Forbidden (5 page)

“Dude, Claire will kill you if she hears you’re checking out another chick.”
 
It was no secret that Oliver still had the hots for Claire Scofield, but she hadn’t given him the time of day since Gabriel stepped foot into Rosewood.
 

Gabriel ignored his friend, stretching up on his tip toes.
 
She had to be there.
 
Everyone else was.
 
“Where is she?” he whispered.

Oliver turned on the bench, scanning the crowd as well.
 
“What’s she look like?”
 
His sudden peak of interest annoyed Gabriel but he let it go.
 
Instead he glanced at the stream of fans pouring in from the south side of the stadium.
 

“Do you even know if she goes to our school?” Conner asked, bending to tie the laces on his shoes.
 
His hands burned from the cold, shaking as he tried to hold the tiny laces still.
 
He blew out a breath; it hung in the air, visible to the eye.
 

Gabriel’s heart sank.
 
Maybe he was looking at the wrong side.
 
What if she didn’t even go to Rosewood?
 
Just as he was about to give up, he spotted her.
 
His chest warmed, pushing every hint of cold from his mind.
 
He stopped bouncing; his eyes locked onto the gorgeous girl.
 

“Find her?” Conner asked, standing as he noticed the strange stillness that’d fallen over his friend.
 
His handsome features were taut as his hazel eyes scanned the crowd for Gabriel’s missing beauty.

“Sixteen rows up, all the way down at the south end.
 
It looks like she’s sitting by Sadie.”

Oliver nearly swallowed his chewing gum.
 
“Sadie Hughes?
 
That freak show I dated a few years ago?”

Gabriel nodded, ignoring the worried glances his friends shared behind his back.
 
He didn’t stop to worry about Sadie’s geekdom or the fact that by even thinking of associating with her his reputation would be sorely tarnished.
 
“She’s in that blue coat.”

His friends cupped their hands around their eyes, blocking out the glare of the overhead lights glinting off the rainy drizzle.
 
Conner whistled, nodding his head appreciatively.
 
“Man you’ve got good taste!
 
That girl is smokin’ hot!”

Oliver scowled.
 
“So what,” he replied tersely, arms tightly crossed over his chest pads.
 
“She’s gorgeous, no doubt about that, but she’s off limits.”
 
Gabriel turned towards his friend, biting his tongue against his protests.
 
“Sorry dude but you gotta face it.
 
You’re with Claire.”

Conner winced. “Yeah but Claire’s got nothing on that girl!
 
I mean, look at her,” he cried, nearly drooling all over himself.
 
“Dude if you don’t go for her I will!”

Oliver’s eyes narrowed with anger.
 
“Trust me, she’s a real witch.”

Gabriel nearly lost his balance.
 
“You’ve talked to her?
 
At school?”

With a shrug, Oliver turned his back on the girl.
 
“Yeah.
 
I mighta said hi or something.”

Conner stared at his friend, lips curling into an amused grin.
 
“She turned you down didn’t she?”

Oliver growled, chucking his helmet onto the ground as he got in Conner’s face.
 
“I turned her down,” he roared, spittle flying from his lips.
 
“I could have that girl any day I wanted,” he cried, enraged.

Conner shrugged, but the humorous light didn’t disappear from his eyes.
 
He started to torture his friend some more when Gabriel spoke up.
 
“Oliver’s right.
 
I’m with Claire.”
 
He turned with a sigh, pulling his friends towards the field.
 
“But that doesn’t mean she’s fair game you two!
 
I called dibs.”

“Oh man, no way!” Conner retorted.
 
“That’s so not cool.”
 
He instantly backed down under Gabriel’s stern glare.
 
He threw up his hands.
 
“Fine.
 
But I think its wrong man.”

“Now, let’s forget the girl and win this game,” Gabriel called as the count down clock buzzer sounded.
 
He jogged alongside his friends, determined not to think of those amazing eyes again until after the game was over.
 
But that was easier said than done.

Chapter 2

The next two weeks flew by pretty quick for Roseline.
 
She settled into a normal routine.
 
Sadie and William picked her up every morning, spent lunch with her and happily shared a ride home in the afternoons.
 
Their quick wit, hilarious practical jokes and overall jovial attitude kept Roseline from missing home too much.

In fact, she was shocked when Sadie mentioned how much time had passed at lunch.
 
“So…you’ve survived hell week times two.
 
How does it feel to officially no longer be the new student?”

Roseline frowned, confused.
 
“There’s a newer student than me?”

“Yep,” William nodded, struggling to swallow a massive bite of his greasy sausage pizza.
 
