First Time | Protector 3.1 | Wattys2017

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Jerome

       "My ankle still hurts," I whined, mainly just to annoy Ryder. It didn't really hurt unless I put too much pressure on it, but I liked annoying Ryder. It was fun.

       "Yeah, I heard you the first ten times," Ryder said as he continued driving to the high school. "Please, do me a favor and stop whining."

       "Aw, but that's not fun," I said. "I live to annoy you."

       "You didn't even know about me three years ago," Ryder pointed out.

       "I know, and those were dark times."

       "Mae, can we kick him out of the apartment?" Ryder asked, pulling into the parking lot. "Like, I don't want to live with him anymore." He then pulled into a parking space and turned off his car. "I'm so done with you, Jerome."

       "Aww, Mae, your husband is being mean to me," I said. "Can you divorce him?"

       "What? No," Mae said, opening the car door. "I will if you break up with Nolan."

       "What? Mae!" Ryder said.

       Mae snorted and rolled her eyes as she got out of the car. "Oh, like you really think Jerome will break up with Nolan, or that I will want to divorce you. I totally do. That's why I married you, just so I can divorce you."

       "Ha ha, so funny," Ryder said as he got out of the car. "Would I get in trouble for taking one of Jerome's crutches and hitting him over the back of the head with it?"

       "Don't be so rude," I said as Mae helped me out of the car, then grabbed my crutches. I placed them under my arm and waited for Mae and Ryder to close the car doors. "I could whack you over the head."

       "Do it, and you're never seeing Nolan again."

       "You can't tell me what to do."

       "You know what I can do? Kick you out of the studio."

       I gasped. "You wouldn't dare."

       "Oh. But I would."

       Mae sighed. "Okay, can we just go talk to Mrs. Goth about the whole Pride celebration? I don't want to hear you arguing anymore."

       "You do realize we'll probably argue more because there's a dance rehearsal today, right?" Ryder said. "And Jerome will be whining that he can't dance, so I'm going to have to put up with him again."

       "Well....He's not work," I said. "But Mae is right. We should go talk to whoever the principal is. Well, you two can. I see a lot of students outside so I'm guessing it's lunch time, so I will let you off this once and go bug the cutest Prince family member."

       "No, leave Nolan alone," Ryder said. "Besides, you're the one who volunteered to talk to Mrs. Goth about it."

       "Yeah, as an excuse to come to the high school during the day and see Nolan," I said. "You actually wen to this school, and Mae for half a year. And didn't your parents go here as well? And your aunt and uncle teaches here? They know you better."

       Ryder sighed. "Fair point. Alright, I'll do the talking, but you still have to be there."

       "Aww. Fine, I'll be there too."

       I totally wasn't going to be there.

       The three of us made our way into the school and I was going to go into the opposite direction to see if I could find Nolan, but Ryder quickly grabbed a hold of my shoulder. "The office is this way," he said.