“Yes, that would have been about the time your mom started sleeping with all the men in town. Tell me, how is she?”
“Busy working away,” Mel answered as Tate squeezed her hand.
“On her backside,” Stephanie stated and Mel got up leaning her hands against the table.
“Mel, let it go. She’s not worth having them call your mom because you knocked the witch’s teeth in,” Tate said quietly in aside knowing it would get through to her.
She stood glaring at the other girl until the teacher walked in noting the tension and the interest of the rest of the class.
“Is there a problem here girls?” Ms. Simmons asked.
“No…” Mel finally answered sitting back down.
“Well then why don’t we start our exam now? Mr. Tatum, would you please return to your seat?”
Tate sent her a reassuring glance before moving over to the next table letting Andrew have his seat.
“You know, you’re pretty hot when you’re angry,” he said.
Mel felt like breaking her pencil in two and smacking him over the head with her textbook. Instead, she sent him a glare that froze off most men she’d come into contact with and concentrated on the test in front of her.
Thankfully, it was easy and she finished it quickly, turning it in relieved when Ms. Simmons excused her and she went to the library to check her work email. She was working on the fortieth or so reply when she realized she wasn’t alone.
“Melinda, right?”
She glanced up and saw Brent, the star of the basketball team and senior class president standing beside her. “Yeah…”
“Great,” he said pulling out the chair turning it around to straddle it as he faced her.
“Why?” she asked as her fingers continued to fly across the keys making quick work of the answers.
“I like knowing I have the girl’s name right before asking them out,” he answered and her fingers paused for the slightest second before continuing.
“You want to ask me out? Let me guess, Stephanie put you up to it?” she asked exiting the program and logging off as she grabbed her things. She needed to get to her next class and the last thing she wanted was to deal with more bullshit from annoying males when she still had work later.
“Stephanie? Oh, Augustan? Why would she…you two were at it again, weren’t you? Do you know you’re the only one who stands up to her around here?”
“Maybe I just don’t like jerks? Look, let me just cut you off right now. I don’t date the guys around here. I don’t sleep with them either if that’s your angle. This town is barely big enough for the gossip to not travel from one side to the next but here at school it does. Go find someone else to play games with, I’m too busy,” she added giving him her best look of complete and utter iciness and boredom most men didn’t appreciate.
“Dating Tate?” he asked sliding in front her locker.
“Tate’s my best friend, the only person around here I like, but I’m not dating him. I don’t have any extra time; I’m only here half the day as I have an internship in the city. So while this sudden attention might seem like it’s nice and all, I’m busy.”
“I’m not going to give up on you Melinda Taube. You’ll see how persistent I can be when I want something.”
“Lord I hope not,” she muttered to herself taking off down the hallway. She managed to get through her next few classes and when lunch rolled around Tate was waiting on his bike for her. They grabbed a bite to eat before she changed and finished making their way to the train station that took them from their little suburb into the heart of the city where she worked.
“So what’s this I hear about Brent Rackers asking you out?”
“You heard?” She groaned knowing if he had, then most likely everyone had including Stephanie who she knew had a thing for the guy still.
“The entire school heard Mel, heard him say he wasn’t going to give up on you.”
“Yeah, I’m sure it’ll last until the next girl he hasn’t slept with comes to his attention. Don’t worry; you’re not going to lose your date to the dances—well the ones I can manage to make it to that is.”
“I’m not worried about that Mel. Just take it easy, I don’t trust Henry. One of these days he’s going to go too far.”
“I can handle myself okay,” she said kissing his cheek before taking off to get on the train.
