Before I have time to make up an excuse the door swings open with a loud creak and there stands William Chapman in all his glory. I can practically see Gen drool even three rows in front of me, her posture perking up ever so slightly.
I grab my bag from the seat beside me, smirking at Will sarcastically to signal him over. Professor Daniel’s takes this as his cue and moves to the row below, continuing to pass out the papers in his hands. Will plops down with a huff. Normally I would associate Will’s arrogant demeanor with sloppiness but his handsome face has the ability to overpower his most egregious actions. I would know.
“You’re late,” I hiss as he throws his arm over my shoulder, crossing one leg over the other. Will was there the night before Lily died. We exchanged numbers before Lily and I left the kegger and I saw him again at Lily’s funeral. Somehow he became a constant for me in what was the most tumultuous year of my life and I fell for him, hard. His shoulders are more broad than when we were freshman, his arm muscles accentuated in his navy Astor Hill polo, the sleeves stretched taut over his bicep.
Gen has completely turned in her seat now, fully facing Will and I, the desperation coming off her in waves. Will winks and I instantly seethe pulling away from him in my seat.
“C’mon I’m just humoring her,” Will whispers, pulling my arms in his lap.
“Why don’t youhumorme by not flirting with any breathing specimen in a four foot radius, especially today,” I look down at my hands, my statement which started as sarcasm ending with sincerity.
“Do you always have to do this?” Will whispers. I can see the frustration in his eyes.
“Do what?” I ask, letting how pissed off I am ring through in my tone.
“Make today a whole thing.”
“Alright everyone make sure to sign your syllabus by 8 A.M. Wednesday and submit it to our online portal. If I don’t have it by then I’ll assume you want to be dropped,” Professor Daniels calls out over the first day of the semester hubbub. I stand up, turning toward Will and toss my MacBook in my Louis.
“You’re a bastard.” I start to push by him but he grabs my hips and pulls me in, my back still turned.
“I’m sorry, you’re just a lot every year on this day and you know I’m not good at handling these kinds of things. Look, let’s not fight today. It already sucks,” he says with his lips to my ear.
I glance around the room as I turn to face Will. I can feel the eyes on us; everyone knows Will’s name and by proxy everyone knows mine. I’m the youngest homecoming queen in Astor Hill’s history, the senior editor of the paper (under Ian of course), and I toyed with the idea of running for class president until Will shot that idea down.
“The whole school’s already in our business, I really don’t need more drama,”he’d said.
I look into Will’s thickly lashed eyes. He truly is beautiful, his skin bronze, his jaw hard and sharp.
“I will do my best to not let today get to me if you promise to at least be sensitive to how I’m feeling.”
He brings his forehead down to mine and smiles mischievously. “Deal.”
I expect him to kiss me but instead he proceeds to walk by me, smacking my ass on the way out. I’m slightly humiliated, but still feeling eyes on me, I force a smile and an eye roll as I grab my bag and leave the room. If anything, I know this argument is far from over.
We’re halfway across the courtyard when I hear Will huff out, “Fucking slow down, Olivia.”
I’m walking at breakneck speed, trying to put some much needed distance between us. I know why I’m on edge today, but the awareness does nothing to quell the irritation erupting in my chest.
I stop abruptly and spin around to face him.
“Slapping my ass? Right after I ask you to be sensitive to how I’m feeling? That’s fucking disgusting.”
“Jesus, Olivia. You take yourself too seriously.”
“You don’t take yourself seriously enough.” His face shifts, and I see his jaw tense. He grabs my arm and pulls me into the notoriously empty exterior hallway of Churchill Hall, perfect for getting into domestic disputes, apparently.
“What the fuck does that mean, Olivia?” His face is close enough to kiss, but I’m not sure that would stop the anger mounting in his glare. Knowing there’s no calming him, I double down.
“It means that your incessant galavanting around school with these simple whores is not just embarrassing for me, but for you. Do you think I haven’t seen you talking to the girls from the dance team? Or look at your relationship with Gen? You basically parade her in front of me at this point. Slapping my ass like I’m another trophy on your shelf— don’t you think the white, male misogynist is a little overplayed?”
I can’t tell if Will is angrier at my words or my bored tone. Sometimes I get the feeling he would prefer a girl who would immediately sob, apologizing profusely over a wrong she nevercommitted. Unfortunately for Will, it takes a little more to get me to bend over.
“You think you’re just so fucking smart, Liv,” his tone is disgusted, as if the fact that I won’t play good little girlfriend for him revolts him. “Unfortunately, no one wants to fuck the know it all.”
I meet his eyes and give him a venomous grin.
“Interesting. You do.”
