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Chapter Eleven : I Think Cole Is A Sex God

I am not a violent person; in fact I pride myself on my ability to calmly accept any acts of oppression that Nicole and her minions might feel like bestowing upon me for the day. My Irish grandfather tells me that I'm a disappointment to the family, that I skipped the famous fiery temperament that my maternal side possesses. My brother hasn't been as misfortunate as me in that particular department but look where it's gotten him? He let his temper get the better of him and now he's basically nothing but a dead beat who's drinking himself to death.

Oh wait, getting back to the issue at hand. Like I said I'm not someone who resorts to physical measures to take out my anger, instead I channel it towards more useful purposes, for example studying. Getting good grades means getting into a good college and a good college guarantees a good job. Now when I have said good job I'll be able to embarrass people like Nicole by getting them to work for me.

It's as simple as that, me the billion dollar tycoon and Nicole the KFC waitress.

However all thoughts of channeling my anger towards something better fly right out of the window as I stare at my Calculus teacher, wanting nothing more than to smash his head in with a hammer.

"But Sir..." I begin and he cuts me off for the millionth time.

"No buts Ms. O'Connell, we are not discussing this topic further." He closes the folder in his hands and slides it over his desk towards me. I gape at his audacity; he cannot do this I mean there has to be some sort of a rule explaining the limits to what a teacher can ask of a student.

"You don't understand Sir, he doesn't..."

"I said no arguments Ms. O'Connell. Please leave I have some tests I need to mark."

"I cannot tutor Cole Stone, Sir it's not like he even needs tutoring! He's got a photographic memory." I know this is true, I've spent half of my life resenting the fact that he can cruise through all our quizzes with simply just glancing at his textbook once and I have to struggle and cram till my head's about to explode.

"Well his grades certainly don't suggest the same. He's failing all his classes Ms. O'Connell and you're the best tutor we've got. The Principal is adamant that you handle his case, we can't have the Sheriff's son failing his senior year can we?"

"Megan is so much smarter than I am Sir, I'm sure she'll be able to do a better job." I plead but it falls on deaf ears as Mr. Goodwin further pushes Cole's file towards me.

"Ms. Sharp is, I agree the most intelligent student in the school but you and I both know that her people skills aren't just as exceptional. There's a reason she couldn't be part of the Tutor Center."

I hold back a face palm as I remember the last time Megan attempted to tutor someone. The freshman had run out of the Tutor Center crying and had since transferred schools. She tends to get a little carried away...

"You know you guys should stop talking about me like I'm not here."

I don't want to look at him. This is so frustrating! As if the amount of stalking he regularly does isn't enough, he now wants me to tutor him? How is he not sick of me yet? How is it that we haven't killed each other with our bare hands by now? I don't want to tutor him; my relationship with Cole is complicated and confusing enough without us being together all the time.

"Ah, Mr. Stone just the man I was looking for. As you've heard, Ms. O'Connell will now be tutoring you in most of your subjects and I'm sure together you two will manage to make the situation much better."

He's sitting there behind his desk looking so smug that once again I'm overcome with the urge to just wring his neck. Though I think killing a teacher on school grounds won't exactly lead to me getting into the school of my dreams.

"Oh and Ms. O'Connell if Cole here gets passing grades on his Mid-Year report card, I'll write that recommendation that you've been asking me for."

Oh.

He's bribing me into doing this, it's so obvious and unethical that I almost feel like reporting him but the thought of that shiny golden sparkling recommendation written by a former Brown University alumni, for that very University stops me. I've been running after him since my junior year but he's always made an excuse and never actually gotten down to writing it.

Now just because I would tutor a guy who actually doesn't need tutoring at all, I'd get that one piece of paper that would guarantee me a spot in the class of 2017.

"Okay, fine. I'll do it, I'll tutor him." I steal a glance at Cole who's smirking whilst leaning against the doorframe.  I just want to wipe that stupid expression off of his face but once again, violence will not get me where I need to go.

"Then we have a deal, you have until the end of the term to make sure that he's improved and that his grades are consistent. "

I grit my teeth but plaster a fake smile on my face, "Don't worry Sir, I've got this."

