Chapter Six

After finishing the Chinese food, I go up to my room to find my phone bursting with messages. My phone vibrates violently on my dresser.

They're all from nose piercing boy.

Tired of calling him that, before replying to any of his messages, I say,

What's ur name?

Wow

that's what u say after leaving me for forty mins and ignoring all the fucking messages I sent

That's when I scroll up to see everything, like everything.

Hey

Hellooo

R u there

Erin?

I remember ur name

R u okay

Heyyyy

Was I annoying

I can stop texting if u want

Is everything good

Yo Erin

I'm still hereeee

Is everything alright

Please respond

I'm getting kinda worried

Erin

ERINNNN

Looking at the messages I get all smiley and happy that he actually cared about me. Getting ready to text him, I think about what to say, not that I would tell him I was eating Chinese instead of texting him. That would be just plain rude. Just then, my phone vibrates in my hand with a message.

I hope that wasn't offensive

it's just u kinda disappeared after saying "yeah"

kinda an odd way to end a convo don't u think?

Yeah I guess

Btw i wasn't fucking worried about u

And there it goes, his jerk side. Why was he texting me then? Why did he spam my phone with his messages? Angry, I'm about to throw my phone across the room when it beeps in my hand.

I meant I was but like u know

No I don't know. But I don't text him that. And neither of us kept the conversation going until he came in with,

Like u cud have a secret boyfriend and he probably won't want me texting you

I scoff out loud. Is he being serious? Like did he really think I had a boyfriend?

I'm a single pringle

Fucking liar

Why is that

U seem like a perfect girl

With that comment, I felt a little more special. Maybe he wasn't so bad, I try to convince myself, hoping the amount of time he's acts like a jerk reduces with time.

R u sure u don't have a huge bulky ass bf with inked arms and like ten piercings who is currently tracking down my whereabouts to come and beat the shit out of me cuz if so plz tell me so I can stop texting u and find a hiding spot

Damn this boy...

Dw there's no such guy, I assure him.

Good

Why is that good?

Good as in I won't need to find a fucking hiding spot

Not that I'm a coward anyway

Oh sureee

Trust me girls r always running after me

I got everything they want, the jawline, the abs, the bad

The bad?

Im a bad boy sweetheart not a goody two shoes like u

I'm not a goody two shoes or ur SWEETHEART!

How dare he? Maybe he wasn't so good. After all he calls himself a bad boy. I swear to god, he gets more mood swings than pregnant women.

Ok then CUPCAKE I've got my sources

U CANT CALL ME CUPCAKE FOR GODS SAKE

Then let's think of a nice ass name for u

I've got one, it's Erin

Gorgeous name but I've got a better one

Let's hear it

Alright then BABYGIRL

Ugh this boy gets on my nerves!

So I decide to put my phone down for a bit. Of course I can't because it's beeping with messages from-damnit I still haven't asked for his name!

Ok enough with the messages

You've got a name for me but I still don't know ur name

Then make up a name for me like I did

Can u not be a little creative for once?

How rude! I can be creative too.

Excuse me

I'm probably way more creative than u will ever be

Well u can't beat me in being bad

I don't want to

Well even if u did u wouldn't be able to because u don't even say any bad shit, not even a single swear word when I've been so fucking annoying to u

I read that text several times, unable to register it into my mind. Was I really that good?

I agree, I don't really swear. The last time I swore was to Reagan's ex-boyfriend who cheated on her last year with a girl on the same basketball team as her. They played great together, until Reagan quit the team.

Even then, all I said was "fuck off," and yup that's not bad at all. I'm pretty sure even ten year olds swear on a daily basis.

Slightly offended still, I say,

Rude

Not being able to make a rude remark, I put my phone down, officially done with this boy's drama for one day. My phone continues to beep, but I put it on silent before tucking it into one of my drawers and going to sleep.

