Kayden
by Ryan Keith
Chapter 8 - A Tutor
"Study?"
"Yeah, I was hoping, like, we could get together to study for the religion test," the overly-excited girl said.
I sat back and wondered what she was talking about. I didn't remember hearing anything about a test. Now that I think about it, though, we have covered a lot and it would be a perfect time to be tested on the material we've learned. Not that I didn't trust this girl's word for it, I just hadn't paid attention in class.
I don't know how I got involved with this girl in the first place. She comes out of nowhere and asks me if I can be her study partner. I was eating lunch by myself. Maya and Scott weren't around. Scott was probably still angry with me about what I had said to him. It had been like that all week. Rumor had it that Scott and I had a huge fight over Maya and we were no longer friends. What a load of bullshit. I didn't care; let all those idiots think what they want. It's between Scott and me anyways. I guess I did over-react a bit, but it was his fault as much as it was mine. I still need to talk with him. If I know Maya, I'd say she's sensed his foul mood and tried to lift his spirits.
"Ah, I'll have to get back to you on that. I'm not smart at all. I mean, I hardly listen in class. Why would you want to study with someone who would most likely get a mark below average?"
She looked like she was caught off guard by the question. It took her longer to answer it than it should have.
"It's just that, like, I usually study with a friend of mine, and, like, she's going to be away for a tournament," she paused to take a sip of her water that she had handy. "I, like, always do much better on tests when I explain the material to, like, someone else. Kinda like I'm tutoring them. I sort of saw that you were having some trouble in the class, and, like, I think you'd be perfect to study with."
I guess it did make sense. The best way to study is to teach the material to someone else, like you're teaching the lesson. Knowing the material well enough to help someone else almost guarantees that you understand everything.
"Well, if you put it that way, sure, why not? I would be happy if you studied with me. How does Saturday sound to you?" I said to her.
Her eyes looked like they were going to start glowing and her face bloomed with excitement.
"OH MY GOD! You are such, like, a lifesaver. I promise you Zac, I won't let you down," she shouted, almost too loud. She took out a piece of paper and scribbled her number on it.
"I should thank you, Melissa. You're really doing me a favor by tutoring me," I told her.
I felt like punching myself, seeing the way her mouth twitched. "Actually, Zac, my name is Alicia."
"I… I'm really, really sorry," I solemnly apologized. "I'm really bad with names. Please don't be angry. I seriously get everyone's names mixed up. I really didn't mean to forget your name."
Her finger on my mouth silenced me as she looked me straight in the eye and smiled. "I really like that about you. You're, like, so innocent. It makes me want to, like, pinch your cheeks. Don't worry about it hon, you'll get it right."
With that, she left. I sat there stunned. No one had ever touched these lips besides Kayden, except for that little experiment with Jett. I almost felt like I had betrayed Kade. I didn't kiss her or anything, but I still felt bad.
How the hell did I miss such a thing as a test? I didn't even know that this Alicia girl was in my class. And what the hell is with her sentences. She was saying "like" so many times the word lost all meaning.
I felt my cheeks blaze when I realized more than the usual eyes were staring at me. I decided my lunch was over and tossed the rest out. I needed some fresh air.
Class was going to start in the next five minutes. Our teacher was usually late, but it didn't bother me. As usual, I was the first one there. Slowly, other students began walking in, quite a few walking to me to say “Hi”.
I really didn't expect him to show up, but once every blue moon Scott surprises me. It didn't really look like he wanted to be here anyways. He had missed almost a week of history. I guess he took his chances skipping, rather than having to deal with me. Still, it was good to see him, and I guess I was glad he was back.
"Hey," Scott whispered quietly.
I turned to him. His eyes were cast down, staring at the desk in front of him.
"Hey, man," I replied.
We sat there for a couple of minutes just staring at our desks.
"You know…" we both began at the same time.
We stopped dead in mid sentence. I turned a bit to look at Scott. Sure enough, he was looking back with his lop-sided grin. I couldn't help but grin a bit myself.
"Things kinda got out of hand, didn't they?" I asked.
"Yeah. We've been pretty hostile. Shit, if I knew you would get that pissed, I would have kept my mouth shut. I know you did it for me," Scott said carefully.
I could tell he was choosing his words slowly. Scott has trouble with saying what he feels in his heart. The only way for him to get it out is to say it slowly. I guess he took it seriously when his mother lectured him about thinking before you speak.
"I was outta line there, buddy. I didn't mean to be that mad. I just couldn't stand you being so mean to a friend. I mean, Kade didn't do anything to offend you, did he?" I asked politely.
