Kissing Pact With The Bad Boy

Chapter 3 - Sweet 'N Spicy

Your eyes hold the secrets I can never learn, but I long to learn them.

Chapter 3 - Sweet 'N Spicy

(Skylar)

Skylar stood right where Holden had left her for a long time before she could actually move. She looked around, hoping she wouldn't run into the moron again as she hurriedly walked towards the school campus.

The big door in the front was painted red and blue, Everett High's school color. A stone statue of a pouncing panther stood under a massive oak tree. It instantly reminded Sky of Holden and how he always looked like he was ready to pounce.

Guys in letterman jackets and girls in short, short skirts walked around, looking eager and happy. Sky frowned. She usually loved school, but today she was in no mood to be here. She wanted to go back home and curl up in her bed and go to sleep and forget everything, forget Hunter and Melissa and Holden and her stupid life. It sucks big time.

The long, narrow hallway was filled with students marching their way through the battlefield of bodies to reach their destination. Some stopped and greeted her on the way.

"Sky, little Sky," a tall guy called out to her and she stopped with a smile as the familiar face came into her sight.

"How was San Francisco?" Aaditya asked as he pulled her in a big bear hug. She snuggled closer to him. She needed his hug right now. It was comforting and familiar, so unlike watching Hunter playing bob the apples with Melissa. That was hurtful and uncomfortable.

"It sucked. How was Chennai?" Sky asked. Aaditya went back to India for the vacation with his mom and dad and sister.

"Chennai was so hot, I literally melted," Aaditya said. "But it was nice meeting my cousins. It was fun spending time with them."

"That is good, Aadhi. Do you know-" Sky stopped halfway and Aaditya sighed and squeezed her shoulder.

"Yes. You okay with that? I told Hunter he was an abominable human being for doing that to you."

"He is, Aadhi. Melissa... How can he even think that he can rationalize that? How many nights had we spent talking smack about her? How many nights had you two sat there comforting me? I don't know if I can ever forgive him. I know it's his life and he can date whoever he wants, but I still feel so, so betrayed."

"You are allowed to feel that, tholi. It is just not done. He could've dated a monkey and I would have been okay with that."

Sky chuckled as she looked up at him with a grateful smile and Aaditya shook his head. They stopped in front of Sky's locker and Sky opened her locker, even as her eyes flicked to the locker on the far left. It was Holden's locker and usually, by this time, he would be talking with one of his admirers. Actually, talking would be an overstatement. The girls would be preening, giggling and tucking their hair behind their ears, and Holden would be grunting. Sky had never seen him talking much with anyone. Except Hunter, Aaditya, Ryan and Sky. Even though most of the things he said to Sky were made to make her burn with rage, it was still more than anything he talked with other girls.

"What is your first class?" Aaditya asked.

"AP Bio," Sky said and he shook his head and cleared his throat.

"What?"

"Nothing, geek." He smiled, but his smile was a little strange.

She pushed the books inside the locker, slammed it shut and turned towards Aaditya.

"Yours?"

"Chemistry. Bye, chellam, see ya later and then we can plan about how to neuter Hunter."

Chellam meant dear or darling in Tamil.

"Can't wait for that." Sky said as she walked towards the first class, hoping she would get a cool teacher, who wouldn't lull her to sleep.

Melissa stopped Sky just a few feet away from Sky's class.

Shit. I was soooo close!

Sky knew Melissa was not in AP Biology. Melissa was beautiful enough to have any guy she wanted, but not smart enough for AP classes. So she was here for only one reason. Sky.

"Hunter means a lot to me and I hope we can move past my past transgressions." Now, that wasn't what Sky expected, but Sky understood the pressure to pretend. She herself had been pretending for a while now.

"For such a dumb b*tch, you are quite smart, Melissa," Sky said with an appreciative smile. "Don't worry, I won't narc on you if you don't run to your boyfriend and tell on me. We don't have to pretend to like each other, because I know you don't like me and you know I don't like you." Sky shrugged as she gave Melissa a once over. She was wearing a low-cut top that showed her generous bust and a short skirt. If Sky swung the other way, she couldn't have resisted, either. Melissa was beautiful, the kind of beautiful Sky could never be. "And it is personal. You and everything you stand for offend my sensibilities."

"You are ugly and your face hurts my eyes." Melissa snapped back. So original!

"Your personality is ugly. I can pay for plastic surgery, but there is no way in hell you can get a personality transplant." Sky said as she gave Melissa a look. "Now, if we are done... can I go?"

"I hope you will stay away from my boyfriend. I mean, everyone knows you want him for yourself, but he is mine, now." Melissa's sickly sweet voice turned venomous in an instant. Poisonous snakes don't stop being venomous just because they are dating your best friend. You get the gist!

Sky's heart was a raging mess, but she kept her cool. Melissa couldn't hurt her anymore than Hunter had already done.

"Now, now, that is not the deal, now, is it?" Sky clicked her tongue as she moved past Melissa.

"What does Melissa the mean witch want with you?" Amber wrapped her arm around Sky and Sky stopped and looked at her best friend's dark, beautiful face with a smile.

