15. Chapter Fifteen
Sitting beside Ace in the schoolyard, I can’t help but notice Poppy Reeves emerging from her car.
It’s clear that she’s nursing a serious hangover, clutching a water bottle and shielding her eyes with oversized sunglasses. And, as always, she’s sporting yet another short skirt that fucking distracts me.
I watch as Poppy settles down across the quad, casually lounging on the grass, leaning against the brick wall. She crosses her legs and makes herself comfy as if she”s gonna take a nap.
Without wasting a moment, I grab my phone out of my pocket and quickly send a message.
Xander: Hey Princess, glad you could make it
I look up and notice her reaching into her pocket. After glancing at her phone, she places it face down on the grass next to her. It”s really getting on my nerves that she”s ignoring me, so I send another text.
Xander: Did you see the drawing I left on your left tit when we were making out last night?
Immediately after pressing send, I glance up, completely zoned out of anything Ace is saying beside me.
I watch as she reaches for her phone, and then quickly drops it in her lap before she peers down the front of her shirt.
Unfortunately, I didn’t get an opportunity to see her tits last night. After I helped her settle on the couch, I took a picture of her while she was sleeping. Then I left.
I burst into laughter as I reach for my phone to send her another text, but Ace interrupts me with a question.
“Who the fuck are you texting?” Ace asks. “I know it’s not Savannah or Jade since they’re right here. So who are you trying to hook up with now?”
“No one,” I say, tucking my phone back into my pocket.
“If you’re feeling horny, just go for Jade. She’ll take care of that.”
“Nah, I’m not interested,” I reply, dismissing the idea. “She’s so fucking annoying, and never shuts up.” My phone suddenly pings in my pocket, and I resist the temptation to reach for it, exercising immense self-control.
“Well, there’s one way to solve that problem. Stuff your dick in her mouth, then she’ll shut up. That always works for me.” He stands up and looks down at me. “Well, if you’re not gonna do it I might.”
“Go for it,” I respond.
I”m watching as Ace leans in and whispers a few words in Jade’s ear before planting a gentle kiss on her cheek. Then he casually walks away. That fucker just stole my move. Asshole. Well, except for the kiss. I never do that. In a matter of seconds, Jade is already chasing after him, falling for that simple move every single fucking time.
With Ace gone and his attention now solely focused on other things, I finally give in and reach for my phone to read the text from Poppy.
Princess: First of all, asshole, I never beg. And second, do you really think you could fool me that easily?
“Hey Xander,” Savannah says, taking a seat beside me.
“Yeah, hey Savannah,” I say, keeping my eyes fixed on my phone.
I usually engage with her to get what I want, but not today. I have absolutely no interest in interacting with her.
I totally ignore her and focus on my phone. I don’t bother concealing the identity of the person I’m texting, as all she will see is the contact name - Princess. With a grin, I eagerly type out the next text.
Xander: Did you check under the nip?
I push my phone into my pocket and then act all cool, not even bothering to look at Poppy so Savannah doesn’t catch on I’m texting her. I casually glance around and then my eyes move to Poppy.
I can’t fight the smile tugging on my lips when I see her pulling her shirt out and peering down into it again. I almost burst into laughter but manage to quickly catch myself by biting my bottom lip.
“So,” Savannah says, her fingers tracing along my arm. “It seems like Jade and Ace have taken off somewhere together.”
“Yeah, so,” I say, reaching for my phone as soon as I hear it make a sound.
Princess: You’re here, watching me, aren’t you, asshole? You saw me do that right?
Xander: Yep but feel free to look again. It”s hot watching you check out your tits.
I can”t believe I”m hitting on Poppy, of all people.
I look up and see her reading my text, then she just puts the phone down without even responding. The fact that this affects me deeply is something I can’t quite comprehend.
Savannah’s fingers trace a path up my leg, inching closer to my dick. Back then, I would have jumped at her invitation, looking for some action. But this time, I smack her hand away and turn to face her directly.
“What the fuck do you want, Savannah?”
“Well, you don’t have to be so rude,” she says standing up, towering over me. “I’m just checking if—”
“No, not interested.”
A few people who are near turn their heads, their eyes fixated on the sudden commotion. The air is buzzing with hushed whispers and murmurs, like a soft melody. The crowd becomes a sea of craning necks, each person straining to catch a fleeting glimpse of the unfolding spectacle.
With her hands firmly planted on her hips, Savannah shoots me a piercing glare. Then, she lifts her gaze, scanning the surrounding crowd.
In this situation, there are two potential outcomes. She could opt to gracefully walk away without creating a scene, but given her nature, my intuition tells me that she will resort to her usual tactics. Just like she does with Poppy and her cruel comments, she”ll do whatever it takes to come out on top.
“Well, you were interested three days ago.”
“Yeah, that was then. This is now, so fuck off and leave me alone.”
“Well, your dick never satisfied me anyway, Xander,”she says, walking away as if that’s the end of the conversation.