"Shortcake," Poke

I ignore him and spoon some spaghetti into my mouth.

"Hey Shortcake," Poke again

I swirl my fork in the spaghetti with a bored expression on my face and cup my chin, with my elbow resting on the lunch table. Letting out a long and dramatically exaggerated sigh I turn to Beth who's sitting on my side.

"Did you get started on that History assignment? I've been trying to jot down some points for my essay but it's all so confusing."

I never talk to Beth about homework mostly because she's not a big fan of it. She's the girl who leaves it to the absolute last minute and most of the time it's a mad dash by the three of us to get her assignments completed on time. Why then you may wonder am I talking about an essay which doesn't even exist. I've decided to go down the old fashioned route and am giving Cole the much need silent treatment. He literally had me ambushed by Mr. Goodwin, something I don't like. I know for a fact that he's probably smarter than me so his motives for depriving me of any free time I might possibly have seem questionable.

Beth looks at me uncertainly and then her eyes flick towards Cole who's frowning at me. She seems unsure of what to say since there's no essay but I am thankful for the day she stepped into my life since she catches on pretty quick.

"Err yeah, the essay umm I'm working on it too and it's hard, I can't help you sorry?" She poses this as a question and I realize that she's as bad of a liar as I am. Cole is a professional and he will not buy what we're trying to sell.

"Shortcake come on, why are you mad?" He leans forwards on the table and rests his arms on it. I avoid looking at him and turn to Megan whose sitting on my other side. It's no use talking to her since she's got her Physics textbook out and is prepping for a quiz we have after lunch. A part of me wants to take said book from beneath her nose and throw it in the farthest corner of the cafeteria. She already knows everything and she's been studying for it everyday since our teacher announced the quiz. Plus it looks like I'm not the only person who's a little agitated due to her studiousness.

I find the next person I can't chat to and blatantly ignore Cole in front of.

"So Alex how was your summer?"

He looks a bit uncomfortable and gazes at me like I've lost my mind. I don't blame the guy, I have never spoken to him in my entire life even though I've known him for as long as I've know Cole. When Megan and Beth told me about an Alex, I couldn't have imagined it to be him. He's Alex Hastings, the only close friend and non-lackey that Cole has. They're partners in crime and I cannot count the number of times the two of them have teamed up to pull some prank on me. He's started to sit with us fairly recently seeing how he just got back from Europe.

Now he seems besotted with my best friend.

"It was pretty good Tessa, umm how was yours?"

"It was fun, Beth here had to go to live at her Aunt's but Megan and I did a lot of crazy stuff didn't we?" I nudge her slightly to make her look up from her book but all she graces us with is slight nod of the head.

"What do you like to do for fun?" Alex asks but I know he wants my clueless friend to answer his question. I nudge her harder this time and kick her from under the table until she drops her book with a yelp. Glaring at me she picks up the enormous textbook but I grab it from her before she can bury herself in it again. I give her a pointed look that screams, 'Stop ignoring the cute guy who's into you!' and she turns red.

Alex is still looking our way and to my dismay so is Cole but the slightly amused expression on his face is scaring me.

"I'm sorry, what was your question?" Megan asks politely but she sounds both breathless and flustered.

She likes him! Hallelujah. Beth and I share a victorious look and return to watching how this plays out.

Alex seems taken aback by the fact that the girl who's been ignoring him all week is suddenly paying attention. At first he seems equally nervous but then he flashes her, his trademark smile that has the entire cheerleading team falling at his feet and Megan just seems to be under his spell. We watch in silence as he flirts shamelessly with her and she utters one worded star struck responses. It's all so cute to watch, I just want to pinch their cheeks and then get them married.

Talk about deranged.

Cole's hypnotizing blue eyes zoom in on me as the bell rings signaling the end of lunch. Alex walks Megan to class and Beth heads out to the other side of campus for her own. I try to make my escape before he catches me since I plan on fully ignoring him for a bit longer but he's like a predator circling me and just waiting to pounce.

