Chapter Four : In the Name of Your Pea Sized Balls I Say Unhand Me!
Let's get one thing very clear especially now that the plague called Cole Stone is fast spreading through my life. I am not an attention seeker, I was never an attention seeker and I will never be an attention seeker. I'm the kind of girl who likes to blend into the crowd so much so that a chameleon would be jealous of my skills. See my communication capabilities are terrible, I'm downright pathetic when it comes to trying to talk to someone new. Evidence of my lack of prowess in the particular department is that I only had one friend from the age of five till the age of fifteen. When she ditched me for a higher calling it took me months to find a new friend-Megan. In fact I have to hand it in to the girl for tolerating my one word stuttered responses and the general air of awkwardness that seemed somewhat deeply integrated inside my brain. What accompanies this awkwardness is the threat to constantly humiliate myself in front of large crowds so it's not exactly surprising that I would choose not to been seen or heard.
The purpose of this explanation is to highlight how frustrating it has become for me to be constantly watched. The eyes follow me everywhere I go be it my classes, the lunchroom, the ladies room they even followed me to my shift at Rusty's. It is unnerving to say the least and most of the time I bear this unwarranted attention by reminding myself that the people are not to blame and that they were doing what human beings normally do-not minding their own business. Had I been in their place maybe I too would've started stalking the girl who seemed to be constantly accompanied by the resident bad boy, yes that's what I told myself.
Speaking of the resident bad boy...
We're sat at a table in cafeteria and for once the table isn't the one nearest to the dustbins which stink of rotten fruit. Cole of all people had threatened a group of soccer players who had scattered so fast from this very table that it was almost comical. Now once again the feeling of being watched is growing up to a point where it's making me paranoid that somehow I've forgotten to put on clothes this morning.
"You're going to eat that?" Cole asks as he eyes my pizza slice which I gladly push towards him.
Cole's sitting beside me whereas Megan and Beth are sitting opposite the both of us. Megan's tray remains untouched as she ogles at Cole, apparently she's never been in such close proximity to as she calls him 'The Cole Stone' and its wrecking havoc on her appetite. Beth remains much more composed about the situation and is munching away on her apple with only a hint of amusement on her face.
"So do you ladies have plans for the weekend?" Cole asks but I can sense it's more to do with ending the ever present silence than actually wanting to know if we we're painting the town red in the near future. He's been sitting with the three of us for a week now much to chagrin of the popular crowd especially Nicole. Hard as I try to ignore the death glares she keeps shooting me I just cannot. I get it she's mad that I've somehow gotten myself under the protection of the one bully who could out-mean her and she's probably suffering from going cold turkey to her addiction. It's been a whole week since I've been shoved into a locker or insulted to my face about how ugly I am. Her minions didn't even try to attack me when we happened to be in the girl's room at the same time. Call it pessimistic but I couldn't help but feel a little frightened, thinking of the quietness on Nicole's front as the calm before the thunder storm that was my former best friend.
It appeared that no one would answer Cole's question since expecting a reply to come out the star struck Megan's mouth is foolish and Beth's got her earphones in so she's dead to the world.
"We might go to the mall or something." I say right before mentally smacking myself knowing that I've given away my possible location over the weekend. I'd been hoping that the girls and I could go out and do something fun without Cole foreshadowing us. Now that seemed somehow impossible.
"On a Saturday night?" He raises an eyebrow and I shrug.
"We're not exactly the partying type."
He studies me for a while and before I know what he's doing he stands up on his seat turns around and hollers at someone called Jared across the cafeteria.
"Hey man you still up for the party on Saturday?"
The person called Jared, a boy with blonde hair sitting at Nicole's table-a jock probably since he's wearing the jersey- yells yes and Cole tells him that he's in.
"Awesome." He grins and everyone at his table is immediately buzzing discussing about said party's going to be ''off the chain''
Did they still use that phrase?
Cole sits back down on his seat and grins at me, "That guy's been after me all week to throw a welcome home party. I didn't want one since you know he's a tool but you're welcome."
I stare at him trying to comprehend what it is that he's trying to imply. Why would I be thanking him? So someone's throwing a party for him, big whoop. Why should it matter to me?
Always the smarter one Megan squeals in delight and jumps in her seat before clapping her hands like an excited child watching a magic show.
"What?" I look between the two of them wondering what it is that I'm missing.
"You're still so dumb Tessie. Good thing you're hot now you could always marry rich." Cole flicks me forehead and I narrow my eyes at him.
