Chapter 11: Hot & Cold

~“This is how an angel cries. Blame it on my own sick pride; blame it on my ADD, baby.”—Awolnation.~

Chapter Theme Song: “SAIL” by Awolnation.

HARMONY

The weekend flew by like a gust of wind, leaving me alone in my dorm with only the high-pitched voices of anime characters for company. Blaze was nowhere to be found.

I’d planned to go home for the weekend, but my mom was off to a church camping convention.

So, I spent my free days alone in the dorm, doing laundry, reading manga, and binge-watching ~Attack on Titan~.

April had invited me to join her at Tia’s house for the weekend, but I didn’t want to impose. I told her a half-truth that I was going home for the break.

She accepted my excuse without question and left after watching an episode of the anime with me.

The kiss haunted my thoughts all weekend. But every time it popped into my head, I remembered what April had said about it being part of his narcissistic cycle.

So, after a Sunday filled with daydreaming, self-doubt, and introspection, I decided to steer clear of Blaze Xander for good.

I’d keep my distance until our brief interaction faded into nothing, and we became strangers again.

He’s a big deal around here, so he’ll find another girl to hang out with soon enough. And I’ll retreat back into my quiet, solitary world where I truly belong.

~Yeah, that plan could work.~

I left the dorm for class in a dark gray, sleeveless dress with low-hanging pockets, my hair tied up in a bun, and a pair of white ballet flats on my feet.

I held onto the straps of my bag as I walked down the empty hallway, the early morning sun streaming through the block windows and casting golden beams onto the slick floors.

Checking my slim wristwatch, I smiled when I saw it was only 7:20 a.m. I’d be early for English class.

Already, I could see the benefits of avoiding Blaze Xander.

Ever since I met him, I’d been late to lectures and falling behind on homework.

He was bad for my heart and my grades. Being around him was distracting me from my studies. I couldn’t afford to lose focus; I needed my degree.

But it seemed like the universe was against me. As I turned the corner, I spotted the one person I was trying to avoid.

He was standing at the corner of the stairway, a beanie hat covering his dark hair and a black, loose tank top with wide underarm slits on his torso.

He wore gray joggers and a pair of black Nike sneakers. His palms were pressed against his waist as he glared ahead, looking ~angry~.

I bit my lip, curiosity getting the better of me. He didn’t look okay, and I felt the urge to check on him.

We were in the same English class, so avoiding him today would be impossible.

~I’ll just ask if he’s okay. That’s all.~

I sucked in my bottom lip as I started to walk toward him. But just as I was about to turn the corner, I saw an older man.

I stopped in my tracks and stepped back, hiding behind the wall as I listened in.

“Ms. Fen says you haven’t gone back to see her yet, Blaze. Why’s that?”

Blaze rolled his eyes, rubbing his lips with his hand in annoyance. His jaw was clenched, and his face was filled with anger.

“I think you should go to see her. That’d be best.”

Blaze glared at the man in front of him, looking so intimidating that I felt goosebumps on my skin.

“I already told you that I am not going back there, are you fucking deaf?”

I winced at his harsh language and looked at the man he was speaking to.

The man seemed to be in his early forties, but I couldn’t get a good look at his features since he was standing sideways.

But the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes suggested he was old enough to be Blaze’s dad. Yet, Blaze had just used such disrespectful language with him.

Clearly, he had no manners or respect for his elders.

“Why not?” the man asked calmly, his hands in the pockets of his neatly ironed trousers. “You aren’t better yet, so you need to see her, Blaze. It’s your health.”

“Why do I need to see a therapist?” Blaze crossed his arms, glaring at the man. “Huh? Am I fucking mad? Do I look insane?”

His crude language shocked me again, but not as much as his question.

~Therapist? Why does he need to see a therapist?~

The man sighed in frustration, and I could tell he was genuinely worried about Blaze. “You should go this weekend.”

“No, I have a party this weekend. I am not going so don’t even dream about it.” Blaze said quickly and started to walk in my direction.

The man ran his hand through his hair and turned to watch Blaze walk away. “Do not walk away from me, Blaze. I am your father!”

