The Rich Boy in a Rock Band

Song 19 ♪ Sugar, I'm Going Down

I was usually right when it came to foreseeing bad shit.

The next morning I woke up early as usual and headed to the girls bathroom in my floor. I wouldn't say I was a morning person, in truth, but it wasn't often that I woke up and was already tired. I guessed it was the prospect of another weird day with Ashton's eyes boring holes on the back of my head.

I found my favorite shower stall and cranked the hot water up. I put all my clothes into a locker and stepped under the hot stream with a sigh. I kneaded my shoulders hoping it would ease the tension off of me, but I knew that this wouldn't be enough to help me deal with a bad boy. A laugh startled out of me. Somehow, despite drowning in music every day, I had forgotten that it was precisely music what always got me out of a funk, and my brain was ready to serve me with just what I needed.

Taking advantage of the perfect echo of the shower stall, I lifted my voice into as good an impression of Olga Tañón as I could serve. She was one of ma's and my favorites. She'd never said so but I always had a feeling that Olga's was the voice she had tried to imitate on stage, just as she tried to emulate Selena's charisma.

"Muchacho, muchacho, muchacho malo, haz hecho de mi lo que tú has querido," I started singing to myself as I soaped up. "Tan solo con verte me descontrolo, con solo un roce yo me derrito."

I refused to accept the truth in the lyrics and kept jamming. This extended my usual shower time but when I stepped out of it I felt refreshed and ready to face whatever crap came my way that day.

And of course, I realized pretty quick that I spoke too soon.

My towel was gone and so were my clothes.

I rubbed my eyes, refusing to believe this. Maybe the hot water had fogged my vision. But when I opened them again I saw that yep, hook and locker were empty. I checked the other nearby lockers to see if I'd put my clothes in a different one from the usual, but they were all empty.

That was when I started to panic. I was wet, naked and far enough from my room that a walk back to it would be terrifying. Plus, I didn't think it'd go well if a nun saw me like this. If anyone saw me naked, period.

My heart started to beat at a trot. This could get me expelled!

"Hello?" I called out, hoping to hear a maniacal cackle at least, so that I could find the culprit and punch them in the face. I tried to cover myself as best as I could with my hands and hair as I walked around, trying to find anybody. I was on the verge of tears now. Who would do something so heinous?

"Is anybody there?" I stopped just on the door, hoping that the prankster would be standing outside and would take pity on the fear in my voice. "Can you please return my clothes?" I smacked the door hard. It wasn't fair that I had to beg when I was the one who was wronged.

Only silence greeted me, though.

I looked at the clock on the wall and began hyperventilating. Most people would start to wake up and come into the bathroom soon. I couldn't just stand and wait to be found on my birthday suit like a freaking pervert. I was full on sobbing when I figured that the bully was not going to spare me any more humiliation.

I took a deep breath and pushed the door open with my shoulder. I poked my head out and looked at each side of the hall. It appeared empty. Without thinking any further I ran to my bedroom and locked the door behind me.

Addy had been in the middle of folding her towel into her toiletries basket and nearly jumped out of her skin at my appearance. With eyes bulging out she asked, "What the hell?"

I just let out the ugliest wail out of my chest. She jumped into action and wrapped me with her own towel. Between sobs I told her what had happened and she drew in a sharp breath.