Proceed With Caution

Chapter 9

Angelina's POV

Five days had passed since my detention with Mr Harrison, and since then I had been avoiding trouble with him at all costs. Although such actions completely juxtaposed my 'I Wanna Be Popular' agenda, I felt like I should let him take a breather before I struck again.

The bell rang, signalling five minutes until the end of lunchtime. I told Carrie and Connor to go ahead to class as I needed to get something from my locker. The hallways were surprisingly empty.

I opened up my locker and grabbed my Calculus textbook. As I closed my locker and was about to leave, I heard the patter of running footsteps. I turned around and saw Jessica Monet running towards me.

"Velazquez! Wait!" she shrieked.

"Monet. What do you want?" I asked monotonously. She paused to catch her breath, leaning against the lockers for support.

"I want to call off the bet. It's unfair." she stated, still breathing heavily. I raised my eyebrows.

"What do you mean by that?" I said. "Are you just saying that because you're failing?"

"Yeah no shit, Sherlock. I can't win this kind of thing. I mean, it's not that I can't get any guy I want. Believe me, I can. Last year at my dad's birthday party, I got his boss who's been married for thirty years to sleep with me."

"You... you what? Look, I don't think that's exactly something to be proud of. I mean, fuck whoever you want, chica, but stay away from the married men. That's some home-wrecker shit right there."

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever. He was weak. Anyway, this time, it's the target that's the problem," she said.

"Oh, really? And you thought you could get any guy to sleep with you?! Oh, you're such a fucking joke!" I laughed.

"Shhhh! Shut up!" she hissed. "It's not that I can't get him. It's not my fault, it's just that Mr Harrison is a dead-end."

"Dead-end? What do you mean? Is he playing hard to get?"

"No, he's impossible to get, I'm telling you. He's one hundred percent gay."

"Gay? How would you know that?" I said skeptically.

"Bitch, please, any guy that doesn't want me has to be gay." she said, rolling her eyes.

"Wow. Someone's in love with herself." I commented.

"It's called being confident. But that's not the point. I demand we call off the bet."

"I say we don't call it off. He's not gay. It's just that you're too proud to admit that you can't have your way with every single guy you come across."

"How do you know he's not gay? Do you know something?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Well..." I began. I probably should tell her what I know to make this fair play.

"You see, I had detention with him last week and when I was about to leave, some woman, who could be his girlfriend or wife, called him on his phone to yell at him."

"Maybe it's his mom," Jessica suggested. I shook my head.

"Uh, no. The person on the line yelled 'We've been together for four years'. So unless he's down some incestuous rabbit hole, I think he's got a partner."