The Way You Love Me: A High School Bully Romance

by Lannah Smith

  I clenched my teeth. "And her?"

  "You said you needed help doing boring stuff for the Student Council. She's your help."

  By the look of the shell-shocked expression on Sophia's face, she didn't know anything about what Hannah had planned. I glared at Hannah, who was smiling brightly at me. The idiot even pushed a pile of papers I've yet to segregate to Sophia's direction.

  "You could help me," I growled.

  She showed me her manicure and said, "But I only got this done yesterday! I don't want to ruin them."

  Oh, I'm going to strangle her, I though angrily.

  She really wasn't going to give up. She really was so adamant for me to be friends with Sophia Gideon. Her mother must have dropped her a lot of times when she was a child for her to develop such a hard head. Or she probably chewed on the paint of her crib. It didn't matter what reason it was because I was really going to strangle her this time.

  "What - what can I do to help?" Sophia suddenly asked, her voice trembling.

  I swiveled my gaze at her and she visibly flinched. I narrowed my eyes. Was she shaking? Good. I wasn't someone to be trifled with and it was fortunate for her to realize that early.

  Picking up a stapler, I slammed it in front of her and she jumped in her seat. "Segregate those papers and staple them together. And make sure you do it right."

  Immediately, she snapped into action. Hannah was smiling fondly at her and I aimed a paperclip at her face. Her smile disappeared when it hit her forehead and she threw a disgruntled look at me. Shaking my head, I grabbed a folder and went back to work. I was too busy to deal with them. As long as the both of them shut their mouths.

  At that moment, Carol and her friends entered the room. My body tightened as I looked at Sophia then to them. Just as I expected, Carol looked like she had just seen a ghost and backtracked, crashing into her friends, who had the same look on their faces. The door closed with a loud bang, making Sophia pale in horror.

  I understood why they reacted that way. What happened yesterday made Sophia more infamous and everyone was back to being frightened by her.

  That morning, I expected two pieces of news to hear when I arrived in school.

  One was about Pete Ward beaten up by the school bully and his minions.

  And two was about the school bully breaking up with his girlfriend.

  The first happened. The second didn't.

  And it didn't make any sense. Sophia didn't have any use now any more to him since Leon finally got Ward. He also didn't have a reason to be with her anymore. So why were they still together?

  "What was that about?" I asked, playing dumb.

  Maybe I could learn the reason why with Sophia in the room.

  Maybe I could find a reason to make her leave us alone.

  Hannah straightened in her seat and leaned forward. "You didn't hear?"

  "I wouldn't ask if I did."

  "Everyone's talking about it. Pete Ward got beaten up to a bloody pulp last night."

  Sophia pretended like she wasn't listening as she concentrated on her task. There were frown lines on her forehead and I knew she was worried. She should be worried. I didn't know how much she knew about her boyfriend but being with somebody like him wouldn't do her any good at all.

  "Really?" I muttered. "And does everyone think it's our little classmate's boyfriend over here who did the deed?"

  She bit her lip and stapled faster. And despite my irritation, I found it amusing. People usually made excuses to get away from my presence but she... she was sticking around. Which was unusual considering she avoided me ever since we partnered in class.

  "Yeah..." Hannah answered in reluctance.

  I wasn't bloodthirsty by any means. It was rare for me to desire harm to fall upon people.

  But I couldn't help but think good riddance.

  "What was that?" Hannah asked.

  Damn. Did I just say that out loud?

  Covering my mishap, I sighed out loud and told her, "I said get out if you're not going to help."

  "That's not what you said!"

  My eyes narrowed. "Are you going to help or not?"

  "B-but my nails!"

  "God, you are seriously making me want to strangle you!"

  Hannah gasped dramatically. "You can't do that! What would Otousan and Okaasan think?"

  I snorted. "Shut up, weeab."

  "How dare you call me a weeab!" she cried in outrage. "Y-you're the weeab!"

  "Yeah, really good comeback, kid." I closed the folder I had been working on and grabbed another. "And I don't call Dad Otousan."

  "Yes, you do."

  "No, I don't."

  "Sophia, do you think I'm a weeab?"

  I glanced at Sophia when she didn't answer. She was staring off into space, which didn't really surprise me since she was always like this, even in class. But she was blushing.

  "What's wrong with her?" Hannah whispered to me.

  "I think it's the blonde in her," I deadpanned.

  Hannah gave me a disapproving look before she turned to Sophia. "Sophia?" she called softly. "Sophia?"

  Sophia's head jerked up and she blinked. When she saw us staring at her, her face flamed even more.

  "What are you thinking which made you blush that hard, ne- I mean, Sophia?" Hannah asked, grinning cheekily at her.

