[Excerpt] [Bad Boy's Guide to...] Being Not Good (Bad Boy's Guide Book 1)

Chapter One: Avery

That morning started out fantastically, as usual. Dad dropped Ebony and me at school. Then, my BFF Blair and I met at our lockers and caught up on everything we'd missed in each other's lives between then and about eleven the night before. Then I got to class just as the last bell rang – although I wasn't the only one – and sat down next to Miles.

The perfect boyfriend.

Miles was sweet and kind and funny and totally popular.

As the teacher got himself ready for the lesson, I watched as Miles talked with Becker. I never really paid much attention to them when they were talking because it was usually about sports and teams I knew nothing about. But, I liked to watch the way Miles laughed and how excited he got about things that mattered to him while I waited to say hi to him.

Usually, now was the time he turned to kiss me between his conversations with Becker. But, that morning, he didn't. He didn't even seem to notice I was there until Mr Richards called for our attention and Miles gave me a weird nod and not even a half-smile before opening his books.

I was left confused, but assumed he wasn't snubbing me on purpose. Because Miles didn't do that. I talked it over with Blair in our next class, and she was sure it must have had something to do with the fact they were playing their biggest rivals for their first game of the season on Saturday.

Which, of course it did. Miles took his sport very seriously and I was very proud of him for that.

Except, when I went to find him at his locker as usual at the start of Recess, I started to suspect it didn't have anything to do with that weekend's sport match at all.

"You're...breaking up with me?" I asked slowly, trying to put it together in my head.

Miles had the decency to look like it was a hardship. "Yeah."

"Um... Okay." I looked around at the crowd gathering around us in the hallway. "Can I ask why?"

He shrugged, those big brown eyes looking anywhere but my face as he ran his hand through his sandy-blond hair. "We're going in different directions. We had our fun, you know? But, now it's time to move on."

"Right. And, does this have anything to do with Cindy?"

The crowd muttered among themselves; yeah, I bet no one thought I knew about that. Miles looked at me then and I saw the briefest flicker of guilt. I was under the impression it was at being found out rather than the actual act of screwing another girl behind my back. But, it was better than nothing, I guessed.

"It's not what you think, Avery."

It never was. "Isn't it?"

He shook his head like his explanation was going to make it all make sense, like I'd forgive him once I knew why he'd done it, like it was all in aid of world peace or something, the greater good, even. "You're just so... You're too good."

Too good? How was that even a thing? Even the kids in the crowd didn't seem to think that was a decent excuse – although, I didn't hear them disagreeing. "What?"

"Good. You're so sweet and pure and innocent and...such a good girl, you know?"

"We've had sex." And, now the whole school knew. Brilliant.

He shrugged again and I could see me giving up my virginity to him had made a lasting impression. Not. "I just..." He shrugged again.

I think I got where this was going. "Ah. You want the girl who wears the pretty swing dress to meet your grandma and then lets you do her dirty in your car after, huh?"