by A. J. Moran
I tried not to look at him as he walked towards me and failed. His hair looked like he had tried to do something to it that morning and he looked uncomfortable in his uniform. I would have to give him tips.
What?
No, I would not have to give him tips, where did that traitorous thought come from? And Samantha wasn't a liar, every girl in the room thought he was dreamy if their looks were anything to go by, that wasn’t counting some of the guys. They were all envious of the fact I was lucky enough to be sitting next to him. I would trade places with any of them.
As he approached my table with a satisfied smirk on his face, I let out a low groan in protest. "Hey princess." He said as he sat down on the seat next to me. I glowered at him. He tapped his pencil against his schedule as he watched my reaction. Whatever he saw in it only made his grin wider.
Mr. Tanner knocked his ruler on his desk to get the attention of all the students in the room that were having hushed conversations with each other. “Okay students, I know today is the first day of school, but today we are going to do a lab exercise. That was the purpose of the permission slips that were sent with your schedule. Jumping right into it will be good for you all to understand the expectations. We are going to go to the lab, and you will work in the pairs you each are in at your tables. I think it’s best to just jump in with both feet, yeah? Just remember a few simple things, do not inhale the fumes on purpose, glass does break when dropped, and fire is hot.” A few snickers broke out around the room at his list. And I heard a few, ‘fire is hot, who knew’ comments.
As we got up to move to the lab, Samantha grabbed my arm and gave me a thumbs up and said, "Jackpot!"
I barely held back my eye roll this time. I just hoped Marcus hadn’t heard her.
We walked into the lab and found our spots. Marcus stood as close to me as possible, like a child afraid of leaving their mothers' side, only I was pretty sure he was just doing it to invade my personal space. I gave him another glare, and he just smiled back at me.
“Jackpot?” He chuckled his voice gravelly.
Ugh! I had absolutely no luck. Rolling my eyes, I focused on the teacher.
Mr. Tanner took his place at the front of the room, "So today, we are going to do an experiment to see how sugar is turned into energy. It is called ‘Death to a gummy bear.'" He walked around and handed out a few gummy bears to each pod before moving back up to the front of the room. He told us all about the experiment while he walked around the room. We were going to heat up solid potassium chloride in a beaker and then drop the gummy bear into it.
This was the perfect experiment for me. I personally could not stand gummy bears. So death to a gummy bear was great. Let the little suckers burn. Or melt. We had used them in 8th grade to build atoms and then we were supposed to eat them after. No thank you.
If the teacher had told us in the beginning that we would have to eat them all after, mine would have been only one atom big. Of course, my atom was the biggest because I was the overachiever of the class that year. I had pawned off all of those gummy bears on Quentin that year. And he had complained about a stomachache the rest of the day. The memory made me smile before Marcus caught my attention again.
He picked up a gummy bear from our table and popped it into his mouth. “Really?” I looked from him chewing to the six remaining bears on the table and raised my eyebrow.
"What? We only need one." He told me. "You want one?" He picked one up and held it up like he was going to feed it to me. He made it dance around a little bit and was obviously being silly. I felt my mouth open slightly before I clenched it shut. He shrugged and tossed the bear into his mouth. "More for me."
“Do you ever stop eating junk food?” I grumbled at him quietly as Mr. Tanner continued his explanation of what happens when you heat potassium chloride up.
“I like to eat.” He told me suggestively. “All sorts of stuff.”
Well, I had walked right into that one. I held back my smirk in spite of myself and focused on the project. I knew Marcus was trying to get a reaction out of me just like Saturday night when he suggested I would want to put something else in my mouth and moan. I could feel the heat of my cheeks as they started to redden. I definitely lived in the gutter when he was around.
“Come on princess, you can smile.” He chuckled softly as we were told that we could start the experiment. “I know you can’t be all bitch.” He informed me as he turned on the heat. All bitch? Really? At least his words made me stop blushing.
