Page 66 of Don't Love the Boy Next Door
The Rock E’s have been gaining more popularity, but so what? That’s not a reason to fawn all over him like pirates to treasure.
I’m still pushing and shoving to no avail. Ethan’s eyes catch mine and some sort of look flashes across his face.
He moves slightly to the left, and the crowd follows him like moths to a flame. He moves again and they copy. He slidesfurther and further away from the classroom, finally clearing the path. He hasn’t taken his eyes off me once.
I give him another glare before entering the classroom. So what if he moved the crowd to let me in? “Still a jerk,” I mutter under my breath.
The bell rings and Ethan and his fans drag themselves into the classroom. Most of them don’t even have history now and Mrs. Holden has to yell three times for them to leave.
Some teams are still presenting their reports to the class. I try to pay attention, but it’s really hard when a certain someone can’t keep his disgusting eyes off me. What’s his deal? Katie says he feels bad? Nope, I think he’s having too much fun grinning at me behind me back. I mean, it must have been so much fun to trick me like that, and now he keeps staring at me because he wants to remind me about it. As if I need a reminder.
Gosh. I can’t take it!
My hand shoots in the air. “I need to go to the bathroom.”
I’m out the door like I’ve got super-speed and rush to the bathroom. I don’t really have to go, so I stand before the mirror and gaze at my reflection. If someone were to look at me, I’m sure I seem okay. But I’m not okay. Not one bit. Because no matter how much I tell myself to ignore him, to bedonewith him, I just can’t. And it’s so, so stupid because he’s a jerk. He hurt me. And I can’t stand it that he’s staring at me all the time. Why freakin’ why?
I must be in the bathroom for about ten minutes. As I leave, my face smacks into something hard. Something hard that smells good. I know that smell. It belongs to…
I spring back, staring into deep, blue eyes. Eyes that are filled with…I’m not sure what. Guilt, maybe? Or I might be imagining it.
I flinch away from Ethan like I got hit with boiling water, backing up until I bang into the wall behind me.
He inches closer to me, closer and closer, until there’s practically no room between us.
“Get away from me,” I say through clenched teeth.
He backs up a little, enough to give me room to breathe, but he’s still way too close. Because he’s so huge, I don’t have room to slip away. I glance around, maybe for someone to stop my soon-to-be my murder.
But…he doesn’t look like he wants to hurt me. His eyes are soft, and there’s some pain in there, too.
But I shake all that off. I mean, this guy is good at being fake, knows how to play girls. So even if he seems guilty and sincere, I know it’s a joke.
“I said get away,” I warn.
He runs his hand through his hair. “I just want to talk to you. You’ve been avoiding me and I feel like I owe you an explanation.”
“There’s nothing to explain. You’re a jerk and that’s that.”
He sighs, messing up his hair again. Does he think that affects me like it does other girls? No way in heck.
Then why is my heart pounding at his close proximity?
“Phoenix, please just let me explain.”
I glance around the hall again. No one is around. Lucky me. “I told you I don’t want anything to do with you. How are you even out of class when I am?”
“I snuck out.”
I roll my eyes. “Or maybe you sweet talked Holden?”
He stares into my eyes, so deeply it does something weird to my insides. Like, they feel tingly for some reason, and my heart skips a beat. What the heck? Ihatethis guy.
“I’m going back to class.”
“Wait. Just please wait a second.”
I give him a glare. “Holden will mark me absent and I’ll get detention.”
