Authors: Alla Kar
Cindy left earlier than me, bitching me out about my anti-social and lunatic attitude.
What the hell is wrong with you? What did you talk to Taylor about? Why do you have to be so weird, he is a hottie.
I flipped her the bird and locked the bathroom door.
Now, I can hear her talking from the outside of the classroom. She is laughing. I round the corner, but Cindy isn’t in her normal seat. I search the cluttered classroom and find her sitting at the top of the auditorium between Taylor and Brett. I sigh. This is not happening. She waves at me, hand flapping around in the air but I pretend not to see her.
She calls my name but I sit down and open my notes. She has no boundaries. She is insane if she thinks I’m going to sit with them. No way in Hell. I flip through the pages, and try to remember all of the things I know our teacher will have on our test. The desk next to me squeaks from someone sitting down and I glance up. Taylor looks down at me, a smile riding on his lips.
“How’s it going, Layla?”
“The same as the last time, Taylor.” I shut my book and turn toward him. “Didn’t we make a deal last night? You leave me alone if I give you a kiss?” I know my cheeks are flaming from this, but I need him to leave me alone.
He grins, and leans forward. “What can I say, I’m a bad liar.”
He is a bad liar. I highly doubt that. As much ass as he gets, I know that he can lie like the rest of them. “If you don’t get away from me, I’m going to ask the professor if she can move you.”
He shrugs, and brushes a piece of hair away from my eyes. “Stop touching me,” I say, swatting his hand away. “I gave you a kiss, Taylor. Now scram.”
His manly scent hits me like water to the face. “Aw, Layla. The deal was I’d leave you alone for a while. It’s been awhile. It’s been almost,” he looks at his watch, that looks like it cost as much as my entire outfit, “eight hours. Which, for me, it’s about seven hours too long.”
I grip my desk. This guy is asking for it. I’m giving him the stare down, when he starts to pull up his shirt sleeves, showing his massively large forearms that are covered in tattoos. “So, you have any plans tonight?”
“It’s a Monday,” I say. “I have to work, and do homework.”
“Work at the coffee shop?” he asks.
I shake my head. “It’s none of your business.” I really don’t have to work at the coffee shop. But, Eric decided he wanted to go to the pool hall with me to hang out. We never get the same night off, so I said yes. And while he finds some guy to talk to, I plan on hustling a few suckers for a couple hundred dollars. The electric bill is due, and I saw these shoes I want from Rue 21.
Taylor scratches his scruffy chin and smiles. “Why won’t you just admit that you like me, Layla? We had an amazing time this weekend, let me take care of you.”
Blood rushes to my cheeks.
Let me take care of you.
“I’m trying to study,” I mumble, shifting through my papers.
Taylor laughs, and leans back in Cindy’s chair. I’m waiting for him to move, but I quickly realize he has no intention of moving. When Dr. Walter walks in, I sigh in relief. She is holding a stack of papers, I assume to be the test, and is sipping on a cup of coffee.
“Hello my lovelies, are we ready to express ourselves about John Grimsham today?” She is smiling, ear to ear, her glasses sliding down her nose. Dr. Walter can’t be over thirty-five, but dresses like an eighty year old.
Everyone mumbles underneath their breath, but she is clueless and starts passing out test. Taylor passes mine to me. I scan the test and sigh. I know most of them. I fill in my test, hurrying to get the hell out of dodge. I flip my test over, and stand up. Taylor’s arm reaches out and snatches my test. He places it on top of his, and walks down to our professor’s desk. She glances up and him and smiles.
My mouth is hanging open. He is standing by the door waiting on me. So much for my run for it.
I grab my bags and push past him at the door. “So, where ya going?” he asks, taking a few long strides to catch up with me. A few students are littering the hallways, talking against the wall, sitting in the commons by the double doors.
“My home. I have to clean my house.” Which is a small lie. I do plan on cleaning, studying, then hitting the pool hall with Eric. But, not before I go to the cafeteria for some grub.
“Hmm,” Taylor says, grabbing my arm. We are in the center of the commons, but no one is looking at me. “Break your work plans,” he says. “Come with me to the pool hall tonight, we’ll hang out. No bedroom, no pool table, no touching…unless you beg me for it.”
He smiles, and my chest thumps harder. His touch is tempting, his lips worth savoring.
No, Layla. I try not to imagine him touching me, kissing me, his fingers on my most personal place.
“That’s not a good idea. I’ve already told you, Taylor.”
Taylor’s eyes never leave mine. “If you don’t agree to go with me, I’ll sing to you right here and now in front of everyone.”
No. Fucking. Way.
I cock my head to the side. “Please, we both know you’re not going to sing in front of--,”
“Layla!” he yells, singing off key, getting down on his knee. “Please, don’t do this to me. Please,” he yells, biting his lip to keep from smiling.
Everyone in the commons turns to stare at me. Some girls have their mouths open, some are sneering but most are wide-eyed and laughing. “Please, I swear I’ll cater to you. I’ll have sex with you whenever you want me to!”
Mother fucker.
I try to pull my hand from his grip, but he pulls me tighter, pushing his face into my stomach, grabbing my ass. “Please,” he says, dropping his singing voice to an utterly fake cry.
“Get up, Taylor,” I grit through my teeth.
“Layla, I have to have you,” he yells again.
Oh. My. God.
By this time, some of our classmates have finished their test and made it out to the doors. Cindy is standing by Brett, her mouth is hanging open. Brett is laughing hysterically, hands on his knees.
“I’ll go,” I whisper. “Get up and I’ll go. Just get the hell up,” I say.
