You and Me

Chapter 13: Does My Hotness Make You Drool?

Lori's POV

I woke up on my bed a few minutes later to find everyone staring at me.  As soon as my eyes fluttered open, they started talking.

"Can I get you anything, babe?" Wes asked, anxiously.

"You all right there, Lori?" Will questioned, protectively.

"I think she fainted because she was so star struck by me," Zac inserted, with a smirk on his face.

"LORI, YOU SCARED ME!!!" Aunt Cynthia whined.

"Guys, guys!" I interrupted.  "I'm fine.  Really!"  They all exchanged worried looks, silently judging the authenticity of my statement.

Wes was the one to break the silence.  "You obviously aren't fine if you fainted, Lori.  And you looked really sick earlier..."

"Yup. Definitely not fine," Zac added, making a disgusted face. "I thought you were gonna puke all over me."  Leave it to Zac to make a joke of the situation.  Instead of lightening up the mood, his words had the opposite effect on my sometimes-overbearing aunt.

"It must be your period!! Ok, boys.  Out!" she commanded in her authoritative voice.  They all started to protest—especially Wes—but she stood her ground.  Plus, they didn't want to be around a girl on her time of the month.  Within seconds, my aunt and I were the only two left in the room.  "So, you wanna tell me what's really up?" she asked, calmly.

I assessed the situation.  I could refuse to answer, but the lawyer in her would grill me till she got her answers.  I could lie, but she would be on to me right away.  It was best to just tell her the truth.

"I'm waiting," she added, impatiently.  Fine.  I guess I have no choice.

"I can't go to school," I declared.  I kept my argument short and to the point.  Hopefully, she'd see reason. 

"And why not?" she challenged.

"Because I can't," I tried.

"That's not a reason," she pointed out.

"Because people might be mean to me," I reasoned.

"Why would they?  I'm sure they'll love you."

"I won't know anyone there."

"You'll make friends."

"Because people might know what happened!!  And they'll look down on me because of what happened with her!!!"  Silence.  She had no response for that one.  Because the truth is, it is very likely that someone had heard of what happened.  Someone would know.  And then they'd all talk.

"Lori...honey, you can't just...you can't stop living because of what happened years ago.  You still have to go to get an education."

"Getting my education isn't the problem," I countered. "Facing those people is." 

She still didn't give in to my arguing.  "And how are you supposed to get your education if you don't go to school?" she asked me. 

"Good question, my dear aunt."  Where I got my carefree tone from, I have no idea.  "We are living in the 21st Century.  There is an alternative to students called online schooling.  An alternative, might I add, that would still enable me to get my education."  She seemed a bit fazed by my fancy words.

"Online school?" she repeated.  It looked like she was starting to get my point so I decided to bring out the big guns—beg.

"Please, auntie, please! You know I'm a smart girl.  I can do this.  I can go to an online school to get my education.  Please!! Have some faith in me!!" I pleaded with her. 

"I don't know, Lori..." she trailed off.

"Oh, c'mon, Aunt C!  Let's just try!!" I begged, sensing that I had almost convinced her.  I saw her resolve fade in her eyes, and I knew that victory was mine.  "Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!" I said, happy that I wouldn't have to go through torture. 

I spent the rest of the day lounging around with Zac and Wes, happy that I no longer had to worry about going to school.

* * *

It was 7 am on August 18th, and I was awake.  Why, you ask?  Because I was nervous.  Yeah, it was true that I no longer had to physically attend school, but my problems didn't end there.  Wes would be starting school, and this simple fact made me want to hurl.

He was in college.  He attended one of the most prestigious universities in the world.  Why would an intelligent and hot nineteen-year-old man want to date a seventeen-year-old kid?  He could have any woman he wanted.  And yes, he did choose me, but there was nothing stopping him from changing his mind.  There would be gorgeous girls in his classes, walking around campus, asking him for help with homework, studying with him late at night...well, you get the picture.

Call me an insecure girlfriend, but my worries aren't pointless.

And just as I was fretting about not seeing him all day, my bedroom door opened to reveal my boyfriend.  (Have I mentioned how hot he is?)  He was wearing a plaid shirt with the sleeves rolled up and some shorts that showed off his tan and muscular legs.  His blond hair was in the usual styled-mess around his face.  And his deep blue eyes were alight with amusement as he had just caught me checking him out.

"I know I'm hot, but you don't have to drool," Wes said, unable to hold back his signature smirk.  And sure enough, there was dried up drool on the corner of my mouth.  Way to hold on to your boyfriend, Lori!

"Has anyone ever told you that you have a huge ego?" I challenged.  But he wasn't deterred by my response.

"Only you, babe," he answered.  For some reason, this caused me to blush.  He came closer and sat next to me on the bed.  "Why are you up so early?" he asked, changing the topic.

"Couldn't sleep."  But he seemed to sense what I was really feeling. 

"Nervous?"  I shook my head and he raised one eyebrow in response.  "I can tell that you are, so you might as well tell me why," he prodded.  Darn you, smart boyfriend. 

Sigh.  "Fine. I just...uh...think it'll be weird.  Not being with you today."  I tried to be vague as possible, but he seemed to know what the issue was as soon as the words left my mouth.

"Is this about other girls?" he asked, bluntly.

"No...?"  But the word came out like a question.

"Good, because you don't need to worry about competition," he replied matter-of-factly.

"And why not?" I couldn't help but ask.

"Because you're a magician."

"Huh?"

"Ever since I fell in love with you, everyone else disappeared."

Awww...isn't that sweet!?

(Wes and Lori<3)

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