“Trust me, my dick could never get satisfied touching that fishy pussy of yours. You have to wonder why I never offered to go down on you.” I yell loud enough for all to hear.
Both Savannah and Jade are equally self-centered. I have no desire to go down on a chick. I only said that because I knew deep down that it would hit her where it hurt the most - her fragile ego.
I can hear the crowd laughing, and Savannah”s look and teary eyes are meant to make me feel guilty. But all I can think about is karma. It’s karma for the years of abuse she throws at Poppy, constantly belittling her in front of everyone. She needs to feel the impact her words have had on Poppy over the years. Last night, it hit me that Poppy isn’t as strong as she pretends to be. I’m not sure if she’ll remember confiding in me about how she sees herself. And all of that is because of this self-centered chick and her fake friend Jade.
“Asshole,” she snaps, her voice dripping with venom, before storming off in a fury.
The moment I hear my phone sound, my eyes are drawn to it without a second thought.
Princess: So, how bad is the smell, like on a scale of 1 to 10?
My face bursts into a wide smile. Had someone told me a month ago that I would end up befriending Poppy Reeves, and desperately want to fuck her, I would have told them to give me some of the good shit they were smoking. But here we are. My dick’s already curious with want, wondering how good it will feel when I finally get to sink into her. But then I remember she”s a virgin and that”s not my scene.
Screw this shit. I stand up, grab my bag from the ground, and slip my phone into my pocket. Leaving all those fuckheads behind, I head over to where Poppy is leaning against the wall. Her large sunglasses shield her eyes, making it impossible to gauge her reaction to my approach.
I casually toss my bag onto the ground and take a seat beside her, paying no attention to the curious onlookers. It has always puzzled me why people feel the need to watch me. Maybe they can sense the vulnerability I carry as a child from a broken home. Regardless, I’ve become skilled at protecting that part of my life.
There are only two people I’ve ever confided in and who truly understand the challenges I face in my life: Ace and the girl sitting beside me. Lately, I found the strength to open up to her, revealing things that I have kept hidden from everyone, even from Ace. It was something I thought I had to do, considering she had bravely shared her own experiences with her father. She never judged me or looked at me differently that night when I told her. She had been vulnerable in her words so I thought I might as well do the same.
When she spilled all that about her dad, I didn”t know what to do with what she told me. I think because the pain she felt resonated deeply within me, as I had gone through similar feelings for years following the loss of my mother. And then I tried to distract myself from the intense emotions she evoked when I heard her story. That”s why I asked her to play that song she wrote with her dad. But I fucked up with it too, because I almost did something completely unexpected - I almost kissed her… again.
When she sang that same night, I felt myself losing control. Her vulnerability in her singing, the rawness of it all, made my walls come down. Thank fuck, Ace’s text brought me back to reality, preventing me from making a foolish mistake. I”ve never had a girlfriend and I”m not interested in having one. That”s why I don”t kiss, I don”t want a girl thinking I”m theirs. That night, I almost messed up big time by giving in to temptation and kissing her again. Instead of having a conversation with her and letting her know we can only be friends, I just ran away. It scared me. She scares me. Whenever I”m with her, she makes me feel things I shouldn”t. Emotions I”ve never felt before. No way I”m gonna let anyone, especially not some chick, come before me, and my dream. And then, the next night she completely ignored me.
Normally, I couldn’t give a shit, but that night felt different. She displayed strength and showed that she deserved better than what I had done. That’s what I truly admire about Poppy. She’s strong and incredibly stubborn. She stands up for herself. So, as a token of appreciation for her honesty with me, I opened up and shared my story about my mom.
“People will see you,” Poppy says, staring straight ahead.
“So let them. I don’t fucking care.”
“I feel terrible,” she says.
“Well, I did warn you to take it easy last night, but you didn’t listen. What did you have for breakfast this morning?”
“Nothing.”
“Well, that”s the fucking problem.”
“My mom flipped when she found me on the couch.”
“Come on,” I say, standing up, I hold my hand out towards her. “Let’s go.”
She grabs my hand and I help her get to her feet.
“Where are we going?” she asks, looking up at me from behind those ridiculous oversized sunglasses.
“You need a greasy burger to help with the hangover.”
“Ugh, I really don’t think I can handle a greasy burger.”
“Trust me, Princess, it’ll fix it. Ace gave me twenty bucks this morning, so it’ll be my treat for once.”
“No, I’ll pay. You might need to save the money.”
“What the fuck have I said about pitying me,” I retort sharply. “I already told you to stop with that shit. I’m paying.”
“Yeah, yeah, whatever. I see your lips moving, but all I hear is blah, blah, blah,” she says,adjusting her sunglasses and retrieving her bag from off the ground.
I can’t help but smirk at her response. While most girls seek my approval, Poppy consistently challenges me and refuses to conform.
Poppy leads the way, walking a bit ahead of me, as we make our way towards the school car park. I can”t help but stare at her, checking her out, as she walks to her crappy green car.