I mutter to myself in frustration, struggling to grasp the math concepts presented, wondering why we had to tackle functions first when math has always felt easy to me.
Once the bell rang, I grabbed some cash from my backpack and practically dashed to the cafeteria, my stomach growling since I had skipped dinner and breakfast.
“Can I have a chocolate muffin, please?” I requested, handing the cashier a pound for it.
I headed to the table where Emily was sitting and plopped down beside her. She looked pale, with swollen eyes and chapped lips.
“Are you okay?” I asked, and she nodded, but with a hint of fear in her eyes.
“I had a rough night,” she sighed, running her fingers through her hair. “I woke up from a nightmare and couldn’t get back to sleep.” I grimaced in sympathy.
“If you have bad dreams again, just call me; we can fall asleep together on FaceTime,” I offered, and she nodded appreciatively.
As I started munching on my muffin, I noticed Emily sneaking glances at me.
“Can I stay at your place tonight?” she asked cautiously. I hesitated; I had plans to go to Alex’s house. I thought in my mind…I looked at Emily, and although she didn’t say anything, her pleading gaze made me sigh and nod.
I suddenly felt like I had neglected Emily. I spotted Luke and James approaching, and I couldn’t help but smile at their playful banter. When they reached our table, Luke looked at Emily with concern, while James tried to sneak a bite of my muffin.
“Just ask!” I exclaimed, and he laughed, helping himself anyway. “What’s up with Emily?” Luke inquired, his brow furrowed, and I shrugged.
“Just didn’t sleep well,” I replied, and he nodded understandingly.
I noticed some scratches on James’s neck and let out a laugh. “What happened?” I teased, but he frowned and rolled his eyes when I touched the marks.
“Don’t meddle in my affairs, and I won’t meddle in yours,” he muttered, causing me to chuckle.
After finishing my muffin, I spotted Alex entering the school. I knew he was quitting today, and although I didn’t like it, it was for the best-I couldn’t let his business suffer, despite my anger over his four million pounds loss due to me. Still, I felt a rush of warmth realizing how much he cared about me.
“Who are you staring at?” Emily asked, snapping me back to reality. I shook my head, laughing nervously. “Should we go shopping today?” I suggested. She smiled and nodded.
Though I had no money, I knew it would cheer her up. Suddenly, my phone vibrated, revealing a message from Alex: “You look gorgeous with that ponytail x”.
I blushed, glancing over to catch Alex talking to a teacher, who subtly held onto his arm. It annoyed me slightly, but I shrugged it off.
“Do you think Lucas will be at your house today?” Emily asked, and I shook my head. “If he is, he’ll be locked in his room with a girl or drinking and smoking with his friends… or both,” I replied, and she laughed.
I decided to text Alex: **”I can’t make it to your house today; Emily’s staying over.”** I glanced at him, noticing his frown while reading my message.
“But I’ve been with you since yesterday!” I sighed. He looked worn and in need of my support.
As Alex talked with the teacher, I shared a glance with him, and then he suddenly said, “Go to the gym, now.” I frowned, glancing at James, who had just looked up from his phone.
“Are you covering for us?” James whispered, drawing Emily and Luke’s attention. He winked, and they nodded. He took my hand, leading us toward the gym.
“I’ll wait at the locker room entrance and let you know if anyone’s coming,” he said, which puzzled me.
“Why?” I asked, and he raised his eyebrows, making my cheeks blush. “Nothing will happen,” I assured him, and he laughed.
Inside the women’s locker room, I searched for Alex until I was yanked into one of the personal showers. “Hey, gorgeous,” he murmured, wide-eyed.
“I’m not doing that here,” I replied, but he rolled his eyes. “Alex, there might be cameras,” I mumbled, and he bit his lip.
“Has anyone told you how sexy you look when you’re scared?” he teased, and I scoffed. When he kissed me, I couldn’t resist. “If anyone finds out, I’ll pay for your private school,” he murmured against my lips, making me moan softly.
“I don’t want to have sex here,” I protested, but he flashed a smirk, clearly just trying to provoke me. “And I’m not doing it,” I said, stepping out of the locker room.
“Already done?” James asked, and I shook my head. Suddenly, Alex pulled me back, causing me to gasp.
“If you run from me again, I’ll make sure you regret it,” he whispered, and I swallowed hard. He kissed me again, but I quickly pulled away out of nervousness.
“I’m running late for class,” I whispered, moving toward my destination while Alex didn’t stop me. I felt a mix of excitement and nervousness as I anticipated seeing him again.
As I entered my classroom, Mr. Winston raised his eyebrows at me. “Three minutes late, Miss Moore,” he reprimanded, and I cringed.
“Oh, sorry, Winston; she was with me. My fault; I had to deal with some pending grades with her,” he interjected from behind me. I sighed in relief as Mr. Winston allowed me to pass, settling into my desk.
The rest of the class went by, and then my relief when bell ringing was palpable. I briefly remembered it was Thursday and that I had one more class-ethics.
“Good afternoon, class,” Alex announced as he walked in, causing a frown to form on my face.
He shrugged off his things to lean on the desk. “Last class,” he stated, drawing murmurs from the students. “Calm down. I won’t be returning, but you’ll still have ethics with another teacher,” he clarified, licking my lips nervously.