Stealing from the Bad Boy [completed]

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Tanner seeing my blog means he saw all the posts about Greg, which he obviously knows is him. Shit. I wouldn't have written it if I knew he would read it. It's a blog, I have like 10 followers. I'm still walking to Biology having this mental breakthrough, maybe I need to sit down. Take the rest of the day off.

Reflecting back through the past however many years. All the things Tanner knew which I didn't know he knew, taking about him like I didn't know him and giving his code names to keep the animosity all the while the person I'm keeping anonymous is reading it knowing it isn't anonymous. UGH. I'm confusing myself. I'd normally say he's always one step ahead, but now he has just proven that my whole life is a lie and he's really been a complete kilometre in front of me. All the while making me think I'm ahead. Fucking genius is what that is.

The lab coats we wear in Biology don't protect me from the air conditioning. Either the whole class is suffering or I'm developing a cold, either way, the tissues are getting used frequently.

"Natalie!"

"Huh," I look up from my laptop I never turned on.

"Is this an example of Endocytosis or Exo?" She pointed to the whiteboard with a messy drawing.

"Endo," I guess.

The teacher walks up to me slowly, the whole class including myself watching her float across the room. "Miss Hart, I'm very disappointed you're not paying attention in class. Please don't do it again or I'll," the last three words hit me like bullets, "call.your.parents."

"Sorry Ms," I simply explain and look toward the whiteboard. She's bluffing. Nearly everyone else in this class is playing games, like I'm the one she's mad at, she saw me as an opportunity to scare everyone else, and it worked.

The whole class listened and took down notes about Diffusion and other Biology related crap. It's probably one of the most productive lessons I've had.

"Okay class," she claps "that is it for this lesson," the students grab their books as quick as they can and make it to period 4 before Ms can say "this is all due tomorrow."

Business Studies is actually pretty good, we work on our presentations for next term and I get to chill out and listen to music the whole time. I barely notice the time fly by until the teacher starts packing up and turning off the lights, ushering us out.

'To lunch,' I say in my head as Robin would say 'to the Batmobile.' Lunch will be nowhere near as exciting as the Batmobile though. Placing sheet and extra notes in my folder from Business I run into a random, he looks about 14. "Sorry," I apologise and close my folder that he ran into.

"Sorry," his voice is high pitched. Bless 'em. We walk our separate ways but he calls back out. "Are you Natalie?"

Depends whose asking. "Who wants to know?"

"You're like famous, he put your poster up."

"What?"

"The popular guy."

I turn around and fully face him, taking large steps to come face to face. "Tanner?" I ask hoping he has me confused and says no.

"Yeah. He wants to talk to you."

I turn on my heel and start to jog to my locker, "Thanks," I turn back to him before I walk down the corridor stairs.

"Tanner!" I yell as a turn the corner to the quad. I forget about all the recent things that have happened between us and suddenly I'm taken back to eight grade, our innocent pranks. I did one similar to this and he did the same back to me, only mine had less of an effect.

'Have you seen this girl?' the poster read with my 9th grade photo on it, braces and all. 'Likes Sean Connery, Pig Latin and sequels (except Charlie and the Chocolate Factory)' the shiny paper continues.

"Tanner!" my scream echoes through the students.

"Oh Nat, just the person I've wanted to see." He emerges from a group of teenage boys, his posse.

"I thought I was civil this morning, kind even and this," I gesture around the quad, to the people staring "is how you repay me."

"Now hold on a sec." He steps out clearly in front of his friends and they all step back, I in turn move toward him.

"You always found the jokes funny, didn't you? You never actually thought of the consequences. The only concern you had was how to beat it for next time. While I on the other hand sat in the middle of the Brooks Oval..."

"The what?" He genuinely sounded interested.

"The oval behind the science rooms with the..." he let me ramble on. "That's not the point," I correct. "You got over it, I didn't and frankly the only reason I'm not going to leave right now is because we have English next period." When the words come out of my mouth it sounded funnier than in my head.

I turn once more and walk into the crowd of confused looks, random people I'd seen before, ones older than me, one's that made fun of me. I'm pretty sure I saw Andrew in the crowd too but I don't mind.

I head straight to my locker, I'll get all of my books now and prepare my bag for when I leave so all I have to do after class is grab my bag and drive on home. In 7 minutes class would start and an hour after that so would my afternoon.

I walk in and sit down in a random spot when Miss comes in and opens the door. Rachel Walsh sits down next to me, we've talked before but we haven't really talked. If you know what I mean. If someone asked me which way you spell her Rachel/Rachael I would have no idea.

Tanner walks in and flies straight passed me without making eye contact, however the rest of the class's eye dart in my direction.

"Today we will practice how to write a love letter, considering Valentine's Day is so soon." Perfect. "Write it to who you want, I won't read them. However if you do give it to someone maybe let someone check spelling errors."

Mrs Haft was the perfect teacher, some days she was harsh, but others she was so carefree and nonchalant I wanted to hug her. Of course the second she said 'I won't read them' half the class rejoiced, a whole period where they could do whatever they want. I continued on my Business Report however without all my notes it took longer than desired. From what I could gather Rachel beside me started drawing. She kept her books between us like a barrier but I could hear the pencil on the paper.

Half way through the lesson and 3 quarters of my was into my assignment I get a piece of paper placed on my desk, when I turn around to see who sent it I see the back of Dominic Brown, the one who sat next to Tanner.

I look down at the blank paper and turn it over. The sharpie markings and moustaches, devil horns and t-shirts labelled slut. I had enough. I left the paper on my desk face down, took my laptop and left class. I didn't say goodbye to Mrs Haft and I didn't care.