I Punched The Bad Boy, And Damn, Did It Feel Good

...Chapter 8...

Noah's POV

"Have fun Li!"

"You say that everyday and the outcome never changes," Lilah stated before hopping out of the car.

So my dark mood hadn't really brightened at all, and obviously neither had Lilah's.

I decided to just skip my classes and see if any of my bosses would be okay with me stopping in today, not that I'd see why you'd pass up extra opportunities for employees to come in.

My four bosses didn't need me and that made sense.

Gloria's Glorious Garden Center has always had pretty much every female junior from Stratton working there, and Gloria has quite a few older friends that are always willing to help during the school day.

Carl, the owner of the local hardware store, questioned me as to why I wasn't at school so that resulted me in hanging up as soon as I called, and hopefully I'll be able to avoid that question on my next shift as well.

Truitt, the co-owner of Romano's Pizzeria, told me, and I quote, "Go find some of those idiot yet kinda cool friends you have to hang out with man." He's lovely, really.

Then Andy, my partner on the newspaper routes and sorting mail over at the post office, told me he'd call me if anyone needed a fill-in. Which is nice and all, but I needed something to do now.

So I did the one thing I really should not have done, but whatever.

I called Darcy.

"Hey Darc, mind if I come in today?" I asked hesitantly.

"Shouldn't you be in school hijo?" She questioned.

"Well, yeah, but-"

"Just be here in twenty-five minutes." She cut me off.

"Thank you thank you thank you!"

"Don't be late."

And she hung up.

It's not that I was trying to avoid Ladley, although that was part of it. But avoid wasn't the right word, more like, postpone.

But if we're being honest I was trying to avoid the rest of the student body. I knew Ladley wouldn't be questioned about the punch.

One, because she gave it to me.
Two, everyone knows you aren't supposed to talk to her and her group.
Three, I'm not even sure if half of the school knew it was Ladley who punched me.

But me? I'd be tackled with questions. Those of which I am obviously trying to avoid.

I entered Mi Casa to be met with the remains of the breakfast crowd, meaning I needed to get immediately to work.

The breakfast crowd and lunch crowd pretty much came one after the other, but that didn't stop Darcy from trying to talk to me every time she had a chance, but now that the lunch crowd was up and out, she had her chance.

"Hijo, I know you're trying to avoid school today because you've done this exact same thing so many times I've lost count. Now, if you want me to not call your mother here's what you have to do for me."

This was the usual deal when I came in to work instead of going to school.

If I wanted Darcy to not call my mom and get me in trouble for skipping, I had to do her a favor.

"I need you to go talk to Ladley, today."

"Fine."

Not the easiest thing she could've asked, but a deal is a deal.

I pulled into the school parking lot, noticing how most people have gone home.

Not surprising considering it is a Friday and there were rumors going around that Aiden Larkey, a guy who hangs out with me and my group, was having a party. It definitely helps that his parents are always on business trips and he has a huge modern house on the more rural side of town.

I didn't see Ladley anywhere and I was about to turn out to go pick up Lilah, until I heard a scream.

"Doesn't mean I will be!"

There were some mumbles after that that I couldn't make out, but I spotted a glimmer of something gold out of the corner of my eye and my head whipped around.

Ladley.

Alright Noah, this is easy, just go talk to her.

It'd be way easier if she didn't so obviously hate your guts.

Shut up brain.

I'm your conscious okay? It's literally my job to be your inner realist.

Oh whatever.

Before I knew it I was out of the truck and standing almost right behind Ladley, who must have been talking to herself because there weren't any other people around.

All of a sudden a bursting pain shot through my stomach and I was on my back for the second time in the past week.

I grasped my abdomen, as if that would soothe the pain.

I looked up to meet Ladley's wild multi-colored eyes, her expression bursting with annoyance and frustration.

Then she realized it was me, causing her face to turn into a scowl and her eyes narrowed.

"What the fuck do you want Karters?" She growled, causing me to shrink back a bit.

Oh this is great, leave it to me to get punched by Ladley Ciders twice in one week.