Crush on Mr. Bad Boy

by Lilly Purdon

  From my perspective, she was just an experiment to him.

  An experiment which proved to him that he truly couldn’t put his trust is anyone, no matter how genuine they seem.

  I felt like I understood him far more than anyone else could.

  “Rosaline Arlene Winnefred! Get out of bed right now!” My stepmother yelled from downstairs.

  I buried my face deeper into my pillow. The last thing I wanted to do right now was to get out of bed and face my step mother downstairs. I snuggled the pillow feeling comfortable as I could be, replaying the night over and over again.

  Oh, how his grass green eyes shined. How his arms were wrapped around my waist protectively while we danced. How my head rested on my chest comfortably-

  “I'm not joking young lady!” Cleo yelled.

  I just ignored her drifting off into happy lala land. I heard some loud footsteps up the stairs and I heard my door slam open. I squeezed my eyes shut tighter so I didn't have to face the footsteps that were coming closer and closer.

  “Rosaline Arlene Winnefred! What the hell is going on here?!” My stepmother shrieked.

  I covered my ears and groaned. “What the hell?!”

  “Don't disrespect me! You didn't pick up your phone!” She yelled so loud, I could’ve sworn it damaged my eardrums.

  “Where’s your phone?!”

  My eyes widened. I frantically felt the pockets of the shorts under my costume but there was nothing there. My eyes widened and the world froze. Shit. It was somewhere at the dance... I couldn’t even remember when I last had it.

  There was a very slim 0.9% chance of it being found, since I wondered around the whole school trying to find a hiding spot. I tried to think of the last place I had it but I just couldn't.

  Judging by how many reports there were of things getting stolen in school, someone had probably already taken it.

  I realized I had a lock on my phone. I set it based purely off of Axel. During freshman year, I sat directly behind Axel during an Algebra class. The teacher had demonstrated a very simple example that reminded me of the shape of a heart, so I put it as my phone’s password… I was beyond cheesy… a bit borderline creepy…

  “I lost it…”

  She shook her head. “I can't believe you're this irresponsible!”

  “I'm sorry...” I was prepared for her to yell at me, but she didn’t.

  She shook her head, “Irresponsible! Your father will get you a new one.”

  I nodded numbly.

  “Where were you last night?”

  “At the dance.”

  “Don’t lie to me,” she warned. She glared daggers at me, and took in a deep breath. She somehow managed to stop herself from strangling me, “The dance was on Friday.”

  “Yesterday was Friday,” I replied in a ‘duh’ tone.

  That was when it seemed to hit her. She was no longer angry, but confused and slightly amused. “If yesterday was Friday, how come today’s Sunday?”

  ~*~

  “You were out for two days?! No way!” Kasay was in disbelief.

  “I don’t even know what happened… guess I was exhausted.”

  I took a sip of the strawberry milkshake she ordered me and looked up at her waiting for a reaction. She looked at me like I was crazy for a moment before her emotions suddenly changed.

  “How was it though?”

  I was a bit droopy, so I didn’t respond until she asked me again.

  She snapped her fingers, “wake up Sleeping Beauty! I asked you how the dance was!”

  I shrugged, downplaying it.

  “Details girl! Details! Did you meet your prince charming?!”

  I raised an eyebrow at her, “prince charming?”

  She nodded eagerly, “Prince charming, your prince charming. Every girl has their prince charming somewhere. Like for example, me. I found my prince charming with Rix-”

  “That’s not even his name-”

  She completely ignored my comment. “Your prince charming is the guy who you'll end up falling for and marrying! The guy who calls you beautiful even when obviously you look like a worthless piece of shit. The guy who treats you right and will always be there for you. The guy who's meant for you! The guy who-”

  I interrupted her, “that’s ridiculous-”

  “No it’s not! Every girl has her prince or princess charming! Unless she’s asexual, then she has charming fingers-”

  I faked a cough to get her to stop talking. The girl was real irritating sometimes… talking nonsense about 'prince charmings'. She was just temporarily glad she found her thirty first one of the year. I realized I was starting to sound jealous of how she found someone... I mentally slapped myself. How could I be jealous of one of my best friends?!

  If prince charmings were real, I didn't have one. Axel liked me for who I wasn't.

  He liked the ‘me’ that wasn't fully me...

  He probably didn't even know I existed.

  Axel definitely wasn't my prince charming.

  He was too good for me. I was just a nerd, bullied by most of the school population. He obviously wasn't made for me. I was just a lonely girl with no 'prince' to help her; a hopeless romantic who would somehow make herself happy someday.

