Playing With Fire

Chapter- 1

To be the new girl in a brand new high school, at age 17 was probably the hardest thing I had ever had to do in my life.

My father had just opened up a new branch of his law firm in California and I was forced to move from the east coast to the west.

I was born and raised in New York. It was the only place I had ever known. But my father was also the only adult in my life who had always been there for me, who had raised me. I had no other option but to move with him.

No one to stay with until I could graduate.

I would never understand why he couldn't have waited until I had graduated from high school to make the move. And although he loved me with everything he had, work was usually always put before my needs.

Another branch of his law firm meant more money. My dad loved money.

He didn't trust anyone to oversee its opening but himself. To get it started and bring in clientele.

So with all of that being said, here I was. Sitting outside of Sonoma Valley High School in my pretty red Mercedes that my father had gotten me for my 16nth birthday. Way to stand out- like a sore thumb right?

UGH.

I had arrived about 30 minutes early and I couldn't bring myself to go inside of the building.

I didn't want to get my new schedule, I didn't want to go to my first new class and I didn't want to be introduced as 'the new girl'.

I've watched tons of shows and movies where the new kid had a hell of a time adjusting. Sometimes they were overlooked while other times people just couldn't keep their eyes off of them.

To be honest, I wasn't the most beautiful girl but I wasn't ugly. I knew people would stare and whisper about me.

In my old school I was somewhat popular. I was in that group that people labeled the MVPs of the school. Guys constantly asked me out on dates- which I usually declined.

During my whole 'young adult' or teenage life SO FAR, I had only had one boyfriend. We dated for 2 years until he finally broke up with me because I wouldn't go beyond oral sèx. He couldn't accept the fact that I just wasn't ready for the real thing.

At least he was honest about it. At least he put me out of my misery so I could get over him. Unfortunately though,  I had fallen in love with him.

I didn't want to be with someone who didn't feel the same as I did for them. He had never fallen in love with me. He was with me because I was 'gorgeous' and 'popular.

It was disgusting.

Even though I missed my friends tremendously, it was sort of nice to be able to start fresh. Even if it would only be for about a year. Maybe I'd make friends that would go on to stay in my life for a long time.

So, even though starting over had me feeling miserable, I was trying to be optimistic about it. I wanted to make the best out of the whole situation.

When I finally made the decision to get out of my car, which was parked at the very back of the lot, there were a lot of people doing the exact same. When I got here, there were barely any cars here. It was the exact same way at my old school. Kids either showed up last minute or were late. I was an inbetweener. In between early and just on time.

I intently watched everyone walking around me. No one really noticed me much to my surprise. It was mostly just my paranoid 'new girl' mindset. I knew inside of the school, in class would be a whole different situation though. Most likely anyway.

The front office lady was really nice and gave me a folder filled with everything that I needed. I was told that I would need to set up a time to have my photo taken for my ID laminate. I really hoped that I would get more than one chance for my permanent picture. The one I had back in NY looked like I was constipated.

It was TERRIBLE.

Chuckling to myself I walked the halls on my way to my locker. I wanted to practice my combination before my first class so I could put whatever books I didn't need to take home inside of it.

This school was a lot different than my previous one. I was guessing that this is what a 'normal' high school looked like. Back in New York I went to a semi private school. You had to meet a certain criteria to be able to attend, it wasn't just for anyone in the general public.

My father was an àss like that. He told me he was 'protecting' me but I called bullshít.

So when he told me we were moving I told him I didn't want to go to a school with stuck up pieces of shít.

Don't get me wrong, I did have some good friends in New York but most of them thought they were better than everyone else. I never treated anyone any differently, my grandma taught me better. She had been in my life until she passed away when I was 14. She always chastised my father for being so stuck up.

She told me she raised him differently and that it was his father that had caused him to be the way that he was. My grandfather was also a lawyer. He got a lot of bad guys off and I had always hated that. Thankfully so did my father. He was a prosecutor.

As soon as I found my locker in a far corner of a hallway, I took out my slip of paper with my combo numbers on it. Suddenly I was surrounded by hushed whispers.

I couldn't help but immediately turn to look around me. Now people were staring. What in the world...

Almost everyone in the hallway around me at that exact moment stopped to stare at me. I felt my heart rate accelerate.

"Do you guys have a problem?" A husky voice popped up from beside me, so close it felt like it was being spoken into my ear. I turned to look at the male who had spoken. As soon as my eyes landed on his body, I felt my temperature spike.

