So my punishment wasn't as bad as I thought. I didn't really have much to take away though they did take away my phone that didn't work that well anyway. I got what seemed like a two hour lecture about why fighting is wrong and responsibility and change and for some reason boys came up again, and blah, blah, blah.
I was grounded for two weeks, but apparently my fake parents had never grounded me before so they weren't exactly sure what that entailed. I told them very little but in the end it mostly ended in my favor. They both still had work however so there was no one to make sure I would stay home. I thought I was lucky and could sneak out, but they would take turns calling the house phone at fifteen to thirty intervals just to make sure I was there.
It was so annoying.
I gave them my word that I wouldn't leave, and since I was suspended for three days I had no where to go anyway. They really didn't even have to worry about me escaping since I wanted to give my face time to heal before I went out into society again anyway. By the fourth day I gave my parents the stupid pink slip that said I was allowed back at school, and they signed it reluctantly. They also realized I would need my cell phone back so they could "check up" on me at school, so they reluctantly gave that back, too.
All in all, being grounded worked out pretty well.
I felt too cool to take the bus so I texted Aid to pick me up as soon as my fake parents left for work. I kinda had the feeling that I was leaning on him too heavily, but when he showed up punctually with that big doofy grin on his face I dismissed that thought immediately.
"I tried to call you," he said as I hopped on.
"Phone got taken away."
He was confused. "But...how'd you text me?"
I smiled. "Got it back."
He raised his brows at me, impressed. "That quick?"
"I'm a G like that," I said shrugging.
He tossed his head back and laughed, and we headed off to school.
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We arrived fairly early, for I wanted to beat the crowd. Since no one was around we hung out by the side of the building so people who were arriving wouldn't see us right off.
"So how bad was it?" I asked him wearily.
"Not bad at all actually. I mean, everyone's Shenise got the most hits in, but they really admire the way you knocked her out. "I shuddered as I remembered how I had sent her flying. Definitely not one of my proudest moments.
"You 'kay?" he asked. "You look sorta pale."
I ran a hand down my face. "I just wish everyone one would forget about it. I punched a girl dude."
"You are a girl," he reminded me with a smile.
"Yeah only on the outside."
"Well the outside is what everybody sees. Stop tripping about it."
I sighed. "Yeah I guess..."
"Besides no one's likely to forget this. If we were still doing your stupid little scheme you would definitely be on top now."
I laughed and rolled my eyes. "Yeah thank god for that. But I'm running out of time, Aid."
"How's your uh...little tree doing?"
I sighed again. "I think it's dying. The leaves all seem to be falling off one by one."
"Well hey, at least it's dying slowly. Though I admit, it's bad that it's dying at all," he added before I could glare at him for his optimism. "But we still have time."
"Not that much time....."
Soon we got a text that Jenni and Anna had arrived at school, and we went to go meet them. Anna gave me a ridiculously tight and huge hug, not that I minded, and Jenni gave me one, too. "Oh, gosh, Anna was so worried about you! It was hard to try and calm her down."
"I was," she admitted. "Gosh Jess, I tried to call you"-
"She got grounded for an hour," Aid answered for me.
"What?"
"I got grounded," I clarified. "But....it didn't last long since my parents apparently don't even know how to ground someone."
They laughed, and then the bell rang and we all headed into the building.
"You ready?" Anna asked me before we opened the doors.
I took a deep breath. "Oh yeah. Let's do the damn thing." She laughed and we stepped inside.
School had semi calmed down from the fight that was now three days old much to my relief, but I was surprised when everyone seemed to be buzzing with something else.
"Are you still going to Shenise's party?" I heard someone ask as we walked down the halls. I tried to listen to the answer but while the person surprisingly said no, I couldn't hear the reason why. However my question was soon answered when Shelley came up to us.
"Hey Jess! Did you hear the good news?"
"No."
"Almost no one's going to Shenise's party now!"
"Because of the fight?!" I asked incredulously.
She shrugged. "I guess. But now everyone's going to yours!"
"Mine? I'm not throwing a party."
"That's not what the whole school's saying."
"What?! I am not throwing a party! Who..." Suddenly Jenni caught my attention, the way she just so happened to casually start running her fingers through her hair and looking at the walls. "Jenni....." I called eyeing her suspiciously.
"Huh?" She said turning to me with an innocent expression.
I tapped my foot. "You wouldn't have anything to do with this would you?"
She bit her lip as she glanced nervously from me and everyone else. Finally she sighed and threw her hands in the air. "Fine! Maybe, I told a few friends that you were gonna have a party the same day that Shenise was. It was Maria's original idea!" she added defensively.
"But we said we weren't gonna go through it!" I whined.
"Actually," Shelley intervened, "we only said that we weren't going through with it cause you weren't popular enough. Now the whole school knows your name."
I ran a hand down my face and sighed heavily. "Well just call it off," Anna suggested.
