Naomi Black
Sweat was dripping down my body as I was trying to catch my breath. I was running around the campus with Nat trying to blow some steam after the Matti incident. The nerve of that boy.
To sit there and to make me feel special, and then to drop me off at my apartment to then go take a bubblegum blonde whore out for a date?
He was an absolute joke.
"Slow down. I'm gonna pop a nipple," Natty joked with me as she jogged alongside me. I stopped on the sidewalk to let us both catch our breath.
"We can find you better Naomi," She said with words of encouragement as I shook my head and bent down closer to the pavement.
"Better? I'm fine Nat. My feelings for him went just as fast as they came." I lied.
She glared at me, "Okay whatever, but this means you could go make out with one of the boys. Reese loves you. I don't know if Blake would touch you, but we could try..." She suggested as I laughed at her.
"I don't want any of them. I don't need a man. He just appeared, it wasn't like I was looking for Matti Williams." I stood up and we started walking.
"I know Griff and I aren't together, but if he ever did that after we had a night like that... Jesus, that boy would be in the lion's den." She pointed towards Beaver Stadium before continuing, "Pun intended." I laughed.
He was just a friend.
That's all.
It shouldn't have hurt that much.
"The white out game is in a couple of days," I nod.
The whiteout game is the biggest game of the season. It was against The University Of Pittsburgh. This year the game was at Pittsburgh, which was no harm, no foul.
Penn State always brought the party and the win no matter where we went.
As the saying goes, eat shit Pitt.
"I was going to keep it a surprise, but my parents got us an Airbnb in Pittsburgh and if you would like to take a weekend off from studying those hideous books, you're invited." Nat looked at me with the hope that I would say yes.
"Are you kidding me! Of course! Girls trip!" I high five her and started to sprint past her.
"Slow down you nutjob!" She yelled after me and I smiled. I love my friends so much. After what happened today, I don't know what I would've done without them. I probably would've waited an agonizingly long time for Matti and Chloe to finish their business, leave, and then I would walk back home.
But my friends made me feel like a bad bitch.
I slowed down to meet her pace, "Thank god. I would kill for your stamina." She said out of breath. I laughed, "We can walk the way back," I suggest as she puts her hands together in a praying motion.
"So when is the next time you have to see Williams?" She asks as I shrug. "Well. We have class tomorrow and we have yet to work on the homework that's due by class tomorrow. We are supposed to meet at the creamery tonight to go over information for our midterm and final." She rolls her eyes.
"I feel bad for you." I nod.
Me too sister, me too.
"You know Griff said that they did have practice today, so he wasn't lying about that. Maybe he had a reason for meeting with her..." I gave her a look as she put her hands up in defense.
"I'm just saying." She continued as I nodded. "Yes, I know. I just want to be done talking about him or that situation. It's already bad enough I'll have to awkwardly talk to him tonight about this stupid class."
"So you have nothing to say to him at all?" She asked.
"Nat, what a dumb question." I point out as she laughs. "Of course, I want to say something to him. But at the same time, I have to remember we're just friends. So I feel like I'll look psycho if I get pissed at him for hanging out with another girl."
"Listen. You aren't psycho. He is leading you on by doing the shit that he has been doing! Don't take a stand for it. Like I said, fuck his best friend. Fuck a guy, any guy. They get jealous! Extremely jealous, you're hot. Use it to your advantage. Two can play the game he has been playing." She suggests.
"It's just not worth it. He isn't worth it." She groans.
We turned the corner passing the stadium and I immediately regretted even taking this run because walking out of the stadiums towards the area we were currently walking were the captains.
"I know Griff is in that group, but can you ignore him for me and continue walking so I don't have to see him?" I beg her as she looks at me and then looks at Griff before agreeing.
Thank god.
We continued walking, well speed walking at this point, trying to get away from them before they got to us.
A whistle from the distance is heard, "Aye Black! You let the homeboy hit, is it my turn yet?" Blake yelled as I put my head down.
What?
What did he tell them?
"Yeah Black! I heard you were good in the sack!" Reese yelled as I heard a slap echo.
Hopefully, that was Caden or Griffin hitting them.
"Oh, Matti! Oh, Naomi!" The boys started moaning trying to mock us. I turned around and about ten feet behind me was Matti himself. He was smirking at his friends and then he made eye contact with me.
I mouthed, "How could you?" to him and his smirk dropped and he scratched the back of his neck. I gave him one last look of hurt before full-on sprinting off leaving Nat in the back yelling my name.
I hate boys.
Reaching the apartment I ran up the stairs to our room and busted open the door, flinging my shoes across the living room and heading towards my room where I immediately collapsed face-first onto my bed.
I started tearing up looking at the wall of my grandparent's photos.
This was so unfair.
This is what I get for actually being friends with Matti Williams.
The audacity for him to even insinuate to them that I would stoop that low to his level to sleeping with him was foul. Chance after chance and I'm the one looking like an idiot as usual, and of course, he is being praised.
My door bursts open and Nat lays her sweaty body on me. "I told him off for you, don't worry."
