CHAPTER ELEVEN: TAYLOR SWIFT AS A VERB
I start my Tuesday morning with a frown.
Before I slept last night, I received a text from that devil-sent Math teacher that Hailey will be tutoring me every Wednesdays. The hell she is!
Wasn't annoying me about our marriage contract not enough? Now he just had to remind me that I have a tutoring session with that witch he has slept with. Ugh.
My best friend isn't even around to cheer me up because she has doctor's appointment for her leg which she broke when she was younger. She still has no idea how she broke it. It's practically healed now anyway, but the doctor still wants to check it once every six months.
So now I'm stuck alone with a chicken sandwich in the lunch table because Lance is eating at some fancy cafe because he promised someone a date, while the other boys are who knows where. Probably enjoying the women of California.
It royally sucks that I only have one best friend and one newly found friend who can't even eat with me during lunch.
And as if the universe enjoys putting me in a bad mood, I notice Hailey taking a seat in front of me. Her ebony hair tied in a messy bun but she still looks stunning. Why can't I be as gorgeous as her? Whenever I try that messy bun thing on my hair, I look like a homeless hobo who hasn't showered for years.
"So you suck at math, huh?" She taunts with a proud smirk. I take a big bite from my sandwich and tear the chicken forcefully with my teeth as if imagining it's her head. I simply scowl at her as I exaggeratingly chew my bread. "Sir Jeremy emailed me yesterday about tutoring you."
I swallow and take a sip from my apple juice box, still not giving her an answer.
She chuckles. "Sweetie, don't be shy," she pauses with an evil smile. "You should be mortified because you're the only one who failed that Math test."
"Don't you have boys to flirt with? Stop wasting your time talking to me."
"But I enjoy talking to you." She tries to take my hand but I pull away. Who knows where she had put that hand on. "I think we might be great friends, don't you think?"
I shudder in disgust. "I don't befriend sluts, sorry"
She chuckles in mock understanding. "That's rich coming from you, dear. Dating the Math teacher doesn't make you a saint either"
I could tell her we're not really dating but why would I even defend myself to this depraved wench? "Get lost, Hailey. Please."
She puts her hand on her chest. "Aw, you said please," she pushes the chair backwards to stand up "See you tomorrow. Can't wait to see how stupid you are." then she saunters away.
My chicken sandwich almost crumble to pieces with how much I'm clenching it with my hands. I breathe out a frustrated groan and just quickly finish eating. Even with the fact that I have a History class later at one P.M. and I'd be seeing that psycho teacher again, I won't waste a perfectly delicious food just because I'm in a bad mood. That's blasphemy.
Once I'm done drinking my apple juice, I grab my bag, stand up from my seat and march towards the Teacher's hall and enter Sir Jeremy's office without knocking.
I find him sitting by his desk with an open mouth and a fork with an appealing looking beef steak raised in mid-air. He scowls at me then brings the fork down. I situate myself on the chair that I've been so used to sitting on and cross my arms over my chest.
"I was eating, Miss Roberts," He says with a glare. "What do you want?"
"I don't want to be tutored by that leech."
He raises an eyebrow. "Hailey West?"
I scoff. "Glad to hear you know which leech I was referring to."
"What about her then?" He takes a drink from his water bottle.
"I don't need a tutor. What I need is a decent teacher who will teach me well in Math, not some chick you've slept with."
He gags. And spits everything he just drank.
Water. Water all over my face.
I shout a few incoherent words, grab a tissue from the box and wipe his spit off my face.
"I'm sorry," Jeremy says frantically as he wipes the water off his desk too. "But, I've slept with? Where in the world did you get that?"
I throw the used tissue at him "Hailey is a cheater and a liar. She's better known for the things that she does on the mattress."
He stares at me as if I've gone mad. "Did you just Taylor Swift me?"
"Did you just use Taylor Swift as a verb?" And he got that reference?
"Never mind." Jeremy waves off. "I know that. That's why I've never slept with Hailey."
I roll my eyes. "Yeah right."
"I don't want to be rude or anything, but I'm not really prepared to risk my health to be with her. I've never even slept with anyone. Where did you even get that rumor?"
I put my leg over the other and glare at him. "I don't care if... wait, what?" Did I really hear him right? "You've never slept with anyone?"
He lips form a thin line and a deep red color slowly creeps up his face.
He's blushing. Jeremy Lincoln is blushing!
"That's none of your business." He takes a long swig from his water bottle while I'm gaping at him as if he just told me that he's Santa Claus.
"But aren't you like, twenty-five?" I press further. I just got to know more.
"I said that's none of your business." He grumbles.
A wide grin spreads across my face "You're still a virgin at twenty-five? Oh my gosh, this is gold. This is really gold." I cover my mouth with my hand to suppress myself from laughing.
"Kimberly Roberts, if you can't stop acting like a child, get out of my office."
"Are you gay?" I really hope not because I don't want to be married to someone who's not even slightly interested to my gender.
"No, I just have high standards. And that's still none of your damn business. Now get out of my office. Your next class starts in ten minutes."
I shake my head whilst still giggling. "You do realize someone might be hunting for you so they can sacrifice your old virgin blood to the gods, right?"
He lets out a disgruntled snarl, "Stop being immature, Kim."
I suddenly come to a realization. "Oh my gosh! What if your old virgin blood is the answer to world peace? You can save world hunger!" Childish, I know. But this has to be acknowledged. I didn't know twenty-five-year-old virgins still exist in this day and age especially in America.
