Friends With Benefits (COMPLETED)

FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS *6*

Chapter 6 (Paige)

The moment Nathaniel walked out the school doors I let go of Jonathan's hand. Wiping it on my leg to rid myself of the sweat that had accumulated from him holding onto it so long. Jonathan saw me do it and laughed.

"How did it feel, Paige? Like rubbing up against me?" he asked, amusement evident in his expression.

I punched him in the arm so hard he almost winced, just almost, bringing a smile to my face.

"How about you shower first, then ask me again", I mumbled dryly. I was disgusted by him, always had been. It never made any sense to me how so many girls would flock around him like he was some sort of unattainable prize. He was a typical jock, nothing more, nothing less.

Taking a deep breath, I looked around me. Most of the surprised faces from earlier were no longer staring, everyone was shuffling about again minding their own business. It surprised me how much could change in a day. A few hours ago I had been crying by myself in a bathroom stall, and now I was throwing out smart remarks to no other than Jonathan. After so many years of being bullied and looked down upon, I was holding myself together without feeling any fear. It felt exhilarating and I reminded myself again why I had eventually agreed to Jonathan's insane request.

"Do you think he bought it?" I asked seriously, looking where Nathaniel had just walked out.

Jonathan made a thinking gesture with his finger, tapping it on his chin. He was going to make sure he made every moment of this charade a nightmare for me, as he was doing just now. I rolled my eyes and focused on the matter at hand.

"If his expression has anything to say about it then yes, he definitely bought it." He looked down at me with a goofy smile on his face.

"So, pick you up at seven?" He asked.

I sighed and thought about what I'd possibly gotten myself into. It had sounded like a good plan before, but I wasn't so sure anymore. What if Nate figured it all out, not only would it be embarrassing, but there was a very real possibility I could lose my best friend over this. On the other hand, I needed to do this.

He needed to know that I couldn't and wouldn't be taken for granted forever. I could get a guy too, it was a possibility. Regardless of what he thought. I wondered if Nate had ever thought about me that way at all, did he find me ugly? Or was I ...

The doubt was back again, making me feel smaller than everyone else. I shut my brain temporarily so I wouldn't think about Nate's feelings towards me. It never ended well, and almost always left me feeling insecure. As I looked around me, every girl in the school suddenly looked tall and skinny, and pretty enough to be considered worthy. Every girl but me.

Jonathan cleared his throat, looking at me expectantly.

"Seven sounds fine." I didn't wait for him to say anything else, just turned and started walking to my next class.

There was a lot on my mind, and stalling in the hallways with Jonathan wasn't going to help. Especially since everyone seemed to be spreading the word and spreading it fast. Rumours turned to gossip real quick around here, and I knew by the end of the day every single person would know that Jonathan and I were a thing. It terrified me to the bones, but if I somehow survived this, I had hope of bettering my position among those around me. Including Nate, of course.

Just then, something caught my eye. I knew I heard whispering, I was used to that already, but I had never seen Carly look directly at me in the past. I gulped, feeling a tinge of fear move its way through my body.