by J. L. Beck
Bittersweet Revenge
A Bittersweet Novella Volume 1
J.L. Beck
Copyright 2014 by Josi Beck
Cover design by Sprinkles on Top Studio LLC
Cover photo by Shutterstock
All rights reserved.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means- except in the case of brief quotations embodied in articles or reviews- without written permission from its publisher.
The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarities to real persons, living or dead is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
ISBN-13: 978-1500595982
ISBN-10: 1500595985
Copyright 2014 by Josi Beck
All rights reserved.
Dedication
To my husband and daughter. Thank you for allowing me to talk to the voices in my head, and be supportive on those nights I had to skip out on being a mom, and wife. I love you both.
Contents:
Chapter 1: Denim Clad Boy
Chapter 2: Detention
Chapter 3: Kiss & Tell
Chapter 4: Bullies Will Be Bullies
Chapter 5: Revelation
Chapter 6: Halloween
Chapter 7: Oompa-Loompa-Green
Chapter 8: Officially Official
Epilogue: Six months later
Denim Clad Boy
I pulled my piece of shit rust bucket of a truck into the parking lot of the high school. It was my senior year and although I wanted to start school off different than last year, I knew it would be the same. A slut is still a slut, it doesn’t matter what grade you're going into or what you're coming back from. No one cares what you say, it’s always what you did, and so the saying “actions speak louder than words” rings true. The only problem with that statement was that it wasn’t true at all. I was as far from a slut as it got without being a Nun. I never wore obscenely, eye-grabbing, fuck-me clothes, and make up, what was that? Like I said far from slut. So what on God’s green earth possessed Corey Winchester to spread such a malicious rumor about me was beyond me. A couple guys and months of dating and you’re a slut. I always thought you had to do some type of fucking to get into that hall of fame.
Anyway, so just like the year before I would probably be harassed and treated like shit by my peers, whom all believed Corey. I would do as I always did, take a couple deep breaths, count to three and move on. Well, except saying fuck you to every single one of them in my head.
I swiped my hands over my white sundress getting any wrinkles out, and tucked my chocolate brown hair behind my ear before exiting the truck. Monroe County had about as much going for it as the next town over, with a population of one thousand. Nothing. The school was located at the far end of town so you had to drive through the whole town before you got to it. It was a brick structure, nothing pulled you into it. Small flowers lined the flower bed that sat in front of the “Welcome to Monroe High” sign. There was a flag pole of course, because what school didn’t have one. My one and only best friend Mimi pulled her Jeep into the parking spot next to my beat up truck.
Mimi Jones was beautiful and sassy. She had the backbone of a saint, and a temper of an Irish man. She was the one and only person who didn’t talk about me.
“Hey Jen. So I got those awesome Sharpie markers, you know the ones… Hey why are you sad? This should be like the most awesome day ever, your last first day of school.” She said closing her car door and walking over to me. The worst part was, Mimi knew when I was sad; and she knew when something was wrong. She always said something stupid like “your facial expressions are the portal to your soul”, in other words my emotions were clearly written all over my face.
“Oh nothing. Just another fabulous year at Monroe.” I said in a sarcastic tone as her brown booted feet came into my line of vision. She never faltered; it didn’t matter if an F5 tornado was headed toward her house Mimi wouldn’t be going into the cellar without knowing she could walk out of there later looking like a million bucks.
“Jenna Rae Hanes you listen up, and you listen up real good… you will not hang your head in shame to all these assholes and bitches at this school. You will go in there with your head held high, and your middle finger in the air because you owe them nothing.”
I lifted my chin just as she instructed, and smiled a big smile just for her. Her green eyes twinkled in the sunlight. She was wearing a rockin pair of skinny jeans, and her Team Cullen t-shirt she wore every single first day of school since freshmen year. It was like a tradition to her or something.
“Why are you wearing that shirt, it doesn’t go with your jeans or boots at all.” I said in an amusing tone. I was just messing with her, but it was hilarious when you got her on the topic of clothes.
She punched me in the arm and smiled at me. “You know exactly why I’m wearing this shirt, and it goes with everything I have on. Stop trying to freak me out.” Before I could respond to her comment, my attention was drawn to the bright red truck that pulled into a spot two rows up. To anyone else this would appear seemingly innocent, and people would probably call us gawking creepers; but this, no this was a big deal. Monroe never had any new students, and in a town where everyone knows everyone, we would most definitely know if someone was driving that thing around.
A guy in a pair of sexy as sin, denim jeans climbed out of the driver’s side of the lifted truck. He had on a dark red flannel shirt, and his hair was cut short. He had what looked like a diamond stud in one ear. The passenger door opened but I couldn’t tell who it was, not that I cared because denim clad guy was staring right at me.
“Holy hell. That man is sexy as hell.” Mimi whispered to me. I just nodded unable to muster up words. The trance was soon broken when Corey walked into my line of view. Denim clad guy said something to him, and Corey turned and all but sneered at me. Not that it bothered me, I was used to it. That was probably the nicest thing he would do all day. Ignore me. I returned the look, just as they turned away to walk into the school.
