I came in right on time. Mrs. Fischer entered the classroom moments after I settled on my seat beside Sophie. If not for Riley, I would probably be late.
Thinking about it, he really did me a huge favor driving me to school. He could have left me behind but he didn’t. And despite my outright rejection that I didn’t want to go with him, he talked me off about the consequences if I didn’t do what he said which was very un-Riley like. But I still hate him for beating the crap out of me.
A yellow crumpled paper fell on my desk. Just by looking at it, I knew it was from Sophie. It was from her Winnie the Pooh notepad. Taking the paper, I uncrumpled it and read the note written in her almost illegible handwriting.
Where were you? We thought you called in sick.
I looked up at Mrs. Fischer to make sure her attention wasn’t on me before I wrote down at the back, ‘Something happened. Details later.’
Crumpling the paper as small as possible, I tried to make it fall on top of Sophie’s desk but failed. It fell in front and I hoped she noticed a paper was thrown at her.
Thankfully, she did. She stepped on it and slid her foot closer to her chair before she stooped down to get it. She let her hands under her desk as she read my note.
I caught her spare a glance at me with her you-should-defo-tell-me look and I surreptitiously nodded at that.
When the bell signaling class was over blared across the room, I stood up, grabbed my things and stuffed them in my bag. I took hurried strides toward the cafeteria.
On my five-minute walk, I couldn’t believe how many times I bumped into Riley. If I didn’t see it with my own eyes, I would have thought it wasn’t real. I saw him more today than the last month combined, it was so surreal!
Collapsing on my usual seat, Sophie immediately brought up our supposed-to-be subject of discussion. I would bet she was very eager to let it out even when I was a mile away.
“Spill it,” she demanded.
“Can’t I rest first? I’m really going out of my mind right now,” I said, taking Chris’ bottled water and drank from it ‘til the last drop.
They looked at me suspiciously.
“What?”
Chris turned his upper half to me, “Whatever you have in store for us, do tell now. You’re getting weirder by the second.”
I rolled my eyes and laid the bottle down the middle. “I’m exhausted. Can’t we talk about this some other time?”
“You told me you will tell me the details!” Sophie complained, crossing her arms over her chest.
Tanya nodded in agreement to her though she didn’t know anything about it.
“I will, okay? I just have a really strange day and I can’t—” I was cut off mid-sentence when Tanya squealed.
Her eyes passed through me and to the cafeteria doors. Even Sophie, who kept pushing me to talk seconds ago, became giggly. Chris and I looked at each other and turned our heads to see what it was about.
If I could let the floor swallow me now, or my seat, just to avoid that familiar smirk, those emerald orbs and that messy chocolate brown hair I kept seeing just this morning alone, I would. He went straight to his group of jocks on the long table across ours.
It was so unsettling how I bumped into him so much now when I didn’t even see him more than ten times in a month before. And the fact that I have never, as in never, saw him here in the cafeteria in the past made it even more absurd.
I shook my head turning back to face our table and my friends. “This is so whipped,” I muttered.
“What is?” Sophie asked.
“This,” I said, stretching my arms to gesture around the cafeteria.
Sophie and Tanya took a look around, confused, while Chris just chuckled at my side. “Chels, are you spiked? Nothing changed!” Tanya whined.
“That,” I surreptitiously pointed at the table where Riley was seated, “changed.”
“Riley?” Chris questioned. He clearly noticed that Riley didn’t even go to cafeteria even once before.
I nodded.
Sophie plopped her elbows on the table and leaned closer to me, raising an eyebrow. “Correct me if I’m wrong, whatever happened earlier to you, did it have something to do with Riley?”
Again, I nodded.
She fell back on her chair and stared at me wide-eyed and I got the same reaction from Tanya.
“You,” Sophie said pointing at me, “better speak now. Or I’ll have to do drastic measures to get the details outta you,” she threatened.
It felt like blood was drained from my face. I couldn’t see my face but I felt cold and I knew. It was Sophie, threatening me. A freaking black belter just threatened me to speak up.
Though Soph was my friend, I knew her so much not to push my luck when her patience and nosiness were involved. I mean, she won’t hurt me, but she wouldn’t talk to me for sure. Because that was Sophie, an eight year old girl trapped inside the body of a cute blonde teenager having the strength of a man.
“Fine,” I said, giving up.
