Chapter 41
June
The next day, I was back in the vice principal’s office to hand in the assignment he’d given us.
“Miss White, you did this alone. There are just two skimpy pages. Do you think I just started my job yesterday? I’ve had students try to pull one over on me for an entire lifetime.”
“Pull one over? What are you talking about? Hunter and I did it together.”
The vice principal didn’t want any excuses; he seemed pretty intent on making me swallow the assignment I’d just given him.
“I want both of your signatures at the bottom of the assignment, and that thug will have to do half the work.”
Mortified, I left the office. Hanging my head.
I hoped with every fiber of my being that he wouldn’t call my mom, otherwise I’d be screwed for sure.
William: Are you coming to class?
It was William. Finally.
I got to chemistry and found him sitting on a bench, with his perfect hairstyle and a smile that was equally as dazzling.
“Hi, Will.”
I distinctly felt my wall come down. I could’ve feigned all the disinterest in the world, but I was unable to. I was happy to see him, and I couldn’t hold a grudge.
“What’d you do over these past few days? Study like a hermit?” he asked, leaning against the back of his seat.
“Well, actually . . .” My eyes darted to the door, where James Hunter was hunched over his phone. “I studied less than normal, and tomorrow’s exam—”
The words stopped as James headed toward us and halted in front of us. He stared at me insistently.
“What do you want?” I asked.
“Maybe for you to leave?”
“Huh?” My eyes widened incredulously.
James pointed at William. “We need to talk, move.”
“James, behave around her every once in a while,” Will said, shaking his head.
James’s shoulders tensed. He took off his stupid leather jacket and grabbed a seat, turning it around backward to sit with us.
“Suit yourself, I’ll talk in front of her, then.”
“I didn’t say that.”
Will tried to dissuade him, but he was already talking.
“I have the poker game tonight.”
Wow, riveting. Now that I’d heard that earth-shattering news, the tide was turning on my whole day.
“Okay.”
“What’s so shady about that?” I interjected.
Neither of them answered. I took it to mean they were excited.
William leaned forward and whispered, “At the club?”
“It’s the only way, Will.”
“They’ll never give it back to you.”
James crossed his arms. “I’ll try. If worse comes to worst, I’ll have fun.”
William unexpectedly turned around to me. “Do you want to come?”
James and I exchanged glances. His was horrified; mine was confused.
“What the fuck are you saying, Will?” he burst out.
I blinked a few times. Was that a joke? It had to be. Will and I had planned on going out, but instead he was inviting me to go I don’t know where, with I don’t know who, but most importantly, to do what?
I laughed, thinking it was a joke, but I soon understood that William was serious.
“Snow White’s virgin eyes definitely would burn if she went in there,” James said, laughing.
“Meaning?” I growled at him.
“That it’s no place for you.”
Will grunted while James looked at me with an arrogant smirk, so I got up to leave. I needed some air, and they confused me. I was collapsed against the hallway wall when Will caught up to me.
“June, what’s going on?”
If he liked me as much as he said he did, why couldn’t he be alone with me for a single damn night? Maybe Amelia was right; a little strategy wouldn’t hurt since William seemed to take me for granted.
“Why don’t you ever say no to him, Will?”
“You don’t get it, June.”
“Can you not even say no to him once?”
William tried to push a lock of hair behind my ear, but I pulled back.
“June, listen. If James gets himself into a bad situation, it’s my fault too.”
“Then tonight you have a choice. It’s either me or him.”
I said it out loud, but I couldn’t bear to see William’s expression, so I turned around and ran to the bathroom.
>> <<
“Mom, someone’s at the door!” No answer.
The doorbell kept ringing. I looked out the window but didn’t see a car in the driveway.
“Mom!” I went hoarse.
I finally remembered that she’d left for her painting night class. I prayed that if it was a delivery person that they wouldn’t be cute. I was in pitiful condition. I flung the door opened and was speechless.
“Will?”
A sound escaped my lips that was so shrill that I barely recognized my own voice.
“I don’t like ultimatums,” he announced.
“You’re right, I was impulsive.”
“Wait. Let me say something.” He stopped me. “I want to make time for us. For me and you.”
He seemed sure and sincere, but I couldn’t believe him anymore.
“You’re only gonna invent another excuse not to see me tomorrow,” I said, running my fingers through my messy hair.
I tried to hide that I was primping right in front of him, but Will was so focused that he didn’t seem to notice.
“Yeah, and I wouldn’t fault you for thinking that. I’m just saying—”
There were two steps between us, but he rushed over and kissed me. I parted my lips, letting his tongue seek mine, and I suddenly felt my head get lighter.
