by Raathi Chota
“Afternoon, sir,” I said as I walked past him. He gave a slow nod as I sat in the middle of the classroom. I looked around at the empty desks. The door flew open, which startled Mr. George and me, and Blake walked in with a straight face.
“Mr. Gunner, you are—”
“Does it look like I care? At least I’m here,” Blake snapped. Mr. George didn’t want to argue, so he read his newspaper. I prayed as I heard the chair next to me screech across the floor. I opened one eye to see Blake right next to me. I looked around at the empty seats, then back at him. Of all places, he chose the seat next to me.
“What crawled up your ass and died?” I asked as he stared out the window. He propped his legs up on the table and glanced at me.
“I was late because Mr. Basil was talking about my grades.” He huffed as he crossed his arms over his chest. Mr. Basil taught Biology.
“What’s wrong with your grades?” I didn’t want to ask because Blake was only in my Photography class, which he ditched, and Phys Ed, so I couldn’t really tell what kind of grades he had.
“My grades are fine. I just have to explain shit more and use scientific terms.”
“What kind of grades do you get?”
“Not straight As like you, nerd.”
“Come on…maybe I can help?”
“I get the average…Cs and Bs. It’s okay. Don’t worry, I’ll make it.” I slowly nodded, then looked at Mr. George, who was about to fall asleep. “You going to the game tonight?” Blake asked after a while. My eyes widened as he asked me that question. I slowly looked at him and nodded. He raised a brow.
“Yeah, I, err…Ethan asked me to come,” I said, then avoided eye contact.
“Why?” Blake demanded. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw his stare.
“To…support him and wear his jacket,” I said. A small smile appeared on my lips as I said those words, but I immediately frowned as the thought of yesterday popped into my head. I heard something snap, and again out of the corner of my eye, I saw Blake. I glanced down at his hands as he clenched his fist, but his knuckles looked red and bruised. “Thank you,” I mumbled as I looked at his swollen knuckles. I glanced up, and our eyes met; his eyes were a dark shade of brown. I saw the bruise around his eye, faded but still visible. The memories of yesterday ran through my head as I heard the frantic calls of my name. All I knew was Ethan took me home, and the guys beat up Benny.
“No problem, Willson. I don’t ever want to see you like that again,” he said. I bit the inside of my cheek and nodded at the thought of Benny and Blake in a fight. My thoughts were interrupted when the door opened once again; I glanced at Mr. George, who was asleep. Aidan and Carter strolled in. I narrowed my eyes. Both sat down in front of Blake and spoke.
“Where’s Ethan?” I asked.
“He’s getting ready for the game tonight,” Aidan said as he took out his phone. I noticed Blake’s jaw clench as I nodded. I took out my phone and earphones; I plugged it into my phone with the earphones into my ears. I felt the guys’ eyes on me, every move I made. It’s as if they waited for something. My head bobbed at the song I thought of as I scrolled through my songs to look for it.
“Do you think she can hear us?” Carter whispered. I kept my gaze fixed on my phone as I eavesdropped.
“Don’t think so. Let me try,” Aidan said then looked at me. “Lana!” I smiled at him as I bobbed my head to absolutely nothing. Aidan looked at Blake and Carter as he nodded. I glanced back to my phone and pretended to keep myself busy as they spoke. “The guy said Tuesday is the day. He’s sending a few guys to collect the stuff, and then they’ll give us the cash,” Aidan said. I inched near them; I put my head on the desk to make it look like I’d dozed off. As I closed my eyes, I tried my best to hear their hushed voices.
“Does Ethan know?” Blake asked.
“Of course. It’s his cottage,” Carter said.
“Do they want all of it?” Blake asked.
“Yep, all by Tuesday four p.m. sharp. They’ll collect everything,” Aidan mumbled. It tempted me to ask as the guys spoke more about it. I took one earphone out, and they immediately stopped. They looked at me with nervous yet cautious looks.
