Chapter 31
My second hour was livelier than usual. Wednesday was halfway to the end of the week.
Closer to the day of the concert, but not close enough, so they were restless.
Plus, I was constantly hearing whispers of the stupid pictures that I needed to talk to Asher about.
And Sydney. Shit. Sydney. If she found out that it was me, what was stopping…
Wait, no. I was wearing a dress Asher had given me, and I’d left that at his house last night. So, we were hopefully fine there.
“Guys, seriously. I know everyone is excited for Friday, but we have to finish this lecture,” I stated, trying to collect my students’ attention again.
“It’s not about the concert, Miss Duval,” Dane stated, rolling his eyes.
“Then what’s it about?” I sassed back, and Benson chuckled.
“The pictures of Asher’s girlfriend and him from last night,” Madison blurted out.
“Right? What a slut,” Caralee huffed. She folded her arms and slumped in her seat. My eyes darted to Selena. She gave me a sympathetic smile before I returned my attention to Caralee.
“What do you mean, slut?” I cautiously asked.
“Miss Duval, they were totally getting it on in the backseat of a car,” Dane replied for her and wiggled his brows. “If you know what I mean.”
“I know what you mean, Dane. Thank you.”
Teenagers. Specifically, hormonal teenage boys.
“I don’t know why you’re getting upset at them for going at it. I’m pretty sure if you were dating him, you’d be doing the same thing,” Selena said, subtly defending me.
Gasps sounded across the room, and nearly every head spun to face Selena. “You’re on this mysterious woman’s side?” Caralee blinked in shock.
Selena merely shrugged her shoulders and shrank in her seat.
“Selena is being mature about the situation. Is he not allowed to have a life? He’s a human, too, isn’t he?” I attempted to bring some logic back to the situation.
“So? That’s not how this works,” Madison said, and I slowly nodded.
“Oh. Okay, well, since we probably shouldn’t be talking about celebrities’ personal lives during class, let’s return to the lecture.” I tapped the whiteboard, and they all groaned.
“Guys. Seriously, this is my last day of lecture before I announce the essay assignment that’s about Void tomorrow. Please, just ten more minutes!” I begged, and that got their attention.
“She’s still a hoe,” Caralee grumbled, earning snickers around the classroom. I paused, as my stomach sank.
Realization hit me.
“Is that what everyone thinks?” I hesitantly asked, needing an answer.
“Yes? She’s turned our innocent Asher into a dirty man. Whom we still love and can totally forgive for his actions yesterday, but not her,” Madison answered, and I watched as almost everyone agreed with a nod.
“Yeah, not her,” Caralee added.
Except he’d started everything last night, so how was this fair?
My heart sank, despair ripping through me. I knew if I was caught with him again, I would be called worse things than a slut. Which meant I could not go see him tonight. Or tomorrow. Or any time right now, until things died down.
“All right, well, let’s get this lecture done.” My voice cracked, and I cleared my throat before returning to the lesson at hand. A slut. Maybe it was just Asher’s really intense fangirls that thought that. Maybe…
Or maybe I was one.
I mean, I’d gone and hooked up with him before I’d even learned his name. Then, even though I continually turned him down, we’d ended up hooking up. Over and over again. It didn’t matter that we were actually dating now; I was exactly what they said.
Wasn’t I?
I stared at the tray of food on my desk.
Unable to eat as even my third-hour class had been talking about this slut that Asher was with.
I wasn’t the one pictured with a hand down my pants.
His own hand was down his pants. It was his hand against the window, so why was I the one being labeled a slut?
“Did you hear?” Elysia’s voice snapped me away from my blank stare. My classroom door closed behind her as she walked my way and sat down on the desk closest to mine.
“Hear about Asher’s girlfriend?” I mumbled. Yes, I’d already heard about how slutty she was.
“Yes. I don’t get why these kids are so harsh on her.
So much so that the band apparently put out a post asking that people stop slandering her on the internet.
He’d been just as much involved. They reminded everyone that the band members are also people and deserve to enjoy relationships like everyone else.
” She sighed. “Man, I’m jealous of this girl… Whoever she may be…”
I glanced up, knowing that tone. “You too?”
A smile slid across her face. “Me too? Someone else figured it out?”
“One of my students in second hour. She recognized the outfit.”
