Shift (The Neturu Chronicles) Read online

  Her next two classes pass without incident, and she totally forgets about the new guy. Finally, she heads off to last period, creative writing. Kayla takes her seat by the windows. She fishes out her notebook and sighs. Writing just isn’t her thing. She always feels like her ideas are way too out there and weird, and Kayla doesn’t want to be judged.

  When someone sits in front of her, she looks up and then straightens in her chair. Kayla instantly recognizes the figure. “Jackson,” she barely breathes out.

  Jackson slowly turns in his seat and looks at her. “Yes?”

  Totally embarrassed, Kayla’s eyes widen. “Nothing, sorry…I sometimes blurt things out.”

  “That could make for some interesting situations. Do you like to just yell things out, like, Tourette’s style?”

  Kayla’s jaw drops. “No!”

  He gets a devilish grin on his face. “Wow, I didn’t think someone could get that red.”

  Kayla slaps her hands over her face. “Shut up.”

  “You blush really easily. Why are you so embarrassed? I thought you were stronger than that.”

  “Why would you think I was strong?”

  Shrugging, Jackson gives her a stone expression. “By the way you spoke to Jude, but maybe I’m wrong.”

  She studies him for a second. “Why did you stand up for me?”

  “Is that what I did?” he replies with almost no feeling.

  “That’s what it seemed like.”

  Jackson shrugs again. “If you’re going to hurt someone, you may as well do it effectively.”

  “That guy is an idiot. Total jerk.”

  “So am I, most of the time.”

  “You don’t seem to be.”

  The corner of Jackson’s mouth turns up. “Oh, just wait.”

  “I’m sure you’re still familiarizing yourself with everything, so if you need anything, just ask.”

  The smirk on Jackson’s face disappears. “I think I’ll pass.”

  Kayla is so shocked by his attitude that she can’t form a reply before Jackson turns back around. She stares at the back of his head with her mouth gaping open. The rest of class goes by without any more interaction with him, but Kayla can’t get past his rudeness.

  After class, Kayla finds Tracy and says, “Let’s get out of here.”

  “Oh my God.” Tracy giggles. “I told everyone about Jackson.”

  “I don’t think you should talk about him,” Kayla whispers harshly. “He’s kind of a jerk, and I don’t think he would like it.”

  Tracy raises her eyebrows. “Did he talk to you again?”

  “Yes, but I don’t want to talk about it. He’s just…I don’t know…kind of mean.”

  “Still hot in my book,” Tracy sighs as she opens the door for her friend.

  When they get back to Kayla’s house, Kayla asks, “Are you coming in?”

  “Sure, for a few minutes.”

  They go inside and Kayla yells, “Mom? Dad?”

  No one answers. Tracy inquires, “Are they off hiking again?”

  “Probably. I swear, that’s all they do and then they come back a mess. I don’t even want to know what they do out there.”

  “Ewww, gross.”

  Kayla shoves her hands out. “Sometimes they come back practically covered in dirt. It’s weird!”

  “Okay, let’s stop talking about that before I puke on your floor.”

  “Do you want a soda?”

  “Sure.”

  Kayla opens the fridge, but doesn’t see any soda. “I have to get some from downstairs.”

  “I’ll come with,” Tracy says, following Kayla down the basement steps. When they pass the basement side room, Tracy stops. “I swear your parents are growing drugs.”

  “Those aren’t pot plants, Tracy. They’re herbs.”

  Tracy points to all the plants. “Kayla, I’ve never seen those plants before.”

  “Yeah, that’s because it’s a rare plant from somewhere in China. Supposedly, it’s not even allowed in the U.S.”

  “Breaking the law.” Tracy laughs. “It’s probably a drug, Kayla.”

  Rolling her eyes, Kayla says, “My parents have been putting it on our food every day since I was a kid.”

  “What does it taste like?”

  “I don’t know. Good. It doesn’t taste like anything I can compare it to.”

  Tracy steps forward. “I want to try it.”

  “No!” Kayla yells. “My parents said it could have a really bad reaction in people, and it could be dangerous. That’s why it’s so rare. We don’t give it to anyone.”

