Chapter 2
Blake
I toy with the rim of my coffee cup, eyes locked on my textbook, despite the fact that the words in the book aren't what I’m focusing on. I should be doing my computer science work, but all I can think about is the encounter I had with that guy earlier today.
Why did he buy my drink? He didn’t know me. He could have just ignored it and let me go back to my car to grab my wallet. He didn’t have to pay for me.
Relax, Blake, it’s just a coffee. You’re overthinking it.
Yeah. Overthinking is what I seem to do best.
It’s not my fault that I feel like every good thing that happens in my life comes with ulterior motives. You tend not to trust the things around you when you’ve spent your whole life being bullied and getting your ass kicked.
College hasn’t been much better. At least the campus is big enough for me to avoid the asshole bullies who followed me here.
It doesn't help that my sister is best friends with half of them. Not that she knows what her football buddies have done to me.
She’s my little sister, I should be the one protecting her, not the other way around.
When I realize I’m not going to get anything done right now, I sigh heavily and slam my textbook shut, tossing it to the side.
I stare down at the now cold liquid. I’m not sure why I still have the thing, it’s been two hours since the coffee shop.
I should throw it out, but for some reason, I can’t bring myself to toss it. Seems rude to waste something someone else paid for.
Glaring down at the contents in the cup, I grumble before closing my eyes and downing the rest in three gulps.
I gag a little, shuddering. “Nasty.” I get up and toss it into the trash nearby before packing up my things to leave.
Stupid dude with this stupid overly sunshiny smile. It’s not normal to be that happy, or that nice. Sorry, but I’m suspicious of it.
I just wanted to wallow in my pity after Luke Wilkins cornered me in the dining hall and demanded I tutor him. He thought he could threaten to kick my ass if I said no.
This isn’t high school anymore, and I vowed after I graduated that I wouldn’t allow people like him to push me around. They can threaten me, hit me, I don’t care. I’m done.
It’s why I created a rule when I joined the volunteer tutoring program: no jocks of any kind. Maybe it’s wrong of me to throw them all under the same umbrella. I’m sure they’re not all bad, but still, I’m not risking it.
I take on one student every semester, mostly scholarship kids. I have a sweet spot for helping people who actually want to be here, who work hard, and are genuinely good people.
Sorry, Luke, you can kick my ass all you want, but that doesn’t mean you can scare me into doing your fucking work anymore.
Some people never grow up.
Thank god it’s my last year here. After I graduate, I won’t have to see any of these assholes again.
Once I start up my company, I could go anywhere in the world.
Then I think about leaving Silver Valley, leaving my mom and sister. I couldn’t do that. They’re my whole world, and I love them more than anything. My mom sacrificed so much for us after my dad passed away. I can’t just leave them.
I throw my hood over my head and shove my hands into my pockets as I start the walk home. I should really bring my car into the shop to be seen, but I’m afraid to get behind the wheel at this point. That whirring, crunching sound is kind of worrisome. What if it explodes?
Thankfully, it’s a nice day out, no clouds in the sky.
With my headphones in, I get lost in my audiobook.
Because of that, I don’t hear the car next to me. A horn honks, and I jump. Ripping my headphones out, my head snaps to the side.
“Hey. You need a ride?” a girl in a little black car asks me. She’s got short pink hair and a bright smile.
“Ah, no,” I grunt. “Thanks.” I start to put my headphones back in, but the girl slowly follows next to me.
“You’re Blake, right?”
That has me pausing. I narrow my eyes at her. “How would you know?”
“I’m Valerie, but everyone calls me Val. I know your sister, Nina. She’s on the cheer squad.”
“Are you?” I raise a brow. The last thing I want is to be around cheerleaders. They were almost as bad as the football players in high school.
“Oh god no.” She snorts. “I have the grace of an elephant on skates. Also, the uniforms are not my style. But my bestie, Ellie, is on the team. So is her girlfriend, Rain.”
Those are names I happen to know. Not because I associate with them, but because all of Silver Valley seems to know Eleanor Tatum and her backstory.
“Look, could you please get in the car? I promise I’m not going to kidnap you or anything.
But if I leave you here on the side of the road and something bad happens to you, I’m never going to forgive myself.
Like, it will eat me alive, Blake. Do you want to be the one to blame for my bad mental health?
Not that I’d be able to be mad at you for long, because you know you’d be dead or whatever, but still. ”
“Are you okay?” I ask, blinking at this crazy woman who sounds like she’s had one too many cans of Redbull.
