Dark Realms(77)

I nodded, smiling sheepishly. “I had my braces taken off last month. It was the highlight of the summer.”

“Oh, I forgot that you even wore braces,” said Amy, pushing her dark hair behind her ears.

“That’s because nobody notices Kendra,” snickered Mark Davis, who was sitting a couple desks away, “unless she’s standing next to her hot sister with the perfect teeth.”

It was true, for some reason Kala hadn’t needed braces but my teeth had overlapped in the front so bad, I had to have them.

Some of the other kids laughed as he continued to mock me. I wanted to curl up into a ball and roll away. Instead, I looked down at my hands and wished that I could vaporize into thin air. I seriously hated Mark and all of his jock friends who picked on me whenever they were bored and wanted to look cool.

“Check out the new weirdo,” said Mark with an ugly smirk. He turned his body back towards the front of the class and folded his arms across his chest. “He looks like something out of a cheap horror movie.”

I looked up and my eyes locked with Tyler’s – rather, his dark sunglasses. He was standing at the front of the class and scanning the room for a place to sit. There was a desk next to mine that was vacant, and for some reason, I really wanted him in it.

“What? It’s too bright in here?” snorted Mark. “Nice shades, Dracula.”

Of course, his friends only fueled his stupidity by laughing.

I glared at Mark, who was still chuckling at his own lame jokes, and wished I had the guts to tell him off; although, something in Tyler’s expression told me that he didn’t need any help from me.

Ignoring everyone else, Tyler removed his glasses and began walking towards me. Just when I thought he was going to sit at the desk next to mine, he took the seat behind me instead.

“Hey,” he said as I turned around.

“Hey,” I answered back, trying not to blush.

Some of the other girls in the classroom started checking him out, and soon were staring with glazed expressions, as if he was some kind of celebrity. I couldn’t blame them, however. Not only was he cute, but his eyes were beautiful, magnetic, and more than a little… unnerving.

When the bell rang, the teacher, Mr. Henry, passed out the school’s handbook and we spent a half hour going over each boring rule. No fighting, no swearing, no running, no guns, no tank tops, no pets, no gum, and last, but not least, no fun. My head was spinning by the time class was over and I was almost afraid to breathe, in case that was also against school policy.

“Bring a book to read tomorrow morning if you don’t have homework,” called Mr. Henry as we all shuffled out of the classroom.

I stepped into the hallway and started walking towards first period, which was my math class. I passed my sister along the way and she smiled at me.

“Is that your sister?”

I turned to find Tyler walking next to me again and felt more butterflies tickling my stomach. “Uh, yes.”

“You must be twins?”

I nodded. “Yeah, but we don’t look anything alike.”

He smiled. “That’s okay, being different is much more interesting.”

I stared at him, wondering if he was from another planet.

“I don’t know about that. Sometimes I’d rather be more like her,” I said. “She’s got it made and nobody gives her any crap.”

He smiled. “She probably doesn’t give anyone a chance to.”

My eyes narrowed. “Well, I certainly don’t let anyone give me crap, if that’s what you’re getting at.”

“I never said you did. I was merely suggesting that confidence goes a long way.”

He had me there. Every time I saw myself next to my sister, my confidence went out the door.

“So, um, where are you going?” I asked, nearing my classroom.

“Math,” he answered. “We’re in the same class. I hope you don’t mind if I walk with you?”

How did he know what class I had next?

I blushed. “No, of course you can walk with me.”

“Kendra has an admirer,” snorted Mark behind us.

Tyler turned to him and smiled. “What’s wrong, jealous because you don’t have any admirers?”

Admirers?

My jaw dropped. Not only had he hinted that he was my admirer, but he’d also stood up to Mark, who was on the wrestling team and had muscles on his muscles.

Mark dropped his books on the ground, and then shoved Tyler, hard. “Why would I be jealous of a cow and her hoser boy-toy?”

Tyler removed his sunglasses and stared at him while several students gathered around anxiously to see what would happen next.

“Apologize for being an idiot,” said Tyler evenly.