My Paid Boyfriend
Chapter 19- Kill Them With Kindness
I woke up in the morning, with a slight head ache, and the need to never ever want to get out of bed. The last part is a typical feeling I have every morning, nothing to do with the fact that I wasn't completely sober last night. I spent thirty minutes lying face first into my pillow thinking about every detail of last night that I could remember. I remember talking to Jason, the beer pong game, the Frisbee game with Colt, the touchy flirty thingy going on with him, - probably because he was buzzed at the time and it didn't faze him- getting hit with a Frisbee, then I remember going inside to look for Carly but I can't really remember what exactly happened after going back.
I can tell you what happen by guessing, I probably played more drinking games, which wasn't smart of me. I don't know why I really wanted to go out that night. I mean yeah it was cool to get out and mingle. Will I do it again? No, I probably won’t for a while now. The last thing I was really trying to remember is what went down in this very room with Jeremy. I remember as much as him giving me pills and water and putting me to bed. Other than that I can't remember much. Some part of my brain is telling me I slapped him, but I don't think I'd ever do that unless I was furious. It looks cool when girls do it on TV for dramatic effect but I don't think I'm that kind of girl.
I heard a door slam making me cringe. Feet shuffled across the floor and a loud familiar sigh was released. "Get your ass out of bed its eleven in the morning." Paige grumbled jumping on the end of my bed. I grumbled nonsense into my pillow not wanting to talk, "See this is why we don't go to parties, Sky." She sighs again but stops the bouncing, "What happened to you last night? I snuck back in at around past midnight and I found you already in bed but Carly wasn't back. Did you guys split up?" She questioned.
I growled rolling over on my back. Shit I forgot about Carly, "Please tell me she's back." I plead with my roommate. I'd feel nothing but guilt if Carly stayed the night in some random room with random people. If something happened to her I'd feel even worse.
"Jade said she came in about twenty minutes after me. We already went to breakfast. You missed out, they made waffles." Paige informs me.
I whine and pout, waffle breakfast is my favorite. You got in a line and picked out whatever you wanted to put in your waffle, and then the cook pours the batter and your flavor topping and puts it all on the waffle skillet with a side of bacon or sausage. It's the only time I actually eat breakfast and the food is good. If its eleven o'clock and I run to the cafeteria maybe I can still get my waffles before they serve lunch!
"How much did you drink last night?" Paige wonders once I finally open my eyes.
"I drank enough for you and me." I mumble.
"I wouldn't doubt it. The bathroom smells like puke thanks to you. You're cleaning the toilet and making it smell pretty again." She orders me. Ugh, it's too early for ordering me around. "Oh and this came in for you too." She says. She shows me a manila envelope and then tosses it on my desk.
"I need a shower." I mutter not bothering to see what my package was. I got up from my bed and made my way to the bathroom to freshen up. A shower and some Advil sounds perfect to me right now, and some blueberry chocolate chip waffles with bacon. Mmm, sounds like a start to a better morning.
After getting cleaned up I dressed myself in a pair of baggy navy sweats and a white tank top. I didn't care what I looked like right now, as long as I got some breakfast I'd be a happy camper. When I walked out the bathroom and began to search for my navy flip flops Paige raised her brow at me as she turned in her desk chair.
"You're going out in that?" She questioned me.
"Yep." I said popping the P.
"You're going to need sunglasses. The sun is shining and you're still suffering from a hangover whether you think it or not." She tells me rolling back to face her laptop.
"Thanks mom. Should I put on a jacket too? Maybe carry around my rape whistle and pepper spray?" I tell her sarcastically as I grab my Ray Bans.
"You should because you never know. And when you get back young lady you're cleaning that bathroom. You want to get drunk that's all on you." She pipes back with a smirk on her light freckled face. Her dirty blond hair tied back in a messy bun so her green eyes popped.
I throw my hair over my shoulder and playfully scowl at her, "This is why I'm the fun one and you're not." I tell her jokingly as I stick my tongue at her.
She just laughs as I walk out the door and begin to hastily make my way to the cafeteria. I only had thirty minutes until lunch was served and the breakfast bar is closed. I checked messages on my phone and preoccupied myself with it on my walk. I didn't waste any time walking in and getting my waffle mix ready for the cook to prepare. As I waited for my breakfast to be cooked, wondering if I should bring it back to the room or not, two giggling girls were walking through the quiet cafe.
