C10 Chapter 10

“Here it is. All chapter summaries. We just have to copy paste them on PowerPoint and learn the whole thing. Easy peasy.”

“Lemon squeezy.” I mumbled.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

I awkwardly stood as he worked on the laptop, so after a few minutes of him copy and pasting, I decided to walk around the room. He didn’t seem to mind; actually, he didn’t even seem to notice.

He had a lot of posters on his wall, most of Sleeping With Sirens, My Chemical Romance and Kate Upton. He seemed to have a thing for…big breasts.

Oh God.

“You like Arctic Monkeys?” I asked when I saw the album lying on his dresser.

“Yeah they’re cool.”

“I like them too. I think they’re coming to Manchester next year in February. But the tickets are only on sale in November.”

“What artist puts tickets on sale three months before the actual concert?” Noah asked, not looking up from the laptop.

“They’re going to sell out anyway so it doesn’t matter.”

Noah hummed in agreement.

Wow we actually had a normal conversation like two normal people

“Okay it’s done.” He announced five minutes later and I frowned, walking over to him.

He pointed at the twenty-eight slides on the screen.

“I don’t think Mr. White will actually believe that we know words like ‘marred’ and ‘preening’.” I said as I quickly read through the first two chapter summaries. “And we need character development too.”

“No we don’t.”

“Yes we do, he told us that today in class.”

“He said it was optional. If a teacher says something is optional you never do it. Unless you have nothing better to do.”

“And what do you have to do? Get high?”

“Maybe.” He answered, not even bothered by my rude remark.

I rolled my eyes and he went through the slides once again before inserting a flash drive into the laptop.

He opened up his Finder after he saved the PowerPoint.

“Is that folder named gay porn?” I asked.

“Yeah.”

“Didn’t know you were…into that. Boys, I mean.”

“I like both.”

“Oh.”

“Is that a problem?”

“No, I mean I’m not like a homophobe or anything I have the gayest guy in the world as a friend so.”

He laughed and shook his head.

“So did you like…have sex with a guy from our school?”

He nodded.

“Who? Wait, you don’t have to tell me-“

“Danielle, it’s okay.” He snorted.

Ew don’t call me Danielle

“I fucked um-“

“So you’re a top.”

Jesus who the fuck asks that

“Do you get off on stuff like this?” he asked and I blushed, asking him to continue. It was a bit weird because he was sitting so he had to look up at me as he talked.

“I fucked Sean is year ten, not Sean Black from year 12, um two other guys from the swim team and Harry.”

“Harry Sampson?”

“Yeah?”

“He’s gay?”

“Duh.” Noah laughed.

“I didn’t-what? I wouldn’t have guessed.”

If I didn’t think something was up with Lucas and him

“Not even his hair is straight.” Noah pointed out and I laughed because he was right about that.

He handed me the flash drive two minutes later.

“Here you go. Learn the first thirteen chapters and I will do the rest.”

“Will we rehearse or something? To make sure it goes well?”

He looked at me questioningly. “You just want excuses to see me besides school don’t you?”

“Don’t flatter yourself. I just want a good grade ‘s all.”

“Okay then. We’ll talk some other time. C’mon I’ll walk you to the door to make sure you don’t get lost.”

I rolled my eyes as he stood up.

Rich people

“Wait tell me the address so I can call a taxi.” I asked him when we were finally at the door.

“I’ll call the taxi for you.”

“Okay then. Thanks.”

I opened the door and walked out, not even looking back as I held onto my jacket. I was a bit disappointed about the fact that nothing really happened, but then again, I was only flattering myself.

Noah would never even think of making out with someone like me, he only went for skinny girls…and boys from what I could see. And that only happened in movies anyway.

***

“Are you coming to the game tonight?” was the first thing Jake asked me that morning when he came to pick me up for school.

“Good morning to you too dear friend.” I said sarcastically as I buckled up in the backseat. Emma was already in the back seat because Zack was in the front one and I was a bit offended that they went to Starbucks without me.

“And before you go all victim on me, yes be bought you your Latte.” He said and handed me my cup.

“So what game is tonight?” I asked a minute later when I’d taken a sip and felt better.

“First game of the England Senior League duh!” he said as if it were general knowledge.

“Um…okay? I don’t really think I’m going though.”

“There is no such thing as ‘not going’ Danielle. You’ll be there.”

“But-“

He shot me a look through the rearview mirror and I rolled my eyes before nodding.

“Ugh, fine. I’ll be there. What time?”

“It starts at eight but be there at latest half past seven so you can get good seats in the front. Or the very back. And I already made a Jake is number one sign for you two to hold and pretend that you went to the trouble of making a banner.”

I snorted. “You’re literally your biggest fan.”

“Biggest and only fan.” Emma added and Jake flipped us both off.

We got to school ten minutes before classes started and Jake parked in his usual parking lot. I tried my best not to roll my eyes when I spotted Noah in his usual spot, leaning against his motorcycle as he chatted up some skinny blonde girl with long brown hair.

