AllFreeNovel
Share Us
We made it to my truck without being seen. Though, the moment we pulled into the school parking lot, we both sighed as we caught sight of the petite blonde tapping her foot impatiently by the back entrance. Once she’d spotted us, her eyes lit up. Penelope and I hopped out of the truck and made our way towards the school.
“So, how much detail are you going to be disclosing to her?” I asked, nodding at Macie.
“You know she’s going to want all of it.”
I grunted. “At least try to talk me up, okay?”
She snickered. “I was just going to tell the truth.”
“And what’s the truth?”
“Oh, y’know, that it was at least thirty seconds. Solidly four inc–”
I cut her off, “You wound me.”
She laughed just as Macie reached us and grabbed Penelope by the arm, pulling her a few paces in front of me without even so much as a greeting. I hung back and let them enter the school ahead of me, whispering in giggles.
We continued the dance we’d been doing for the previous month while our classes took place. Though our orbits were now accompanied by heated glances and electric stares. By lunch, I was ready to get away from our students and just have a few moments to be myself around her. To stop pretending that she wasn’t affecting me. We had the same lunch period, and my free period took place right before it so I left campus to get us food and met her in the teacher’s lounge. I’d begun to allow a few of my yearbook students to use the art room during lunch to work on it since the school year would soon be coming to a close, which meant our classroom was rarely ever empty.
Penelope smiled at me as she entered the break room, but she was looking much less relaxed than she had been all weekend. She rolled her shoulders as she sat down at the table across from me, and I could tell she was attempting to shake off any tension in hopes I wouldn’t notice. But I did.
I slid the sushi roll I got her across the table. She thanked me for it, but made no motion to dig in. I nudged a set of chopsticks at her. She smiled as she grabbed them, but then only picked at her food. She tried to make small talk, asking me about my classes and my day thus far. But not once did she put a morsel of food into her mouth.
That was how I knew something was up. She couldn’t eat when she was stressed out, when she was anxious. She’d always been that way, but I noticed it again when I first moved back. Over the last couple of weeks, she didn’t seem to struggle with eating, at least not in front of me. So, I knew something must’ve been wrong at this moment for refusing her lunch.
“What’s wrong, Pep?”
She sighed, as if she knew I’d realize it and didn’t feel like bothering to hide it. “I’m supposed to hear from UCLA this week.”
“You’re nervous?”
She nodded. “You’ve been a good distraction.” She blushed. “But now it’s eating at me. By Wednesday I’ll know whether or not I was accepted.”
I grabbed her hand from across the table. “I have a good feeling about it. You’ll get in. I have faith.” She gave me a strained smile, then her face promptly dropped as I heard the door click open behind me. I didn’t turn around, but I could’ve guessed who it was. Ignoring him entirely, I squeezed her hand. “You have to eat, though. I’ll go get you something else if you don’t want sushi, but I need you to eat something.”
She opened her mouth before being cut off by a snide laugh. “She’s a big girl, Carter. I’m sure if she wants to eat, she will.” Marshall stalked into the break room, the three of us being the only ones inside. Penelope just shook her head at me, as if telling me not to engage. Marshall paused, as if waiting for us to respond. When we didn’t, he asked, “How was yourtrip?”
She rolled her eyes but finally popped a piece of sushi in her mouth. He laughed again. “Or maybe she just needed a little convincing from me instead.” As he walked past us, he winked at Penelope. “Good girl.”
My jaw tightened as I bit back a response.
He stopped at the back counter and began preparing a new pot of coffee. I was now the one facing him. Penelope swallowed. “Fuck off,” she muttered more to herself than to him.
His mouth curved into an expression I’d only describe as vile. “Oh come on, Penelope. You know I’m just joking.”
“Except jokes are funny, and you’re not,” she murmured.
My mouth was the one curving upward now, and she smiled back at me. My eyes peeked at Marshall as he watched us, his vile smile becoming a scowl. “I see Carter hasn't managed to pull that stick out of your ass. I thought getting laid would make you less of a bitch.” Her jaw dropped, her face reddened, and I thought I might have seen tears just beginning to brew behind her eyes. Marshall murmured, “Maybe he’s not doing a good enough job.” Penelope blinked hard, and those tears were gone. Her walls had risen. The Worm smiled as he poured coffee into his cup and began walking toward the door, brushing Penelope’s shoulder as he passed her. “Let me know if I should step in.”
Penelope physically recoiled.
I stood from my chair. My movements were far more calm and calculated than the rage that swirled inside me. “What the fuck did you just say to her?” I asked, though nothing about my tone made it sound like a question. Marshall’s face straightened as he opened his mouth. I cut him off, “No, you know what? I think you’ve actually said enough. I think opening your mouth again would probably be something you’d regret.” I inched toward him and he took a flustered step back.
I could see the hesitation, the kernel of fear in his eyes as he took that step. Penelope had recoiled from him, but I’d make him run from me. His eyes flashed before an easy smirk took over his face. “Are you threatening me in the workplace?”
I snorted, “Only if you continue to sexually harass women in the workplace.”
“Whoa.Sexually harass? That’s a loaded statement. I take that type of accusation very seriously.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “I wouldn’t want to have to get my lawyer involved.”