Scott let out a deep breath. "No, not really. I guess I was scared that, you know, you found someone better to replace me."
Scott's words were unexpected, but they showed me that Dad had been right about what's been bothering Scott.
I looked at Scott with what must have been the weirdest expression in the world. Judging by his face, I must have looked surprised.
"We need to talk. Outside," I commanded in a neutral tone.
I got up and made my way to the door. A few whispers echoed around the room as Scott followed me. I didn't care; let them speculate. Other students don't bother me, usually, except when they stare like I'm some sort of exhibit, but once in a while, some students surprise me.
"Shit. Kendal's fucked now. Hunter is gonna wreck him."
I paused at the door and turned my head. Sure enough, the entire class went silent. I could see the boy who opened his big mouth. A little kid, Mark Johnson, who often tries to make witty comments or remarks; anything to be seen as funny. Sometimes they're just mean; sometimes they're funny. But everyone can always see he's just trying to imitate Scott, and he does a shit job of it. Scott doesn't need to try to be funny, he just naturally is. I guess his looks often give people the impression that he's up to something. He usually is, and it's usually worth something.
I stared at the kid like he had stolen my favorite pair of shoes. He began to sink in his chair as I made it back into the room.
"Buddy, why don't you shut the fuck up before I tear you a new one?" I said in anger. My voice was not loud, but it was enough for everyone to hear. I saw faces ranging from impressed to shocked. I never let my anger get the best of me, not in front of so many students, but under the circumstances, I had to let loose.
Before I could fully see the extent of the damage my words had done to the kid, I turned to leave, with Scott following behind.
The closest exit was a few meters from the class. When we got out, I just stared at the trees that surround the school.
I took a deep breath before I turned to Scott.
"What the hell do you mean 'replace you'? I couldn't do it if I tried. What the fuck made you think something like that?" I was trying to be calm, remembering that Dad had said about Scott not having many friends.
Scott just looked around worryingly. I had never seen him so scared, but then again, he and I never had been this close to having a major disagreement.
"Shit, man. I don't know. I mean, Kayden looks like the kind of person who everyone would notice. The only way people notice me is if I do something. Kayden doesn't even try and everyone notices him. The fact that you quickly became friends with him is proof. I mean… shit. Inside the first day you were talking about him non-stop." Scott coloured feverishly. He was acting like his mom was lecturing him.
Dammit, Scott, I love him, that's why! I wanted to scream. I knew too well that that was impossible. The shock would have been too big, and I didn't want to complicate things further.
It was because I felt a strong connection with him that I wanted to get to know him better. It wasn't because I noticed him like everyone else does, I fell in love with him.
"Listen, buddy, no one can replace you. We've known each other for what… eight years?" I asked crossly.
I clearly remember the first day the teacher introduced Scott in grade 2. Jett, Shin, and I were all friends and we snickered at the new kid like he had three eyes. Within the first week, the entire class looked down on Scott being the new kid. I guess we did give him a hard time, and Scott had chosen the three of us to be his targets for revenge. After a few weeks of his childish pranks, we grew to like Scott. He was nothing like the other kids. Shin was more attached to him than Jett and I were, though. Scott would blaze at Shin for no reason, insulting him to no end, and he would just take it all in stride, never letting the words hurt him. Now, Scott clearly depends on Shin at times, but always seems to want to impress me. This was a good time to stop that.
"Who are you trying to impress? Nothing would be the same without you. Who would Jett hit for making those comments about his girls? Who would verbally abuse Shin for his free will and stupidity?" I smiled a bit at what I had said. "I mean, who could I find to make me laugh the way you do? You're a part of me. You don't need to impress me, or anyone. You do things by instinct, you say what's on your mind, and you don't take anyone's crap. Do I need to go on?"
Scott was staring at the floor. No doubt my words had uncovered some uncertainty he held inside.
"Scott, I like Kayden because he's kinda like me. He's no Jett, not anything like you, and we're fucked if he comes anywhere near like Shin. All I ask is that you give him a chance. You'll see. Maybe I'll be the one who's replaced." I knew that was impossible, but I wanted Scott to react to something.
"Fuck that. No way. If you're replaced, our little group is finished," he said in desperation.
"I never really thought about our friends as a tight group. I had thought it extended to anyone who just wanted close to be friends. I mean, in your mind, are Maya and Mai in our group?" I asked.