***

The next morning I'm rushing to school, grabbing my things, praying to god to give me an extra hand because I can't pack my bag, eat breakfast and do makeup all at once. I decide on skipping breakfast and buying a granola bar before class and end up going with a really basic makeup look. I put on just a bit of concealer so I don't look dead, a few brushes of mascara and a swipe of lip gloss to make my lips pop. I leave my hair out in its natural curls and brush them out with my fingers a bit, but they just become frizzy. I try to pat it down, but it's absolutely useless. I just hope it flattens with time.

Reality check: I still look dead.

I grab my bag and my phone from being tucked in the drawer all night, mentally killing myself for not charging it overnight.

How much more stupid can you be, Erin? And especially over some jerk you don't even know.

Wow, that just hit me hard right there. I don't even know this guy.

I grab my charger from the wall and shove it somewhere in my bag and decide not to look at my messages before getting into the car with Evelyn.

"What took you so long sis? You're usually early." Evelyn says matter of factly, strumming her fingers on the rim of the steering wheel.

"Just woke up late, no biggie." I say panting from running down one floor of my house. Oh how athletic I am.

"Oh yeah it is. You are gonna be late to class." She says and it hits me. Again. I am going to be late to class. Dammit.

"It's ok, one late won't matter." I brush it off, trying not to sound so good. It's really been bothering me.

"Um, you never like getting late. You good?" She questions, looking back at me and the road, making sure if it really is goody two shoes Erin, her one and only clumsy twin sister sitting beside her. I'd honestly probably do the same thing, after hearing myself talk today. I don't sound like me.

"Yeah, don't worry. My English teacher won't care much." I brush it off, looking out the window, watching cars pass as we zoom past them.

"Alright then." She's convinced. Phew. Finally, we reach the school parking lot after what seems like forever.

Of course to my luck, we end up at school ten minutes into first period. Hurriedly, I swing on my heavy, 20-kilo backpack and rush inside, running up the empty hallways all the way to the third floor. As I reach the doorway of my English room, I stand there and gulp a few puffs of air, hoping to calm down my breathing so I don't look like I just had an asthma attack.

It would be a great excuse, if only it was gym class that I haven't taken these past two years, thanks to my non-athletic self.

I release a huge breath and walk into my English room, trying to be as soundless as possible and attempt to plop down into my seat unnoticed, but it just doesn't happen. A kid from the front yells,

"Erin, it's your first late. Congrats!" He even claps his hands to make it more noticeable.

Okay, buy me food now.

Annoyed, I just mumble a 'thanks,' trying to sound as sarcastic as possible. One of the creepy guys from the back says,

"Aw, the good Erin is late. How adorably cute." Ewwww

"Wow thanks for noticing." I say, rolling my eyes as I shuffle through my bag to find my books.

Noticing what's going on, my English teacher, Mrs. Clemens pipes in with her own comment.

"Dear Erin, you are late." She says, with her old ragged voice. She's old, like 80 maybe and pretends to be allergic to scents and always fakes heart attacks. It's a disturbing sight to say the least.

Imagine seeing your teacher fake cry and rub her non-existent boobs, saying her heart hurts.

Well duh. I want to say, but I don't have the guts.

"You may stand outside. I need to talk to you." She says, pulling her glasses down to the ridge of her nose, glancing down at me from the top rim of her glasses.

Again annoyed, I drop my bag and drag my feet out the door, glancing towards Reagan's direction, only to see she's not in a better mood.

Probably her crazy ex again, trying to get back with her whenever Avery or I aren't around.

The old Clemens, shuts the door loudly behind us and I hear a bit of the chatter from inside.

"It's surprising. You are late." She repeats, stating the obvious.

"Yeah I know." I say back, kicking off the dirt on one of my shoes, barely paying attention to her.

"Why is that?" She pushes further, leaning down a bit with one hand on her hip.

She's kinda thick.....

"Left home late." I say dryly.

She nods slowly and says, "don't be late again," pointing her finger towards me. I glare at her wrinkly bony thing and she instantly draws it back and opens the door for herself, letting it close before I can follow. I roll my eyes before opening it for myself and make my way to my assigned seat, before looking around to catch up on what I've missed.

Of course the one day I'm late, I get called out, but people who are always late are never even noticed. Why? Ugh, I hate school.