But now I have to worry.
Because whether I liked it or not, he was in my life for the rest of the semester. Not to mention the fact that I have to see him later for this project.
I can't just see him either, I need his help for this, I need to interview him for this to get the right idea.
I'm stuck.
"What time do you have to meet him? It's 6:30 now..." Nat asks as I groan."I have to be at the creamery by 7."
"Well, get a shower and get into comfy clothes. Go there for the class and only the class. He doesn't deserve one-minute longer of your time." She slaps my butt and then walks out of my room.
I groan and pull myself off of my bed and towards my shower.
I wish I could take all of last night back. I wish I could take all of the memories back. He doesn't deserve to live in my mind.
Stepping into the warm water I hold my head under it holding my breath.
Life is so unfair to me.
For so long the idea that 'it's a bad day, not a bad life', has been pushed on me. Well, I now think I had the credentials for a bad life. I mean, put two and two together. I had a dad that didn't want me. I had a mom that did want me, but not as much as she wanted the drugs. I do have grandparents that want me, but they shouldn't have to, and now I get made to look like an idiot by a group of about six football players that all have multimillion-dollar contracts on the line.
It's not fair.
I pull my head out from underneath the water and start my quick shower routine that at the end usually had me smelling like roses, but instead, today I smelled like disappointment and despair.
Turning off the shower I grabbed my towels and returned to my room to lay on my bed contemplating even going tonight.
But in the end, I knew I needed to go.
Not for me, but for my future.
I needed him for this class and that was it.
Getting off the bed, I rummaged through my drawers for sweatpants and crewnecks for comfort. Fuck him, I will look comfy as hell. I don't care what he thinks. I'll wear the most prudish, most baggy, unappealing outfit because I would rather get caught dead than for anyone to ever know that I boned Matti Williams.
And to be clear, I didn't even bone him.
He's just a fucking asshole.
Collecting my bookbag and throwing on a beanie on top of my head I headed out of my room with a wet head of hair. "Are you leaving?" Nat asks as she sits at the table eating asparagus.
I nodded, "Yep. Getting it done and over with." She smiled at me, "That's my girl! Done and over with!"
I gave her a peace sign before walking out of the door and down the steps towards the outside door. The wind was chilly and was making my eyes water, but the views were worth it.
The Happy Valley was truly a Happy place. The rolling mountains made this place so lively and if you got to the top of a building you could see the tops of the mountains for miles.
I checked the time on my phone and it read 6:55, so I had about five minutes to get to the creamery. Hopefully, Matti was already there so we could get this done and over with.
I didn't want to be near him longer than I had to.
Turning the corner, the creamery was now in my sight, Matti's jeep, however, was not. Maybe he walked and put those multi-million dollar legs to work.
My heart clenched as I remembered the last time we were here. It started so good, and then went so bad so fast. Funnily enough, just like today went. Except there were no more chances left for me to give.
Opening the door to the creamery I was greeted by the girl behind the counter.
I had a rough day, so of course, I got strawberry ice cream in a bowl. After grabbing the ice cream I walked to the side to pick a spot to eat and waited for him to show up.
I unpacked my bookbag and grabbed my art binder and notebook. Inside of the binder was the paper I received off of Dr. Metz's desk the other day that had the instructions of the project. I had to draw things that represented Matti, or I could type them. But drawing it was easier. I knew I could draw a football obviously, but I had to figure out a couple of other things.
I looked at my phone for the time and it read 7:06.
Six minutes late but it's fine because everyone runs late sometimes.
I kept eating my ice cream and brainstorming ideas.
By the time it was 7:25 I had finished my bowl of ice cream and I was 110% done with Matti Williams.
I packed away my school supplies into my backpack and said goodnight to the girls behind the counter, but not before picking up a mint chocolate chip ice cream.
Fuck his jeep, fuck his NFL contract, fuck his snack cabinet, fuck his alcohol stash, and most importantly, fuck Matti Williams.
I started storming across campus like a madwoman. My twenty-pound backpack on my shoulders and my tiny legs were on a damn mission.
I was showing up to the damn captain's house. I will not stand here and be treated like a joke, when he was the most laughable thing this campus has ever seen, besides my father.
Grabbing my phone out of my back pocket, I dialed Nat's number. Instantly she picked up, "How'd it go? Did you kill him?" I laughed. "No, but I'm going to. He didn't even show up." I heard Nat inhale.
"Are you kidding?" She asked in disbelief.
"We shouldn't even be surprised Nat, let's get real here," I spoke on the phone.
"But like, the audacity. Are you coming home now?" She asked as I laughed. "No bitch, I'm on my way to his house." She laughed. "No, you aren't." I chuckled , "Does it sound like I'm in a joking mood, Natalie?" I asked.
"Turn around. Don't go. Don't make yourself look like this. He doesn't deserve a conversation with you, Naomi Black." She reasons with me but I still can't see her point. "No. I will have the last word. How dare he humiliate me more than he already has today. I want to make him feel the way I'm feeling!" I exclaim and truthfully, to a bystander, I probably look psychotic.
