Roommates with a Player

Chapter Twenty One: Inside the Mind of James Wiley

Dedicated to xoxoreagan for encouraging me to write longer chappies. <33           

“Please pick up your homework on your way out. Have a nice day,” Mrs. Stanton instructed as the school bell rang. It was the last period of the day and I was itching to get out of clas. We only had two days of school this week before Thanksgiving break started.

            I skipped out into the hallway, heading to the usual spot where Ricky and I met up. I still didn’t have a car and had to rely on Ricky to drive me everywhere. I had my license; I just didn’t feel like bothering Henry and Michelle about it.

             The icy November wind blew across my body as I stepped outside. I huddled closer into my jacket, desperate for more warmth. I loved the winter, but only because it gave me an excuse to stay inside and read. And who could forget about hot cocoa? That was the best part!

            “Hey, babe. Wait up!” James’ voice reached my ears and I turned to see him heading for me, his black hair twisting in the wind. He skidded to a stop next to me, out of breath.

            James was looking extra-sexy today, with his shirt un-tucked and his hair all messy. It was just another reminder of how awesome my boyfriend was. It was a bit awkward to have every eye on you as you walked down the hallway, hand-in-hand. But confirming that the rumors about us were true was one of the many perks. I loved seeing the astonished faces of those who’d just heard the “latest gossip”. Hailey and Maggie flipped shit when I finally got around to telling them. I needed to work on not leaving them in the dark all the time.

            “What’s up? I have to meet with Ricky to get home,” I said.

            “Well, I was thinking. Since we’re all official now…why don’t you meet my parents?” he said.

            “Uh, I don’t know. I’m not really something to bring home,” I muttered, trying to wiggle my way out of it.

            The truth was, I was terrified to meet James’ parents. What if they didn’t like me? What if they thought I was too young? What if they heard that I was poor? I just couldn’t bear the thought of all the judgment they might throw at me. Ricky was right; these people would eat me alive.

            “Of course you are! Now c’mon. I’ve already texted Ricky about the change in plans. He’s not going to miss you for a couple hours, right?” James exclaimed, wrapping his arm around me and steering me to his car.

            Looks like I had no choice. I plopped down into the passenger seat and off we went, my stomach knotting. I clicked the stereo on, looking for something to distract me. The soft noise of Claire de Lune trickled through the speakers.

            “Debussy?” I asked, curious.

            “Yeah. I’m a sucker for classical music,” he said, still focusing on the road. “And Claire de Lune is my favorite.”

            “You’re not going to turn into Edward Cullen, are you?” I asked, suspicious.

            “As long as you don’t become Bella,” he teased back.

            I snickered. “How do you know about Twilight?”

            “Aside from the world-wide phenomena, I’m actually a closet Twilight reader. And before you start throwing punches, I bet you’ve read them too.”