I moved the beaker into the stand at the correct angle. Then I put on my safety glasses, which I should have done first, but he had gotten under my skin. I pushed his glasses over to him and nudged him to get him to put them on.
“Oh, but I can.” I assured him. It was the truth. I was good at it recently. When had it happened? Why did it bother me at all that Marcus Frost of all people thought it? That was the goal, wasn’t it? Still I couldn’t truly let it go. “You’ve been a jackass since you walked into my life and I'm the bitch?" I replied as I watched him start to heat up the potassium chloride and it began to turn into a liquid.
“Ouch, harsh words.” He laughed. “I’m just trying to make the best of a bad situation.”
“A bad situation?” I said. I rolled the words over in my head. “You call this a bad situation? You're not the one that has new housemates that you didn’t want.” The words tumbled out of me in a quiet rush. I closed my mouth before I added more.
Marcus’s jaw clenched, and the teasing light died from his eyes. Then he didn’t say a word to me the rest of the class. We worked in sync, but we didn't talk at all. It was just how I wanted it. Silent.
Right?
Chapter 10
Marcus
So I had pushed her, and she had run me over with a bus. Well, not really but her words had hit pretty hard. Granted saying she was a bitch, even in a roundabout way like I'd done was a little harsh too. And it's not something that I had really believed. Guess I hadn't made the situation better after all.
But she had crossed the line. It’s not like I asked to move here away from everything I knew. I didn’t want to be here anymore than she wanted me here. The anger boiled below the surface as we worked silently to put the poor gummy bear to death. I couldn't wait to be free from the class, and hopefully, I wouldn't have any other hours with her. She was a Royal Bitch. Princess Bitch. And she was going to be a pain in my ass.
I burst from the room as soon as the teacher said we could go. Only three more classes and lunch to make it through.
"Hey, Marcus, wait up!" Wade's voice cut through the chaos of the hallway, and I turned towards him. "What happened? What's wrong? Who do we need to beat?" He asked at my dark look.
"Taylor is a real bitch," I informed him as I fell into step next to him.
“What did she do?” He looked behind us, and then at me again. I assume he was finding Taylor in the crowd.
“She shared her displeasure of us moving in with her.” I couldn’t help but look over my shoulder and find her in the crowd of people behind us. Our eyes met and held for a moment before she looked away.
“Well, are you sure that makes her a bitch?” Wade laughed. “It isn’t like we wanted to move here. Sounds like we are on the same page.”
Chapter 11
Taylor
I walked into the lunchroom with Vee and Samantha after the disaster of my fourth-hour class, which had been partly my fault if I was honest with myself. Okay, so it was ultimately my fault if I was 100% honest with myself. I didn't have to react like I did. It was just a choice I made. A sigh of relief filled me as my eyes found our table and Quentin and Derrick were already sitting there deep in a conversation.
Friends, that is what I needed right now, my friends. They were the only ones that brought out the old me on a daily basis. The past me that wasn't a bitch and had never thought to be a bitch to anyone. The person that could laugh easily and smile just as quickly, that was the person I missed. It was the pe
rson I lost when I lost my mom. Maybe that version of myself had died too. Perhaps that was why my dad was replacing me. That was a depressing thought that I needed to push back into that box of emotions I kept closed.
We went through the snack line and headed to our table in a few minutes. The snack line was always shorter because most of the girls in the school pretended they never ate junk food and the guys wanted something more than a snack to satisfy them for lunch. We had our stuff, an iced coffee and some pretzel bites for myself. Mmmm, carbs.
“Have you guys met the new brothers that just started today?” Samantha asked after they all put their stuff down on the table. “I mean besides you Taylor.” She giggled. I would have kicked her if she were closer than across the table from me.
"Yeah, one of them is in my first hour," Derrick said. "He didn't seem that bad. I think his name was Wade."