  “And they gave it to you when you were a kid?”

  Kayla shrugs. “What can I say? My parents are weird.”

  “Yeah, I’m starting to think they are,” Tracy says with a laugh. “Let’s get some soda; I’m thirsty.”

  “Okay.”

  Tracy sighs. “I still think it’s a drug.”

  “Tracy!” Kayla exclaims, laughing.

  A couple of hours later, Kayla is at her computer doing her homework when she hears, “Kayla? Are you home?”

  “Yeah,” she yells toward her door.

  She hears footsteps coming up the stairs and then her mom appears at the door. “Hey, honey, we’re having company over for dinner.”

  “Okay,” Kayla mumbles, not really caring. “What are we eating?”

  “Lasagna. These are old friends of your father’s and mine.”

  “Whatever,” Kayla retorts, not paying her mom any attention. Kayla scans the computer screen in search of an excerpt for her paper.

  Her mom sighs. “Are you going to be able to pull yourself away from the computer?”

  “Homework, Mom. I’m working on a paper about Thailand.”

  “Okay, but I want you to at least meet them.”

  Kayla shrugs. “Okay.”

  “Kayla.”

  She turns around. “I’ll obviously meet your friends if we're eating dinner together.”

  “You can be difficult sometimes.”

  “I’m a teenager, Mom. It’s my job.”

  “Be down in an hour.”

  Kayla rolls her eyes. “I will.” When her mom walks away, Kayla turns back to her paper.

  Roughly an hour later, the doorbell rings. The sound is followed by voices. Kayla groans but continues her research. A few minutes later she hears, “Kayla!”

  “Coming,” she yells back. Happy about her work so far, she saves her paper and turns off her computer. Kayla runs down the stairs, and when she turns the corner, she smacks into someone. Looking up, she exclaims, “What in the hell.”

  Jackson towers over her. “I was looking for your bathroom.”

  “My bathroom? What are you doing in my house?”

  “My parents brought me here…for dinner,” he replies.

  Kayla shakes her head. “You’re the old friends of my parents?”

  “I’m not, but my parents are.” Narrowing his eyes, he asks, “You’ve really never heard of us?”

  “No. Why? Have you heard of us?”

  An odd look crosses Jackson’s face. “Yeah, actually, I know who you are.”

  Kayla gasps in shock. “Did you know earlier today?”

  “Maybe. Now, where is the bathroom, because I’m about to pee on your wall if I don’t find it.”

  She points around the corner. “It’s around there. Second door on your left.”

  “Thanks,” Jackson says, brushing past her.

  She stares at him until he turns the corner. She races to find her mom. Kayla finds her parents in the living room talking with another couple around their same age. “Oh good,” her mom says. “Kayla, this is Mr. and Mrs. Blakely.”

  “You can call me George, and this is my wife, Emma,” Mr. Blakely says.

  “Hi,” Kayla squeaks.

  Mrs. Blakely looks around. “Our son seems to have disappeared.”

  “Jackson, yeah, he’s in the bathroom.”

  “Did you meet?” Mr. Blakely a
sks.

  Trying not to snort, Kayla answers, “Yeah, we have three classes together.”

  “Oh, that’s good,” Mrs. Blakely states. “Jackson doesn’t know anyone here. We just moved here from China.”

  “Yeah, that’s what our teacher said.”

  Mrs. Blakely smiles. “I hope Jackson made a good impression.”

  “He made an impression, that’s for sure,” Kayla mumbles.

  “Let’s go sit down. Dinner is ready,” Kayla’s dad says. He gestures everyone into the dining room.

  Kayla takes a seat and puts her napkin on her lap. The adults start talking to each other and pouring wine into their glasses. It’s a wine that her mom makes. Kayla has always wanted to try it, but she hasn’t had the nerve to do it. She opens her soda instead and takes a sip as Jackson walks into the room. She stares at him as he sits in the seat across from her and places his napkin in his lap. Jackson moves his gaze to her and they lock eyes.

  After an extended silence, Mr. Blakely says, “I’m glad you two met. We weren’t sure if you guys would have any classes together.”

