Safety Net {l.r.h}

6) It's just a skirt

LUKE HEMMINGS

I waited around for Wednesday to arrive. I often wondered over the past two days that if it was only because of the bet. My heartbeat quickly in my chest as I waited for the girl to come knocking on the large front door. Thoughts swirl in my head as I remembered class earlier that day, and silently hoped that she would come to the frat wearing the same outfit.

I sat down in my seat exactly 7 minutes before class, and Ellie was predictably here in class early again. She was wearing a black skirt that ended just midthigh along with a dress shirt with a sweater pulled over it. The sleeves were rolled up just over her elbow. Her left wrist was decorated in shiny gold bracelets, while her neck had a small chain close to her skin- a choker necklace and her shirt was unbuttoned one button. She had decided on pulling her hair back into a ponytail, letting the loose hairs frame her face perfectly. My jaw was nearly on the floor as I watched her talking to Mr. Wilson. Her feet shuffled as she talked to him, and I noted it as nervousness. Our professor leads her down the stairs to his desk seeming to go over paperwork, but I just watched. Ellie twirled a pen around her fingers as he spoke, pointing to the words written on the paper. She nodded, losing grip on the pen and turned her head as it toppled to the floor. I sat up straighter in my seat, hoping to god that she would bend over.

And to my fortune, she does. No one was paying attention to her, because she had looked around to make sure no one could see. Her eyes miss me at the top of the classroom, thankfully, and she bends over to pick up the utensil. I grip tightly on the desk, feeling my pants grow tight at the sight of her skirt shifting above her upper thigh. I barely see the skin of her ass when some dumbass walks right in front of my line of vision. My eyes dart up to the culprit only to see Michael.

"Mikey!" I exclaim, tossing my arms into the air with frustration. Michael raises his eyebrows before turning to where I was staring for the last five minutes.

"So that's what you've been looking at." He speaks. His head tilts to the side as he gets a good view himself, and I notice. My hand flings from the desk, slapping his stomach.

"Hey, watch it." I grumble. He laughs, but soon stops as he notices the blonde start to make her way up. Scrambling to his seat, he finally leaves me alone.

"Hi stranger." Ellie says, pulling out the chair to sit down. I chew on my bottom lip trying not to let any douchebag words to slip out.

And that's why I'm waiting here, now looking at said girl as she stares up at me from the front porch after knocking on the door. I hold it open by the doorknob and gesture for her to come inside. She has her bookbag over her shoulder, and still has the same skirt on from earlier. I mentally curse myself as I lead her upstairs to my room so that people will leave us alone.

I may have a bet on getting with her, but I really need a tutor. I sit down on my bed and see that she's hesitant on joining me. Patting the spot next to me, I offer her a spot and she takes it. I feel awkward, I don't even know what to say. She thankfully begins pulling out the psychology book and opens it to the correct page.

"We have a test tomorrow; you should really study this chapter." And from that point on, I attempted to listen to the girl. After looking at my alarm clock, an hour has already passed since we began. The way the skirt was creeping up her thighs from the way that the book sat on her lap did something to me and I couldn't take it anymore. I feel like I was patient enough. Right?

"Why're you wearing that?" I blurt out, my eyes widening at the fact that I just said that. She stops explaining the topic she was on and looked at me.

"Wearing what?" My finger hesitantly pointed at the black material barely covering her lap. She adjusted it lower, just now noticing it slip up. "It's just a skirt."

I raise my eyebrows, "right." Ellie's lips part, and I already know that hit a nerve.

"What- am I distracting you, Luke?"

"Yes!" I exclaim. I surprised myself, and she stood up from the bed.

"I knew this wasn't going to work. You're too-"

"Too what?"

"You're too you! All that's ever on your mind is sex, maybe that's why you can't pass one of the easiest classes on your schedule!"

"That's not all that's on my mind." I defend, crossing my arms. She stood slightly taller than me as I sat on the bed, and I didn't like it. The position made her seem like she carried more power, so I stood up too.

"Name one other thing that you think about daily." I was silent for what seemed like forever until my mouth opened.

"Um."

"Exactly." Her face neared mine, and I didn't notice myself coming closer to her as well. "Since I'm such a distraction, I'll just see myself out. I knew you couldn't be serious about this." I could feel her hot breath on my face as she spoke. It made my face grow red. I couldn't process her next actions fast enough as she packed her things and exited the room. Quickly gathering myself, I followed her downstairs to the front door.

"Wait, don't go." I say in hopes that she would turn around. She did.

"Why shouldn't I leave?"

"Because I just couldn't help myself, and I'm sorry," Ellie smiled for a second, giving me false hope, but it dropped from her face almost immediately and she opened the door.

"Bye, Luke."

The wood slammed against the frame, rattling the pictures on the wall. Footsteps sounded behind me a few seconds later. "What's with all the noise?" It was Calum.

"Ellie just left." I say, turning my head to the side so he could hear me.

I turn my body to face him just in time to see him wiggle his eyebrows. "Ah, is it going well?"

"It was." His face fell as I spoke.

"What happened?"

"She wore that short ass skirt."