#Hater (Hashtag #2) (10 page)

No one was in there.

I rolled my eyes and stepped back, looking in each stall before I went back to the shower room.

I decided to never tell anyone about this. Talk about embarrassing.

Back in the shower room, the mirrors were still foggy and the air was warmer. My stuff was still piled on the bench where I’d left it and I used my hand on the mirror above the nearby sink to brush away the fog so I could see.

Even though everything was mostly blurry without my glasses, I still could make out enough of my face to apply moisturizer. I pumped some of the white cream onto my fingers and then set the jar on the edge of the sink. After spreading it around on my fingertips, I glanced back up in the mirror and started rubbing it into my face.

And then I froze.

I stood stock still, hands still stuck to my face as I glanced in the mirror at what was behind me.

It was just the shower curtain,
I told myself.

Yes, but I didn’t close the curtain when I got out.

I’d left it open.

It wasn’t open anymore.

The thick, white fabric was stretched all the way across the opening, blocking the entire square of the shower from sight.

I stood there staring into the mirror at that wall of white for endless moments.

Had I shut it and just forgotten?

I’d already checked the bathroom. I was alone in here.

Wasn’t I?

And then something behind the curtain moved.

The movement sent ripples of activity through the white fabric, and I watched in horror as it swayed slightly.

Did I just imagine that?

It happened again. This time the curtain swayed more. I thought I saw the dark shape of a shadow behind it.

My heart started pounding so heavily that it was the only sound I could hear. My throat suddenly constricted and it hurt to breathe or swallow. Fear prickled the base of my spine, and I dropped my hands from my face and wiped what was left of the lotion on the towel wrapped around my body.

I was so not up for being attacked today.

While I was wearing only a towel.

I crept forward as silently as I could and reached down for my glasses. If a girl was going to defend herself, she needed to be able to see.

The room came clearly into focus, and I felt slightly more in control. Until the curtain moved again.

With a heavy sigh, I stepped around the bench and approached the shower.

I reached out and gripped the edge of the curtain.

My lungs burned with the need for oxygen, but I just couldn’t seem to take in air. I was so scared in that moment that it was all I could do not to run away.

I should totally run away.

Instead, I counted to three.

One.

Two.

Three.

I yanked back the curtain.

Someone lunged at me.

I screamed.

Romeo

Something didn’t feel right.

But I had a game to win.

Everything else was going to have to wait.

Rimmel

A figure dressed in dark clothing shot out of the shower stall and wrapped his arms around me. I screamed and fell backward, my flip-flops not providing very much traction against the slick tile floor.

I grappled for my attacker to keep from falling back, and he grabbed me and righted us as a laugh filled the space.

I felt like my eyes were going to fall out of my head when I glanced up and saw Zach and his devious grin.

I jerked away from him, coming up against the edge of the pedestal sink, clutching the towel (that suddenly seemed way too small) back around me from where it had slipped and almost exposed all my goods to this creep.

“What the hell are you doing!” I yelled.

He chuckled. “You should see your face.”

Anger lit me up inside. Anger and indignation. How dare he scare me like that!

The sound of a sharp slap echoed through the room when my open palm connected with his face. Zach’s head rocked on his shoulders and his hand came up to cup his jaw and massage his fingers into his reddening cheek.

“I never would have guessed a nerd like you would have so much fire beneath those glasses.” His eyes were appraising when he looked me up and down. “Who’d have thought you have a nice little body beneath all those ugly clothes you wear?”

I was going to hit him again.

I felt exposed and vulnerable standing here like this. I wanted my clothes. I wanted to get out of here. He was standing between me and all my things.

“How did you get in here?” I demanded, glancing toward the door.

“Don’t you worry,” he said, reaching out for a wet strand of my hair. I jerked back and he smiled. “I locked the door so we wouldn’t be disturbed.”

“I’m gonna start screaming,” I warned, shrinking back against the sink even more.

He made a tsking sound. “No, you won’t. Because word of you being alone in the girls’ bathroom with me
—naked
…” He emphasized that last word like I was in here naked with him because I wanted to be. It made me sick to my stomach. “Would get out faster than you could put on these lacy little panties.”

He picked up a pair of navy-blue cotton panties with a lacey waistband that I’d bought to specifically match the Wolves’ colors (to support Romeo, of course) and spun them around on his finger.

I was going to have to burn them. He was getting his grimy cooties all over them.

Such a shame. I hadn’t even gotten to wear them yet.

“Give me those.” I gasped and snatched them out of his hands, clutching them against me.

He laughed.

“Texts would go flying, and Romeo,
oh Romeo
…”—he sighed—“would get wind of this little tête-à-tête, and then his head would be all messed up for the big game.”

“You are such an asshole,” I growled.

“Imagine his precious little nerd and me… his biggest pet peeve, together naked.”

“You’re disgusting. He knows I’d never willfully be alone with you.”

He smiled. “Maybe. But it would still mess up his game.”

I’d had enough, and I moved to shove past him, but he pushed me back.

“What would everyone say about our campus hero when he messed up the biggest game of the year and handed the trophy to the other team? Wonder if he would still be adored by everyone.”

He slid his cell phone out of his pocket and held it up. Before I knew what he was doing, he snapped a picture of me standing there in my towel. “Maybe,” he said, “I should send this picture out and let everyone know what we’re doing. Right. Now.”

There is this quote that I read a long time ago. A quote that I loved and made me feel strong. It had stuck with me over the years, like so many of the other words by the author.

And though she be but little, she be fierce.—Shakespeare

I thought about that quote right now.

I might be little. I might be easily intimidated, but I could be fierce.

I
was
fierce.