Taylor looks up, a smirk on his face. He stands up and kisses my cheek. “I’ll see you tonight.” He walks off, like nothing just happened.
I’m going to murder him.
“You’re ridiculous,” Cindy
says, slamming a Coke on her lunch tray. She is shaking her head fiercely back and forth, as I follow her to our occasional table in the lunchroom. I’m not too big on the food, but it’s good when you’re broke, which lately, has been the case. “He sang to you, got down on his knees.”
“
He likes attention. And plus, who are you to give any advice? You’re just a horny teenager,” I say, sitting down across from Cindy on our small circle table.
“Shows how much you know,” she opens her Coke, “I’m turning twenty next month.”
“Exactly, next month.” I take a big mouth full of mashed potatoes, and spit them back out onto the plate. “Gross. Instant.”
Cindy smiles. “They don’t have instant in Dallas?”
Pain stirs in my stomach. Mom never made instant potatoes. She always made them fresh, the best way. “You okay?” Cindy asks, waving her hand in front of my face.
I nod and tear into my chicken nugget. “Fine, just zoned out for a minute. You have plans tonight? I’m going out with Eric.”
She nods and sips on her drink. “Brett is coming over.” She wiggles her shoulders.
“Are you guys…like…doing it?”
She lifts an eyebrow. “I am what you call a normal college student. I have sex. Unlike you, who hustles people for
money. You better not be doing that tonight. You know Eric can’t protect you.”
“And you can?”
She squeezes her muscle and smiles. “Hell yeah, I can. Uh oh,” she mumbles taking a bite of her pizza. I follow her gaze.
Shit.
Taylor and Brett are walking into the cafeteria. “Keep your head down and they may not see us,” I say.
“Hey, Brett!” she calls, waving her hand above her head.
“Shut up, now, no, Cindy,” I say, trying to get her to stop moving around like a maniac. I glance up, and they are walking right toward us.
Great.
Taylor is smiling at me, holding his tray in one hand and runs his other hand through his hair. His jeans ride low on his waist and his shirt fits him just right. I push the tingle in my stomach away. It’s just my hormones.
“I hate you,” I mumble
, as they sit down, to Cindy. She rolls her eyes and wraps her arms around Brett’s large shoulders.
“Sup, hustler,” Taylor says, sitting down beside me.
He reaches over and grabs my opened Dr. Pepper bottle, and takes a large swig.
His lips wrap around the circular top and my heart flops. Then I come to my senses. “Hey, have you ever heard of asking first.” I snatch the bottle from his lips.
He smiles, and wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. “Yea, but I knew you’d say no.” He leans in. “So, I just took it.”
I fight the warmth sliding under my skin.
Cindy narrows her eyes at me. “Be nice,” she mouths.
I flip her the bird.
“You
not liking the food, Hus?” Taylor asks, scooping some chips from his Cool Ranch bag onto my plate.
“That’s Layla’s favorite,” Cindy says.
I take a ship and crunch on it. “Yeah, thanks,” I mumble, looking anywhere but him.
“Hey,
Tay,” someone says behind us. A long-legged blonde slides onto Taylor’s lap, wrapping her slender arms around his neck. “Had a great time last week. Wanna hang out again?”
Taylor continues to eat, like he doesn’t have a long-legged slut sitting in his lap. “Nah, I’ve got plans tonight.” He looks over at me and winks.
Great, now everyone will know.
She snaps her head toward me, her blue eyes narrowed. “With her?” she points her finger at me, like I’m disgusting.
“Yeah, with me,
gotta a problem?” I blurt out, instantly regretting the defense. I’m not really going to go out with him anyway, but the look on her face, makes me want to smack her a good one.
She runs her nails down his chest. Taylor is staring at me, eyes striking into mine.
His face is the most serious I’ve ever seen it. “Hit the road, Megan. I don’t wanna hang out.”
“Taylor,” she wines.
“Hit the road,” he says again, never looking away from me.
“Megan, just drop it, get lost,” Brett says, shaking his head. He doesn’t say much, but I can see the appeal Cindy has for him.
If you’re into boyishly handsome gorillas.
My face is ablaze. I can’t believe I just got defensive. Taylor winks, and licks his bottom lip.
I’m sure he enjoyed that way too much.
Oh, fuck.
After the most humiliating moment of my life, besides the serenade from
earlier, we finish our meals.
“So,” Taylor says, following me out of the cafeteria. I tried to walk fast, but he caught up in three strides. “I see someone is a little defensive,” he whispers into my ear, slinging his arm over my shoulder.
I shrug out of his grip. “I just don’t like people looking at me like that. Like I’m disgusting.”
Taylor laughs. “It comes with the territory. They all
wanna be where you are right now.”
“On my way home?” I ask, opening the double doors.
Taylor laughs.
“On a date with me. I don’t do dates,” he says, cocking his head to the side. “See ya tonight, hustler.”
Cindy blabbers the entire way home. I’m not listening, only pretending. I’m good at it, too.
I dart toward my room as soon as I get to the apartment. I lock the door and sit on my bed. This could not be going any worse.
“So, tell me
why you’re blowing off a date with Taylor Jacks, for me?” Eric asks, going through my closet. He is picking out the perfect outfit. I don’t really see why, the less I wear the more I make anyway. Eric doesn’t know about my side job, and I’d rather him not know. I don’t need to hear his condescending tone.
I pick up the thin, tight, white shirt he hands me and slip it over my white lace bra. He throws some, tight as shit, jeans my way and I slip them on. “Because, I’m not interested. Why is that so damn hard to believe?”