Page 181 of Something Rad
I shake my head. “It’s not–”
“Hey ladies.”
My spine steels when I hear the last possible voice I’d like to hear right now, and, when the second to last possible voice I’d like to hear right now joins in, I feel a vein in my neck bulge.
“How’s it going, guys?”
I turn my head slowly, finding Paul and Jesse standing just to the side of us. I also realize that my other teammates that were lingering when I walked up have slowly worked their way closer, obviously eavesdropping on the shitshow of a conversation that just went down.
“Hey,” I mutter, my voice low.
Paul grins at me, and I’d like nothing more than to knock the teeth out of his mouth like I promised.
“What are we talking about?” he asks, his tone irritatingly cheerful.
“Oh, we were just getting filled in on the events of Denise’s holiday party here,” Michael speaks up, chuckling. “And Jesus, man, you’re ruthless.”
I resist the urge to shoot daggers at Michael, knowing he doesn’t mean any harm and that he wasn’t at the party to witness what went down. But still, it’s difficult.
“Oh, yeah, I heard about that,” Jesse says. “Seemed like it was a fun night.”
“Yeah,” I nod. “Where were you during it again?” Everything in me wants to add:crying in your bedroom?But I refrain.
“Something came up,” Jesse responds, playing it cool, “but it’s all good. Sounds like Paul here had fun enough for the both of us.” He pats Paul’s back like he’s a proud father or some shit.
“Awe, it was nothing, really,” Paul shrugs.
I narrow my eyes at him, irritation starting to pulse through me. “Yeah?Nothing?”
“Nah,” Paul waves me off. “Just confirmed what we already knew.”
“And what’s that?” Brad chuckles.
Paul’s face spreads into a wide grin. “That Robbie’s got himself a wild one.” And then the asshole shoves his fingers against my chest. Like we’re friends. Like this is all one big joke.
The guys let off a range of responses, all of which play into Paul and only make me more angry.
“C’mon, man,” I murmur, shaking my head, telling him to stop now.
“What?” Paul questions me. “We’re happy for you, man! I mean, I knew redheads were known to be crazy, but it looks like you hit the jackpot.” My fists clench at my sides, my teeth grinding. “Come on, man, please, share with the class,” Paul continues, moving closer to me. “Tell us what it’s like.”
“Whatwhatis like?” I grit, on the verge of exploding.
“Getting to use Little Miss Valedictorian any way you like,” Paul says. “Whereveryou like. Closets. Your shiny Camaro, I’m sure.Hell, I bet you probably even got her to spread her pretty little legs for you all those afternoons in the library, huh? While you were there serving detention for trying to get Denise back? Remember, that was the reason you were even there in the first place? It’s why you two even started talking. I’m sure you got to have your cake and eat it too, huh? Tell us, Robbie, what was it like? What did Coopertastelike? In the ways I don’t already know, of course.”
I see red. A red so intense that it clouds my vision and makes my head ache.
“What does Cooper do for you?” Paul pushes, raising his chin at me.
I’m so caught off guard and flooded with fury that my reactions don't even make sense, and I burst out laughing.
“It’s not like that with Cooper,” I chuckle darkly, taking a step towards Paul. “You’ve got it so twisted, alright? She doesn’t mean what you think she means to me. She’s not that kinda girl. She doesn’tdoanything for me. I don’t need her for that. I don’t even want her for that. If I wanted sex, I could get that from any girl in this schoolright now.”
“Then why don’t you do it, Robbie?” Paul questions me.
I bark out a laugh. “Maybe I will if it’ll get you to never say another word about Cooper to me again. The shit coming out of your mouth is making my skin crawl.”
Everyone around us gradually falls silent, Paul included, his face unreadable. “Now, does anyone have a fucking cigarette?” I ask.