"Of course they are!" his voice boomed but then lowered. "But sometimes, there are people who just want to use us. We've met a few of those, remember?"
How could I forget? Many people have tried to use Scott, as well as Jett and me. People want hookups on weed from Scott just because he's a skater; others want positions on the hockey team Jett is on. Shin just maneuvers those types and they find themselves being used instead, so he isn't really concerned about it.
"Yeah, but Kayden isn't trying to use me. You know that. He saved us, and you practically accused him of setting up the incident. He hasn't been anything but kind to you and you still treat him like shit."
"I know. I feel bad about it now. Seriously, I do. I was just scared. A few things you told me, I never realized until just now. I guess I was afraid of losing the only friends I have," Scott said honestly.
"People like him are always scared someone's going to steal the people close to them." Dad's words repeated themselves in my head.
"But now that I know I can't be replaced, I guess I can give him a chance. He is a pretty cool guy," Scott said slowly, scratching under his ear. That's something he does when he's willing to admit he's wrong. It never fails.
"Trust me. He would have to pull some of the pranks you can pull to even compare to you," I complimented him.
Scott just smiled.
"I don't really see our friends as a group or something. More like a circle of friends. Each of us might find new people, but that doesn't mean we leave the circle. Who knows, you might even confide in Kayden the way you come to me for help."
"Heh, yeah, right. I tell you stuff 'cause Jett would yell at me for half the stuff I say, and I would have to tie Shin up to get him to listen to me, and even then he would go off on a laughing marathon," Scott said in exasperation.
He was right; Jett usually looks down on Scott's opinions of women, and Shin is impossible to make serious.
"Do you consider Maya as someone in our circle?" Scott asked.
"I guess so. She's really nice. And she's beautiful, too," I said, smiling.
"Yeah, she really is great," Scott said with haste.
I turned to look at him. "You like her, don't you?" I accused with surprise.
"Well, she is good looking. Fuck, of course I like her, she's what every guy wants. She's different from other girls. She's easy to talk with and she's firm to her word. It's hard to find girls like that. She's different from anyone I've ever seen. I don't want to screw it up, but sometimes I feel like I already have. But she keeps forgiving me."
I had to agree with him. She takes a lot of his shit, but seems best at calming him down, besides Shin.
"I thought you hated her. The way you both yell at each other sometimes, it makes me think maybe she's getting under your skin or something."
"Nah, I guess it's kinda like I know where the line is, and I just make sure I don't cross it. I like the way she says what she feels, like she isn't fake. I like it how she gets angry with me and treats me differently from everyone else. Have you ever noticed how hot she looks when she's angry?" Scott was back in his dream state. "She's the reason I came to class today. We were arguing, and she said it didn't matter if I went to class or not, I'm still an idiot. I guess I wanted to prove her wrong. I wonder what she thinks about me."
This is going to be rough. Scott likes Maya; Jett likes Maya. Jett thinks I like Maya, but I like Kayden. Where the hell does Maya stand in all of this? I'm gonna have to find out. I don't want two of my buddies going after the same girl when she might not even be interested in either of them.
"Well, go for her then," I encouraged him.
Scott just smiled; not mischievously, not a grin, just a happy smile.
We made our way back to class. I peeked into the door and noticed that the teacher wasn't there yet and students were just taking out some books. It was ten minutes into class. We were lucky to have made it.
As we walked in, the class turned to us in silence. I was a bit embarrassed at what I had said earlier, and it was finally catching up to me. There wasn't anything I could say.
Scott decided to say something, though. "What the fuck are you all looking at? Nothing to see… go back to reading histo-crap."
Histo-crap is a word created by Scott to describe history. It isn't that bad.
"MR. KENDAL!" our teacher boomed. He was crouched beside his desk picking up papers, his form hidden by the desk. "I implore you to use decent language in this school. And I find your enthusiasm towards history to be insulting. I hope your upcoming report contradicts your words. For your sake, that is," the teacher said angrily. "You and Mr. Hunter go get late slips. I will not tolerate tardiness. Now GO!"
We were out of there, both our faces crimson red, with the rest of the class laughing at our expense. Leave it to Scott to piss off the teacher.
The rest of class was pretty much boring. Nothing interesting yet. Sure, we were discussing World War I, but something about war just makes me angry. I was already angered out, so I was just tired. Before I knew it, I was out of there and on my way to the change room.
"A tutor?" Kayden asked in surprise, his arms in the sleeves of his gym shirt. I took a moment to look him over. His flat stomach was visible, showing little ridges along his abdomen. He doesn't have a six-pack, but he has nice abs.
