Bow Down To Your King

Chapter 24

JULIA POV

Point Total: 4,175

I snickered, leaving Zeke in the closet alone, and hurried off to American Lit. I would be a few minutes late, but it was worth it to see the king crash and burn.

And all it took was a little super glue on an old bra.

My dad had been telling me to do it for years; it was a real shame that Zeke had to experience the PurityProtecter1000.

Before Professor Anderson could question me about my whereabouts for an extra five minutes spent enacting Phase Two of my plan to overthrow Zeke, I slid into my desk, the one designated for the king, and smiled.

But Professor Anderson wasn't going to let me off the hook that easily. "Julia why-"

I gestured crudely to my abdomen, "Girl issues."

Professor Anderson's lips formed a tight line. Clearly, she only accepts tardiness from students that she'd fu-

"Fuck," Zeke barreled into the room, chaotic, out of breath, and-

Pointing at me?

"Zeke," Professor Anderson turned to the royal attention whore and followed his finger back to me.

Well, shit.

Did he regularly out people for glued bra clasps?

Did St. Anne's have witch hunts and sex games?

Animals.

"I'm so sorry I'm late," Zeke said, straightening up and stepping into the room, "but I need to borrow Julia."

Professor Anderson didn't like that. "Why?" she asked, tapping one of her heels on the tile floor, reminding me of my mom's annual holiday 'fits' and how they always ended in spilled gravy, broken fake nails, and tears.

I thought Zeke would stammer, and fumble at least a little, but he didn't.

"Because I was walking to class, on time, I promise, and then, just as I passed the oak tree right by the library, I heard soft chirping."

"Chirping?" Professor Anderson raised an eyebrow, not buying whatever-the-fuck he was selling.

"Yeah," Zeke wasn't fazed by her skepticism, "so I went to investigate and I found this...this baby squirrel laying in a pile of leaves, just staring up at me with its big eyes. At first, I didn't want to touch it because what if the mom was around, you know? But he looked really hurt."

A girl gasped beside me.

Jesus.

Zeke continued, pleased with the audience participation, "So I put him in a little shoebox and I made an appointment for him at the vet down the road."

Professor Anderson frowned, "Which is when?"

"Twenty minutes."

"During my class?"

"He's a baby."

She rubbed her forehead and I knew she had fallen for it, or at least, she didn't want to be the asshole that killed a baby animal. "And Julia was with you I assume?"

Just because I was tardy, she thinks I had to be saving a baby squirrel?

"Yeah," he said, smiling, a glint of deviousness in his eye, "she was with me."

An idiot in the back of the room whistled, suggesting that I would actually be stupid enough to hand Zeke thousands of points and unleash his boner tirade across campus.

Zeke glanced at me, painting on his best, goofy-but-concerned expression.

I rolled my eyes, playfully, but questioned my life choices.

Professor Anderson stared at us, then sighed, "Fine. But I want to see pictures of this supposed squirrel."

Zeke nodded while assuring her that she'd be the first to see the 'little guy."

I felt like gagging at the blatant act.

How can they not see it?

Do they not care?

"Alright, go, but you're both getting marked absent."

Christ.

I stifled a groan, grabbed my bag, and rushed out of the room. Zeke was on my heels, following me down the hall and past the closet we rendezvoused in earlier.

"Hey," he said, struggling to catch up until we were out of the building, "slow down."

"Can't."

"Why not?"

I ignored my ponytail whipping in the wind, and continued walking, "Apparently, I have a baby squirrel to save."

Zeke laughed, "That was just something I said to get you out of class."

No shit.

I turned, facing him, in the light, for the first time of the day. Without that smug, dopey grin on his face, he was almost attractive.

"Why?"

"Because no one cares about dying salamanders."

"No," I shook my head, "Why'd you lie to Professor Anderson?"

"Oh," he rubbed the back of his neck and pretended he was adjusting his tie, "I owe you a frozen yogurt run."

I stared at him, "What?"

The sun bared down on us, accusingly.

"Last time we went, you said that you lik-"

"Right," I cut him off, forcing my face to soften, "I can't believe you remembered."

PSA for the ladies: A man will remember anything if it could mean the difference between getting into your panties or not.

Zeke chuckled, "It's one of the only things I know about you, actually. Other than your tendency to steal nail polish from educators."

"I'm going to regret telling you that one day, aren't I?" I loathed the sweet, mind-numbing voice that left my throat, but I knew it was a necessary evil.

"You don't already?"

I laughed, met his gaze, counted to five, and then cleared my throat, "Maybe I will let you steal me away."

"That's generous of you."

"Oh, I know, it's basically charity," I smiled, "I'm going to write it off next tax season."

He clutched his chest as if he was wounded.

"On one condition," I added, quickly, before he could start down the path.

"Yes?"

"Well, there's actually two."

"Tell me," he said, stepping closer, setting off all kinds of alarms in my head.

"First, if I go with you, it's a date, officially."

Zeke paused, as if that was the last thing he expected to come out of my mouth, then agreed, happily. "And the second?"

"I want to go to that," I pointed at the blue flyer posted beside his head and watched him process the request.

"Really?"

"Yeah," I said, taking his hand, "I think it'll be fun, don't you?"

Zeke's hesitation disappeared and his fingers tightened around mine. "I think anything would be fun with you by my side."

My heart thrummed in my chest.

Do people really fall for this crap?