Samantha sighed dreamily. "I would love a class with him. Marcus is in our fourth hour. He is Taylor's lab partner. No more flying single for her." When all eyes looked at her in shock, she said, "What?"
“Sam, meet Derrick, Taylor’s boyfriend," Vee said sarcastically after a beat of silence as if Samantha didn't know we had been dating for months.
“Hey, I didn’t mean it like that!” She cried and we all dissolved into laughter. “We all know Taylor likes to be alone in the lab.” She tried to add, a grin on her face as she held back her own laughter.
My laughter died in my throat when someone set their tray down on the table next to me, and I looked up to find Wade staring back. He pulled up a seat and unwrapped his straw. Wade took a long drink after he put the straw in his plastic cup. The table went quiet, and all eyes were on Wade as he made himself comfortable. My mouth was hanging open, almost touching the floor I’m sure. What was he doing?
"Oh hey." He said as he looked up from his tray. Like he hadn't realized a whole table of people already sat here, and he had just sat himself down like he belonged. "You all are cool with me sitting here? Kind of awkward being the new guy.” His eyes passed over me and looked around at my friends.
“Sure.” Derrick burst out, the first one to break the silence that had descended on the table. He was never rude to people. “You're Wade, right? I think you are in my first hour.”
Wade looked at me sharply as if to say, you haven't told them yet? I gave a slight shake to my head pleading with him not to say anything. I saw a glint in his eyes, and I knew he was going to do something.
I watched as he swallowed the food he was chewing, and then he looked at Derrick next to me and said, "Uh, yeah, my brother and I moved here this weekend. My mom thought it would be a good idea just to have us dive right into our new life. So here we are." He held up his hands and gestured around the room.
I swear Samantha was hanging on his every word.
“Most people here seem pretty cool, except for the few bitches that you’ll find at any rich kid school." His eyes landed on me, and I knew he had already talked to Marcus. I couldn’t really tell how he felt about it with the grin tilting up one side of his mouth.
"Yeah? Who have you met that's been bitchy to you?" I asked him, the fake cheer in my voice again, daring him to say my name. Our eyes clashed. A mental battle went on between us for what felt like minutes but was probably only seconds.
A single eyebrow lifted at me and he looked around at my friends. “I can’t really recall their names, but you know the type,” his golden flecked eyes came back to settle on me. He took another bite of his burger before he finished. “High class, conceited, arrogant, superficial, self-absorbed and savage.” He ticked the words off on his fingers while his eyes never left mine and he listed off what his brother thought of me.
I blinked in response and Vee burst into delighted laughter.
“Yeah we know the type, don’t we Tay.” She replied to Wade, oblivious to his insults. Then she went into a description of someone we had labeled as a bitch last year. I tried to laugh with my friends and smile, but I am sure that it sounded and looked as fake as it felt. I felt like I was made of marble or ice.
“Don’t worry Wade, they all aren’t that way. There are still some good girls left.” Derrick told Wade as he draped his arm over my shoulders and kissed the side of my head.
I felt myself go stiff waiting for Wade’s response, but he just nodded and looked at me again before looking at Derrick, a slight smirk played on his lips.
“If only we could all be so lucky.” He smirked at me.
“So do you play any sports?” Derrick asked, still not picking up on how tense I had become.The conversation flowed around me as I turned into a living statue.
Chapter 12
Marcus
Three weeks later, I held a football in my hand tossing it up in the air absently before catching it and doing it again. One of the guys I had met from the football team stood next to me. I think his name is Adam. He seemed to be a good guy. We watched the morning crowd enter the school as we made small talk.
Taylor walked in with her friends and I reluctantly followed her with my eyes. I had tried to switch up my class to get away from her but it hadn’t worked. I had been trying to ignore her since, but I was failing. Adam noticed me staring and nudged me with his elbow.
“You don’t want to go there.” He advised with a nod in Taylor’s direction. “I had heard her and Derrick are calling it quits but she is a hard chick to get to notice you. As Miller he has been trying since 7th grade.”
