Well, I wouldn’t say that, but… He’s got the bad attitude part right.
“Just cornering me when I’m alone, scaring me, making me uncomfortable. I don’t care what they’re doing, but now he’s got some agenda about making my life a living hell and I just want him to go back to not knowing I exist. Unlike most of the girls here, I actually like to be the wallflower. I don’t want to be on his radar, or even someone who crosses his mind, but here we are. Don’t even get me started about what happened in English lit today. I got detention, Rory. Me. Detention. The first infraction I’ve ever had. Literally, like, ever.”
I groan, remembering when I wake up tomorrow, I still have to face all of those people again, only now they know exactly how I like to read about multiple partners and their huge cocks.
Great.
Having an infraction on my record doesn’t seem as bad in comparison to that thought.
“What happened?” His eyes widen.
“So, you know how you recommended C.L. Matthews’s new book? Here Lives a Corpse?”
He nods and gives me a dreamy smile. “Ugh, yes. Obsessed. We stan for a dark queen. She’s seriously my fave.”
“Well, I started it last night and I have been dying to read more, so I got my iPad out since I got to English lit early and started to read. He came in… stole my iPad, and read it out loud to the entire class. It just so happened to be a scene with both guys. Both. Guys.”
“Oh my God. No!”
“Yes! It was the most embarrassing, uncomfortable moment of my life. I wanted to kill him with my bare hands.” I drop my face into my hands and let out a groan, then look at him again. “I mean, how am I ever supposed to show my face in class again? I look like a slut!”
“Uh, you do realize Mara and her posse of fake bitches actually have sex with multiple guys at once, right? They don’t just read about it.” He laughs out loud, throwing his head back. “Girl, what these people think of you should be the last thing you worry about. You know they are on a power trip based on money and their last names. Keep your head down and you’ll be on your way to Harvard before you know it.”
I pull him to me in a tight hug and let it linger for a few minutes, feeling the comfort from my friend after everything I’ve gone through today. My brain and emotions are completely overloaded. On top of everything, I feel guilty for keeping things from him, but I just want him as detached from this situation as possible. I’m protecting him. Or at least that’s what I keep telling myself.
“Thanks, Ror. I love you. Now, can we binge Gossip Girl and eat ice cream? I need it.”
He nods, then gets up and walks to the mini fridge-freezer to grab the container and two spoons from the counter. For the rest of the night, I push Rhys out of my head and focus on the now.
The next morning, I’m tempted to play hooky just so I don’t have to face anyone after yesterday’s events, but I know hiding won’t do anything but make it worse. So, I spend extra time putting makeup on this morning, and put a few curls in my hair. I take my time this morning because I know all eyes will be on me throughout the day, and the least I can do is make myself look presentable if I’m going to be the most talked about girl in school.
I finish my routine, grab my books, and head out the door, although I'm still thirty minutes early. I make it to my first class and spend the first fifteen minutes sitting at the desk, fidgeting, waiting until the first person walks through the door. When she enters and does nothing but glances casually my way for a brief moment, I let out an exhale of relief. Maybe people have already forgotten what happened. I dread having to see Rhys, especially now since my entire Latin grade is at stake, which means Harvard is as well. Great. The remainder of my morning classes go on uneventfully, and I let my guard down some, allowing myself to feel relief that maybe yesterday is going to be replaced by something more scandalous which will pull everyone’s attention off me.
That is until I visit my locker for the first time of the day. The second I open it, shiny gold foil packets fall out in a wave. Hundreds, if not thousands, of what I realize are condoms fall out at my feet.
“Magnum” they read.
Oh, God, no.
Laughter erupts around me and people pull out their phones, snapping pictures for Snapchat. I bite my lip to hold back the tears welling in my eyes. I can’t let them spill over. I won’t.
The entire school must be here witnessing another moment of pure torture.
I scoop out the rest of the packets, and there’s a piece of paper at the bottom of my locker. I pick it up and see the messy, slated scrawl written in dark red ink.
“For all the dicks you’ll be taking. For both holes.”
God, this fucking asshole. I ball the paper up and throw it back into my locker, and slam it shut with all of my might. I swear, I’m going to castrate him. Stepping over the condoms, I push through the crowd of people who are now surrounding me, and head straight for the admin office.
When I make it to the building, Sister Mary Margaret is at the front desk, and she greets me with a smile.
“Hi, Valentina, how are you this morning?”
“Oh, hi, Sister Mary Margaret. I’m great, thank you so much for asking. I was wondering if you could help me with something; I have a small favor.” I give her a beaming smile, silently saying a prayer for her to willing help me.
“Of course, what can I do?”
I lean in closer, glancing around to make sure there isn’t anyone listening, and I whisper, “So, I am partnered with Rhys Blackwood for our English literature thesis and I truthfully forgot to give him some notes I had taken last night for it. I was wondering if maybe you could give me his schedule? Just so I can, you know, go drop them off to him. Or even his dorm. I can just run it by really quickly before my calculus class. I know you’re not technically supposed to do it, but I was hoping, for me, you’d be able to.”
I give her another smile. I’m hoping the work I have done during my free period here in the admin office as well as the library, plus my perfect record, gives me some sort of one-up in the situation.
She eyes me for a few moments and whispers, “Oh, Valentina, I’m really not supposed to.”
“I know, and I’m so sorry to have to ask, I just really need to get him these papers before our English period. I don’t want him to get into any trouble.”
“Okay, but please don’t tell anyone. I would be the one to get into trouble.”
She turns and walks back into the office behind her. A few moments later, she returns with a sheet of paper in hand.
“Here you go,” she whispers, her eyes darting around the office.
“Thank you so much, Sister Mary Margaret, I will be sure to get this right over to Rhys. I appreciate your help,” I whisper quietly, then grab the sheet, and dash out of the office before she can change her mind.
Last block, advanced calculus?
What?
Rhys Blackwood is in an AP-level course. I skim the rest of his schedule and I see every single class he’s taking is an AP course. With his recent torment, I forget he’s actually smart, and he’s the one who I’m competing with for the top spot in our year. Given his lack of human decency, it tends to slip my mind. Haphazardly, I fold the schedule and shove it into the pocket of my cardigan, then head directly to the math hall, hoping I can confront him before his next class. The bell rings when I’m halfway there, and I curse inwardly.