“Yeah, I’m fashionably late, as usual. Love you, mean it!”
I hurried up the steps to my Psych class, my smile spreading for miles because I had a new friend.
Clay
I was on a mission today. Before I met Paige for lunch, I planned to find Hannah and tell her exactly where we stood.
I scanned the student center commons, observing each little table and perusing the food lines for her familiar face and long red hair.
A cackle of laughter drifted across the room and I wheeled around to look in that direction. I spotted Hannah standing in line at the bagel shop with some of her mean-girl entourage. I stalked in her direction, feeling the animosity bubbling up inside my chest. Why did I ever waste time on Hannah? Seeing her now through eyes fresh from having woken up in Paige’s bed, the error of my ways was glaringly clear. I was in a hurry to correct that error.
When she spotted me coming her way, her eyes widened with surprise. Then she recovered, sent me a shiny smile, and walked confidently over to meet me halfway.
“Hey, baby,” she cooed. “Fancy seeing you—ouch! What the hell?” she yelped as I gripped her arm.
“Come here,” I ordered, towing her away from her coven to stand over in a corner.
“You want me all to yourself?” she crooned. “Well shucks, Clay, I haven’t seen your romantic side before. Usually we don’t get physical till it’s dark out.”
She snuggled up closer to me, snaking an arm around my waist. I’d never realized before how often she felt the need to touch me. It was affecting the level of bile already rising in my throat.
I removed her arm and took a step back.
“I heard what you did to Paige yesterday,” I said, staring her down.
“And? Why do you care?” she asked angrily.
“Because I care about her, Hannah,” I said through clenched teeth. “And you need to back off.”
Her mouth dropped open, and she stuck her bottom lip out. “Are you kidding? The girl can’t take a little teasing. I didn’t touch her.”
“I know you, Hannah,” I retorted. “And you don’t have to touch someone to hurt them. I’m not having it. Leave. Paige. Alone.”
Each word caused her to flinch like I was punching her in the gut.
“So the poor little baby needs you to fight her battles? What is she, four? What a wimp.”
I gritted my teeth. “This isn’t her battle. Your beef is with me. I know I may have led you on in the past to get what I wanted. I’m sorry I did that. I really am, Hannah. But you used me, too, plenty of times. You deserve to be with someone who really cares about you. That’s not me. This is over between us, Hannah. I mean it.”
Her eyes narrowed into dangerous little slits. I knew Hannah. She had an extremely loud bark and an even bigger bite. She was used to getting what she wanted. From everyone in her life. To her, I was no exception.
“You won’t do this to me, Clay Forbes. I’ve had a plan for us since freshman year, and I won’t let you ruin it now. Not when we’re so close to being able to finally start our lives together. I’m not having it. So get your little fling out of the way because one way or another, you are going to come home. To me.”
I shook my head in frustration. “You’re not hearing me. There is no you and me. We have no home together.”
“Okay, Clay. We’ll see how long this little…what is it, a relationship? Right. You don’t do relationships. I know that, and so do you. If Paige doesn’t know that, she’s oblivious. And if you suddenly decided to start being all monogamous, it wouldn’t be with a skimpy little bitch like her.”
She whirled around, prepared to walk away from me.
“Hannah,” I called. She turned, flaming hair swinging around her head like Medusa’s snakes.
“What?”
“Don’t mess with Paige. If you do, I’ll make sure everyone knows what a lush you
I hurried up the steps to my Psych class, my smile spreading for miles because I had a new friend.
Clay
I was on a mission today. Before I met Paige for lunch, I planned to find Hannah and tell her exactly where we stood.
I scanned the student center commons, observing each little table and perusing the food lines for her familiar face and long red hair.
A cackle of laughter drifted across the room and I wheeled around to look in that direction. I spotted Hannah standing in line at the bagel shop with some of her mean-girl entourage. I stalked in her direction, feeling the animosity bubbling up inside my chest. Why did I ever waste time on Hannah? Seeing her now through eyes fresh from having woken up in Paige’s bed, the error of my ways was glaringly clear. I was in a hurry to correct that error.
When she spotted me coming her way, her eyes widened with surprise. Then she recovered, sent me a shiny smile, and walked confidently over to meet me halfway.
“Hey, baby,” she cooed. “Fancy seeing you—ouch! What the hell?” she yelped as I gripped her arm.
“Come here,” I ordered, towing her away from her coven to stand over in a corner.
“You want me all to yourself?” she crooned. “Well shucks, Clay, I haven’t seen your romantic side before. Usually we don’t get physical till it’s dark out.”
She snuggled up closer to me, snaking an arm around my waist. I’d never realized before how often she felt the need to touch me. It was affecting the level of bile already rising in my throat.
I removed her arm and took a step back.
“I heard what you did to Paige yesterday,” I said, staring her down.
“And? Why do you care?” she asked angrily.
“Because I care about her, Hannah,” I said through clenched teeth. “And you need to back off.”
Her mouth dropped open, and she stuck her bottom lip out. “Are you kidding? The girl can’t take a little teasing. I didn’t touch her.”
“I know you, Hannah,” I retorted. “And you don’t have to touch someone to hurt them. I’m not having it. Leave. Paige. Alone.”
Each word caused her to flinch like I was punching her in the gut.
“So the poor little baby needs you to fight her battles? What is she, four? What a wimp.”
I gritted my teeth. “This isn’t her battle. Your beef is with me. I know I may have led you on in the past to get what I wanted. I’m sorry I did that. I really am, Hannah. But you used me, too, plenty of times. You deserve to be with someone who really cares about you. That’s not me. This is over between us, Hannah. I mean it.”
Her eyes narrowed into dangerous little slits. I knew Hannah. She had an extremely loud bark and an even bigger bite. She was used to getting what she wanted. From everyone in her life. To her, I was no exception.
“You won’t do this to me, Clay Forbes. I’ve had a plan for us since freshman year, and I won’t let you ruin it now. Not when we’re so close to being able to finally start our lives together. I’m not having it. So get your little fling out of the way because one way or another, you are going to come home. To me.”
I shook my head in frustration. “You’re not hearing me. There is no you and me. We have no home together.”
“Okay, Clay. We’ll see how long this little…what is it, a relationship? Right. You don’t do relationships. I know that, and so do you. If Paige doesn’t know that, she’s oblivious. And if you suddenly decided to start being all monogamous, it wouldn’t be with a skimpy little bitch like her.”
She whirled around, prepared to walk away from me.
“Hannah,” I called. She turned, flaming hair swinging around her head like Medusa’s snakes.
“What?”
“Don’t mess with Paige. If you do, I’ll make sure everyone knows what a lush you
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