“Yeah?” I cocked my head and watched as Derrick jogged up next to her and his arm went around her waist. I watched as he leaned down to kiss her and she turned her head giving him a cheek. Maybe Adam was right. A moment later she pulled away from him and shoved her hands into the pockets of her jacket. “What do you think it would take?”
“A miracle.”
Glancing sharply at his statement I laughed. “You think so?”
“Especially now. She has been like ice since her mom died last year.” Adam nodded.
“You sure her and Derrick are breaking up?” The thought sent a thrill through me that shouldn’t be okay. I didn’t go after other guys’ girls, but if they weren’t together all deals were off.
“Pretty sure. Derrick was talking about how distant she was being at one of the last parties we were at.” Adam shrugged.
“Want to make a bet?” I grinned over at him and then looked back at Taylor. How hard would it be? I could be charming. I could win her over.
“You want to bet you can what, get her attention, date her, sleep with her?”
“Why not?” I could probably list the reasons why not. But I wasn’t thinking with that brain. Besides my mom killing me there were probably other really good reasons why not.
“Well, I don’t think she would go for a guy that flirts his way through school. Since you’ve been here there has been a different girl around you every day.” Adam laughed at me again.
“Maybe I could use that to my advantage.”
“I don’t mind watching you fail. What do you think would be fair? Dating for a month, only her? Too long for a playboy like you?” He drummed his fingers against his thigh absently a playful grin on his face.
“Bet accepted.” I held out my hand to shake. My mom would kill me. Taylor’s dad would kill me too. I was so dead.
“You’ve got a month. So what do I get when you crash and burn?” He asked as his eyes tracked Taylor's movements down the hall. I could see that he thought he'd already won.
"Bragging rights. You don't think I'd actually bet on a female." I laughed.
He laughed before giving me a high five and walking away with a shake of his head.
It took me two days to try to figure out my plan. Taylor only said anything to me when we had labs and that was more of commands of what to do next. She ignored my stupid comments. I couldn’t even get a smile out of her. I was going to lose the bet if I didn’t start getting somewhere.
I thought of her constantly and she crept into my thoughts
at night or seemed to pop into my head at the craziest moments. Like now with standing a couple lockers away from Taylors with Renee’s soft body pressing me back against the lockers. I would say it was purely accidental but talking to Taylor didn’t work. Getting her attention was becoming an obsession.
Trailing her nails up my shirt she smiled up at me, "So, we on for later?" She pulled her lip into her mouth coyly, and I looked away, my stomach rolling ever so slightly.
My eyes landed on Taylor headed towards her locker. She hadn’t spotted me yet and had a smile on her face. It was like a punch to the gut and stole my breath. Like the sun breaking through the clouds to make a rainbow but not stopping the rain. It was these moments that hit me hard. It was these moments that I knew I told myself a lie when I said this was all for a bet.
I turned back to Renee with a nod. "Yeah. Sure." I replied softly and then pulled her up to meet my lips. I tried to drown in her kiss, but it was wet and too soft. She was trying to make it emotional. But I kept kissing her anyway.
“Ugh! Get a room playboy.” Taylor’s disgust broke through as she slammed her locker shut and walked swiftly away.
A smile tugging at my lips I slowly stopped the kiss. Renee thought it was for her I could tell by the sheepish look she had on her face.
"Ignore her," I told her as I detangled myself from her to follow after Taylor to our fourth hour. Mission accomplished. I finally had some sort of reaction from her. How many girls had I kissed? How many had I been out with? As a distraction but if I was honest with myself as a way to say ‘see girls like me.' Why didn't she?
"See you later Marcus," Renee called out from behind me. I threw her a smile over my shoulder and continued to my class. Yes, she would. If she got under Taylor's skin, she would see me a lot. Yeah, it was a douchey thing to do, but it is what it is, and I never said I was perfect.