculatively.

“Ouch.” I rubbed the top of my head, still seeing stars.

“You didn’t knock anything loose, did you? Should I get the nurse?”

Someone thought he was a comedian, I thought crossly. Hitting my head always made me grumpy.

“I think I’ll live. You just startled me. My notebook is stuck back there, between the side and the back.” Some part of my mind was noting in astonishment that this unbelievably attractive boy was paying attention to me—again—but somehow I was able to speak.

Michael leaned into the locker, and I moved out of the way. He glanced back and smiled full on at me. I felt my legs melting and wondered how I was still upright.

“Allow me.” With a theatrical flourish, he reached in and pulled out my notebook, intact and unharmed, and presented it to me triumphantly.

This was the goofiest behavior I had ever seen, so why on earth was I ready to swoon at his feet?

“Thanks.” I took the notebook and tucked it between my French and Chem books and decided to play along a little. I glanced up at him from under my lashes and smiled. “My hero.”

I heard him suck in breath. “Jeez, you’ve got a killer smile. Wow. Listen, do me a favor and don’t smile today, okay?”

I felt a little dizzy. “Why not?”

“Just a request. No smiling unless you’re with me. I really don’t want to have to fight off other guys. I could, of course—” he flashed a smug, self-assured look, “—but I’d rather not.”

I closed my locker and stood there just looking at him.

“What?” he asked, in mock bewilderment.

“I just—listen, you don’t need to worry about it. Guys falling all over me have never been a problem, and I don’t think it’s going to start today. And why do you care anyway? Are you the King High School Welcome Wagon?” I didn’t want to be rude or unfriendly, but I was confused. No one ever paid this much attention to me.

I shouldn’t have worried about being unfriendly. Michael didn’t look fazed at all. He smiled at me again, and his eyes never left my face.

“I don’t think I believe you about guys not paying attention. And I care because—” he hesitated and for the first time seemed a little unsure of himself. “I don’t know that I can explain it right now. You might think I’m crazy.”

I raised my eyebrows and just shot him a silent look.

“Oh, too late, huh?” His humor and self-confidence were back. “Let’s just say I am the Welcome Wagon—your own personal Welcome Wagon. And part of my duties are to make sure you eat lunch with me again today.”

I flushed. While I wanted to eat lunch with him almost more than I wanted my next breath, I didn’t need a pity date, and I had to be sure he wasn’t asking me out of some strange sense of obligation. But as I opened my mouth to say as much, Michael put out his hand to stop me.

“For me, okay? I’m not on some do-gooding trip. This is purely selfish.” He gave me a mock glare. “Indulge me. Please.”

I didn’t know what to say, so I just nodded. “I’ve got to get to class.”

“Where are you going? What’s your first class?”

“French. Building 2.”

He made a face. “I’ve got European History in a satellite classroom. Opposite direction, and even I can’t move that fast in time. So—” he began walking backwards away from me, “—see you at lunch. I’ll meet you outside the door to the cafeteria.”

Still somewhat speechless, I nodded again, stood for a puzzled moment watching him go, then turned toward French class.

I was preoccupied during French, which was not a good thing. It was a small class and thus impossible to be inconspicuous. Since it was my second day, I was still trying to make a good impression on the teacher. I managed to fake it until she asked me to orally