The chance of me meeting Kate Johns, and her bimbo, Hannah Roberts, here in the cafeteria has got to be a setup from God himself. I rarely ever see Kate or Hannah in the cafe because truthfully I don't think they eat; like ever. I tried looking away, hoping that they didn't recognize me. If Kate is as clingy to Jeremy as I think she is than she must know I went out on a date with him and every little detail about it. Maybe Jeremy should have a client privacy policy.
"Hey Han, look its Skylar McKay!" Kate faked gasped grabbing the red head's arm. Oh Lord, shoot me now! How long do waffles have to cook for! I think I should have just stayed in.
By the time I mumbled 'to go' to the cook Kate and Hannah already strutted their way to where I stood, "Sky look at you! Are you trying to pull off that lazy college girl look? You work it girl." Kate said to me with a fake glossy pink smile.
"Gee thanks." I mutter with zero enthusiasm.
"So let’s just cut to the chase." Kate said straightening out her posture. It’s not like I didn't see this coming from a mile away. I roll my eyes and look back into the kitchen begging the cook with my eyes to move faster, "I hope Jeremy treated you right over your fake date." She said with strict emphasis on the word fake.
"Yeah he-"
"I hope he wasn't too preoccupied and all. Kate and he were texting all weekend-"
"Han shush." Kate giggled like she didn't want me to know that.
"Not at all actually," I say through gritted teeth, "As a matter of fact we had a great weekend." I rubbed in, "We bonded greatly. Jeremy is such a sweat guy and all, pulling out my chair or holding the door for me. Kisses and hugs and hand holding, cuddling through the storm; he sure knows how to make a girl feel special." I fire back with the utter most fake kindness. I hope I was getting under her skin big time.
Her fake smile dropped slightly, her obvious fake blue eyes looking harder and darker, "Well that's what you pay him to do honey." She did not just call me honey! She propped her hand on her hip giving me a little glare, "It means nothing after you step foot on campus."
"Oh, really," I say with fake shock. Propping my hand on my hip too I look at her challengingly, "Then I guess I must be really special if Jeremy tells me he wants to be friends once we step foot on campus." I tell her. As if I told her I put a bomb in her room her mouth drops open along with Hannah's. They both cross their arms over their chest just as the cook hands me my to-go container of my breakfast along with chocolate milk, "Maybe even more than friends." I whisper under my breath lightly making them believe that it wasn't meant for their ears but they had heard it anyways, "Have a good day girls." I tell them. Lesson 101, you don't have to be bitch back. You just got to kill your enemies with kindness. And a fake smile.
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After finishing my breakfast while starting my assignments I take a break and decided to open my package that came in this morning. I opened up the manila envelope to find another white envelope; I open it with a grin. My brother remembered to print off that wedding picture I wanted of him and me. I expected there to be just that one but I found that there were a couple more. I smiled at the first one of my brother and I in the mirror, the same mirror - or one close to it - that my mother had her picture taken in.
The second one was of Charlie and I, we were both holding hands and clicking our champagne glasses together, smiling at one another.
The next was of Danny, my dad, and I. I was smiling at the camera as Danny kissed my right cheek and my dad kissed my left.
I took the last one out and pressed my lips together. The last one was of Jeremy and I; dancing on the ballroom dance floor. I was caught mid laugh with my head slightly down, Jeremy laughing as well, our hands were tangled together facing the camera, and his hand was placed on my lower back. I remember that moment. Jeremy wanted to try taking the lead once we tried dancing again, we only ended up stepping on each other’s feet and we laughed every time.
A little white piece of paper was left in the envelope: Thought you'd like a few more. –Danny & Charlie
I grinned looking over the cork board above my desk. I took down a few old papers that took up space, threw them out and tacked up a few of the new ones all together. I looked at the photo of Jeremy and me and put it on my desk and under my laptop. I couldn't have that hanging up. No matter how much I wanted to get under Kate's skin I knew deep down that I wasn't the one for Jeremy. Neither was Kate now that I think about it more. Kate's a fake bitch and Jeremy doesn't deserve her. He needs someone kind and just as willing and helpful as he is.
A thump bounces off my head. With a loud ow I turn my head and glare at Paige at her desk, "Clean the bathroom!" She orders pointing.
I sigh rolling my eyes. It's not even that bad! I do it anyways because anything is better than thinking about Jeremy and some other girl. Because eventually I knew- and hoped- this feeling in my heart would go away.