“What?” I asked. All three shook their heads as they forced a smile. They stared at me, waiting for me to either put the earphone back in or ask them another question, which I gladly did. “Any of you got a cigarette? I’ve been craving one since lunch,” I moaned as I looked at them. They hesitated at first, then at once, they searched their pockets. Aidan was the first to hand me one; he looked at the teacher as he handed it to me. Then he looked at me like I’d grown a second head. Probably thought I’d get caught, but I didn’t care; I craved one. They watched me as I twirled it between my fingers. I tilted my head and smiled. “Well? This cigarette isn’t going to light itself.”
Carter quickly jumped up and lit it for me. I thanked him as I inhaled the thing between my lips. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw their stares. I blew out, a feeling of satisfaction whirling inside of me as I stared at Mr. George.
“Do you think Mr. George is a heavy sleeper?” I asked as the teacher drooled on the newspaper.
“I don’t know. Why?” Carter asked.
“Well, let’s find out,” I said with a grin. I inhaled the cigarette once again then handed it to Blake, who took it with surprise but put it between his lips. I walked to the front of the classroom where Mr. George was asleep. I grabbed a marker from the whiteboard behind him and looked at the boys. Aidan smirked at me as he caught on to what I was going to do. Carter stared in shock but eventually took out his phone, and Blake came to the front of the classroom as he sat on the teacher’s desk. “Detention is now in session,” I dramatically said, then took a bow. “First off, never ever leave markers loose when a bunch of disruptive teenagers are around, otherwise…” I trailed off, then did the one thing I’d never thought I’d do. I walked up to Mr. George, bent down, then drew on his face. Once I was done and satisfied with the work, I put the marker back. Snickers came from Carter and Aidan, who took selfies with Mr. George.
“Wait! Before you wake the old man up, let’s take a picture…for memories!” Aidan said, then gestured for Blake to join us. We stood together and pulled weird faces with Mr. George, who was still asleep, then laughed at the photo. I walked back to stand behind Mr. George.
“Secondly, never fall asleep as a teacher because…” I continued, then grabbed the cigarette from Blake. Before he protested, I walked up to the sleeping man again and quickly swiped the cigarette across his nose. The guys looked at me with murderous looks. Mr. George immediately sat up as he awkwardly coughed. I promptly hid the cigarette behind me and crushed it, which burned my hand.
“Ms. Willson…what are you doing here? And what is that awful smell?” he asked, then sniffed the air. I glanced at the boys to see Carter and Aidan duck behind the desks while Blake stood stiff as he glared at me.
“I was just cleaning the board, sir. Don’t want to leave ugly marks now, do we?” I nervously laughed.
“I suppose…I’m terribly tired, and since it’s Friday and there’s a game on tonight, I’ll let you two leave early,” he said as he stood up.
“Thank you, Mr. George. Enjoy your weekend,” I said as he walked out the door. Aidan and Carter came out from under the desks, then clapped their hands. I dusted the ash from my hands and threw the cigarette in the trashcan.
“I’ve taught you well, young one,” Aidan said as he wiped a fake tear.
“That was incredible, Lana. Not only did Mr. George let you two go early, but he also walked out with a penis on his face!” Carter laughed as he took out his phone. He showed me, and I smiled as I saw Aidan doing a duck face next to Mr. George, who had marks on his face.
“Now we have plenty of time before the game,” Aidan said as he walked out of the room. Carter and I followed, but someone stopped me. I looked down and saw Blake’s hand on my arm. I glanced up and noticed his awe-struck look.
&n
bsp; “Gotta hand it to you, Willson…not bad.” His lips twitched up into a smile. I smiled back at him as he stepped forward. I stood still as he approached me, only then realizing how tall he was. I looked up into his dull brown eyes and ignored the red mark around them; his eyes screamed for me to come closer. We were so close that I felt his breath on my forehead, but it was soon replaced when he pressed his forehead against mine. He bit his lip again, slowly and seductively. I couldn’t help it; I slowly licked my lips too. He looked at my mouth; I sensed his impatience as we stood there. We inched closer, yet he had a look of hunger on his face as I had a look of need.
