His stare burns into me the second we move toward them, but I refuse to look his way, instead, I walk toward Ruby when she calls me.
“Where have you been hiding?”
I cringe at her words, knowing that it was exactly what I was doing.
“She was helping me with something,” Stella pipes up to save me.
“Okay, cool. Come sit,” she encourages both me and Stella, who easily fits in with our group despite the fact she’s never really hung out with us before.
“Yo, baby Hunter. What happened to your prep boy? He dump your ass?” Rich shouts over. I roll my eyes at him before he shouts. “Ow,” he complains as someone hits him.
“That’s my cousin, you ass.”
“Nah, he dumped her because she wouldn’t put out.”
My chin drops in shock as I turn to the owner of that comment.
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me.” Kyle narrows his eyes on me, amusement dancing in them.
“Fuck you, Ky. You don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about.”
Our eye contact holds, tension crackling between us and everyone falls silent around us waiting to see what’s to come.
“I’m only going by what he said.”
“Well, that’s great. You believe what you like.”
“It’s true though, isn’t it, virgin?”
“Wha—” I shake my head, not believing this is happening right now. “What’s that even got to do with anything?”
“Just saying. He probably thought he’d get with a cheerleader and get his dick wet.”
“You’re a fucking prick, Kyle.”
“So, prove us wrong.”
“W-what?”
“Prove. Us. Wrong,” he spits.
“What? You want me to fuck someone in the middle of the cafeteria to make you feel better about yourself? Fuck you, Kyle.”
“Legend,” Zayn warns, suddenly piping up. Apparently, even my fucking brother is enjoying the show. Ass.
“Pussy,” Kyle breathes as I turn away from him.
“Fuck you.”
I walk straight toward Rich who’s totally engrossed in the drama unfolding before him, grip his chin in my hand as I straddle his lap and slam my lips down on his.
A loud gasp sounds out behind me, and I lift my spare hand to flip them all off.
His shock means he doesn’t respond to me for a few seconds but the moment his brain catches up with his body, his fingers thread in my hair and he holds me tight.
Someone growls behind us and I can only assume it’s Zayn. I’ve threatened to go after his friends more than once but other than Kyle. I’ve never touched one. Until today.
I grind down on him, feeling him harden beneath me before climbing off and dropping my hand to his crotch.
“You want to know why I haven’t fucked any of you?” I look around at the team. “Much like your boy here.” I rub him harder and he gasps. “Your cocks are all too small. Girls?” I ask looking to Ruby, Poppy, and Stella who are staring at me with a mix of pride and shock on their faces.
“Harley, wait—” Rich starts when I take a step back.
“Come after me and I’ll fucking bite it off,” I warn.
I lift my eyes to Kyle as I back away, a smirk playing on my lips as he shakes his head at me, anger darkening his eyes.
Right before I’m forced to turn around, I flip him off once again with both hands and then disappear around the corner.
“Girl, what the fuck was that?” Stella squeals excitedly. “I said go in there and show him you’re not scared, not make Rich almost come in his pants.”
I shrug like it’s no biggie. In reality, my hands are trembling and my heart is racing faster than I’m sure it ever has before.
“Did you see his face? That was so his ‘I’m about to come’ face.” Ruby laughs.
“Ugh, he’s such a dog,” Poppy complains. “They all are.”
We all turn our eyes on her.
“What? Zayn used to be just as bad. I’m not excusing his behavior before we got together.”
“Kyle looked like he was gonna pop a blood vessel. Did you see his eyes almost bug out of his head when you touched Rich’s cock?” Ruby asks as we continue walking down the hallway with no destination in mind.
“Man, that felt good,” I admit.
“You do realize that you’re in serious trouble now, right?” Poppy says.
“How so?”
“Well, firstly, Zayn’s going to lose his shit with Rich for kissing you back. Sec—”
“He was shit, in case you were wondering.”