*Jeremy's POV*
Paige smiled telling me to wait there. I nodded my head as she walked back in the dorm room leaving the door open. I was still contemplating in my mind if this was a bad idea or not. But for the sake of my peace of mind I needed to know if Sky was one hundred percent Ok. I peeked in seeing her walk off to the bathroom. I stepped in looking around. Their dorm room was perfectly and freakishly neat, not surprising since they're girls. I figured the bed nearest to the door was Sky's seeing that some of her stuff I recognized was on her bed, and that was the one I had put her in last night.
I turned my head to the bathroom door as I began to hear frantic whispers and my name being said several times. I began looking around Sky's space; her cork board had papers and pictures that intrigued me. I noticed how some were recently new; they were photos from her brother's wedding. I smiled remembering that weekend together. We had so many memories.
I looked down at her clustered desk, her Business Law text book was open and I couldn't help but snoop to see what she had highlighted and taken for notes. I've been a little distracted to be honest. I accidentally touched her laptop enough to make it turn on again. Hey is that the Business and Law assignment?! I bent down to look over to the screen, really tempted to see what was written when I noticed a corner of a paper sticking out from under the laptop. I pulled it out slowly as I looked over my shoulder in case they were coming out of the bathroom, still only whispers came out.
What I saw on that paper was me. And Sky of course, looking breath taken as ever. The picture was of us on the day of her brother's wedding dancing and caught mid laugh. Man do I suck at dancing. But fuck she looks so hot. And then there's me! I flipped the picture over thinking how some people write things on the back. I found that our names were written in red pen inside a heart, the date off to the side, and a quote: "The best thing to hold onto in life is each other."
I heard the door click open and voices became louder. I quickly stood up and flipped the picture over thinking I had enough time to put it back but when I looked over my shoulder Sky was being pushed out the door. She looked back at what I assumed was Paige kicking her out and then whipped her head to me nervously and surprised.
The door quickly shut behind her and she casually leaned against it running her hands through that long dark hair of hers, "Hey Jeremy, what's going on?" She asked with a friendly tone in her voice.
I grinned putting my hands in my pockets as I rocked myself from the balls of my feet to my heel, "Just came to check up on you. You looked totally trashed last night. Wanted to make sure you're Ok."
She bit her bottom lip making me want to bite her plump pink lips with my own teeth. It drives me crazy when she does that, "Yeah, uh thanks. I'm fine, that Advil and water bottle trick of yours worked perfectly once again." She grinned. Her eyes looked a little tired and red but other than that she does look fine. If she could pull off baggy sweatpants and a tank top like that then I'm sure she's more than perfect.
"I see." I simply replied as I slowly nodded my head.
There was a long awkward silence of us just nodding our heads and grinning. It wasn't until Paige coughed in the bathroom when it startled Sky and she got moving, "So is there anything else? I’m kind of hoping to finish up my assignments." She said walking toward her desk. I stood in front of it hoping she'd stray away until I could hide the picture back but it was no use. She was determined to sit at her chair and get back into her zone. Or ignore me and make me uncomfortable until I left.
She didn't notice the picture at first but when she did her eyes darted at me so fast I didn't know if it even happened. Just as quick as she blinked she flicked the picture back under her laptop and cleared her throat, "Snooping through my things I see." She mentions. I didn't know if she was referring to the picture or to the now lit laptop screen with the same assignment I needed to work on.
"Maybe I should get going." I said nervously scratching the back of my head.
"Yeah, maybe you should." She whispered back while typing away on her laptop. I pressed my lips together and raised my eyebrows. Wow, that was straight forward and honest. I started walking out, "Jeremy." She called out. I turned around quickly eager to know what she had to say, "Thank you for bringing me back last night. I appreciate it more than you know." She said kindly with a grin on her lips.
She folded her hands in her lap, facing me as she waited for me to say something next. I just wanted to freeze the moment and take in how beautiful she is. But staring at her for too long, silently, made her uncomfortable and squeamish, "You're welcome. I knew you'd appreciate it." I answered her back.
"I hope I didn't say anything stupid or mean to you last night. Blame it on the alcohol." She chuckled, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. Her eyes soften when I was quiet for a bit. I didn't say anything because I didn't want to lie to her or for her to worry about it, "Did I say something wrong?" She asked nervously.
"Nothing I couldn't handle." I told her. She looked slightly relieved but still just slightly curious. With a nod she turned back to her laptop.
Sighing I felt a relief that I could exit the room and its awkward tense, "See you later, friend." She said with emphasis.
With a hard grin I looked over my shoulder seeing as her eyes didn't move from place, "Glad you're Ok, buddy." I said playing along. She held her thumb up with a grin until I left her room and shut the door behind me.
Well that was painful.
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