by Kai Juniper
I grab Parker's shirt in my fist and yank him toward me. "You talk to me like that again and your pretty little face will be planted on the ground."
Finn laughs. "Pretty little face."
"Shut up!" Parker yells, looking over at him.
I shove Parker back next to Finn. "I'm sick of fighting with you about this! Both of you! I'm working my ass off to keep us from getting caught and all you two do is fucking complain." I step up to them and lower my voice. "We need more time, and all we have to do to get it is eat lunch with someone. The text didn't even say for how long. It could be a two-minute lunch and still count."
"Why would we do this?" Parker asks. "As soon as we do, we'll get another text telling us to do something else. It never fucking ends. You keep saying it'll buy us time, but for what?"
"To keep us from going to jail, for one." I keep my eyes on Parker. "This person turns us in tomorrow? Or next week? Our senior year is over. No more parties. No more rugby games. All our time will be spent talking to lawyers and trying to find a way out of this."
Parker looks down, shaking his head. He knows I'm right. He just doesn't want to deal with it. He's in denial, hoping it'll just go away.
"The other reason we need more time," I say, "is because I'm closer to figuring out who's texting us."
"Who is it?" Finn asks.
I lower my voice even more. "I think it's one of the teachers. I'm not sure, but I'm thinking it might be Ms. Higgins."
Parker looks up at me. "Why Ms. Higgins?"
"She used to be like Ella. She got picked on in high school. She told us about it one day in class when she was lecturing us about being nice to each other. And she hates rich kids. It's like she's jealous of us. It makes total sense for her to tell us to give to charity or sit with some reject at lunch."
"But why would Ms. Higgins be in the woods that night?"
"Who the fuck knows? But I'm going to start asking her questions to find out."
"What kind of questions would you ask?"
"Don't worry about it. I'll figure it out. Right now, I just need you to agree to have lunch with someone."
Parker looks at Finn. Then they both look back at me.
"Can it be the same person?" Parker asks.
"The text didn't say it couldn't."
"Then you find the person and sit with them, and then Finn and I will show up."
"But it's not going to be long," Finn says. "A few minutes and I'm out of there."
"Yeah, whatever," I say, going around them to the door. "Let's do this."
We go back in the building. Finn and Parker take off while I search the hall for someone to approach. I notice Calvin heading to the computer lab. He's someone I used to pick on, but I'm not going to choose him. There's something wrong with that guy. Ella's convinced he's normal, but I don't agree. I think he's a future sociopath.
As Calvin goes in the computer lab, one of his friends comes out, a tall, skinny guy I've seen around school, but I don't know his name. I walk towards him, and when he sees me, he immediately looks down and starts walking faster.
"Hey!" I say, trying to get his attention.
He glances up at me, his face covered in fear, and quickly turns around.
"Hey! Wait!" I catch up to him, grabbing his bony arm.
His mouth opens like he wants to say something but can't. He's breathing fast and I notice him shaking. His eyes get huge and he looks at me like he can't figure out if I'm going to punch him or kill him.
"Relax," I tell him, letting go of his arm. "I just had a question."
He remains silent, his mouth still hanging open, his body still shaking. Do I really scare him that much? I know people at school are afraid of me, but this guy looks like he's about to pass out from me just being near him.
"What do you think about having lunch?"
"Lunch?" he says, like he might've heard me wrong.
"You know, grab a sandwich. Sit down." I smile so he won't be so afraid.
"You want to have lunch?" he asks, his voice cracking like he's still in puberty.
"Yeah. You eat lunch, right? I never see you in the cafeteria, but I assume you eat."
"I eat in the lab," he says, pointing to it.
"Today you're eating in the cafeteria," I say, then realize I shouldn't order him around like that. But if I don't, we'll be here all day. The guy won't move. He's either frozen by fear or confusion or both. "C'mon, let's go."
He looks behind him, like I must be talking to someone else.
"There's nobody there," I tell him. "I'm talking to you. And I'm starving so we need to get going."
He looks back at me. "You really want to have lunch with me?"
"Not if you're going to take all day," I say in a joking tone.
"I don't...I don't understand," he stammers. "Why?"
"I'm interested in what you're working on. I heard you do contract work." I only know this because Ella mentioned it when she was still talking to me. "So what's your name?"
"Oliver," he says, eyeing me with suspicion. "You're not going to take me somewhere and..."
"Punch you? Stuff you in a locker?" I say in a kidding tone. "No. We're just having lunch."
He's looking at me like he still thinks I might kill him.
"Let's go." I turn and head to the cafeteria. When I open the door, I almost slam it into him. He reached for the door as I opened it, like he thinks he needed to open it for me. Why would he think that? I don't make people open doors for me.
We walk in the cafeteria. Nobody notices or reacts to me being with Oliver. They probably think he walked in behind me since he's not anywhere near me. I glance back and see him a good six feet behind. He still doesn't trust me. He thinks this is all a prank and I'm about to embarrass him in front of everyone.
