Bad Boys Guide | How to Get a Good-Girl

Step Three: Try Not To Stare

Bad boys don't stare. Bad boys don't fall in love with girls they're targeting. Bad boys don't stare.

I'm staring.

I know it, but I can't stop! Ever since I heard Angelica speak this morning, ever since we had a conversation, I've not let my gaze drop from her, I'm still waiting to hear that gooey marshmallow voice again. But not because I'm falling in love! It's simply because it's comforting. It almost reminds me of my late grandma, Gigi. But a lot younger, and not screaming at me all the time, and not crackly. Okay, so what if her voice isn't at all like Gigi's?! Whatever!

Since I've been staring so much by now, I've learnt a bit about her. Okay, so I kind of sort of have a mental list, whatever!

1. Her friends, though she has surprisingly few, call her Angie

2. I'm planning on calling her Angel

3. Her hair is platinum blonde through the roots, so it clearly hasn't been dyed and is just naturally flawless and full

4. Her voice is like cotton-candy, or basically any kind of sweet food

5. I want to kiss her

Okay, number 5 wrote itself and thus never happened. We will not speak of it. It never was written! God, if my boys saw that-- no. They won't see it.

I crumple my paper in my hand and toss it into the recycling bin. I make it. Not like I needed the note anyways. I memorized everything I've noticed about her since I gave her my number. Wait... what if she doesn't take it? What if her dad says no because I'm a school troublemaker?

The girl I'm not falling in love with's name snaps me back to reality.

"Grace?" Mr. Falker asks. He always asks us a daily question for attendance, all the teachers do. He does it to give off the illusion he has even the slightest interest in any of our lives, but we all know he doesn't. Today's question was, If you could meet anyone in the world, who would it be?

"My mother," Angelica answers with the saddest, yet sweetest voice I've ever heard. "I never got to meet her." I feel the urge to pipe up, to go apologize, but I don't. Instead, I watch as her friend, Emilia, I think is her name, rubs her back and consoles her, something I want to do right now. No! I remind myself. Don't think like that. I'm supposed to be part of the bad boy clique, not the cheesy romantic one!

What if she's my-- I start to I wonder, then hear my last name, and finish my thought out loud. "soulmate?"

The teacher looks surprised, expecting a sarcastic reply, I'm sure of it. I hear some snickers from the rest of the class, some "that was cheesy", or "cringe!" comments, but all I really take in is that Angelica is now staring at me.

"I mean, it'd be cool, right? To know how weird our soulmates are at this age?" I think up. A few people agree verbally with me, and I let out the breath I've been holding.

I know I'm not Angelica's soulmate, she's too sweet while I'm... what am I? I'm nothing. I'm a soon-to-be bad boy that people are bound to hate for the rest of their lives because I made it too miserable for them by... well I actually don't know what by. Maybe I'll ask the guys after class.

"Updates?" Steven asks after class.

"Boring," I reply, and the other guys chuckle a bit. Jameson nudges me.

"Not on that, stupid, what'd you find out about Missy My Name Has Angel In It So I Think I'm Perfect?" he asks me sarcastically.

"Oh. That. Well, she doesn't have many friends, but the ones she does have call her Angie."

"Bo-ring!" Tyler claps me on the back. "Tell us something juicy!"

"Well, I don't really know yet. I haven't asked her any questions other than if she'll 'tutor me' after school, 'cause that's how it works out in all the cheesy movies my sister watches. She probably watches them too, y'know?"

The boys nod, and walk away. Jameson stays behind. "You get this little twinkly star thing in your eyes whenever you talk about Angelica." he notes, and brings his voice lower so only I can hear him. "Are you by chance, falling in--"

"No no no! Of course not, bro," I try leaning against the wall to keep the cool kid impression, but it doesn't play off very well when I miss the ledge and have to fully readjust. All the while I'm thinking of one word: Tomorrow.

"Alright bro, just checking in on you." he gives me a look that means if anything changes, I won't be so understanding. "Gotta keep 'em fresh!" he announces in a loud tone, walking off confidently. This leaves me to wonder what ''em' are, but I don't ponder on that too long, as I see Angelica approaching me.

"I texted my dad before class started today, and he said that me having a friend over other than Emilia would be great for my social skills. Still on for tomorrow?"

"Yep! See you then!" I respond, noticing the way her nose lifts slightly when she talks. She runs out of air quickly, but she manages to keep her sentences long.

"Great!" she says happily, skipping away to her next class.

There were two other things I noticed after the experience, one significantly more important than the other.

1. Her friends name is Emilia

2. Her social skills aren't great/haven't had people over

Surprisingly, I don't think I blushed at all during that experience. I did however, blush when on the bus ride home Jameson asked me who I was texting, and I had no honest answer other than Angelica.He just gave me a look before getting up, because fate chose the stop after he asked me who I was texting to be his house. He was probably suspicious by now, but who wouldn't be?

But hey, it's not my fault if I can't help but stare! If anything, it's Angelica's fault! She's the one who has the melty chocolate voice that plays over and over in my head.

Tomorrow.

Not that I care or anything!!