Click

Lunch ended up being a disaster. Eventually, David and Nick gave up the conversation about Blade supposedly liking me back—although it’s hard for someone to like someone else back if the second someone doesn’t even think of the first someone that way—but then they moved onto Nathaniel, and how internet relationships never worked.

What was worse than the teasing was the fact that, by the looks of things and how good Marcy and Kayti got along with David and Nick, this wasn’t going to be the last time they ate lunch with us. Besides, when David tackled me at my locker and demanded we eat together tomorrow, it was a given.

Nick enjoyed my discomfort.

What was worse was having to sit next to David in fourth period as well. He was still on the Blade thing, but at least it wasn’t four against one now. People were still giving me weird looks in that class because of the earlier incident with the fake crying to get out of detention.

When I told Blade about that on the walk home yesterday, he just laughed and complimented me on my obvious dramatic persuasion skills. I was starting to get curious about why it worked on teachers and not on my own father.

When fifth period came, I stepped into the classroom with Kayti at my side, and we all sat down in the corner of the room. Blade sent me a wave from the other side and I smiled, sending one right back. Marcy walked in a few minutes after we did. Actually, it couldn’t technically be called walking when she was racing and huffing like mad.

“Are you all right?” I asked her.

She nodded. “I’m just in some deep shit right now,” she said.

“Why?”

“You know Mr. Griffin?” she asked, referring to her math teacher. Mr. Griffin had been my math teacher in both grade nine and ten, and he was probably my favourite teacher ever because he was really sweet and helpful, and the extra attractiveness was a plus as well.
One girl actually drooled in his classroom because of him.

He was a few inches taller than me and fairly skinny, but not so skinny that he looked like he hadn’t eaten for days. Just skinny enough that showed that he was healthy but he still didn’t go to the gym or run very much. He had black, somewhat spiky hair and really dark blue eyes. I think that his eyes were his best feature and obviously I wasn’t the only person who thought this since most of the girl population in his classes spent the whole time zoning out during his class because they’d get so lost in his eyes.

The thing was, he always hid them behind his glasses but he was still extremely good-looking. Kayti was like Mr. Griffin’s personal paparazzi. She always knew what was going on with him because she totally adored him. If anything, she liked him even more than she liked Andrew, which was saying a lot.

According to her, Mr. Griffin was single, but I had no idea why because there probably wasn’t even one girl in this school that wouldn’t want to be with him. Even the girls in relationships thought he was sexy, and a few of them wondered what it would be like to be dating a teacher—which would be weird, not to mention illegal, but that didn’t stop their minds from wandering.

Although, I couldn’t really blame them from having that thought enter their brains, because if you were going to have an affair with a teacher, you might as well do it right and if you were to get involved with Mr. Griffin, that would probably be the best way to go. From what I’ve heard, Ms. Anderson—one of the P.E teachers—had a major crush on him for the longest time but Mr. Griffin really had no idea.

“Well, anyways, he’s making us do a big math test in three weeks,” she started, “I’m worried I might fail it.”

“Marcy, it’s only a week into the new semester. You failing one test isn’t going to make that much of a difference. Besides, if you’re that worried about it, just ask him for help,” I said, shrugging like it wasn’t that much of a big deal.

“Actually, uhm . . . this is where I need your help,” she said, shifting in her chair.

I raised my eyebrows at her and she leaned toward me, whispering her master plan in my ear. When she was finished, my jaw dropped wide opened.

“You want me to seduce a teacher?”



Blade smirked. “So are you going to do it?”

“Hell no,” I objected, shaking my head. “Mr. Griffin isn’t just some random person. He’s a teacher. You know, he teaches.”

“Yes, I caught on,” he said, laughing. Blade and I had walked over to my house because he wanted to give my dad another run for his money just to see how he’d react to me bringing him over again. I had a feeling that he also wanted to go onto my computer and read over my conversations with Nathaniel when I wasn’t looking, but I didn’t say anything. Although, it wouldn’t really make a difference because I had told him a lot yesterday on the walk home so he pretty much knew everything there was to know. It wouldn’t have bothered me that much if he did either, though, because I trusted him—but to a certain extent because there were quite a few conversations with Nathaniel about Blade, and I’m pretty sure he would’ve used those to his advantage for teasing me.