“Oh my God what is this.” Jake muttered to me as soon as Mr. Flack entered the classroom, wearing only a pair of dark jeans and a button up. “I’m literally going to have an eyegasm.”

“That’s not a thing.” I told him before Mr. Flack started calling attendance.

He rolled his eyes at me.

“So how did it go with Noah yesterday?”

“Nothing happened.”

“Nothing happened? What do you mean-“

“Mr. Macqueen is there anything you’d like to share with the class?” Mr. Flack asked and Jake went silent.

“No Sir.”

“Well then. Please turn to your own desk and leave Ms. Piper alone.”

Jake nodded and did as asked, not forgetting to shoot me a wink though. He had serious problems.

It seems that the whole school would be attending the came tonight, because literally all I heard on the hallways was ‘game tonight’, ‘can’t wait for hot dogs’ and ‘Noah is going to slay’. The last one may or may not have started from Jake.

“I’m starting so it’s a pretty big deal.” Jake praised himself at lunch, stuffing his mouth with salad and bread at the same time.

Who eats salad with bread

“Hey so um, you’re going to the game tonight, right?” Harry asked me.

I nodded. “Yeah. Jake is kind of forcing me to go so.”

“Do you want me to pick you up?”

“Sure.” I said. “Will my cousin also fit in the car? Because my mother will most probably force me to ride with her.”

“Sure. I’m picking up Lucas and Eleanor first. I’ll be by your house at fifteen to seven because Lucas and Eleanor have to warm up.”

“You seem to be really good friends with him.”

“We’ve known each other since we were little.”

“Oh.”

Oh

That explains why they’re so close

They’re probably not even attracted to each other

“Why so interested Dani, hm?” Jake teased and I wanted to bash his face in.

He was so annoying sometimes.

***

“MOOOOM!” I yelled from upstairs as I looked through my closet. Harry was going to pick me up in twenty minutes and I couldn’t find any jeans.

“I CAN’T HEAR YOU COME DOWNSTAIRS IF YOU NEED SOMETHING!”

“UGH!”

Then how the fuck did you hear me when I called you

“Where are my jeans?” I asked as soon as I entered the living room. She was on the couch with her laptop on her lap, typing away.

“Which ones?”

“Any of them! I’m going to the game tonight and I need jeans.”

“Wear shorts then.”

I can’t wear shorts because I have fat legs

“I can’t wear shorts because it’s autumn and it’s chilly and I don’t look good in shorts.”

“If you laid off desert from time to time you’d look good in them. Stop bothering me now, I need to finish this email.”

I rolled my eyes although my stomach dropped at her words and I couldn’t help but agree with her. There was no way I couldn’t go to the game, so it was either shorts or skirts and there was no way anyone would ever see me in a skirt.

So I ended up dressing with some peach colored shorts (the longest ones I owned), a red plaid shirt, and (of course) matching red Vans.

I had about ten different pairs of Vans in my wardrobe, much to my mother’s horror, who would’ve preferred if I wore heels and flats.

Don’t get me wrong though, if I had the body for it I would probably dress like a slut everyday.

“That’s what you’re wearing to the game?” Jade asked me as soon as she saw me coming down the stairs.

“Yes, why?”

“You’ll be really cold, you know that?”

“All my jeans are in the washing machine.”

“You could borrow one of mine.”

I was about to accept her offer, but a honk was heard from outside, which meant that Harry was already here.

“I don’t have time, let’s just go.”

I quickly went over to my dad, who was watching TV and asked him for some money. So after he handed me a twenty-pound note (not without insulting me of not having a job-JADE DIDN’T HAVE ONE EITHER!), I followed Jade out of the house.

Lucas and Eleanor were in the back together, and because Jade called shotgun, I had to sit in the back next to Lucas.

His hand was on Eleanor’s thigh but he wasn’t even listening to her story because he kept his eyes on Jade, who was now talking to Harry about the game.

I didn’t really understand why people were so excited about it, I mean, I knew it was the first game of an important high school league in England or whatever, but still. People need to chill.

I knew that Lucas was going to start tonight, and Jade and Eleanor would cheer for the team. As I played with the money my dad gave me in my pocket, I realized that maybe I could get a job at the record store Lucas worked. Maybe I could ask him about it once we got out of the car so he couldn’t reject my idea in front of everyone.

Harry parked in front of the school at 6:55pm. The parking lot starting to fill up, just like it was during the day at school, which meant that a lot of people would be attending the game. Which also meant that a lot of people would see me in shorts for the first time ever and they’d think I was even fatter than before. Great.

“Hey Lucas I was wondering if I could maybe apply for a job at that record store you work? I know you don’t really like me and all but I really need my father to stop pestering me-“

“It’s fine.” He said smiling. “I’m going to ask the manager tomorrow and see what I can do.”

“Really? Wow, thank you.”

I’d never thought he would actually agree.

“And I never said I didn’t like you, yeah?” he assured me and patted my shoulder before he turned right to go to the changing rooms.