  “Yeah, we have sociology, world history, and creative writing together,” Kayla states nicely.

  “That will be good for Jackson,” Mrs. Blakely says. “His school was pretty tough in China. I hope the academy is comparable.”

  Kayla nods. “Our courses are designed to prepare us for college.”

  “Kayla is in the running for valedictorian,” her mom says proudly.

  “Really,” Jackson draws out.

  Kayla glares at him. “Yeah, as of right now, I have the highest GPA.”

  Jackson raises an eyebrow and says, “I see.”

  “Do you like it here so far?” Kayla’s dad asks.

  Turning to him, Jackson replies, “We’ve only been here for a week, so I can’t really say. It’s a lot different from where we lived before. I was born in the U.S., but we haven’t lived here since I was two.”

  “Where else have you lived?” Kayla asks.

  “Italy, Spain, England, Russia, and China.”

  Kayla shakes her head. “Holy crap, that’s a lot of places.”

  “We’re scientists,” Mrs. Blakely interjects. “Well, I’m a cultural anthropologist.”

  “And I’m a geneticist,” Mr. Blakely says.

  “Wow,” Kayla exhales.

  Her dad nods. “George and I went to college together. He puts botany to shame.”

  “But our families have known each other for generations,” Jackson says.

  “Jackson,” his mother hisses.

  Confused, Kayla says, “Huh?”

  “Our relatives came here together,” Jackson declares.

  Kayla looks at her parents. “What is he talking about?”

  “Your great, great, great grandparents came to the U.S. together,” her mom says, emphasizing the U.S.

  “Really,” Kayla replies, not sounding very convinced.

  Jackson raises his eyebrows in question. “Yeah, don’t you know anything about your family history?”

  “Sure,” Kayla slowly responds.

  “Who’s hungry?” her dad interjects. “We have lasagna.”

  Their parents immediately start talking to each other again, while Kayla shakes her head in disbelief. This has to be the weirdest dinner she has ever experienced. Nervously, she eats her food in silence. Every time Kayla looks up, she catches Jackson staring at her.

  When dinner is finished, both moms stand up. “We’ll clean up. Kayla, why don’t you and Jackson go and get to know each other better.”

  Looking at his mom, Jackson goes, “Mother…really?”

  Kayla wants to kick him underneath the table. “Yeah, I have homework to do.”

  “Actually, Kayla is doing a report on Thailand. Maybe you can help her,” Kayla’s mom suggests.

  “Mom,” Kayla snaps.

  Mr. Blakely smiles. “That sounds like an excellent idea.”

  The two teens look at each other. “Wonderful,” Kayla mumbles. “Come on.” She stands and walks toward the steps. When she doesn’t hear Jackson behind her, she turns around. He is still sitting at the table, staring at her. “I’m going up to my room,” she declares. “If you’re coming, you need to follow me.”

  Sighing, Jackson puts his napkin on the table and stands. He saunters over to her and waves his hand toward the second floor. They slowly walk upstairs, and Kayla enters her room. Jackson follows her and looks around. “Your room is really clean. Anal retentive much? That doesn’t surprise me.”

  “I like to keep things in order,” Kayla replies. “Easier to find stuff.” She shoves a chair towards him. “There, you can sit down.”

  Jackson grabs the chair, twirls it around, and straddles it. “Read me what you've written on your paper so far.”

  “Hell no, I’m not even close to being finished with it.”

  “So why can’t I hear what you have written?”

  Crossing her arms, Kayla says, “I don’t share my work with anyone, that way I’m less likely to get plagiarized.”

  Jackson snorts. “You think I would copy your work?” he asks, holding his hand to his chest. “Please. I do not need to cheat off of you. Besides, I already wrote the paper.”

  “What? You’ve been here for a week. Today was your first day of school!”

  “They gave me the assignments a few days ago. I finished everything already.”

  Kayla scoffs. “I actually want to get an A on this, so I’m going to take my time.”

  He moves his gaze to her. “You think my paper will be bad?”

  “If you wrote it in two days, probably.”

  Narrowing his eyes, Jackson says, “Want to put a wager on it?”

  “What?”

