No Strings Attached, Please?

“So…we kissed,” Nat started with a childish grin playing on his lips. I was walking next to him toward the library because we were bound together for a History project of making a presentation of World War II and we needed the material that was in the library.

“You mean, you kissed her or she happened to kiss you?” I asked nonchalantly as we entered the library, passing Ms. Green the horrible librarian who would harshly shut people up when they disturbed the silence.

“Err… maybe I wanted her to kiss me, maybe she leaned on me for a bit which made me—“

“She’s such an eager bitch, isn’t she?” I stated in annoyance.

“Sav!” Nat cried. I ignored him while I walked to the aisle where I could find some historical books. Nat’s face turned irked and he shot me his infamous Nat McGregor look.

“I’m just pointing out my thoughts to you, what’s your problem? It’s not like I’m her friend, Nat. We’re enemies. And I truly hate her. That’s my point, she’s being too eager when she obviously knows that you’re my ‘boyfriend’. What am I supposed to say? Should I say, ‘Oh congrats Nathaniel, finally you got something from her!’?” as the words came out sarcastically through my mouth, Nat gaped widely. He clenched his fist on his side before he let out a deep sigh.

I continued to run my fingers along the bookshelves to find the right literature. Two thick history books were already on my chest, while Nat didn’t bother to help me find any good books.

“You don’t have to be a bitch to her, if you have guts to admit that you’re jealous of her” when he said that, I quickly turned my head to him with a look of disbelief. Did he just assume that I was jealous? Fuck no. And look at that disturbing smirk splayed upon his lips! He’s such an ass!

“You are,” Nat snorted when he read my face. I groaned and slapped his forearm with the thick book. He let out his girly squeal and burst out in a stifled laugh.

“It doesn’t hurt to admit you’re jealous and you’re already attracted to me, Connor” Nat wiggled his eyebrows and played with his silly yet flirtatious stare at me. I couldn’t help but blush in those kinds of circumstances, so I ducked my head down and tried to look for another book that sat on the lower bookshelf.

“Don’t flatter yourself, McGregor. I have my standard on guys. You? Excuse me? You’re far, far, far left behind” I scoffed cynically as I found an interesting book on the very top shelf. I tiptoed to reach the book but… Screw my genes of being a Lolita! I couldn’t even reach the shelf.

On the other hand, Nat leaned to my side, he wrapped his arms around my waist and then hoisted me up to reach the books. I let out a surprised squeal. When I realized he was just trying to help me, I tried to hide my red face by snatching the book on the very top of shelf in a hurry.

He then put me down as he coolly cracked his fingers to show off his swag. I could feel his warm hands still lingering on my waist and I couldn’t stop my frantic heartbeats inside my ribcage when I found he was grinning at me. Fuck no.

I rolled my eyes purposely and then hugged the three thick books on my chest.

“You’re blushing,” Nat stated matter-of-factly.

“What?” I pretended that I didn’t hear him.

“I said you’re blu—“

“Can we finish this project so I could grab my lunch after this?” I spoke out too loudly before I realized that Nat had been staring at me with this odd look as his face came to mine. We were just having this weird staring contest. I cocked my eyebrows in confusion, as I demanded to know what was going on, but he stayed silent.

He shut his eyes and reopened them, revealing some unreadable emotion that came through his orbs. He blocked my way out as he leaned to my front side.

“There’s something wrong with me,” he stated weakly.

“Uh? What?” I asked curiously and obviously confused by him.

With that Nat cupped my cheek and gently placed a tender kiss on my lips with his eyes shut. My eyes were jumping out from their casket along with the frenzy of a heartbeat inside of me. I was caught off guard as Nat McGregor pinned me to the bookshelf and planting his tender kiss on my lips.

“Connor! McGregor! This isn’t a brothel but a library!” a shriek came from Ms. Green who had her hands on her hips with a glare adorning her forty-something face.

Nat pulled away from our lip-locked moment and quickly said his sorries to the librarian. Ms. Green looked at Nat suspiciously but then she just walked away after she told us that we wouldn’t do that again. What could I say? Nat probably was one of Ms. Green’s favorite students because Nat was always a book-nerd and a polite, young man with her.