“Well, frankly, I think you should,” he said, snapping me out of my thoughts. I looked over at him with wide eyes.

“Are you insane? Do you know how much trouble I could get in for this?!” I exclaimed.

“Well yes, but imagine how much trouble he’ll get in if he falls for it. You’d have uncovered that Mr. Griffin is a pervert,” he pointed out, shrugging. “And besides, you’d be helping out a friend. Was Marcy really freaking out over it?”

I nodded. “She looked really scared. This test means a lot to her.”

“Exactly. Look, worst case scenario is that he does fall for it and tries hitting on you or something but believe me, he doesn’t seem like that kind of guy. Just get in and get out.”

I smirked. “Is that what happens when you’re spending time with Amanda?” I joked, bursting out laughing. Blade glared at me.

“I’m a virgin,” he said. I stopped laughing and looked over at him with wide eyes.

“Seriously?” I asked.

“Yes. Why is that so shocking?”

“Because . . . well, I mean, you’re a sixteen year old guy. And you’re Blade Donahue.”

“Okay, so now we’ve specified my age, gender and my name,” he said, smiling in amusement. He must’ve sensed how awkward and guilty I was feeling to have just assumed that he and Amanda had slept together.

“What I meant was that anyone who didn’t know you very well would guess that you’d have . . . done it by now since pretty much every girls wants to be the one you do it with,” I said. “Sorry.”

He shrugged. “It’s fine. But you know me.”

“Yeah. Just, before I didn’t so . . .” I said, tripping over my words because I honestly didn’t know how to put together a full sentence without sounding like a complete bitch. Blade seemed to understand what I was trying to say, though, because he smiled and shook his head, changing the subject almost immediately.

“So, are there any more angry family members I should know about?” he asked me.

“Nope. Oh, wait. Aiden’s over-protective, like my dad but he’s pretty chill sometimes too so it shouldn’t be that bad, and Karlee will be home later. Just as fair warning, she’s boy-crazy.”

Blade laughed. “I’ve dealt with them for like . . . five years now. I’m pretty sure she’ll be easy to handle.”

“Way to be modest.”

He looked over at me, flashing that smile again, before turning his attention back to right in front of him. My dad had to take a late shift tonight so as soon as I opened the door, he was slipping into his shoes. He looked up at us and narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

“Hello there,” he said, standing up straighter and puffing out his chest. “What are you two kids up to?”

“Just hanging out, dad,” I said, ushering Blade inside and around my dad. Aiden was situated in the living room. He glanced over his shoulder when he sensed the tension in the room and raised his eyebrows.

“Who’s this?” he asked me, nodding to Blade.

“I’m Blade,” he said for himself, kicking his shoes off. “I take it you’re Aiden.”

“Yeah, I’m the big brother,” he said, standing up and crossing his arms over his chest. “What are you, like a boyfriend?”

“A boyfriend of someone,” Blade retaliated. “Christabelle and I are just friends. You don’t have to worry about me trying anything on her.”

I wasn’t sure why but what he had just said bothered me a little bit. It wasn’t that I didn’t appreciate him assuring my dad and Aiden that he wasn’t going to touch me, rather than how I knew he never was going to. I mean, I was pretty proud of myself for befriending Blade Donahue in just a couple of days but yet, this was the most popular guy in school—and it’s not like there were any girls out there that wouldn’t want to have at least a little chance of even being flirted with by Blade. This reassurance to my dad and older brother told me that he probably never would, which was just kind of a letdown.

“I should hope not,” my dad mumbled, opening the door and leaving the house.

“No funny business,” Aiden warned, glaring at us as we made our way up the stairs to my bedroom. I gave him the finger and opened my bedroom door, stepping inside with Blade behind me. He stopped walking at my doorway and I looked over my shoulder at him.

“Are you all right?”

“Yeah. Do you have a bathroom?”

“No, sorry. You’re going to have to do your business in my brother’s room,” I joked. Blade smiled and I pointed to my left. “Down the hall, first door on your right,” I said. He nodded and slipped away. I sat down in front of my computer and turned it on, opening up VirtualFairytale.com. An instant message automatically popped up from Nathaniel and a smile spread across my face.