Elysia studied me carefully for a moment and then reached over, placing a hand on top of mine. “You’re not a slut, Cosi.”
“He handed me his hotel room key right after the first concert they had here. I went. I didn’t even know his name,” I confessed, and she giggled.
“So? We are allowed lives outside of teaching too. Besides, I actually love the irony of it all. Cosette Duval. The one person who never does anything out of routine. Who listens to classical music, wears dresses and heels, had a one-night stand with the lead singer of a metal band.” She grinned and took a bite of her food.
“And if any of our bosses find out? What then?” I asked, and she shrugged her shoulders.
“Who cares? You’re doing something exciting for once.” She took a drink of her water and rolled her head toward me. “I totally called this, though.”
“Called it? How?” I glared at her.
“Your birthday party. It was all there.” She began eating again, and I shook my head.
“Yeah, well, because of the internet, I don’t think it would be safe for me to try and see him tonight,” I grumbled, realizing that it wasn’t so much shame I was feeling but annoyance. I wanted to see him.
“Probably for the best until things aren’t so front-page news,” Elysia agreed.
“Ugh, this is so dumb. People calling me a slut simply because I’m with some guy that they sit and fantasize about.”
She giggled. “You realize Sydney does that? And is probably sitting at home upset about it, not realizing it’s you.”
I sat up and chuckled. “I haven’t been home the past two days, and all she’s wanted to know is why I haven’t made her dentist appointment yet.
And wondering where I was because she had to get an Uber from a party.
So yeah, she’s probably at home crying that Asher isn’t single.
Oh, and I’m dreading the mess I’ll have to clean up when I finally go home tonight.
” I paused, and my mouth fell open. “I’m sorry.
I shouldn’t be talking about her like that. ”
“Took you long enough,” Elysia nonchalantly stated.
“What?” I gasped.
She shrugged her shoulders, and I finally began eating. “I’m just saying. I’ve known you for what, two years now? And even I figured out that Sydney only wants you around if it benefits her. Which it does because you do everything for her.”
“Am I the last one to figure this out?”
“What do you mean?”
“Asher’s even mentioned a few times, in a much nicer and less blunt way, that she does that.”
A small smile caressed her rosy cheeks. “I like him. I may not know much about him, but I like him.”
I blushed. “Me too, Elysia. Actually, I’m quite shocked by how much I like him.”
“Good. You deserve to be happy. To be excited about something.”
“We’re an odd pair.” I giggled.
“Exactly why I think it works so well.”
She was right. He was exactly what I needed when I needed it the most. All of my worries, concerns slipped away.
It sucked I wouldn’t be able to see him tonight, but it was only for an evening or two.
The next time I saw my boyfriend probably wouldn’t be until concert night, but why was that such a bad thing?
We could talk on the phone and text. Text!
Bending down, I dug through my purse and snatched my phone out. Missed calls and messages from Asher filled my notification screen.
“Ooooo. I bet your boyfriend is texting you,” Elysia teased.
I rolled my eyes, but yes, he was. And I was excited about it.
Call me.
Please ignore the internet today.
I promise I don’t see you like that.
You’re my girlfriend, I’m allowed to fuck you.
We can have sex and it’s normal, please just ignore the idiots.
Cosette?
Princess, I know you’re teaching, but I need you to call me. Or at least text me that everything is okay.
You’re the most amazing girl I’ve ever met, please don’t let them make you think that you’ve done anything wrong.
It’s just internet trolls.
Those were just a few of his messages, and they continued. On and on, reassuring me that he wasn’t thinking those things. So I quickly typed a reply and hit send.
I’m alright. It came as a shock, I won’t lie, but I’m all good. Though I think I should just go home tonight while everything is still hot off the press.
Locking my phone, I quickly put it away as the bell rang, signaling the next period was starting. I’d barely had a chance to touch my food as Elysia stood from her seat.
“Don’t worry. He’s obviously head over heels for you. You’ll be fine through all of this.” She smiled, walking toward my door.
“I’m more worried that Sydney might figure it out.”
“Eh, she’s oblivious to you unless she needs you. I doubt she has a clue.” Elysia flicked a hand, waving away the worries, and then disappeared out into the hallway. I shoveled down as much food as I could before my students started filtering in.