Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 87911 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87911 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
“I thought I said this was already payment for what I owed you. I’m sorry for what I did. The bullying and shit. It’s going to end.”
She stared at him, still lightheaded. This couldn’t be happening to her.
“I’ve got to get to class.” She opened her locker and prayed nothing was inside. She just wanted to have a dignified exit, if that was even possible.
“You don’t have to run off. Maybe we can get to know each other.”
There was nothing inside her locker, and she grabbed the couple of books she’d need.
“That’s not going to happen. I’m not stupid. You think I don’t know what is happening here? I don’t know what it is you guys have planned, but I want no part in it. I’m sorry if your dad did anything.” She noticed how he tensed. “I begged my mom not to go to the clubhouse, not to talk to him. I know you hate me, and you get some sick, twisted pleasure from hurting me, but I didn’t want to say anything. My mom, she’s tired of all this. So, I’m sorry if you got hurt or if your dad said anything. If this is really true, you don’t want to hurt me anymore, then just leave me alone. Please.”
She turned her back on him and walked away, heading in the direction of her class.
This was why she tried to avoid being near any of the club when she was at school. For the most part, they owned the school. Teachers were afraid of them, and most of the other people were too.
What they said was law.
Standing outside her homeroom class, she wanted nothing more than the door to be open to allow herself inside, to sit in her chair by the window, and just to disappear.
She’d never been good at making friends. It was one of the reasons why she was on her own all the time.
Friendships didn’t come naturally to her. There were a couple of times she thought she had connected with a couple of girls here, but it had all been part of a joke.
They would hang around with her, pretending to like her, studying with her, watching movies. Then there would be some gathering, and they’d want her to do some stupid initiation stuff to make her be like them.
She’d always walked home, head held high. The only person who really understood her was her mother. The door finally opened, and she slid inside.
Miss Hops smiled at her. “Did you have a good weekend?”
“Yes.” She liked Miss Hops, who also taught history as well. “Did you?”
“The best.”
The conversation was cut short as other students started to arrive. Sitting by the window, she glanced outside, staring out across the field. It wouldn’t be long before the football team was out practicing for the big game.
She jumped as the chair at her table was pulled back, the sound drawing everyone’s attention to her.
Alfie was sitting down. He’d dropped his books onto the desk, and even seeing them was a surprise.
He went to this school, but didn’t actually attend it. He often showed up to class with no books, no paper, and no pens.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“What does it look like I’m doing? I’m taking a seat right here.”
“You can’t sit here.”
“I can’t? I don’t see a problem. If my memory serves me right, I can sit wherever I want.” He leaned back in his chair, his arm resting across the back of her chair.
“Yeah, you can, but why here?”
Her heart was racing. She didn’t dare look anywhere else in the room.
Miss Hops approached her table. “I don’t want any funny business happening in my class, Alfie.”
“There’s no funny business going to happen, Miss Hops. I’m sitting with my friend Chloe, here. Believe me, we’re like BFFs, now.”
Chloe gritted her teeth.
“Is this right, Chloe?” Miss Hops asked.
“Erm, yeah, sure. It’s fine. We’re both friends.”
If she tried to get him moved, it would only end badly for her.
Turning to the front, she tried to ignore how close he was.
Miss Hops walked to the board at the front of the class. It was one of the old-style chalkboards. This was the only classroom in the school that hadn’t had a marker board installed.
Chloe tensed as she felt her hair being played with. She normally wore it up in a ponytail to keep the long locks out of her way, but after waking up really late, she’d left it down, with a quick run through with a brush.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“Your hair is soft.”
“You think I don’t see what is going on here?”
“What is going on here?” he asked.
“I don’t know, so stop it. You’re being nice again, and stop touching my hair.”
“If you want you can touch mine.”
“No. No, thank you.”
She grabbed her hair, pulling it down over her shoulder so he couldn’t touch it.