From The Wreckage - Complete Read Online Free

his place now, unless she wants to break curfew. She's done it before, but hates to start the school year off in trouble if she gets caught. With a sigh, Jules crosses her legs and flicks her long hair over one shoulder; absently twisting a piece around her finger as she looks across the lot. The Rossview students’ cars are now surrounded by her friends. Ruben is hunched over, talking to the passenger in the sports car, and Tommy — with Tanya in tow — is laughing at the driver, Carter. 
    "Poor Tanya, that can't be comfortable," she mutters out loud.
    "You always talk to yourself, cheerleader?" 
    Startled by the voice behind her, Jules checks over her shoulder. "Excuse me?"
    Sitting there, alone in the dark, is West Rutledge; his dark shirt and hair blending in with the shadowed surroundings as he gives her the once-over.
    "You're excused, Buffy," he drawls; tipping his head to the side.
    Jules fights the urge to laugh at his comment. She's barely spoken to West since middle school. Once upon a time they were friends, but then the hormones hit, cliques formed and West quit football. A Rutledge boy who doesn’t play football is a rare commodity in Tyler, Texas. His father and two older brothers are all former Hillsdale players, and the middle son is currently a sophomore star at A&M. 
    "Does that make you Spike? Sitting here brooding in the dark with your flask?" she inquires; raising her brows with a nod to indicate the small flask he holds.
    A sly grin slips across his lips and Jules can’t help but fixate on them as West takes a long sip from the flask. He is sitting on the opposite side from her, on top of the table, with his heavy boots on the seat. Clearly he'd been facing out away from the parking lot when she first walked up, because while she noticed someone's presence, she didn't notice it was him when she first sat down. His body is now angled towards hers, with his arms resting on his knees and the flask dangling from his fingertips.
    With a small shake of her head to remove the pleasant vision of his lips from her brain, she forces herself to look away and stands as she finally spots Katie and Jeff in the crowd. She can barely make out Jeff's raised voice over the crowd, and notices how he is between Tommy and Carter with a hand on both of their chests. A few steps behind him stands Katie; her hands fisted on her hips, looking pissed. Deciding to rescue both of her best friends from another Friday night fight scene, she begins to take a step forward when West speaks up again.
    "I think I could live with you calling me Spike."
    The wind picks up and blows Jules’ tiny skirt up in the back. Stupid outfits.
    "Really? You do know Buffy and Spike hated each other?" she reminds him. Deep down, she wonders if he actually feels that way about her. Sure they don’t speak anymore, but she's never done anything to him personally. She always tries to be nice to everyone. Her mission has always been to debunk the stuck-up cheerleader stereotype. Lord knows Tanya and several of the other girls already have that market cornered. 
    The lights in the Shack flicker as West grins at her. 
    "At first," he points out; his voice dropping to what could only be described as stomach-flipping hotness.   
    "At first?" 
    "Jules!" shouts Katie; jogging her way. "Can you believe this? Every freaking weekend they do this crap. Can’t we just get Tanya and go? I'm so tired of all the pissing contests." 
    Katie grabs Jules’ hand and gives it a tug as she stands there with her eyes locked with West's. Suddenly her brain realizes what West said about Buffy and Spike. 
    "Oh, at first," she stammers; a blush creeping up her face. 
    The lights flicker again and all three of them glance around with curiosity as the entire parking lot goes in and out of darkness. The air has thickened in the twenty minutes they've been there, and Jules feels a trickle of sweat run down her back as her pulse speeds up.
    "Come on," begs Katie.
    "See