Ms. Green had no respect for most of the students because of her PMS-ing so it wasn’t weird to see that Ms. Green accepted Nat because Nat and Carlton were the only guys at school who respected her.

“Let’s do the History” Nat said cheerfully when Ms. Green disappeared as if he didn’t remember anything that just happened between us. I sat silently next to him after I put down the heavy books next to me. I tried my hardest to let go of what just happened.

Nat pulled out his notebook from his backpack and started to scribble down notes from the History book he took from me meanwhile I still turned pages to read the whole concept of the war.

It seemed that we were having fun with the History books. After a long twenty minutes of silence in writing and reading the history of the World War, I closed the book and the notes I’d been taking from the books as well.

Nat’s eyes were still on his notes when I tidied up the table.

“That’s how I kissed her,” was all he said leaving me in shock and curiosity. I stared at him as he didn’t bother to look me in the eye.

I didn’t reply to him and I just examined his features with confusion in my eyes. What was he really trying to say?

Nat put down his pen and then turned to me, he caught my confused face and then he placed a crooked smile on the corner of his lips.

“When I just kissed you, I just wanted to show you how I kissed her that night. I mean, I just want to make sure that I’m not a horrible kisser, am I?”

I let out a low hmm and nodded. I couldn’t lie and say Nat wasn’t good on his first try. He wasn’t a horrible kisser. I slightly enjoyed the way his lips devoured mine actually. As I nodded, he decided to grimace very wide to me and let out his girly giggles. He was blushing and rubbed his nape awkwardly, but he showed that happy smile on his face.

Trying to avoid the conversation getting more awkward, I objected, “But I just want to tell you that you shall not give in that easily, Nat” I softly said trying to avoid his disturbing beautiful eyes because his eyes began to get under my skin.

“Maybe you could get a one-time date with Lynn, but I highly recommend you not to easily get into her love traps. If you easily gave in, she would ditch you real soon. I know Lynn and how her brain works. I just think that’s not the way to deal with Lynn. All I want to say is… be difficult sometimes!” I added.

“Okay, so what should I do now?”

“Just be casual. When she comes up to you, don’t show any interest with her and your previous date with her. Pretend like you never went with her that night and just walk away. And the most important thing is, keep it in your mind that I’m your girlfriend. You need to show how you’re attracted to me more than you’re attracted to Lynn. It will bug her off”

Nat chuckled and shook his head, “Girls” he grinned, “Girls sure have their way, huh?”

I replied to him with my wide smile, “Of course, our population is known as the expert of love since we’re more sensitive than boys” I winked at him.

Nat crooked a smile, “Do you think this is gonna work?”

“I’m overly sure,” I nodded in real confidence.



The last period just ended a couple minutes ago. I was joining the kids in the hall and walked up to my locker. Girls still shot me their disgusted looks. It was worse now ever since I began dating Nat, who happened to be the new hunk at school.

I grabbed my jacket inside my locker and slammed it to meet Kale’s face was behind the locker door I previously opened. He was grinning ear to ear and grabbing me by the hand to walk out from the school.

Kale slung his arm around my shoulder as we walked out. We were chatting randomly before he slipped his tongue out of curiosity.

“So, I didn’t know you could tame Nat McGregor. What did you do to him so he could fall in love with you, huh? Spare the details or I swear I’m just gonna grope your boobs”

I elbowed his stomach making him moan, as I laughed pleasantly. “Don’t you dare talk me like that again, I swear I’m gonna tell Bridget about you and Cora”

“That’s unfair!” He pouted while he rubbed his stomach gently. “Just tell me already about you and Nat, woman!”

I rolled my eyes and let out an annoyed sigh, “Correction, we’re not in love. We just got a new, fresh start. It’s barely even been five days,” I told him. Anyway, Carlton was the only one who knew I was Nat’s fake girlfriend. Kale didn’t know anything about our plan to get Lynn so he assumed that Nat and I really dated.

“What do you see in him? I thought you hated him? I thought he was disgusted with you?” Kale rambled off as we were already out of the school and up to where Nat’s car was usually parked.

I wasn’t in Nat’s last period class, but he said that he and Carlton would be waiting for me in his car. Kale’s hand still lingered on my shoulder during our walk. And when I spotted Nat was standing near his car, I saw another figure came up to him. It was Lynn and her Barbie dolls.