“Nicolae arrived yesterday.
 
Mom and dad went to pick him up at the airport.
 
We didn’t even get to meet the kid before school today.
 
Kinda weird if you ask me.”

“Weird?
 
Are you kidding?” Sadie squealed, bouncing on the edge of her seat.
 
“I’m stoked!
 
I’ve got a super hot foreign exchange student staying in my home for the whole semester.
 
What could be weird about that?”

Roseline grinned.
 
“Not that you’re excited or anything.”

“Darn right I am!”
 
Sadie pounded on the table.
 
A few people cast curious glances her way but she remained oblivious.
 
“I’ve got dibs on the hottie!”

“And which hottie would be you referring to?” a meek voice called from just behind Sadie.
 
She whirled around, her expectant smile drooping.
 

“Oh no,” she groaned.
 
“You’ve got to be kidding me!”

As Roseline glanced at the tall boy standing behind Sadie, every muscle in her body locked down.
 
The fight or flight response kicked into overdrive as her mind screamed at her to make a decision.

Standing before her was a boy with startling green eyes and a thick Romanian accent.
 
She’d seen him before.
 
He was the boy that’d been at the bus stop in
Brasov
the day she’d escaped from home.
 
The one that’d watched her intently as she rushed away.
 
It couldn’t be a coincidence.

The boy stumbled over his feet as he hurried into a chair between Sadie and William.
 
He pushed the twisted metal rimmed glasses back up his shiny nose and turned his full attention on Sadie.
 
“Nicolae Dalma, at your service.”

“Oh man,” Sadie grumbled, pulling away from the offered hand.
 
She leaned towards William.
 
“Can we send him back?”

William glanced at the pimple faced weasel he’d be sharing his home with.
 
“Unfortunately I think mom might frown on that idea.”

“Figures,” Sadie mumbled, scooting her seat as far away from Nicolae as she could.
 

His eyes swept past William, widening with shock and a hint of apprehension when he noticed Roseline.
 
He took in her pale flawless skin, startling aqua eyes and rigid manner.
 
“And you are?” he forced himself to ask politely.

“Leaving.
 
Come on Sadie,” Roseline called, her voice trembling slightly as she slung her bag over her shoulder, leaving a nearly fully tray of food behind her.
 
She didn’t even wait for Sadie to follow her before she rushed out of the dining hall.

Sadie paused on the other side of the swinging doors, a hand thrown tragically over her forehead.
 
“I’m doomed!
 
This was supposed to be my year,” she groaned, turning her face away.
 
“My dreams of a hot live-in boyfriend are ruined.”

Roseline clamped her hands tightly on her bag strap, stilling the tremor that threatened to overtake her.
 
He recognized her.
 
She knew he had.
 
But did he actually know who she was?
 
Surely he’d heard stories of her kind.
 
But could he possibly know her exact identity?
 

“Where are you going?” Sadie called as Roseline stumbled down the hall.
 

“Bathroom,” she managed to say just before she ducked inside the reeking bleach soaked room.
 
The smells that inundated her did little to still her stomach.
 
She threw open the handicapped stall door and embraced the porcelain throne.
 
When all of the contents of her stomach had been forcefully expelled, Roseline sat with her head back against the tile wall.
 

The bell rang, voices came and went as the next period began and still Roseline sat.
 
What did she care about skipping class?
 
It wasn’t like these pathetic teachers could teach her anything she didn’t already know.
 
She’d lived through the wars, gone to the parties, studied her way through the entire library at Bran castle.
 
Oh yes, Roseline was well educated.
 
Impeccably so.
 

A couple hours passed, and when she could no longer stand the eye burning chemical smell, Roseline slipped from the bathroom.
 
It was the middle of the fifth period.
 
She knew she should probably go to class, just so she could explain herself to Sadie, but she dreaded meeting Mr. Robert’s leering gaze.

“Hey, watch out!” a shout rang out through the deserted hall.
 

A ball whizzed through the air, heading directly for her face.
 
Roseline’s hand reached out just in time to save her nose from being rearranged.
 
Heavy footfalls announced the arrival of the football’s owner.

“I am so sorry about that,” the boy’s cry choked off when he found Roseline’s aqua eyes staring back at him.
 
“Hey, it’s you!”

Roseline’s eyes narrowed.
 
“Excuse me?”

Gabriel blushed furiously.
 
“No, I mean…I saw you at the game a couple weeks ago.”

“And?”
 
Roseline questioned, curious as to why Gabriel’s pulse had sped up.
 
