The cafeteria, as usual, was loud. Students grouped with their friends and classmates at the tables around the room, chatting loudly, and my friend Hayley and I were the same.
“I’m so jealous,” Hayley muttered, pouting at me from across the table. “How did you end up in a closet with Evan? I was at another party and had some drunk guy hit on me and grab my ass, then had his girlfriend giving me shit when I tried to complain because she thought I was going after her man. As if I’m that kind of girl.”
Her nose wrinkled in irritation. Hayley was my closest friend. Just like Evan, we’d gone through high school together, though it wasn’t until our sophomore year when we were grouped for a project that we realized we had a lot in common and became friends. She was the first real best friend I’d ever had, and we shared pretty much everything.
So, of course, I told her about last night.
“It felt amazing,” I said, sighing. “Best thing I’ve ever felt. So much better than doing it myself, too.”
I didn’t mean to admit that out loud, and the moment I realized I’d said it, even before Hayley started giggling, my face burned in a fierce blush.
We both had our food in front of us, but we were too busy talking to eat. Luckily, there was some distance between our tables and the others, and there were loud murmurs in the room, or we’d be starting awkward rumors.
“How was it, though?” She asked, once she’d regained control of herself. “Was it as magical as you always thought?”
I shrugged, keeping my head down, but my lips twitched into a smile. “Hayley, it was so much more amazing than that. I mean, there was a little pain, but then everything just felt so amazing, I thought I was going to burst, and then it felt like I did and it was so good…”
Hayley rolled her eyes. “I’ve been there; you don’t have to keep telling me.”
Unlike me, up until last night, Hayley wasn’t so shy. She was attractive, with light brown hair and matching eyes. Puberty was good to her, and in our junior year, she’d grown ample curves that had boys paying attention to her. Another reason I was probably unnoticed, was because compared to her, I faded into the background. My body wasn’t bad, but I was shy, so I was almost always dressed in something baggy.
I lifted my head up, pushed the hair I’d dyed back to my original dark color over my shoulder and nudged the bridge of my glasses higher up my nose over my bright blue eyes.
“Anyway, you know what happened afterward. The cops showed up; we had to leave.” I grimaced. “Ugh, it was so embarrassing. We would have been found completely naked if someone hadn't warned us, we didn’t notice at all. I didn’t even put on my underwear, just got everything I could on, got my shoes, and ran out of there.”
“So, does he know who you are?”
My eyebrows shot up. “You mean Evan?” I snorted. “Of course not. And I panicked and left without saying anything, so now, I need to find a way to get him to recognize me. Somehow.”
I didn’t know if that night meant anything to him as it did to me. I lost my virginity, but more than that, my first time went to the guy I’d been dreaming about for a few years now. Even if he told me it meant nothing, I knew I couldn’t just go up to him and say, he we had sex want to do it again? Not when I was back to, well, me.
“Just tell Evan the truth,” Hayley said, shrugging. “That you were the girl he fucked in the closet of his parent’s house during a party last Friday.”
I grimaced. “No way. It’s not even a secret, the rumor has been going around that it happened, and he’s not looking for the girl. You must have heard it, too, right? How people are saying it was either not that good or nothing happened?”
She rolled her eyes. “You know what kids are like. Hell, I heard once that he pulled a college girl in there, you know? Just ignore what people say and go for it.”
I sighed, slowly shaking my head. “If he doesn’t want to know who it was, then I can't force it. He never looks at me, anyway.”
Hayley opened her pretty, plump mouth to say something but stopped. The sound around us changed, and I looked up to see it was because Evan was coming by. He passed right by our table, and as if to prove me right, he didn’t spare our table a glance, like we weren’t even there. Instead, his eyes passed over us as he checked out the cheerleaders some tables away from us.
I turned back to Hayley with a wry look, and she shrugged, pouting.
“I have to make him notice me,” I said, not willing to give up just yet. “It’s fine if he approaches me. I’ll find a way.”
I thought of how gentle he’d been that night, and knew I would regret it if I didn’t at least try something.