I gasped.

~That’s his...dad?~

Blaze didn’t even glance back at the man. He kept walking toward me, and I froze, unsure of where to go.

I looked around frantically, wishing I could just disappear.

~He’s going to be mad when he finds out I overheard his conversation!~

Realizing it was too late, I hung my head in embarrassment, waiting for his angry words. But to my surprise, he walked right past me as if I wasn’t there.

He must have seen me, so he was obviously ignoring me.

I wanted to apologize, so I turned around quickly and grabbed his bare bicep. “Blaze—”

“What is it, Harmony? WHAT?!” His voice booms at me, and I quickly let go of him, stepping back. My eyes sting as I take in the fury in his voice.

~Why is he yelling at me?~

His intense gaze locks onto mine, his eyebrows raised in a demanding stare.

I drop my gaze, tears of embarrassment welling up in my eyes. “N-nothing...”

He mutters something under his breath and walks away, leaving me alone in the hallway, wishing I had just kept to myself.

***

My eyes and nose are red as I stare into my notebook, taking notes during Mr. Jones’s lecture.

I cried for a while in the hallway after he yelled at me. No one has ever directed such anger at me before.

Sure, my mom gets mad if I don’t do the dishes on time, but I’m not used to clenched jaws, flared nostrils, and blazing eyes.

On the other hand, I can see why he’d be mad. I did overhear something I wasn’t supposed to.

I’d be just as mad if someone found out I was supposed to be seeing a therapist. That’s not something I want people to know. ~Maybe I deserved to be yelled at?~

Biting my lip, I glance over at Blaze’s empty seat. We’re already thirty minutes into class and he’s not here; he probably won’t be coming.

He once told me he usually shows up an hour late or not at all, and considering how mad he was this morning, I doubt he’ll be here today.

Mr. Jones’s dull lecture would probably just make him even more irritable.

As I turn my attention back to my notebook, the theater door opens and everyone looks over.

Blaze walks in, still wearing his beanie, with his backpack slung over his left shoulder.

The girls in the class start whispering and blushing, clearly excited by his arrival.

Mr. Jones, however, looks anything but pleased. I thought the teachers here didn’t care about tardiness.

“You’re late, Mr. Xander,” he says, crossing his arms over his chest.

I brace myself for Blaze’s response, but to my surprise, he just smiles. “Sorry, Mr. Jones. Won’t happen again.”

Without realizing it, I find myself smiling in relief. He’s back to his usual self.

I hope I never see that angry side of him again. If keeping to myself is the way to avoid that, I’ll mind my own business from now on.

Mr. Jones is still mad despite Blaze’s apology, but he lets it go and goes back to his lecture, his deep voice echoing in the large theater.

Blaze walks over to my side of the room, ignoring the girls who are openly fawning over him. He pulls out the chair next to me, and as usual, his fresh, clean scent fills the cool, air-conditioned room.

I keep my eyes on my notebook, not wanting to risk another outburst. ~His yelling at me sure makes it easier to keep my distance, huh?~

But then he leans his elbows on the table, grinning as he turns his head to look at me.

“Good morning, Harmony.” His voice is calm and cheerful, and it confuses me.

I don’t understand him. Wasn’t he mad at me this morning? And now he’s acting like nothing happened.

“Morning,” I mumble. My response is barely audible, not just because we’re in the middle of a lecture, but also because I’m still a bit hurt by how he snapped at me earlier.

Noticing this, he sighs and sits up straight, pulling out his notebook. “Are you mad about this morning?”

I shake my head, avoiding his gaze. “No.”

“Your eyes are red. Have you been crying?”

I stiffen, glancing at him before quickly looking away. “No.”

“Don’t lie to me, Harmony. It’s okay to be mad. Anyone would be,” he says, and I look up to see if Mr. Jones is watching us.

He did tell me to stay away from him, so talking to him in class makes me uncomfortable.

“I was just...upset. I didn’t mean to.”

Taking that as an apology, I sigh softly. “Well, I’m sorry I heard something I wasn’t supposed to.”

