by Ivy Blake
“Where are your manners?”
“Can you pass the phone to my mother, please?” I said through gritted teeth. I hated playing Steven’s games, but it was the only way to get what I wanted. Mom never answered the phone anymore when I called her directly, so speaking to her through her Steven was the only way nowadays.
“Honey-” called Steven sweetly. I heard Mom’s footsteps in the background. “Austin is on the phone.”
“Oh, I’ll chat to him later,” she said quickly, but I could tell that there was an edge to her voice. It sounded like she had been crying.
“You heard her,” said Steven smugly. “She doesn’t want to talk to you.” The evil prick sounded proud of himself. I hung up the phone and tossed it aside, sliding on my gloves before going apeshit on the boxing bag again, this time pretending it was Steven’s face.
Chapter Seven
Megan
I sat in my last class staring at the board as my teacher went through our Trigonometry homework. There were only a few minutes until school would be over and I’d have to deal with Austin again. When he’d left me in the library, I didn’t know what to do with myself. I thought about texting Sophie to tell her exactly what had gone down, but decided against it. Even though I trusted her, I couldn’t be 100% sure that rumours wouldn’t be spread about me, or should I say more rumours, if this was to get out. I still wasn’t entirely sure what this was.
For now, this was my secret to keep and I could only pray that my ‘tutoring’ sessions would be to Austin’s satisfaction. I hoped that I could convince him to delete the pictures from his phone that had the capacity to ruin my reputation and essentially my life. As my teacher called on another student, I tuned out and moved my gaze to the window that overlooked the car park. If the school buildings weren’t enough to tell you about the demographic of students at Valley High, the cars that populated the parking lot would. So many shiny, new cars sat comfortably next to each other while my second hand excuse for a car looked sad and drab in comparison. No wonder Lola made me park it so far away from the entrance. She didn’t want another reminder about how different we were from everyone else.
My eyes focussed on one of the cars that was parked closer to the building as I realised that someone was inside. I couldn’t make out their features, apart from being able to tell that they were very clearly a white man, but it was his intense eyes and hooded attire that struck a familiar chord with me. Was I crazy to think that it was the same person who had been watching me yesterday evening? I wish I had binoculars so that I could zoom in on his face and his numberplate to have some sort of an idea.
“What do you think, Megan?” My attention snapped back to my class as I realised my teacher had picked on me.
“Sorry, could you repeat that again?” I mumbled, embarrassed that I’d been caught off-guard. There were a few snickers amongst my classmates and I could tell that my inattentiveness had annoyed my teacher.
“I asked for the answer to question 11,” my teacher repeated firmly, her arms crossed over her chest. Fortunately for me, my worksheet was in front of me and I rattled off the answer in precise detail which earned me a smile. Thank fuck for that.
Moments later, we were dismissed and I packed my bag, preparing myself for my next battle with Valley High’s king, Austin Hunter.
* * *
Before I could grab the handle on the big library door, it opened revealing Sophie on her way out.
“Hey Megan, you doing okay?” Despite it being the end of the school day, she still sounded spritely, which I had to commend her for. Her eyes took in my expression and I was sure she could tell how on edge I was.
“Yeah, I’m doing okay,” I said hesitantly, then I decided I might as well spill some of the beans. “I’m actually on my way to tutor Austin,” I hissed, worried that someone would over hear us. Sophie pulled me aside, her eyes wide in disbelief.
“Austin! How? What?” I could see that she was bursting with questions.
“I don’t know,” I whispered, “I’m still quite shocked too.”
“Hmm,” said Sophie thoughtfully. “He must want something from you- no offense.”
“None taken,” I said, “I’m assuming he wants a better grade,” I forced a laugh but Sophie didn’t buy it.
“Just be careful okay? That guy can be- oh shit!” Sophie suddenly froze and stared behind me. I turned around and of course, it was Austin coming down the hallway towards us.
“I better go,” I said apologetically, when in actual fact I didn’t want Sophie to leave my side. Maybe if I had someone nearby, Austin would go easy on me. I turned to greet Austin but to my horror he didn’t even acknowledge me and simply brushed past me and into the library without a single word.
“What the hell?” said Sophie.
“Beats me,” I said, cheeks ablaze once more. Why was this guy so hellbent on embarrassing me?
“You sure it’s that Austin that you’re meant to be tutoring?” I could hear the scepticism in Sophie’s voice and it made me feel even more ashamed than I already was.
“Apparently,” I said with a shrug. “I better see what that was all about,” I said apologetically.