He hadn’t even been around her long enough to feel the attraction.
 

Rubbing the back of his head, Gabriel smiled sheepishly.
 
“And I was hoping to run into you sometime.”

Roseline smiled, tossing the football into the air.
 
She caught it easily and handed it back over.
 
“Well, it looks like you succeeded.”
 
She turned and headed away.

A cute boy at the end of the hall called out, but Gabriel waved him off.
 
He disappeared around the corner with a shrug.
 
“Wait a second,” Gabriel called after Roseline, jogging to catch up.
 
“Aren’t you going to let me apologize?”

“I think you’ve already done that,” Roseline pointed out, not slowing.
 

Gabriel reached out, gently placing his hand on her arm to stop her.
 
Roseline gasped, jerking away as she felt the intense heat radiating out from his hand.
 
It was like someone had just used a blow torch on her bare skin.
 
No mark, no searing flesh, but that same intense feeling.
 
Gabriel’s eyes widened as he felt the burn.

“What was that?” he whispered, staring at Roseline.
 

Instead of answering Roseline hurried away.
 
The bell rang and doors opened, slamming against the concrete walls.
 
Sadie burst out of the room at the end of the hall, rushing full out to Roseline’s side.
 
She noted Roseline’s blank stare, the way she cupped her arm and Gabriel’s glassy eyed gaze.
 
“Come on,” she called, pulling Roseline away from the main crowd rushing through the hall.
 
Gabriel was quickly swept away.

“Thanks,” Roseline muttered.
 

“Where the heck have you been?
 
And with Gabriel Marston no less!” she cried, huddling close to Roseline.
 
“What were you thinking?”

Roseline blinked, trying to clear away the confusion fogging her brain.
 
“I didn’t…wait a second.
 
What are you implying?”

“I’m implying that you’re messing with the wrong guy Rose!” Sadie hissed.
 
“That’s Claire Scofield’s boy toy back there and you know what happened when she messed with me.”

Roseline nodded, clearing her throat.
 
“Trust me, it was an innocent introduction.
 
He nearly hit me with a football and came over to apologize.
 
That’s it.”

Sadie rolled her eyes scathingly.
 
“Oh don’t try to patronize me Rose.
 
I saw the look on his face.
 
If that guys not smitten I’ll give my car to charity!”

***

“Oh not again,” Oliver groaned, watching Gabriel frantically search the growing crowd.
 
“I thought we were past this.”

“I met her.
 
I mean I nearly took her head off a couple days ago with a football, but I finally did it.
 
I’ve been searching for that girl for weeks.
 
I was starting to think I’d dreamed her up.”

“Definitely not man,” Conner said as he plopped his helmet down over his head.
 
“That girl is out of this world hot.
 
No way could you dream her up!”

Oliver punched Conner’s helmet, jarring his brain.
 
“Shut up,” he hissed as a group of cheerleaders walked by.
 
They hid their giggles behind pompoms but there was no mistaking the object of their gaze.
 
Gabriel Marston.

There wasn’t a girl in school that would dare to go behind Claire Scofield’s back to talk to Gabriel, but the desire was definitely there.
 
Not only was he the most popular guy, a super star on the field, but there were rumors that he was pretty amazing off the field too!

“Dude, get your head in the game,” Oliver reprimanded as their coach shouted at them.
 
“Tonight is the state qualifiers.
 
Don’t screw this one up!”

Conner nodded in agreement as they moved towards the huddle.
 
“I heard from Sara that if you win the game tonight, Claire’s gonna make it worth your while.”

Gabriel spat in disgust.
 
Claire was head cheerleader and his long time girlfriend…but not by his choice.
 
Sure she was pretty, but that was where her attributes came to a grinding halt.
 
Her annoyingly petty personality and slutty manner didn’t sit well with Gabriel.
 
She flaunted her looks to any guy that walked by.
 
It sickened Gabriel.

Not long after they’d started dating, false rumors had flown around the school about their personal relationship.
 
Gabriel had been furious but there was little he could do about it.
 
The more he denied it the more Claire ramped up the dirty details.
 
If it weren’t for the fact that nearly every male in the entire school wanted to be in Gabriel’s place, and his father Steve would throw him out on the street for embarrassing him in front of Claire’s dad, he would have folded under the embarrassment.

This wasn’t the life Gabriel wanted, but no one seemed to notice.
 
Everyone viewed him as some rich playboy with a bright future.
 
A full ride scholarship to an Ivy League school was almost a sure thing.
 
But that wasn’t his dream, it was his father’s.