“Why is it grey?”
I spin around and smack my palm into Elijah’s chest, no doubt I definitely feel it more than him. He may as well be made out of granite.
“Jeez Louise you almost gave me a heart attack, wear a bell or something,” I say, feeling more frazzled than is warranted.
“Sorry little Hen, I was just wondering why you painted your locker. That’s not really allowed.”
“Really, I had no idea,” I deadpan before continuing, “I didn’t do this and for the life of me cannot figure out why it’s even been done. Why the colour grey? What’s it supposed to mean?”
“Hey it’s okay, just put your stuff away and we’ll grab some lunch together,” he says, bending at the knees so he can meet my eye level.
“I don’t want a friend Elijah,” I reply on a sigh, as I pull open the locker door and come face to face with yet another number one, written in red paint.
What am I missing? Is this supposed to mean something to me, I mean sure that Harrison dickwad keeps telling me one more day so it could just be that. By why use red and paint my locker grey, something else is going on here and I need to figure out what.
“Come on, canteen time,” I don’t even argue with him as he steers me towards our dining area.
He leads me to what I guess is now my table before disappearing over to the food prep area. I’m not feeling remotely hungry, but if he wants to waste time collecting me some food that’s his problem. Yet another reason I won’t have friends, I’m not nice enough, not anymore.
“You don’t eat your food anyway, so I got you a sarnie. That way you can take it with you and eat it when you’re hungry.”
“Why do you want to talk to me Elijah? I’m not exactly welcoming you with open arms,” I say, narrowing my eyes at him.
He drops down in the seat next to me, leaning as close as he can and laughing while I’m trying to push him away.
“Because you told the self-imposed rulers of the school where to go, without batting an eye. You haven’t fallen over yourself trying to make friends with every Tom, Dick and Harry you meet, and you don’t want to know me. It makes me like you even more.” He’s so arrogant, he may be hot as sin but his arrogance is an utter turn off in my book.
“Well, you’re just a glutton for punishment. I meant what I said. I don’t want anyone in my life right now, I just need to get through this year and then I’m free. At least that way the Shepherds will be long gone.” My tone is harsh, he needs to know I’m not messing around.
“Who are the Shepherds?" he asks, intrigue lighting his eyes up like a Christmas tree.
His eyes are sparking with more interest when I tell him what I named the rulers and why. He’s clapping his hands with joy and gaining a raised eyebrow from Amias, Ivy and Noah, as they make their way over.
“What have I got to do so you will all just go away?”
“Stop being interesting, Amias loves a mystery and he hasn’t cracked you. Noah is a sweetheart and loves that he gets your food when you walk away. As for myself, if you hate the twats then I don’t hate you,” says Ivy, as she takes a bite of her omelette.
“They’re the Shepherds now,” Elijah informs them, and they love the reasoning behind it as well. These are very weird people, I don’t know how to handle them.
“You stole my seat.” That voice is husky, like fingers trailing down your spine and making you squirm in all the best ways.
I can’t recall if I heard Noah speak yesterday but I’d gladly listen to him talk all damn day.
“You can’t monopolise a chair, just because it happens to be next to little Hen.”
“Enough,” I snap as I slam my hands down on the table, “I am not little Hen or pretty girl, I don’t do nicknames, and my name is Henleigh so either use it or go away.”
“I agree you’re not a pretty girl, you remind me of the backside of a horse. But you do have a nickname, cheese girl,” says Octavia, as she saunters on over.
She’s fluttering her lashes at all of the guys, reeking of desperation. I could have sworn she had a boyfriend already.
“Look darling, you can insult me all you like and clutch at straws when it comes to ridiculous nicknames, but I’m not ugly. Now unlike you, I don’t live for the validation of guys and I don’t really care what you think about me but at least hit me where it hurts.”
“Leave her alone Avi, Harrison said she could at least have today,” says Britney pulling Octavia away whilst glaring at me. Teenage drama, I cannot wait to be an adult and leave all this nonsense behind me.
“This is why we like you, you’re going to keep things interesting,” says Ivy and I remind her that I’m only here until this year ends.
“You realise that we have to stay here until year 13 right, we won’t graduate until we get our A-levels. Not unless your parents have given you permission to doss it at college,” comes from Amias, seeming to enjoy the conflict his words are causing me.
I jump out of my seat and I’m hightailing it out of this damn canteen, I’m not paying a lick of attention as I go crashing into green eyes.
His stare is burning through me as he lays his hands on my shoulders, he’s grinning like a maniac and I am in lust overload.
“Why don’t we put those plump lips of yours to good use,” he says as he drops his head down to mine and I’m instantly pushing him away.
“Never going to happen.”
“Shame, would have been fun to get a sample before you leave. Don’t ignore Harrison, girl, if he wants you out, you best be packing your bags.”
He drops a kiss to my cheek before walking over to the rest of the Shepherds, Chelsea is already going mental at him and he’s just smiling away. The one thing I have noticed is that I’ve never seen Harrison with them, but it seems as though he’s a fellow Shepherd, if not the one in charge.
My door has been painted grey as well, with an R painted on the left-hand side in red. I was expecting another one or at least something a little more telling than an R. I don’t even know what to make of this.
“An interesting choice.”
“Oh for crying out loud, before I waste my time asking what you want let me just ask you this. For all the fancy cameras around this damn school what’s the chance anyone will be able to tell me who did this?”
Ivy is looking at me, but she certainly isn’t smiling. She’s calculating and weighing something up, I just don’t know if it will work out in my favour.
“If the Shepherds as you call them, are responsible then I think you’ll find the headmaster will suddenly lose the connection to the cameras on this side. But I know someone who could find out, I guess you’ll need to decide if you’ve changed your mind.”
“Changed my mind about what?” I ask, and her smile tells me I’m going to hate the answer.
“Whether or not you need friends like me and mine. I’d suggest being a little less hostile towards us and you may realise just how valuable we can be.”
She pats me on my cheeks, so condescending, before turning around and walking away.
I think I’m just going to go into my room and wait for tomorrow, it can’t come soon enough.