He caught me looking and quickly raised an eyebrow, grinning like he knew what I was staring at. I just turned away completely and rummaged through my bag.
"Yeah, some girl named Melissa in our religion class wants to tutor me on Saturday. She says she learns better by teaching the material to others," I replied, still not looking at him.
I waited for a response, but it never came.
"I hope it helps. I'm really not good at that stuff. It's the teacher's fault. Why are you looking at me like that?" I asked in wonder.
I had finally found the courage to turn back to Kayden and he was looking at me like he didn't know what I was talking about.
"Nothing, really," he replied, "I'm just trying to fit a face to that name. Are you sure this girl is in the class?"
"Of course, she sits dead in the centre. Right in front of Sergeant Asshole's desk. She's like the one who answers his questions?" I hinted.
"Oh, I know who she is. But isn't her name Alicia?"
I mentally kicked myself.
I heard a laugh from Kayden and asked him, "What?"
"Well, if you can't remember her name, I guess I shouldn't worry, huh?" He smiled with a sparkle in his eye.
I let out a laugh. "Dude, you don't have to worry about her."
"I know, 'cause you have someone better," he whispered with a grin.
I wanted to kiss him, but I suddenly remembered where we were. I quickly glanced around the room to see if anyone had overheard. We were the only ones left. Everyone was already out.
"Shit!" I swore, as I ran to the door. "Hurry up, or we'll have to run laps."
"I wouldn't mind that if it was running with you," Kayden said, smoothly walking towards me.
I just smiled and considered holding back.
This guy, I teased myself, is turning into a bad influence.
I didn't even flinch or see his hand. It felt so right. Even if it was for a short while, I felt the love and care he had for me through the firmness of his hand.
Before I knew it, the dreaded Saturday came. Usually, kids look forward to the weekend. It was going to be hell for my Saturday to be full of studying. I looked at the time and noticed it was only nine forty-five in the morning. I had been dozing since Alicia had called at nine saying she would be over in an hour. I was still asleep and was hoping not to get together until sometime in the afternoon.
“Early in the morning is the best time to work great minds,” she had enthusiastically told me. I really couldn't see how she could possibly have so much energy in the morning.
She was coming at ten, so I had fifteen minutes to brush my teeth, wash my face, and do something to my hair. I was `in the mood' but I knew I couldn't go for a right-hand love session and then get freshened up, all in just fifteen minutes.
I'm a healthy boy, full of indecent thoughts. I had thought it was just a stereotype that adolescent boys are always thinking about sex. I didn't believe it until I realized sexual thoughts are on my mind constantly. I honestly can't stop it. During phys ed and even other classes, I feel like hitting myself for the way my body reacts, regardless of what I'm thinking. Sometimes I'm not even thinking of something sexual and I find myself in an embarrassing state. Phys ed I can understand, but why the hell does it happen in classes like math? I mean, the Pythagorean is interesting and all, but no way does it seem sexually appealing.
I had rushed through that morning stuff and was still lost in trying to figure out my adolescent body and mind, when a message window popped up on my monitor. It was Kayden. I remembered the day I gave my contact to him, he grinned wildly and said he would message me every morning like we were waking up together. I like the way he does cute things like that. He always seems to make the dark days look bright.
I told him my situation and he said he pitied me. About a minute into my fantasy world of just Kayden and me, the doorbell rang. I told Kayden I had to go and then made my way slowly down the stairs, hoping Alicia would think no one was home and would go away.
I opened the door to find a too-happy girl smiling at me with great green eyes. I couldn't help but offer a smile in return and move out of the way to invite her in.
“OH MY GOD! Your house is, like, so cool!” she screamed in a high-pitched voice. I could tell she was sort of an airhead.
“Make yourself comfortable. I'll just grab my books upstairs and we can get started,” I told her, leading her to the den. I felt a tug at my arm and turned to see her smiling face with its sparkling eyes.
“Can't you give me a tour first? This is, like, such a lovely house you've got,” she bubbled.
“Okay, I guess that's alright,” I said with a tight smile. I showed her each room, starting with the den, then the kitchen, the living room, the dining room, and the basement. The basement is the greatest section of the house, by far. Downstairs is a fixed basement with carpet and drywall around. There's a foosball table, large pool table, a kitchen in a small section, and a huge entertainment system. Dad spent thousands on our sound system and entertainment set. Dad has a miniature bar for his friends when they come over. My basement is the place to be when the guys are over. I made a mental note to invite everyone over more often to just hang out.