  I deciphered the double meaning in her question and I cringed inwardly.

  Oh, gross. Sophia couldn't possibly be thinking...

  "Did you guys finally have sex yet?"

  Sophia's mouth dropped and she glanced at me.

  "For God's sake, Hannah," I mumbled.

  Hannah turned to me. "What?" she asked innocently.

  "You can't just ask people if they had sex, yet. And besides, that guy is fucked up."

  "You think he's fucked up?" I heard Sophia ask softly and I turned to her.

  "Everyone knows he's fucked up," I answered irately.

  "So?" Hannah interjected."He needs someone to help him get unfucked up, that's all."

  My brows rose. "Unfucked is not a word."

  "You know what I mean," she sighed.

  Sophia's face was completely red as she listened to us talk.

  "And besides," I pulled another folder to me and opened it, "if they have sex, things will get a lot worse for her."

  Sophia leaned into me, a move I didn't anticipate her to do, and asked, "Why?"

  I stared at her.

  She was really weird this morning.

  Then I replied, "You're a virgin, right?"

  I didn't know it was possible for a completely red face to turn redder.

  "W-what?" she stammered. "How did you know?"

  I rolled my eyes. "Please. Anyone can tell you're a virgin." I gave her a severe look and continued, "I bet you're waiting for a guy who deserved it before you'd give something that perfect one that'd sweep you off your feet and shower you with words of love and praise. So will you give up your virginity to a guy with a notorious reputation who fucks anything that moves?"

  Hurt flashed in her eyes and I immediately regretted my choice of words. But she needed to wake up and stop being so naïve. Her life wasn't a fairy tale, for God's sake.

  Hannah, of course, jumped to her rescue. "That's not what I heard. It's his buddy John who fucks around, not Leon. He's just the school bully, as far as rumors go. John's the school man whore."

  My chest tightened painfully.

  This was why I didn't want to be around Sophia. Because somehow, John always cropped into the conversation and damn it, I didn't want to hear anything about him.

  "But I thought everyone in school is also afraid of him?" Sophia asked, glancing at me.

  "Oh, everyone's just scared of him mostly because he's buddies with Leon," Hannah answered. "The girls actually lust after him, only because Leon scares the crap out of them. But secretly, they wish to fuck Leon too."

  "Whatever," I said airily, hoping they'd stop talking about that lying, womanizing asshole. "All guy
s are the same."

  Hannah rolled her eyes. "Please. Just because your first boyfriend was an asshole doesn't mean all guys are the same." Then she turned to Sophia. "Don't worry, Sophia. I'm sure your virginity is safe with Leon."

  Sophia groaned softly. "Can we not talk about my virginity anymore?"

  "Fine." Hannah twirled a strand of her hair with her finger, a devilish smile fixed in place. "We can talk about it another time, then. For now, Terry and I will regale you with the tales of how we lost our precious v-card to douche bags."

  "Not happening, Hannah," I snapped at her.

  I didn't know how I managed but I kept myself from falling apart. Hannah threw her head back and began to laugh.

  She didn't know, I told myself, digging my fingernails into my palms.

  Hannah didn't know.

  Hannah didn't notice anything unusual with me, thank God, but Sophia's eyes were on me and they looked thoughtful. I threw a pen at Hannah's direction to distract her and when Hannah yelped, she blinked and turned to the still giggling redhead.

  "I got to go pee," Hannah declared between giggles as she rose from her chair. "I'll be back."

  Sophia's expression turned panicked but Hannah acted like she didn't noticed and left the room. Ducking her head down low to the table, she resumed stapling and avoided my gaze.

  "Something is different with you today."

  The words just slipped from my tongue and I regretted my unrestrained impulse at once. I started to pray she hadn't heard me speak and just continue with her work. But her head shot up before I could complete the prayer, giving me her complete attention.

  "What?" she asked.

  Damn it.

  "You seem different," I answered, cursing myself inside my head. "You don't look like the scared woodland creature like you used to be. Something's changed."

  Her eyes widened as she whispered, "How can you tell? That I've changed?"

  Was she kidding me?

  "By the determined look in your eyes when you entered the classroom, like you're telling everyone to go fuck themselves. I did hear what happened yesterday," I continued in a rather sharp tone. "And I thought you were going to be scared out of your mind. But you weren't. You acted like you didn't care."

  Her lips tightened and she hesitated.

  I narrowed my eyes at her.

  Then they went wide as realization hit me and my mouth dropped open. "Oh, God. You're falling for him, aren't you?"

  She winced in answer.

  No.

  No, no, no.

  Why was she so fucking stupid?