Ruby and Stella snigger as Poppy continues.
“Secondly, he’s probably going to take Kyle down for the way he talked to you.”
“And that’s my problem because? Fucker deserves it.”
“Thirdly, you’re just asking for Kyle to come after you for that stunt.”
“She’s right. You might have just shown him that you’re not scared, but you’ve upped the ante.”
“Yeah well, he can fuck off. I’m not going anywhere near him again.”
“Again,” Poppy screeches, successfully spraying Ruby with a mouthful of water she was attempting to drink.
“You didn’t tell her?” Ruby asks with a wince.
“No, you may not have realized it but I didn’t want to talk about it.”
“Whoops, my bad.”
“What happened, Har?”
I look up at the shitty tiled ceiling of the hallway we’ve stopped in, trying to come up with the right words.
“He was right, nothing happened with Nathan…”
“Because…” Ruby encourages excitedly like she’s about to explode.
“Because it happened with him.”
“You fucked him?” Poppy shouts way too loudly for a school hallway.
“No, I didn’t. He’s right there too. I’m a virgin. But things… happened.”
“But you hate him.”
“Yeah well, I owed him one, so.”
“You blew him to make up for the fact you sent him to juvie. Har, that’s messed up.”
I turn to Stella who’s standing silently beside us probably being corrupted more by the second.
“I’m sorry. If you want to run now, I’ll let you off the whole friends thing.”
“No, no. Please continue. I’m enjoying this.”
“Great. I’m glad someone is.”
“Oh come on, Harley. It’s not that bad. So what you sucked him off, I’m assuming you got yours too,” she says, shocking the fuck out of me, I always thought she was such a good girl.
My face burns with the truth. “Um… I actually came out of it a hell of a lot better,” I admit quietly making all three of them howl with laughter.
“So what happened to Nathan? That last time I saw you, you were grinding up against him,” Poppy asks.
“Err…” I hesitate, mortified by the answer to that question.
“Tell her or I will.”
“Ohhh… does this get even juicier?” Stella asks. “Where the hell was I when all this was going on?”
“Kissing a stranger?” I ask, hoping to take some of the heat off of me.
“Oooh… who were you kissing?” Ruby asks, momentarily forgetting that she was about to confess my mortifying secret.
“No idea. He was hot though. Rough.” She wiggles her eyebrows in excitement.
“Har, you were saying…” Poppy prompts.
“Oh, um… Nathan was passed out on the couch,” I whisper.
“In the same room?” she once again screeches.
“Yes.”
Thankfully the bell rings putting an end to this mortifying conversation.
“What have you got last?” Ruby asks.
“Math,” I groan. The last thing I need is Mr. Wilson breathing down my neck and asking about my tutoring sessions.
“I’m going that way. Walk with?” Stella asks, nodding in that direction.
“Sure.”
“This isn’t over,” Poppy warns me.
“I didn’t think I was going to be that lucky,” I sass. “We’ll talk later, yeah?”
“You can bet on it.”
We all part ways and head to class.
“I think I might have got things wrong,” Stella admits when we come to a stop outside my classroom. “I think being friends with you guys might just be worth it for the entertainment value.”
“Trust me, girl. It’s not usually this bad.” I laugh, wondering if that’s actually true when I think of the events of this year alone. Poppy and Zayn, Ruby and Ash. Yeah, maybe the boy drama really is becoming normal for us. And that can only mean one thing… we’re turning into seniors.
“I’ll believe it when I see it.”
“You wanna hang out after school one day this week?”
“Yeah, I’d like that.”
“I’ll message you later.”
She gives me a little wave as she twists away to go to her own class and a smile plays on my lips. Everything might be just a tad fucked-up right now but having Stella join our little threesome is a good thing. Not to mention that she’s single and will give me back up against the two happy couples that mostly make me want to gag.
I’m still smiling when I walk into my classroom, although that soon falls when Mr. Wilson’s concerned eyes land on me.