Not only was his voice hot, his smell intoxicating but he was literally the most attractive human I had ever seen in my entire life.

I watched his eyes move from mine to scan the people watching us and they quickly stopped looking and began to go about their business again. He looked back to me and that was it before he was opening his locker.

He didn't acknowledge me in the least. I thought he was standing up for me but he didn't even say 'hello'.

For a moment, I contemplated if I should thank him, say anything to him but before I could get a single word out, he was already walking away from me and down the hallway.

Ok then. I guess that's that.

Trying to shake off the weird interaction between the two of us, I went ahead and practiced opening my locker. It was easy and I was thankful for that. I had, had lockers in the past that were the most complicated things in the world. Sometimes it took all the time I had in between classes to be able to open them, thus making me late.

Taking my schedule out for the day, I immediately felt disappointed when I learned that gym was my first class of the day. I LOATHED gym. I loathed sweating and then having to go throughout the rest of the day. I was going to take advantage of being able to get a shower here if they had them, which they should.

Back in NY, gym was the last class of the day my Junior year and it was wonderful.

Lucky for me, since it was my first day I was allowed to sit this one out. Again, no one really paid me any mind. After class the teacher gave me a uniform and explained that I would need to purchase a lock if I wanted to use a locker in the changing rooms for class. Lucky for me I still had my old one.

"Hi." Just as I was about to exit the locker room a pretty blonde girl stopped me. She was wearing an oversized ariel sweatshirt from the disney movie and I chuckled. Ariel was my favorite disney princess movie.

"Hi, I'm Lilith, what's your name." I put my hand out and she shook it.

"I'm Erin. You're new, so I already like you."

We stood in the hallway outside of the gym to chat as students walked by.

"You don't even know me." I grinned brightly at her.

"I know but I don't have any friends and you don't have any friends yet so I thought to myself, why not get to know you. I honestly can't stand most people in this place. I like to keep to myself. And I know what it's like to be the new girl. I was freshman year after most of these kids had gone to elementary and middle school together. I know what you're thinking, 'four years and no friends' but honestly no one's ever really paid me any mind."

Wow, it must have taken her a lot of courage to even talk to me.

"Ok Erin, let's be friends. Walk with me to my locker to put away my gym clothes?"

She smiled and nodded eagerly. Her smile was infectious and she seemed really down to earth. Definitely my kind of girl. Hopefully we could build a really good friendship.

She was totally different from anyone I had ever known in my old school. My little group was loud and obnoxious to put it as politely as possible.

We talked about my next class on the way to my locker. I had History with a teacher named Mr. Lockhart who had a hissy fit if you even asked another student to borrow a pencil without his permission. He was going to be a whole bunch of fun!

My need to hurry was immediately cut short as soon as Erin stopped beside me as I started to open my locker. I watched her face fall and she suddenly looked scared as hell.

"L-lilith, you need to ask for a different locker. Right now. Come on, we need to go to the office." She tried to wrap her arm around mine but I pulled back.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa... calm down there. Why do I need to change lockers? There's nothing wrong with this one. Why do you look like you're about to pee yourself?" I chuckled out nervously.

"I h-had this locker... so did a lot of people... they asked for another because of who's locker is next to it. He's... he's scary. I didn't feel safe, I didn't like the way he made me feel."

"Ok.. why is he scary? How did he make you feel? Are you talking about the dude with the tattoos? Because Erin, tattoos don't make someone scary... it's just ink in someone's skin, it's art." I actually loved tattoos but I knew I could never pull off something like a full sleeve. I would eventually get small ones here and there but I greatly admired people who were covered. Like this mystery dude we were discussing.

"No Lil, it's not the tattoos. It's the way he looks at you, the way he acts like he can't stand anyone being near him and if you are near him for too long, he looks like he wants to kill you. There's something dark about him, like a dark aura around him. He m-makes me nervous in a way that I do NOT like. And it's not just me Lilith. Everyone who's ever had to have a locker next to him asked for another."

I gave her an incredulous look and shook my head. "That's just ridiculous! Has he ever actually hurt anyone before?"

She shook her head this time and bit her lip.

"So....he's never like, threatened you or anyone that he would get physical."

Again she shook her head. "No...he barely talks to anyone."

I was blown away by what I had just learned. People, including Erin were so scared of someone like this dude just because of the way he looked and made them feel even though he didn't even really speak to them. It made absolutely no sense and it actually kind of irritated me.

