Callum wasn’t going to let me off the hook that easily. “Gift from Bryce?” he sneered.
I felt my temper rising. “Look, I’m not happy about it either, but it’s not a crime. Don’t tell me you’ve never given a girl a hickey before,” I snapped.
“Yeh, when I was like, 13.”
“Drop it, Callum.” I spoke through gritted teeth.
We sat, silently seething next to each other for a moment, our eyes locked until I broke the stare to gaze down at the textbook. Just when I felt the tension calming down in the air, Callum spoke up again.
“Have you fucked him?”
“Geez! Pass, asshole. Anyway, what’s it to you?”
“He’s an arrogant sexist meathead, just like all those guys, and the girls who hang around them are either pathetic or bitchy. I don’t have time for any of that crowd.” Callum spat the words out.
“I’m in that crowd, so which am I, pathetic or bitchy?” My eyes had narrowed and I was so angry I felt like slapping him.
“The verdict is still out since you’re new to the group. But guaranteed if you don’t come to your senses and drop them you will be one or the other.”
“OK we’re done.” I sprang up from the chair, grabbed my book bag and headed out of the kitchen toward the front door.
I had my handle on the doorknob when Callum called out, “Jenny, wait. I’m sorry.” His voice had lost its anger and he sounded genuinely contrite.
I paused, not looking around, my hand still on the doorknob. I wasn’t storming out yet but I wasn’t letting him off that easy either.
He was right behind me. “I was out of line, and none of that was any of my business, so let’s forget it.”
I nodded, my back to him. Certainly my anger had evaporated but I had a few things to say. I turned around and he was standing right there, his hands over his head hanging from the doorframe above his head, showing off his arms to wonderful effect.
My gaze was steady and my words came out more confident than I felt. “You are crazy judgmental, you know? And don’t you dare call me pathetic again. I might be bitchy sometimes but I am never pathetic.”
I expected to see anger in his eyes but instead they softened as I spoke, making me melt. He opened his mouth to speak when the doorbell rang. As I had been leaning against it, I jumped forward, startled. Callum looked surprised too. I stepped away and he pulled the door open. Who should be standing there but Noelle and another roadie chick, Jessica. She had a similar pale look to her but with jet black hair instead of white blond. Their eyes flicked to me dismissively then zeroed in on Callum.
“Lesson’s over, right? Send your tutor on her way and let’s party.” Noelle’s voice was low and sultry. She must have been relishing getting to dismiss me the way I’d dismissed her that first day. Now we all turned to Callum, who had the decency to look embarrassed.
“Girls, give me a minute”- To what, make amends with me so he could enjoy God knows what with these two after I left? Hell no. I cut him off.
“I’m outta here. I’ll see myself out.”
Callum made some sound of protest but I ignored him and walked out the open door. I couldn’t resist leaning into the girls as I passed and pointing to my neck. “Watch out. He’s all about the hickeys today.”
The girls’ eyes widened, not knowing what to make of my statement. Callum snorted. I called out, “you should see my back!” on the way to my car.
Chapter 12
I repeated ‘manwhore’ under my breath the next day whenever I caught myself looking around for Callum. He made it to Calc, not that it mattered because he was a manwhore and I was going to stay away from him. He kept his hand off my desk and that didn’t bother me because he was a manwhore! Mr. Ferguson went over the format of Friday’s quiz. It had crossed my mind that in the tense tutoring session the day before we’d never talked about the quiz and if we were going to do any betting on this one.
I felt my temper rising. “Look, I’m not happy about it either, but it’s not a crime. Don’t tell me you’ve never given a girl a hickey before,” I snapped.
“Yeh, when I was like, 13.”
“Drop it, Callum.” I spoke through gritted teeth.
We sat, silently seething next to each other for a moment, our eyes locked until I broke the stare to gaze down at the textbook. Just when I felt the tension calming down in the air, Callum spoke up again.
“Have you fucked him?”
“Geez! Pass, asshole. Anyway, what’s it to you?”
“He’s an arrogant sexist meathead, just like all those guys, and the girls who hang around them are either pathetic or bitchy. I don’t have time for any of that crowd.” Callum spat the words out.
“I’m in that crowd, so which am I, pathetic or bitchy?” My eyes had narrowed and I was so angry I felt like slapping him.
“The verdict is still out since you’re new to the group. But guaranteed if you don’t come to your senses and drop them you will be one or the other.”
“OK we’re done.” I sprang up from the chair, grabbed my book bag and headed out of the kitchen toward the front door.
I had my handle on the doorknob when Callum called out, “Jenny, wait. I’m sorry.” His voice had lost its anger and he sounded genuinely contrite.
I paused, not looking around, my hand still on the doorknob. I wasn’t storming out yet but I wasn’t letting him off that easy either.
He was right behind me. “I was out of line, and none of that was any of my business, so let’s forget it.”
I nodded, my back to him. Certainly my anger had evaporated but I had a few things to say. I turned around and he was standing right there, his hands over his head hanging from the doorframe above his head, showing off his arms to wonderful effect.
My gaze was steady and my words came out more confident than I felt. “You are crazy judgmental, you know? And don’t you dare call me pathetic again. I might be bitchy sometimes but I am never pathetic.”
I expected to see anger in his eyes but instead they softened as I spoke, making me melt. He opened his mouth to speak when the doorbell rang. As I had been leaning against it, I jumped forward, startled. Callum looked surprised too. I stepped away and he pulled the door open. Who should be standing there but Noelle and another roadie chick, Jessica. She had a similar pale look to her but with jet black hair instead of white blond. Their eyes flicked to me dismissively then zeroed in on Callum.
“Lesson’s over, right? Send your tutor on her way and let’s party.” Noelle’s voice was low and sultry. She must have been relishing getting to dismiss me the way I’d dismissed her that first day. Now we all turned to Callum, who had the decency to look embarrassed.
“Girls, give me a minute”- To what, make amends with me so he could enjoy God knows what with these two after I left? Hell no. I cut him off.
“I’m outta here. I’ll see myself out.”
Callum made some sound of protest but I ignored him and walked out the open door. I couldn’t resist leaning into the girls as I passed and pointing to my neck. “Watch out. He’s all about the hickeys today.”
The girls’ eyes widened, not knowing what to make of my statement. Callum snorted. I called out, “you should see my back!” on the way to my car.
Chapter 12
I repeated ‘manwhore’ under my breath the next day whenever I caught myself looking around for Callum. He made it to Calc, not that it mattered because he was a manwhore and I was going to stay away from him. He kept his hand off my desk and that didn’t bother me because he was a manwhore! Mr. Ferguson went over the format of Friday’s quiz. It had crossed my mind that in the tense tutoring session the day before we’d never talked about the quiz and if we were going to do any betting on this one.
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