When did I become such a dork? Wanting attention from a girl, wasn't something that I'd ever felt before. Not once. I didn't have to, they gave it to me before I could even think about it. Ever since I hit puberty, it was almost as if I'd become a magnet. One that attracted the opposite sex in a heartbeat. "I have a confession to make," she said, and it caught the principal's attention and stopped the tense atmosphere which made time stand still and it felt as if, at some point, even the clock had gone mute. I hated coming in here, the threat of being kicked out of another school meant that my only future would be to stay at home. With my drunk mom.Hell no!'Stewart, the rich quarterback love magnet.' Every-one needed a nickname in high school, and that just hap-pened to be mine. Not, 'Stewart, the miserable kid with the alcoholic mom and cheating dad, who'd been kicked out of one too many schools.'I was too popular and had too much cash to be la-beled what I was behind clo
I walked out of Mr. Hopkins office as if the floor was laid with hot coal. I knew that Mr. Hopkins wanted to talk to me. Ask me the million dollar question that made his face grimace with anger; why the hell had I lied. The truth was I didn´t know, there were a thousand other ways to try and get Evan's attention, this just seemed to be the perfect way to do it.Then again, I wanted him to like me for me, not be-cause of what happened in the closet or because I'd tak-en the blame for him when he cheated on a test. If I'd told Evan that it was me in the closet, would he want to get to know me for the wrong reasons? In the end, Prin-cipal Hopkins gave me detention for two weeks. Light punishment for cheating, but everyone in that room knew that it was a lie. Whatever.It wasn't like anyone was going to say anything about it. Not when it was my word against Evan's, but I was counting on the fact that nobody would question us, so the punishment was less irritating than it should have
I felt a little guilty as I went through the rest of my classes for the day. Well, guilty, but also deeply intrigued by that girl.Anita.I had thanked her for doing what she did, but that didn't feel like enough to me. Besides, I wouldn't mind sitting close to her even if all I got to do was watch her. Her clothes weren't a slim fit and didn't show much skin, unlike a lot of the girls I saw every day, but I was starting to think that underneath those clothes, she had delicious curves just begging to be explored.Fuck, don't think like that.Pushing the thoughts aside, I headed for detention. Class was over, but I wasn't in a hurry to go home, and it wasn't the first time I'd ditched my friends over a girl either, so it didn't matter to them when I said I was busy. They misunderstood what I meant, and gave me annoying catcalls and wolf whistles behind my back. I ignored them.Stopping outside the door, I knocked, then pushed it open. A teacher was seated at the front, and a f
I woke up early in the morning. Not because I re-membered to set my alarm clock. These days, I didn't even need to.My parents were arguing, and even with my door closed, the noise was hard to muffle. I groaned and rolled off the bed, and went to take a shower. Not for the first time, I was glad to have my own bathroom. I didn't have to get out there with them to get ready. I was ready way too soon, and I picked up my stuff. It was too early for school, but I couldn't stay there any-more.Mom and Dad had moved their argument down-stairs. I heard something like glass break and hurried over. I stuck my head into the kitchen, but it was noth-ing. A glass just fell, and neither of them noticed. Mom was probably the one who threw it. I looked at her, and it took less than a second to realize she was drunk.Mom? Already? My thoughts turned sour and I knew my day was ruined already.I said nothing as I ducked back out, and felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. I pulled it out, and scoff
"So, what do you like to do in your free time?"I was surprised he was talking to me. Hell, I was surprised he'd driven all this way just to pick me up for school. I'd even wondered if I was dreaming and pinched my arm just outside the door before I jumped in, and I was subtly rubbing the small red mark."I read," I said after a minute. My tone sounded normal, but I couldn't be any further from calm. My heart was beating wildly in my chest, but I was a better actor than I thought."What do you read?""Um," I frowned, thinking quickly. "I'm in the mid-dle of a book called Christine right now. I circle different authors, and when I find ones I like, I go through the backlist, but not all at once, and I'm back on Stephen King for now. After that one, I'll read Carrie and The Shining, then find something else to read.""Really?" Evan said, glancing at me, a wide grin on his face. Before I could ask why he was so happy, he told me. "I love Stephen King books. There are some newer
"I still can't believe you're hanging out with that girl," Abe muttered. "I thought people were kidding, but I saw you."I rolled my eyes and looked away. We were on the football field even if it was out of season. A habit that never died even during spring and I pretended to be en-grossed with the runners doing laps around the track."Why do you say that like it's a crime?"He smirked. "It's just unlike you, and it is all over the school. Girls keep coming up to me and asking me about it like it's any of my business in the first place."Abe smacked my shoulder, and I frowned. He was a quarterback on the team, and he was a big guy. He was also one of the guys I regularly hung out with.Mason, the team's linebacker, grinned as he smacked me on my other shoulder."Tell the truth; she's the same girl you've been blow-ing us off for, right? Tell us her name.""Would you guys shut up," I grumbled.I knew people were talking about it, and I guess it was big news. It had been
My hands twisted together as I stopped outside of the pharmacy. Even with Hayley by my side, I wasn't sure I could do this. Hayley, as always, seemed to be able to read my mind."You have to do it," she murmured. "Even if you're scared, it'll be worse if you wait for your stomach to start showing before you start to make plans. It's been a month by now, I think. Better to start planning early."I bit my lip. I was totally afraid of it, but I knew she was right. What would I do if I had to go to school with a giant belly? People might assume Evan was responsible, especially with all the recent rumors flying around about us, and while it was true, I hadn't told him yet. What would he think?"Can we just wait out here for a minute?" I whis-pered.Hayley pursed her lips, but at my pleading look, gave up with a sigh."Fine, but we are not turning back," she warned. "Not after I finally got you to come here. Honestly, I al-most thought you were running away from me or some-thing."
I waited patiently, but the way my foot tapped on the floor said that was a lie. Still, I waited. The last bell of the day, the bell for those that had been given de-tention, would soon ring and Anita's time in detention would be over. I'd made sure mine would be the first face she saw as I waited at the door. I'd left my own class early, after the teacher left when she was called to the office. I had to see Anita, see her face. I wasn't disappointed. When she came out of the door her face scrunched up in the cutest way and her jaw dropped. I have that effect on people, what can I say? Anita was good though, and the shock was quickly replaced with a grin.The difference from when we first met to now was so huge; I unconsciously smiled back."Hey," she said, walking over to me. "What are you doing here?"Her curly red hair was in a pony tail on top of her head, soft, glossy curls caught my attention before I glanced down to see those eyes of her smiling up at me.I grinned