"What's this dudes name?"

"Phoenix Fury..." Her voice was a mere whisper.

Phoenix Fury? I laughed to myself in my head. Maybe his name scared people. Maybe people thought that with a name like that he was dangerous. He looked like a 'bad boy' but that was about it. An extremely HOT bad boy at that. Maybe he was just introverted like Erin. Maybe he just didn't want friends in this school. He most likely ran with different people outside of school. People more like him. People with tattoos and leather jackets....

I didn't want to label him or put him in a catagory just based on the way he looked though. No one deserved to be labeled and judged. ESPECIALLY when no one really knew them. That was another very important lesson my grandmother had taught me, NEVER judge a book by it's cover.

"Erin, listen...I'll be fine with my locker. I'm not afraid, he's not going to hurt me. Don't worry about me ok? How about you head to class and I'll meet you in the cafeteria for lunch since we have the same one. It'll be nice to actually have someone to sit with."

Her face lit up again and she gave me another smile. "Ok. You sound like you can handle yourself. But if you do start to feel uncomfortable, ask for another locker, ok? Promise me. They will give you one."

I nodded, smiling back. "I promise. I'll see you later."

After I watched her begin to walk away, I turned to face my locker and began to open it.

At that moment, I was suddenly hit with a familiar scent. GOSH. His cologne was mouth watering. If it was even cologne, I had no idea. It seemed to be more of a natural, manly scent mixed with something like cedar.

When my locker door swung open, I peaked around it to look at him.

Surprisingly, he was already looking at me.

"Made a new friend already, huh?"

Mmmmm. That sexy voice of his had me clenching my thighs together. How could anyone be afraid of this man.

"Yeah... she introduced herself to me. She's really nice." I felt myself grow more nervous as he grinned. Once again I could feel my temperature rise.

He had the plumpest, pink lips I had ever seen on a guy and I wanted badly to feel them on mine. His whole face was flawless and sculpted like a God's. I caught a glimpse of his tongue ring when he ran his tongue along his bottom teeth.

YUMMY.

I stood there for what seemed like a very long time, looking him over before I realized he hadn't responded to what I had said. He was just watching me, watching him. He didn't seem to mind either. He was still grinning so I was guessing that he found it amusing that I was so OBVIOUSLY checking him out.

The hallway was also really clearing out so I was guessing I was already late for second period. But for some reason, I couldn't bring myself to care. He obviously didn't either because he just stood there silently watching me, unmoving.

"U-uhmm... I'm sorry, I think I'm late. I should g-go..." Now I had developed a stutter just like Erin. I was guessing that Phoenix just did that to people. I wondered if Erin had found him attractive. I would find it really hard to believe if she told me she didn't. Even if she were gay, it was painfully obvious that he was a perfect human specimen.

How did she feel dark energy around him? Maybe she was just intimidated by how attractive he was. How nervous he made her feel because he was so good looking.

I watched him close his locker door before leaning a hand on it and then leaning in closer to me. He audibly inhaled, closing his eyes for a  long moment before he opened them again and locked them on mine.

The look he gave me was positively sinful.

Had his eyes darkened?

And although I couldn't break eye contact with him, I noticed him lick his lips. Again I was clenching my thighs together tightly. My heart was racing and I felt light headed.

None of this bothered me though, I absolutely loved the way that he made me feel. No other guy had ever made me feel this way.

Hot and bothered.

Without thinking about it, I mirrowed his actions and licked my lips.

He chuckled for a brief moment before he winked and then turned away from me and began to walk down the hallway. He didn't say another word. Not even a 'bye' or 'catch you around' or anything of that sort. He just simply stopped talking and began to walk away.

Again without thinking, I shouted after him. "Hey! Phoenix! If you have second lunch you should sit with Erin and I!" She would be fine, I'd show her that he wasn't a bad guy, just misunderstood most likely.

As he got farther away, I heard his deep chuckle echo around the hallway. That was his only response to my offer. I was flabbergasted. What was so funny?

God, how I wanted to hear him speak again. He was intoxicating, in a good way. Maybe THAT was why people couldn't handle having a locker next to him. He was intimidating and people were just to weak to handle it....but not me. Oh hell no, not me. I wanted to know more about him. I wanted to know him. I wanted to be friends with Phoenix Fury.

And nothing was going to stop me.

Nothing.