Ragged Petals

Chapter 9

                “What is going on?  Soph?” He looked from his girlfriend to me and then back again.

                His voice snapped me out of my trance, forcing me to stop gawking at his shirtlessness.  Realising that I had been checking my teacher out I shuddered and blushed. 

                “You manwhore!” Sophie hissed, her eyes full of rage and hurt. “You’re sleeping with this little… this little skank!” she eyed me hatefully.

                “Wait!” Mr. Connelly’s jaw dropped. “You think I’m?  Oh no, no, no, no…” his eyes grew large as he shook his head back and forth.

                “Yeah right Alex.” She snarled, crossing her arms across her chest, which from my angle was very visible; she had obviously undone a few buttons for Mr. Connelly’s liking.

                “No Sophie, listen.  Do you actually think that I’m…” he looked in my direction and took notice to what I was wearing. “Well I guess I can see how you could see that but no.  Sophie this is Halle.  Halle this is my girlfriend Halle, who I’ve seen you’ve already met.”

                Sophie shot daggers in my direction, obviously not believing a word that was coming out of his mouth.

                “Sophie, Halle is a student of mine but we’re not sleeping together.” He stressed the word not through his teeth. “She was in some trouble and needed a place to stay, so I said she could stay here.” Mr. Connelly gave her his award-winning smile along with a quick shrug.

                Sophie looked from me to Mr. Connelly and suddenly her face went from anger to apologetic.

                “Oh I’m so sorry!” I wasn’t sure whether she was talking to me or Mr. Connelly but it became quite clear as she ran to him and gave him a huge hug.

                I stood there awkwardly, watching as she pushed herself against his almost naked body and mashed their lips together.  After the kissing didn’t stop, I grabbed a pair of jeans and one of my favourite, Hangover-referencing t-shirts and snuck around them to the bathroom.

                I pulled on my clothes quickly, praying that they would be finished whatever that was when I came out.  I pulled my hair into a high pony tail and smiled.  My black eye was definitely fading, it was still noticeable, but not to the same extreme.

                I slipped out of the bathroom, peaking my head both ways before exiting, but the couple was nowhere in sight.  I tiptoed out and suddenly a very loud voice rang out from down the hall. 

                “Oh come on babe!” Sophie’s high-pitch voice rang out. “Just one apology quickie.  She won’t even notice we are gone.”    

                  “No…” Mr. Connelly’s voice sounded strained and unsure. “No Soph.  She’s my student and a minor.  She will most definitely notice if we are gone for even a few extra minutes.”

                Suddenly his door opened and he popped out, still only wearing his underwear.  It wasn’t until he looked me in the eyes that I realised I was still awkwardly standing in the middle of the hallway, looking at his door. 

                “Uhhh hi.” He gave me an awkward, half-smile, his cheeks turning a bright red.

                “Hey.” I quickly looked away from him, my cheeks turning equally as red. 

                Mr. Connelly turned quickly back into his room to get dressed, just as Sophie was coming out.  I turned quickly and walked to the kitchen, hoping there wasn’t another confrontation of the way.  I peeked into each of his cupboards and decided on chocolate cheerios.  Who knew he would like chocolate cheerios?     

                I carried the box over to the table with me, deciding to screw over the milk and just eat them plain. 

                Suddenly someone cleared their throat and I looked up to see Sophie standing in the door.  She had an awkward expression on her face.

                “I’m really sorry.” She gave me an apologetic smile that looked a little too forced.

                I shrugged. “That’s okay, you didn’t know.” I gave her a fake toothy smile, all the while thinking, yeah right bitch.

                Sophie pulled a chair out and took a seat, looking me straight in the eyes, as if she expected me to keep talking.

                “But you understand, don’t you?  I mean, having a boyfriend, you love them so much.” She added the last bit as Mr. Connelly walked into the room, giving him a flirty smile.  So you’re a suck up bitch.

                I forced myself not to roll my eyes. “Uhh no… I don’t know what you mean.  I’ve never… never had a boyfriend.” I shoved my mouth full of cheerios, willing myself not to say anything more embarrassing or incriminating.

                  “Never?” Sophie’s face screwed into an awkward and unbelieving expression.

                I continued chewing the wad of cheerios that I had stuffed in my mouth and shook my head.  I gave a hopeful and unregretful expression, pretending that it didn’t bother me, but truthfully it did.  Inside it tore me up.  I was supposed to be a regular teenager, going to parties and on dates, having first kisses and holding hands, coming home to worried parents, arguing with my parents over stupid things, having a drink or two… the only thing I managed to get right was that I drank, but perhaps a bit more than one or two.

                “Why not?” I could tell Sophie had been one of those cheerleader types in high school; always peppy and cheery around adults, secretly bitchy to the nerds and geeks.  I could tell she had really made her way around with the boys, I bet she had a reputation for being easy.

                I swallowed the cheerios and shrugged again. “No time.”

                “No time?  What teenage girl doesn’t have time for boys?  That was all I could think about in high school.” As she reminisced she got this dreamy, longing face.  I smirked, she was definitely easy.

                “Me.  I don’t have time.” I could feel myself boiling up inside. “I have to work and clean and cook and buy groceries and do homework and then work some more and then shop some more and do some more pointless assignments and then work.” I could feel my voice becoming angrier and angrier, become more intense by the second.

                Sophie’s jaw dropped, and for the first time she shut up. “Oh.”

                Mr. Connelly turned to look at me, his mouth slightly parted, his eyes wide in shock.

                As soon as I saw their expressions I knew I had made a mistake.  Why couldn’t I just shut up?  Why did I have to open my big trap?  At that moment all I could do was think, shit. 

I really hate myself for saying this… but I am not going to upload until all my chapters have at least 100 reads… I KNOW.. I’m evil.  But I just really want this story to do well.  So please!  COMMENT!  READDDDD!  PROMOTE!  VOTE!