Another ten mins pass, and the door shoots open, and in walks the principal, Mr. Hoppie, the man who has the voice the loudness of a megaphone. His voice projects in the room as he says we will be having a new student. He turns to someone in the doorway and motions for them to come inside.

In walks a tall boy, pretty fit as you can see his well worked biceps and the slight outline of his abs through his thin white shirt. He's wearing dark ripped jeans with checkered Vans and an almost flat bag slung over his right arm. He has a sharp jawline, tanned clear skin, popping cheekbones, pink plump lips and bright brown eyes. He glances around the room until they stop at the back of the room on an empty seat. He runs a hand through his long, straight hair, before striding quickly past me and to the back to where he plops down and leans back in his chair.

I try to make eye contact with Reagan but she's in another world. Her eyes move up and down him, checking him out and I can't do much but smile.

I'm happy my best friend has finally found interest in someone. She's rejected every boy we found for her since the incident with her ex.

He notices her eye contact and simply smirks, before tapping away on his phone.

Oh this is gonna be good.

The rest of the day goes by, normally. During lunch, Reagan explained every inch of the boy's body to Avery which attracted quite a crowd, because everyone heard of the news.

It was either "Was he hot?" or "Is he cute?"

He turns out to be a Carter.

Seems like Reagan's a little interested in this Carter. She even noticed he had a cartilage piercing. Like wow, the ear that was pierced wasn't the one that she could see from her seat in English so I honestly don't even want to know how this girl stalks people. But damn, she's good. She's gotten his whole history in the palm of her hands and says she has "sources."

At the end of the day, I take the car because Evelyn's gone to a friend's house. Evan also won't be home as he's filling in for a work shift. He works at the local ice cream parlour, minutes away from his college, and fantasizes about all the gorgeous girls he sees. He is a huge player, but is a really huge softie.

Once I get home, I change into more comfortable clothes and plop down on my bed with a family sized bag of all dressed chips beside me. I told Reagan we could FaceTime, but literally all she's been talking about is Carter and I think I've heard enough about him today, so I scroll through my contacts looking for other people to talk to. Just as my finger stops on one contact, my phone rings.

On the screen reads the one and only, nose piercing boy. We've never talked over the phone, just texted.

So I let the line ring for a bit, before reluctantly, answering the call.

As soon as I do, I hear a muffled "hey Erin-" and I can't make out the rest, before the line goes dead. Wow, weird or no?

Let's just end the convo off with hey Erin.

I didn't even get to be dry and say bye in response.

I debate on calling him again, but decide otherwise. In seconds my phone rings again, and I pick up.

"Hey Erin, sorry about that. That was just my little brother."

"Oh." is all I say.

Good job Erin, talk as if you don't know the language.

"Oh?" He asks questioningly, a hint of confusion lacing his words.

"Uh yeah, like oh, you have a younger brother." I quickly correct myself to avoid him suspecting I speak Martian or something instead.

"Why is that so shocking?" He asks adding a laugh at the end, his voice rippling through the phone as he laughs.

"I don't know. I just assumed that you were an only child." I admit. I can't imagine a mini version of him. But even if I could, he'd grow up to be pretty attractive.

"Did you assume I was some spoiled brat?" He asks quietly. Not knowing what to say, I just let silence consume the awkwardness.

"Don't worry, you're not the only one who thought that." He adds and I'm glad he didn't question me further. I don't know what I would've said anyway.

"Yes, I did. You are a walking talking jerk."

"Well that's nice to hear. Anyway why'd you call me? Or was it an accident?" I ask, wanting to get this phone call over with.

"Nah, it wasn't an accident. Did you think my fucking phone would just dial your number?" He laughs gently and continues, "I called you cause I need something from you." He admits and my hearts goes pop and so does my brain, and I lose all connection of prior knowledge and blank out for a few seconds before I regain basic knowledge and start talking English again.

"Okay, what is it? I'll see if I can help you." I reply, after a few immensely long seconds.

"Uh, umm...I kinda...I kinda need... a ride." He says whispering the last bit, so that I could barely hear him.

A ride?