  "Baka nano?" I shouted in a sudden burst of temper. "Do you really have crap for brains, Sophia? Why are you falling in love with someone like him? You should know better—"

  The door opened and I instantly slammed my mouth shut. Hannah walked in, humming and her eyes on her cell phone. I didn't know if she heard but at that point, I didn't care. I looked at Sophia. She was shaking, her face pale, looking like she thought I had gone crazy. I pursed my lips and shook my head in disgust.

  Drawing in a deep breath, I picked up my folder and started to work again.

  So, so stupid.

  John opened his eyes.

  The first thing he saw was Batman hitting the Joker in the gut.

  "Shit," he mumbled as he removed the comic from his face. "Shit."

  He sat up and looked at the night stand. The alarm clock read 4:25 P.M.

  Shit.

  He had slept the day away.

  He looked at the pile of comic books surrounding him and scowled. He had been reading so he could fall asleep when no matter how hard he tried, no matter how many sheep he counted, his eyes wouldn't stay closed. He thought if he read the volumes he had missed while looking out for Leon and guarding Sophia, he'd finally drift off to sleep.

  Well, he did sleep.

  But he lost a whole day.

  Damn, he had wanted to check if Leon and Sophia were really alright.

  Last night, after he left Terry's place, pissed and confused, he waited for Leon to arrive at Skull's place. He was waiting for him to tell him that he'd broken up with Sophia so he could beat the shit out of him. Then he'd tell him he had just made the biggest mistake of his life, losing the only girl who cared for him.

  He didn't want Leon to make the same mistake he did.

  But when his best friend told him he was keeping her, fuck, but he was so happy for him he almost shouted for fucking joy. He kept his cool, though. Leon was still conflicted about their relationship and he didn't want to jar any loose screws he had in his stupid head.

  The asshole even punched him for tell him the truth, that Sophia changed him for the better, that she was the reason he was living his life again.

  Still, he was keeping Sophia.

  And that was all that mattered.

  The news, however, was unfortunate for both Rohan and Skull.

  They lost the bet.

  And John was also supposed to be bragging about it today when he went to school.

  John shoved the comics aside so he could crawl out of bed. His stomach growled as soon as his feet touched the floor. Still scowling, he reached for his phone from the night stand. No one seemed to have remembered him from the looks of his empty inbox. Things had finally started to quiet down after all since they had caught Ward and although the news probably had already spread like wildfire in school, them being branded as the bullies and possible suspects again, he was sure they'd never be suspected by the police.

  Oh, the people in school would point their fingers at them but without evidence or any witnesses, they'd never be in trouble.

  His stomach growled again and he put the phone back on the table. He went for the door with the intention of having the maid cook him something. His plans could wait tomorrow. He'd have all the time to get to know Sophia better. And diss Rohan and Skull. The thought made him feel better and made him smile.

  He hit the sitting room and stopped short.

  Then his smile disappeared when he saw his mother.

  Thank fuck he didn't catch on Leon's habits of sleeping naked.

  His mother was sitting on the couch, drinking coffee while perusing a magazine on her lap. Her brown hair was in a loose bun that was considered fashionable and she was wearing a modest black pantsuit. She must have come from their company. His father was nowhere in sight, fortunately, and before he could decide to retreat or get pissed at her unannounced visit, her green eyes found his.

  "I see you're awake at last," his mother crisply spoke, bringing the cup to its saucer.

  He then decided to be pissed.

  What the hell was she doing here?

  There was a knock on the door, cutting off his mental rant. It opened and a maid entered the room with a white-linen-covered rolling table.

  "Just in time." His mother waved the maid in. "I had some food brought in for you."

  There was an awkward silence as the maid rolled the table in and uncovered the food.

  Awkward on his mother's end because she was purposely avoiding his gaze.

  Angry on his because her being here usually didn't end well for him.

  When the maid left, he went to the table to see what she brought. Because as pissed as he was, he was still hungry.

  "Shit," he muttered. "Is there anything that isn't goat food here?"

  "Vegetables are good for you, son," she stated. She didn't bother saying anything about the swearing. Past experience had taught her it was useless. "And I just saw your bills. You're reading trash again."

  "Batman is not trash, Mother."

  She sniffed in derision. "And money does not grow on trees."

  He gave up trying to find something edible on the table and turned. He folded his arms and stared at her.

  "Did you tell Father that when he bought that diamond set last week?" he asked, giving her an dark smile.

  His mother's only reaction was the flinch of her hand on her lap.

  "Who is it this time? T
he new secretary? Or was it that woman who assisted his presentation last month?"

  Her eyes narrowed into green slits. "I do not appreciate these questions."