I knew that she probably wanted to flirt with Nat and I needed to hold Nat there because I knew Nat wouldn’t make it out. He wouldn’t listen to me because he’d probably too wrapped up with being love-struck.

“Why do you date Nat?” Kale asked one more time which made me sling his arm off my shoulder and roll my eyes at him.

“We just did, okay?” I told him directly before cantering towards Nat and the oncoming Lynn. My feet were racing with Lynn and just in time, I reached Nat first. He looked at me with a slight grin but I surprised him by grabbing his nape and bringing his lips to mine.

I wrapped my arms around his neck while I tiptoed. On the other hand, I guess Nat bought this as another disguise. He knew what I was doing to him so it made him kiss me back. I could feel his soft lips battling for domination with my lips as I felt his hands were rubbing my waist.

What I couldn’t believe was, Nat just slipped his tongue inside my mouth and started to roam my mouth with his drunken tongue. While our lips were trying to swallow each other, I heard a cleared throat that belonged to Lynn’s annoying mouth.

I smiled between Nat and I’s locked lips as we pulled away from each other.

With my arm still wrapped around Nat’s neck, I turned my head to Lynn. She looked really annoyed with my moment with Nat. She folded her arms over her chest while she glared to me.

“What do you want, Lynn?” I asked, playing along as Nat’s protective girlfriend.

“I need to talk to Nat” she replied with venom in her voice.

I arched my eyebrows at her, “What do you need to talk about with a nerd like Nat as you stated long before?”

“This is not your business, bitch. Just get away from my face”

I was stunned and then let go Nat, I walked upon her as we both had a glaring contest with each other.

“I thought three days suspension taught you something, slut-face” I spat back to her making her back off as she heard her nickname. Her jaws were on the floor s she heard me. “You do not talk to my boyfriend, I know you’ve been flirting with him. God knows how hypocritical you are, you’re licking your own spit”

Lynn jumped at me but she missed since Nat pulled me back and tried to separate both of us.

“Hey, stop it, guys” he tried.

“You need to leash your girlfriend on something strong,” she shot me her cynical look as I tried to kick her on the shin but Nat held me up and calmed me down.

“I just want to talk to you, Nat” Lynn switched her tone into a somewhat spoiled brat. She even batted her eyelashes which made me want to puke in an instant.

“You can talk to him right now,”

“I said this is not your fucking business, Connor!”

“I have rights to know what you have to say to my boyfriend, slut”

“Slut? You’re the slut! Did you hit your head or something? You forget that you’re the slut?”

“I’m just gonna slit your throat, Sonebitch!”

“Savannah! Enough!” Nat glared at me impatiently. “Sorry, Lynn. What is it?” he asked calmly.

Lynn narrowed her eyes and then rolled them before she sighed deeply, “I just want to talk about our date,”

I thought I laughed inside my head when I heard her. She’s really interested win him.

“Date? What date?” I played along with my dramatically shocked voice. Lynn looked amused on the other hand as she put on her biggest smirk.

“Oh yeah, don’t you know that I had a wonderful date with your boyfriend while you’re busy fucking your ex?”

When I was about to reach for her to punch her face because my rage was beyond uncontrolled, Nat gripped my hand firmly before he spoke, “I’m sorry Lynn, I think you mistook that night. I think we only hung out that night as friends,” he told her calmly. And could I just present Nat a Grammy award? He just won the best actor of the year!

I swore Lynn’s face was priceless, her mouth was wide open.

“I’m sorry Lynn…” he apologized and then took my hand, “If you don’t mind, Sava and I need to get home by now” he ended it and then motioned me to get inside the car where Carlton was grinning as he watched our commotion.

I hadn’t opened the door, but enjoyed the view instead. She’s on the verge of tears when Nat shook his head to her. With that, Lynn dragged her gasping blonde friends out from the sight while she walked away, stomping her feet along the pavement.

When Nat turned his head to me, I raised my thumb to him. But he didn’t look good. His face fell and he hinted a really sad face at me. He turned the door handle and was about to get inside before I heard a voice calling my name. I also wanted to get inside the car, but I realized there was someone who had been watching my drama with Lynn from the parking spot in front of Nat’s car.

