SHY BOOK 1 - Chapter 2 - Greyson

Brooklyn looked up as a guy approached the desk. He had the same blonde, curly hair as Brooklyn and matching brown eyes.

"Brooke, you're not terrorising the new girl, are you?" he teased. He had a wide smile, and he looked at Indianna with inquisitive eyes.

Everyone here was interested in the new girl. No one knew anything about her or her mother. To the town, they were a mystery, and in small towns, everyone liked to unravel the mystery of new people quickly.

"No!" Brooklyn laughed and hit Brandon's arm as he sat down next to her. "Well, not on purpose. Indianna, this is Brandon, my cousin. Brandon, meet Indianna."

"Hi," Brandon said warmly. "It's nice to meet you, Indianna."

Indianna swallowed and looked up at him, forcing a smile. "Hello."

"She's a little shy," Brooklyn said, pointing out the obvious personality trait she had noticed in Indianna.

"After a few minutes with you, I'm sure that will change," Brandon said, nudging Brooklyn's shoulder with his elbow.

Indianna looked up at the clock on the wall and groaned internally. Seven minutes of the lesson had passed. If the rest of the year was going to pass as slowly as this, she didn't know how she was going to survive.

"Oh, great," Brooklyn mumbled and sighed.

Indianna looked up as three boys walked into the classroom. She noticed how Brooklyn slouched down in her seat and avoided eye contact. Brandon glared and clenched his hands into fists.

Two boys stood slightly ahead of the other. There was a ginger-haired boy who was laughing loudly at the brown-haired boy, who was smiling and showing off his dimples.

Behind them stood a boy with dark hair. His face was blank, and his eyes looked like cold, bottomless pits. Indianna's heart raced at the sight of him. In a split second, he instilled fear in her, and she didn't even know him.

She noticed tattoos littering his arms and raised her eyebrows in shock. She had to remind herself that he was the same age as her, although you wouldn't think that by looking at him.

He had an air of confidence around him, and he looked mean, unlike the other two boys, who didn't have a dark look about them. The brown-haired boy looked kind, and the ginger-haired boy looked mischievous, but the dark-haired boy looked... dangerous.

Indianna swallowed nervously and swiftly looked away when the dark-haired boy's eyes scanned the classroom. All eyes were on them; the class seemed entranced. It was as if no one had ever seen these boys before.

Indianna wasn't sure if the looks they were receiving were from lust or fear.

An irritable expression flashed across the dark-haired boy's face when he realised the class was staring at him and his two friends. Although he was used to it, he still glared and snapped, "What?"

Chills ran through Indianna's body when he spoke. A wave of butterflies rose from her feet, making her body feel on edge. One word was all it took to make the class immediately turn their attention away from the three boys.

His voice was deep and clear; it cut through the silence of the classroom like a razor-sharp knife. Indianna couldn't imagine kind words leaving the lips of the dark-haired boy. From one look at him, she could tell that being nice was foreign to him.

It was then she realised that the looks they were receiving weren't from lust. They were definitely from fear.

Indianna turned to Brooklyn as the three boys sat on the opposite side of the classroom. She heard a loud laugh from the ginger-haired boy, and she could see the dark-haired boy out of the corner of her eye, rolling his eyes at his friend and kicking his feet up onto the desk in front of him.

"Who are they?" Indianna asked quietly.

Brooklyn adjusted in her seat, turning her back to the boys.

"People you should stay away from," she said firmly. "The ginger guy is called Kal. The brown-haired one is Ace. The dark-haired one is—"

"Greyson Evans," Brandon said with a scowl. "He is not a nice person."

"He has no regard for anyone but himself and his few friends. He's a dick, he's dangerous, and he uses girls for nothing more than sex. He's bad news, and they are the one group in this town you should stay away from. Kal and Ace aren't bad people, but you don't want to get on their radar because then you'll be on his—"

Brooklyn was cut off by the deep, slow drawl of Greyson's voice.

"I can hear you, Brooklyn," Greyson called.

He looked at Brooklyn from his seat, and she pursed her lips, turning to face him.

"You're not gossiping again, are you?"

Brooklyn smiled sweetly. "I'm just telling the truth, Greyson."

"Well, I'm very interested to hear what you have to say," Greyson said, raising his eyebrows daringly at Brooklyn. "Continue."

"I highly doubt you would like to hear what I have to say," Brooklyn said with a shrug.

Indianna watched Brooklyn carefully and noticed that she didn't seem afraid of Greyson, unlike the rest of the class. She glanced at Brandon, who was glaring at Greyson at the same time Greyson looked at him.

"Brandon, if you keep glaring at us, I will punch you," Greyson warned. His eyes flickered to Brooklyn, glittering with dangerous amusement. "I know I shouldn't, considering that you're Brooklyn's cousin, but you both know that I don't care."

"Greyson!" Brooklyn said sharply. She narrowed her eyes at him. "You are not going to punch Brandon!"

"And what could you do to stop me, Brooklyn?" Greyson asked. "You may be surprisingly high up on the school social ladder, but I know of a guy who can keep you on your leash."

Brooklyn's cheeks flushed red, and she pursed her lips when Kal snorted, smirking at her discomfort.

"Shut it, Kal," she grumbled.

Greyson tutted. "Don't try and tell me what I can and can't do, Brooklyn. You will always lose. Remember that."

"Speaking of Harry," Kal said and winked at Brooklyn. "Where is he?"

"Yes, great question, Kal. Where is Harry?" Greyson asked Brooklyn. "I know he was looking for you this morning."

"I don't know where he is! Why would I?" Brooklyn said quickly and crossed her arms over her chest, narrowing her eyes at Greyson and his friends. "Now, please leave us be!"

"As you wish," Greyson scoffed, and Brooklyn turned back to Indianna.

"As you can see, he's an ass," Brooklyn said with a huff and rolled her eyes. "Keep away from him. From them."

Indianna raised her eyebrows curiously and spoke quietly. "Why don't you?"

Brooklyn frowned. "What?"

"Your boyfriend is his friend, isn't he?" Indianna observed.

"B-boyfriend? What? No!" Brooklyn spluttered, and Indianna smiled ever so slightly.

"Harry? That's what they said his name was, wasn't it?"

"Observant."

Indianna jumped when Greyson appeared behind her and leaned back against the cupboard, crossing his arms over his chest. She stared at him, suddenly going silent.

"Now," he said and looked Indianna up and down. "Who are you?"

"I think it's better if you don't find out," Brandon muttered.

Greyson ignored him.

"Her name is Indianna, and that's all you need to know. So if you can just leave—"

"I'm pretty sure she can speak for herself, Brooklyn."

"She's shy," Brooklyn said, glancing at Indianna, who looked like she wanted to be anywhere but in the classroom, talking to Greyson.

"Well, come on. I don't bite," Greyson urged, and Indianna stiffened, just like before.

"Don't talk about that," Indianna said. Her voice was still quiet, but it was firm.

"Struck a nerve, have I?" Greyson asked, raising an eyebrow and smirking. "Somebody likes it rough."

"Jesus, Greyson!" Brooklyn gasped. "It's her first day. Leave her alone!"