I told them everything starting from our encounter this morning ‘til how I endlessly saw him at the school grounds and now the cafeteria. I left out some details which I knew were a little too overboard to tell given that my friends gave exaggerated meaning to mostly everything. Sophie and Tanya were intently listening to me nodding and giggling every now and then while Chris looked so bored.
“And that’s how I got insane in a matter of five hours,” I finished, sighing.
“I think he stalked you!” Tanya squealed excitedly.
“Uhh. No?” I deadpanned.
“Seriously, what else could it be? He was there. He followed you. He clearly stalked you to your house!” Sophie said in agreement to Tanya.
“I shouldn’t have told you. Why are we even having this conversation? It’s nonsense. Just drop it.” I was getting irritated how they always emphasized the word stalked because of two things—one was because it creepy and two because it was Riley. “Now let’s go. We got class in less than ten minutes,” I said, taking my bag and hung it over my right shoulder as I stood up.
“Hey baby girl,” a familiar voice said and I stood frozen.
Tanya and Sophie giggled and whispered something to each other I didn’t quite understand. I intentionally dropped from my story the name Riley called me but here he was spilling the “juicy” details I tried so hard to keep to myself.
I turned my head to glare at Riley who was standing just a foot away. backing off, I forgot that I was still in between the table and the chair. Chris’ hand caught me before I could fall. “Stop calling me that,” I snapped.
“Why? What’s wrong with it?” he asked like he didn’t know why.
“I have a boyfriend,” I lashed out like it was the most obvious thing at the moment.
“So? I can’t call you baby girl just ‘coz you got a douche?” he said, raising an eyebrow.
I looked at my friends who all have the same expression on their faces, amusement. “Help me?” I hissed, which they returned with a shrug.
It was rare that they found me irritated or close to that or out of myself. If it was poker, I would call all my chips in that I got a full house on my guess that they were enjoying this.
Groaning, I turned back to Riley. “Yes, genius. You got it right.”
One corner of his lips turned and he leaned in closer putting his hand over the table and the chair closing me in between his arms, “Well baby girl, I wouldn’t be Riley if I listen to you, would I?”
My heart beat was running wild again, like this morning when I thought I was about to die. But this time, it wasn't because I felt like dying. Well, sort of felt like it, but not die as in die literally but figuratively. If that was the way to get out of this cage I was enclosed in right now, I would rather.
There were more high-pitched squeals from my friends and it was annoying me tenfold. They weren't of any help and they were making it worse.
I pushed him forward which caught the attention of those around us. There were gasps and chatters when he fell two steps back but I didn’t care.
“Well bad boy, whatever you’re planning, drop it. I won’t take your bait,” I sneered, pressing a finger on his chest.”
"Woah, chill there babe," he said raising his hands in surrender, "I'm just going to tell you to watch me play."
"What?"
So he didn't ask me, he told me. Now what? I didn't have a say to it?
"You heard me. Watch me play. We got a game at three and I expect to see you there."
"No."
Gripping on the strap of my bag, I shoulder passed him and out the cafeteria.
Was he out of his mind to expect me to just follow whatever he says? We weren't even close to being friends.
Before I could even take the first turn, someone grabbed my arm and spun me around. It sent shivers up my nape and back so I released my arm. Riley was there, grinning like an idiot with his jacket hanging on his right shoulder, "Why don't we have a deal, baby girl?"
"Why would I do that?" I demanded as i put a hand on my waist.
"Because it will benefit you."
"What about you?"
He grinned, "Of course. It goes the same for me."
Rolling my eyes, I didn't think how it would affect me later but whatever, "Shoot."
The grin on his face widened, "Watch the game. If we lose, I will never bother you again. If we win, you will eat lunch with me for a week."
My jaw dropped at his condition. Weighing them down, I had a fifty-fifty chance of winning. The football team was good, no doubt about that but it was the championship and it was game one. They could either win of lose since the opponent wasn't that easy to beat. If I win, he won't bother me forever, if not... Well, maybe I could take a week.
Bracing myself for what I was to do, I took a deep breath and said the word that could either free me or kill me, "Deal."
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Hello honeys! <3 Here's an update! yay yay yay!
Forgive me for any errors since I didn't bother check it. I just want to get this over and done with so that I could give you guys something ;)
Tell me what you think :D
Dedicated to my baby Hai for the cover <3
xx