1. Lauren
Lauren
I nervously tap my pencil on the desk, ready to get the fuck out of this class. All these people do is bitch. I’m taking this class because I’m genuinely interested in learning about literature, but these fuckers just have to ruin everything.
“But I was going to do my project on that book!” Camilla whines, stomping her foot.
“You can, Camilla,” Professor Parker says patiently. “You can do your project on whatever you want.”
“But if she does her book on that one, it’ll be like she’s copying me.”
“Trust me, no one wants to copy you,” I mutter.
“What did you just say?!” she scoffs, but the class giggles. “Professor!”
“Lauren, you can’t say that,” Professor Parker says to me.
“This is ridiculous. I have had this book picked out all semester. I can do my project on this,” I argue.
“No, she can’t! I chose it first!” she argues.
What is baffling to me is the fact that there is literally no way to prove that she chose first. It literally doesn’t matter, because who’s to say that someone else hasn’t chosen the same book?
It’s just a fucking book. She has no idea what angle I will go for, and it’s not even something that really matters. She’s just a fucking bully.
“Lauren…” Professor Parker sighs.
“No!” I snap. “I’m not changing. It’s not happening. Just because her father gives money to this college doesn’t mean she gets to run around and do whatever she wants.”
“This is so unfair!” she whines again.
“She doesn’t even do the work. She pays someone else to do it. Do we even know if she can read?” I snap.
“You bitch!” She screams as she slaps me so hard across the face that I stumble back.
“That’s enough!” Professor Parker shouts. “If you two want to act like high schoolers, you can serve detention. In the library tonight at six. You will spend the evening putting away books, and both of you have to choose something new.”
“I didn’t even fucking do anything!” I say loudly, throwing my hands up. “She is just a spoiled fucking bitch with an attitude problem.”
“The decision is final,” he booms.
“You’ll regret this,” she growls at me.
“Fine. I’ll choose Animal Farm. I’ll write about the fucking pig with too much power. Sound familiar, Camilla?” I snap, and everyone laughs.
“Class is over. Get out,” Professor Parker grunts and waves everyone off.
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” I mutter.
I turn and start gathering my belongings, ready to go back to my apartment.
I’m so done with this bullshit. I should have just attended online classes, but I wanted to challenge myself to be social.
I guess the joke is on me because I don’t attend parties.
I don’t have friends, and that’s intentional.
I have had a few people invite me to outings, but I never talk to anyone long enough to make friends.
As I am walking out of the room, the professor stops me. “Lauren,” he says.
“Yes?” I growl, turning to glare at him. Professor Parker is young and the type of man who, more than likely, peaked in college, so he’s trying to relive those days. It’s not uncommon for him to show up at parties thrown by the football team.
“What has gotten into you?” he asks. “You aren’t usually so mean.”
“Mean?!” I laugh dryly. “I get rightfully annoyed by her incessant bitching, but I’m the mean one? She has spent the last four years being a fucking cunt to me, but I’m the problem here?”
“Lauren,” he says gently, almost mockingly. I walk closer, and he begins straightening up chairs, flipping us around the room. Trapping myself by allowing him to block the exit.
“If you think for one second that I won’t be going to the Dean about you and her, you’ve got another thing coming,” I snap.
“Is that right?” he smirks, pushing the door shut.
“What are you doing?” I ask.
“It’s girls like you who end up lonely and desperate,” he says. “Settling for a loser just to fill the space.”
“Is that why you are single?” I ask. “Are you the loser women settle for because they can’t find anything better? Tell me, Professor, how easy will it be for you to fuck the freshman when I get you fired?”
He no longer looks like the professor I’ve known him to be.
He looks like a predator, and I’m his prey.
He starts to make the smallest step toward me, and I shove the table between us and sprint to the door.
Right as I go to pull the door open, he grabs me by the hair and yanks me back.
Instead of fighting him, I let him. Before I can find out his plan, I throw my elbow back, hitting him in the throat as he is about to grab me again.
I finally manage to open the classroom door, and there stands Gunner Brown, Camilla’s boyfriend.
“Uhm. Hello,” he says with a frown. Professor Parker is coughing and gasping for air. I don’t wait around to exchange pleasantries; I shove past him and run.
By the time I get to my car, I am gasping for air. I fumble with my bag to get my keys. I hear someone coming up behind me, but when I turn, Gunner is much closer than anticipated. I shriek, and my legs nearly give out before he catches me.
“Whoa. Chill, it’s just me,” he says.
“Don’t tell me to chill,” I snap.
