The Little Lightning Girl

45- Feminism for the Win

Kaley's POV

Potions class, as usual, had been miserable for me. Honestly, I'd never been good at Potions. Alana had helped me understand some things I was doing wrong, was helping me study for OWLS, but I didn't know if I could hope for anything above an "Acceptable" rating. Charms class had resulted in my partner for the day drenching me in a stream of ice cold water. So the day hadn't been great. It definitely didn't improve when the moment I left Charms class, Daniel Wessman, my most recent stalker, appeared out of nowhere and began walking with me.

I sighed and turned the corner, Wessman still on my heels. I didn't understand how he hadn't gotten the hint yet. Some of the hints, I hadn't even attempted to be subtle. All week I'd surrounded myself with an army of friends, usually Rose and Alana, and at mealtimes the entire Potter-Weasley clan. James had sat so close to me during lunch that I figured it would look to anyone else that I was dating him. But it hadn't deterred Wessman.

He'd been following me for days. Wessman was known around the school as the boy who dated girls for a few days and dumped them. Most of said girls figured they'd be the one to change him, but I was under no such illusion. And I didn't know if it was because I'd grown so used to admiring red hair and brown eyes, but he wasn't all that attractive to me. Unfortunately, without actually breaking into a sprint, I couldn't get away from the boy with much longer legs. Just as I was about to the Great Hall, the boy grabbed my shoulder and pinned it to the wall. Noah had taught me how to defend myself, and after the nightmares she'd survived, Alana had insisted on continuing those lessons for me and Rose. I could have had this cockroach of a boy on his arse in seconds, but I really didn't feel like punching anyone so I sighed and tried to speak again.

"Look, Wessman, I don't want to date you."

My voice was clear and confident, it caused several people to stop in their tracks to watch the scene, including James and Alana, who'd just come from their Potions class. Alana caught my eye with a half-smile but didn't jump in to help, she knew I could and would take care of myself. I did notice that she had a tight grip on James's robe sleeve. Other than the sharpness in his narrowed eyes, he appeared as unconcerned as Alana and made no move to intervene.

Wessman smirked and leaned closer to me, "Why won't you? Everyone else has enjoyed the experience."

Alana snorted from the side, "Not a big turn on douche-rocket."

I almost laughed at her comment, but Wessman was still looking for an answer. And if he leaned one inch closer to me I would punch him, so without thinking, I blurted out the old standard.

"Because I have a boyfriend."

The crowd around us was growing by the moment, and more students stopped when Wessman laughed loudly, "Since when? I haven't seen you with anyone. Who is it?"

I scrambled to think but James beat me to it, "It's me. I'm her boyfriend."

My heart might not have pounded so much if I hadn't wished it were true. I'd come to terms with my crush on James, but it grew every time we spoke. Hearing him say that he was my boyfriend...

Wessman rolled his eyes at James, "Sure you are."

But he must have seen something in my face when he turned back to me, because his eyes narrowed. Switching his gaze from me to James a few times, the disbelief grew on his face until his eyes landed back on me, "I can't believe it, the Princess dating the Stripe-backed Potter?"

I'd known that a while ago, someone had seen James's back as he changed after a Quidditch game. I'd known that the horrible nickname was floating around the castle. But hearing it...Something went cold inside me. My thoughts slowed, then stopped. My focus honed in on the boy in front of me as irritation turned to icy rage and I snarled, "What did you call him?"