Getting caught in his office was suicide, but I couldn’t say no to her. Not when she looked so eager. The way she focused in on me, waiting for my answer, flipped my stomach into knots. It made me want to give her anything she asked for. Even if it was stupid and dangerous.
“Hell yeah, I’m in.”
We met at midnight, risking getting caught by our roommates, or worse—the guards that patrolled these halls. She was wearing thestandard issue pajamas that they gave everyone, including me, but her top stretched tightly across her chest, accentuating the fact that she wasn’t wearing a bra. It was a fact that nearly had me tripping over my own feet as my brain wondered what she looked like underneath. I averted my eyes, afraid she’d catch me staring, but the image was seared in my brain, promising to be put to good use for later.
The classroom was dark and unlocked.
It was eerie seeing it like this. Without the blaring fluorescent lights and oppressive lectures, it almost looked normal. We closed the door behind us and pulled down the curtain that hung on the small door window so no one could see inside.
“Lock it,” she whispered to me. So, I did, hoping no one heard us.
“We should probably have a code word or a signal. In case we’re about to get caught,” Delilah said, peeking through the curtain.
“Alright, how about… red light.”
“Red light?” She looked back at me over her shoulder.
“Yeah.”
“Fine, we hear or see anything suspicious we say, red light. That way we know to stop whatever we’re doing.”
I nodded my agreement. “It’s a deal.”
“We should start with the Bible. Put it over on the windowsill,” she said, grabbing it with a grin.
My heart was pounding hard. I knew the risk coming here. And yet I came anyway. I couldn’t let her do this alone.
“What do you think about writing in it? Maybe something like ‘This Bible belongs to a douchebag’?”
She flashed me a smile that lit up her whole face and her shoulders shook with unshed laughter. “Only if you have a death wish. He could probably match your handwriting.”
I brought my fingers up to my temple and tapped twice. “Smart.”
“Someone has to be,” she quipped back.
Delilah had been at the school for a few months now, and during that time we’d grown close. Or as close as we could be in the oppressive environment we were in. Proximity was strictly monitored and most of our interactions happened in quick stolen moments or duringChemistry when we could only really talk about the subject we were studying.
Before her, I kept to myself. Enduring whatever was dished out in stride. Abuse in the name of religion was something I was used to. But once Delilah walked into those doors, a switch within me flipped. She was able to sneak past the walls I built for myself with her dazzling smiles, quick wit, and boner-inducing curves. Seeing her here in this hell enraged me in a way that had me doing stupid things. Stupid things like breaking into a classroom when I knew the consequences could be dire. But for her? It was worth it.
I rummaged around on Pastor John’s desk, grabbing pens and switching their spots from their usual, precise location. The guy was anal retentive and couldn’t handle even a hair out of place. This would unravel him.
“Do you think he has any food hidden? I’m so sick of eating the garbage they serve here,” she said, poking around in the cabinets.
“Nah, he seems like a protein shake kinda guy,” I said.
“What a bummer, I could really go for a taco. Or some Twizzlers.”
“I don’t think it would be wise to eat a taco that’s been sitting out for who knows how long.”
“Shush. You know what I meant. What about you? What food do you miss having?”
“Pizza,” I said without hesitation.
“Toppings?”
“Extra cheese and pepperoni.”
She flashed me a smile that hit me right in my gut. “Sounds delicious.”