I gasped as I found Dante’s incoming figure walked up to me. He didn’t show his smile, he didn’t show any amusement when our eyes locked onto each other’s. And I thought I was in trouble with him.

Nat and Carlton planned to have a band rehearsal at the McGregor’s. They invited me along. I was supposed to tag along in their car but I ended up in Dante’s car since he was going to be at the McGregor's house as well.

He wasn’t pleased to know that I made out with Nat in front of his face, so he insisted I go with him in his car. On the other hand, Nat and Carlton understood why I didn’t go with them, so they just left.

Dante was being a mute for the past ten minutes as he was driving. He looked as if he was clenching his teeth really tight, he never took a glance at me which made me shudder because I was afraid of his trust being thrown away once again of my reckless actions.

“I don’t get it! I don’t get you, Savannah! What the hell is wrong with you?!!” he yelled as he drove the car. I shut my eyes closed as his voice stung my ears. I didn’t dare reply to him and so, he continued, “I thought we were taking it slow! I thought you were serious about us, but you did this again! What the fuck, Savannah!?”

I remained in silence. I was so scared of him yelling at me. I couldn’t say any words to calm him. I was at a loss. I didn’t expect him to appear at my school randomly and caught Nat and me.

“Answer me, Sav!” he glowered to me as he hit the brake angrily making me bounce to the dashboard.

“Dante, I was just.. uh..” I couldn’t tell him that I helped Nat. This would make him more furious.

Dante sighed as he rested his head on the wheel, “What do you see in us, honestly?”

I cocked my eyebrows, “What?” I squeaked. I was speechless. I couldn’t even defend myself. I was too dumbfounded and confused to deal with the mess I made with Dante. “Dante, I love you,” My tone was more begging.

“DON’T! You don’t say those words, Savannah! Because you don’t!” he lifted up his head as he rubbed the bridge of his nose frustratingly. “Do you think I was joking that I still want you, Sav?” he asked softly, but his tone was really desperate. I couldn’t bear with this any longer. I really wanted to cry.

“I don’t, Dan…” the voice hitched in my throat as the lump was hardening there.

“Do you think I’m just a sidekick? Am I that pathetic?”

I couldn’t hold myself any longer so the tears that built on my eyes ran down wildly on my cheeks. I never considered him as a sidekick. I loved Dante very much, I was really happy that he wanted to start it over again with me. But sadly, I messed up.

I didn’t know that he’s going to pick me up from school; he didn’t even text me to tell me about that. If only I knew he would be at my school, I wouldn’t do such stupid things like making out with Nat although it’s just to show off to Lynn. My plan might work for Nat, but it ruined me.

“You didn’t tell me that you were dating Nat. I was being a fool to start it over with you. You lied to me again, Sav. And you did cheat on me again. I should have realized it earlier that you’re not changing. You’re still the old Savannah Connor. You’re not growing up”

Instead of telling him my thoughts, I sobbed and I swore I couldn’t even say anything to him. I was having difficulties breathing. I felt the eyeliner on my eyes smudged down on my cheeks as I tried to wipe it clean.

Dante turned his head to me. He shot me his sad look. He looked like he just let out his anger on me. He shook his head and declared, “We will never work out. We can’t be together in the past, now, or even in the future. You keep hurting me, Sav”

“Dan…” I shakily said, “I love—“ I coughed out my words. I was barely breathing, but he ignored me. “I love you. This is just misunderstanding, Dan” I managed my words.

“I’m sorry. I just can’t love you anymore, Savannah”

The words slammed me down to the road. It felt like a bus just hit me as I could feel my heart stop beating. It was more like somebody I loved just died. I was hopeless, helpless, and pained inside.

Dante didn’t drive me to McGregor’s but he brought me to my house. He thought it was the best way to calm me down.

After Dante dropped me off, he didn’t say his goodbye and he just drove away quickly. My legs felt like jello. I couldn’t believe that I just lost the guy I loved the most because of a misunderstanding. There was a pang of hurt adorning my heart when Dante said he couldn’t love me anymore. He was meaning to throw me away from his life and I would be never inside the picture anymore.