Great. Now what?
Class is… as hard as it always is.
I take all the notes, listen to everything he says, I even get some right answers, but no sooner have I figured it all out do I forget once again and it all goes tits up.
Tears burn the back of my eyes as I stare down at the page full of numbers. It shouldn’t be this hard. I’m intelligent. I’m passing all my other classes, but math, argh.
I grip the pencil in my hand so hard I worry it’s about to snap in two as Mr. Wilson brings the class to a close seconds before the bell rings.
“Harley, could you wait, please?” he asks as everyone else begins to make their way to the door.
I blow out a breath as dread settles in the pit of my stomach.
“What’s up, sir?”
“Have you had your first tutoring session yet?”
I cast my mind back to going to Kyle’s last week.
“Yeah.”
“And, how was it?”
“It was… sir,” I say, changing tactic. “I really don’t think it’s necessary.”
“Harley,” he warns. “The test we did last week.” Hesitantly, I take it from him and at the sight of the big F at the top of the page, the tears that were already threatening fills my eyes.
“I’m so sorry,” I whimper.
“Harley, you don’t need to apologize, and please, don’t get upset. We’re going to make this better. I’m going to schedule some sessions at lunch and with Kyle’s help, you’ll get there. All of the rest of your grades are fantastic, Harley. We just need to figure out a way to help you understand the numbers.”
“O-okay,” I sniffle.
“It’ll be okay, Harley. We’ll get you there.”
“T-thank you,” I whisper, wiping at my eyes and turning away from him.
I hate this. I hate feeling like I’m failing at something when I’m trying so damn hard.
“Hey, what’s wrong?” Ruby asks the second I emerge from the classroom.
“It’s math. What’s right?”
“Come here.” She pulls me into her arms to comfort me. It’s a move that’s happening all too often at the moment.
“I’m okay,” I say, squaring my shoulders and running my finger under my eyes to wipe away the tears and stray makeup.
Movement over her shoulder catches my attention, but I don’t get a chance to look up and see what’s going on because Ruby tucks her arm under mine and starts walking us down the hall.
“Chelsea wants to see us.”
“Oh, why?”
“To talk about next year, I assume. I don’t really know.”
Arm in arm, we walk to the gym before slipping down the hidden hallway to Miss Kelly’s office. To both our shock, our elusive cheer coach is actually sitting behind her desk.
“’Afternoon, girls,” she says when we enter and join Chelsea who’s sitting rubbing her bump as she talks to Miss Kelly. “Harley, is everything okay?” she asks when she must see the remaining tears in my eyes.
“Yeah. Everything’s fine.”
“Okay, well. Take a seat. We need to talk about the squad’s future and I have a feeling you two will want to be involved.”
We both eagerly take a seat and set about listening to her plans, which in itself is comical seeing as she’s never here.
“I know you want to take charge, and I think you’ll probably get it. We’ll put votes out as soon as auditions are done but in the meantime, I need you both to ensure your grades are stellar and your behavior is impeccable.” Miss Kelly turns her eyes on me and my stomach drops. Not only am I failing math but my behavior in the cafeteria earlier wasn’t exactly exemplary.
“You’ve got it,” Ruby agrees for us.
“Brilliant. I’ll see you all here after school tomorrow and we’ll get started on building next year’s champion squad.”
Ruby and I nod before following Chelsea out and in the direction of the locker room.
“Anyone would think she gives a shit about the squad the way she just went on,” Chelsea complains once we’re safely inside the empty room.
“It’s a bit of a joke,” Ruby agrees, dropping down to the bench where Chelsea has left some of her stuff.
“You two are going to have a lot to take on, you know that, right? She won’t help like she promises.”
“We know. We’ve got it.”
“I’ll be around, I’m taking a year off with this one, so if you need anything I’m all in, I’ll help wherever I can. You two just need to focus on those grades.” She turns to me. “I saw yours, Harley. Is math going to be an issue?”