"She can't do that!" Shelley snapped. "Besides the entire student body pretty much already knows about it and you cancelling it will just put you back at the bottom!"
"She has a point, Anna," I said reluctantly. "Not that I care so much for being on top anymore, but people might get really pissed, and I don't need any more enemies.
Anna rolled her eyes. "People at this school are stupid."
I chuckled, elbowing her lightly to make her show that beautiful smile again. "You're just now figuring that out?" I asked jokingly. It worked, she smiled and bumped me back lightly in return.
"So," Shelley said suddenly pulling me forward away from Anna, "Do you know what you're gonna wear?"
"Wear? Um...Whatever I have on at school that day I guess."
She was appalled. "No! No, no, no. Girl, you're gonna be hosting. You have to look the hottest. Its like the rule of party planning."
"Well I wasn't even planning on hosting a party anyway," I said glaring at Jenni who only shrugged her shoulders innocently.
"Leave it to me," she said. "All I have to go is go to your house"-
"Whoa! Stop right there. First of all I'm kinda grounded...ish...and second of all my house is waay to small to host any sort of anything."
"Have it at my house," Anna said coming up behind me.
"Really?" I asked. "I thought you didn't even want this party to go down."
She shrugged. "No more than you do. But it has to happen, right?" she said with fake enthusiasm. "My house is big enough and my dads won't care, so...have it there."
I smiled at her. "Thanks Anna. That's really, really kind of you. Are you payed?"
She raised a brow at me. "For what?"
"For being nice. People just aren't this nice nowadays without a reason."
She threw her head back and laughed her beautiful, goofy laugh, and a light blush came to her cheeks. "Shucks," she said playfully pushing my arm.
"Okay," Shelley snapped, reminding us both she was there. "Want me to go to your house and help, Anna?"
"Uh yeah that'd be nice. Hey you should call Denise, Maria and Carrie, too. I'm sure they'd love to, too."
"Okay," she said quickly again. "I'll call you okay Jess?"
"Sure, sure," I said waving as she left.
"Shelley sure is excited about this party thing, huh Jess?" Anna asked when she was gone.
I shrugged. "She's a girl I guess. Don't girls like that kind of thing?"
"Not this girl."
I smiled at her. "There's no secret party animal inside of you?"
She laughed again. "Oh no. To be honest I rarely even go to parties."
I gave her a look. "Did you live under a rock?"
Her face held feigned shock and insult as she playfully hit my arm. "Says the one who thought two gay dads would birth a baby with purple hair and a rainbow tongue!"
I laughed, remembering my ignorance that day. "For your information it was blue hair," I corrected jokingly. "And I've never seen your tongue so I don't know if it has rainbows or not." She licked her lips playfully, showing me her tongue, but I got chills and looked away quickly. "Wow. Pink. Who'da thunk."
"Told ya, " she said smugly.
"Ya got me."
"But seriously, Jess. You need to help me for this party thing. What was Shelley talking about 'looking hot' and all that stuff?"
"Don't worry about it. She doesn't mean to wear a ball gown or a stripper outfit. Just, you know; hot. sexy."
"What is hot and sexy?"
You.
"Uh....I don't know. How bout you come with Shell and I since I guess she's my new 'wardrobe consultant' or whatever," I said jokingly rolling my eyes.
She pursed her lips, "Uh...I don't know it didn't really seem like an open invitation."
I shrugged. "Anna, we're friends. We should all go."
She smiled. "Okay. Only if everyone else goes, too."
"It's a date then?" I asked half joking.
Suddenly she jumped up, gasping and startling me. "Ooh! Jess what a great idea!"
"Um...thanks?"
"Do you even know what I'm talking about?"
"Should I?"
"Yes!! Let me co-host with you! Like an unofficial date thing! I mean its gonna be at my house anyway."
My heart started beating. The only words I had heard were 'you' somewhere and 'date'.
"Yeah of course, definitely," I agreed quickly, not really sure what I was even agreeing to.
"Great! See you after school! Ahh! Now I'm so excited I could...." she hugged me suddenly, quickly giving me a big peck on the cheek. "Bye! Love you!" she called as she went to class.
I stood there like an idiot, my cheek tingling from her soft lips embrace. "Love you..." I said quietly after she was long gone. I reached up a hand to see if I could still feel her warm lips on my cheek, but stopped myself, thinking that if I touched it I would wipe the kiss away.
I'll never wash this cheek again.
Suddenly I wanted to slap myself. 'I'll never wash this cheek again?' What the hell dude? Chill out she's just a girl who gave you a peck on the cheek! You've made out with girls almost as hot and you've never felt this way! I tried to make myself believe the words I said. I was right after all...Wasn't I?
No. It was getting harder and harder to believe that Anna really was just a girl. She was different. She was...special. Still, though I kept trying to tell myself otherwise, I was very careful not to touch the left side of my face.....at least for the rest of the day.
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So what do you think? Is the player finally falling in love?
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Thanks for reading!!! :)