Willow Academy (Spanking Story)

Chapter 14, Part 2: Penny's POV

"You look beat," he said.

What was it with guys telling me that I looked tired today?

"I'm fine," I said in a monotone, trying to seem unfazed by his words. "So can I go?" Ben nodded as he went into his desk and pulled out the girls' restroom pass. "Thanks," I said as I grabbed the pass out of his hand before he had a chance to ask me another question that would make me feel crappier than I already did.

I waited until I was few feet away from Ben's classroom before I started running towards the bathroom, shielding my face as if I was Quasimodo. After taking a few steps, however, I realized that I was still hurting from soccer practice yesterday, so I started trudging along the hallway ... but I made sure to keep my face shielded. I wasn't a girl that was typically obsessed with her looks, but I mean c'mon—obviously something was wrong with my face if three guys that know me well enough just pointed it out to me within minutes of each other.

"Hey, Pidge," Zach said as he stood up from his leaning position next to the water fountain. I should of guessed that I would of run into him since Ben's classroom is on the second floor.

"Don't look at me!" I said as I did my best to not make eye contact with him and quickly shuffle my way past him. The girls' bathroom was only yards away.

"Whoa, whoa, Pidge!" Zach said as he grabbed my arm, pulling me back.

"Let go of me," I said as I tried to rip my arm out of his grasp.

"What's wrong? Are you okay?" Zach got a hold of both my arms and forced me to face him. "Pidge, get a hold of yourself! What's wrong?"

I looked down at the ground, hoping that Zach couldn't see my face. "They ... they ..."

"They what? Pidge, look at me." I refused to look at him. But I didn't really have a choice once he let go of one of my arms and lifted my chin. "C'mon spit it out. What's wrong? All week you've looked like, like..."

"If you say the word 'tired,' 'beat,' or any other synonym for 'exhausted' I'm seriously going to punch you in the throat," I warned him in a low voice.

Zach let go of me as he put his hands up in mock surrender. "I was actually going to say like something's been on your mind."

"Oh ..."

"Is that what's wrong? You're tired?"

"No!" I snapped at him. "What's wrong is that everyone keeps telling me that I look tired—not that I am tired, that I look it!"

Zach looked at me with a confused look on his face. "Oh ... kay."

"Do you know what that means!"

"Uh ... apparently not."

"It means that I must have this long, ugly look plastered on my face that everyone is picking up on but me. No, not everyone, every guy! Do you know how embarrassing that is? It's super embarrassing! Yeah I'm tried, but it's not supposed to show! What the hell is make up for if people can tell that I'm tired? Nothing, that's what—"

"Whoa, Pidge, slow down," Zach said as he grabbed my shoulders. It was only then that I realized how stupid my little rant probably sounded. I really was out of it today. "Who said you looked tired?"

"... Marcus and Emmett—"

"Those two soccer-playing losers?" Zach scoffed. "Please, don't listen to them, they don't know what they're talking about."

"And Ben."

"Yeah well I bet Mr. K would realize that everyone looks 'tired' after sitting through his class for more than five minutes."