“Come on, you two!” Aidan yelled from outside the room. We stepped back, and I looked down in embarrassment, then walked out. I asked Aidan to take me home, and he gladly said he’d pick me up again for the game. The whole ride home, I thought of what had occurred in the past two days. Ethan almost kissed me, Carter slept over, and Blake almost kissed me. I glanced at Aidan, who somehow interrupted both situations.
“Thank you,” I mumbled. Aidan looked at me from the corner of his eye as he raised a brow.
“I don’t know.” I nervously laughed, then looked down. “Forget about it.”
“I should be thanking you, Lana. I know I’ve pulled a few pranks on you and embarrassed you through the years, and yet you still gave m—us a chance.” He licked his lips. “I know this is coming out of the blue, but you guys are my friends now. Parker Collins was the worst person I could’ve asked to be friends with.”
I didn’t know what to say. Parker was one of Aidan’s friends who also pulled pranks on me, along with Austin. Parker was meaner, though, and he had a bad reputation at Jefferson High. I did not want to get on his bad side again.
“I promise, I won’t let anything happen to you, Lana,” Aidan said as he gave me a warm smile. “Neither Parker nor Benny will hurt you ever again.”
***
“Enjoy the football game, honey!” Mom said as I walked out of the house. Mom and Dad were glad I finally went to support my school’s football team. No way I told them that Ethan wanted me to wear his jacket. They’d freak and said I finally found the right guy, which was untrue. I mostly saw Ethan as a big, supportive brother than a boyfriend.
“Go, Jefferson!” Aidan yelled as I got into the car. I squinted my eyes at him and noticed that he wore the school’s colors: blue and black. At least I wore black; the weather became cold and windy, so I decided on a gray sweater, jeans, and Converse. The rest of the drive consisted of a sing along to music. I realized Aidan would always be there to put a smile on my face and take my mind off things. I wasn’t close to him or any of the guys now, but I knew that I’d come to him when I felt down. Also, the topic of Parker Collins always lingered in my mind as to what Aidan Rowley knew.
“There you guys are!” Carter exclaimed as he raised his arms. “The game is about to start!”
As we walked, I noticed Blake was nowhere to be found, which worried me. I shook the thought away and looked around the open field. I saw Ethan; he wore his football uniform as he glared at his teammates, Liam and Nick. Benny showed up, and everyone laughed at his red hair and shoved their phones in his face. Ethan and Benny glared at each other but soon shook hands. Maybe they didn’t want to have tension through the whole game. Ethan’s eyes met mine as he walked toward us. “You made it.”
“Wouldn’t miss it for the world.” I smiled. He took off his varsity jacket and put it around my shoulders. I felt the stares of people as Ethan looked at me.
“Thanks,” I mumbled as my cheeks warmed up.
“No, thank you,” he said, then ruffled my hair.
“Good luck,” I said as he walked off. He looked at me once more, then jogged off to meet with his team. I bit the inside of my cheek, then turned to the grinning boys who sat next to me. “What?” I hissed. Carter shook his head as he put his arm around my shoulder.
“People just have to remember that you’re my date to Homecoming,” he said with much confidence. I playfully rolled my eyes as I scanned the gym.
“Where’s Blake?” I asked after a while.
“He said he’ll be a bit late. I’m gonna get some snacks. I’ll be right back,” Aidan said as he got up. I watched him as he met up with some guys, and they did a bro hug. He pointed to me as the guys looked. I tensed up a bit, but he looked away. Austin said something that made Aidan laugh as he punched him. Parker looked up as his eyes met mine. I sheepishly turned away because I hated him.
“The game is starting,” Carter announced as he kept his gaze on our school team. I glanced at the other school, which was Northwood High, and they were equally as tall and muscular as Ethan, Benny, Nick, and Liam.
Chapter Eight
Lana
As always, Jefferson faced another excellent win. Ethan was good, the way he scored and played fairly with his teammates even though they became enemies. When they won, I ran up to Ethan, and he engulfed me in his arms as people congratulated him. Blake didn’t show up, which was no surprise, because Carter told me he wasn’t into school sports…yet I thought about our almost kiss. It was on my mind all night when we went out for pizza to celebrate. I was glad we didn’t kiss, because then I wouldn’t have to face the feeling of rejection when he pulled away.
