5 - Be more polite

As Quinn pulled into campus on day two she noticed Cory’s truck had a black Camero parked next to it rather than the motorbike of that guy that pestered her. The one with the sexy bangs and intense gaze, she hadn’t ever seen anyone with eyes like those before, they certainly stuck in one’s memory. Hopefully that meant he wasn’t there today as she looked around and couldn’t see the bike in the carpark.

She walked around the side of the main building heading straight to the easiest entrance to the lockers. She looked up the stairs to the stoop and paused in her tracks as there he was. He was wearing a different black leather jacket, one with a white strip down the sleeves, dark blue denim jeans and a crisp white t-shirt. He really was amazing to look at, he had a great body, that was obvious and his confident swagger was sexy and alluring. However, he was surrounded by girls at this precise moment all vying for his attention. He was leaning on the wall, his phone out like he was collecting numbers as the girls giggled and chatted with each other, batting their eyelashes at him. All the while he stared at his phone oozing a calm indifference.

Quinn’s face deadpanned as she walked up and stepped up the steps, passing the group. As she went to step in the open door she felt a hand curl around her wrist, clamp tight and yank her back a step.

She looked to her right and met Reese’s sparkling golden gaze, hers narrowing as she glanced down to where he gripped her wrist with a filthy look. The gaggle of girls had gone silent, some surprised, some scowling at her, they were all juniors and seniors and wondered who this new girl was gaining Reese’s attention. As she looked back up at Reese he smirked sexily like he had been waiting for her eyes to come to him.

“Are you just going to walk passed and not say hello? I’m your senior and president of the executive, you should really be more polite, Quinn.”

Quinn was stunned as the girls started whispering in agreement to him. “Ah…sorry, I didn’t realize, I don’t even know who you are…” He hadn’t been at the welcome yesterday with the other executive members.

“How can you not know him?” One girl asked. “This is Reese O’Shea, our prince of campus!”

Quinn’s gaze slid to the girl and back to Reese. “Wow, seriously…” She managed to free her wrist from his grasp and rubbed it. Lucky she was wearing arm warmers and covering her bruises, but that hurt, he had some serious power in that grip and she wondered if he knew just how much force he had applied.

“Sorry, I didn’t realize you were so important…” Her tone was facetious but Reese chuckled. “Hello.” She stated looking straight into his eyes.

“Hello and good morning to you, Quinn.”

She managed to look startled. “How do you know my name?”

His smirk widened. “I wouldn’t ask a girl to go to a party with me without first knowing her name…I asked around after seeing you in the carpark yesterday morning.”

This startled Quinn and shocked the girls around him. They all looked at Quinn with a level of open hostility that made Quinn wish he would just shut up, she didn’t need to be singled out on day two. She dropped her gaze to the ground and a faint blush tinged her cheeks in her embarrassment.

“You’re putting me on the spot, I don’t like it.” She stepped away quickly and entered the corridor making her way to her locker.

She heard the girls behind make varying comments and some exclaimed startled, by what Quinn wasn’t going to turn around to find out.

As she went to open her locker a large hand with long dexterous fingers reached around her and slammed it shut. She turned, shrinking back in fright to see Reese glaring at her darkly.

“What now?” She demanded, but her voice cracked with fear. Her heart skipping a beat as Reese towered over her. He was really tall and managed to use his height to crowd in on her and make her feel a little intimidated. He reminded her a little of Antonio with his intenseness and that scared her more than anything.

As she flinched back on instinct Reese saw the fear in her eyes as reactionary from being triggered by something. Her hard cold exterior suddenly made sense as he saw the flash of vulnerability and he dropped his hand from her locker and pulled back.

“I didn’t mean to scare you…I just wanted to ask you again about Saturday, I want to take you.” His voice was calm, gentle and husky.

Quinn breathed in deeply, letting her heart even out. “I have plans already, sorry.”

“You do…what?”

“Ah, it’s a family thing.” She answered uncomfortably.

“So not a party?”

“No, it’s a dinner with some politician…” Quinn said not making eye contact.

“So, if you weren’t busy?” Reese smirked, his eyes smoldering darkly.

She looked up at him and blinked. He was really intense and his smile was damn hot. She took in his beautiful manly face close up regretfully. “I’m…”

“What about Friday?” He interrupted.

“No, sorry, I’m going out that night too…” She opened her bag and pulled out the invite to ten pin bowling. He took it and read it, as she watched his jaw muscles tick. He had a slight growth of stubble that she couldn’t help but wonder what it would feel like between her thighs. She gasped in a breath and squeezed her thighs together feeling suddenly hot.

Reese’s eyes snapped up to hers at the little gasp of breath. He studied her sudden flushed face and his smirk returned, his eyes darkened a little into that smolder that made her breath hitch.

So she did find him attractive…

He heard Cory’s voice in the hall call out and the smile dropped from his face.

He handed the invite back to her looking cold and she took it with a little frown. “Shame…maybe some other time.”

“Hey. What’s going on?” Cory asked as he approached, looking around Reese’s broad shoulders and seeing Quinn. “Oh, it’s you, lollipop girl…how’s it going? Is Rice bullying you?”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” Reese growled as Cory grinned boyishly at Quinn, coming beside her and leaning on the lockers like yesterday.

