Raise The Bar

chapter eight

- Genevieve -

Friday rolls around in an instant. I'm so done with all the whispers and stares made across campus especially as the girls and I sit in the dining hall.

Wherever I go trouble seems to follow me with pestering eyes. Inline at the salad bar, over at the pizza station, sitting down at the table farthest from everyone.

"Look it's Jenna Blake," one of Adrian's past acquaintances, Emma points out.

We all turn that way to see the expression on her face as she glares at me, "She looks majorly irritated," Nellie rolls her eyes.

"Not Gigi's fault Adrian likes her more than them," Mads says taking a spoon of yogurt in her mouth.

Shit, she's coming over here.

"Genevieve, it's Genevieve right?" I simply nod with a smile looking at her.

"What a beautiful name. Sounds French," because it is bitch? "I heard you and Adrian Castillo were together but I just wanted to let you know that he and I are kinds of a thing so if you wouldn't mind backing off, I'd really appreciate it."

I don't think he knows that Sweetheart.

Stunned at her bluntness I look to Nellie who stands up and towers over Jenna's condescending stance leaving her hand on the table as she sits over it.

"Jenna, you've never even been near Adrian let alone had a relationship with him. I'm pretty sure you've never met him either so I'll kindly ask you to stay away from her." Seh waves her away and I couldn't be more grateful.

I have the worst headache and excuse myself from the table-turning around into a hard chest. Looking up my cheeks are flushed and it feels warmer in the room.

"Cherry, where're you going?" He asks walking past me and taking the apple from my tray on the table.

He bites it and smiles down on me while I feel the sheer attention set over us, "I'm going home, I'm not feeling well."

He looks at me with worried and whispers, "Is it because of these shitheads?"

"No, I'm just tired," I lie. Instantly, he grabs my hand with his intertwining of our palms.

"I got you." He leads us out of the dining hall and even when we're out of sight he still holds my hand as his life depends on it.

"I'm sorry," he says. "I shouldn't have reacted that way, so violently I mean. And I'm the reason everyone's talking about you."

"No, I'm the one who should be sorry. My ego overrode my common sense and I couldn't see how you were just defending me. I really am sorry Adrian. Coffee apology?"

"What's that?" He asks and sometimes I forget that there's a world beyond just mine and Mads.

"It's just something I do with Mads. When we don't do our load of the chores we buy or make each other coffee to apologize." Sounds lame but it keeps the peace.

"I definitely want a coffee apology," he smirks. We head into the coffee shop a few blocks away and the whole time we're silently still holding hands and stealing glances.

"What's one thing you've always wanted to try in bed?" Before my brain can register what he's asked he starts laughing, "think of something Cherry?"

"I've never really done anything interesting in bed," I'm not a complete prude but my last boyfriend was an asshole and I didn't want him to be the person I gave my virginity to so we never did it.

"Are you a virgin?" I nod at him silently. It's not a big deal I just haven't found the right person yet. "Cool."

I contemplate an answer to his previously asked question, "I've always wanted to play strip poker," I say.