CHAPTER SEVEN

XAVIER

The second my alarm goes off, I turn it off. I didn't sleep a wink last night and it's all because of Rain Simmons. Kissing her was a bad idea but I couldn't help myself. It was bad week of my father forcing me to do his bidding and she was standing there in the dimly lit room, her hair shiny and her eyes wide.

I couldn't concentrate on the fact that she was setting the place up to prank my friends and I. She was so beautiful and when she bit her lips in fear, something snapped inside me and I couldn't hold myself. The real surprise though was when she kissed me back.

That's what kept me up at night, she fucking kissed me back and it was good. Easily the best kiss of my life and she didn't even notice. Then stupid Hank set fire to the history teacher’s car and the police came. I wasn't supposed to be there last night, Dad threatened and warned me. As soon as I heard the sirens I knew I had to sneak out of there fast. I parked away from school so it was easy to just sneak off and drive home.

When I got home, I got messages from my friends telling me how much I missed and telling me places to steer clear of when I come to school.

I finally stand up from my bed so I can get ready for school. I take a cold shower and touch myself to the image of Rain begging me to do more than kiss her. I'm going to have sex with Rain. That's the only way to be done with this bullshit attraction I feel for her. I need to be sleek about it too, No one must find out.

My dad is in the kitchen when I come in for an apple.

"You're home?" He asks.

"Other parent would take that as good news."

"Don't start with me this morning. You're supposed to be at training, why are you still here?"

"I didn't go today."

I've actually not gone since the school year started. Football has never been my thing. I'm good at it, not enough to go pro but I help my team win. I've just never had the passion that my father thinks I should have for it. He loves it and he makes me do things I hate so I play but this year, I was more uninterested than usual so I haven't gone.

He gives the chef a signal to get lost and he leaves.

"Your coach said you've not been to practice since practice started."

Of course coach told him that. He's always talking to my teachers. Talking to everybody except me. The only time he deems it fit to talk to me is when he wants to yell or order me around.

"You thought you could get away with that?"

"No, sir. I was just not feeling up to it."

"I don't give a fuck Xavier. You do as I tell you or we're going to have problems. You think just because you're strong now that I can't beat the shit out of you? I don't fucking need to Xavier, I have people for that. Do what I say and you'll be just fine."

Just what every son needs to hear early in the morning. My phone rings then and I ignore it. He hates when I answer calls when he's talking to me and I don't need to set him off more than I already have.

"Go ahead, answer it. We're done here."

I take my phone out of my pocket and frown when I see that it's my mum. I reject the call and slide the phone back into my pocket. I grab the apple and I turn to leave.

"You're mum just texted. She called you just now and you didn't answer."

"I can't choose who I talk to now? If she wants to talk that bad, she can come here."

"Talk to her before the day ends or else."

He goes back to working on his tab and I head out to school.

I park in my usual spot with my friends waiting for me. They're so excited to tell me all the pranks they set last night and the ones that have already gone off. I let them talk and pretend I don't know most of what they're telling me.

They think I didn't come because I attended an important meeting with dad out of town. They don't know that I was alone at home until I left and snuck into school. I had planned to join in the fun but I saw Rain instead. I'm glad I saw her. I'll choose kissing her over pranks any day.

We stop by Derrick and Camden's locker first and it's at the tip of my tongue to warn them about Rain's prank but I keep my mouth shut. If I'm going to sleep with her, I should start being nice to her. Should I recorded this and send to her as a gesture of good will? I chuckle to myself. Am I really ready to shove my friends under the bus for a chance at pussy? Who am I?

Rain and a girl that's dating one of her stoner friends enter the hallway and they try to pretend they're not watching us. Rain's eyes don't meet mine. She's looking everywhere but at me. Glad to see I'm not the only one affected by the kiss.

"Man, you don't have to ignore us just because you didn't come." Derrick says.

I smile and tune back in to the conversation they're having. By some stroke of luck, Camden and Derrick open their lockers at the same time and smelly green goo shoots out of their lockers and hits their faces.

Everyone in the hallway freezes. They don't know if they should laugh or be afraid of what is to follow.

"Who did this?" Derrick screams.

I look at the spot where Rain was standing and I see that she's gone. I'll have to get someone else to open my locker for me. This shit stinks.

"I swear to God, if I find out who did this, they're going to be in a world of pain." Camden threatens.

Even though it's funny as hell, I don't laugh.