“Depends on who you ask,” she laughs.
“I’m good, really.” I try to turn away, but she just keeps following me. Horns start to honk behind us. “You can go, really. I’m fine.”
“Nope.” She just keeps going at a snail's pace, the cars behind her blowing their horns.
It makes me uneasy. People are shouting out their window, and this Val chick is acting like she couldn’t care less.
“Fine,” I growl, annoyance bubbling up. “If it gets you to leave, I’ll get in the car.”
“Good choice." She grins as I open the passenger's side door.
With a huff, I sit down and secure my seatbelt.
Val throws the car in gear, and I nearly choke on my own tongue when we jolt forward.
“What the fuck?” I croak out as we speed down the road.
She ignores me. “What’s your address? I haven’t been to your place before.”
“It’s just down the street on Crescent Wood Drive.”
“No way.” She gapes at me.
“What?”
“I live on the next street over! This is so exciting. If you need a ride to and from school, I can swing by.”
Oh god. What the hell have I done to deserve this fate?
“No, really, it’s okay. I have a car. I just need to take it to the shop to get checked out.”
“You should hit up Slater's Repair. Best mechanic in town, pretty good prices too.”
“Thanks. I’ll remember that.” I’m holding onto the seat for dear life, regretting all my life decisions. Is this my karma for not thanking that overly smiley guy from the coffee shop?
He kind of reminds me of this girl.
“It’s number 556,” I tell her when we turn on the street.
Thankfully, we make it to my place in one piece. I don’t waste any time getting the hell out of the death trap. That girl should not be on the road.
“Thanks,” I tell her.
“You’re welcome, Blakey. Bye, cutie pie.” She takes off as soon as I shut the door.
“Was that Val?” My sister's voice comes from behind me.
“Yeah.” I turn around. She’s standing in the doorway, dressed in her cheer uniform. I swear she’s always in that thing. How is it comfortable?
“What was she doing giving you a ride home?” Nina grins. “Do you have something you wanna tell me?”
“Ah, no?” I raise a brow. “She just gave me a ride home. My car still needs to be taken into the shop.”
“You sure?” She wiggles her eyebrows. “Val might be a little out there, but she’s pretty cute. I bet you could have some fun with her.”
My mood sours. I know she doesn’t mean any harm by it, but it really irks me when people bug me about girls and dating. It reminds me of just how different I am.
“I don’t like her like that.” I sigh, pushing past my sister to head inside.
“Well, is there anyone you do like, like that?” Nina presses. “I know some girls who are single. Normally, friends dating your older brother is a big no-no, but you’re sweet, and I know you’d treat them well. So, why not?”
“No thanks, Nina,” I say, my annoyance building. “I’m not interested in any of your friends. I’m not interested in any girls... at all.” I stomp up the steps.
“Oh.” She’s quiet, but follows me up to my room. “So, are there any guys you’re interested in?”
“No!” I snap, swinging my angry gaze toward my little sister.
Her eyes widen as she jumps back, and I instantly feel like shit.
“Sorry.” I sigh heavily. “I don’t mean to be an asshole to you.
I’ve just had a very long day, and all I want to do is shower and game for a little bit before bed.
But if you must know, I don’t have my eye on anyone.
And I don’t plan to because my focus is on school.
I have enough going on with schoolwork and tutoring that dating isn’t something I’d have time for. ”
That's a lie. It’s not that I don’t have time to date, it’s the fact that I don’t want to date. I don’t have any interest in anyone. Not girls, not guys. No one.
I don’t tell her that, though. I already feel broken enough, I don’t need her seeing me as a freak.
I know I’m not. I’m asexual. At least, that's what the internet told me.
In eleventh grade, I was dragged to a party by my sister. One I’ve regretted going to every day since.
I guess being a cheerleader meant that you were god's gift to the world. At least that's what Tracy Kelly thought when she threw herself at me, and I did nothing. Didn’t want to kiss her, didn’t want to touch her tits even though they were in my face.
She told me nerds were her kink, and she wanted to ride me like a pony, and I rejected her.
She was offended and said there's no way I’d not want her. She even tried to touch my dick to see if it was hard. She insisted it had to be, like there was no way I wouldn’t react to her.
When I very much wasn’t, and pushed her hand away, she slapped me across the face and called me a homophobic slur.
I left the party in tears and with a sore face. That incident led me down a deep rabbit hole when I realized I've never, not once, found another man or woman sexually attractive.