"So you're not going to talk to me?" He comes and stands in front of me. The lunch room is slowly starting to empty as people rush to their classes. I don't have to hurry like them since I've got a free period but something tells me that I should be running for my life.

I try to move past Cole but his body blocks my path. A finger placed beneath my chin tilts my head up so that I'm looking him right in the eye and boy is my view fantastic. He's got the most amazing eyes I've ever seen, the blue in them almost radiates this mind-numbing, body paralyzing power that turns you to jelly the moment you look into them.

"You're going to just stand there and let me do this?" He doesn't take his eyes away from mine as he places his hand on my waist, his thumb brushing against the small strip of skin on my stomach that is visible due to my tank top.

The cafeteria is nearly empty but I can see people glancing at us curiously as they leave.

Well glancing is a bit of an understatement. I see jaws dropping down and eyes coming out of their sockets as people openly stare at the two of us. The whispers that once followed me due to my friendship with Nicole have made a comeback, they were there since the moment I drove into school with Cole on his first day back but after the incident with Hank people have become less discrete about it.

Most of them just stand rooted to their spots for a few minutes, it's like they're anticipating the show of the year but then have the decency to move once they realize that no one's getting naked anytime soon.

Then I realize what's actually happening and freeze. Shiver after shiver passes through my body as his hands never leave their teasing movements.

I should stop this. I don't care about the darn silent treatment, I should really stop this.

I watch him lean into me place his lips next to my ear.

"If I do will you tell me to stop?" He lightly nibbles at my ear and an involuntary gasp escapes my mouth, his thumb's rubbing dizzying circles at the side of my waist and his lips are too close. I can feel his warm minty breath all over my face but the thing is he never stops looking at me.

Not once.

"Speak up Tessie, tell me what you want."

I don't want you to stop.

Shut up you stupid hormone driven wench!

"You should really ask me to end this." He murmurs huskily and I just about lose it. His lips hover over mine, his hand's pushed up my top just the slightest bit and his fingers are gently skimming over the sensitive skin making me feel like fire crackers are exploding inside of me. His touch is as light as a feather's as he pushes his hands beneath my top, his cold fingers tickling my skin. They brush up my stomach gently towards my ribcage, if he goes any further...

"Cole!" He drops his hands and backs away just a little. He's staring at me as I lean against the table, pressing my hands on top of it so that I don't collapse on the ground. The words haven't come out of my mouth since the sensible part of me has packed up and has decided to go vacationing in the North Pole.

He's looking at me intently and I think he thinks that I am the one who spoke up but when he realizes that I'm too dazed to actually form a coherent sentence he turns his back and I wish he hadn't.

I see her before he does and I notice the expression on her face before she masks it for Cole's sake.

Nicole is mad and she really wants me to be aware of the fact.

Her eye is twitching, her mouth is pulled up into a vicious and frankly ugly looking sneer and she's tapping her fake Louboutin clad foot furiously on the ground. If she had laser vision I'd be obliterated by now, that's for sure.

"Nicole?" Cole asks her as he turns to her, hiding me behind his back in what I can only assume is a protective gesture, one I'm extremely grateful for.

"W-what are you two doing here?" She asks in sickly sweet voice which makes me want to vomit. Clearly Ms. Bishop has an agenda, an agenda which involves being so fake that she could possibly have been manufactured in China.

"I don't see how that's any of your business." Cole replies surly and I subtly squeeze his arm in warning. He cannot let Nicole know that he's aware of what she tried to do to me. If she figures out that I squealed I'm surely as good as dead.

"The Principal just called for a special assembly for us seniors and since I'm class president I'm supposed to get everyone together." Her voice is still dripping with pretence and the way she's batting her eyelashes at Cole is sickening.

Doesn't she have a boyfriend?

"Thanks for the concern, we'll be right there." His voice is tight as he answers her and I know Nicole isn't too pleased with how things are working out at the moment. She's never been denied a guy's attention, not once. Even Jay, the one guy I thought wouldn't go for looks fell for her and shoved me into a corner.