“Well, that was short lived. Sexy as hell guy hangs with Corey and that means he’s off limits. No worries, he’s probably an asshole too.” Mimi said elbowing me in the side to start walking up to the school.
“Did you just call him sexy as hell guy?” I asked giggling. She rolled her eyes at me before saying. “Why yes I did, and I’m sure you came up with something to…” I looked away just as her eyes met mine. Her hand snaked out as she grabbed me by the arm stopping my advancement into the school.
“You did come up with something, you little snatch. Tell me.” She said in a demanding tone, her eyes glittering with amusement. I blushed fiercely, suddenly self-conscious.
“You cannot laugh. Okay?” She nodded her head, as a ghost of a smile appeared on her face. She would laugh. “I called him denim clad guy…” I whispered out. She let out a low laugh.
“What, he has a nice ass, and in those jeans it looks delicious.” Mimi’s eyes looked as if they were going to bulge out of her head.
“Do you realize what you just said?” She asked. I looked at her in a confused manner, what was she talking about. He had a seriously nice ass, so no way was I going to not come up with something to remember him by.
“Not only did you say his ass is delicious, which by the way how is an ass delicious, but you also basically showed interest in the first male since asswipe, which is just awesome.” She knew the moment my face turned to extreme distaste that this conversation would be over. She had been trying to get me to date someone for months, and had set me up with numerous people over the summer. The only problem was once you were called a
slut in one county, everyone over would know you were too, and eighty five percent of those guys just wanted sex.
“There was totally interest there, I saw it in your eyes, and it was like a fiery inferno started or something. He may be sexy as sin, but like I said, don’t go there.” My feelings were jumbled as I thought about what she said. She was right in more ways than one and more than once. Something told me it was going to be a long year if I had to deal with Corey and his friend. One was enough, two, and I would go insane.
***
Classes were going just as I knew they would; boring as hell, and strangely anxiously. When you're made fun of all the time you tend to want to be the first one out of the room as soon as the bell rings. Instead of enjoying the short amount of times in between classes, you watch your back. Hoping someone didn’t tape some obscene picture or words on your locker. Yes, I know it’s the first day, but yeah it could happen, and I wouldn’t put it past Corey and his asshole friends.
I exited the science room in the same manner I always did, at the fastest speed acceptable for someone who doesn’t want to draw attention to themselves. It was stupid how a rumor could all but fuck up your life. How what others thought of you really affected how they treated you. I spotted Mimi at her locker and decided to stop by before heading to dreaded gym class.
“Hey girl,” she said pushing her history folder and book into her locker and grabbing her English stuff.
“Hey.” I responded back. I had to give her a small smile otherwise she would’ve been able to tell there was a problem. Honestly, that was the last thing I needed. Though I was scared, I needed to find some confidence to stick up for myself. Sometimes bullies need to be bullied back.
“How’s your day going?” Her smile was sincere and too excited, and it made me laugh a little bit.
I shrugged my shoulders and gave her a meh look. It was school, there wasn’t one thing exciting or entertaining about it. In mere minutes of starting the first day I had all but learned what seemed like every detail about the new student, Rex, who turned out to be an asshole, just as Mimi assumed. Now I didn’t really know this about him, I was just judging him by relation, and that relation being Corey and the fact that they were cousins.
“Hey… I have to get going to class. Are you okay Jenna? Are people giving you shit again?” She asked giving me that concerned looked that moms give when they know there is something wrong with their child.
“Sorry, I was lost in my head. No. I’m fine Mimi. You don’t have to worry about me. I’m practically a grown woman.”
She looked at me as if I was being foolish before saying. “It doesn’t matter if you're seventy, have lost your mind and wearing a diaper, I am your best friend, therefore I will always be concerned about you. Grown or not.”
I smiled at her casually as I shifted my books, and made my way to my locker. I would probably be late, but honestly I didn’t care. I was thrown from my thoughts when my body collided with another. I let out a little growl as my books slipped from my arms and spilled across the ground. Gah. Now I really was going to be late. I looked up at tall, dark, and handsome. Rex Winchester. Of course he would do something like this. Corey probably put him up to it.
“Shit.” He muttered under his breath as he bent down to help me pick up my papers. “I’m so sorry.” I ignored his apology and kept shoving the papers into my folder. I must not speak to the enemy unless needed. I would spare him the harassment he would probably get from speaking to me. There was too much hate in this school, and some days it would eat you alive if you let it. I may dislike his cousin but no one should be subjected to that.
“The name’s Rex Winchester.” He said extending his hand out in a friendly manner. I finally looked up into the brightest blue eyes I had ever seen. They reminded me of the clouds before a storm, dark, deep, and full of thought. He looked as if he had a lot on his mind, and for a second I wanted to reach out to this rugged man that I didn’t even know and tell him it would be okay, I wanted to comfort him.
His smile fell when he took notice that I didn’t take his hand in mine and shake it. Who does that now days? “I know who you are.” I said trying to hide the hate from my voice. Maybe he was a tortured person too. Maybe he was someone who was treated like shit by his peers at his other school. I took that moment to look him up and down. There just was no way someone that good looking was getting made fun of. Plus guys could sleep with a whole team and it would be okay. Talk about double standards. .
