Roommates with a Player

Chapter Six: Kisses in Closets

The car ride to school had to be the most horrible thing I’d ever had to go through. It was like every stop sign we hit, another tooth was pulled from my mouth. The pain was unimaginable. I didn’t want to be anywhere near Ricky at the moment.

            We came to a stop about two blocks from school. I didn’t look at Ricky, I stayed hunched over in my seat, staring out into the rainy world.

            “I think you need to get out.” Ricky said.

            “What? Why?” I broke my silence.

            “Because,” He paused, looking everywhere but at me. “I can’t be seen with you. Nobody knows about you and I’d like to keep it that way.”

            Was he really doing this? Was he really about to make me walk in the rain to school?

            “Fine,” I muttered, opening the car door. “I don’t want to hurt your image.”

            I stepped out into the rain and made sure I slammed the door as hard as I could. I looked back and Ricky had a strange look of shame written across his face. My thoughts were distracted by the crack of thunder that boomed from the distance. Ricky hit the accelerator and sped off towards school, leaving me behind. Well, now nobody would know that I cried the whole way to school.

            By the time I walked through the doors of the school, I was dripping from head to toe. My whole body shook and I’m pretty sure all my school papers were nothing but a soggy heap of muck. A cluster of girls looked over to stare at me and I blushed, walking away toward my classes. The squeak of my wet shoes echoed through the halls. I made it to my first class just in the nick of time and thus began my first day back to school.

            A lot of people asked where I’d been and I emotionlessly told them the shortened story of what had happened over the past week, conveniently forgetting the part about moving in with the Stephens. I didn’t really want it leaking out to the public. But it wouldn’t stay like that. Once my friends knew, everyone would know.

            The first half of school flew by and soon I was walking to lunch. Luckily, my clothes had dried. I shuffled over to my usual lunch table and saw my two friend’s, Hailey and Maggie, bags already there. I knew they were both dying to see me and “get all the gossip” on what I’d been up to.

            “Hey, Emma!” I heard someone call my name and I looked up. Nathan was walking towards me, a tray full of food in his arms. I smiled for the first time in hours.

            “Hey, Nate.” Yes, nicknames were always good and friendly.

            He laughed and stepped up to me. “So I guess you really do go to my school.”

            “Just because you’ve never seen me around school doesn’t mean I don’t go here.” I giggled.

            We talked a bit more and I told him about what had happened this morning. I knew it was a bit wrong to tell, but I needed someone to confide in. Nathan was the only person who knew I was living with the Stephens… at least, at the moment.

            “Emma, I’m sorry to hear that. Ricky’s always been a total dick,” I smiled at this, as it reminded me of my blog post earlier. “Don’t let him reel you in, because you’ll only get hurt.”

            Nathan was right. I couldn’t let him get to me so easily. I needed to build a strong wall between the two of us and never let him get past it again.