He's basically asked her to get the hell out but it looks like she's a bit slow on the uptake. When Cole turns his back to her, she takes the opportunity to glare at me some more before twirling around, flipping her hair over her shoulder and stomping away. I bite back a laugh realizing that not only is she majorly ticked off but...

She likes Cole

After all this time she still likes him and he still couldn't care less.

"That was awesome!' I grin at him and he gives a genuine dimpled smile in return before it turns into his signature smirk.

"Talking are we, weren't looking so keen a while back."

I blush realizing what he's referring too and I don't know why I never stopped his hands from roaming my body. Right now I cannot think of one witty thing to say to him because the truth is that that I liked it.

Whatever he tried to do, I liked it.

Stupid hormones.

After school Cole drives me back to his house for some 'tutoring'. I'm trying to figure out what game he's playing since he really doesn't need my help. My mom is more than happy with me going over to the Stone's and when I text her, tells me to stay 'as long as I want.'

I know my mother; she's already naming her grandchildren.

I shudder at the thought as Cole parks in his driveway and then opens my door for me. He looks far too enthusiastic for my liking and by the time we enter his house and head for his room, I'm growing a little weary. Since it's about four in the afternoon, Sherriff Stone is at his office and Dr. Stone is at the hospital. The only other person that could be here with us is Jay but thank god I don't see him and as we pass by his room, I'm glad to find it empty.

Cole's unpacked his boxes and his room looks somewhat normal now, well almost as normal as his room can look. The posters of busty girls are still there but the space is much cleaner and homier. I take a seat on the leather couch he's placed opposite his bed and beneath the window. He's gone downstairs to make us something to eat and since I don't want to cause an explosion I've decided to stay away from the kitchen. Taking out my books from my bag, I decide to start working on my homework but something's off, I feel too distracted.

My mind keeps reeling back to and playing those few moments where Cole and I were nearer than we should have been.

It's not right, not right that I like having him so close to me. I can't like him like that, especially when I'm so hung up over his brother. It's just physical attraction, that's it. However grudgingly I do admit that he's hot and those eyes of his...

I shake my head to get rid of my wayward thoughts. If I allow myself to come to terms with my attraction towards him then I'll also end up admitting that he's not the Cole that left our town four years ago and that ever since he's come back he's made my life so much easier. He might annoy me, get on my nerves and frustrate me but in the end I don't really hate the fact that he's back.

Weird, right?

"Why are you so quiet?" Cole notices my silence over two bowls of scrumptious tomato soup and plates of grilled cheese all prepared by Chef Cole, is there anything he isn't good at?

I don't want to tell him that it's getting really awkward sitting here with him when all my mind is in the mood of is replaying that moment in the cafeteria. Like the girl I am, I'm over thinking and it's probably showing on my face.

Would he have kissed me?

I remember what happened at the pool and once again I question what could've happened if Jay hadn't showed up. Would we have kissed? Would I have let him? Do I want this?

"Tessie?" Cole's hand on my shoulder allows me to realize that I've zoned out. He's looking at me worriedly and I see concern in his eyes, something I'm still not used to.

"What?" I try to be inconspicuous about the fact that I clearly haven't been listening to a word he's said so far.

"Are you okay?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well to put it gently, you look like my dog when he's drooling over the stake we're grilling."

Am I drooling? Oh sweet lord, no that would be so embarrassing!

I consciously wipe my mouth but thankfully I haven't made a total idiot out of myself just yet.

"Geez, I appreciate the fact that you spared me feelings." I say dryly and go back to my food. We're sitting cross legged on his bedroom floors with textbooks and notes scattered all around us. I've tried asking him why he's purposely failing all his classes but he seems intent on lying. Though even when I did give up and offer to teach him something, he wouldn't look at his book, in fact I'd catch him staring at me and my stomach would erupt with butterflies.

This just destroys the balance of nature!

"So you've understood what we're going to do about Nicole then drool face?"

"I was not drooling!"

"You were looking at me with your mouth hanging open; I'd say you came pretty close to it."

I let out a squawk of indignation even though he's nearly hit the nail on the head.

"Please, like I'd ever be interested in you."

He moves his dishes to the side and scoots closer to me, my heart starts thumping in my chest as he nears me, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

Uh Oh.

