Rebel at Spruce High (Spruce Texas Romance #5) - Daryl Banner Page 0,25

its other end and some boisterous and hilarious story Hoyt is telling—while I pull on my annoyingly small gym shorts.

Then, feeling a presence, I turn my face.

For one split second, I catch Vann looking at my waist before, in an instant, he’s back to tying his shoe.

Wait. Did I just imagine that?

Suddenly, Vann’s off the bench and down the aisle, heading to the gym. I watch him and his broad, tapered back, his long legs carrying him away and leaving me standing there in wonder.

Coach Larry starts us off with a round of stretches followed by a couple of laps. I keep against the perimeter of the gymnasium as I jog, noting that Hoyt, Benji, and Julio seem to be in their own world today, talking to each other and paying me little to no mind. I find myself more suspicious than comforted by their behavior. Are they really so bored of me already after yesterday’s incident?

I peer over my shoulder. That’s when I notice Vann trailing behind me some distance. He isn’t looking my way, but he seems to be keeping perfect pace with me, jogging at my same speed. Is that deliberate? I ask myself. He isn’t watching over me or something, is he? Like some kind of bodyguard …?

I decide that’s ridiculous and toss away the notion entirely.

But it doesn’t stop said notion from nagging me the rest of the period, all the way to the bell.

The locker room is louder than before as we change back into our regular clothes. Vann keeps his back to me the whole time. I frown at him in thought after taking off my shirt, wondering why he’s so damned moody all the time. Doesn’t the guy ever smile? I bet he has a cute smile, hidden somewhere in that clouded face of his. I wonder if he has dimples. Or if his smile makes his dark eyes sparkle, revealing a more sensitive soul buried inside him.

Once changed, he sweeps right past me, casting a gust of cool air over my sweaty, shirtless torso. I watch him go, likely on his way to the cafeteria where I’ll be headed soon. I’m lost in thought as I absently grab my shirt, slip it over my head and pull it down, the sweat on my body causing the shirt to stick in places and fight me. The more thoughts I have of Vann, the deeper my heart beats.

“Hey there, best buddy.”

I thought the locker room was cleared out. When I turn, I find Hoyt, alone, leaning against Vann’s locker with a smug expression.

I shut my locker. “Whatever it is, I don’t want to hear it,” I tell him right away, then turn to go.

“Hey, why you gotta go treatin’ me, your best pal, like that?” he taunts me. “C’mon. Hey, you forgot something.”

I stop, then realize I didn’t put my shoes back on, distracted as I was by Hoyt’s sudden appearance. Red-faced, I turn back around. He holds my shoes up like a trophy, wiggling them in the air with an amused look on his face.

I come up to him and make a swipe for the shoes, only to have him pull them away. “Now, hold on there a sec …”

“Give them to me.”

“Hey, we didn’t really resolve things in English class. Why do you hate me so much when I’m just being a pal to you?” He tucks my shoes under his arm like a football, then grins. “Look, all I wanted to say is, me and my buddies were talking, and we think it’d be great if you came to G-Man’s one of these weekends. You guys had a class last year, didn’t you? Oh, I just realized … G-Man’s a year behind, too, just like you! Buddy, why aren’t you guys best friends?” He snorts at that, finding it hilarious.

“Hoyt,” I warn him, my voice tensing. “Shoes. Now.”

“So listen, buddy, we hang out at G-Man’s every weekend. His ma and pa are always outta town. We usually show up at seven on Saturday, and stay ‘til … well, ‘til whenever. You gotta come.”

Tired of his toying, I make a grab for my shoes. My fingers hook on them, but Hoyt’s grip is too strong, and with a maneuver, he captures my hand under his arm, too, trapping me in place. Suddenly, my face is inches from Hoyt’s, and his lips curl up with pompous satisfaction.

I glare at him. “Why would I ever go to some stupid get-together with you and