They Call Her Love | ✔️

6: They Call Her a Winner

A week into being grounded and I've decided it's the worst thing my parents have ever done to me. It's been the slowest week of my entire life - I had no phone to communicate to the outside world with, nowhere to go, and no lottery tickets to buy. My schedule consisted of school, work, and home. It was torture.

The members of CrunchTime were chatty people. For every mom/recently divorced/new member that passed through the lobby, a ten-minute conversation about their life followed. It's like my name tag read "therapist" instead of "receptionist". I faked enthusiasm and curiosity through this entire week. I'm sure if I played back the security tapes, I'd make a convincing genuine friend.

It was exhausting.

In class, I found myself waiting for Caleb to show up just to make the day bearable. Since Darcy and I were on completely different schedules, he was the only real person I cared to talk to who had the ability to keep my mind from going crazy.

But that following Monday, I realize that there is another familiar face I have in class.

"LoverGirl!"

My head jerks up at the beginning of first period English and I find Trevor strolling in with his signature grin. I'm delighted to see him wearing jeans and a plain white t-shirt and not the athletic gear I first met him in.

My face naturally lights up. "Trevor! I didn't know you were in this class."

"Sure am, LG," He shortens the nickname, sliding into the seat next to mine He drops his backpack to the ground. "I usually sit all the way in the back because Mr. Cobb likes to pick on the front row, but now that LG's here, I'll make an exception."

I'm flattered by this. "That's sweet. You and your nicknames."

"You feel special?"

"I do," I answer, nodding my head.

"That's the goal. Only a select few get to be my friend."

"Wow," I clutch my heart. "I am touched. No - I am honored that you would extend this gratifying-"

"Okay, okay," He rolls his eyes. "I get it."

"Aw, does wittle Twevoh feel special inside?" I pout at him and pinch his cheek.

He narrows his eyes but smiles. "Evil. I knew I liked you."

"Miss Harrison," Mr. Cobb, easily one of the more attractive teachers because of his young age, hands back the first rough draft of our previous assignment. "Excellent work. I'm anxious to read more about how one can be a minority though their ethnicity serves to be the majority."

I smiled brightly at him. "Thanks Mr. Cobb."

"Uh, Trevor," He began as Trevor stares at him expectantly. "Not sure how you're going to write a five-hundred word essay on how many licks it takes to get to the center of a tootsie pop-"

I try to hold back a laugh but it comes out as a muffled snort instead.

"-but good luck to you. If you want to change your topic before the assignment is due, you're welcome too."

Trevor grins. "Watch me, Mr. C. I got this."

Mr. Cobb fights a laugh before continuing to the rest of the students.

"Really? That's your topic?" I gape at him.

"He said we could write about anything," He points out. "It's the first thing that popped into my head."

"Somehow, I'm not surprised by that."

"Psh," He sticks his tongue out. "I'm going to take that as a compliment, Miss Harrison."