Wayward: St. Croix Falls Book 1 Read online

  For kicks, Mia kept the crystal necklace on as she fell asleep that night. Though she chalked it up to coincidence, she really did have some of the best sleep she’d had in a while. Mia slept all through the night and woke up refreshed and awake.

  Sunday went by about the same. She loved watching her mom’s face light up at how put together and nice the whole house looked. Of course, her mother sang Angelica’s praises when Mia told her she had helped. Once she left to get back to the bookstore, Angelica showed up. They had lunch and finished up the front yard at which point Angelica decided the white picket fence needed a new coat of paint. They ended up going out to buy paint and decided to stop by the soon to be bookstore on the way home.

  Before they left, Mia grabbed her shoes from upstairs. She paused when she saw the homesickness remedy on her nightstand. She had left it there when she and Angelica had gotten back yesterday. A part of her had been tempted to down it right then and there but she wasn’t desperate enough – yet. So, instead, she threw it in her purse and headed out.

  The front of her mother’s store was made of red brick with windows to showcase future books. There were already shelves built into the walls along with a wooden desk protruding from the wall in the back. Her mom was so busy moving boxes out of the back room that she didn’t notice the two of them until Mia shut the door with a rattle.

  “Oh, what are you two doing here?” she asked, jumping in surprise when they walked toward the back.

  Mia grinned. “Thought we’d check it out. It looks good.”

  “It does,” Angelica gushed. “With some new paint and shelves, this place will look amazing.”

  Her mom beamed and straightened, hands on hips. “Yeah, I plan to add quite a few bookshelves and then have a reading nook back there,” she said, gesturing at the far-right corner. “Maybe even an area for discounted movies and CD’s too.”

  “That would be amazing. I know so many people would love that,” Angelica said.

  “I hope so. What are you girls up to today?”

  Mia and Angelica shared a smile. “We’re repainting the fence,” Mia answered.

  Her mom’s eyes widened. “Wow that’s quite the feat. Do you have the money for the paint? I can give you some?”

  Angelica waved her offer away. “No, its fine. Mia and I pooled together some money and the stores here are pretty cheap, so it wasn’t too bad.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Positive!”

  “Alright then… Well don’t let me stop you two from your painting. Mia, I’ll probably be home late. My bookshelves are actually supposed to arrive later this evening, so I might end up putting a few of them up,” she said.

  Mia nodded. “OK. I might drop by then with some dinner and help out.”

  Her mom smiled. “That would be nice.”

  With a wave, Mia left, following Angelica out of the store. When they got home, Angelica wasted no time getting to painting the entire fence the rest of the day. The whole time Mia couldn’t help but glance at the windows of the house next door. She didn’t see him once the whole day. Not even a flicker of a shadow and Mia hated that a tiny part of her was disappointed.

  Angelica left before five saying Hazel from the antique shop had called and needed her help with something. So, Mia ran out and grabbed dinner before heading over to her mom’s store. When she got there, however, she paused as she opened the door, hearing two sets of voices inside. There were boxes, half opened and half erected bookshelves all over the store. Behind them she could hear her mom and a familiar masculine voice. Smooth and suave. Cillian.

  Mia frowned. What was he doing there? She shut the door behind her and made her way around the bookshelves to where she found her mother and Cillian putting a bookshelf together and laughing. Mia drew up short. Her mom looked so… happy. It wasn’t like she was depressed or anything, but Mia hadn’t seen her look so happy in a long time. Her eyes shown whenever she gazed up at Cillian, who smiled down at her as if they knew each other. But that was impossible. Her mom would have told her if she’d been to this town before, if she knew people here. Wouldn’t she?

  Mia cleared her throat and both adults glanced up. Her mom’s eyes widened, but Cillian just flashed her a smile. “Mia,” he sniffed the air and grinned, “you brought dinner?”

  Mia held up the bag, giving her mother a confused look. “Uh yeah… but I don’t know if there’s enough for the three of us.”

  Her mom’s cheeks turned pink. She got to her feet, clearing her throat. “I didn’t expect you to come by so early.”

