Page 57 of Bullied By The Bad Boy

Liar.

The bitch knows I am listening; a lot of us are. I hope she chokes on one of her salads. Ben drops the cake into his locker. Giggles follow him when he lifts Olivia off the ground and presses her back flush against the locker beside his. Her legs wrap around his waist, and he smiles up at her.

A dull ache spreads through my chest. My nails dig into my palms as her head lowers.

No.

His mouth hovers above Olivia’s, and she palms his face. Tears sting the back of my eyes.

Please, no. I made the cake. Kiss me instead.

I storm out once his lips brush hers. Both of them deserve each other, so why am I tearing up? The sexy jackass and the conniving bitch. It suits them. Pretty but manipulative. Handsome but devious. Perfect duo. I shove a student out of my way, feet slapping the tiled floor as I rush to the exit. Someone yells my name. Ignoring them, I quicken my pace. I’m a mess and not a sexy one.

“Tessa.” It’s Maria. She catches up before I reach the exit. I keep my head down because my eyes won’t stop leaking. She grabs my shoulders, but I refuse to meet her gaze. “Tessa. Theresa, look at me.”

I don’t. I can’t. Maria draws me in for a hug, and I burst into tears. Students bump into us, but no one stops. Of course, they won’t. I am not Ben or Olivia. I am no one. Maria draws circles on my back, and I eventually quiet down. She holds me at arm’s length to inspect my face. I accept the tissue she offers me with a grateful smile, and she drags me in the direction of the backdoor.

Fresh air hits us once we exit the building. I inhale shakily and bite my lips harder to push out Ben’s voice warning me against it. “I made the cake,” I whisper. Maria doesn’t appear surprised. She also knows I bake. “She’s a liar. I hope she dies.”

Maria grunts in reply. I launch into the story of how I met Asher and our agreement on the cake.

“She’s a big, skinny liar,” I murmur once I’m done. “Demoness. Used condom.”

Laughter escapes Maria. “Why didn’t you say anything?” I shrug. First, he warns me to stay away from his kid brother. Then I put a cake in his locker. Yeah, that’s creepy. “You like him.”

I punch her on the shoulder. I just broke down, and that’s all she cares about. I need to have a conversation with the angel who controls our feelings because I really,reallylike Benjamin.

“Yeah,” I whisper, head cast down and cheeks flaming red with embarrassment. “Now what?”

Thirty-Four

Maria is crazy.Like insane, and I should demote her from best friend to friend. Her only solution to my boy problem is much crazier. The door creaks open, and I close my eyes. I stiffen when he sits. A whiff of his cologne is all it takes to identify him, but I don’t chance a glance his way.

He kissed her.

He kissed her in front of everyone.

I am only taking one of Maria’s advice, and that is: to stay away from BGC until something bigger blows this over. Their kiss is everywhere on the site. They are trending as couple goals.

As for her other advice? Not happening.

On our bucket list, item two is:Tessa will get a boyfriend.And today, Maria changed it to:Tessa will date Benjamin. I almost burst out laughing from thinking about it. I can’t even get a kiss, which is number four on the bucket list. Only someone like Maria puts fucking before kissing. Ben won’t look at me twice. It’s bad enough I have to complete most of the items on the list before the school year runs out. Now, she wants me to date Ben. Impossible. Not after he has had his lips on that walking STD called Olivia Beckham.

I don’t want him anymore. She can have him. The image of their kiss replays in my head as if to mock me. I fist my hands. Fine, I am way out of his league, and so is he. He’s not my type. I like faithful guys who don’t kiss liars. Guys who won’t smile at a girl in drama club, and then kiss another.

Maybe he did it out of excitement? Asher said he would love the surprise. I hate to admit this to myself, but he was genuinely happy, the happiest I have ever seen him. Ben’s usually closed off and cool, but I felt his joy. The way his eyes crinkled at the corner when he beamed at Olivia. He should have at least confirmed it from the people hanging around the locker before kissing her.

Olivia is a good liar. I had first-hand experience with her. Hayden too.

Besides, I would willingly kiss him. I’ll make him cake every day if it means getting his kisses. A yawn escapes me, and I drape a hand over my mouth to stop another. I missed hours of sleep because of this. Reason 12355626 why dating in high school is a big no. My eyelids are heavier by the time Mr. Sam walks in with an apology. I force myself to stay awake.

Ben taps me. Without looking his way, I say, “Go bother your girlfriend. Leave me alone.”

“You jealous?”

I scoff. “You wish.”

But I am. My heart hurts. Ben leaves me be, and I am okay with that. He can spend the rest of his life kissing Olivia. Too bad she is already cheating on him with Noah. Isn’t karma such a pretty bitch? She might be late, but she does show up to serve. I hope to be around when Ben finds out.

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