Loca

Troy’s POV

Stop looking at me.

My skin prickled as everyone in the locker room shifted away from me, except Bella, Natalia, and Chelsea. They ignored it, but I was having a hard time doing the same.

I mean, even the new kids shied away from me, except for one girl who kept giving me curious glances now and then. Bella said that she was dating one of Jacob’s pack, but I was too pissed from the staring to introduce myself.

Try getting dressed to a crowd. It’s hard.

“This is ridiculous,” Bella muttered to me, Nat and Chels nodded their agreement, and Natalia glared at anyone who happened to be gawking at the moment.

Their eyes snapped to the ground or the walls like they rehearsed it.

Jacob’s POV

I gritted my teeth while pulling on my gym shorts.

Troy had missed the first two periods of school, and I needed to see her badly. I would literally kill to get to her.

Quil and Embry wouldn’t let that happen though, since they couldn’t stop asking me questions I tried my best to answer.

Why hadn’t I told them? When did it happen? Why was Troy suspended? Was Troy even single?

The answers were simple really.

I hadn’t wanted too, a month or so ago, she put a girl in the hospital, and no.

They could feel the pain in my words at the last answer, and backed off. Paul didn’t though, and I was so close to killing him I could taste it.

We were called out, and I sat on the bleachers with the guys.

Paul glared at the black guy who was defending Troy the one day, and I remembered how they had gotten in an argument yesterday during basketball.

Antoine was his name apparently, and he always hung out with the group that Troy did when she was here; the trouble makers. I frowned at wondering what a good influence they’d had on her and Jared came out.

He frowned when he saw the girls weren’t out yet, and I remembered how once I would’ve teased him for it.

The longing was something I understood now though.

A basketball flew by me, and I saw Cullen smirking when he caught the rebound. “Why so sad Jacob?” he teased. I growled at him, and he chuckled before walking off.

“I take it Cullen knows.” Embry glared his eyes on the retreating pale form. I nodded glumly, my eyes flashing to the girls’ locker room door that was hidden partially behind a wall. The first few started to file out, and I scanned the crowd as Alice went out and straight to her ‘brother.’

The two chicks that were part of the trouble circle walked up to the guys, the one kissing Emo hair’s cheek before chatting quietly. The whole group looked up to the locker room simultaneously and I did the same, along with a bunch of other people in the room.

Troy walked out, with Bella’s hand attached to her arm while she tried to persuade her to come out and Troy blushed lightly under her creamy skin.

Antoine jumped up and rushed her, causing my teeth to clench.

“TROY! You’re unsuspended!” he laughed, hugging her. I watched her smile before hugging him back awkwardly, a light superficial laugh leaving her throat.

Antoine turned to see if he could figure out why, and he glared at all the people gawking their way. They scurried to look away and I was happy to see that he was still protecting her, although he shouldn’t have been so close to my imprint.

Kim tapped my shoulder and made me jump.

“Yeah?” I asked quietly, feeling my skin tint when I realized I’d been staring at their reunion for a while.

“I see what you were talking about,” Kim said quietly, smiling at me so her dimples showed. “Troy is different than Bella.”

I smiled, although I didn’t know if anyone had put her up to that. Maybe Jared saw how possessive I was and asked her to reassure me.

“I know,” I mumbled softly.

XxX

More basketball today, Troy and Cullen were immediately put on separate teams and I grinned at that, although it turned into a frown when I saw the mistrust in the Coach’s eyes when she walked by him.

Troy wasn’t like that.

I was put on her team, along with Paul, unfortunately, and Antoine, the girl dating Emo. Natalia, Troy called her. I knew she was pretty good at sports, and somewhat nice, but I couldn’t talk to Troy when she was here, and that irritated me.

I just smiled at her, catching her eye when she looked up from Natalia and she beamed at me.

She paused in whatever she’d been saying and I hid my grin while going to separate the arguing Paul and Antoine, who were at each other’s throats.

We were put up against Alice Cullen, Quil, Natalia’s boyfriend, and two girls I didn’t know, that were tall and skinny in a sickening way.

They glared at Troy when she wasn’t looking, and I glared at them in return, causing them to back down.

I heard them muttering, after turning their backs to me that Troy had all the guys at school fighting for her.

The game started and I still hadn’t talked to her, but Paul and Antoine were running the show and told us all who we were blocking without much choice. There was no defying them.

I got Quil, Paul and Antoine got the tall girls, Natalia got Emo, and Troy got Alice.

I think that they were underestimating Troy because of her size, but I had never actually seen her play. I knew she was on the basketball team before though, and that if she was too much competition to be put on a good team then she must have something going for her.

I was right, seeing her and Natalia running rings around us guys, although the latter wasn’t half as good, she kept up.

Troy let me in on the action too, throwing it to me when I was open, but also distracting me horribly.

Once, she jumped right on my back when I had the ball and I was so surprised that I missed it and grabbed her legs instead, so she was clinging to me.

“How did you get up there?” I had teased, to hide the wild hammering in my chest. Troy didn’t notice either way and stuck her tongue at me. “I climbed,” she muttered, and her tone was one that ended the conversation.

I had nothing to do but chuckle as I released her and she kissed my neck lightly before sliding down and going after the ball again. I had stared at her, and then looked around, but no one had seen.

After a few more times of this happening I finally held Troy on my back a little tighter.

“You do know I’m on your team right?” I said doubtfully.

She just nodded a smirk on her face that was so sexy it would make any guy in here willing to give her whatever she wanted at any cost, although they couldn’t win her; she was mine.

That was the best part of the whole game, and the only part the even came close was when Antoine bumped into Troy when she was trying to catch a ball that Alice had thrown to Quil after her second piggyback ride.

(It was actually amazing to see the two of them acting as a team, but I could tell neither was comfortable about it either way.)

Anyways, besides that, Antoine knocked into Troy making her miss the ball, and she whacked him upside the head. Everything after that was a blur of Spanish and sass while Antoine smirked at her and replied in choppy sentences that carried half the music of Troy’s. I hadn’t known Antoine spoke it, but I hadn’t really cared and I was grinning from ear to ear at hearing Troy go off.

Our game was called ten minutes before class ended.

Everyone was sitting on, or standing by the bleachers. I hadn’t spoken to Troy all day and it was killing me. Quil could tell because suddenly he and Embry suggested that I introduce them.

Any other time, I’d have been horrified at the thought, but I needed an excuse and they were all I had at the moment.

So, I dragged them over, where Troy was bouncing lightly on the balls of her feet and talking rapidly to her friends. They all looked up at our approach and slowly backed off. Troy looked at them funny and then grinned at me.

“Hey Jake,” she said, her eyes falling on Embry and Quil.

“Who’re your friends?” she asked smiling. I smiled in return.

“Troy, this is Quil and Embry. Embry, Quil, this is Troy.”

They grinned at her, and I prayed silently that they wouldn’t embarrass me, or let my imprinting on Troy slip.

Troy’s POV

The guys invited me to a bonfire tonight, and, after clearing it with my dad, I was allowed permission to go. Billy Black would be there, along with the other pack members and the elders, who, after meeting Quil and Embry, I wasn’t so afraid of anymore.

I opted to bring Danni, and I knew that she’d get a kick out of meeting other werewolves, ones as far from her- our species you can get.

I would’ve invited Jason or Hector too, but Jason was grounded, again, and Hector had patrol. I don’t know if he’d have come anyways though. He and Jake still don’t get along much.