One of the Bullied | ✔

Chapter 22 - The Pact

I wake up to my phone ringing. I groan. I didn't even realise I'd fallen asleep. Anyway, who the hell calls me? Jean is - I glance around - sleeping on the sofa opposite me.

Taking a moment to indulge in how cute he looks whilst he's sleeping, I completely forget about my ringing phone. It falls silent with a buzz, a little notification popping up on screen telling me I have one missed call from an unknown number.

It takes about fifteen seconds for the phone to ring again. I glare at it and answer, wondering if it's some publicity ploy or just someone from school who has decided to prank call me.

"Hi?"

"I see that at last you got your filthy hands off poor Jean-" I wince at how she says his name. "And picked up your stupid Nokia phone." I resist the temptation to say I own an iPhone - probably the same model as hers - and sigh to myself.

"What do you want?" I snap angrily. Is it not enough for her to ruin my everyday at school? Need she find a way to worm into my private life? So what if I'm with Jean? So what? Why should she care?

"I'd like to meet up with you, this afternoon." I glance at the large, modern clock hanging on the wall to my right. It's six o'clock. How can she say "afternoon"? "In private."

"Well, I wouldn't."

"I don't think you really have a choice." She snaps, sounding frustrated. "Half an hour from now, Starbucks on fifth."

"I'm not coming." I hiss angrily. "I don't owe you anything. Grow up and go and find a new boyfriend to slobber all over."

"Okay, I suggest you pull yourself together and don't insult my sister any further or there will be consequences." Luke snaps over the phone with a bored tone.

I gulp, then nod slowly to myself and hang up. When I sit back down, a little shaky, I notice Jean watching me, bleary-eyed. "You okay?" He asks. "I think I was so bored with the grammar lesson we fell asleep."

"I stayed up way too late last night." I giggle, remembering how I lay in bed reading until three in the morning, then scrolled through all my texts with Rita for the fortieth or fiftieth time, trying to figure out who it is.

He rubs his eyes, standing up. "So, what do you want to do?"

"Actually, I need to go out."

He raises an eyebrow.

"There's something I need to do." I continue, weakly.

"What?"

"Return a book to the library." I answer weakly. He grins.

"I'll come with you."

"No, it's okay. I can go on my own."

"Are you mad at me or something?" He asks, sounding puzzled.

"No, I just need some time. I'm just going to the library and back."

"If you say so." He sits back down, and I suddenly realise how it might be beneficial to bring him along. If Caitlyn wants to talk about him, then why can't we do it with him there? "I was thinking I would show you one of my favourite films later, so get going."

"About that..." I start, looking down, pretending to be embarrassed. "I'm not going to the library."

"It took you like fifteen seconds to fess up." He chuckles. "I heard your conversation. Sure, if you want me to come with you, I'll come." He shrugs. "At least you'll come to no harm if I'm there."