  “I bet you, that I will get a better grade on this paper.”

  With a grunt, Kayla replies, “That isn’t even a fair bet.”

  “Then you will have no problem taking it.”

  “What would we wager, anyways? You have nothing I want.”

  Jackson smirks. “I bet I can change that.” A heat instantly rises in Kayla’s face. “Oh, look, I made you blush again.”

  “I…what…you are insane,” Kayla sputters out.

  “Take the bet, Kayla. If you’re going to be valedictorian, you should have no problem with this.”

  “Fine, loser will owe the winner one favor. No questions asked.”

  An amused smirk appears on Jackson’s face. “Deal.”

  “You’re going down,” Kayla says with a smile.

  “That’s what you think,” Jackson replies as he stands up. “I’m going to let you get back to your paper. I don’t want to influence you or anything.”

  Kayla doesn’t say anything as she watches him leave the room. “You are so going to lose,” she mutters under her breath. Spinning around, she turns on her computer.

  An hour later, Kayla hears her mom yell, “Kayla, come say good-bye to George, Emma, and Jackson.”

  Begrudgingly, Kayla goes downstairs. Everyone is standing by the front door. She waves at Mr. and Mrs. Blakely. “Bye, it was nice meeting you.”

  “You too, dear,” Mr. Blakely says. “We’ll have to do this again.”

  Awesome, Kayla thinks to herself. “That’s sounds great.”

  “All right, bye,” Mrs. Blakely says. She turns to her son. “Jackson, say good-bye to Kayla.”

  With a sinister grin, Jackson says, “Good-bye, Kayla. See you tomorrow.”

  “Yeah,” Kayla replies, losing her smile.

  Their parents don’t seem to notice the tension as they say their farewells. When her mom closes the door, she states, “Well, that was pleasant.”

  “Uh-huh,” Kayla retorts sarcastically. She turns and goes back up to her room, but not before seeing the weird look her mom throws her way.

  Chapter 2

  “I can’t believe he acted that way last night,” Tracy says as they walk into school. “Who knew he was such an ass?”

  “I d
on’t think he was an ass. Cocky, that’s for sure. I mean, he did warn me that he was a jerk.”

  Tracy nods her head and then looks at her friend. “He’s still hot, though.”

  Kayla laughs. “Yeah, I guess that’s true.”

  They turn the corner and stop. Jackson is leaning against the wall reading a paper. His designer jeans, T-shirt, and vest look really good on him. “Wow,” Tracy says.

  “Yeah,” Kayla exhales. Shaking her head out of her stupor, she starts to walk. It takes effort, but Kayla keeps her eyes forward and doesn’t look at him. As she walks past him, she suddenly feels a sharp snap on her butt. Kayla grabs it and gasps. Whipping around, she glares at Jackson.

  “It’s rude not to say good morning to people,” he quips with a smirk.

  Stuttering, she says, “Did you…did you seriously just slap my ass?”

  “Mmhmm,” he hums. “I think I did.”

  “What…I mean…how dare you!”

  Jackson crosses his arms. “Really? Are you really angry with me for that?”

  “Yeah, she doesn’t like guys, and she’s definitely never been touched by one,” a voice says.

  They all turn to see Jude standing behind them.

  “Jude, you have no idea what you’re talking about,” Kayla says.

  “Really, Kayla? Then answer me this. Have you ever kissed a guy?”

  Kayla’s face instantly reddens with anger. “Jude, you are such a douche! You know what the answer is.”

  “So the answer is no,” he retorts with a smirk.

  Before Kayla can respond, Jackson pulls her into his arms and crushes his lips against hers. A spark ignites within her, and she forms her body to his. They kiss each other for a few seconds, and she realizes he tastes sweet. When he finally pulls away she stumbles backward. Jackson looks at Jude. “I think she does fine in that department.”

  “Ewww, that was gross,” Jude sneers. “I think I threw up a little. I would sanitize my mouth if I were you.”

  Jackson steps up to Jude, towering over him. “Didn’t you get a clue yesterday? You don’t want to piss me off.”

  Taking a step back, Jude gulps. “So you’re going to have your boyfriend beat me up now?”