Page 59 of Bullied By The Bad Boy

“You heard me right the first time, Benny.”

Shock registers on his face. The boy must be used to getting his way. “A little boy asks you for a favor, and you say no?” I stick my chin in the air. I won’t be there. Ben will have to deal with it. Good thing I won’t be there to see him break Asher’s heart. “You are saying no to my brother?”

The kiss must have damaged his ears because I didn’t mince words. “No in all caps. No.”

His voice deepens, and he covers half the gap between us. “I told you to stay away from him, didn’t I?”

“And that’s exactly what I’m doing,” I reply, as exasperated as he is. He thinks he can buy me off with a half-baked apology. “Staying away from your brother. You should be grateful to me.”

That intensity that’s only present when he is in the ring flashes in his eyes. He punches his palm, but I hold steady. My back digs into the door, but my gaze doesn’t waver. I am not backing down.

“Grateful? The fuck am I grateful for? You are the only thing he mentions, and now you say no?”

What the hell is wrong with him? My blood boils at the venom laced in the words he spewed at me. He is acting like it’s my fault. So what if he is sexy and intelligent? I don’t have to tolerate him. I don’t have to help his arrogant, ungrateful ass. “No. N-O. No. No is no, what don’t you get?”

Our heads are so close our foreheads almost touch. The tension rolling off both of us is palpable.

“Your cruelty, I don’t get it. How can you be cruel to a kid?” His venomous gaze rakes over me. Guilt prickles my skin, and I almost swallow back my words. “Oh, I get it. I really do. You are so sad and lonely and want him to feel the same way.”

Everything falls apart. Ben’s words drive a rod through my chest, and my mouth falls open.

When I finally find my voice, I whisper, “Me, Tessa? Cruel?” I don’t know why I start tearing up, maybe because doing favors for that little cutie got me here. I gave this idiot a ride, and he didn’t acknowledge me the next day. Tears roll down my cheeks, but I don’t care to wipe them. “I am not cruel or sad or lonely, you expired coupon, who has no idea how to be nice to anyone. You know nothing about me, Ben.” My voice breaks, and my chest heaves with each shaky breath I take, but I am not done. “Fuck you, Benjamin Carter. You and your girlfriend can go to hell.”

I am out of the class before he has a chance to reply. If his girlfriend was so perfect, Asher would have invited her. Tears blind my vision as I jog to the library. No way am I going to the cafeteria looking like this. Unlike those cheerleaders, I am not a hot mess when I cry. I am an ugly crier.

The library comes into view, and I slow down. What was I thinking? Did I have to make my jealousy obvious? He and his girlfriend can go to hell, really? I need to work on my comeback skills.

The shelf holding The Great Gatsby novel is the first place I seek; my new comfort zone. I slide down to the floor with my weight resting on the shelf. I like to think Lett does the same, and I feel closer to him in the few minutes I spend here. I take out the novel, and a smile falls on my lips.

I might never be friends with Ben, but I have Lett. On my insistence, Lett admitted to being hot. He was modest about it, saying that’s what all the girls say. I believe him. It felt right because the most beautiful ones, except me, are always the most broken. I am not beautiful or broken. I’m Tessa.

As expected, Lett’s note is in the middle of the novel. Last time, he was telling me about a party. He was so worried about overstaying I had to calm him. My heart drops once I read the first and only paragraph in the note. I take a deep breath and read slowly. I shouldn’t have advised him to have fun and let loose.

Lett: I enjoyed the party; it was lit. Lots of noisy teens. Guess what? I got my first kiss.

I don’t know when I stand, but the next moment, I am running out of the library without a reply to him.

Thirty-Five

It takesme five days to reply Lett. While we wait for Ms. Jota to show up, I find a comfortable space at the back and start drafting my reply. It’s short. I don’t have much to say to him, but I try to be supportive.

Me: How did it feel? Was it good? Did sparks fly everywhere? Did it feel like the movies? Is she your girlfriend now? Will you two get married and have kids? Lol. Tell me everything. I want to know.

The ache in my heart grows as I slide the note into my bag. I’ll drop it off tomorrow. What was I thinking? That a hot stranger will fall for me? The boys who know me hardly talk to me. And the only reason Lett probably talks to me is that he is bored. He said it himself. Girls are so easy for him to get. I hug myself, trying to hide in the shadow as Ben’s head turns in my direction.

It might be in my head, but he has been avoiding me. Sure, we have a few classes together, but he sat beside Abigail today. I am not bothered. Nope, I can never be. I am over him. I am over Lett.

I am over boys. They can all go fuck themselves.

Ben’s eyes find mine. His face pinches into an unknown expression, and my heart flutters. I look away before I start overthinking it. He can’t be concerned about me. He still hates me for saying no to his brother. I hate myself too, but I am no longer doing favors. Maybe I should do it for Asher’s sake. We are friends.

It takes the memory of the kiss with Olivia to get me back on track. I remember how his lips brushed hers, the soundless gasp that escaped Olivia before she slammed her lips against his. I remember because I spent the weekend watching it on repeat like a loser. A boyfriend-less loser.

A screech pierces the silence. I wince and plug a finger into my ear.

“Sorry,” Ms. Jota says, pushing the microphone away from her lips. She motions for one of the boys to carry the mini-speaker to the stage. I cringe at the thought of my voice echoing from it. School is over, so no one except the people inside the hall will hear me, but the microphone is extra. It makes me feel vulnerable. “We will quickly go over the last scene to pick our Romeo, then move on to the next. Today’s focus will be on the scenes where Romeo appears. Juliet, be ready.”

On cue, my eyes locate the back of Ben’s head. He fits the role of Romeo, but I don’t know if I still want him to be my Romeo. I force the voices out of my head and climb the stage. Juliet and Romeo have an encounter in the next scene, but we haven’t selected Romeo. Noah and Ben came out top in the audition for the role. I know who I want, but my heart is tired of aching for him.

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