I was ready to go to my room to grab my books, but Alicia insisted we play a game of pool. The game of pool turned into a game of foosball, which led to a game of darts. After some time that seemed like an hour, I was having second thoughts about our study session.
“Alicia, maybe we should get studying. I'm going out with my dad for dinner later tonight, something we do on the weekends. And I want to finish studying before five.”
Dad is usually busy, but spends his Saturday nights at home with me, and usually takes Sunday off, so Saturday night is our start of the weekend, which lasts until Monday. Dad loves taking me places for dinner on Saturday; it's our little family tradition.
“Oh, that's cool. My parents will get home late tonight, but I can always cook myself something. I'm not that great of a cook,” she said, noticeably.
“Oh really?” I replied. It sounded like she was trying to hint something. I began walking up the stairs. I wasn't going to give her the chance to ask me the question.
“I wish I could, like, go out to dinner. If not with my parents, perhaps with a friend or something like that.”
She couldn't have made her point more clear. I let out a sigh before submitting to her obvious trap. “Well, if you're free tonight, why don't you join me and my dad?”
“Really? You wouldn't mind? I don't want to, like, intrude,” she said politely.
Of course I would mind, you idiot. It's supposed to be just my dad and me. Why do you have to be so damn pushy? I wanted to yell that. Instead, I bit my bottom lip and tried to breathe normally without seeming upset. “Of course I don't mind. I would love for you to join us.”
“Like, wow! Thanks, Zac,” she gushed, grabbing my arm again.
I didn't know why she wanted to have dinner with my dad and me, but I couldn't deny her. I would've felt bad if I had. She was still a nice girl. She needed to work on her speech a bit, but she was bright in her own way. I really wouldn't mind having her as a friend.
I started to think about what Kayden had said. She can't possibly have a crush on me. It's impossible. I was finally starting to remember her being in class. I remember her saying she wasn't planning on looking for someone until she got to University. We were having a discussion in religion on the subject of abstinence before marriage, and she offered her thoughts. Her plan was to do well in school, and not worry about guys until university. Enough guys like her. She's smart, pretty, and someone nice to have around.
The beginning of our study wasn't at all productive. All we did was play a few games. She seemed pretty easygoing. I usually would be in the mood to just hang out, but the fact that I was supposed to be studying took away any fun I had in mind. All I was looking forward to was working my ass off and getting it over with. I don't understand women. If she wanted to just hang out, why not just ask instead of using the study trick?
I realized I was just being paranoid when we started studying. It was like she changed completely. Even her speech changed. She didn't say “like” as much, and she was actually a great teacher. We flew though three sections before we decided to take a break.
“Your room is, like, so cool, Zac,” she said in a normal tone of voice.
“It's not much, but there's nothing quite like it,” I told her, looking around.
My room is something. It has a regular twenty-inch television set, a PlayStation and Nintendo 64, a nicely furnished desk with a cool computer. When Dad realized I had `different' uses for the computer, he had gotten me my own. I guess I was grateful and at the same time relieved. I didn't like coming across his own stash of files he though he kept hidden.
I have a corner double bed with shelves along the wall housing various trophies. There's a picture in a frame on my nightstand of Jett, Shin, Scott, and me. There are two really cool wall decorations I picked out from IKEA and your average teen posters along the walls. There are cars, a guy doing wicked moves on a snowboard, and a poster of a periodic table. Not just any periodic table, but one for alcoholic drinks. It lists different combinations of everything, something I knew I just had to have on my wall. I'm not a drinker, probably never will be, but it's nice to have.
How did we manage to end up working in my room? It was Alicia's choice. She said people work better in an environment they feel most comfy in. She found my room to be that place. I guess I do too.
"You want something to drink?" I asked my guest.
"Sure, anything but water is fine," she answered.
"Is pop alright?"
"Pop is perfect," she smiled.
She has a cute smile. I can see why some guys really like her. Perhaps she isn't a total airhead. I`ve heard of people who put on a mask and act totally different around different people.
I was halfway down the stairs when I heard the doorbell ring. I was wondering who it could be when I went to answer it. I opened the door to find two pleasant surprises.
"Hey, Zac," Maya said happily, "hope we're not too late."
"Huh?"
Before I had time to figure it out, Kayden jumped into view from the side of the house.
"Hey, Zac, now that we're all here let's get down to studying," he grinned evilly at me.
I felt a smile begin to form on my face. Kayden had managed to invite Maya and himself into Alicia's study session with me. I don't know why I didn't think of that.