"Okay, well. Keep your head up. Come home after. I love you. Don't blow a vein in your forehead." I smiled at her response before saying I love you back and then hanging up.
I think the rate that my legs were moving could be compared to the waves in the water. This boy is going to need to watch out.
Suddenly, the house came into sight.
Oh boy.
I was going to blow a fucking gasket.
Walking up the driveway, of course, his jeep was there, and a few other cars.
Good. I hope he has company.
Reaching the front door I laid on the doorbell with the ice cream in my hand.
I heard footsteps approaching the door and my heart was ready to hammer out of my chest. Opening the door I was met with Caden's curly ass head of hair.
"Uhhh. What are you doing here?" He asks, scratching the back of his head as I tear past him into the house and he zooms behind me. "Black. What the hell are you doing? You look psycho. What's wrong?" He gets in front of me to stop me from entering the living room.
"Where's your QB?" I ask ready to tear through this damn house. He chuckles, "He's busy."
"Oh, he's busy? Yeah well, he should've been busy with me. For our class. Where is he, Caden?" I demand looking up at him to meet his eyes. He crouches down to meet my eye level.
"I can't tell you." I laugh and push past him into the living room. There sat Reese, Blake, and Griffin. Reese and Blake saw me and immediately looked like ghosts, but Griffin crossed his legs and smirked.
"Black. Leave. He's a one and done guy." Blake pleaded with me, almost begging for me to stop embarrassing myself even more.
But I had nothing to embarrass myself with. I did nothing with that douche bag.
"Williams! You have five seconds to get the fuck out here before I kick every door open and find your ass myself!" I yell throughout the house. Reese just busts out laughing as Blake sits forward and puts his head in his hands.
Whoops.
"Oh and for your information, I didn't do anything with him. I don't know what he told you, but I wouldn't touch that herpes infested fuckface with a ten-foot pole." I looked at all of them.
Seems like Matti didn't get the memo that I needed to talk to him.
"Where is he?" I asked the boys as they shook their heads. All of them but Griffin. He just moved his eyes down the hallway towards the downstairs rooms.
"More like who is he with..." I muttered as I pushed past Caden who was once again chasing me down the hallway.
I wanted blood.
I banged on every door down the "fuck" hallway and waited for him to exit with whoever the lucky lady was.
And of course, the lovely boy opened the door with sweatpants on and covered in sweat. "Who the fuck is banging on my door? I'm busy!" He yells.
And then he catches my fire burning eyes.
"Living room. Now." I demanded.
He had some fessing up to do.
I turned around and practically knocked into Caden while I walked back towards the very much so intrigued living room.
Angry footsteps followed me and I made eye contact with Griffin, oh Natalie was so going to wish she was here.
"What! What is so important!" Matti yells red in the face. "Well first of all Williams, I would love an apology!" I spat back as he laughed at me.
"Apology? Oh, here we go again with you and your apologies! You want me to apologize? For what? The fact that you saw me out in public with Chloe today?" He exclaims and now it's my time to laugh. "How about I want you to apologize for the fact that last night you led me on, and then today you dropped me off at my house to then hang out with a different girl! Not to mention the fact you decided to make up the fact that we had sex last night! Oh and the cherry on top of it, you ditched our study 'date' at the creamery where we were going to work on this together!" I yell at him as I see Blake and Reese covering their ears.
"Naomi, you're acting crazy." He laughs at me as I roll my eyes.
"Am I? Because as usual, I'm the one getting screwed over by YOU! And then YOU always come back apologizing! Because you feel bad! And you know what's funny? The fact that our project this week—sorry my project because you won't be participating in the project for tomorrow since you wasted the time we could've been doing together to do whatever—MY project is on drawing what describes your partner. And for some reason, I don't know how to draw symbols that could describe a douchebag, dickwad, overrated, college drop out, and a soon to be has been." He crosses his arms with a dead look on his face. As soon as I'm done speaking I see that Blake and Reese have uncovered their ears and are looking shocked while Griffin is laughing. Caden has gone pale as a ghost.
"Oh, and by the way," I grabbed his ice cream before continuing, "have fun showering that off." I slammed the cone in his face and watched him unbury his eyes from the frozen mint chocolate chip.
I turned around ready to make my way down the hallway and out the door but I was stopped, "What's all that noise? Are we partying without me?" Chloe stood in a bra and shorts.
I turn to look at all of the boys and make eye contact with Matti, "Are you fucking kidding me? You skipped working on the project with me for a class you know I need to get done to accomplish my future, to be with HER?" I state before shaking my head and walking down the hallway.
"Oh, and by the way Matti. Tell them we didn't fuck. Tell them that I wouldn't let you. Please and thanks. Save me from a tiny portion of the humiliation that you have caused me, and quit lying." I flip them off and walk out of that house and towards the direction of mine.
Fuck Matti Williams.
What a waste of mint chocolate chip.
YOU GUYS!!! THIS BOOK IS BEING READ IN 30 COUNTRIES!!! THATS CRAZY! I'm so glad you all are loving the book!
STAY SAFE!
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