Starry Night

The bell rang but I was too busy bent over my paper to really notice. Stephanie poked my arm as if telling me to go and I looked up, "Sorry."

She smiled slightly while I slipped the textbooks into my tote bag and slung it over my shoulder. Her fiery red hair gleamed in the early winter sun and she picked at the tips of it. "So what's this thing between you and Connor?"

I sighed and walked fast out of the classroom toward the gym. Stephanie jogged to catch up with me and I looked up at the pale ceiling, "It spread that fast already?"

"So it's true," she asked, surprised.

My eyes danced back to her, "Yeah and I thought you wanted me to go with him."

"Well, I never thought you'd actually do it. I mean you broke, like, every girl's heart."

I glared at her, not completely understanding what she was trying to say. Even worse, I didn't know how to respond. I just turned my gaze away from her and looked down the hallway filling up with students.

Stephanie turned into another classroom before the gym finally came into view. I walked slowly through the door and the smell of sweat was prominent. Connor saw me and smiled, almost making me forget about what Stephanie had said.

"Hi," he said, walking over toward me.

"Well hey there." A smirk started to stretch across my lips when coach yelled over to me.

"Stacy, go and get changed. Wheeler, practice your pitching." I tried to hold my laughter as it slowly built up inside my lungs. Connor rose one of his eyebrows, and I could almost see his mind replay the scene at the Shamrock. He poked one of my freckles.

I changed into my gym clothes quickly and threw my hair into a messy ponytail. A few of the girls stood, staring at me and I rolled my eyes to myself. Then, my gaze found a pair of dark brown eyes in the mirror and she glared at me.

"What?" I said with a bit more attitude than I intended. The girl looked vaguely familiar with that beach blonde hair and long tan legs.

"You stole him away from me." She pointed a perfectly manicured nail at me. Finally, it clicked, as if someone had flipped a switch inside my head. This was Ashley Green, the girl Connor went off with at the dance.

"If I remember correctly, you stole him away from me."

"That's bull and you know it. He never liked you then and I'm not even sure he likes you now."

My eyes suddenly became dry as I looked into her deep, dark brown ones. What Ashley said to me was one of the worst insults a girl could say to another. My throat tightened and it stopped me from saying every one of the demeaning comments passing through my mind.

I didn't exactly remember walking out of the locker room, too enveloped in my thoughts to really notice. I looked around to see Connor laughing at something his friend did, and he didn't see me walk over until I was nearly at his side. He studied my saddened expression a minute and asked what was wrong.

I tried to shake it off, "Nothing to worry about."

Connor took my hand, "Why don't you tell me?" Those eyes were pleading and bright, making it impossible to resist.

With a sigh, I looked limply into his gaze. "People are saying stuff about...us. Some don't even think you like me." His posture stiffened, but moments later that permanent smirk he always wears, returned. He leaned down toward my ear and whispered, "Well then, they're idiots." I laughed and looked at Ashley with a teasing smirk. "I guess they are." He followed my gaze and nodded while kissing the top of my head.

Gym passed quickly after that. In my other classes, Stephanie didn't talk to me and I didn't talk to her. Taylor spent more time around me than anyone else, even with Connor by my side. Then lunch came.

When Connor and I entered the cafeteria holding hands, the room became slightly more quiet.. "I want you to meet some people," Connor said, looking down at me with a spark of curiosity in his eyes. He geared me toward his friends' table and I sighed, "Do I have to?" He smiled and nodded.

When we arrived, a shorter guy I remembered from the dance gave me a dirty look. "Dude, what's up with this?" He gestured toward our intertwined fingers and I was half expecting Connor to pull away again, but he didn't.

"Well hi to you, too," I muttered. A tall, dark-haired guy stood up, and I almost took a step back, but Connor was stiff beside me.

"What do you want, a parade?" I smiled sarcastically and answered, "That would be nice." I thought I heard Connor laugh beside me but when I looked at him; his expression was like stone, completely unreadable. "What's your problem?" He asked.

The short one sighed, "You really have to ask?" He pointed at me and I realized how unwelcome I really felt. I pulled my hand out of Connor's and said, "I'm going to get a snack."

I could hear him sigh as I walked away toward one of the vending machines. It took in my dollar and I pushed the large buttons for chips. The bag crunched in my hand when I bent down to pick it up, and I had the slightest feeling that someone was watching me.

"What can I say; Connor picked a chick with a nice ass."

I whipped around toward the voice and found the tall, dark-haired guy standing behind me. I had all I could do to not slap him.

When I didn't say anything, he continued. "I'm Devon." My fingers fumbled with the chip bag but when I opened it, I popped one into my mouth and looked over his shoulder for Connor. When I couldn't find him, I said, "What do you want, a parade?"

He smirked, "Now about that 'greeting', you have to understand, it's a guy thing."

"What, to be a jerk," I asked, annoyed at how calm and charming Devon could be.

"Let's not get technical here," Devon said with the slightest bit of sarcasm to create an edge to his voice.

"I'm not."

He put his arm on the vending machine, cornering me between them. "You are. It's just that when Connor gets the prettiest girl, I usually do something to get her in the end." I could feel my cheeks start to burn.

"And how do you plan to do that," I asked, trying to duck under his arm. Devon only moved closer toward me, his face dangerously close to mine.

"I haven't exactly figured that out yet," he said, staring at me with cold gray eyes.

"Well, when you have, don't plan on me falling for it." I popped another chip into my mouth, and pushed Devon out of the way before he had a chance to say anything more.

As I walked away, Connor appeared by my side and took my hand into his tightly. "What the hell was that about?" His voice was rough and anger subtly bubbled over into his words. I rolled my eyes and sighed quietly, "It's not a big deal."

Connor stopped walking and looked at me with those brilliant dark green eyes. "I don't trust Devon; especially when he's with you, Stacy."

"So what does that mean? Do you not trust me to stay with you?"

Connor leaned down and pressed his lips unexpectedly against mine. This was his answer for me.