Page 22 of Kicking It with the Point Guard

Oscar stays with me until midnight, and then he only goes back to his room when I insist that I’m fine. He’s hesitant to leave me alone but agrees when I promise to meet him for breakfast in the morning.

I’ve already showered for the evening, but I grab a towel and head to the bathroom again, anyway. Turning the shower to the hottest setting, I grimace when I step into the steamy spray, but I don’t turn it down.

I wash away all the anger and the hurt that short conversation with Allyson provoked in me, content to just stand there.

Thirty minutes later, I turn off the water and wrap myself in my towel, making my way back to my room. It’s nice to have the room to myself for once.

I pull some gym shorts on, hanging the towel on the end of my bed to dry, then pick up the bag of untouched food.

I put it in the mini fridge my roommate and I share, knowing that the next time I look in here, it’ll all be gone.

I pull back the covers and adjust my pillows to be just right, smoothing any wrinkles in the sheets out before I lie down, pulling the covers halfway up my torso. The same as every night.

I send a text to Oscar to let him know I’ve cooled off and am going to bed. I even send him a selfie, making sure to get the bed and my shirtless self in it.

He sends back a thumbs up and then a drool emoji and a flame emoji.

I roll my eyes and am about to plug my phone in to charge for the night when it buzzes.

A text from a number I don’t recognize flashes across the screen.

I open it and can’t help but smile.

Unknown: *grimace emoji* This is Violet. Real smooth of you to slip your number into my math book.

I can feel her eye roll from here. I update her contact information in my phone.

Cam: I was going to suggest we exchange numbers so we could inform each other if we won’t be able to be at our sessions.

Bumblebee Girl: Well, I’m letting you know right now that I won’t be at our next session.

I snort. Yeah, right. She’s so ridiculous.

Cam: I’ll see you on Friday.

Bumblebee Girl: Whatever. *wave emoji*

I roll over, plugging my phone in. My dreams that night are filled with blond hair, green eyes, and a stubborn but beautiful smile.

Violet

There haven’t been any incidents since the naked bathroom debacle. I’ve been on high alert, but it’s like nothing ever happened.

On my way to my Classroom and Behavioral Management class, I’m not paying attention to everyone else hanging out on the green. Someone shouts behind me, and I spin, startled.

Pain erupts on my cheek. My hand flies up to cover it, and I look down. An orange lies in the grass at my feet.

The green is silent, everyone witness to my humiliation.

“Who threw that?” I try to keep the quiver out of my voice.

I look around. A group of girls are huddled together, all smirking at me. A few of them are from my floor. Then I see Lindsay and the girl who interrupted Cam and me the other night.

I tilt my head slightly, dropping my hand. I won’t let them see any weakness in me. I’ve dealt with bullies before, my own and standing up for other, weaker-willed students. And if there’s anything I’ve learned from my experiences, it’s that you can’t let them see you break.

Turning, I continue my trek across campus. Chatter slowly resumes, and life goes on as normal.

So they’re the ones who have been harassing me, huh?

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