He doesn’t respond, just looks away and opens his notebook. His expression is serious again, and I decide I don’t want to talk about what I overheard anymore.

It’s clearly a sensitive topic for him, and I’ll respect that. He’s better when he’s smiling, and honestly, his frown scares me.

I try to change the subject, hoping to lighten the mood. “So, um, I heard English Level One is only for first years. Why are you taking it in your second year?”

His smile returns, and I breathe a sigh of relief as he covers his mouth with his hand, leaning in close and filling the air with his pleasant scent.

“Well, I have to take it this year because last year I couldn’t stand this stupid subject. It’s boring as hell and Mr. Jones makes it even worse.”

I giggle a little. His crude language still gets to me, but his statement is too true to ignore.

“Yeah, he kind of sucks,” I say, scrunching up my nose, and he widens his eyes in mock surprise.

“Kind of? He sucks a lot, Harmony. Like, he’s so annoying. I heard he’s cheating on his wife with a college girl.”

I gasp. “Really?”

“Yeah, they caught them fucking in—”

“Blaze Xander!” Mr. Jones interrupts, and I shrink in my seat as we turn to face the annoyed teacher at the front of the room.

I’ve never been caught chatting in class before, so it’s a bit nerve-wracking, but Blaze seems to take it in stride. He’s grinning like a cat, lounging back in his chair with his legs spread wide.

“Yes, Mr. Jones?”

The professor’s jaw is clenched so tight I can see the veins throbbing at his temples. I get the feeling he has a personal issue with Blaze for some reason.

The anger in his eyes seems to go beyond simple annoyance.

“You’re distracting my freshman student,” he says, his voice stern. “Do you think your conversation is more important than my lecture?”

Blaze bites his lower lip, holding back a laugh that’s threatening to burst out. His dimples are deep in his cheeks and his eyes are full of amusement. “My apologies.”

I can tell he doesn’t mean it; his words ring hollow.

Mr. Jones must have picked up on it too, because he puts his hands on his hips and lets out a heavy sigh. He hangs his head for a moment, then looks up with a finality in his eyes. “I think you should find another seat, Xander.”

I frown inwardly. I don’t talk to anyone else in this class, and even though I should be avoiding Blaze, he does make this dull lecture bearable.

I love English, but Mr. Jones could make even Shakespeare despise the subject.

Blaze doesn’t respond for a moment, and I notice him tapping his index finger lightly on the desk. I realize he does this out of habit.

“Why should I?” he challenges, and the class gasps at his audacity. I’m not sure why I’m still surprised, after seeing how disrespectfully he spoke to his father this morning.

Mr. Jones narrows his eyes at him. “Because I said so. You’re a bad influence on that young lady. And I don’t want you leading her down your dark and twisted path.”

I wince at his words and glance at Blaze. His playful smile is gone, replaced with a dark glare that sends a shiver down my spine.

~That look. It terrifies me.~

“So get up and find another seat.” Mr. Jones continues, his teeth gritted, and I wish he’d stop talking. The vibe coming off the guy next to me is all wrong.

Blaze sits up straight in his chair and continues to tap his finger on the desk. My eyes are drawn to the action and it feels ominous.

“Mr. Jones...with all due respect...I don’t even listen to my own father,” he begins with a sigh. “So what makes you think I’d listen to anything you have to say?”

I’m stunned.

Did he just—?

The class is in shock, and shock is an understatement for me. But his confrontation with his father this morning already showed that he speaks his mind, no matter who he’s talking to.

Mr. Jones glares at him, but he doesn’t seem surprised. Maybe this isn’t their first showdown.

“Get up now!” he demands, quickly making his way up the center aisle toward us.

Blaze says nothing, and I glance at him, noticing that his brows are furrowed. He looks like he’s about to lose his temper any second now and I can feel my anxiety rising.

I try to calm him down, hoping to defuse the situation. “It’s okay, Blaze. He’s just trying to provoke you.”

He doesn’t respond, his finger still tapping on the desk at an increasing speed while his other hand is buried in his bag.

And then I see it. A knife. A shiny, sharp knife hidden in the depths of his bag, gripped tightly in his hand.