  “I thought you’d be hungry and lonely… but I guess not,” Mia said, glancing at Cillian who didn’t look the least bit ashamed of his actions. “I’m sorry… how do you two know each other?”

  “Oh,” her mom said a little too quickly but before she could answer Cillian spoke for her. “We just met today,” he said, waving his hand. “I thought I’d stop by and say hello to the new store owner since we are across the street from one another. We got to talking and well, the time got away from us.”

  “Huh,” was all Mia said. For some reason she had a hard time believing him. Though she didn’t think he was a horrible person and she actually did like the guy, Mia wasn’t so sure she liked him with her mother. Or laughing with her or spending any kind of time with her. Cillian just… seemed too young and too different for her mom. The way he dressed, his piercings… it all looked out of place in this musty shop and right next to her mom.

  “I’ll leave you two to it then,” Mia said.

  Cillian smirked, straightening. “No need. I have some things I need to attend to at my store. Spend time with your mother. I don’t want to intrude.”

  Too late, Mia wanted to say. Instead, she smiled politely. “See you later then.”

  He gave a nod toward her, and a smile Mia couldn’t quite decipher at her mother before heading out of the store. Once the door shut behind him, Mia raised her eyebrows at her mom. “What was that all about?”

  Her mom’s face turned red and she went back to working on the bookshelf. “Nothing. He just stopped by and we got to talking is all.”

  “Yeah, he seems to like you a lot,” Mia said, sitting down cross-legged on the floor and opening the bag of take out. She grabbed a hamburger and handed it to her mom who took it gratefully.

  “You’re being silly and reading way too much into it,” she insisted.

  “I don’t know,” Mia said with a shrug, plopping a fry into her mouth.

  “Oh please,” her mom said, rolling her eyes. “Let’s just eat and then you can help me finish this last bookshelf and then we can go home.”

  “Fine, but if anything happens with you and Cillian, like if things get serious, you need to tell me.”

  Her mom sighed, giving her a look but then nodded. “Fine. Will you come help me now?”

  Mia grinned and jumped up. “Sure.”

  Chapter Seven

  Monday came around and Mia woke up early, changed into a pair of shorts and a graphic tee with a picture of the desert and the words Desert Vibes on the front. She ate a sugary breakfast and packed up her backpack.

  Mia stepped outside and found Angelica waiting for her in her hot pink car. She glanced at the driveway of the house next to hers and found Rhett’s black car already gone. Good. She didn’t want to run into him before even getting to school anyways.

  “Good morning! Ready for your first day at St. Croix High?” Angelica asked, all too energetic for the morning.

  Mia resisted the urge to flinch and nodded. “Sure. Yep. Super psyched.”

  “Wow, your enthusiasm is contagious,” Angelica joked as she drove off the curb and headed down the street.

  Mia shrugged, walking her black converse up the dashboard as she threw her backpack into the back seat. “I’ve never been the new kid before. Do you think people are going to stare and whisper?”

  “Nah, that is totally cliché,” Angelica insisted, waving her hand. “I mean, they’ll all be c
urious. We don’t get a lot of new students. But don’t worry, stick with me and you will be fine.”

  She suddenly let out a high-pitched squeal that made Mia want to cover her ears. “Oh my gosh! I just realized something! I could get you onto the cheer team. How awesome would that be? I could get you a uniform and everything and we could be on the same team and practice in your backyard.”

  Mia jerked up in her seat at the mention of wearing one of those skimpy cheer outfits. “Whoa, whoa, let’s not get carried away. I don’t do cheer leading. I’ll go to all your tournaments or whatever and cheer you on, but I will not be on the team.”

  Angelica deflated for about two seconds before perking up again. “That’s Ok. We can find you something else.”

  “Actually…” Mia said, glancing at her. “Do you guys have a track team?”

  Mia had figured trying out for the track team might make this place feel a little more like home. She knew there was only like a month of school left but maybe the coach would be desperate and need another member.

  Angelica seemed to think about it for a minute and then nodded. “Yeah we do, but I don’t know if you’ll be able to get in so late in the school year.”