“Lana!” Miranda snapped her fingers in front of my face.
“Hmm?” I turned to her.
“We’re here.” She gestured to the shopping center in front of us.
“Oh yeah,” I said, then got out of the car. Yesterday’s events disappeared from my mind as we walked into the big mall. It was Saturday, and I spent it with my best friend as we searched for Homecoming outfits. We’d walked into three stores already and found nothing. Miranda decided we should go for lunch. We ate in silence as I stared at my drink—it was a can of soda—but my mind was elsewhere. I heard Miranda slam her can down on the table, and I glanced up.
“Okay…what’s up? You’ve been spacing out all day,” she stated as her eyebrows rose.
“Ethan tried to kiss me,” I muttered as I chewed my food. “Then Blake.”
“At the same time?” she asked as her eyes widened.
“No!” I exclaimed, and we laughed.
“So, at different times?” Miranda asked. I nodded, then returned to my food. “That’s amazing, Lana!” she exclaimed as I gaped at her. Miranda’s mouth pulled up into a smirk as her eyebrows wiggled. “You’ve got them wrapped around your little finger, Lana Willson. I mean your date to Homecoming is Carter hot ass Halls, and Ethan looks like he’s falling for you, and now Blake!”
“Ugh, please, I bet it’s just because I look like this…” I gestured to the clothing I wore today, which was a black leather jacket, ripped jeans, and ankle boots. It had become my regular attire.
“Yeah, but you’re killing the look.”
“What can I say?” The corner of my mouth rose as Keene and Levi appeared in my mind. “Keene Stoner and Levi Radcliff taught me the basics.”
Miranda’s jaw tightened as she looked down to her soda. I let out a sigh as I remembered that she wasn’t a big fan of them, especially Levi. Keene was at least older than all of us, so he was responsible.
“And what about you, Ms. Stevens?” I tilted my head. “What’s going on in your love life?”
“Marcus took me out on a date last night.”
“And you didn’t tell me!”
“It was short notice.”
“So that’s why you weren’t at the game,” I said, then wiggled my brows. Miranda playfully punched my shoulder, and we went back and forth as we talked about the recent events.
***
“Come on, get ready,” Miranda said, then tossed clothing toward me. We were at her house, and I slept over since we’d come home late from shopping, but thankfully I got a beautiful dress.
“Why?” I raised a brow as I removed the clothes from my face. I looked at the mini skirt, black crop top, and a sleeveless denim jacket.
“We ar
e going to a party, my lovely friend,” Miranda said as she walked out of the bathroom with a robe on.
“Whose party?”
“Ethan’s party, of course! Since Jefferson won last night, we must celebrate, young one,” she said, then poked my nose. I glanced at the clothes again and realized that it wasn’t such a bad outfit. Naturally, I’d find Blake and Carter at the party because it was at Ethan’s house, so it’d increase my chance to win the bet. I put on the clothes, and to be honest, they fit me perfectly. I had second thoughts when I put on the crop top, but when I put on the jacket, it looked cute. I walked out of the bathroom and saw Miranda in a long sleeve pink Bodycon dress. She looked amazing; the dress fit her so well and showed off her long legs. She straightened her hair as she sat down in front of the mirror. I stood awkwardly in the back as I watched her long blonde hair fall to her hips.
“There you are!” Miranda said as she looked at me from the mirror. She put the hair straightener down and spun around. She eyed me up and down, and I couldn’t help but curl my toes up in a shy way. “You look amazing, Lana.”
“You look hot,” I said as her cheeks reddened. “Marcus better watch out tonight.”
“Oh, your shoes! I have the perfect heels to complete the outfit,” she said as she ran to her closet.
“Do I have to wear heels?” I groaned as she pulled out a pair of black platform heels. “Do you expect me to walk in that?”
“Lana, you will look amazing…plus, it’s practice for when you wear your heels for Homecoming.” Miranda winked. She walked back to her mirror, then did her makeup. I looked at the black heels in my hands, then set them down. I slipped my feet in cautiously and stood up.