Quinn’s little frown was adorable as she smiled slightly up at Reese. He grit his teeth at the change that came over her face as it softened and her eyes glittered like pale gems. “Rice? Did he just call you Rice?” She looked at Cory, she had heard people talking about him and the football team. “And people call you Curry? Curry and Rice?” She giggled, making them both stare at her silently. “Are you like a couple or something?” She saw both their faces go deathly cold. She coughed and stifled her amusement taking their stares as annoyance. “Sorry…” She beamed a smile at them.

“Wow…” Cory tersed.

Reese wiped a hand over his face. “Fucking hell…” He grumbled behind his hand.

“I’m sorry.” She blurted out, grasping her bag and pulling it in front of her protectively.

Reese flicked a dark gaze at her from under his hair making her hold her breath. His gaze slid to Cory who was still staring at Quinn. “Don’t fucking giggle like that!” He growled out and stalked off down the hall.

“W-what?” Quinn breathed, confused as she watched his back. She stiffened as she felt Cory’s presence lean in to her.

“It’s a cute sound…he hates anything cute. Ignore him.”

Quinn moved away a step to her right. “Oh, really? So you guys are known as Curry and Rice?”

“Yeah, we called ourselves that when we were kids playing together, it just kinda stuck.”

“So, you’re friends?”

“Hmm…not really…kind of…it’s hard to explain.” Cory sounded uncomfortable.

“Okay, well I have to get going…” Quinn pointed over her right shoulder and stepped away.

“Wait, I…” Cory went to try and keep her talking but a group of girls that were a part of the popular group of cheerleaders and influential daughters leaped over and curled their arms around Quinn’s and walked off with her.

“Quinn…just the person we were looking for…”

Cory huffed and folded his arms as he straightened up, his football mates, Lucas and Harry coming over. “You like that girl, huh? Seems Rice does too…” Harry was laughing.

“Yeah, we’re competing to see who can get her first.”

“Fuck, really?” Lucas asked with a look of concern.

“Yeah…” Cory grinned.

“Won’t Reese just have her kidnapped and whisked away to Paris or something?” Harry joked.

Cory gave him a baleful look. “What the fuck…he’s not that desperate to win.”

“Are you?”

Cory scowled. “Don’t you think she’s worth a little effort to compete against him, she fucking gorgeous.”

“You guys have never crossed paths on campus, why start now?” Harry asked.

“Yeah, you may break the peace.” Lucas agreed.

Cory scoffed. “It’s just a freshman slut…what’s to get all worked up over, it’s just a friendly competition.”

“If you say so…” Harry said unsure.

“That cheerleader, Mila, didn’t look happy as she dragged the girl away.” Lucas mentioned.

Cory rubbed his jaw, feeling a little uneasy. “Fuck, you think she’s going to bully the girl?”

“Over you? Absolutely.” Lucas scoffed.

Cory rolled his eyes. “Shit…”

“Let me go, what the hell!” Quinn struggled against the arms of the two girls as they led Quinn around the corner and into the girl’s bathroom.

They let her go with a slight shove, pushing her in front of them as they barred the exit. There were four of them all together, Vanessa included. Quinn met her gaze and she smiled vapidly.

“Seems you have gotten the attention of both Curry and Rice…that’s going to be a problem.”

“I don’t see a problem.” Quinn straightened her shirt. “I’m not interested in either of them, I’m just here to study and get my degree.”

Mila’s eyes narrowed. “If that’s so, good…but we’ll be watching.”

“What’s the deal with them?” Quinn asked.

“Cory is mine.” Mila stated.

Quinn huffed. “Good for you, then go get him…look I don’t want trouble, okay?”

“Fine, neither do we, right Mila?” Vanessa affirmed.

“Whatever.” Mila rolled her eyes and flicked her hair back.

“The Prince and Cory are off limits, simple.” Vanessa announced, turned with a flick of her blond hair and walked out of the bathroom.

“We’ll be watching!” Mila said with a twisted smirk and they all left as Vanessa’s shadows.

Quinn let out a breath of relief that hadn’t escalated, leaning back on the vanity.

 A girl came out of a toilet stall, peeking out before stepping out. “Are you okay?”

Quinn looked up at the girl dressed head to toe in designer brands. “Fine…I just wish I knew what was what, you know…I’ve been here two days and already pissed off the princesses obviously…through no fault of my own.”

“Yeah, the top girls are pretty obsessive over who hangs out and talks with the footballers and with Reese’s lot.”

“So they don’t hang together?” Quinn asked.

“Hardly…that’s the joke…curry and rice should go naturally together, but they’re more like chalk and cheese, they are the polar opposites of the school…like jocks versus outcasts, you know? Although apparently they used to be best mates in middle school. That’s where the nicknames come from.”

“Huh…I thought that Reese guy was on the executive?”

“Only because, as much as he’s an actual bona fide gangster, around here he’s actually top academic of campus.”

“What the hell?” Quinn exclaimed.

The girl giggled. “Yeah, I know…he’s a freaking genius and the school board and faculty hate it!”

Quinn laughed. “Oh, I bet they do…”

“Yeah, and Cory McMillan, is the King of the sports faculty, it’s rare to have the star quarter back over here doing a law degree rather than a sports one seeking sponsorship...”

“Hmm…” Quinn nodded, her expression falling into a frown of concern. Somehow she had got herself caught in the middle between the two main factions of the students here. “…great.” She sighed.

“Good luck.” The girl waved out as she left the bathroom.

“Yeah…” Quinn huffed, rolling her eyes. “Guess I’m not joining the cheer squad now…”