The Girl in the Boys' Dorms

Chapter Twenty: Any moment is the perfect moment when I'm with you.

The Girl in the Boys' Dorms - Chapter Twenty: Any moment is the perfect moment when I’m with you.

There was nothing even remotely pleasant in my reflection. My hair was plastered to my face, soaked with iced tea; there were streaks of tears and mascara marking my cheeks; and my shoulders were slumped in what felt distinctly like defeat.

And it wasn’t like I hadn’t seen this coming. To be honest, I should’ve known that this would have happened sooner or later. Evelyn had hated me since the second she laid eyes on me, and my dating Chase hadn’t helped the cause in the slightest. Then, like an idiot, I’d gone and sat at her table with him, which could only spell trouble for me - and it had.

Running my fingers through my sticky tresses, I sucked a breath in through my teeth. I was a mess. A complete, utter, pitiful mess of a person.

It was a knock on the girls’ bathroom door that brought me out of my miserable thoughts. Crossing across the tile, I paused at the entrance, my hand hovering over the handle. “I… Please leave.”

“Let me in, Bailey.” A familiar voice, one that sent tingles down my spine, murmured from the other side. “It’s Evan. I just want to talk to you, make sure that you’re okay.”

Deciding it was better to just let him in, I pulled the door open a crack, careful not to meet his concerned gaze. Instead, I mumbled, “This is the girls’ room, Evan.”

“Does it look like I care?” He said, bursting in hastily. He slammed the door shut again behind him, spinning the lock quickly. “Now, come here.” Evan spread his arms in a welcoming gesture, and I hesitated for barely a minute, before shooting myself against his chest.

He was warm, gentle, inviting. We molded together like two pieces of a puzzle, and I found myself inhaling his smooth cologne. Without giving it a second thought, I blurted, “Why are you doing this, Evan? I’m hideous; a total loser.”

Groaning, Evan pushed me back, keeping his hands firmly on my shoulders. “Look at me, Bailey.” He tipped my chin up a little with his finger, forcing me to gape straight into his beautiful irises. “Don’t you ever say that again. You’re not hideous, not in the least.”

“I am.”

“Bailey Underwood, you’re the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen.” Evan promised. “You’re smart, funny, charming. You’re amazing, Bailey, as far as I’m concerned.”

“Even with iced tea in my hair?”

“Even with iced tea in your hair.”

Slowly, as though he was gauging my reaction, Evan leaned forward. I didn’t let him worry any longer, though, and closed the gap easily. And then I was kissing him, and he was cupping my face, and I was clutching at the folds of his shirt.

He tasted like spearmint gum. His skin was cool against my tearstained cheek. And suddenly, it was like we weren’t in the girls’ bathroom anymore. It was like I hadn’t just been humiliated in the cafeteria, like no one had poured iced tea all over me, like no one had laughed at me. It was just Evan’s arms wrapped around my waist, his lips on mine.

…

Dear Miss Bailey Underwood,

I am pained to inform you, that due to your recent behavior, you have been issued ten days of afterschool detentions with Dr. Colton, in Science Lab C. In addition to your punishments, you will also be required to attend two meetings a week with your building manager, Mrs. Turner, for the remainder of the semester. These meetings will aid in exploring the tensions between Miss Evelyn Walker and yourself.