  The thought of being without Axel made me sad and hopeless, but I had to face the truth.

  “Nope, not for me. I’m meant to be alone,” I pursed my lips together.

  “Shut up! Your prince charming is out there somewhere!”

  I shook my head, “he either met someone else and ended up with her along the way, died, or was never born in the first place.”

  She sighed, “that's not true! He's out there somewhere! Who knows where he is-”

  “He probably doesn’t even know I exist. Heck, he’s probably in some chick’s bedroom.”

  She nodded, “in his sister's bedroom, getting’ information about you."

  I rolled my eyes, “he’s in Vegas-”

  “Getting gifts for you,” she grinned.

  I shook my head.

  “He's going to show up sooner or later. Don't worry, he will.”

  She could be incredibly immature sometimes.

  “I promise!”

  “Don't promise something you can't keep.”

  She took a sip of her coffee and shook her head. She wiped her mouth on the napkin then looked up at me. Her face was serious this time.

  “There is someone out there for you, a prince charming-”

  “Cut it out with the stupid fairytales!” I cut her off. “There's no prince charming and there never will be. Stop being childish and grow up!” I snapped. “I’ve accepted the fact that there is no one for me. I will always fall for someone who doesn’t love me back.”

  She was taken back at first. “First of all, you're never too old for fairy-tales. And secondly, there is a prince charming for every girl in this universe. Heck! There are probably prince charmings for bacteria and aliens in the universe! So quit denying!”

  I rolled my eyes. I needed to stop rolling my eyes or my eyes might roll back all the way in the back of my head. I knew I was denying the part I met someone at the dance, but I would never plan on telling her about Axel.

  “What'd you do at the dance? Did you at least have a good time?” She asked.

  I decided to lie, and tell her the exact opposite, “Worst day of my life...”

  It came out more like a question than an answer. She didn't believe me.

  “I know you. In fact, I know you really well.”

  I pulled my innocent card. “What do you mean?”

  “I know when you're lying or hiding something from me. There’s always this sparkle in your eye.”

  We drowned down the rest of our drinks and left the cafe. I had my dark brown hair in a bun and tucked under a baseball cap so people wouldn't notice my change.

  I was wearing a grey tank top and grey sweat pants. We walked down to the general store. I had to get my natural hair color back before tomorrow. I drea
ded Monday. I would be the nerdy Rosaline again and no one would like me.

  I actually liked it how once in my life I got to be someone that people liked. Someone that people wanted to befriend and talk to. And mostly, someone that Axel favored. Someone he felt comfortable with, and someone he wanted to hold-

  “Why are you blushing?” She questioned with a smirk.

  “I made a friend,” the words slipped out of my mouth.

  She gasped.

  “I met someone I enjoy being around more than the rest of the school population….”

  Her eyes widened in excitement and she grinned. She clapped her hands together and squealed. She started jumping up and down then she grabbed my arm and started dragging me down to the general store.

  “TELL ME EVERYTHING!”

  She knew it wasn’t just a new friend.

  Why couldn’t I control my mouth?

  ~*~

  Chapter 12 WORST MONDAY EVER

  “Details girl! I need details!” Kasay bugged me as I put my books in my locker.

  I groaned. After we went to the general store, I told her I'd tell her, but I didn't. I realized the risk of spilling out my feelings, so I kept changing subjects and avoiding the topic until I made it home without giving away any information.

  “You have to tell me!”

  “Actually, I don't.”

  “Tell me now!” She demanded, pouting like a puppy- except she wasn’t cute.

  “Why should I? You have the biggest mouth.”

  “I’m your best friend though!”

  “So is Jaxon.”

  “But I’ve never had a massive crush on you.”

  I rolled my eyes, “he’s never liked me like that.”

  She ignored my statement, and continued pestering me, “Spill! You can’t just leave me hanging!”

  Before she could say anything, a loud gasp was heard. “AXEL?! He would never show up to a school dance!” It was Layla’s voice.

  “I swear, I saw him! No guy in this town has a butt that firm-”

  Layla interrupted the girl she was with, “Trust me when I say it wasn’t Axel! There are plenty of other guys.”

  “True… but he’s the hottest,” the girl giggled.

  I felt angry hearing that. I wanted him to be mine. She didn’t even know him.

  Neither do you.

  I kicked myself.

  “Anyways, who was the redhead you were with?” The girl asked Layla.

  Another girl joined in. “I wouldn’t say he was hot, but he was pretty cute.”

  Kasay and I exchanged looks as the cheerleaders came around the corner in their little group. Layla of course, being the ringleader of their little clique, walked in the middle with the other girls surrounding her.

