by J. L. Ostle
She turns to me and I shrug. “I enjoy a good horror movie. If I’m not smiling then know that I think the movie is a pile of shit. It takes a lot to scare me. The gorier the better.”
Aisha shakes her head. “There is something wrong with you,” she teases.
“That’s what I said,” Elijah says before turning back around.
“We have watched horror all weekend. I want something warm and fuzzy.”
Axel's head falls back. “Kill me now. I bet the girl is pretty but everyone pretends she’s not and she hooks up with the gorgeous popular guy who changes his ways for her.”
I pat his head. “How did you guess?” I giggle. He groans again.
We watch the movie, and the guys grumble at times, mocking certain scenes, but halfway through they finally shut up. When it ends, all the pizza have been eaten. I feel like a balloon. I look at the time, ready to kick the guys out. I want to get into my pjs and go to bed.
I place the paper plates and the pizza boxes in the trash. The guys are still sitting, talking to each other, making no movement to leave. They’re not staying here all night. I open the front door, and they all turn to me. I smile, pointing to the hallway. “Out!” I tell them.
The three of them stand. One by one they come towards me; each of them kisses me on my cheek, telling me goodnight. Smiling while they do. I know they did it because Aisha is standing there and they want to annoy me.
I close the door, making sure it’s locked, and Aisha is grinning at me.
“What?” I walk to my room and she follows.
“They like you,” she sing songs.
“They like to annoy me.”
She flops on my bed on her stomach. “At the beginning, yeah, but they are different around you. They’re softer. I think it started out as annoyance, but I really think they like you, care about you.”
I start to undress, getting into sweatpants and a tank. “They don’t see me like that. Like you said, they’re players. They’re just making sure I stay sweet so I don’t decide to change my mind and leave their school group, even though I want to as I’m possibly sitting with someone who decided to go all Carrie on my ass.” I sit on the bed. “Look at how they were with you, keeping us away from each other.”
She sits up. “Because of the rules.”
I’m sick of these rules. “Fuck the rules.”
“I think they want to fuck you.”
My mouth hangs open. I can’t believe those words left her mouth. “Didn’t you say you think they’re only being the way they are because they were trying to get into my pants?”
“Yeah, but that was when I was sick, and I didn’t see how they were around you. Now I have seen it with my own eyes. Lucas followed you after he saw that you were upset. He told me he would go when I was going to come for you. Two weeks ago they wouldn’t have asked to have a ride from me. They spent the weekend here making sure you were okay. They took you to the hospital after you passed out. They came up here with food just so they could be around you. They like you. You have to get used to that fact.” She gets changed into her pjs.
I shake my head. “They’ve only known me a week. They don’t really know me. How can they like me?” Then I think of all the nice things they’ve done, and the things Aisha said. Lucas held me while I cried.
They can’t like me.
If they like me, as a friend or even as anything more, it would never work. They won't change who they are. They have even said it themselves. They want power more. They have a reputation they have to uphold, and after these two weeks, when I’m no longer in their group, where I will be just like everyone else, they will keep their distance. I won't be in the same league.
“It doesn’t matter anyway because in twelve days, I will be a nobody to them.”
I just hate that I think I’m starting to like them too.
Chapter Twenty-Six
For the rest of the week, I sit with Aisha in the classes I’m not with the guys and sit with them in the ones they are in. At lunchtime, I sit quietly. I don’t speak out my opinion, and I give short answers if any questions are directed my way.
I just want all this to be over.
Each day it’s getting harder and harder to hate the three who made my life a misery at the beginning. They are nicer to me now; I am not the only one who’s seeing it. Kimberly has gone back to glaring at me.
The guys have started to hold my hand, kiss my cheek. Not just behind closed doors, but in public. The worst thing is, I don’t push them away. I don’t have a smart retort for why they shouldn’t.
They come to mine for dinner, which they order. They’ve even started being nicer to Aisha; bringing her into conversations, laughing with her. Yeah, they don’t do it in school, they give her a hello, but like Aisha keeps telling me, they have to follow their own rules.
It’s now Friday night and Aisha and I have decided to have a pamper session. We told the guys that they can’t come up. We’re having a girly night with just us two. They try and give me puppy dog eyes, pouting, which caused me to laugh, but I was stern and told them to stay away. They have been here nearly every night; surely they have their own plans.
It feels like last weekend was a lifetime ago now. I haven’t forgotten about what happened. I know there isn’t anything I can do; I just hope the guys haven’t stopped looking into it.
Aisha and I have got charcoal face masks on, and we’re drinking sparkling wine. I gave her my spare shorts and tank so she doesn’t get crap on her nice things. She was reluctant at first because she thought it was a bit revealing, making me laugh. I had to tell her it was just me here and I wear the same stuff all the time.
She has an amazing figure; she should flaunt it more. I’m sure she would get loads of attention if she showed a bit more skin. But I know she is concentrating on her studies and not boys, plus the boys here are dicks.
Three of them are ones I can’t get away from until this time next week.
Seven days.
Seven days and then things will change.
Again.