“Evan Stewart,” I whispered as I bent my head to the girl in the seat next tome.She nodded, “I know.”I wanted to ask how she knew, but I didn’t get the chance. She didn’t introduce herself and then she flipped her dark brown hair to the side and stood up as the principal’s door flung open. He didn’t even say a word before she started to stride towards him. “Ms. Johnson. Mr. Stewart in here now.”Fuck!His glasses were foggy, and I had a feeling I knew why I was being called in here. I’d been stupid. Out late and partying and ignoring my final exams. The same thing that I did every year. But this year was important. I’d been kicked out of my private school and the only school that would accept me was a public school, I didn’t have any other choices. My mom cringed at my behavior and hit the bottle. The same way that she always did whenever there was a crisis, and lately there’d been one too many. I didn’t have brains like my sister. No, my only ticket out of my household and to get
I walked out of Mr. Hopkins office as if the floor was laid with hot coal. I knew that Mr. Hopkins wanted to talk to me. Ask me the million dollar question that made his face grimace with anger; why the hell had I lied. The truth was I didn´t know, there were a thousand other ways to try and get Evan’s attention, this just seemed to be the perfect way to do it.Then again, I wanted him to like me for me, not because of what happened in the closet or because I’d taken the blame for him when he cheated on a test. If I’d told Evan that it was me in the closet, would he want to get to know me for the wrong reasons? In the end, Principal Hopkins gave me detention for two weeks. Light punishment for cheating, but everyone in that room knew that it was a lie. Whatever.It wasn’t like anyone was going to say anything about it. Not when it was my word against Evan’s, but I was counting on the fact that nobody would question us, so the punishment was less irritating than it should have been.“
I felt a little guilty as I went through the rest of my classes for the day. Well, guilty, but also deeply intrigued by that girl.Anita.I had thanked her for doing what she did, but that didn’t feel like enough to me. Besides, I wouldn’t mind sitting close to her even if all I got to do was watch her. Her clothes weren’t a slim fit and didn’t show much skin, unlike a lot of the girls I saw every day, but I was starting to think that underneath those clothes, she had delicious curves just begging to be explored.Fuck, don’t think like that.Pushing the thoughts aside, I headed for detention. Class was over, but I wasn’t in a hurry to go home, and it wasn’t the first time I’d ditched my friends over a girl either, so it didn’t matter to them when I said I was busy. They misunderstood what I meant, and gave me annoying catcalls and wolf whistles behind my back. I ignored them.Stopping outside the door, I knocked, then pushed it open. A teacher was seated at the front, and a few people
I woke up early in the morning. Not because I remembered to set my alarm clock. These days, I didn’t even need to.My parents were arguing, and even with my door closed, the noise was hard to muffle. I groaned and rolled off the bed, and went to take a shower. Not for the first time, I was glad to have my own bathroom. I didn’t have to get out there with them to get ready. I was ready way too soon, and I picked up my stuff. It was too early for school, but I couldn’t stay there anymore.Mom and Dad had moved their argument downstairs. I heard something like glass break and hurried over. I stuck my head into the kitchen, but it was nothing. A glass just fell, and neither of them noticed. Mom was probably the one who threw it. I looked at her, and it took less than a second to realize she was drunk.Mom? Already? My thoughts turned sour and I knew my day was ruined already.I said nothing as I ducked back out, and felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. I pulled it out, and scoffed, wonderi
“So, what do you like to do in your free time?”I was surprised he was talking to me. Hell, I was surprised he’d driven all this way just to pick me up for school. I’d even wondered if I was dreaming and pinched my arm just outside the door before I jumped in, and I was subtly rubbing the small red mark.“I read,” I said after a minute. My tone sounded normal, but I couldn’t be any further from calm. My heart was beating wildly in my chest, but I was a better actor than I thought.“What do you read?”“Um,” I frowned, thinking quickly. “I’m in the middle of a book called Christine right now. I circle different authors, and when I find ones I like, I go through the backlist, but not all at once, and I’m back on Stephen King for now. After that one, I’ll read Carrie and The Shining, then find something else to read.”“Really?” Evan said, glancing at me, a wide grin on his face. Before I could ask why he was so happy, he told me. “I love Stephen King books. There are some newer ones out,
“I still can’t believe you’re hanging out with that girl,” Abe muttered. “I thought people were kidding, but I saw you.”I rolled my eyes and looked away. We were on the football field even if it was out of season. A habit that never died even during spring and I pretended to be engrossed with the runners doing laps around the track.“Why do you say that like it’s a crime?”He smirked. “It’s just unlike you, and it is all over the school. Girls keep coming up to me and asking me about it like it’s any of my business in the first place.”Abe smacked my shoulder, and I frowned. He was a quarterback on the team, and he was a big guy. He was also one of the guys I regularly hung out with.Mason, the team’s linebacker, grinned as he smacked me on my other shoulder.“Tell the truth; she’s the same girl you’ve been blowing us off for, right? Tell us her name.”“Would you guys shut up,” I grumbled.I knew people were talking about it, and I guess it was big news. It had been a few days, and I
My hands twisted together as I stopped outside of the pharmacy. Even with Hayley by my side, I wasn’t sure I could do this. Hayley, as always, seemed to be able to read my mind.“You have to do it,” she murmured. “Even if you’re scared, it’ll be worse if you wait for your stomach to start showing before you start to make plans. It’s been a month by now, I think. Better to start planning early.”I bit my lip. I was totally afraid of it, but I knew she was right. What would I do if I had to go to school with a giant belly? People might assume Evan was responsible, especially with all the recent rumors flying around about us, and while it was true, I hadn't told him yet. What would he think?“Can we just wait out here for a minute?” I whispered.Hayley pursed her lips, but at my pleading look, gave up with a sigh.“Fine, but we are not turning back,” she warned. “Not after I finally got you to come here. Honestly, I almost thought you were running away from me or something.”I smiled wea
I waited patiently, but the way my foot tapped on the floor said that was a lie. Still, I waited. The last bell of the day, the bell for those that had been given detention, would soon ring and Anita’s time in detention would be over. I’d made sure mine would be the first face she saw as I waited at the door. I’d left my own class early, after the teacher left when she was called to the office. I had to see Anita, see her face. I wasn’t disappointed. When she came out of the door her face scrunched up in the cutest way and her jaw dropped. I have that effect on people, what can I say? Anita was good though, and the shock was quickly replaced with a grin.The difference from when we first met to now was so huge; I unconsciously smiled back.“Hey,” she said, walking over to me. “What are you doing here?”Her curly red hair was in a pony tail on top of her head, soft, glossy curls caught my attention before I glanced down to see those eyes of her smiling up at me.I grinned at her. “Si