Breaking Her Rules

Chapter 39

Exams are almost upon us, which means that most of the senior year has taken to rocking up to school with wild bed hair and baggy eyes from long nights spent studying and finishing assignments. I'm mostly freaking out about chemistry, because it's the one subject that has the most amount of complicated content.

It's Monday lunchtime and I'm sitting at a table under a tree outside C block. I have two chemistry books open in front of me. Beside me Ainsley is selling cupcakes to raise money for the dog shelter, and I'm trying to help her out while studying.

Kate and Josie come out of C block and approach us.

'Hey, I'm raising money for the local animal shelter. They constantly need more money for food, beds and toys, as well as money to advertise the animals that are available for adoption. If they can't get people to adopt the animals they will eventually have to be put down because the shelter can't afford to keep them all.'

Kate and Josie buy a cupcake each, and then Kate asks me a question about the English assignment while Ainsley explains more about the dogs at the shelter to Josie, who seems really interested.

While I'm distracted with Kate, I don't notice another guy walking up to our table, and I only look up when Ainsley flicks me hard on the wrist.

Jake is standing over the table, while Toby is standing a couple of meters back, with his arms crossed over his chest.

'How much for a cupcake?' Jake asks.

'One dollar fifty,' Ainsley says, and I can hear a tremor in her voice. I don't know when the last time was that she spoke to her ex-boyfriend.

Jake hands over three dollars and Ainsley pushes two pink cupcakes towards him.

'Listen,' Jake says quietly. 'Toby doesn't want me to say this. But thanks for what you did with Taylor at Johnny's party. You guys didn't have to do that, and she really appreciates your help. You guys were good. Thanks for sticking up for Landor.'

'No worries,' I say.

The boys leave, and I turn to see Ainsley's expression. 'I can't believe that,' she says quietly.

I smirk. 'What, that Jake actually had the nerve to talk to you after all the shit he did?'

Ainsley laughs. 'No. He bought two cupcakes! We're all sold out!'

Ainsley starts counting the money out diligently and putting it into a white envelope that is neatly marked "Shelter Donation".

There are two cupcakes left, but Ainsley takes one and pushes one towards me.

'I might just have half and save it for the afternoon, I don't know,' Ainsley says.

'Just eat it. You deserve it after working your butt off all through lunch.'

Ainsley grins at me and hands me a cupcake and then takes the last one. She takes a bite out of it gingerly.

I take an unnecessarily large bite, getting pink frosting all over my lip, and then splutter. 'Oh my god,' I say.

'What?' Ainsley asks, her cheeks reddening. 'Are they bad? They don't have any milk or eggs.'

I swallow. 'Oh. No. They're great, I promise.'

*

After school I find Lucas with a few other Prisley boys, excluding Duncan, waiting at the bus stop. He waves at me as I approach, although I see a few terse whispers between the Prisley guys, so Lucas stands up and walks over to join me.

'Are your boys pissed about Duncan?'

Lucas laughs. 'Actually, I think everyone's secretly a bit relieved that someone put him in his place. I'm a bit of a hero, to be honest. But it really was all Violet's doing.'