Life of the Party // GD

three

This is so fucking unbearable.

Everywhere I turn, he's there. Every time I glance up, I see his face. 

He ended up in half of my classes, not to mention homeroom.

He's everywhere.

And I hate myself for not hating it enough.

I walked into my English class later Monday morning - Grayson was sitting in the seat in front of mine. Passing him without any interaction on my part other than a mild glare, my insides twisted as he scanned my body before giving a whistle.

Tuesday afternoon I sat down in my math class, sure of my freedom; I was wrong. "Good to see you," the boy whispered in my ear from the seat behind me, sending a jolt through my body as he laughed. The fucking nerve.

On Wednesday, as I waited in line at the caf for my lunch, Grayson tapped my shoulder. Naturally I turned around and, realizing who I was standing with, twirled right back as if I'd never seen him. 

He let out a grunt of frustration and grabbed at my hip, hard. What the fuck is wrong with this asshole?

"You're not getting off that easy," Grayson whispered, before walking away.

Let's hope not.

..............

The weekend was bleak and boring; nothing much other than homework, more unpacking of my stuff, and trying to keep my mind occupied.

Monday and Tuesday were both filled with more catcalling, more touches, more looks that seemed to barrel right into my soul before tearing away. As I kept avoiding his advances Grayson got more and more pushy and I couldn't bear it. I hate having to be around him.

"Lucia?" Alexa snaps her fingers in front of my face. "You there?" Our tablemates giggle as I snap back to the present, smiling absentmindedly. 

"Dude, it's literally only Thursday. Open your eyes, you'll have the weekend to sleep." She laughs.

"Sorry, can't help it with all those bedtime stories of yours," I smile. She swats at me and we all laugh. Sunlight streams through the cafeteria skylights, illuminating our meals and the faces of the other students.

"Anyway, as I was saying-" Alexa restarts her story, whatever the fuck it is. I can't help but be distracted, though, as Grayson brushes past our table roughly with his brother in tow, a single crumpled piece of paper falling into my lap as they walk away.

"That fucking boy," Alexa's friend Jenny groans. "Hot, sure, but just unbearably awful." 

Alexa shifts in her seat for a moment, uncomfortable. "Yeah, he's no fucking prize, that's for sure."

I guess they didn't notice the note.

"Who even is he, anyway?"

"Just some football dick," Alexa snarls. "He's a jerk. Makes a girl think they're a sure thing, takes what he wants, and leaves before she can even bat a fucking eye."

"Biggest fuckboy I've ever met."

"I hear he does drugs!"

"His parties are legendary, though."

"I don't think him and Ethan even have parents."

"Didn't he fuck his last bitch in the science lab?"

"I heard he even got a teacher to give it up!"

As the girls around the table fall into a mindless chat about the boy, I steal a glance at the note he wrote me:

Remember that promise? Meet me in the hallway, west wing by the washrooms. Five mins.

I hate myself for doing this, but I have to see him. I need to prove to myself that Grayson is the awful person everyone's saying he is - maybe then he'll leave my head for good.

I excuse myself and head to my destination - so wrapped up in their conversation, the girls barely notice my departure.

My head is spinning. This was a mistake. One foot after the other, I repeat over and over in my head. One foot after the other.

Then I see him.

Standing alone in the empty hallway, Grayson leans against the lockers, picking at his nails. His brow is furrowed and I can tell he's deep in thought. Grayson's dark hair falls slightly into his eyes and I swear I could gaze at him in this moment for forever. But he turns to me faster than expected - my arms fly up to cross over my chest without me even having to think about it and for a second I wish I wasn't so guarded.

"What is it, Grayson?"

"Nothing, I just wanted to see if you'd come," He grins. "Guess you did."

"I did."

We both pause, taking each other in for a moment.

"I also wanted to re-invite you to the party this weekend. Just a friendly invitation, no shit."

I scoff. He stiffens and his expression turns sour as I speak.

"After the way you've been treating me since we met, you really think I'm gonna take you up on that offer?" I feel my voice turn hard, my words like ice. "I don't even fucking know you, Grayson - and you're gonna dare to insinuate that we could be friends?"

"Careful with that tone, Lucia-"

"Oh, shut the fuck up." I put myself right up close to him until I can feel his heat radiate onto me. "Don't try to be someone you're really fucking not. I've heard more about you than you think, and I know what you want." I hiss. "And I think by now you should know that you're not getting it."

He grabs me by my wrists and I flinch, meeting his eyes. Funnily enough, for just a split second he seems almost scared that he hurt me. As he releases his grip on me, though without letting go, I notice a single welt on the side of his head, streaked with a few fine red lines. 

Scars. A simple blood clot from some form of a cut.

Is he okay?

"I think by now it should be pretty clear to you that I always get what I want," He sneers, pushing down any compassion I felt for him in that fleeting moment.

The bell rings. Students file out of the caf and other rooms, heading to lockers, class and everything in between. Grayson lets go, but doesn't leave without the last word.

"And if that so happens to be you, so be it."

I just stand there in shock at the exchange, watching him walk away.

"What was that about?" Jenny's voice makes me jump.

"Nothing, nothing."

"You sure? That was Grayson, of all people."

I turn to face her. 

"He just catcalled me and I was calling him out. No biggie, I do it all the time." Hopefully she'll believe my cool response. And hopefully it seems chill enough for her to not tell anyone.

"Is it bad that I kinda wish I had that problem?" Thank god.

"Don't wish too hard, it might just come true."

We laugh and part ways, heading to our respective classes. I can't just brush that off, though.

I know I need to stay away from him. I really shouldn't want to see him again, to figure out why he's like this. 

To figure out why he seemed to feel for me in that one moment, after trying to make it so clear that he never would.

I guess some things just can't be helped.