~Oh, God. Why does he have a—~

“Get up now!” the professor roars, and Blaze starts to stand, probably to attack the professor, when I jump up from my seat.

“I’ll move, I’ll—”

“Sit down, Harmony!” Blaze shouts at me, and I immediately do as he says. The stern look he gave me this morning is back and I’m terrified.

He stands up, towering over Mr. Jones, and I realize that he’s much taller than the professor. Blaze is tall, making the professor look like a small child in comparison.

My eyes dart to his hands, looking for the knife, but thankfully, he’s not holding it. I let out a sigh of relief, exhaling through my mouth.

“I think you should go back to the board and teach your class,” he says softly, a smirk playing on his lips.

~A chilling, clear smirk.~

Mr. Jones narrows his eyes, and I’m praying he just does as he’s told because I’m starting to realize that Blaze might not be entirely stable.

“For your sake and your wife’s,” Blaze adds.

There’s a clear threat in his voice and a dangerous glint in his dark blue eyes. Mr. Jones seems to notice it too, swallowing hard and looking away from the smirking boy in front of him.

His angry expression doesn’t change, but he decides to back down, turning around and walking back down the carpeted stairs.

Blaze slumps back into his chair, lounging back with a smile as Mr. Jones resumes his lecture as if nothing happened.

The class is as stunned as I am, trying to refocus on the lesson.

My hands and legs are shaking as I glance at Blaze. His gaze is blank as he stares straight ahead.

A million thoughts are racing through my head, but the most pressing questions are: Why does Blaze have a knife in his bag? Who brings a knife to class?

Mr. Jones was definitely being rude, but the terrifying fact that Blaze seemed ready to stab his professor in a heartbeat scares me. ~Who is this guy?~

***

Class finally ends without anyone getting stabbed, and I couldn’t be more relieved.

As the other students start to leave, Blaze looks at me as I pack up my notebook. “Where are you headed now, Harmony?”

I look up at him. His lips are curved into a smirk, as if he hadn’t just had a near-violent confrontation with his professor. ~Is he bipolar?~

I blink rapidly, focusing back on my bag as I zip it up. “I-I think I have another class.”

“~You think?~”

I glance up at him as he drapes an arm over my chair.

“Unsure?”

“No—I mean, yes, I’m sure. I’m taking International Fiction.”

He scratches his chin. “What the hell is that?”

“Um, it’s about books and writing...that kind of stuff.”

He nods, seeming to understand.

I press my lips together as I rise from my chair, and he stands too, setting his bag on the desk before bending down to tie his black Nike sneakers.

“Ms. Skye, may I have a word?” Mr. Jones calls from his podium, his face still stern.

Blaze straightens up, his jaw tight. He clearly doesn’t like this guy.

“Um...” I shift my gaze from Blaze to my professor. “Sure.”

“I’ll wait outside,” Blaze says, slinging his bag over his shoulder and heading out.

I walk over to Mr. Jones, who watches Blaze leave.

“Ms. Skye, I thought I made myself clear,” he starts, eyebrows raised. “You’re setting yourself up for trouble with a boy like that.”

I sigh, unsure of what to say. I’ve been ignoring everyone’s advice lately, so I don’t have a good excuse. I don’t know why I can’t stay away from him; I don’t know what he’s done to me.

“He’s bad news, and you’re heading for a fall if you keep hanging out with him. Sure, he’s handsome and young and full of life, but you have no idea what that boy is capable of.”

I shift uncomfortably, wishing this conversation would end. I feel guilty, because no matter how much advice I get, I can’t seem to stay away from him.

“If you won’t listen, Skye, I’ll have to ask the chairman to move him to another English class.”

I frown~. Why is he making such a big deal out of this? He doesn’t need to do this. I know he means well, but I should be able to make my own choices. Kicking Blaze out of the class seems extreme.~

“No, that’s not necessary.” I shake my head.

“Yes, it is. He’s a delinquent with no future. No goals, no ambitions. He’s a waste of time and space, and you’ll see that soon enough.”

