Oakwood Academy (Book 1)

Chapter 6

Before I came to Oakwood, I like to think I was one of the calmest, most rational people I knew. But these people pushed my buttons like no one else had before, so when I saw the cheat sheet, I absolutely lost it.

I ran into the hallway to find Martin, but then thought better of it. This was my chance.

I looked around and finally spotted them—Lu and Guzmán.

I marched right up and thrusted the paper into his hands. He looked confused, but when he recognized what it was, his face started to turn red with anger.

I'd noticed that him and Mariana both did that if you made them mad enough.

"What do you think you're—"

"Save it," I said. "I want you and you," I pointed to Lu, "to stop. Stop messing with us, insulting us, treating us like dirt. Everyone else in this school's gotten used to us. It's been a month!" I hissed. I didn't need to clarify what I meant by "us" either. They understood perfectly. 

"If you don't, it'd be a shame for Martin to find out about this incident."

I turned as if I was about to walk away but thought better of it. Best to make sure they got the message.

"After all, that pesky little zero-tolerance for cheating policy could come back to hurt you." I looked up into Guzmán's eyes to make sure he knew I meant business. What I saw there almost made me falter—pure, unadulterated anger and maybe even a hint of betrayal. I couldn't let that stop me though, he deserved this. Both of them did. I cleared my throat and continued.

"I wouldn't want anyone to get expelled over a little pop quiz like this." And only then, when I felt I'd made my intentions clear did I turn and walk away. 

I looked back only to see Lu snatch the paper from Guzmán and then throw it back at him. Aww, trouble in paradise it seemed.

***

"How could you be so stupid Guzmán?" Lu asked as she stormed away.

Guzmán ran up to her and grabbed her arm to turn her back to him.

"How was I supposed to know she'd be watching me?"

But he did know. He felt as if she was always watching him, but he never minded. In fact, he liked it. 

He didn't want to examine what that could mean.

"Look, Lu it's not even that big of a—"

"Don't say it Guzmán. Don't even say it." Lu pinched the bridge of her nose—something her therapist mother had told her to do when she was younger.

Guzmán removed her arms from her face. He never understood why she did that. It made it difficult for him to take her seriously and laughing at his angry girlfriend would do him no good. He wasn't the smartest person, but he knew that much. 

"How are you so calm right now?" Lu seethed. "That...that girl just threatened you. In your school. Are you really gonna take that?"

"Look—"

"No! Don't 'look' me. When she told you to stop messing with them, you know who she was talking about?" Lu waited for him to catch on, and when he didn't she rolled her eyes and kept going. "That lowlife. The one who keeps trying to mess with your sister, that's who."

Mariana was Guzmán's younger sister. He loved her with all his heart and he'd do anything to protect her. If the new girl—no matter how pretty—wanted him to stand by and let someone hurt his family, she had another thing coming.

"What are we gonna do?"

"No not 'we'. You. What are you gonna do?" Lu smiled and a shiver ran through Guzmán's body. He knew that smile. When it was used within the confines of his bedroom, he loved that smile. But when it wasn't, that smiled scared him.

"And it's a good thing you asked. I have the perfect plan to get rid of her—uh, them. For good."

The thought of never seeing Nadia again wasn't the most appealing, but he definitely wouldn't miss Christian or Samuel. Especially Samuel.

***

It'd been a month and I still didn't have a partner yet.

Our self-selected groups were due, and I didn't have a name to give. My plan was to just wait for someone who was partnerless. Then they'd have no choice but to be with me.

Wow, that sounded pathetic.

No, no, I told myself. There was no time for self-pity, especially after what I'd done to Lu and Guzmán today. I'd stood up for myself in a way I'd never done before and that was something to be proud of.

When it was time to give our names though, something strange happened. Instead of naming Polo or Ander, Guzmán called my name.

Our teacher wrote it down and kept it moving. It wasn't until she told us to meet with our partners for the last fifteen minutes of class to strategize did it hit me what I'd just let happen.

I was going to have to work with the boy I was blackmailing for a major project. In one of my hardest classes. Which would probably end up determining whether or not I would get that scholarship.

Oh shi—