What will Marley Thesail do when she finds out her current life is built on lies and the one she left behind resided within Billy Hargrove? The boy she hates.
Being a loner and a bit of a rebel trust doesn't come easy to Marley, so when she finds ou...
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The next day was just as eventful as Halloween. In some ways it was worse. My world was flipped on its head. I met new faces old ones and let something in that I should have been running from but the more I saw it the more I wanted it with me. Until later it will hurt me like it was always designed. I was just too young to realize what it really was or maybe I did realize and just didn't want to accept it.
-- "It's hopeless. This class is impossible to pass." I said letting myself fall over the surface of my desk.
I struggled to try to solve a geometry problem. I know that sounds pathetic but math is and always has been my worst subject. Sometimes and especially during a test, I full-on forget how to count for a few seconds. I'm horrible when it comes to testing.
"Geometry is supposed to be easier than math." My wiz of a friend Lola informed me.
She was helping me with my own work. Lola is the smartest person I know. She is also the only girl at this school I actually like.
"How? Who said that!? How is it easier? I'm losing brain cells trying to understand it." I complained.
"For starters your doing it backward. A squared plus B squared equals C squared."
"Lola this is stupid we are never going to use this bullshit!"
The class grew silent as footsteps entered the class and a single voice lingered through the silence. "Hubba hubba"
"Great, what else is the world going to throw at me? First geometry and now--"
"Billy HARGROVE." Lola cut me off.
Our teacher walked over to the Jean jacket-wearing motherfucker and had a few words. Lately, schedules have been getting altered and all I could do is hope that it was a mistake. If Billy Hargrove is in my class I might as well fail now. I don't hate him. I barely know him it's just I get a bad vibe when I'm around him and it's gnarly.
I can never tell his next move and every encounter we've had ended on a cliffhanger and an unexplainable string between us that needed to be cut.
"Your staring." Lola reminded.
"So is half the class," I argued.
When I looked back to the class Billy was standing right over my desk. If I wasn't such a thick-skinned brute my heart would have jumped out of my chest. It did. It was like a jumpscare straight from a scream movie.
"Hey doll face!" He said, smacking gum. He offered an obnoxiously wide smile and took the seat next to me.
"Who is your friend?" He asked gesturing at Lola who blushed red like a chili pepper.
I parted my lips to introduce the two but by the time I even blinked she was already shaking his hand.
"Lola Arnim Cerino Shapero." She beamed.
"Having trouble?" Billy said leaning over to eye my paper.
I snatched it off my desk and held it to my side. I'd be damned if I let Billy crack jokes at my poor academic skills.
"I'm just fine. Thank you very much."
"No your not your formula is backward." He said raising a brow.
I looked at both Lola and Billy deadpan. I've had it up to here. I'm done I can't.
"Fine, I need help," I said folding my arms over my desk and hiding in my forearms.
"I could help you." Billy offered.
"No thanks," I reassured him.
Billy sat back in his seat and blew bubbles through his gum.
"You're probably too dumb to keep up anyway." He snarked before standing and chatting up some girls nearby.
"Can you believe that dick?" I asked Lola.
She was still in a trance. "I think his ass is great, yeah."
"Literally none of that is related to my question but okay."
"I thought he was being sweet," Lola said. "He was being generous and you turned him away."
"And?"
"I'm not an idiot Marley. I know a bad guy when I see one. Billy obviously has an interest in you and doesn't know what to do about it so he constantly tries to spend time with you to explore that interest. When he gets his answer he will hop to the next girl."
"Why do you know so much about this?" I asked.
"You told me about the party and when you first met him. It makes sense, Marley. You proved yourself worthy of his time." Lola explained.
"By pouring soda in his car?"
"Uh...yes," Lola said with a bright smile. "You intrigued him by damaging the interior of his car."
-- I thought about what she had said for the rest of the period. If she is right then I can use this asset to my benefit. The interest isn't one-sided. I too want to find out what makes Billy tick and the fact that he wants the same give some an opportunity to do just that without giving Billy any type of true information on myself.
I could just feed him lies the entire time.
By the end of the period, I caught Billy at the door of the classroom and took him up at his offer.
"About what you said. I could use the help." I said tugging on his sleeve. He gave me a cocky smile and did the awful elbow against wall thing.
"Join me after school then." He said.
I could smell his cologne. It was strong and it was choking me. His gum covered the liquor of his breath but it still lingered and I knew exactly what he was drinking too. His jacket wreaking of cigarette ash. I wasn't complaining.
"What's the plan?"
"Did you drive today?" He asked.
"No."
"Then meet me at my car. So we can learn big!" He said before pulling from the wall and strutting down the long hall. This is a bad idea, but no idea I've ever had is good. I'm in a gang after all so nothing can be worse than that.
