FLASHBACK #2
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"Bad boys are for little girls, a woman likes a gentleman"

- TabbyMax
(Smoke And Mirrors)

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"I slam my locker shut after shoving in all the membership forms for this year's dance club. Vanessa shrinks from the impact before patting my hand reassuringly,

"Relax Kia we'll find a way to rope in another eight members. I'm sure plenty of people must be interested."

I chew on my bottom lip as Principal Linden's words from our meeting echoes in my head.

If we don't manage to meet the minimum number of heads before the Club Fair then all our efforts to start a school dance club would have been in vain. We had stayed up all night building a presentation that summarised our plans for the club and everybody knows I don't sacrifice my sleep for just anything.

I open my locker to stuff my phone inside and slam it again. "You bet your ass we will."

I turn my head and my eyes wander the halls until they land on a mop of midnight black hair.

Leslie is leaning against his locker chatting with his friends. My eyes trail down in surprise when a boyish grin lights up his face. I narrow my eyes in annoyance when I remember how rudely he had blown me off.

I take in his accented figure. Flashes of yesterday burn in my head and I can distinctly remember the hard layer muscles in his body that must've taken long hours of strategic workouts in the gym. The kind that you don't just do for fun.

Hm. Interesting.

"Hi!" I chirp as I slid up to his side. "Remember me!"

Leslie fixes his gaze on me. After lazily scanning me he clucks his tongue, "No."

My fake smile drops faster than the bass boom in Pillowtalk. I ignore him and wave to his friends.

"Hi Luv with a U" I beam.

He chuckles back, "Hi Kiara." Turning to Leslie he says, "See you later Jordans. You sure you don't want me to ask someone to hitch you a ride? Tiffany would be more than happy."

I roll my eyes at her name. This was my conquest right here and until I was done showing him who's the boss I wasn't allowing any Tiffanys near him. However, before I could say something Leslie surprises me.

"Yeah I'm sure I'll manage. Just enjoy your date" He nods to him and the twins take off.

"Why, I could give you a ride" I jump at the chance. At this, he seems to remember my presence and drags his gaze back on me. There is something inexplicably raw and intimidating about his eyes. I swallow a little and I continue before he can refuse,

"Come on Torreto. You saved me from an accident yesterday I want to thank you." I pause for extra effect, "I'll even let you play your favorite boyband on my radio." I grin at him through my eyelashes.

Leslie doesn't look very amused. He hesitates then pushes a hand through his hair. For a second my eyes are stuck to the motion and the way his hair reclaims its original mess once his hand is resting back at his side.

"Fine but then we're even." He looks at me meaningfully as if I was some stalker who had gotten hold of this number, texted him and kept shooting glances at him throughout English. Which I totally did by the way.

"Sure" I lie through my teeth. He seems to buy it though and turns away heading down the hall after throwing me a pointed look.

"Alright then see you in the parking lot after school Torreto" I grin at his back and he looks over his shoulder with the smallest hint of amusement and says, "Oh and Kiara?"

I ignore how much I seem to like the foreign way my name rolls off his tongue. "Yeah?"

"Stop calling me that."

My grin just gets bigger.

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"Over here Toretto!" I hollered in Leslie's general direction as I spotted him exiting the school building. He strode over to where I was leaning against my Jeep, leisurely, one hand propping his backpack over a shoulder and I couldn't help but swoon a little over the absolute confidence with which he carried himself. 

He pushed his shades up a couple inches to study my car before dropping them back on his nose.

"If you're quite done gaping at me.." He stepped closer before sidestepping me to open the door, a corner of his lips tilting upwards. "I got places to be"

I blinked at the sudden proximity and darted to my side mimicking him under my breath. "Places to be" 

 I scoffed. Who did he think he was? Nobody sidestepped me! I was being extra special nice here but he didn't seem to give a rat's ass about getting a favor. Instead of thanking me he was making me feel flustered. The mysterious atmosphere that always seemed to hover over him was driving me crazy.

The first few minutes of the ride he showed  interest in the Jeep and asked a dozen questions about its performance. I had pleasantly obliged, telling him all I knew about Xena. I even added added the Greek origin of the name and which meant 'hospitable' when the conversation seemed to dry out. But now he had gone back to silent brooding.

His shades were off and he was leaning against the headrest, eyes closed.

"So what brings you to this town?" 

No response. "Leslie?"

"So you are capable of saying my name"

I rolled my eyes. "Tell me about you, did you move here with family?"

Silence. He reached out to turn on the radio and Fall Out Boy flooded into the car. I instinctively reached out to shut it off but out of nowhere, Leslie's hand darted over the console and caught mine. It was large and engulfed mine to the hilt. He tugged it down to rest it on my thigh and said, 

"I thought you said the car was hospitable"

His voice was laced with humor but somewhere in the cracks I sensed a little vulnerability. I decided to drop the questions. The warmth over my hand disappeared and for a seconds I struggled to remember how to move my hand. 

I was saved from responding to him as his phone started to buzz. I glanced over.

Aunt Lisa.

"Hello?- Okay, I'm almost here" He retrieved his bag from the back and pointed to a brick house.

He stepped out once I pulled over and the car started feeling a little more spacious. I hadn't realized how his broad form had been spilling over the seat. "Alright Hartville," he rested an arm on the hood of the car and leaned in, "now you can you stop following me around. I did you a favor and you did me one back. We're square."

I started to protest at the atrocious inadequacy of the word favor to describe what he'd done just for the heck of it but my phone rang off and Leslie was already walking away.

"Hello?" I puffed out a breath in annoyance.

"Wow someone's late and in a bitchy mood" Vanessa commented. "Get your behind here ASAP, the kids are getting jittery about the auditions."

"Shoot I almost forgot. Be there in a few. Bye"

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