Sneak Peek: Saving Maddox Prologue

I’ve been busy writing away on book three of the Shadow Phoenix series - Saving Maddox! It’s coming along great and I can’t wait to share it with you next month. Maddox and Ryan are childhood best friends and are finding their way back to each other.

You can read the prologue below to get a sneak peek into how their friendship started.

Prologue

Ryan

“I bet she has a dick, too!” Tyler shouted through his laughter. 

Oh, no. Not again. 

I tried to curl into myself as my cheeks burned. I’d gotten used to Tyler and Jacob teasing me, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t embarrassing. Just because I wore pants instead of dresses and liked playing sports with the boys during recess didn’t mean I was a boy.

“What do you say, Ryan? How ‘bout we see for ourselves?” Jacob taunted as they moved toward me. I couldn’t let them pull down my pants in front of everyone. My heart was pounding and my eyes darted around, looking for anyone to help me. But all the other kids crowded around the bus stop were ignoring me.

As I continued to back up, step by step trying to put distance between me and my bullies, my chin wobbled. Even as my eyes stung, I refused to cry. These two boys had been bothering me all year. I didn’t wear a ponytail in my hair anymore because if I did, they’d pull my hair. I didn’t understand why they couldn’t just leave me alone. What did it matter that my parents had given me a boy’s name? I’d always thought my name was cool and different. I was proud of it.

At least until this year. Now I wished my name was anything else so I could blend in. My sister Charlie told me to ignore them, that they were  picking on me because they liked me. I didn’t believe her, though. Why would they call me names or hurt me if they thought I was pretty? It didn’t make sense. Why would they embarrass me in front of everyone over and over again?

My back hit the signpost that marked the stop and I tripped, falling onto the dusty dirt-covered ground and scraped my palms and knees. I tried not to show fear, lifting my chin and narrowing my eyes defiantly at the boys who towered over me.

“Leave me alone,” I said with a shaky voice.

“Boys aren’t allowed to cry, Ryan. If you cry, I’ll punch you.” Jacob moved his lanky body toward me. He was only ten, like me, but he was the tallest kid in my class. When he was standing practically on top of me, his shadow blocked out the sun and I looked up into his face. He wore a sneer that made him look like he’d smelled something bad. 

I was more convinced than ever that Charlie was dead wrong. These boys didn’t like me. They hated me. Tyler sauntered over to me and reached down, wrapping his hand around my upper arm and squeezing so hard it hurt. I flinched and tried to pull away, but he was stronger than I was. 

My lungs were burning because I was breathing so fast but I couldn’t lose focus. I kicked out my foot and hit Tyler in the shin and he squeezed harder. “Jake, grab her other arm.”

Jacob reached down and dug his stubby nails into my skin and even though I tried to completely relax my body so I’d be harder to pick up, they still dragged me to my feet.

“Please don’t do this,” I begged, hating myself for showing weakness. They looked at each other and then cracked up laughing which made me cringe. I hadn’t done myself any favors trying to get them to stop but I had to try. They’d humiliated me over and over, putting paint on my chair so I ruined my pants and had to walk away with red marks on my butt all day, tripping me when I walked up to turn in my homework. 

They’d done too much stuff to even count, every time breaking another little part of me down. This year, I’d gone from happy and carefree to the mess I was right now, shaking and on the verge of tears. Tyler and Jacob made me feel weak and I hated it. When I get bigger, I’ll never let anyone make me feel weak again. But right now, there was nothing I could do.

Even if I was strong enough, two on one wasn’t a fair fight.

Tyler let go of my arm and I swung back to punch him, but Jacob caught my flying fist and trapped both of my hands behind my back while Tyler gripped the waist of my jeans. He’d have to unbutton them to pull them down and I twisted, trying to keep the clasp away from his grubby fingers.

“Let her go.” A low, menacing voice came from behind me and relief washed over me. Someone noticed. Someone cared enough to take on my two bullies for me. It started to sink in that the group of kids at the bus stop wouldn’t be seeing my underwear today and I could cry from happiness.

Tyler laughed at my mystery guardian. He still stood behind me and I couldn’t turn myself to see who it was. “I don’t think I want to. What do you think, Jake?”

Jacob glanced uneasily behind me and back to his friend. “I don’t know, Ty. Maybe we should see Ryan during recess instead.”

Tyler’s hands were pried off of my arms and I shook out my wrists before turning around. I had to tilt my chin up to see him, but the boy who saved me wasn’t a stranger. He lived on the ranch next door and I’d met him a handful of times, but we weren’t friends. He missed more school than he went to, so I didn’t see him at the bus stop very often.

I guess today was my lucky day since he’d shown up and stepped in. His dark eyes locked on mine, anger and concern swirled in them and I didn’t want to look away. “Are you okay?” he asked.

I nodded. “Thank you.” I couldn’t think of anything better to say. 

He pulled me so I was standing behind him and straightened himself up to his full twelve-year-old height. “If you touch her again, I’ll kill you. Both of you.” The threat in his voice gave me chills. It didn’t feel like he was kidding to me and I think Tyler and Jacob felt the same way. They backed up, hands raised in the air and ran back to the rest of the group.

The boy stepped forward and grabbed my backpack, dusting it off before handing it back to me. “Those assholes shouldn’t bother you anymore but if they do, you tell me.” His eyes were hard and he cracked his knuckles.

“I will. Thanks again. By the way, I’m Ryan. I think you live next door, right?” I wasn’t in a hurry to move away from my protector. I glanced around him, eyeing Jacob and Tyler wearily. They were whispering to each other and looking my way. I didn’t have high hopes that they’d listen to the boy and leave me alone.

“I’m Maddox.” His lips tilted up on one side into a sort of amused half smile. “Yep, we’re neighbors.” He followed my gaze to Tyler and Jacob and his eyes narrowed before he looked back at me. “I mean it, Ryan. From now on, you wait for me in the morning and we’ll come to the bus stop together. After school, I’ll walk you home. If they bother you during school, I need you to tell me, okay?”

Tearing my gaze off of my bullies, I looked into his eyes, studying them. Did he mean it? The small golden flecks dotting the beautiful dark brown of his irises was mesmerizing. My cheeks heated again when he cleared his throat and I looked away. I’d never given a boy a second glance before but Maddox had saved me. His dark hair fell into his eyes and I suddenly wanted to reach up and brush it away so I could get another glimpse of the galaxy hidden in his gaze.

“What?” I finally managed.

His laugh was dark and low, like he knew he’d caught me staring at him and I shuffled my feet, kicking up some dust as the bus pulled up. “From now on, we go to and from school together. And you sit by me on the bus.”

“Okay,” I quickly agreed. I felt safe with Maddox. If it meant freedom from Tyler and Jacob, I’d gladly follow him around all day. A flush crept up my neck again when he reached for my hand, tugging me toward the bus. I’d never be able to thank him enough for what he did for me today.

The boy next door was a mystery, one I suddenly wanted to discover more than anything.