Amber and Sky had become friends when Amber moved here from Alaska two years ago. She was Sky's way of getting an emotional support system. Having guys as friends was wonderful. But as you grew older, you would realize guys would suck at being the kind of friends you needed at times, like when you wanted to gush about your crush on one of your best friends. Sky couldn't do it with Aaditya or with Hunter, as he was the said crush. Or to cry over broken hearts, or curse your so-called best friend for kissing your bully.

"She wants me to stay away from her boyfriend." Sky said with a shrug.

"Why the hell would you go anywhere her boyfriend? He would become evil in association." Amber said, a glare in her dark brown eyes. If only Amber knew!

"Because her boy-toy of the month is none other than Hunter Reed." Sky said, hoping she could just open the damn earth and disappear. Amber looked shocked and surprised. Oh, Sky was too, when she had learnt that particular tidbit.

"I am so sorry, Sky." Amber said as she grabbed Sky's hand in hers. "Are you okay?"

"I have to be, but... it feels like someone is pounding on my chest over and over with a heavy block of stone." Sky whispered as they entered the AP biology class and she was almost relieved to see Mr. Gillian is already in the chair with a big book open in front of him. She didn't want to talk more about Hunter, not right now.

"Hello Seniors," Mr. Gillian said and they chorused back a good morning.

"We will be doing lots of things this semester, interesting things, but first we will be choosing a partner for the lab."

Sky immediately turned towards Amber and they both shared a nod and a smile. Having your best friend in most of your classes means you don't have to worry about getting stuck with random project partners.

"And it will be random." Mr. Gillian said bursting Sky's happy bubble, and Sky's smile immediately became a frown. "I have twelve names in this box and the rest of the twelve of you get to choose a chit and they will be your partner." Mr. Gillian said. There were twenty-four students on the AP course.

He called out the names of the students that were not written on the paper and, one by one, everyone grabbed a folded paper and walked back to their desks. Some looked excited when they opened the paper, some looked disappointed, and some looked indifferent. Mr. Gillian called Amber's name and Amber picked one from the box, opened it and shook her head at Sky, before she walked towards Ryan Brooks—Holden's friend. Sky still didn't know how Holden and Ryan became friends. Ryan was smart, intelligent, hard-working and Holden was... lazy.

Almost every one of them had picked up the name by now and none of them had her name. There were only five students remaining. Sky hoped Emmett Biso wouldn't get her name. That guy was insufferable.

"Holden Reed," Mr. Gillian called and Sky almost jumped from her chair. She didn't know Holden 'the jerk' Reed was in AP biology. Of course, Sky knew he was smart, but he was lazy enough to not try to use his brain. He spent most of his time and intelligence tormenting Sky with his words and on silly pranks.

"Holden Reed," Mr. Gillian called again and, as if by magic, the devil appeared in the doorway with an apologetic smile on his soft-looking lips. Sky hated herself for noticing how soft, how plump and delicious his lips looked.

Get a grip, girlie!

"Sorry Mr. Gillian, I had a meeting with Principal Sutton."

Yeah. I know what the meeting is about! First day of school and he is already getting in trouble! Sky thought with a distasteful

frown. Holden had an inbuilt trouble magnet and conflict followed and tracked him with a GPS.

"Sure, come on and here, Mr. Reed, choose your partner." Mr. Gillian waved the box and Holden sauntered in, looking so comfortable in his own skin. Tall, lean and limber, he walked in like he owned the whole classroom. And he did, too. His step was confident and his eyes were dangerously addictive and Sky could hear the gasps as he stood in front of Mr. Gillian, his tight ass displayed to the eyes of hungry females. Even Sky's best friend, the traitor, wasn't resistant. Amber's eyes were on his ass, too.

Sky had to admit that in the jeans, which looked like it was stitched over him, his ass was really a distraction made to tempt even the innocent woman to sin, but... his ego was already so big and these girls were not helping any.

He picked up a paper, unfolded it with a bored look and then Sky saw the exact moment his bored eyes turned curious. His gray eyes were full of uncontained laughter as he turned around. His eyes found Sky's and Sky's heart fell.

Oh, s**t, s**t, please don't tell me that he is my damn partner! Is this a cosmic joke or something?My fate, are you laughing your ass off right now?

Skylar's ears buzzed with static as she watched Holden stalking towards her, and she felt like she was being hunted. Her heart made a weird thump-thump inside her ribs and she watched with irritation as he came closer to her. He bent down and looked at her, his eyes full of mockery.

"Looks like it's you and me against the world, freckles," he said in a deep voice, and then he motioned to the guy sitting at the desk next to Sky. The guy grabbed his bag and scurried away without giving Holden another glance. Holden took the desk with a smirk and Sky wanted to smash her thick biology book against his face.

"Why don't you just go back to hell and leave me alone?" She hissed under her breath and he gave her a pout.

"Ouch, freckles. Your tongue is so, so sharp," he said, as he looked at her lips for a long time. He licked his lips and gave her a smoky look, and she knew he did it to fluster her. She wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of seeing her stutter. "But your lips look too sweet."

Oh, you are flustered, aright. Ms. Freak said, smacking her lips.

"Want a kiss, Holden, to check whether it is sweet or spicy?"

Now it was his turn to look flustered.

Sky 1. Holden, a big fat 0.

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