Page 38 of Boys Like You

“Maximus,” Mr Turner says, he gets a nod in response. “JD, I have looked over your tests, and it seems you still have all the knowledge locked away somewhere. You will fit into our classes here easily. I have read the requests from Marlene suggesting if possible, we pair you in as many of the boys’ classes as possible to help ease your anxiety. I promise to do my best.” I’m really glad I brought Maximus in with me, any of the other guys would have argued until he one hundred percent had me in all their classes. “As you know, none of the work you do will be able to go towards an ATAR since we have no records from your previous school.”

“That is totally fine, I can look at my options if my memory returns.”

“Good, now all I ask is if you can make sure the boys do not breathe a word of this to anyone.”

“They don’t strike me as the sharing type.” He stands from his chair, Maximus and I do the same.

“Follow me, I will take you all to the uniform shop. Rory requested we get everything you need today.”

He leads us from the room. When we exit, there are four guys looking at me with puppy dog eyes. “Turns out I’m not stupid. We can go get my uniform.” Rocky leaps from his chair, picks me up slowly and throws me over his shoulder with an oomph. Rocky takes off running with me over his shoulder.

“Mr Hunter, put her down and stop running in the hall.” It’s no use, Rocky doesn’t listen. He takes us to a set of glass doors and slides me off his shoulder.

After what feels like hours of trying on uniforms, we emerge with an armload of bags. There’s a formal uniform and a regular sports uniform that everyone can wear on fun Fridays, and then change into when you have P.E.

Rory packs all my bags into his four-wheel drive. “Who’s up for milkshakes?”

“Are you buying?” Rocky asks, jumping into the passenger seat of Levi’s Jeep.

“Fine, but JD rides with me.”

Maximus gets in with Mercer, and Rory has to help me into his. I notice his hands linger on my ass a little longer than needed before he pushes me up. My heart beats a little bit faster every time one of them touches me. I make a mental note to ask my therapist how to handle this.

After we drive for twenty minutes in the opposite direction, I wonder where we are actually going.

“Are we going to find cows in the middle of the bush and milk them ourselves?”

Rory laughs. “No, there’s a small ice cream place we found a couple of summers ago with Carson. It’s owned by an elderly couple who make the best milkshakes. Whenever one of us wins something or gets a good grade, we celebrate with milkshakes, making it worth the drive.”

After a small amount of time and barely any civilization, we come to a small town. Rory pulls into a small café on the main street. Aside from a post office, bottle shop, a small gift shop and a café, there doesn’t appear to be much else. Mercer and Levi’s cars are parked directly outside. I’m starting to wonder how fast they drive without me in the car, because I always seem to be the last to arrive.

Inside is pretty; old tables that look refurbished, small mason jars on the table with mini roses. The guys are sitting at a long, centre table, laughing at something an older woman is saying. Rory grabs my hand and leads me to join them.

“Hello, dear, you must be JD. I’m Mrs Watson. I was just telling the boys that Mr Watson is arm-deep in a cow’s anus right now.” She smiles, her white hair and wrinkled face welcoming.

“Poor cow,” I say, almost feeling my butt cheeks clench together.

“It’s over in a matter of seconds, dear, he is checking old man Connor’s cow for pregnancy.”

“I’m glad women don’t have to find out the same way.” She laughs at that and agrees.

“Now you’re all here, are you ready to order?” The guys call out their choices while I read the menu.

“They all sound really good. How do you just pick one?”

“How about I surprise you? These boys have been comin’ here for years and have tried everything on the menu. Is there anything you are allergic to?” I shake my head no, not that I know of anyway.

She walks back towards the kitchen, and five sets of eyes stare at me.

“What? Do I have something on my face?”

“No, we were just talking about what happened at school,” Mercer informs me.

“What happened at school?” I raise my brow at them. “Oh, you mean how you are all control freaks and I had to take Maximus in because I knew he wouldn’t argue, even though it probably killed him on the inside to sit back and just listen? It’s fine, guys. I will be in one of your classes at all times so my anxiety doesn’t freak anyone out.”

“No, we knew why you did that,” Levi says, playing with a napkin. Why the hell are they being weird?

“Because you’re hot and we all like to touch you,” Rocky blurts out. “We want to make sure we are not forcing that on you. We’ve never been “friends” with a girl before…” he says using air quotes when he says friends.

---