Page 4 of The Prom Queen Project
“Next, young man. Your turn.”
A blurry figure in my peripheral shuffled around for a few seconds, the outline of their body towering over me as I craned my neck to get a better look and…hubba hubba.The whites of my eyes were on full display as my eyelids lifted above their natural position, nearly bulging out of my head. The muscles keeping my jaw flexed gave way as I gaped at this total stranger, saliva pooling in my mouth.Don’t drool, Clarke.But even with that sentiment in mind, it was nearly an impossible feat becausethis guy was hot. Like movie star, bad boy, model type of hot. Strands of his medium-length black hair fell slightly in front of his face. As he turned to address the class, his icy blue eyes connected with mine swiftly sucking the remaining air out of my lungs. A vertical bar piercing on his left brow somehow managed to enhance the intensity of his stark eye color. I slowly raked over his body, making a mental map of his defining features while simultaneously cursing myself for being no better than some hormonal teenage boy. Has he always been a student here? How on earth hadn’t I met him before now?
Wait…is that what I think it is?
A black and gray-toned artistic masterpiece was painted along both his arms, coming together to form two beautiful sleeves of ink. A cascade of roses was tattooed on his left side, while the right side was a little bit harder to make out. It kind of looked like an intertwining cluster of…snakes? Honestly, he could’ve had a dozen smiley faces tattooed on his forehead, and I would still be a flustered mess. What exactly was it about tattoos that instantly made everyone way hotter? All the naughty scenes from every book I had read began flashing in my mind. I had to mentally throw a cold bucket of ice water on myself to stop the dirty thoughts from plaguing me.
“Yo. I’m Elliot Keller, and I’m a senior. Not the cheer captain, but probably the only person in this school who’s managed to turn getting detention into an art form. Seriously, it’s like my legacy at this point. So, is anyone feeling bold enough to take bets on when my next one will be?”
The class broke out in harmonious laughter, but I was less than impressed as a scoff escaped my mouth. A smirk tugged at Elliot’s lips as he shot me a quick but unmistakable wink. I rolled my eyes so hard that I could practically see the back of my skull.
“Very funny, Mr. Keller. And please, settle down, everyone. This is the first day, so I’m willing to let this behavior slide; however, if one more person steps out of line, they will be punished.”
The class immediately went silent. I could tell Mrs.Whatever-her-name-waswould not be getting any meaningful presents for teachers’ appreciation week. At least certainly not from me.
Keeping her tone curt and professional, she spoke again. “Who’s next?”
“Me!”
Over Elliot’s shoulder, I saw a hand shoot up into the air. A tuft of brown curls bounced wildly as the next student rose to her feet.
“My name is Jamie O’Connell, and this is my senior year. I’m hoping to be valedictorian this year, so I’m going to make sure I work really hard in this class.”
“Thank you, Jamie. That is a very good goal and—”
My phone buzzed again. I looked up to see the teacher still praising Jamie, so against my better judgment, I slowly reached into my pocket and took out my phone again.
“Ms. Taylor!”
I whipped my head up.
“Yes. Mrs…uh—”
Fuck, I still didn’t remember her name. And how come I gotMs. Taylor,and Jamie got…Jamie?
The teacher huffed out a loud sigh.
“It’s Mrs. Hawthorne. And don’t worry, I’m sure I’ll have no problems remembering your name, Clarke,” she said through gritted teeth.
Without thinking over my next words, I blurted out, “I have a feeling I won’t be forgetting yours either.”
Oops.Shouldn’t have said that.Definitely not a good idea.I could practically see the veins bulging on her forehead.
Elliot’s shoulders shook as he covered his mouth with his hands. The brunette girl next to me puffed out her cheeks, her face turning red. Some kid next to her slapped his knee while cackling hysterically.
It was very fitting of a cheerleader to have a sharp tongue, and in most instances, if I wasn’t fueled by anxiety or discomfort, then I would consider this a win for my reputation, but not this time. Not after seeing the look on Mrs. Hawthorne’s face.
“That’s enough!” she demanded as she slowly prowled toward my desk, her heels clicking against the tile. “I know you’re determined to have the last laugh, but guess what, Ms. Taylor, I think you’ve broken Mr. Keller’s record.”
“What record?”
“The record for the fastest detention ever received. You lasted a whole…” She looked down at her watch, tapping the glass. “Thirty-three minutes into the school day. Congratulations.”
Shit.
Two
The minute hand on the clock ticked slower and slower as I sat alone inside an empty classroom that was usually designated for study hall and waited for the unlucky teacher who got assigned to detention on the first day of school.
