Playing The Player

:Chapter Thirty-One:

I avoided him like a fatal disease; I hadn't talked to Blake in three days.

Originally, I had thought this out like a detox. A diet, in a way. If I could just clear my head, then I would be able to understand what I wanted, and how I wanted to get there. I would know which questions I wanted to ask, because believe me, there were quite a few of them. Everything had to be understood before I could tell him I liked him, and what better way to clear my head then to stay away from him?

Turns out, there were a lot of better ways. Even though I avoided him, it was impossible for him to get out of my head.

I bit my lip, arranging my pens and my books on the table as the teacher started lecturing. For some reason, not being able to talk to Blake hurt me internally. I knew it hurt him as well, unless I was somehow imagining the looks of confusion and pain on his face every time my willpower to stay away from him faltered. Perhaps once upon a time, I would've just assumed that I was imagining it, but with his recent confession out in the open, I somehow didn't think so.

A note landed on my table, disrupting my train of thought. Courtney was sitting to my left, and while her facial expression was completely innocent, her hand rested a few inches away from the note, and her exercise book had a ripped page from it. Glancing quickly at the teacher to make sure he wasn't looking at me, I opened the note.

What's going on with you and Blake?? I swear you guys haven't talked in ages.

I bit my lip again; I hadn't told her about what Blake had told me. Truthfully, I wasn't sure if I wanted to tell anyone. It was a big deal; it wasn't like it was everyday when a notorious player really liked someone. Making up my mind on what to say, I scribbled on the note hastily.

I don't know what to say to him.

I folded the note up quietly and pushed it towards her. I didn't dare look at her facial expression as the teacher had shot me a suspicious look, but it was just too easy to imagine the look of surprise on Courtney's face. A slight nudge on my hand told me she had replied.

Tell me what happened already bitch!! You've never had trouble talking before

He told me he liked me... :/

Seriously?!

Yeah it's all seriousness here, I don't know what to do, I've been avoiding him but I want to talk to him but I don't know what to say, everything's so complicated... help me!!

If Courtney was about to provide me with a solution that would fix everything, I didn't get to see it. The note was snatched just as Courtney finished reading it. Our heads snapped us to see Mr Miller clutching the note with a sort of triumphant look on his face. I didn't have to look at Courtneys' face to know that it held the same dread filled look that filled mine; Mr Miller had a cruel punishment for those who wrote notes to each other in class; one that would be incredibly embarrassing for the students.

And this was no exception.

"Miss Summers, Miss Grace... passing notes in class, I see," He said, a twisted smile on his face as he flattened the note out and walked back to the front of the class, clearing his throat as he went. "You know I have no choice but to read this note aloud," He said dramatically, giving a sigh. "What's going on with you and Blake, question mark question mark?" He adopted a high, girlish pitch, sending the class laughing, "Two question marks. Very punctual. I swear you guys haven't talked in ages!" He dramatized the word 'ages' out. "Miss Summers, I'm going to presume that you were the one who started the note, judging by the way the dots on your 'I's have been replaced by little circles," He said wryly.

"I don't know what to say to him." Mr Miller said in a sad tone, giving a little forlorn sigh as though he really was upset about what was happening. While the class seemed to find this hilarious, Courtney and I shared a look of dread.

Mr Miller read the next line, and his eyes widened for a second before his lips turned up in another twisted smile, no doubt made by the word 'bitch.' He opened his mouth, "Tell me what happened bitch exclamation mark exclamation mark," He mimicked, and if the class weren't already loud enough, hearing old, cranky Mr Miller say the word 'bitch' was enough. "You've never had trouble talking before!" He looked at me, wicked amusement in his eyes. "Why, you certainly do have to face quite a lot of problems in your lifetime, huh? Oh, I just don't know what to say! It's just tragic that you have problems talking to Blake."

I braced myself mentally, not wanting to cringe when he read out the next time.

"He told me he liked me, dot dot dot, semi-colon forward dash."

Immediately, the class stopped laughing and whispers broke out. I looked at Courtney in dread, and she was looking back at me, a horror struck look on her face. Telling my best friend was hard enough, but now the teacher had told the whole class.

"You lying bitch!" Amber Jeffrey yelled, standing up and pointing her finger at me. "Blake would never go for a loser like you!"

Other girls stood up, yelling at each other, and suddenly, it was World War III. I had no idea what to do, and Mr Millers' attempts at trying to regain control were fruitless. I shared a look with Courtney, and we nodded in unison. We needed to get out of here. Grabbing our bags, we left the classroom without too many people noticing.

"The bell rings in," Courtney checked her phone, "Fifteen minutes. What do you want to do?"

I shrugged. "Just sit down somewhere, I guess." I felt exhausted.

She nodded. "I'll meet you in the courtyard? I have to talk to my biology teacher." She made a face, and I laughed, nodding as I agreed.

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Hey you, yes you with the face, you're fucking AMAZING. :)