Not Your Girl

Chapter Four

Chapter Four - I think he just ruined my life | Not Your Girl

The cheerleader who had been making out with Ryder was in my class and she and all her friends seemed to make it their life goal to death stare me for the whole lesson. Ugh, bitches.

Lunch came and I snuck a peek at the desk where the captains were being voted for. Some teachers were there, getting an early look at names. I straightened my posture just in case they looked around and noticed me walking by. I needed to get captain. My whole future of happiness depended on it. What Ryder had said worried me, but hopefully whatever trouble he was going to cause would wait till after the voting of the captains. I sat by myself in the lunch cafeteria. Grace was off with Ava and all her bitchy friends. A sad feeling sunk into the pit of my stomach when I thought about Grace. Why had she sunk to their level? She fell for Ryder just like every other hopeless girl and he had taken advantage of her, and not to mention that he used her to get information about me. I wonder what else Grace told him...

I spotted some teachers entering the cafeteria, clearly checking out all the students before voting. They whispered to each other and pointed around the room. One of them pointed to me and I bowed my head, pretending I didn't notice. My heart thumped harder in my chest. They had to give me captain. I was the good girl. Compared to the rest of the people in my grade I was like a super bright star. I had a good reputation, all the teachers adored me. Oh wow, that sounded so cocky. But I had to get school captain - I needed to get school captain. A commotion from Ryder's table drew my attention away from the teachers. I looked up to see Ryder strolling over towards me.

Oh God... Oh God... get up! Jess! Get up and walk away! Quickly... he's coming!

I stood up and quickly turned my back to Ryder, walking at an incredibly fast pace.

"Yo Jess! Wait up!" Ryder called out, running to catch up to me. He grabbed my shoulder and pulled me back, making me come to a halt. Most of the people in the cafeteria were staring at me, along with the teachers. What could the school’s bad boy possibly want to say to the school’s ‘goody-two-shoes’? Be polite, I reminded myself and I turned around to face Ryder with a huff.

"Yes, Ryder?" I asked trying but failing to keep the annoyed sound out of my voice.

"I didn't want you to miss the big announcement, babe." Ryder said his smirk growing across his face as I scowled. BABE? How dare he! I was about to open my mouth to tell him exactly what I thought about him when he did something totally unexpected.

He whipped his hand out and grabbed my waist, hauling me towards him so fast that my face almost smacked into his chest. His arm wrapped around my waist tightly and my brown eyes flew open wide in surprise. What the hell?

"Yo, everybody!" Ryder shouted and the cafeteria went silent. Everyone turned and all eyes were on us. What the -

"I have an announcement to make! This here, is Jess Southern," Ryder shouted, the whole school's attention on him, everyone hanging onto his every word, "And she's my girl. If any of you touch her, I will hunt you down and bash you until your blood is pouring down over you like paint on a canvas. Do you all hear me? She's mine. She's my girl."

I couldn't help it. My jaw dropped. HE. DID. NOT. JUST. DO. THAT.

"Thank you. You can all go back to your meals." Ryder said with a playful smirk, his fingers twinkling in a gesture for them to turn around and go back to their business but everyone remained silent as they stared at me, all their eyes judging. Meanwhile, inside I was crumbling into tiny pieces. No! No, no, no! My whole 'good girl' reputation was just squashed into the ground. Everything moved in slow motion as I froze, my whole body tensing up and the shock eating away at me. My gaze moved to the teachers who were scowling and whispering. They gave me disapproving looks, shaking their heads. It hit me then - I wasn't going to get school captain. I had just been officially labelled;