He puts his elbows on his desk, covers his face with his hands and growls in displeasure.
Jeremy Lincoln is embarrassed and I'm enjoying every second of it.
"Kim, for the love of everything that is good, please get out of my office."
His phone rings and my eyes find the screen where an Unknown Number is flashing.
"Aren't you going to answer that?" I ask him.
He looks at his phone on the desk. "Not until you get out."
I simply give him a wicked smirk and refuse to leave. Let's see who's tougher.
After a few more seconds, the phone finally stops ringing.
"I don't even want to go to my History class. Sir Gregory is in there." I state and he just nods although I can see that he's already irritated of my presence.
"Well, you can't stay here either. I have a class to teach in a few minutes."
His phone vibrates again but this time, only a message appears.
I take a quick glance and read it. My goosebumps had goosebumps over their goosebumps when I realize how weird the message is. Is he being stalked?
I'm coming for you, Jay.
Despite the eccentricity, I still managed to say, "Virgin blood, I tell you."
I leave his office without further deliberations.
If he is being hunted because of his unique virgin blood, I don't want to be in the same room as him and be dragged to some eerie sacrifice in an abandoned village full of witches. I think I'd rather torment myself with Sir Gregory's company, thank you very much.
As I make my way towards my History class, I receive a text from Ella that she'd be attending her afternoon classes since her doctor only did a few tests on her leg this morning but she'll be a little late.
I enter the classroom and see the psycho teacher adjusting the A/C. I guess I'm in luck since I don't want to make any eye contact with him today, or any day for that matter. I take a seat at the back of the class despite the consequences that someone might get mad at me for taking their seat. I'll probably just bribe a lot of money.
Three more minutes before the class officially starts and Lance comes in with a blonde girl hanging by his arm, the same blonde girl who flew towards him yesterday. The chick gives him a quick kiss on the cheek then leaves. Lance smiles when he spots me then strides my way and sits on the chair beside me.
The girls don't attack the boys much anymore. Just a few glances and batting of eyelashes on their way. Although some still try to take a picture with them, they aren't that wild as compared to yesterday's madness. I guess they're done worshiping them now since this is their second day.
"Hey stranger," He greets "You look like someone killed your cat. What's up?"
"That math teacher again." So I tell him the summarized version of Sir Jeremy forcing me to be tutored by Hailey who is a prominent campus slut but also a smart student.
"A nerd who sleeps around. Cool, I don't hear that every day." He comments and I glare at him. Really? That's all he got from my ranting?
Boys.
The three guys follow a minute later, all with a girl in each arm. They all let go of them, kissing them on their cheeks first before waving goodbye. Then they all stride towards Lance, like some gods who owned everything, and make fist bumps before they take a seat.
"Hey. Kim, right?" The cute blonde guy asks me.
"Yes," I answer. "Yael?"
The boys laugh and the brown-skinned guy winks at me, "No. I'm Yael. He's Tristan."
"Ken here, just in case you didn't know." The boy with the spiky hair interjects. Oh, I know who you are. He's like the main fvckboy of the band according to the articles.
"And I'm pretty sure you already know who Lance is," Tristan ruins Lance's hair with his hand which made Lance grumble and punch his friend's arm.
"Dude, not the hair!" Lance complains but with humor in his tone. I smile at their playfulness.
"Lance can't stop talking about you last Saturday night," Ken tells me excitedly.
Lance's eyes widen. "Dude, what the—"
"Ssssh!" A student warns and we all face forward.
We notice Sir Gregory standing in the middle of classroom which implies that students should settle down now because his lecture is about to start. When everyone is finally facing in front, he presses his hands together and makes a dad joke. He always does before starting the class.
"What do you call a man who has a rubber toe?" He asks excitedly while rubbing his palms.
The whole class answers, "What?"
Silence. Anticipation.
The History teacher grins. "Roberto."
A moment of realization.
Then suddenly everyone tries containing their amusement but miserably fail because almost all of them start sniggering and giggling.
Except me.
Everyone knows dad jokes are supposed to be so bad that you can't help but laugh at how cringe-worthy it is. But I still can't bring myself to even smile now that I know his real personality.
He starts discussing about more about the Cold War and I listen intently because despite how uncomfortable I am right now; I still have to pass this subject.
I glance at my phone's screen to check the time. Twenty minutes after one and Ella isn't here yet. I know she said she's going to be late, I wasn't just expecting her to be this late. She probably won't even be allowed to come inside the classroom now since we have zero tolerance on tardiness policy in this school.
Sir Gregory has asked us to answer the questions he has written on the board which mostly consist of What's, When's and Why's. The questions are easy and I'm sure I can answer pretty much all of them if my stomach isn't aching right now. This is definitely a number two.
Darn it, this is for not chewing my chicken sandwich thoroughly.
I raise my hand and Sir Gregory gestures towards me.
"Yes, Miss Roberts. Care to answer one of these questions?"
I clench my hands over my stomach. "The first one is Russia. I need to go to the bathroom."
"That's wrong, but alright." He takes out the Hall Pass from his drawer and I quickly run towards him to get it. I mutter a thank you and dash out the classroom.
I slam the bathroom door open because nature is that frantic to call me.
Only I almost forgot what I was about to do when I find Ella flushed on the wall, arms tightly wrapped around a guy as he kisses her relentlessly.
They immediately pull away from each other once they realized they aren't alone. I stand motionless as I try to grasp what is happening; my crush and my best friend.
The gods must really hate me today.