~Wow. That’s pretty harsh.~

“You shouldn’t judge people like that, Mr. Jones.” The words slip out before I can stop them.

He looks surprised by my response, and I’m equally surprised by my sudden boldness. I’ve been acting out of character lately.

He lets out a long breath after he recovers. “I’m not judging him. Haven’t you heard the rumors about what happened with that girl he was dating a few months ago?”

I narrow my eyes in confusion. ~That girl he was dating a few months ago?~

He sees that I’m clueless and sighs again. “Listen, you’re a beautiful girl, Harmony. I’ve liked you since you first walked in here. Just...stay away from that boy, okay?”

He steps closer to me, too close, and lowers his voice. “I want you to stay as innocent and pure as you are.”

I see his eyes drop to my lips and a strange light flickers in his eyes.

“Harmony!” Blaze’s sudden shout makes Mr. Jones step back quickly, a guilty look on his face. “I’m waiting for you!”

“Goodbye,” I mumble, and turn away quickly, feeling weird about how close he was standing.

~Why did that feel so strange? Something about the way Mr. Jones was looking at me didn’t seem right. Am I overthinking it?~

When I join Blaze in the hallway, I find him leaning on the railing, looking out at the school’s green lawn with squinted eyes, the bright sun shining on his perfect skin.

My soft footsteps make him turn around. He leans back against the railing, his expression hard.

“Why was he standing so close to you? You should stay away from him; he likes to sleep with his students.”

I wince. That’s blunt, but it doesn’t seem impossible; he was acting really weird just now. He was standing way too close.

Blaze shakes his head, running his fingers through his black hair. “I hope he knows that if he ever tries anything with you, I’ll happily slit his throat.”

His words are cold and ruthless, and I’m immediately reminded of the knife in his backpack.

I look at him, trying to keep my face neutral. “Um...would you really do that?”

He looks at me, a smile slowly spreading across his face as he shoves a hand in his pocket. “Do you want an honest answer?”

I nod. “Yes.”

He licks the corner of his mouth, looking off into the distance where students are gathered at the outdoor study area.

“You can’t handle that, Harmony,” he finally says, turning back to me, and I tilt my head, curious.

“Wh-why?”

His mouth curves into a grin as he steps closer to me, and I fight the urge to step back as he looks down at me, still smiling.

I’m shocked by how quickly he can change his mood; it’s like he has an on-off switch.

Suddenly, he grabs my hand and I try not to flinch. “I’ll tell you my answer. But somewhere private. Deal?”

I nod slightly and his smile widens, as if he hadn’t just been talking about slitting his teacher’s throat.

“Come with me then.”

~No, no. I don’t think so.~

He sees my hesitation and chuckles. “I won’t hurt you, Harmony.”

“I know that...it’s just...”

“I’m not going to kiss you again.” His tongue slips out to moisten his lips, and a blush creeps up my cheeks.

“I-I wasn’t thinking that.”

“Sure.” He chuckles, biting his lower lip. “Right...”

Then he just looks at me, his deep blue eyes boring into mine. It’s as if he’s silently casting some kind of spell.

His gaze is so captivating, it roots me to the spot and draws me into its endless depths. Then, without planning to, I find myself speaking.

“Okay, I’ll come,” I whisper.

~Did I really just agree to that?~

“That’s what I thought,” he murmurs, sending a shiver down my spine.

I blink, confused about why I just agreed to his proposal. It feels like a scene from ~The Vampire Diaries~, where Damon compels Elena to do whatever he wants just by looking into her eyes.

“Don’t worry, it’ll be fun! High five.” His smile widens as he raises his hand for a high five.

I can’t help but laugh a little. “Are you serious?”

“Absolutely, come on.”

I slap my small hand against his and he grins as he lowers his hand.

“Low five.”

I laugh again, and he chuckles, his shoulders shaking with mirth. “Come onnnnn.”

I shyly slap my hand against his again and he intertwines our fingers, pulling me along with him towards the parking lot, a beaming smile on his face.

^~”Maybe I’m a different breed, so blame it on my ADD, baby.” —Awolnation.~^