Cipher | ✓

[1]

I was never classified as popular.

I was barely recognized.

And when I rarely was, it was never good.

I would like to think my popularity meter declined long ago for several undefined reasons.

Like when my mother died early one June at age thirty, taking any form of my happiness with her. Or when my big brother, Cal, became varsity football's top player, entering the school's hall of fame and setting a new bar for any athlete who wanted to compete. Or maybe when my former best friend dropped me because my clothes were too ugly or said that 'I paid too much attention to my grades or anything school related.'

Maybe that's it.

Chuckling mentally to myself, I knew all those things put together weren't close enough to the actual reason.

Pushing my thoughts aside, I continued biting nervously at my pencil as my heart swooned at the image in front of me. Although I sat in chemistry, it wasn't the types of acids or bonds that held my attention, but instead the unattainable Colter Knox.

Cradling the small of my stomach with my sweaty palm, I watched as his eyes watched our lecturing teacher pace back and forth. The small muscle in his jaw twitching as the class burst into laughter at Mr. Burke's usual jokes. When the seriousness of the class clouded the room again, Colter sighed, leaning an elbow on the desk to rush a calloused hand through his tangled locks.

Before I could stop it, all the memories were flooding back like a bad nightmare, my brown orbs shutting at the distress my messed up mind brought me.

The base of the music bounded through my body as a very aroused Colter followed me willingly up the patted, wooden steps to my bedroom. Little did I know the events about to unfold would change my life.

It all happened so fast.

Him stripping me of my cashmere sweater and raggedy overalls, his quick placement of me on the bed. As he removed the last articles of clothing that separated our hot and sticky skin, a low animalistic growl escaped the lips, I had for years, envisioned coating mine. Not given seconds to gasp at his size, he was pumping in and out of me with a pace I couldn't fathom. As my slim fingers sliced up his back, through his tousled golden locks and back down to his taut stomach, he said something.

As he claimed my virginity, he promised that things would change. That I felt too good to pass by in the halls without so much as a hey or a seductive wink. He promised that together, our lives would change and that our bodies molded too perfectly to ever be apart. He promised that as arousing as my name sounded being moaned, it would pass his lips a hundred times more in so many more ways than sexual.

He promised.

But as those moan-filled, lobe biting, heavy breathing moments passed, the humility and slyness filed right back in— filling the cracks that I hadn't spent the time to fill as Colter Knox hovered over me.

Because that following Monday, as I waited for him to round the corner, my books held tightly to my chest as my heart pumped faster with anticipation, he walked right past me. Not sparing a single glance my way.

The chocolate eyes that I had memorized so clearly through the few minutes of pain, glided right by my existence. Their sun-catching, golden specks no longer held that lust filled sparkle, but instead happiness as his current girlfriend loitered his toned arm.

The eyes I had so dearly wished craved my own found the floor instead. Unfortunately, his girlfriend's did not. The indirect torment continued when her beautiful, crystal blue eyes captured mine and her hand pulled Colter back enough to bring him to a halt.

"What do we have here?" Her eyebrow cocked as she tilted her head to scan my outfit, her blonde locks falling from her shoulder as gravity defied them. "Is little miss prude waiting for me?" She smirked, licking her gloss-coated lips.

"Jen—" Colter's croaky voice sprung out, but so did her hand as she held it up, silencing him immediately. "I just want to talk," her ice-like eyes poured from Colter's to my own, a shade of disgust coating the surface as my refection shown in her orbs.

"Did Bubby rack up enough money to take you shopping?" She queried, stifling a laugh. She continuously called Cal 'Bubby' as if she had heard me call him that. Then again, I was too intimidated to stand up to her and tell her otherwise.

"Because I haven't seen this addition to your wardrobe." Her tongue raked her lips again as she reached down to tug at my long denim skirt.

Peeling my eyes from the floor, I tried hard to swallow the lump in my throat but the awful churning in my stomach told me otherwise.

"Don't choke now," she faked a gasp as her manicured hand found the plastic surface of my binder. In one swift motion she was knocking it from my hands to collect on the floor. "I heard Berry took the day off." With one last lip lick she was out of my face, sashaying down the hall with Colter's hand glued to her own.

That last bit of hope, completely kicked itself from my system, showering me in embarrassment. Of course someone as popular and hot as Colter Knox wouldn't dare turn his face to look at me, no matter what promises were made.

Promises are made to be broken...

When the late bell snapped me from my thoughts, I looked at the heap on the floor better known as my binder. Falling to my knees to pick it up, I thought back to Jennifer's comment.

'Don't choke now, I heard Berry took the day off'

Berry was none other than the school janitor who took care of any school accident, which in my case had been when Michael Haze asked me to spring fling and I practically threw up my entire lunch all over his shoes. Of course it happened to be a joke set up by Jennifer and her posse, but prior to my knowledge, a hot guy had asked me out and neither me nor my stomach were prepared.

Sure you could call it nerves, but during the whole situation I was more surprised than anything. Michael Haze, The Michael Haze had asked me out. He wasn't just one of Colter's close friends, but also co-creator of the Rounds. Alongside my brother, Michael organized, invited, and sponsored alcohol for each and every Round.

The Rounds were just another name for the parties the two threw. The first party of the year or Round One, was in early September when school first began. Round Four was coming up within the week, this Saturday actually, and after Round Three I could admit without hesitation that I was scared.

Of course I was never invited to the Rounds, but when my brother hosts the parties at my very own house, I have no other option but to stay cooped up in my room, listening to the loud music downstairs.

I'd made the thoughtless error of sneaking down during Round Three to simply get a glass of water and that's where this all began.