The Rules of Life

I turned around so fast that I stumbled a few steps. April Tanner was leaning against the lockers, looking like she won the lottery. Or more, like she’d figured out a way to dupe the system and then win the lottery. The smirk on her face was so big, I was surprised her face didn’t just fall right off. I wanted to slap that glee right off her. But I refrained. I had to figure out what she knew.

“What are you talking about?” I asked innocently.

This only made her happier. God, I hated that bitch. “Oh, you’ve forgotten already? Makes sense. You forget Travis when it’s convenient. And you forget the little tryst you just had with Mr. Hardacker when it you’ve been caught.” Shit. The bitch knew. By the look on her face, Matt had been right; my emotions were plainly seen in my eyes and my expression. April had me and she knew it. “What, you didn’t think you’d keep it a secret forever, did you?” Forever? No. But maybe longer than a few minutes would have been nice.

I took a step closer to her but she didn’t look scared this time. She held all the cards here. I couldn’t do anything unless I wanted my secret revealed to the world. Principal Tanner would probably fire/expel first and ask questions later if his “perfect” daughter spilled the beans. “What do you want?” I asked, my voice low.

“I want Travis,” April said. She put her hands on her hips and met my stare. She looked determined and I realized that she actually loved him. No girl would go through this much torture and stress over just some guy. No, Travis had stolen her heart without meaning to. It didn’t change the fact that April was a psychotic bitch but it did make me understand her a tiny bit better. Of course, I couldn’t just give her a person. Travis had made it clear that he wanted me and me alone. If he went to April on my request, to get her to back off, she’d tell him my secret. I didn’t want Travis knowing. I didn’t want him getting hurt.

I could almost laugh. I was actually protecting Travis. God, what the hell had happened to me? I’m having some weird non-relationship with my math teacher. I actually care about Travis Elton, not to mention I’m semi-dating him. I’m going to have a sleepover with Sophia Martin and my dad is playing nice. Oh, and April Tanner is blackmailing me because she’s in love with Travis. Fuck this shit. Life was easy when I was a bitch who didn’t have any friends, let alone boyfriends and secret lovers and cheerleaders. Now it was just complicated and completely emotional. And people were going to get seriously hurt.

“Then go after him!” I practically yelled at her. “Steal him from me! If you want him, get him. I can’t give him to you; he’s not an object.”

April narrowed her eyes at me. “I don’t appreciate your tone,” she said. “And I think that if you want to keep your nasty teacher kissing ass in this school, you better get me what I want.” She shot me a glare before turning into a bat and flying away. Not really. She very well could have, what with the evil oozing out her pores.

I stared after her. Never in my life had I been blackmailed by someone as stupid as April Tanner. She was lower than even Travis. It was a new feeling, one I didn’t really like. It left me feeling dumbstruck and a little queasy. My life was going to end because I’d been careless. I crushed on my math teacher, kissed him, which awoke his feelings for me, so there was more kissing. This would have been fine. More than fine, really. This would have been absolutely swell! If I wasn’t dating Travis and if that second round of kissing had happened somewhere not at school. And if April Tanner didn’t have to stalk Travis. That had to have been the reason she was still here. It was kind of a relief, the only silver lining in this gray cloud. If April was still hanging around, Travis was still here. If Travis was still here, I could get a ride home.

Luckily for me, Travis came wandering up right around then. He placed his hands on my shoulders and started to massage my back. My body responded automatically, arching into his fingertips. God, it felt good. All the stress had seriously tightened up my muscles.

“You’re tense, babe,” Travis murmured. He was very close to my ear. His presence wasn't electrifying like Matt’s was but it didn’t matter. Travis was a boy, a very attractive boy who knew how to work his boy-thang. I’d never been called babe before, either. There was something oddly thrilling about it. Possessive. Normally I opposed all things that were related to girls being property but it kind of felt good to have someone want you and to not be afraid to let people know that. I mean, Travis had been doing that for forever. But it seemed different now.

I laughed shakily. Today had been wonky and my body was out of whack. “Yeah,” I replied, “I’m just stressed.”

Travis brushed my hair away from my neck. His fingers were warm where they touched bare skin. Shivers shot up my spine. “I know a way to de-stress,” he said in a low voice, one clouded with lust. I didn’t care that he was a horny, blackmailing bastard. After being strung out by Matt, my hormones were going crazy. I spun around to face him and found him very, very close. I could see the dark prickles of stubble poking out from his jaw. His brown eyes had flecks of gold and green in them and his eyelashes were incredibly long. They brushed his cheekbones when he blinked.

“You do?” I breathed. Travis leaned down, our breath mingling in the small space between our mouths. This would be the first real kiss we shared. Oh boy, I was ready.

A door slammed shut behind us and we both jumped apart. I looked guiltily at the floor but Travis didn’t seem fazed. “Hey, Mr. H,” he said, keeping his voice light. I looked up fast, meeting Matt’s eyes. Like always, I couldn’t read what was going on in his mind. He smiled at Travis but didn’t look at me. For a moment, I felt a little annoyed. Matt had told me to keep dating Travis. Couples kissed! It was just how it worked. Maybe things had gotten intense. My annoyance dissipated; I didn’t know how long he’d been watching. He could have seen the whole, steamy thing. I also knew I’d be just as pissed – probably more so – if I’d seen Matt getting up close and personal with another girl. Woman. Matt dated women. I pressed my lips together. Was I considered a woman?

“You guys should scram,” Matt said. “It’s late.” He looked at me now. “Don’t forget to do your homework.” Then he twirled his car keys around his finger and headed towards the doors.

Travis shrugged, oblivious of everything, as usual. He took my hand. “Come on,” he said. “We’ll continue you this at my house.” Part of me wanted to say no, just take me home. I wanted to go home and mope in my bed with Soe. Maybe watch some sappy romance movies. That’d worry my dad. But another part of me, the horny teenager, stubborn part, wanted to go hook up with Travis to prove to Matt that I was doing what he asked. And also, it’d been a long time since I’d had sex. My body was practically ready to jump Travis’s bones. Of course that part won. There’s a reason guys think with their penises; sex organs are loud as fuck.