"Hey, Briggs." Alison smiles at me as I go by. She's one of the cheerleaders. She's been flirting with me since I broke up with Aubrey. Half the girls at school have been trying to get with me, but I've ignored them. I don't have time for girls. I've got too much going on. And I'm still too hung up on Ella. I can't stop thinking about her. I miss her in a way I didn't think was possible. I miss holding her in my arms. I miss kissing her. I miss the feel of her naked body wrapped around mine. And the thing that shocks me the most? I miss talking to her. She's the first girl I've ever considered to be a friend.
Ella and I haven't spoken all week, other than in Chem lab when we're forced to, but even then, we try to do the work without talking. When we pass each other in the hall, we look the other way. I hate all this tension between us. It's different than the tension we had before, back when I bullied her but didn't actually know her. Now I know her in a way I never thought I would, and bullying her into doing what I want doesn't feel like it used to. I don't feel powerful. I feel like a coward who can't bring myself to tell her the truth. And I don't feel like I'm winning. I feel like I'm losing. I'm losing the one person who actually gave a shit about me, despite all I've done to her.
"What do you want?" I ask Oliver as I grab a cold sandwich from the line. I'm not really hungry, but I need to eat. I have practice later and I need to fuel up. I grab another sandwich and a banana.
"I think I'll just go," Oliver says, his voice cracking. He clears his throat. "I'll see ya later."
He starts to leave.
"Oliver!" I say, loud enough that people stop and look.
Oliver freezes, his eyes bouncing around the cafeteria.
"You like turkey?" I ask.
He nods.
"I'll get you a sandwich." I take another one, along with a couple bottles of water, and bring my tray to the register, handing the lady my card. "Over here," I say to Oliver as I head to an open table. I decide not to go to my usual table, knowing that'll create the shock I'm trying to avoid.
It might be too late. People are staring as Oliver follows me to the table and sits down across from me.
"Here." I offer him the sandwich.
He takes it and slowly unwraps it
, staring at it like it's poison. Seriously, the dude needs to stop being so paranoid. He saw me take the sandwich from the line. I didn't do anything to it.
"Everyone's staring," he whispers.
"Just ignore them." I take a bite of my sandwich, then another, finishing half of it in two bites. I don't want to drag this out. I just want to eat and get out of here.
"So what did you want to know?" Oliver asks, tearing off a piece of the sandwich and inspecting it before finally eating it.
"About what?" I finish the first sandwich and start on the next, ignoring all the people staring at us and the hushed whispers that began as soon as I sat down at a table that wasn't mine with a guy I'd normally yell at just for looking at me the wrong way.
"You said you wanted to talk about what I'm working on," Oliver says.
"Yeah, we don't have to. Talk about whatever you want." I open the bottle of water and take a drink.
Oliver glances at the people around us.
"Stop looking at them," I say, harsher than I intended.
He immediately looks back at me. "Sorry."
"So where are you going to college?"
"MIT."
"Good school."
"My dad went there. What about you? Where are you going?"
"Haven't decided. I like to keep my options open." It's true, but my father doesn't believe in options, at least not for me. He didn't want me applying to any school but Stanford. I've already been accepted, so he assumes that's where I'm going, but it's not if I get my freedom. I don't know where I'll end up, but it's going to be as far away from here as possible.
Finn and Parker walk in and I catch Parker's eye. He stops and says something to Finn. Finn looks over at me, then at Oliver, and says something back to Parker. They start to walk over here, then Finn stops suddenly and heads towards our usual table. Parker doesn't notice. He keeps coming this way, thinking Finn is still behind him.
"What are you doing?" Scarlett steps in front of Parker. "Our table's over there."
"Yeah," he nods. "Guess I got turned around."
"Are you drunk?" she asks, scrunching up her nose.
He ignores her question and follows her back to our usual table. He's dating Scarlett again, but now they have an open relationship, meaning they can sleep with whoever they want. Scarlett was already sleeping around, but at least now she's not lying about it. Parker's getting some side action too, so maybe it'll work out for them. I wouldn't do it. I don't want my girl with some other guy, especially a girl I have feelings for, like Ella.
I need to stop thinking of her that way. She's not my girl. And I don't have feelings for her. If I keep telling myself that, maybe I'll eventually believe it.
Just as I think that, she walks by, wearing the denim skirt she had on the day we had sex behind the bleachers. Fuck, did she do this on purpose? Now all I'll be able to think about is her being on top of me, her skirt hiked up, riding my cock as I played with her tits. Goddamn, she looks hot. She's wearing a t-shirt that actually fits her, clinging to her tits and making my cock so fucking hard it's about to burst through my jeans.
"What's going on?" Oliver says, turning to see what I'm looking at.
"Nothing." I pick up my second sandwich. "Just forget it."
He turns back. "Can I ask you something?"
"Go ahead."
He leans toward me across the table. "Is it true? You and her?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Ella. I heard you and her...you know."
I laugh. "Hell no. Where'd you hear that from?"
"I heard someone talking about it in the hall."
"Who?"
"Some girls. I don't know their names."
"What were they saying?"
"They said they saw your car at Ella's house, like late at night."