He definitely wasn’t going through half of what I was. “I’m sorry for practically knocking you over.” He said standing. I stood next to him feeling tiny; he had to be close to six feet tall. His hair was styled in a, “I just got out of bed, and ran my hands through it” kind of way. His cheeks were high, his nose slightly angled as if he had been in a brawl or two. Two days’ worth of scruff marred his face. He held his head high, though like I said his eyes seem to be telling a different story. He was built athletically, and I wondered why I was even standing here ogling him. I had a class to make it to.
“Where are you headed to next?” He asked shyly scratching the back of his head. I examined wondering if it was safe to tell him where I was headed. It wouldn’t really matter, he could easily find out so I just decided to tell him.
“Gym. You?” His face lit up again, and a dimple showed profusely as he smiled brightly at me. “Oh really. Me too, we can go together and I can tell Mr. D what happened. Since you know it was my fault.” Ha. Hardly. It was actually mine, but you were not going to be hearing me admit that.
“Okay. Well we better get going then. We’re late.” I said in a matter of fact tone. I didn’t really mean to be so cold. Really I didn’t, this was just how you came off to everyone when they treated you like shit. I put my stuff in my locker, and walked by Rex’s side toward the gym’s locker rooms. The walk was completely silent and I was happy for it. Rex made the coldness inside me melt away slightly. It was like a small void was filled from actually being able to talk to someone who didn’t hate on me. I didn’t try to feel bad for myself but some things were easier said than done. Just as we rounded the corner, Corey’s voice admitted loudly down the hall.
“I see you found the town slut already, Rex. Make sure you wrap it dude, I don’t want you catching anything from that thing.” Corey said, laughing profusely. What about that statement was funny, I didn’t know but Rex’s face blanched and I gritted my teeth attempting to block out the cruel laughter.
“Knock it off Corey.” Rex said loudly, the laughter diminished slowly as all attention was put on him. This was the thing about sticking up to people like Corey, it did you no good. They always had a better, meaner, come back. People like him were so unhappy with their lives that no matter what, they were always out to ruin everyone else's. If they couldn’t be happy, no one could.
“Are you really sticking up for that slut Rex? I already told you what she was all about. If you want to take her for a ride go for it. Most of us already have.” He said before pausing. “But don’t call me when your dick swells up to twice its normal size, and you got a rash man.” It was just lies, upon lies. Laughter ensued again, and I wasn’t really sure why I was still standing there subjecting myself to these stupid people’s opinions and thoughts on me.
“Those are rumors; you know it as well as I do. No way could a girl like her make her way through and entire football team.” I looked into Rex’s eyes as the last words of his sentence fell from his lips. His words were sincere, and for the first time ever someone other than Mimi was sticking up for me, and for some unknown reason that pissed me off more than anything. I didn’t need anyone’s pity, and most definitely not his.
“Yeah better watch out, Rex, I might give you a STD or something. You probably shouldn’t even be talking to me; I heard it can be spread through the air.” I said in a mocking tone, while sneering at Corey. Yeah my come back was as stupid as what they had to say, but when in doubt just agree with them.
&nbs
p; Corey smiled profusely, his cheeky grin setting off a fire inside of my head. If I could risk it, I would throat punch him. However, I wouldn’t risk it he didn’t even deserve my bodily violence.
“Just leave her alone. Okay?” Rex said, his eyes yearning and begging to meet mine. I didn’t need or want anyone to stick up for me.
“No need. I’ve managed this long without assistance from you Rex I think I can handle this alone. Thanks though.” I said in a sarcastic tone. I didn’t need my sworn enemies’ family’s help.
“You heard her. She probably likes being called a dirty slut.” Every time Corey laid an insult into me his smile grew wider, and the fire blazing in me grew hotter. That boy would get whatever was coming to him someday.
The teacher’s office door swung open before I could respond to Corey’s comment. Mr. D didn’t look one bit happy that we weren’t ready for class. “Jenna, Rex, my office now.” He said. The rest of the students, including Corey scattered. I rolled my eyes as I hiked my string drawn bag higher onto my back and walked into his office with my head hung low. Great. One day hanging around Rex and I was more than likely going to be talked about for the rest of the week and somehow I had managed to get a detention. Yay. Not.
Detention
After my altercation with Corey, and a detention earned by being tardy twice that week I was in a less than stellar mood. “So you got a detention with Rex, who is hot as fuck might I add. What’s there to be mad about?” Mimi asked as we talked about my shitty first half of the day over lunch.
“What’s to be mad about? I was insulted, and treated like shit by Corey once again in front of my entire gym class. Then I earned a detention to stock and label books in the library after school. Just what I wanted, to spend even more time in this shit-hole around the people I hate.” I grumbled out. Mimi looked at me as if I was being a big baby and though I probably was, I was super tired of being treated like a doormat. Not caring about what others say about you, takes as much energy as caring what they say about you. It’s exhausting to ignore the insults, the laughter, and the jokes.