With a cry, I lunged forward and threw all my weight into Zach. He hadn’t expected me to do such a thing, and it threw him off balance. He backed up against the wooden bench lining the center of the room, and it caused him to fall back on his butt. I snatched the phone out of his hand and whipped it at the wall in the back of one of the showers.

The small device crashed into the tiles and shattered, small pieces flying everywhere.

He looked at me with shock on his face.

I shrugged. “Oops.”

“That was a five hundred-dollar phone!” he cried and jumped to his feet to examine all the pieces scattered about.

I started to gather up my things and rush toward the door.

“Did you ask him?” he said, his voice halting my footsteps.

I glanced over my shoulder at him. “Of course not.”

“I guess you don’t care if you’re dating a liar, then.” He said it like those stupid words would somehow be used as reverse phycology on me. Like I would somehow be tainted against Romeo, against the only man I’d ever loved.

I thought the satisfaction of seeing his phone shatter had been enough to quell my anger. But I realized now that it hadn’t been. Renewed anger rose up inside me. I was angry that he would try and taint something special. Something I’d never had with anyone before.

I wouldn’t let him take it from me. Or from Romeo.

“You know what?” I said, turning to fully face him. “I don’t care.”

He lifted an eyebrow.

“I don’t care even if you are right. Even if Romeo did lie about something, I’ll forgive him. It won’t matter. Chances are if he did lie, it was because he thought it would protect me.”

This is just me loving you.
His words echoed inside me as I sought to defend our love.

I glanced at the pieces of the ruined phone. This was me loving him.

“I don’t know why you hate Romeo so much, and I don’t care. Do yourself a favor and just let it go. Trying to hurt me to get to him isn’t going to work.”

His eyes were hard when I spun back around and marched around the corner and to the door.

Sure enough, the lock was thrown from the inside.

I slid it free and yanked the door open and stumbled out in the hall wearing nothing but a towel. Two girls were standing there with all their shower stuff in their hands and confused expressions on their faces, dividing their attention between me and the door.

Even though I was dying inside of embarrassment, I marched down the hallway and let myself in my room.

Once I was there, I dropped everything by the door and ran for my phone.

I grabbed it up and punched in a number I was suddenly glad I had.

It rang and rang, and my stomach began to churn in fear that he wasn’t going to answer.

Just when I knew the phone was going to go to voicemail, he picked up. “Rimmel?”

“Braeden,” I said with apparent relief in my voice. I sank back against the door and clutched the phone to my ear.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, his voice going sharp, and I felt his alarm come across the line.

“I’m fine,” I said quickly, trying to keep him from panicking. I didn’t want to mess with his head before the game either, but he was the only one I could call. “I just… I need a favor.”

“I got your back.”

“Having a brother isn’t so bad,” I said.

The noise in the locker room almost overpowered his chuckle, and I heard the coach in the back, hollering something. “Hey, man, I’ll be right back. Cover for me.” I heard his muffled voice over the line.

“Sure thing,” Romeo replied, and I squeezed my eyes shut.

The noise in the background faded away, and then it was just Braeden. “What’s going on, Rim?”

“You didn’t tell him it was me,” I said.

“Yeah, I kind of figured you called me because there was something you didn’t want him to know.”

“I need you to keep him away from his phone before the game. And away from anyone other than the team. No gossip.”

“What the hell happened?” he demanded. The anger in his tone made me wonder if maybe I shouldn’t have involved him.

“It’s nothing.” I lied. Then I sighed. “Well, it’s something. But I don’t want anything messing with Romeo’s head before the game. That’s what he wants.”

“He who?” Braeden said sharply. Then he growled. “Is this about Zach?”

“Yes.”

“Girl, you better not have any more bruises,” he intoned.

I shivered because his voice was just as deadly as Romeo’s.

“I don’t,” I said. I wondered what he would say if I told him there might be a picture of me in nothing but a towel. “Look, I’ll explain after the game tonight. Just do this for Romeo.”

“Of course I will.”

“Braeden?” I said when I thought he hung up.

“Tutor girl?”

I smiled. “Don’t worry about this, okay. About me either. Everything’s fine. Just go out there and play.”

“You got it.” The smile in his voice made me relax.

“Good luck today.”

“Thanks, little sis. I’ll see you tonight.”

I hung up the phone and took a steadying breath. Those girls outside the bathroom had to have seen Zach. They would have known I’d been in there with him.

I could only imagine what he would have told them.

Rumors were going to be flying.

I walked farther into the room and glanced down at the bed and Romeo’s hoodie. I hoped Braeden could keep the rumors from getting to him.

Before tossing my phone aside, I sent out a quick text to Romeo.

I LOVE YOU.

It beeped immediately with a reply.

I LOVE YOU. TURNING OFF PHONE NOW. BRAEDEN’S ORDERS.

Thank God for Braeden.

On the other side of the room, Ivy stirred and lifted her head. Her hair was all over the place and covering most of her face. She pushed at the tangled nest with her hands and squinted at me.

“God.” She groaned. “Is it morning?”

“Yep. It’s game day.”

Her head fell back on the pillow and she groaned again.

I smiled and rummaged through my drawers to find something to wear. “Wild party last night?”

“You have no idea,” she muttered and sat up, leaning against the wall. I watched as she pulled the covers away from her body and glanced down. Her eyes went wide and she pulled the blanket back down. “Where the hell are my clothes?”

I laughed and looked around. “There,” I said and pointed at her top. “And there.” I pointed somewhere else at her jeans.

She grinned. “Well, I must have had a damn good time.”

I laughed and turned back around to get dressed. I couldn’t stop thinking about Romeo… and Zach. And the bathroom.

He was going to totally flip when I told him.

But I didn’t have a choice.

I just prayed to God I was the one who was able to tell him first.