"That's not why I was there. She's my lab partner. We have to do these stupid assignments outside of class. I went to her house to drop something off for the assignment."
"Ms. Higgins' class?" he says, smiling for the first time since I approached him.
"Yeah. You have her too?"
"For AP Chem. You must be in the morning class. I don't really like chemistry, but I like Ms. Higgins."
"What do you like about her?"
He shrugs. "She's nice. She doesn't act like we're different."
"What do you mean?"
"Me and Calvin, and the other tech guys. Teachers always ignore us. They don't call on us in class. It's like we're not even there. But Ms. Higgins isn't like that. She acts like we're just any other student."
As he says it, Ms. Higgins comes into the cafeteria. She heads straight to the food line, then stops and looks back, noticing me sitting with Oliver. She gives me a big smile before continuing to the cafeteria line.
"She's really pretty," Oliver says in a dreamy voice, staring at Ms. Higgins.
"She's a little old for you, isn't she?"
"I guess." He looks back at me. "Do you know if Ella's going out with anyone?"
"I don't know. Why?" I feel anger rising inside me, or maybe it's jealousy. Whatever it is, I shouldn't be feeling it, not for Ella, and definitely not because some geek is showing interest in her.
"Someone wants to ask her to prom," he says.
"Who?"
"I can't say."
"Is it you?"
"No," he says with a laugh. "I could never get a girl like Ella. She's smart, funny, and her body..." He grins. "She's hot. Way too hot to date a guy like me. I could see her with a guy like you, if you didn't...you know..."
"Hate each other?"
"Yeah."
"Who wants to ask her out? Just tell me."
"I can't. He'd kill me."
"Why? Why would he care if I know?"
"He just would. He doesn't want anyone knowing. He might not even ask her." Oliver checks his phone. "I should go. I only have twenty minutes to work in the lab before class."
"I think your friend's looking for you." I nod toward the door where Calvin just walked in, his eyes searching the cafeteria.
Oliver sighs. "He's gonna give me shit about this. I have to go."
"Me too." I get up before him and take off, not wanting it to look like he's the one in control by leaving before I do.
He's already gone by the time I dump my trash. Everyone watches as I walk over to my regular table, sitting across from Parker and Finn.
"Was anyone watching?" I quietly ask.
"Everyone was watching," Parker says, like I'm stupid for asking.
"That's not what I meant," I say in a hushed tone.
"I didn't see anything," Finn says as he messes with his phone.
"I saw Aubrey looking at you," Parker says, "like you're fucking insane. I told Scarlett it was a bet. She thinks you just made fifty bucks off Finn and me."
That was a good idea. It's a story that makes sense. Finn, Parker, and I using one of the geeks for our own amusement? No one would even question it. Scarlett will have that story spread around school by the end of the day, and by tomorrow, people will have forgotten all about me sitting with Oliver.
I just hope whoever sent us that text saw it and will give us more time before turning us in.
As I'm thinking that, a text pops up on my phone that reads, You bought yourself some time, but not much. Finn and Parker didn't play along. Another count against you. Three strikes, you're out. You get one more chance to keep this going. You don't play, the game ends. I send the video.
I slam my phone down on the table. "Fuck!"
Finn and Parker are swiping through their phones, not looking at me.
"He's not going to do anything," Parker says. "He's just making threats so we keep doing this stupid shit."
"The threat is real!" I say, keeping my voice down. "He has proof!"
Parker sighs. "Yeah, whatever, so maybe I'll do the next one."
"I'm not doing it," Finn says, getting up.
He takes off. Parker gets up and follows him out.
I wish I could talk to Ella about this, but I can't. I need to figure this out on my own.
Chapter Four
Ella
"Got everything?" my dad asks as I put the broom in the back of the truck.
"Yeah. I think so."
"I'll see you at home." He opens the door to his truck. "How about we go out for dinner? I've been out with Susan so much we haven't had much father-daughter time."
"We're together every afternoon. And every weekend."
"That doesn't count. We're working. Let's go out and celebrate."
"Celebrate what?"
"Who says you need a reason?" He smiles. "C'mon. You can pick the place."
"I don't know, Dad. I have a lot of homework and I need to study for a test."
"Just think about it. You can let me know when I get home." He gets in the truck and leaves to drop off the trailer.
I go back to the house and take a long hot shower, trying to stop my mind from wandering to Briggs. It keeps doing it and it's really pissing me off. What's even worse is that they aren't thoughts about how much I hate him, but about the two of us together. Like right now, being in the shower makes me think of being in Briggs' room, walking in on him as he got out of the shower. I can see him with a towel around his waist—those broad shoulders, those six-pack abs—then the towel falls down, giving me a view of the rest of him. I notice I'm touching myself and immediately stop. Dammit! I shouldn't be getting turned on by that asshole!
Why does he keep showing up in my head? I just want to forget about him! He took my house! I should hate him for that, so why don't I? Is it because I don't want to believe it? Or is my heart betraying me, wanting to be with Briggs despite what he's done?
Back in my room, I'm finishing getting dressed when I hear my dad.