"We're going to a party on Saturday." He says slowly since I still haven't understood. He pauses before each word like he's explaining a particularly difficult theorem to the densest student in the class. I scowl and turn in my seat so that I'm facing him.
"Who says I'll go?" I say determinedly
He chuckles and shakes his head, "So naïve Tessie, do you actually think you have a choice? Have you learnt nothing from spending time with my fine self all these years?"
I shake my head furiously, 'No no no! I will not, I cannot and frankly I should not for the sake of my own well being go to this party."
He turns in confusion towards Megan since I'm still mumbling incoherently under my breath having gone into shock because of what he's just asked me today.
"What's she on about?" He asks Megan like I'm not even there.
Megan is caught off guard not expecting Cole to directly address her and she's at a loss for words stuttering through random phrases as she tries to piece together an actual sentence.
"I-She....her...I mean that..."
Beth snorts and takes off her earphones, "What she's trying to so eloquently say is that we've been banned from parties. If Nicole sees us at one we're done for and while I don't give a damn about her royal bitchness these two are too scared to actually face her."
Cole looks impressed at her response as she puts the Skull Candy earphones in her ears and goes back to ignoring us. Though the impressed look on Cole's face is soon replaced by something I can only classify as anger as he clenches his fists.
"How long has she been doing this?" He asks with barely restrained fury and I'm taken aback by his reaction. Shouldn't he be happy that in his absence someone's been thoughtful enough to not let me miss him a lot by taking his place and making me just as miserable?"
"It doesn't matter." I say trying to calm him down, we're starting to attract attention and the unsettling feeling in the pit of my stomach is coming back. I really wish I could be somewhere else or that the ground would split open and swallow me whole. However it seems like Cole's eyes are holding me captive keeping me rooted to the spot as they burn so fiercely into mine. He's searching for answers I'm not sure he even wants to know.
"How long?" He repeats and this time he makes it clear that I'm supposed to give him a clear answer. I slump in my seat and avoid looking at him. What's he going to do when he finds out that my life is actually a lot worse than it was when he was here? Would he pity me? Would he feel guilty for relentlessly bullying me throughout my childhood and until the age of fifteen? For some reason I don't want that. Maybe one day he'd repent all the times he'd humiliated me but it wouldn't be because I let him feel sorry for me.
"Like I said it doesn't matter I'm handling it." I say aware that my best friends are watching me intently.
"Oh you are?" He says mockingly, "Because from what I've been seeing for a whole week your idea of handling is letting her stomp all over you with her giant ass feet."
I burst into giggles at the last line surprising everyone. "She does have huge feet doesn't she?" Cole groans at my obvious changing of the topic but he can't help but laugh.
"I saw her toes once up close and they're so freakishly long." Megan adds finally finding the courage to speak up. Cole grins at her and she beams with pride knowing that she's made Cole Stone laugh.
"This doesn't mean that I've forgotten what this conversation is about." He says seriously and we look at him like he's going to start questioning us about Nicole again but then his face breaks into the most gorgeous of smiles as he says, "I'm taking you three to that party and I'm going to teach you to have fun."
Cole drives me home like he's been doing all week and by now I'm a bit wary of waiting for him to strike. Ever since he's come back he hasn't done any serious damage. Yes there was the occasional prank like putting super glue on my locker so that my hand stuck to it or replacing all my pens with invisible ink ones but nothing too serious. I'd already put the emergency room on speed dial and my hand remained poised to dial whenever he's around but he's doing nothing!
He parks the car in the driveway which I'm not expecting. Usually he just drops me off and leaves yet today as he kills the engine I realize that he's planning something else.
"What?" He asks as I look at him pointedly, "You think you'll be getting these rides for nothing?"
"So you want me to pay you?" I really don't have any money though, I've spent all my savings on my car fund which my dad added to and I'm broke. Being a waitress doesn't really pay a lot and I try as much as I can to not borrow money from my parents.
It's a rich kid thing.
"No I don't want your money. I'm hungry and you need to feed me." He says getting out of the car and I scoff, who does he think he his ordering me around like this?
"I'm not cooking for you." I say as I walk behind him and see the back of his head shake slightly and I would bet my right hand that he's smirking. He pauses on the porch and turns around.
"What's that Tessie? You said you won't cook for me, well I wonder what your dad has to say about that." He taps his chin thoughtfully and my blood runs cold.
"You wouldn't."
"I would."
"So you're going to use my father to blackmail me from now on?" I narrow my eyes at him and he shrugs.
"When life gives you lemon and all that jazz shortcake." He chuckles and unlocks the door to my house. Wait, it is MY house.
