We Were Once Wallflowers Part: One - An Extreme Dark Bully Romance

Part 3 - The Choice - Scene 2 - Tuesday

Originally written and posted on 3/24/2024 

Please Note: This first draft is subject to change upon official publication, including the addition of never-before-read scenes. If you enjoyed this chapter, please show your support by liking and following me for more smutty dark romance featuring all the controversial elements readers love—or love to hate.

Part 3 - The Choice - Scene 2

Jane sat alone midway up the bleachers, escaping the chaos of first lunch period. With the winter air crisp against her skin, she took another bite of her smashed peanut butter and marmalade sandwich and began to chew, leaning back on her elbows. She watched the clouds drift overhead, their shadows casting fleeting patterns across the ground below. Occasionally, the sun broke through the gray, casting a warm glow on her rosy cheeks.

A step echoed at the far end of the bleachers, sending a shiver down Jane's spine. Her heart quickened as a voice shattered her peaceful silence. "What are you doing out here, Janey?"

Jane's muscles tensed involuntarily at the sound of Cooper's voice, causing her to sit up straight. It seemed there was nowhere she could hide from them.

More footsteps echoed up the steps as Cooper leisurely ascended the bleachers, making his way down her row. He settled beside her, the warmth of his thigh pressing against hers.

Nudging her with his leg, he took a drag from his cigarette before exhaling the smoke in her direction. "Why are you here?" he inquired.

Jane held up her barely touched sandwich that was smashed in her backpack. Cooper plucked it from her hand, his fingers brushing against hers, before taking a bite, chewing slowly.

Returning the sandwich moments later, he remarked, "Not bad, Janey. But that doesn't answer my question." His thigh nudged hers once more. "Why are you in my spot?"

Jane frown at him, casting a quick glance around the deserted bleachers. Every other seat lay vacant. She grabbed her bag and shuffled further down the bench, the cold metal uncomfortable beneath her.

"You think you're funny, huh?" Cooper slid in beside her, his leg bumping into hers once more, a crooked grin on his lips. His hand settled on his own thigh before sliding over to rest on her knee. "Don't move," He instructed, his thumb tracing small circles over her thigh, rendering Jane speechless. His touch was gentle, his hand radiating warmth.

"I come out here to think. To get away from all the bullshit," he explains between drags of his cigarette, blowing smoke towards Jane, who coughed in response, prompting a laugh from him. "You know, I'll be graduating soon and then I'm free. Got into Edgewood University. Can you believe it? Guess I'm not such a big fuckup after all, huh?" He laugher held a bitter edge as silence enveloped them. "You're a sophomore, right?"

Jane met his gaze, nodding silently, her desire to take a bite of her sandwich forgotten.

"Your last two years here will be fine. We'll be gone and out of your way ... but probably not forgotten, right?" His grip tightened on her tight, not quite painful, but certainly noticeable. "Will you remember us, Janey? Remember me?"

Jane's breath caught in her throat, a frown etching itself onto her brow as a cloud unveiled the sun, forcing her to squint. The way the sunlight fell over Cooper made her want to smile. She found the hue of his eyes captivating.

This time, it was Cooper who averted his gaze, turning to face the field, and taking another drag on his cigarette as a darker cloud stole the sun.

Jane wrestled with words, a part of her convinced that she would never be unable to forget the terrible things they had done and said in the two years she had been at the school.

He takes another drag, longer this time, almost finishing the cigarette. When he exhaled, he turned his head away from her. "Can I ask you something?" he said, flicking the cigarette onto the bleacher in front of him and snuffing it out with his shoe. His hand crept back to her thigh, just above the knee, fingers inching lower until they curled behind her knee. Exhaling a lungful of smoke, he met her gaze. "If I wanted to hurt you, would you let me?"