You didn’t answer my call :( I’m hurt

I’m sorry. I was surrounded by eavesdroppers. They would’ve heard everything and never let me live it down.

Oh, I see. Not so bad, than. So what’re you up to?

Just hanging out with a friend.

Oh yeah? Is this a guy-friend or a boyfriend or just a friend?

Aren’t a guy-friend and a just-friend the exact same thing?

Not really. When it comes to girls, guys classify their friends as other girls but if the friend is a boy, then we call them a guy-friend.

I was unaware.

Yeah, well now you know. So . . .?

It’s a guy-friend.

Oooo, is it Blade? ;) Wait a second, is this why you didn’t tell me his name before? Because I said my name was Blade and you thought he was me?

He got me on that one, I had to admit it.

“Hey Chris, what time do you have to go over to—who’s that?” Blade asked, coming into the room and raising his eyebrows. He walked over to me and looked over my shoulder, smirking. “Why does he know my name?”

I blushed, but didn’t answer his question.

That’s exactly why, and yes it is Blade.

Yeah? Are you two something of an item now? Or are you using your cell phone instead of him being over at your house?

That sounded so stalkerish, lol. And no, we’re at my house but we’re just friends. He had a girlfriend..

What’s his problem?

Excuse me?

I mean, if his girlfriend isn’t you, then there’s obviously something wrong with him.

My fingers hovered over the keys to reply to them but Blade grabbed both of my wrists. I looked over at him and my breathing hitched because his face was literally about ten centimeters away from mine. If I moved even a little distance toward him, I’d be kissing his cheek. There would be no easy way out of that.

“What are you doing?” I asked him.

“Don’t reply,” he said. I raised my eyebrows at him.

“Why?”

“You need to show an air of mystery. Guys like mysterious girls. If you leave him hanging for a few seconds, he’ll be wondering what’s up. Just give it about ten more seconds and he’s going to say something else,” he said, letting go of my wrists, grabbing a chair from the side of my room that I never use and pulling it over so he could sit beside me.

“I doubt that,” I said. “Me leaving him hanging just gives off the impression that I’m a bitch who ditches people in the middle of conversations. It doesn’t make me mysterious.”

“Watch,” Blade said, nodding to the screen.

Christabelle? Are you there?

I looked at Blade with wide eyes. He smirked and nodded in satisfaction.

“I don’t know how you do it,” I said, shaking my head. He shrugged and leaned back on the chair, clearing his throat.

“I’m a guy. We’re easy to read. We’re like opened books,” he said. “I swear, we’re all the same in more ways than one and when it comes to girls, we’re needier than you may think. Now reply to the poor kid. You’ve got him on his toes.”

I glared at him and turned back to the computer.

Yeah, sorry. I was distracted. And there’s nothing wrong with him. He’s just known her longer, that’s all.

Do you want him to like you?

What kind of question is that?

One that needs to be answered.

I glanced over at Blade and he chuckled, crossing his arms over his chest.

“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?” I snapped, narrowing my eyes. He nodded.

“Oh yes,” he said. “I’m awaiting your answer just as much as he is. Don’t stop on account of me.”

“I have to stop on account of you. Having the guy who this conversation is about reading the conversation over my shoulder is distracting. How am I supposed to concentrate or come up with an answer to Nathan if you’re right beside me?”

“What time do you have to go to Marcy’s house?” he asked, changing the subject and glancing at his watch.

“You’re infuriating sometimes, do you know that?”

He shrugged. “It’s what comes with being a male, Chris,” he said, smiling. “Oh hey, I forgot to check your room for surveillance. Do you think your dad’s spying on you again?”

He stood up and walked to the middle of the room, flinging his arms in the air and doing a little dance. I raised my eyebrows at him and smiled.

“I don’t think so,” I said. “Although, I’m wishing I had a camera right about now.”

He smiled and plopped himself down on the chair again, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. “Aren’t you going to answer the guy?”

“Oh, right. I forgot about that.”

Let’s just say that I value his friendship more.

Fair enough. I’ve gotta go. Ttyl, okay?

Okay, bye.

I closed the window and glared at Blade. “This is your fault.”

