Page 2 of Such a Bad Girl

Picking my pen up, I resumed my note-taking, trying my best not to stumble over the equations he discussed. Feeling like the class dummy. The other students were fresh out of high school, getting in purely on their intellect. For two years I’d struggled through additional courses at community college to bring my grades up. Anything to achieve my dreams.

And to get what I wanted most, I needed to join Willem College.

It was finallymy time to shine.

I got back to my ground-floor apartment late in the day, clutching a half-eaten sandwich while I struggled to locate my keys in the depths of my handbag.

Around me, women and men laughed together, mostly in pairs. Likely dorm-mates. A twinge of regret ate at me as I stood on my own. Would sharing a dorm have been more exciting? A built-in friend? Someone who couldn’t avoid me. Friendships didn’t flourish easily with my intense focus on my goals.

My apartment was small and cost an eye-watering amount each month, but it’d do.

I dumped my bag and continued eating my somewhat pulverised sandwich as I leafed through the welcome pack I’d received.

Arriving late, I’d missed most of the orientation events, but there was a pizza party at the on-campus coffee shop. I figured it couldn’t hurt to check it out.

After freshening up, I made my way through the tree-lined pathways until I arrived at the busy coffee shop, “Beans and Co”. It was a cute building on the open green, surrounded by lounging students. Despite being at college for less than a week, manyhad coupled up already, swapping saliva—and possibly other bodily fluids—in the open like it was no big deal.

The place was packed with bodies, a pervasive din filling the air with a cocktail of laughter, chatter and the whir of the milk frothers. Side-stepping a group of raucous boys, I took a moment to rethink my evening. I’d pictured a few people gathered around a couple of pizza boxes, shooting the shit, not a student-filled sweatbox.

Clearly, I’d underestimated the draw of free food to a pack of hungry students.

Inching backwards, I bumped into a wall, attempting to shimmy my ass right back out of there. Screw free pizza—I’d pay for my own.

I almost made it out.

So close.

A set of red-tipped fingers grasped my arm and pulled me toward a duo of women as I let out a yelp. One, a blonde like me, wore the smallest, reddest dress I’d ever seen. She was all tanned skin, coiffed hair, and sparkling teeth. The other girl screamed cool in that I-don’t-need-to-try kind of way. Her dark, curly hair swept into a bun on the top of her head, and she wore her Willem hoodie like it was fresh off the catwalk. She gave me a nod before looking at her friend, raisinga brow.

‘Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you,’ the bubbly blonde practically sang. ‘You looked a bit lost.’

My cheeks heated, and I let my shoulders relax. ‘Not going to lie. I was about to make a run for it. Kinda intense here.’

‘Yeah, I haven’t even gotten near a slice of pizza. Those guys must be competing to see how much they eat because they’re finishing the pies like they’re going to set a world record or explode from the inside out.’ Blondie narrowed her eyes at them.

‘Pigs,’ the other woman muttered.

The guys were everything you’d picture frat boys to be, all with matching alpaca-esque haircuts and obnoxiously hooting as they scoffed the cheesy slices at breakneck speed.

‘Do you want to get out of here?’ I asked the women. ‘I’m pretty sure there are a few free picnic benches nearby.’

They looked at one another for a moment before the cool one nodded. ‘Sure. I’m starving, though—we should hit up somewhere for food first.’

In a room full of free fucking pizza?Nah.

‘I’ve got it,’ I said, turning and shouldering my way through the crowded room until I stood on the outskirts of the band of idiots. They were utterly self-absorbed, shoving food into their faces. Several looked ready to vomit. Gross.

I jabbed one guy in the ribs, and he half-choked on his food. He leaned to the side, cursing, which opened a gap in their circle. I stomped on a foot as I made my way past them to the buffet table they were blocking.

Steaming boxes of pizza leaned against the wall, a handful of which were still untouched.

‘Hey,’ a guy said, gripping my arm. ‘You stepped on my foot.’

The look I gave him must have hit the right mark, as he dropped his hand immediately.

‘Your fat asses are blocking everyone else’s access to food. If you want to have any hope of losing your virginity around here, stop acting like toddlers and get out of the way.’ I picked up two pizza boxes and turned, clutching them tight.

‘Who do you think you are, bitch?’ The choking guy had recovered and taken umbrage at being treated the way he deserved.

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