William stopped only to put my face in his hands.
“All I do is think about you. That has to mean something, right?”
“Well, are you coming in, or are we just gonna stand at the door like two idiots?” I chuckled before letting him in.
I saw him crane his neck to familiarize himself with his surroundings.
“Were you eating?” he asked, when he smelled the delicious scent in the kitchen.
“Not yet, my mom left me lasagna. I was just heating it up in the microwave. In fact, I need to take it out. I got distracted with my science homework.”
“Only you could forget to eat because you’re too busy studying.” And then my hips were in his hands, and his mouth was on my lips.
Everything was wonderful, but I had to remember the roller coasters, a little voice in my head told me.
I pulled back slowly.
It was weird seeing William at my house. “Is your mom out?”
“Yeah, she told me she had a painting class. But I think it’s all excuses to hide the fact that she’s dating someone.” I groaned, pulling the tray out of the microwave.
“Eh, put yourself in her shoes. She’d wanna meet someone after the divorce.”
“Depends on who.” I swallowed. “Wanna eat with me?” I asked, showing him the generous portion.
William Cooper was at my house in the flesh, but I was hungry. And when I was hungry, not even the hottest guy in the world could match up to a nice plate of lasagna.
“Are you only gonna eat that?” Will said as he helped me set the table.
“Will, of course not,” I chuckled. “My freezer’s full.” He laughed with me.
“Where are your parents?” I asked him as we sat at the table sharing the food.
“In the Middle East for work.”
He told me about their pharmaceutical company. He explained that his parents were trying to patent a drug that they’d been testing. What he told me gave me the impression that he came from a wealthy but rather absent family.
We ended up splitting three servings of lasagna, and dinner went by without a hitch.
A few minutes later I got up to brush my teeth and freshen up in the mirror.
I was wearing an oversized white T-shirt over a pair of jean shorts.
If I’d known he would be visiting, I would’ve at least fixed my hair, put on socks that were a color other than fluorescent yellow, and maybe I’d . . . But who was I kidding?
I caught him on the phone when I went back to the kitchen.
“Was that James?”
“Jackson,” he answered as he hung up. He looked deep in thought.
“Wanna talk about it?”
“They’re at Austin’s place. James and Marvin are fighting. James is drunk.”
“Oh. Did Jackson ask for your help?”
Will nodded, leading me to my next question.
“You’re not going?”
“No. I’m here with you.”
I saw him massage his neck. He pressed so hard with his fingertips that it left marks on his skin.
“Will.”
“I said that I’d stay here with you, June, and for once I wanna—”
“I was wrong today. I shouldn’t’ve told you to choose between James and me. It was immature of me to ask you to do that.” I bit my lip.
“Maybe, but I want to make things work between us.”
“Ignoring your friends isn’t the way to get things to work between us. The only way we can work is if you don’t ghost me and you’re honest with me, Will.” I said this decisively, and his peck on my lips was just as decisive.
I closed my eyes and let our mouths lock to perfection.
“Shall we?” I suggested.
Bewildered, Will raised both his eyebrows. “Are you serious?”
“Sure, it’s no problem.” I downplayed the situation.
I wanted to trust William, but trust was a risky game.
Jackson picked us up around ten minutes later, and as soon as we got there, Will jumped out of the car to separate Marvin and James. The meeting place was always the same. The outside of the building was packed.
“What’s going on?” I asked Jackson, who was standing next to me.
“Something about Marvin’s cousin. Who knows.”
“Man, fighting over a girl has really become the cool thing to do,” I commented.
Jackson stared at me for a while, and I shot him a confused look back.
“What is it?”
“I wanna see what you’d say when they do it for you, White.”
“Huh?”
“Sure, play dumb, but you should know it doesn’t suit you.”
Jackson had made it clear on multiple occasions that he hated me. If I could only figure what he had against me.
“Look, I don’t want to fight for someone I don’t give a flying fuck about,” James burst out, pointing at the brunet with the bob to Marvin’s right.
“Maybe it’s better to bring him home. He’s drunk,” announced William, as spectators of the unfolding tragicomedy skit surrounded us.
“Why, isn’t he always drunk?” I said sharply.
“No, he can’t handle hard liquor.”
I turned to look at Marvin, who was stroking his clean-shaven head, confused.
“What do you want from her, James?”
“I don’t want shit. Why don’t you ask her? She’s been on my ass all night.”
What a child.
Melanie kept warbling loudly from her end.