I invited them in and took them upstairs. I could barely register the shock on Alicia's face, but all too soon it was replaced with a nervous smile and a wave. Maya sat down beside her, leaning on my bed, and started up some small talk. I pulled Kayden out for a second and made sure they weren't looking.
The moment we stepped out, I planted the most pride-filled kiss onto his lips before taking a moment to whisper in his ear, "You are such a lifesaver."
Kayden just shrugged and cocked his eyebrow. "You know I like to do these little things."
I kissed him again. "No, I didn't, but I'm learning."
We made our way back into my room and noticed they were still in a conversation, apparently talking about what might be on the test.
"You guys sit tight, I'm going to grab some drinks."
"I'll come help you," Maya said, getting up. "Kayden, find out how far they got in the chapters. We'll catch up to them when Zac and I get back, okay?"
I thought I saw Alicia's face twitch slightly, but chose to ignore it. I made idle talk with Maya as we walked back down the stairs.
________________________________________________________________
"Argh," Alicia let out a low growl, a touch of anger in her voice. "I hate that bitch. She always ruins everything!"
I felt like I had been right about this girl; she really is bad news. "What do you mean?" I asked ignorantly.
She gave me a look and continued. "You do know, like, she forced herself into MY study group with Zac, right? You were just brought along to, like, hide her little plan, but I see right through her. That bitch, she just wants to get close to Zac. I hope you know she, like, used you, Kayden."
I felt a touch of guilt in my heart. Maya didn't plan it; I did. I used Maya as the cover-up. I don't trust this girl, and I didn't want to give her a chance to be alone with Zac. I felt a bit guilty for using Maya, although she thought studying in a group was a good idea.
"She's a nice person, and it was Zac who invited us," I replied, trying to clear Maya's name.
"That guy didn't even ask me. He is so dense sometimes. He's cute and all, but his logic is, like, off the wall. And of all people, he invites, like, her. You're okay, but Maya shouldn't be here. She always ruins everything!" she angrily said.
"What do you mean?"
She looked at me disgustedly. "It's because of that bitch that I can, like, never get a boyfriend. Everyone seems to only notice her, but she is so stuck up, she won't date anyone. NO!!! Not miss princess. She loves the attention, but who can blame her?”
I really doubt Maya is to blame for that. This girl was starting to sound dangerous. Perhaps I shouldn't have brought Maya. If things began to escalate during our studying, it could become ugly.
"I won't lose to her! Kayden, you know Zac pretty well, right? I hear you two hang around each other a lot. Can you help me?" she pleaded.
"I… I don't know if I'm the one you should be asking. Maybe you should just try to be yourself, and see if Zac notices you," I said as calmly as I could.
"I already tried that. I tried being flirty, I tried being needy. He didn't respond. I even, like, put his arm between my boobs, and I didn't even feel him shake. He just went along like he was babysitting me! He is such an idiot! But I don't care. He's cute enough but isn't too bright. I really can't, like, stand dating guys at our school. I need to find someone in, like, another school. Right now, I'm boyfriendless. Zac's just a trophy guy for now until I can find someone more suitable. Oh, don't give me that look; you should be helping me out. Zac would want that. Think about it, you're, like, his buddy, right? I'll be just, like, another girl he'll be talking about in the locker rooms. Who knows, maybe I could even offer you some, uh, relief?"
She gently brushed my leg, and I could feel my teeth clinch. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I knew this girl was a fake! I gently moved her hand off my thigh, and gave her a tight smile.
I'm not going to let a slut like you get away with this. Zac an idiot? Boy, you sure know how to piss me off. You're going to wish you never crossed me, you bitch.
"I get the message. I'll do what I can do. But you have to do your part." I smiled mischievously. "Okay, listen… when he comes back… "
I began setting her up for self-destruction.
6/30/04: This chapter and the preceding seven chapters have been meticulously re-edited by Aaron, a crewmember at www.themailcrew.com, from an earlier version that was posted elsewhere. He had already re-edited this chapter before it went to that other site, but now he has re-edited his re-edit. Tough kid. Thanks, Aaron.
E-mail is always appreciated. It gives me feedback on how many people are reading my story.^^ Wouldn't want to write a story no one is reading. Anyways, have a great summer. Special thanks to Aaron and The Mail crew. Thanks so much, guys, I really appreciate it, and to my other buddy, Eddie.^^ Their comments and help have made this chapter possible.^^
Copyright 2004 Ryan Keith