“No, I’m working on it.”
“Good. Like I said, I’m here for anything, but math isn’t exactly my strong point. Shane’s pretty good but—”
“I’ve got it under control.”
“Good. I trust you, Harley. I trust both of you. I know my squad will be in good hands.” She pulls her cell from her pocket and stares down at the screen. “I gotta go. I’ll see you both tomorrow, yeah?”
“Sure thing,” Ruby agrees. “I need to head out too. You okay?” she asks me.
“Yeah, I’m just going to use the bathroom then I’m heading home.”
“Okay. Call me later, yeah?”
“Will do.” I watch them both walk out before pushing from the wall I was leaning against and head for the bathroom.
I sit down and tip my head up to the ceiling. Today has been a fucking disaster.
Regret fills me with what I did at lunch. I wanted to prove a point, but I think I might have taken it a bit too far.
I drop my head into my hands as the image of that F on my math test taunts me. I’ve got to do something. I can’t have my place on the squad in jeopardy because of a stupid grade.
“Argh,” I scream into the empty space around me but it doesn’t make me feel any better.
I wash my hands before reluctantly looking at myself in the mirror. Tears still fill my eyes as I think about my reality. If I don’t fix that grade, Miss Kelly will boot me from the squad and I’ll never get to stand beside Ruby as her assistant captain.
I suck in a shaky breath before drying my hands and walking back to the locker room to grab my purse and head home—to do some math homework.
I’m not looking where I’m going, I’m too lost in my own head but that soon ends when I walk straight into a solid yet warm wall of muscle.
“K-Kyle?”
“Kitten, fancy seeing you here.”
17
Kyle
“Yeah weird, seeing as this is the girl’s locker room and I’m assuming you watched my ass walk in here,” she sasses, ma
king my dick harden as I close the already limited space between us.
My fingers find her throat and I push her backward until she crashes up against the lockers.
“Trying to be cute isn’t going to help you right now,” I warn, my eyes boring into hers.
“I’m not being cute,” she seethes. “Let go of me.” She pulls at my forearm with all the strength she can muster but I don’t budge.
“That stunt you pulled in the cafeteria… you think I’d let you get away with that?”
“I don’t really give a fuck, Kyle.” She squirms in my hold, desperate to get away, but she’s achieving nothing.
“You fucking kissed him.” I get right in her face. My nose pressed against hers and our heaving breathes mingle as I tighten my grip on her throat and wrap my other hand around her waist. “You fucking kissed him,” I repeat, my anger exploding within me as I remember watching her tongue delve past his lips. How they’re still attached to him right now is a fucking miracle.
“You started it.”
“I was only telling the truth, Kitten.”
“Yeah, and maybe I’ve been dying to kiss Rich for years.”
A growl rumbles up my throat.
“You’re a really shit liar, Kitten.”
“I. Don’t. Care.”
I stare at her as her chest heaves, her body trembling under my touch. I drop my eyes from hers, to her lips and then down to her chest. She’s wearing a tank and zip-up hoodie, it’s not an overly sexy outfit but fuck if I don’t want to rip it off her and lay her out on the bench.
My cock swells against her hip, there’s no way she can’t feel what her defiance is doing to me right now.
“Why were you crying?” I ask, my voice softer than before.
The tears might have gone, but I can see the redness around her eyes. Not to mention that I was waiting for her after her math class and saw her come out upset.
“Why? Do you want to shout about that around the cafeteria to shame me as well?”
“Nothing shameful about being a virgin, Kitten.”
“I know. If I were that bothered I’d have given it up to Rich by now.”
“Don’t even think about it,” I growl, getting so close to her our lips brush. My mouth waters knowing that I could take her right now if I wanted to. I have no doubt she’d comply despite her anger.
LEGEND: A Dark High School Bully Romance (Rosewood High Book 7) Page 16