  “I figured… just thought I’d swing by and see what happens,” Mia said with a shrug.

  “That would be great. I’m sure coach would love to have you next year.”

  “Yeah.”

  Angelica drove through town and wove her way past a few neighborhoods and forest-lined streets until they came to the high school. Her old school had been expansive and surrounded by gates and metal detectors. This… this was nothing like that. The building was all red brick and spanned two floors. A parking lot already full of cars sat in front of it.

  “Welcome to St. Croix High,” Angelica said, beaming with a pride Mia didn’t quite understand for such a small school. But… this was Angelica’s school. She’d gone there all her life and from the sound of it, half her life revolved around this place.

  Angelica parked in one of the spots right in front of the school and grabbed her backpack from the back seat. Mia did the same and together they got out. A few kids walking from their cars or the carpool line snaking around the side of the school glanced at them as they headed up the sidewalk to the front door. Most of the eyes flashed to Angelica first and then widened when they got to Mia. Already a few of the students whispered and Mia caught the word new girl several times before they had even entered the building.

  “The office is right there,” Angelica said, looping arms with her. She led her toward the glass office area in front of them.

  Angelica grinned at the pretty woman with raven black hair plaited down her back and huge feather earrings dangling from her ears. “Hey Lilah! This is Amelia, she’s new here.”

  “Mia,” Mia said, holding her hand out.

  Lilah offered a warm smile and an even warmer handshake. “Nice to meet you. I have all your papers. A map of the school, your class schedule and…” she reached down and opened a drawer, “your locker key.”

  Mia was used to one of those combination locks, not an actual key. What kind of lockers did they have here? A pretty, decorative silver key hung from a blue ribbon from Lilah’s fingertip.

  “I know it’s a little weird, but we have special lockers,” Angelica said as Mia took the key and then the papers. “They only open with like actual keys.”

  “I’ve never heard of anything like that. Or any lockers like that. That’s cool,” Mia said, peering down at her key.

  “Yeah it is! OK, let’s see what locker number you have…” Angelica leaned over her shoulder to get a better look of her class schedule. “Oooh, 350. You’re on the first floor. Like me! I’m 405 so we’ll probably be in the same hallway. Come on I’ll show you and then I can show you where all your classes are. Thanks Lilah!”

  Angelica was already yanking Mia out of the room when Mia waved and thanked the lady too. Right before they left, though, Mia could have sworn she saw Lilah’s deep blue eyes flash to the yellow of raven eyes. But when she blinked and glanced at her again, all she saw was a pretty receptionist giving her a wave and a sympathetic smile back. Apparently, she understood what it was like being captured by Angelica.

  Once they had left the hall and were headed to the left, Angelica snatched her class schedule from the top of her papers and scanned the list. Her lips turned down into a pout. “We only have two classes together, and our first one isn’t until third period before lunch…”

  Mia leaned shoulder to shoulder with Angelica, so she could peer at her schedule too. Whispers and stares followed but she tried her best to ignore them as they walked down the hall. They had English together. Her first class of the day was… math. She wrinkled her nose. Great. The best way to start the day.

  After math was social studies then lit and then English. This was going to be a long day, especially if these stares and whispers didn’t stop. She’d heard new girl whispered about a hundred times already.

  Angelica stopped abruptly and gestured at one of the lockers. “This one’s yours.”

  Mia glanced up from the schedule, her eyes widening when she spotted the line of lockers against the wall. Yeah, Angelica had been right when she said they had special lockers. These were made of wood with a single keyhole. She’d never seen anything like them. When she glanced up and down the hall at the other lockers, she found that all of them were decorated too. Extensively. Some people had fake flowers curling around their lockers. Others had etched little pictures into the wood of theirs while others had hung posters or pieces of art. At her old school all the lockers’ outsides had to be uniform and undecorated. Seemed St. Croix High was a bit laxer.

  Angelica took Mia’s things for her while Mia unlocked the locker and swung it open to find a surprisingly spacious inside. Nice.

