Page 34 of Bullied By The Bad Boy

I’m still repeating the mantra to myself when Asher taps me. “I told Benny about your face. Next time, he will beat the person up,” he says. Ben stares down at his feet. Of course. Asher’s mouth opens wide to release a yawn. He throws his arms around my neck and pulls me into a hug. “Bye, Tessa.”

I will bet my life that Ben is watching our exchange with a scowl, but I don’t look to confirm it. Instead, I squeeze my eyes shut and return Asher’s hug. He breaks away to smile at me. “Bye, Champ.”

Twenty-One

Maria is still not talkingto me.

On Tuesday, I endured it thinking her mood swing would pass, but that best friend of mine didn’t say a word to me. Even now, Maria is silent as we stroll to our lockers. Too calm and unlike her loud self. I poke her, and she raises a perfectly tweezed brow at me. That’s all. I clasp my hands and muster my best puppy eyes. In reply, she slams her locker door and sashays out of my sight.

Nice one, Maria. Best friend ever.

We need to figure out what to do about Ben before he does something worse than a punch to me. Why am I getting punished for something that’s not my fault? The beef she has with Daniel has nothing to do with me. I didn’t know about him talking to Zoey until she mentioned it. Speak of the devil, and Daniel blocks my path right as I’m about to race off in the same direction Maria headed. Resting one hand on my locker, the other shoved inside his pants pocket, he grins at me.

“I need your help,” he says when I don’t return his smile.

My eyes roam the empty hallway before coming to settle on his face. “Is this about Maria?” He nods, and I relent. I take another long look at my wristwatch and facepalm. I have a few minutes until literature class, and I haven’t got my copy of the second text for that witch’s class. “Fuck.”

“What?” Daniel asks. He pushes away from the locker to stand in front of me. “Tessa.”

“I need to get to the library,” I tell him and make a U-turn, shuffling down the hallway like Usain Bolt. If I am fast enough, I will make a photocopy of the chapters we will be reading today. Ben used a photocopy for The Old Man and The Sea. I should be allowed to do the same for this text.

Exiting the front door, I go around the back and turn into the path leading to the library. On cue, I sneak a glance around to be sure Ben won’t jump me like the last time. Where’s he anyway?

Footsteps echo behind me. I push the straps of my backpack up my shoulder and quicken my pace as Daniel catches up. The boy doesn’t attend classes often, and it will be no surprise if he misses today’s lectures. As for me, I can’t. I am still trying to make up for the notes I missed on Monday because Ben sent me to the clinic. He hasn’t apologized to me or been to class—not like I care or miss him.

“Tessa. Please, wait. I need to talk to you.”

I slow down long enough for him to catch up, and he drags me into an empty corridor. “Five minutes,” I say. I should be done with the library in ten minutes since we are reading only two chapters today. I dig a foot into the ground and snap at Daniel. “Come on, man. Start talking.”

Instead of talking, he pulls out his phone, and I roll my eyes so hard I’m shocked they don’t fall out of their sockets. My gaze narrows suspiciously when he walks to both ends of the corridor to confirm we are alone. He plugs in his earpiece and puts one bud into my ear. I wait impatiently for his black screen to come alive. He inputs his password, and a strangled gasp leaves my lips.

What in God’s holy name is this?

The male figure in the video is undeniably Daniel. The girl kneeling between his legs, sucking him off as if her high school diploma depends on it, is obscured. I can’t tell who she is from this angle. But Ben’s words ring out loud in my head, followed by Maria’s. It has to be Zoey.

Why can’t people keep it in their pants for fuck’s sake? I raise disappointed eyes to Daniel, and he groans. “Seriously? You have only four minutes. Start talking.” I don’t care if all three of us are friends. If he hurts my best friend, then I am done with him. “I don’t have all day, Mister.”

“Someone sent this to me last week,” he says. He runs his fingers through his face, then shoves them into his hair which he tugs harshly from the roots and groans again. “I don’t know who.”

“Does it matter who? Is this Vance’s party?” I ask him and he nods, so I punch him in the stomach. He was sending Maria pictures at the beginning of that party. “How could you do this? Are you insane?”

An angry storm gathers in his eyes, and his finger shoots up to quiet me. “First of all, Maria and I are not an item. I don’t owe her fidelity.” My lips move into the shape of an O. I cross my arms on my chest and tilt my body to one side. Boys are what again? Assholes and a big waste of time. But he’s so right because their chances of dating after this are zero to none. “I like Maria. I really do, but if this video gets out, she will be hurt badly. I’ll pick her attitude over her seeing this.”

Weirdly, it makes sense. Maria might talk dirty about actors she hopes to smash, but everyone knows she only has eyes for Daniel. My chest falls. “So…what do you want me to do, Daniel?”

“Talk to her. Tell her to be nice to me.”

“You just said you will pick her attitude over her finding out about this.” I slap his shoulder, and he jumps back like I did any real damage. In a bored voice, I mumble, “Dude, pick a struggle.”

He shakes his head. “I don’t want to.”

Tension rolls off me, and I close my eyes. The four minutes are gone. I shouldn’t be mad at him since he didn’t cheat. When my eyes flutter open, I’m calmer. “If you like Maria so much, why is your dick in another girl’s mouth?” He coughs, and I throw him a look of disgust. This is the thing with horny teenagers. They don’t think. One more reason why I will never be in a relationship. This video will ruin great friendships if it ever gets out. “You better fix this, Daniel Stupid Holt.”

“I am trying to, Tessa. Someone’s blackmailing me.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah. Oh, Tessa. And I’m not stupid.”

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