“How is it my fault?” he asked, putting his arms out. “What am I even being blamed for?”

“You scared him off.”

“I didn’t scare him off. I don’t even know him. How can I scare off a guy who’s on the other side of an internet conversation?”

“I don’t know. I’m just trying to put the blame on anyone else but myself.”

“What are you blaming me for? Seriously.”

“He so got scared off,” I said. I honestly had no idea what I was talking about anymore. I was just continuing this conversation so that we had something to talk about that didn’t involve me getting teased. I was being delusional.

“So what? Maybe he’s a wimp,” Blade said, shrugging. “Guys have the same hormones but some just get scared easier. This guy obviously doesn’t have balls.”

I slapped him on the arm.

“You know, you still haven’t answered my question.”

“What was your question?”

“What time are you going to Marcy’s?” he repeated for the third time today.

I shrugged. “Whenever you leave.”

“And when am I leaving?”

“After I kick Aiden’s ass since he’s been hiding around the corner ever since you came out of the bathroom,” I said. Blade furrowed his eyebrows and stood up, peering around the corner.

“Hey man,” he said, nodding at Aiden, who stepped away and crossed his arms over his chest.

“You’re lucky you’re one of the few guys who keep to their word. Otherwise, you’d have a television antenna shoved up your ass right now,” he snapped, walking back downstairs. My jaw dropped. Blade looked over at me with wide eyes and a mocking shocked expression on his face.

“Is it just me or are the conversation exchanges getting a lot more brutal around here?” he joked. I groaned and put my face in my hands.

“I’m apologizing on behalf of my brother, because I know there’s no way that he’ll be doing it himself,” I said, shaking my head.

Blade shrugged. “Hey, it’s cool. Every guy is protective of his little sister,” he said. “Lucky for me, by the time Isabelle is our age, I’ll be married. Hopefully.”

I smiled. “You got a girl in mind yet?” I joked, knowing that he probably didn’t but keeping up a conversation that didn’t cause him to get depressed about his parents again was better than not talking at all.

The corners of Blade’s lips twitched like he was trying to hold back a smile. He succeeded.

“Perhaps,” he said. I was shocked, and my face must have showed it too because Blade grinned at me. I was about to ask him who but he glanced down at his watch and sighed. “I should go. I have a sister to take care of and you have a sleepover to attend where, if I’m lucky, you’ll be having a pillow fight in your underwear,” he joked. I stood up, stalked over to him and slapped him on the arm. He laughed.

“I’m kidding. I couldn’t resist,” he said. “You know you’ve caused my arm to be bruised from how many times you’ve hit me?”

“I wouldn’t be surprised,” I said, stuffing my hands in my jean pockets and shifting my weight to the other foot. “Now get out of here before Aiden really does shove a TV antenna up your ass.”

Blade nodded. “Gotcha,” he said, turning and walking down the stairs. I followed behind him and gave my brother the death glare as he turned his attention away from the wrestling tournament he was watching on the television, and gave Blade’s back a cold, hard stare. He cowered a little bit when his eyes locked on mine and he looked back at the TV screen.

“I’ll see you at school on Monday,” Blade said, waving at me as he made his way out the door and down the driveway. I smiled and waved back, closing the door behind him and making my way upstairs to my room again to pack up my stuff for Marcy’s.

When I was zipping up my bag, Aiden appeared at the doorway, crossing his arms over his chest.

“You need a ride?” he asked me. I narrowed my eyes suspiciously.

“That depends. Are you going to give me a lecture on how I need to stay away from Jared when I’m over at Marcy’s house?” I asked him.

“No.”

“Or how I need to stay away from Blade?”

Aiden frowned. “No.”

“Or how you’d prefer it if I remain single for the rest of my life so you don’t have to imagine your little sister kissing other guys?”

Aiden paused. “That I might do.”

I sighed and shook my head; hoisting my back over my shoulder and making my way passed Aiden and down the stairs.

“So is that a no?” he asked, following me down the stairs and raising his eyebrows. I looked over at him as I tied up my shoelaces. I sighed and stood up properly, opening the front door and glancing behind myself at him.

“Thanks,” I said, “but I think I’ll walk.”