  Her brown eyes found mine and something inside of her changed. It was like a switch was pulled, and her face hardened. Her cheerful smile was replaced with a bitter scowl. Her friends whispered something into her ears when they saw me. She started giggling.

  It was about me.

  My insecurities hit me once again.

  She gave them high fives before turning back to me smirking evilly. It was not a good sign... Kasay glared, threatening the cheerleaders.

  “Can we leave?” I asked Kasay in a whisper.

  She shook her head, and kept glaring. “Someone’s gotta’ each them a lesson.”

  The look in her eyes truly scared me. I quickly grabbed my stuff from my locker.

  “The nerd removed her braces!” Layla laughed aloud in such a condescending manner I wanted the floor to swallow me up.

  “What do you want from her?” Kasay snapped.

  Layla and her friends snickered.

  “Shouldn’t you be cutting yourself, little emo?” She gave Kasay a sickly sweet smile, “defend yourself before you can defend your friend.”

  Kasay’s nose flared and her hands balled into fists. “Leave my best friend alone and fuck off.”

  Layla and her friends laughed as Kasay turned red in anger.

  “Give me a good reason why I should,” Layla stepped forward, challenging Kasay, “You have no idea how much trouble your ‘best friend’ has caused me.” She snapped her fingers and pointed straight at my female best friend, “So watch your mouth, before a little birdie tells on you.”

  Tells on her? For what?

  Kasay didn’t reply, but kept her glare on the cheer captain.

  “Oh, and I didn’t know devil worshippers could have best friends, yet alone friends at all.”

  I kept my head down and stared at the floor. Kasay should’ve let it go. We were obviously outnumbered. Layla’s insults were quite limited anyway, like her vocabulary.

  Though Kasay was glaring at her, I felt Layla’s glare on me…

  Why me?

  What did I ever do to her?

  From what I remembered, I had never done anything before. It was obvious I wasn’t her competition; I was geeky, nerdy, and guys never paid attention to me.

  Yet… why did she choose to be nice to me at the dance?

  Why did she hate the nerdy Rosaline Arlene Winnefred, but was alright with Rose. It didn’t make any sense to me.

  Layla took another step closer. I kept my eyes glued to the ground, and prayed she’d disappear. I saw Kasay tense her fists from the corner of my eye. She was a predator ready to strike.

  “You know what?” Kasay spoke up.

  “What?” Layla dared to ask.

  “Frowning uses more muscles than punching you straight in the face.”

  A few moments of utter silence passed by… I was contemplating in my own world, then…

  Layla fell to the ground in front of me. Her nose was bleeding, and she was starting to cry hysterically. Though she seemed upset… she didn’t seem afraid. There was a glint of entertainment in her eyes which scared me.

  Tears poured out of her eyes as she scurried away from Kasay. Kasay looked utterly confused and shocked. Ms. Puessy, my chess teacher, yep… that was her name, scurried over to her and helped sobbing Layla up.

  She started screaming. Layla started screaming too… accusing Kasay of things I had never heard before.

  Drug dealing?

  Blowing guys for drug money?

  I had never witnessed any of it, yet alone heard of Kasay doing those things.

  “I DIDN’T HIT HER!” Kasay yelled, “She hit herself! She’s lying! I’ve never done anything-”

  “DID SHE DO IT?!” The teacher asked me as she shook my shoulders.

  I was still in shock…

  I didn’t witness what had just happened. I was staring at the ground…

  I couldn’t answer. I was unable to speak.

  “She was staring at the ground the entire time! She didn’t see!” one of the cheerleaders said.

  “Is that true?” The teacher stared me straight in the eyes.

  I didn’t have to think, so I told her the truth and shook my head.

  ~*~

  According to Layla and her friends, I was spacing out at that moment so I didn't know what happened. According to the geeks, I saw the whole thing but I was kissing Layla's ass so I wasn't saying a word about it.

  And according to Jaxon, I knew what was happening, but the cheerleaders were being bitches and lying about it. My best friend helped me through it. He swung his arm around me as he helped carry my gym clothes to gym.

  “They'll be all over you when you go in there.” Jaxon said as I approached the girl's locker room entrance.

  “I know…”

  “Aren't you going to stand up to them?” he asked as he handed me my stuff.

  I frantically shook my head. “Kasay-”

  “She has a violent temper, you kill em’ with kindess.”

  “But what if she didn’t even hit them-”

  “Layla wouldn’t go that low to lie about something like that, trust me.”

  I looked him straight in the face with disgust, “You can say that about the girl who’s ruined my life?”
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