There is a knock on the door. I’m happy to say that I’ve stopped being scared by it. I found it pathetic that I was cowering every time someone came. I always check through the peep hole and make sure I see who is there and get proof of what they want.
I look through to see a man in his thirties holding our Chinese takeout. I open the door with the money when I notice the three guys standing at the side, smiling at me, before Axel screams, jumping back. “Is that what you really look like under there?” he teases. “If you came to school wearing that, everyone would be too scared to go near you.” I punch his shoulder; it wasn’t that hard but he strokes where I hit him, acting hurt. “I think you broke my arm.”
“Good.” I give the delivery guy the money, taking the food. I try and shut the door on them, but they push it wider, inviting themselves in. I place the food down, crossing my arms, glowering at them. “I told you we wanted a boy free night.”
Lucas hands me a bottle of champagne. “We were bored.”
I don’t take the bottle. “So, you decided to entertain yourselves by ruining our night?”
Axel comes over, kissing my neck, his face scrunching up at the face mask. “See, I knew you would understand.” He places a few cans of beer down. “We thought we gave you enough time to do your girly shit and that you might be missing us as we’ve been one big happy family for the last few days.”
“Out,” I tell them.
Elijah goes down on his knees, pleading up to me. “Don’t let us go back down there to the boredom land. We will be good. We will watch whatever crap you want, we will listen to you bitch…”
“Even if we bitch about you?”
He nods. “Yup, you can bitch away, and we won’t interrupt. Just think of us as furniture.”
I roll my eyes and he stands, smiling. “I didn’t say yes.”
“But you are about to cave. I know the signs.” He takes a can, opening it, taking
a sip. “So what is that stuff on your face?”
I smile. “Okay, if you stay, you have to do the same as we do. Facials, nails, the works.”
Axel is about to moan. I give him a look and he zips his lips. I grab the face mask, putting it on each of them. I laugh when I see their faces. Especially Lucas. He doesn’t look impressed, but he doesn’t argue with me.
Aisha takes the champagne bottle, pouring some in mugs. “You don’t have flutes or wine glasses?” Lucas asks me.
“Why would I have those? I told you, I’m not really a drinker.” I think back to last Saturday. “I thought it would make it more of a pamper session if we had some.”
He takes hold of my hands. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”
I give him a small smile. “You didn’t. It’s just me. Thank you. It was kind of you.”
“If I knew you didn’t have the right glasses, I would have brought some up. I will make sure I do next time.” He chuckles.
My smile falls. “There won’t be a next time though, will there?”
I walk away, taking a seat next to Aisha, and she hands me my drink. I watch her start to do Axel’s nails. Last week, hell, even at the beginning of this week, I couldn’t wait for our pact to be over. But now, I’ve got used to them being in my life.
They are different around me.
They have changed.
But come the following Monday, they will keep their distance, and I will keep mine.
They will treat me differently.
Lucas joins us once Axel has his nails painted. I tell them it’s time to take off their masks. Aisha and I did ours in the bathroom just before, because we didn’t want them to see how painful it actually is.
Elijah takes a corner of his and when he rips a little, he roars. His eyes zoom to us and we both burst out laughing. Lucas and Axel try to do theirs. I can see their chests rising and falling.
“What the fuck?” Axel whimpers.
“Beauty is pain,” Aisha tells them, and we start laughing again.
Elijah tries again before stopping. “You did this on purpose. You tricked us, punished us.”
I shrug. “We had to do it. If you can’t handle it, you shouldn’t have come. Come on, stop being pussies.” I hide my smile with my hand.
Aisha and I are laughing, watching them try and take them off. When they start to struggle, I tell them to let me do it. Elijah huffs and puffs through his. Lucas’ jaw is set tight, his eyes closed, his nose flaring. Axel is the girliest, shouting and screaming. Once his face is mask free, he waves his face with his hand. I cup his face, blowing around his heated skin. When I stop, my smile falls. His eyes are on mine, his hands covering mine.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
We just stare at one another.
I feel his fingers stroking mine but pull away when we hear a throat being cleared. Lucas, Elijah, and Aisha are sitting on the couch, watching us. I sit back, clearing my own throat. “Should we play truth or dare?” I want to change the atmosphere as I feel a little warm now.
“What are the rules?” Elijah asks me, placing his legs over Aisha who pushes them off her. He grunts before sitting up.
I tap my lip. “You can’t ask anyone to show off their personal parts. If you don’t do the dare or admit the truth you have to put that face mask on somewhere hairy so it’s like ripping off a wax strip.” I rub my hands together.
“That is evil,” Elijah whispers.
“Okay, I’m in.” Lucas stretches his arms, clicking his neck side to side like he is about to get into a fight, not a party game.
“I guess I’ll do it.” Aisha raises her hand.
Axel and Elijah nod.
“Because I thought of it, I’ll go first. Aisha, truth or dare?”
“Truth.”
“If you could describe the guys in one word, what would it be?”
The guys complain. “Whoa, whoa, whoa. Come on, you are giving her something easy. You two are going to give each other easy shit all night.” Axel waves his hand between me and her.
“I bet you guys will do the same.”
They laugh. “We enjoy mocking each other so we won’t be, trust us.”