"You want to try saying that again?"

He's so near, once again and my heart's just going crazy. I need to get away from him before I get a heart attack.

"I...I-I,"

"Think Cole is a sex god," He smirks and moves away, just giving me enough space to let out the breath I've been holding for so long.

"You don't need to say something for me to hear it Tessie, I know you, and I know that's what you wanted to say to me."

I nod stupidly before realizing.

What the...

That pompous imbecile!

I lunge for him as he sprawls on the floor cackling. I move over him and try kicking him, hitting him doing anything which would retract my stupid nod but the damage is already done. He keeps laughing as I sweep all my things into my bag and give him one parting glance. He straightens up once he sees I'm leaving and tries returning to sobriety but he can only hold in his laughter for so long.

"Come on Shortcake; don't get mad I was kidding." He then places his fist against his mouth, I presume to hold in the laughter. I'm glad he finds my embarrassment so amusing. I narrow my eyes at him one last time, swing my bag over my shoulder and walk right out his door. His footsteps alert me that he's following much like the stalker he is. However it's not him that causes me to halt in my tracks, it's something else entirely.

I pause at the top of the stairs, causing Cole to run into my back. He opens his mouth and opens his mouth to curse but I place my hand over his lips and give a pointed look to Jay who's on the phone with someone. I don't want to run by him since I haven't actually prepared myself to face him. After our argument, he's made many subtle attempts to try and speak to me but I keep ignoring him. His words still sting and whenever I remember that day, I feel so embarrassed that I cannot bring myself to face him. He must think I'm an easy tramp or something.

"Yeah man, I'm really going to have to work to get that scholarship. The last thing I need is to end up a loser like Travis O'Connell."

His words resonate around me like he's screaming them. I don't know what exactly it is that I'm feeling right now. I feel as numb as I do hurt, the best thing to do would be to stop listening and run away while I can but a bigger part of me wants to stay here and listen to what else he has to say.

"Tessie," Cole starts his eyes once again full of concern but I shoot him a warning look, telling him to butt out of this man.

"That guy's a total screw up, even Coach says so. He had everything and he lost it because he was too stupid to write a paper."

He listens to what the other person has to say before a smirk crosses his face," I wonder if Jenny's still single. She's just a couple of years older and she used to be so hot."

I feel sick, I feel so sick listening to him talk about all the things he'd like to do to my brother's ex, the Ex- that left him when he needed her the most, the bitch that broke his heart and then stomped all over it.

"Tessie come on; let's get you out of here." Cole whispers but it's like I can't move. I look at Jay and I see someone I've never met before. He's a completely new person, an ugly person, a person who is rude and mean and insensitive.

Cole tugs at my arm again and this time succeeds in pulling me away from Jay before I attack him with a cleaver, no one insults my brother but me, no one.

Not even Jason Stone.

I hide out in Cole's room waiting till the coast is clear and I can leave. Like I said before, I'm not a violent person but right now I want to punch Jay in the face so bad.

"He crossed a line; he shouldn't have said all that. I'm sorry Shortcake."

Cole's kneeling down in front of me, holding my hands in his and rubbing his calloused thumbs over my knuckles. It's surprising how he's the one comforting me and that it's working. I can feel myself calm down and my murderous thoughts are dwindling down to plain old anger.

I let out a bitter laugh, "I know a lot of people think that Travis is a loser but I never thought Jay would be one of them."

He sighs and now places both of my hands in both of his, interlacing our fingers.

"You think you know him but he's not Mr. Perfect Tessie, he's a good guy but he's got flaws too, flaws you don't want to see."

I agree with him but don't voice it out. He's right; all my life I've placed Jay on such a high pedestal that finding out he's not all that great is hard to stomach. I feel just like I did when my father not-so-sensitively explained that Santa wasn't real and simply a marketing tool, targeting kids so that they'd demand tons of toys at Christmas.

"Come, I'll take you home," He gives me a tentative smile, one which I return even though my heart's not quite up to it.

Maybe I've been obsessed with the wrong Stone brother all this time.

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