Emily dreaded going to school the next day, but she couldn't find a way around it. She got in just as the bell rang, so she managed to avoid James then. She didn't have any classes with him, so the only time she really had to worry was in the halls and at lunch. She got her lunch and instead of sitting in her usual seat, she went to one on the way back, one that was rarely used. She had barely taken a bite when James showed up. "Hey you, I had fun last night." He sounded so casual and that just made her more afraid. He sat next to her and leaned towards her.
Oh God, please don't. When he didn't stop, she stood up. "What are you doing?" She whispered.
“What? It’s just a kiss.” But it wasn't just a kiss. Emily looked around and saw that the people at the nearest tables were watching, including all of his friends.
He stood up and she knew that he was about to try again. Despite her better judgment she took a step back and said, “I don’t know who you think I am, but I’m not some chick you can charm into kissing and lead me to the back of some car. So do me a favor, try to keep your dick under control.”
She walked away, trying to ignore the laughter that surrounded her, tried not to picture the look of anger on James' face. She got to her class early and was glad to see that it was empty, she didn't want to have to deal with people. She knew that what she had done was a mistake, and she still didn't know why he'd done it. Maybe she thought that James would think she'd tell people, maybe she thought he would actually appreciate her standing up for herself. Twenty minutes later the teacher arrived and she went back to pretending that everything was okay.
* * *
Emily was soaking up the sun, glad to be out of the house. Her dad had been around a lot for two weeks, but he finally went out, leaving Sunday for her to do whatever she wanted. Allison unfortunately couldn’t join her, but it was okay. She had gone to the main lake as opposed to her normal spot, mainly because there was more beach and sun there. She didn’t know how long it had been since she’d been about to just lay in the sun, eyes closed, not worrying about anything.
Suddenly the sun disappeared. Emily just assumed it was a cloud, but it didn’t come back. She sat up and saw James and two of his friends standing in front of her.
“Um.. Hi…” She said awkwardly, not know why they were there and not liking their still, tough stances.
“Hello Emily,” James said coolly. “Enjoying the sun?”
What is he up to? “Yes..” She said hesitantly, wondering where he was going with this.
He nodded once. “You could use it.”
“Excuse me?”
“You’re really pale,” he stated. “Some girls look good pale…not you.” Emily looked down. “You remember the incident that happened in the lunch room? Well, I would like to that you. If you hadn’t pulled away I would have actually kissed that.” He emphasized the last word, intensely scrutinizing her. He laughed when she didn’t say anything, still avoiding eye contact.
Emily sat there for a moment, furious at James for being a jerk and with herself for letting him get away with it.
“It’s kind of sad,” James said to one of his friends, all three turning to leave. “She’s just so…pathetic.” He made sure she could hear her, and his cruel chuckles would be all she could think about, and the fact that she hasn’t stood up for herself.