"Why do you have a key?" I ask honestly feeling scared. Seeing something which grants him all access to me at night when I'm the most defenseless is quite frightening.
"Your mom gave me one the other day." He grins devilishly, "She told me to make myself feel right at home."
Oh God my parents were Cole Stone fan girls!
After I make Cole his darn sandwich he takes to lounging around in my room taking up all the space on my bed due to his tall frame. I sulk in a corner trying to do my homework as Cole plays on his PSP. I cannot fathom why he's still around but I'm too afraid to directly ask him to leave. I now know the hold he has over my parents and he wouldn't hesitate a second before snitching on me.
"Hey Tessie?" He asks and I look up from my notebook to find him leaning on his elbow and staring at me. It's comical watching someone as tall as him on my bed with its hot pink bedspread and rhinestoned cushions, his feet dangle of the end when he stretches I'm worried or rather hope that he might fall face first on the floor.
"Yes?" I say pretending to look annoyed.
"Why don't you eat anymore?"
His question takes time to have the right effect. I start off by becoming confused then shocked and then scared. He couldn't possibly know could he? After all no one else has been able to pick up on it for months and he's only been here for a week so it was impossible. However with the seriousness on his face I realize that I'm in deep trouble.
"W-what do you mean?" My voice comes out shaky and I hate it because it goes against my plan of keeping him at bay regarding the issue.
"You know what I mean. You don't eat at school even though you want everyone to think you do, whenever I eat with your family you take a bite or two and then leave thinking that your parents don't notice. We've been back from school for two hours and you still haven't eaten a thing. Am I the only one who sees a problem here?"
My heart's beating faster than normal as I listen to him and think how he's hitting the nail right on the head each time with assessment. I realize that he's caught me when no one else has and the amount of attention he's been paying to me is both flattering and creepy at the same time.
"Maybe it's because you repulse me and I can't stomach food when you're around." I bite back but he rolls his eyes, "I'm not joking Tessa. It's a serious problem what you're doing to yourself isn't healthy. You need to eat." He states with a sense of authority which is quite foreign to me. No one's told me what to do especially when it came to taking care of my health. My parents are too busy trying to deal with their messed up relationship and my brother well he's ...my brother.
"Besides if you don't eat how will you become my Fatty Tessie again? I have to admit I'm suffering from withdrawals without her." I scowl and throw one of the cushions from the couch at him which he catches with the ease of experience.
"Mind your own business." I say scathingly wondering where all my witty comebacks were vacationing or where they hid whenever Cole's around.
"You are my business sweetheart." He winks at me and I grunt in exasperation, throwing my hands up in the hair. I'm a hair's width close to having a full blown tempter tantrum all because I've been spending so much time with this incredibly frustrating boy who's more cryptic and confusing than any Nicki Minaj song I've heard to date.
"You might want to tone down the grunts Venus or your brother might think we're playing the kinky kind of tennis." He wiggles his eyebrows and I give up any hope of trying to have a decent conversation with me since he's dirtier than underside of Travis's bed.
On Friday I'm taking out some books from my locker when I feel a presence behind. Seeing as how Beth and Megan were both in their Home Economics class there could only be one person who'd come stalking me.
"Go away Cole." I say as I scraping off a piece of gum someone's stuck outside my locker, actually I know exactly who that someone is.
Real mature Nicole.
"Umm it's not Cole."
I whirl around fast enough to cramp my neck but it doesn't matter not when it comes to Jay. He's standing before me looking somewhat hurt yet adorable at the same time. He's wearing his baseball jersey and the deep red in it makes him look really good. His hair still looks wet and I know it's natural and not from the use of product. His mesmerizing eyes are a swirl of colour as they shift from blue to green and I struggle to stop a sigh from escaping, he's so beautiful!
"Jay," I exclaim as I shoot him an apologetic smile. I wave my hand dismissing the mistake, "I'm sorry I thought you were..."
"Cole I get it." He says through a clenched jaw which surprises me. He's never been like this around me. Usually (and whenever Nicole's far away) he's super nice and friendly to me. I wonder what's wrong with him, maybe that moron did something.
"W-what's wrong?" He seems to have not heard me the first time so I repeat myself, "Jay? What's wrong?"
He shakes his head and it seems like he's finally remembered what he came to me for.
"I've heard you're coming to Jared's party tomorrow." He doesn't sound pleased and I try to remember if I know any Jared then like a light bulb switching on inside my head I realize that he's the jock throwing the party for Cole, the party where I'm being forced into going into not only by the delinquent but also by my parents whom he'd so sweetly asked the previous night.
"I guess I am." I say hesitantly and I see the disapproval clear on his face.
