I pulled back and he peered down at me through dark bangs. He shifted his head to the side, throwing his bangs out of his face, and then he sighed.
“You again,” he said as he crossed his arms and bit down on his lip ring. “Guess that means I’m going to jail today.”
I suddenly got a big case of nerves. “Why would you go to jail?” I fiddled with my hair.
“Every time I see you I end up behind bars. What happened to your face?” he blurted out.
I laughed like it was nothing, and then I threw out one of the lies I’d been spinning.
“It was a stupid soccer ball to the face yesterday at practice.”
He didn’t believe me. I could see it in his eyes.
“Why are you here? I mean, other than to flirt with underage boys.” The side of his mouth tilted up.
“I wasn’t flirting with underage boys and I’m here to volunteer. It’s only fair since we were both arrested.” I began to fidget.
“How did you know I was here?” he asked. He moved in closer and towered over me. Leaning in, he got in my ear and whispered, “Does your daddy know you’re stalking me, snowflake?”
He was too close. I didn’t like it when guys got too close, and I suddenly felt like I couldn’t breathe. I stepped back like he’d burned me.
“My. Name. Is. Patience!” I said too loudly.
My voice bounced off the walls and echoed throughout the gym. Everyone around us stopped and looked at me like I was crazy. Embarrassment set in and I felt my entire body turn red. My cheeks were on fire and I wanted to shrivel up and disappear.
Above me, Zeke let out a throaty chuckle.
“Careful, snowflake, if your face gets too hot, you might melt.”
Seven
Zeke
Spending my afternoons hanging out with a bunch of badass brats didn’t sound very appealing, but once the judge threw down his gravel there wasn’t shit I could say. It was better than thirty days in jail. So after zoning out in class all day Tuesday, I hopped in my car and headed for the Boy’s Club to clock in.
I was assaulted by the smell of old gym shoes as soon as I walked into the gym full of young boys. Every noise in the room echoed and made my headache ten times worse. I was approached by a young woman with bouncy black hair and she smiled up at me innocently.
“Are you Zeke?” she asked with a smile.
“That’s me,” I said with less exuberance.
“Great! You’re early.” She beamed. “My name’s Lindy! Let’s get you in a Big Brother shirt and I’ll show you to your group.”
The idea of changing my clothes sucked, but again, judge’s orders are judge’s orders.
I followed her through the gym to a little office tucked into the corner. I told her my size, then sat as she went to the back to find a shirt for me. I peeked out of the little window into the gym and watched as the kids played without a care. It was actually kind of nice to have a place for troubled kids to go. I wish I’d had a place like that when I was growing up. Maybe I could’ve been saved. Maybe I wouldn’t be so fucked up.
The sun peeked into the gym as the front door opened and a girl surrounded by a sunny halo entered. Once the door closed, the bright light surrounding her disappeared and I could see it was none other than Patience, my little icy bad luck charm. I sighed out loud.
Why couldn’t I get away from this girl? She was everywhere I was and it seemed like every time I saw her, something bad happened to me. I was starting to think she was a gift from the devil himself. She was a pretty box of temptation wrapped in a force field of police officers waiting to arrest me, or a box of sweets with a big-ass invisible mousetrap sitting on the cover.
I watched as she walked into the gym and stood there staring around like she was lost. She had on gym shorts and a tank top with her hair piled on top of her head in a messy ponytail. A pair of knee-high black socks fit against her well-shaped calves. She’d definitely just finished practicing some sport. Soccer, maybe? I’d never found sporty girls attractive, but something about the way she blew a wayward piece of hair from her face and flexed her