“Let me know how it goes,” said Sophie sincerely, I nodded and waved goodbye as I entered the library for the second time that day. As I watched Austin saunter over to the table we’d been sitting at earlier, my shame was swiftly replaced with hatred again. It was show time. If he wanted to play games, fine.
I walked over to Austin and ignored the fact that he was sat on his phone, no writing utensils in sight. I sat opposite him and unpacked my things without making eye contact or muttering a word. From the way he was fidgeting in my peripheral vision, I could tell that my icy demeanour was annoying him, but he was too stubborn to say anything first. So I continued to play his game. I put my earphones in and opened my laptop and began typing away, making sure to press extra hard on each of the keys to annoy him even more.
Out of the corner of my eye I could see Austin getting more and more agitated, now no longer on his phone he simply stared at his fists on the desk. If he wasn’t going to talk first, then I wasn’t going to either- even though I really wanted to grab him by the shoulders and shake him until he explained himself.
I returned to my essay, but before I could finish my sentence, my laptop was closed without my permission. Fuck this guy! I looked up and scowled at Austin as he righted himself in his chair giving me a cruel glare.
“What?” I spat, breaking the silence.
“You’re meant to be tutoring me,” he said coldly.
“You’re the one ignoring me!” I hissed, at this point my anger was threatening to boil over. Austin shrugged and pulled out a notebook.
“What do you want to start with?” he said, but I could tell that his mind was occupied. I sighed heavily, opened my laptop and saved my document before opening up a blank one.
“What are you struggling with?” I asked in the calmest voice that I could muster.
Austin clenched his jaw and I could see the muscles working furiously, he rolled his cold eyes before he replied. “Can’t you just tell me how to get a passing grade?” I blinked at him. Was this guy serious?
“We have to work on your weaknesses if you want improve your grade. So let’s identify those first,” I stammered, searching his eyes for some sign of cooperation. There didn’t seem to be any.
“Weaknesses?” Austin scoffed. “What the fuck is this, a job interview?” he slammed his pen down on his notebook and kicked back in his chair. I rolled my eyes and steeled myself.
“Look, for whatever reason, you want my help- and I’m trying to help you here!” I said.
“Actually, you’re trying to stop me from posting those pictures,” Austin shot back, a cruel smile taking over his face. I bit down on my tongue to stop myself from saying something stupid which might push him to post the pictures anyway. I decided to try a different approach.
“Why do you care so much abou
t the grade?” I asked. “Surely your family is rich enough to get you anywhere you want-”
“You don’t know anything about my family!” he said, suddenly sitting upright. Austin’s eyes warned me not to mention his family again, an expression I noted for later.
“Okay, I’m sorry,” I said, running out of ways to connect with him. I searched my brain for something else, but came up blank. I was close to giving up.
“Football scholarship,’ muttered Austin after a few minutes. “I need the grades for a football scholarship, and I want to get it without getting my family involved.” I nodded and gave him a reassuring smile.
“I’m sure you can do it,” I said lamely. “Where would you like to start?” Austin met my gaze and his hard eyes softened ever so slightly. He glanced sideways to see if anyone was listening before reaching into his bag to retrieve a wad of paper.
“How do I fix this?” he said as he slid over a marked essay which had a big F circled in red pen on it. I hid my grimace and shock as I glanced through Austin’s essay. I could see exactly where he’d messed up and where he could improve. As long as he was willing to listen, I was sure I could give him the help he needed. Getting him to listen to me was going to be the hard bit.
“Okay so, it might be easier if you write down some of the things I say to look back at later,” I said. Austin nodded and opened his notebook.
“Okay Miss Megan, let me have it,” his devilish smile was back and so was the heat between my legs. I cleared my throat and proceeded to break down his teacher’s feedback in a way that was easier for him to understand. I paused when he had questions and ignored the continuous digs he made about me and before I knew it, an hour had passed.
“I need to go,” Austin said suddenly.
“Oh,” I said, taken aback. I hadn’t expected myself to almost enjoy tutoring him. The session had had its ups and downs, but Austin had definitely picked up by the half way point and we seemed to have reached a point where we were talking with ease. “Sure, did you need me to explain anything else?” Austin’s eyes were fixed on his phone and I could see that a stormy expression had taken over his face once again. I wondered what had brought it on, but I wasn’t going to make the stupid mistake of asking.
“No,” he said shortly. He packed up his things and stood up. “See you tomorrow,” he said distractedly as he left the library, swift as a fox.
