Surge - Maya Nicole Page 0,23

tick."

I clenched my teeth and refused to look up from the response I was writing. I had been trying to ignore him and was reaching my limit. I hadn't gotten much sleep and felt like my head was going to explode.

Blake snatched my pen and held it away from me when I tried to grab it back. I grunted out my frustration and reached into my bag to grab another pen. As soon as my pen hit my paper, it was snatched from my grip.

"Ms. Williams." I raised my hand. Once I had her attention, I gestured to the thorn in my side. "Blake is taking my pens."

A few heads turned, but most of the class was focused on the short answer prompt we were answering from the reading the night before. Reading I had skimmed because dealing with police and a broken door took time.

"He took your pen? What grade are we in?" She crossed the room so she wasn't talking across it and gave Blake a pointed look that said he was disturbing her normally peaceful class. "Give her back her pens."

"She said I could borrow them." Blake's frown was almost believable. "I can't help that she's PMSing and changed her mind."

A few females gasped around the room and one of the guys in front of us shook his head and shot Blake a sympathetic look.

Mrs. Williams rubbed at her eyebrow. "You are eighteen years old. Give her the pens."

I sat up straighter in my chair as she walked away and Blake threw them onto my desk. "Six hours, Kline."

He grabbed his own pen and started writing without another word. My hand shook as I picked it up and tried to finish conveying my thoughts. It was hard to concentrate when his words echoed in my ears.

The sounds of the clock ticking didn't help. It was a constant reminder that time was running out and I didn't have what they wanted.

At the end of the period, Mrs. Williams asked me and Blake to stay behind. I didn't want to hear the ridiculous lies Blake was about to spin. He liked to bullshit.

"What's going on with you two?" She leaned against her desk as we both stood near the front row of desks. "Every day this week there has been something and it's becoming a disruption. Blake, starting tomorrow, you're going to sit elsewhere."

He crossed his arms over his chest. "Why do I have to change seats? She's the one causing the issue."

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes and stayed quiet. It was a lost cause where he was concerned. Anything I said would be contorted to a new story that met his needs. He had shown just how good of a manipulator he was over the past week.

"You are changing seats because I want you to." She moved around her desk and straightened some papers. "You are seniors. You need to start acting like it. Now, if there's nothing else, I need to get ready for my next class."

Blake stalked out of the classroom, pushing open the door harder than necessary. I jumped as it hit the wall outside.

"Riley. Is everything okay?" Mrs. Williams sat in her chair and laced her fingers under her chin. "I'm always here to talk or I can request Mrs. Miller pull you out of next period."

"I'm fine." I stuck a fingernail in my mouth and then shook my head, realizing I was about to bite the nail off. I had stopped biting my nails ages ago. "I think moving his seat will help."

She looked at me with her lips pressed in a line. "Just know that my door is always open."

I thanked her and left the room, glancing at my phone. It was becoming an obsession, checking my phone for messages or emails. I needed to find out what the Tritons knew about my mother.

The second the door shut, my phone was plucked from my fingers. I didn't even have time to try to grab it.

"You shouldn't be alone with a teacher in a classroom. People might get the wrong idea." Blake turned and started to walk away with my phone before he turned to walk backward. "I'd totally be down to watch that though. Mrs. Williams is top of the line MILF."

"You're disgusting." I grabbed my phone back and, thankfully, he let me. Our fingers brushed and he stopped my retreat by grabbing my wrist.

He looked down where he touched my skin and cocked his head to the side.