Falling For The Bad Boy

I crumple it up and throw it in the trash. God, I hate it here.

After my usual bowl of cereal, I get dressed, settling on a blue knit sweater and jeans. As I am smoothing my brush through my hair, there is a knock on the door—Kai.

“I forgot to get you a paintbrush last night.” He holds up two brushes with a grin, flashing his dimples at me when I greet him. “We should be able to get a coat or two on before we have to be at school. I dropped Khloe off a few minutes early, so I could help you.”

“You help your mom with her a lot, don’t you?” He shrugs with a nod. “I think it’s sweet. Most guys would get annoyed by doing what you do to help out.” I take a brush from him and he pops the can of white primer open with a flathead screwdriver.

His dimples pop and he blushes. “It’s nothing really. Khloe is my sister, I’d do a

nything for her. My parents work a lot of long hours to provide for us, so I don’t mind giving back and pitching in.”

“How does your family feel about your band touring right after high school?” I ask as the red turns to pink.

“They have no idea. My dad sees my music as a joke. He thinks after graduation I will be like him and Kirk — get my miners card and hard hat and fall in line.”

“I know what you mean. My mom thinks I am going to stay around here with her. She has some weird thing about being alone.” I can’t say my mom expects me to be a whore like her.

We finish the coat of paint in the cold and in a comfortable silence.

The sidewalk is still a little slick. I nearly fall on my ass as I go to get in Kai’s car.

Having Kai drive me to school was a great distraction until we pull into the parking lot, and I realize that I actually have to face Penny and Becks today.

“Hold up,” Kai calls to me when I start walking toward the school. I feel like all eyes are on us. Who would have thought that getting a ride to school would garner so much attention? He takes something from his key ring and tucks it in the palm of my hand. “Just remember today when you feel alone that you aren’t.”

Opening my hand, I look down and there is a metal square, it is engraved with the words just breathe. “None of those assholes who can’t see your worth aren’t worth your time.”

“Thank you, Kai, that is really sweet.” I smile sheepishly.

He grabs my hand for moral support and walks me to my locker. Hushed whispers are murmured as we walk down the hall. I don’t see Becks or Penny at her locker as we pass by. When we get to my locker the word SLUT is written across the red metal in bold black letters.

I refuse to let them see me cry. Kai squeezes my hand tighter. I still have his keychain in my hand, and I smile, because I feel like he really has my back.

“Until this is cleaned off, you can use my locker. Get your stuff, no is not an option.”

I decide not to argue with one of the only friends I have right now and move my books and folders to Kai’s locker down the hall, near Penny and Becks. Awesome.

They are standing in a circle with Aaron and his buddies, laughing. Aaron has his arm draped across Penny’s shoulder, his eyes meet mine and he winks at me while licking his upper lip. I turn my head quickly and try my best to ignore them as I walk by them. But then I hear someone say, “Maybe he will knock her up too?” I have a sour feeling in the pit of my stomach that makes me think they are talking about Kai.

I push the thought to the back of my mind and try to survive the day until lunch. Some people are staring and whispering behind my back, while others let me know exactly what they think of me. “She screwed her best friend’s boyfriend. I hear she fucks older men.” The rumors continue from there. “Now she is fucking Kai Cooper. I bet Raven watches them.”

I feel sick and ready to leave early by the time lunch rolls around. Raven has been so nice to me and now people are spreading more rumors about her, because of me. I don’t bother getting a tray. There is no way I can eat right now.

Raven and Kai are already sitting at their table laughing about something. They quickly stop talking when I take my seat across from them, and it makes me weary. Were they talking about me too? Are they getting a kick out of my situation?

Raven must sense my unease. “Kai was just telling me how Khloe gave you a makeover yesterday. I am glad you got the job. She is a handful, but she is the cutest kid ever. I would love to watch her if I didn’t work at The Grind, and if Kelli didn’t hate me.”

“She doesn’t hate you, she just doesn’t like you very much,” Kai chimes in. I wonder if his mom is why they aren’t together. I want to ask, but I feel out of line doing so.

“She totally hates me,” Raven says with a snort.

A ball of paper comes hurling toward me. It lands on the table between Kai and me. He unravels it, takes one look, and shakes his head.

“What is it?” I ask, knowing it most likely says something about me.

“Nothing,” Kai mutters angrily, tossing it over his shoulder. “You want to get out of here?” I figure he is talking to Raven, but when I look at him, he is staring at me waiting for an answer.

“Actually, I do.”