I sighed heavily and looked at my phone. Shit, I’d missed Lola’s calls because my phone had been on silent. I scrolled through her text messages that were getting increasingly more aggressive as they went on. I packed up my things and rushed outside to the car which Lola was leaning against looking more pissed than I’d ever seen her.
“Where were you?” shot my sister.
“I was- tutoring,” I said- there was no point lying.
“Tutoring?” said Lola with a puzzled expression as we got into the car. “Who the hell wants to be tutored by you?” Before I could answer she was talking again. “Either way, you could have told me then I would have made other plans.”
“I have a life too, you know,” I said spitefully as I turned the engine on.
“Yeah right,” chuckled Lola while she fiddled with my car radio. “Anyways, how was your second day, Virgin?’ She asked with a smile. I was about to respond with my own cruel nickname for her, but I didn’t have the energy to fight her so instead I answered as honestly as I could.
“It was okay, thanks.” Of course I wasn’t going to go any detail, this was Lola I was talking to. “How was yours?” it’s like she couldn’t wait to talk about herself, so for the rest of the drive home, I allowed Lola to fill me in about her drama filled day as I looked on at the road ahead.
Chapter Eight
Austin
As I approached the front door, I knew I was truly and utterly fucked- but there was nothing I could do but face my fear head on. I shouldn’t have let Megan go on for as long as she did, but how was I supposed to tell her to shut up when she was the first person to explain things to me properly and like I wasn’t an idiot?
I turned my key in the lock and expected Steven to pounce on me as soon as I opened the door, but the house was eerily quiet when I got inside. I closed the door quietly behind me- I didn’t need to give Steven extra things to yell about- and took my shoes off at the door.
“Hello?” I called out. “I’m home,” I said, more quietly this time. I was about to go up to my room, when Steven appeared at the top of the stairs.
“You’re late,” he said coldly, his arms folded across his chest.
“I was with my teacher-”
“I don’t give a shit if you were in space, you were meant to be home straight after school,” he spat. I clenched my fists and looked at my feet, counting down the seconds until he would let me go.
“Where’s Mom?” I said, realising that she was meant to be here too.
“Your mother has a migraine so she’s in bed,” Steven said, a defensive tone clouding his voice.
“I’ll get her something to-”
“Leave her alone!” he bellowed. “She’s tired of your shit, it’s your fault she’s like this, you stupid twat!” There was no way it was my fault, I hadn’t even been here and yet he said it in such a convincing way that I couldn’t help but second guess myself.
“I’m just going to give her some water-” I started again, but Steven edged closer to me, cutting me off.
“Try that and see what happens,” he growled and I could see the vein pulsing in his neck.
“Right,” I said under my breath as I turned to go to the kitchen instead, hoping to avoid confrontation. My breaths were shallow as I prepared myself a sandwich, seeing as ‘family dinner’ was clearly off tonight. I wanted to see Mom but going near her meant that Steven would fuck me up, which I couldn’t have right now- not while my other bruise was still looking ugly as hell. I could sneak out, but that would mean leaving my mom alone with him. And if I couldn’t handle him, I knew for a fact that she couldn’t. there was no use calling the police either, I’d tried that and by the time they came, Mom and Steve would just lie their way out of it, leaving me looking like an idiot or an attention seeking delinquent.
I was shaking so much that I had difficulty bringing my sandwich to my mouth. I was about to take a bite when there were footsteps behind me. I turned around. Steven had followed me into the kitchen, his face redder than a slab of raw meat.
“I’m just eating,” I said, already on defence. He was like a bull, you had to tread carefully or else you’d see your life flash before your eyes.
“You didn’t apologise,” said Steven, his cold eyes boring into my own.
“What?” I stuttered, taken off-guard.
“So you’re deaf and stupid!” he yelled, as he closed the gap between us. I realised he was talking about my late arrival, but I don’t get why today was different to any other day- I was usually late for a variety of reasons.
“I’m sorry, okay. I won’t do it again,” I said, even though I knew I wouldn’t be able to keep my promise and I’d pay for it later. Clearly, Steven didn’t buy my apology and without further warning he smacked my sandwich out of my hand and drove his knee into my stomach.
The impact knocked me to the ground and I was certain I was going to be sick. Before I could think about my next move his foot was connecting with my stomach, then my ribs and my sides. Over and over again, Steven kicked the shit out of me as he yelled at me, obscenities flew out of his mouth letting me know how worthless I was and how my mom didn’t deserve a shit son like me.
At some point, he must have gotten bored and decided to leave, slamming the front door behind him. I’m not sure how long I lay there, curled on the floor in the foetal position, before I heard Mom’s gentle footsteps on the kitchen floor.