I shrug. “I don’t care. Now, Aisha, tell your truth. “
She thinks about it. “Pussies.” We both laugh.
Again, the guys complain until I tell them what we say in this room, no matter what, stays in this room and they need to stop whining every two minutes. “Aisha, your turn to ask.”
“Lucas, truth or dare?”
“Dare.” He crosses his arms. He tries to pierce her eyes with his, trying to intimidate her.
She smiles sweetly. “I dare you to take off your shirt, slowly, like if you were a stripper.”
I holler, clapping my hands. I take a seat next to her, linking my arm through hers, ready to watch the show.
“I thought we weren’t showing personal parts,” Elijah asks.
“Taking off a shirt isn’t a personal part.” I clap my hands again. “Come on, strip.” I lean forward a little. “Or are you chicken? Do we need to get the face mask out?”
He glares at me before standing. He slowly starts to unbutton his shirt. He opens it a little, pulling it off slowly down his arms. I sit there, my mouth going dry, my eyes on his perfect, tanned, sculpted body. You can see his eight pack and that sexy V. I have to bite my lip to stop it from hanging open. Then he stands there, shirtless, his hands roaming down his body.
“Girls, you are drooling.” Axel laughs. We look away. Lucas sits back down, but he keeps his shirt off.
“Aren’t you going to put it back on?” I ask him.
He smirks. “I think I’m happy with it off.” Great, now I’m going to see his beautiful body for the rest of the night. How am I meant to concentrate on the game with him sitting there like some Greek God? “Okay, my turn. Little one, truth or dare?”
I don’t want to choose dare in case he asks me to take my top off. “Truth.”
The guys boo at me and I give them the finger. “Why did you have to transfer to our school?”
I wasn’t expecting that. I thought he would have asked me something sexual. I start to play with my fingers, a nervous tic that I have. I don’t want to give too much away. “I was kicked out of my last one because I was in a fight with this girl. She kept pushing me for weeks, and I pushed back. She slapped me, I punched her, but because I had no marks and she did, with her being who she was, it was me who got booted.” I look up and they are all staring at me with sympathetic looks. “Okay, my turn.”
“Wait, this girl hit you first and you’re the one that got kicked out?” Elijah asks shocked and a little angry.
I shrug. “Well, when you have a track record like mine, getting into fights, getting kicked out of every college, of course they are going to side with the girl with the money and power.” I don’t like people to know I have one power on my side, but I don’t like to use it, unless it's me getting into other colleges I haven’t been kicked out of.
The three guys just stare at me. “This has happened before?” Axel asks softly.
I nod slowly. “Some schools were better than others, but yeah. Because I never kissed the popular kids asses, they saw me as targets. As the years went on, I had to grow a thicker skin. It takes a lot for something to affect me. There was even one girl who told me I should kill myself, and a guy who wouldn’t take no for an answer. Of course, me being me…”
“You fought back.” Lucas finishes the sentence for me.
“That’s why I hate bullies and popular people, because they think their words and actions won’t have consequences for the people they are saying and doing it to. Can we play the game now? I’ve answered more than one question.” They all agree but I know they want to ask more. “Okay, Axel truth or dare?”
“Dare. Hit me with your worst. Want me to take off my shirt?” He lifts his hem a little, smiling seductively.
I smile. Glad we’re moving on from my past. “I want you to stand
under a cold shower for thirty seconds. With your clothes on, of course.”
He jumps up. “Easy.”
We all follow him. I turn on the shower, the coldest it can be. I tell him to wait for a moment so the water can be fully cold. He steps under it and starts cussing under his breath. The water soaks his clothes, clinging to his body, showing every muscular line.
Once the time is up, he jumps out. He tries to reach for the towel, but I pull it away. “I don’t think drying off was a part of the deal.” I wave the towel in his face. He stares me down and when he tries to snatch it from me, I start running, hearing him chase after me.
I shriek, running around the living area, around the breakfast island. When he gets close, I throw it to Aisha who looks at me and Axel like a deer caught in headlights. When Axel starts chasing her, she screams, running. He is almost on her when she calls out my name, throwing it back to me.
I take hold. I run away when a wet body lifts me, wrapping his arms around my middle, making me yelp. Axel rubs his face into my back, rubbing himself all over me so I’m now wet too. He steps back, smiling proudly
I look down at my body, my tank and shorts clinging to me. I look up to see three set of eyes trailing my body. I try to cover myself with my arms before using the towel to wrap myself. I stick my tongue out at Axel who blows me a kiss.
“Aisha, watch them while I get dressed. This was your dare, not mine.” I point my finger at Axel who takes his shirt and pants off, standing there with wet boxers. I can see the outline of his package. It is pretty impressive. I grab a spare towel, chucking it at him and telling him to cover up.
I go into my room, closing the door. I take off my wet clothes, ready to take off my underwear when there is a knock on the door before it opens. I turn around in surprise to see Lucas standing there, his eyes turning dark.
“Sorry. I was just going to ask if you had a mop or old towels to dry the floor.”
I feel my whole body flushing. I can feel the heat on my chest. “The mop is in the bathroom, behind the door in the corner.”