“Excuse me, sassy. What crawled up your ass?” he asks. “What the fuck was that back there with Professor Parker? He shut the door in my face after you ran.”
“Don’t fucking worry about it.” I scoff and turn to open my car door. Gunner reaches around me and shuts the door before turning me around. “What, Gunner?”
“You looked scared, Lauren. What happened?”
“Why the fuck do you care?” I ask, shoving him away. “You’re fucking dating the she-devil herself. Maybe go ask her, since they’re always up each other’s asses.”
“People are watching,” he says gently.
“Let them!” I say loudly and shove him again.
“Come on,” he says, walking off.
“Where the fuck are you going?” I ask.
“Get in the truck, Lauren,” he says, opening the passenger door of his truck, parked a few spaces over. He walks around and gets into the driver’s seat and looks over at me. “Well?”
“Why the fuck would I do that?” I ask with a frown.
“Don’t you want to know why I was there to begin with?” he asks. “You think I’m just casually chatting with Professor Pig?”
“Why were you there then?” I ask.
“Get in, and I’ll tell you,” he says before turning over the ignition. The engine roars to life, and I sigh.
Fuck it. Why not?
I yank my car door open and set my class stuff down before slamming it shut. I walk over to the truck, and he leans over to offer me his hand. I am hesitant, but eventually grab his hand and let him pull me into the cab. It’s a huge truck with giant tires. I wonder if he goes off-roading?
Gunner grabs the seat belt and clips it into place before pulling out of the parking spot.
I sink into the seat a bit, unsure of what I just got myself into.
Professor Parker was about to go God knows where, and maybe Gunner is going to shut me up.
What will he do? Strangle me? Beat me? I think I watch too much true crime for my own good.
The thoughts are already there, and now I’m imagining my mother sobbing at my funeral, asking, ‘Who would do such a thing? She was loved by everyone,’ but we all know that’s not true.
I’m a bitch, and this isn’t the first time it’s backfired.
I can’t just shut the fuck up sometimes.
I know that people like Professor Parker don’t take kindly to being challenged or threatened, but I still had to say it. I still had to push him.
“Hello? Earth to Lauren,” Gunner says, snapping his fingers in front of my face. I flinch, realizing I zoned out. “Where’d you go?”
“Can you take me back? You know, it’s okay. I can find a ride back,” I say, grabbing the door handle. It doesn’t open right away, and I instantly panic. “Open the door! Open the fucking door!”
“Hey, hey, hey. Relax. It’s locked,” he says, pressing the button to unlock the door. I yank the door open and throw myself out, forgetting that it’s so fucking tall. I yelp when I fall to the ground, but then groan and sling my arm over my face to cover my eyes when Gunner jumps out to come to me.
I am lying on my back with my legs pulled up a bit so my feet are flat on the ground, and Gunner crouches next to me before gently pulling my arm off my face to look at me. “Are you okay?” he asks with a smirk.
“Yes,” I pout.
“Are you going to talk to me or throw yourself down the mountain next?”
“Still thinking about it,” I say. Gunner chuckles and stands before offering me his hand. I sigh heavily but grab his hand so he can pull me up to stand. “Ow,” I wince when I put pressure on my ankle.
“Here, let me look,” he says, crouching down again. He gently grabs my ankle, and I instinctively grab his shoulder to keep from falling. Gunner gently feels my ankle, and his touch… lingers. When he stands, he scoops me into his arms.
“What are you doing, you beefy caveman!” I squeal.
“You think I’m beefy?” he asks with a grin as he manages to drop his tailgate and set me down.
“Yes. I mean, no. Maybe. What the fuck do you want, Gunner?” I ask.
“What happened?” he asks me. “You looked terrified, and Preston looked pissed.”
“Preston?” I ask.
“That’s his first name. Stop being evasive.”
“Why do you care?” I ask.
“Well, my girlfriend has a thing for tormenting you, for whatever reason, and I just so happened to find out that she’s fucking Preston, so?”
“I… I threatened to go to the Dean about him constantly favoring Camilla. The bitch literally slapped me in front of the entire class, but I still have to go to fucking detention. She does too, but still. She literally hit me.”
“Why did you look scared?”
“I didn’t,” I lie. No fucking way I want to find out what happens if I actually do say something.
“Lauren…” he says gently. “Look, I know you are a recluse and everything…”
“I am not,” I gasp.
“Are too,” he laughs. “You know how many times I’ve tried talking to you?”
“No, you haven’t,” I say. “I’d remember you trying to talk to me.”
“Why is that?” he asks.