"Why Tessa? You've never come to any party before why now?" He asks sourly and I restrain myself from shouting that his psychotic girlfriend has made me the ultimate outsider by declaring me as a banned substance.
I take a deep calming breath and remind myself that this is Jay and he's only doing this out of concern. Of course it might appear strange to him that a girl like me would go to a party and he's just checking if something's off. I want to tell him about Cole's threat and how my baby Range Rover is in danger but he and I are not exactly BFF's and it would be a little awkward to rant in front of him. God forbid he starts thinking of me as a bigger lunatic than I already am.
"I don't know I feel like I'm missing out on an essential part of the high school experience." He frowns at me for a second and I know it's because he wasn't expecting me to sound so sarcastic. It's partially my fault since every time Jay tries talking to me I end up sounding like my mom when she accidently took too many painkillers after her appendix had been removed. Suffice to say I sound like a blabbering loon.
"Is Cole forcing you to go?"
"No!" I laugh nervously and tug at the sleeves of my sweater when I look up again Jay's still there looking extremely unconvinced.
"I'm going to this party because I want to. There's only so much homework you can do on Saturday night."
There's a sad smile on his face as I say this and...guilt? I try understanding why he's looking so forlorn at my pathetic social life but come up empty. He must be unaware of the many threats his girlfriend has sent my way in the past warning me to never show up at any event I might by some miracle be invited to because he's still with her and who'd want to be with someone that evil knowing what they were really like ?
He opens his mouth to say something but stops as he looks at something in his line of vision. Before I can see what or who it is that's made him quiet an arm is slung across my shoulder and I'm pulled to a very well muscled side of a body.
"There you are Tessie I've been looking for you everywhere." Cole says as he ruffles my hair.
I elbow him and pull away fixing the mess he's made of my hair. He pretends to wipe away a tear and coos, "Look at my little shortcake finally acting like a girl. I'm so proud of you!" He exclaims before pulling me into a tight hug which cuts off the circulation to my lungs.
"Let go of me you oaf!" I struggle in his grasp and he hugs me tighter.
"In the name of your pea sized balls I say unhand me!" I say due to some short circuiting of my brain and stomp on his foot. He gasps and pulls away but I suspect my feeble attempt at hitting him has made little difference.
"My balls are not pea sized!"
"Whatever makes you sleep at night." I glare at him but before he lunges at me someone clears their throat and I then feel the overwhelming urge to hit my head against my locker.
Jay's standing there with his nostrils flaring and fists clenched as he glares at the two of us. I've never seen him so angry and I can't figure out why he's reacting like this. Does he have a problem with me or is it with Cole?
"Don't you have a class brother?" Cole asks like he's annoyed about Jay's presence and I feel like hitting him again for testing Jay when he's obviously in a bad mood. I swear this boy brings out the violent side of me and it is not a good one.
"I do, actually Tessa and I have the same one so I was hoping we could walk together." He offers me a small smile but before I can say yes Cole answers for me.
"No can do she's coming with me."
"I am?"
"She is?"
Jay and I ask at the same time and Cole nods at both of us.
"I know you didn't get to do your homework last night because of me so I got us out of class by offering to do some stupid volunteer work in the AV room."
Okay that was surprisingly nice for someone who could possibly be part demon. It's true though he kept annoying me last night and stayed till late just making fun of me and by the time he left I felt so tired that I slept and woke up only due to the ringing of my alarm for school. I'd been complaining about it at lunch knowing that my History teacher would no doubt give my detention for the assignment I hadn't done.
Cole had just saved me.
Wow.
"You two were together last night?" Jay sounds so sad that I feel like giving him a hug but the fear of Nicole keeps me rooted to the spot.
Cole shrugs, "We were and now we really need to go." He steers me around so that I'm no longer facing his step brother and pushes me in the direction of the AV room. I can't help but turn around and catch one last glimpse of Jay as he still stands at the same spot. A familiar tug at my heart strings occurs and the crush that I've had on him since forever rears its ugly head.
"He's not worth it." Cole says quietly as he's now walking beside me. I don't have it in me to ask questions or deny my feelings for Jay. Everyone knows I like him, it's not exactly a big secret since I've been pining after him for what seems like eons.
Cole gives my shoulder a little squeeze before he opens his big mouth and so appropriately consoles me.
"Trust you to fall for the uglier brother. I can bet he has a smaller pe..."
I slap a hand on his mouth at this point and his voice is muffled by my fingers. "Stop talking or I will throw up on those three hundred dollar high tops of yours."
That certainly shut him up.
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