  “Do you like them?” Angelica asked, an edge of worry in her voice.

  Mia nodded, glancing at her as she took her stuff back. “Yeah I do. They look cool.”

  Angelica’s shoulders slumped in relief as if she had been genuinely concerned Mia would hate them or something. “Good. Let me go grab my stuff from my locker and then I’ll show you where your first class is. Be right back.”

  “OK.”

  Angelica ran off, and Mia let out a long breath. This was the first time at school alone, without Angelica. How was she going to get through her classes without her? She’d probably end up wandering the halls looking like an idiot while she tried to find her classes. Though, how hard could they be to find? This school was tiny.

  Someone cleared their throat behind her. Mia spun around, eyes colliding with a pair of dark green ones twinkling with mischief. A tall, lanky boy stood in front of her, his head cocked to the side while he stared at her. Strands of black hair fell over his forehead and into one of his eyes. “You’re the new girl, aren’t you?”

  Mia nodded, taking a small step back. “Yeah,” she croaked out. She cleared her throat and tried again, trying for a smile too. “Yes. I’m Mia.”

  She stuck her hand out and his mischievous grin widened as he shook her hand. His skin was unusually warm. Almost like he had a fever. “I’m Kai.”

  “Kai?”

  He shrugged, letting go of her hand. “Weird name, right?”

  “No… just different.”

  “I’ll take that as a compliment. How are you liking school so far?”

  “Well I’ve only been here for about five minutes so... so far so good.”

  Kai chuckled. “Point taken. I’ll see ya around Mia. Oh, hey Angie,” he said as Angelica appeared at Mia’s elbow.

  Angelica gave him a bright smile. Mia was almost surprised she hadn’t scowled at him. “Morning Kai! Guess what? You have social studies with Mia!”

  He grinned. “Brilliant. Then I will see you in second period my friend.”

  Mia gave a wave as he shrugged off the locker and headed down the hallway toward a cluster of taller, burlier guys. “He seemed nice.”


  Angelica flicked her hair over her shoulder. “Yeah he’s pretty nice. Just a bit of a prankster and he runs with an... interesting crowd.”

  “So, watch myself with him? Like with everyone else in this town?”

  Angelica flashed her a bright smile. “Now you’re getting it.”

  Mia grinned and followed Angelica down the hall. She gave her a full tour of the downstairs. Turned out all three of her morning classes were on the lower level while her three evening classes were upstairs. They came to a stop in front of the algebra class. “Well this is you,” Angelica said, gesturing at the door.

  “Thanks for showing me where to go.”

  “No prob,” Angelica said just as the second bell rang. “Alright, well I hope your first class goes well! I gotta get to class but I’ll see you for third period! Have a good time.” Angelica hugged Mia and then bounced back with a wide smile.

  “Yep I’ll try.” No one ever had a good time when it came to math class, but she’d make an effort. Stepping in, Mia surveyed the room. Most of the desks were full, so Mia picked a spot nearer to the back. Seemed Kai was the only one who had the guts to approach her. Oh well. At least now she had some time to relax and mentally prepare for the day ahead. She got out her math book and notebook and pencil, flipping her notebook open to a blank page.

  The rest of the class filled up quickly after the third and final bell. Mia couldn’t help but notice the... interestingness of her new classmates. A lot of colored hair, clothes from total goth to flowery, foresty boho chic. And most of them were super model gorgeous like Angelica. Mia was a pretty looking girl. She knew that. But she didn’t have flawless skin all the time or eyes that were such a vibrant shade of a color that they sparkled. That was left for movie magic. So how in the heck did all of these teens manage to look like this in real life?

  No one sat near her which Mia also found strange. Like seriously. She was the new girl, not a leper. But whatever. She knew Angelica and Kai and right now that was all good with her. Mia didn’t need to know everyone in school or instantly be popular. It was just a little odd that everyone avoided her so much but didn’t mind whispering about her behind her back. Or in front of her as the two girls sitting at the desks ahead of her were doing. One was tall and slender with dark mocha skin and amethyst purple box braids.