The Shadow Of The Innocent

One

'Year 12 and I'm still not getting any dick.' A friend of Kate's carelessly stated, groaning against the table. Kate wondered how she could complain of such a thing, yet hardly notice the dozens of boys who watched the pair from various directions in the school court yard.
'I think that should hardly be a concern when you're in year 12, Brooke.' Kate wasn't wrong. She was only two months into the year and it had proven itself to be difficult. Kate was an extremely clever girl, having found herself to wind up in the highest maths class available and easily slide herself into an exclusive admission into the school's prestigious physics program. And yet. It wasn't like she was failing or anything, only that she was finding it difficult to produce work higher than a C. Her heart wasn't in any of the subjects she was taking. Her friend's grades suggested a similar issue, with her multiple napping sessions in class leading her to attain a large variety of D's and C's.
'Dick helps me focus, Kay. Cum is like, the single most powerful drug.' Kate scrunched up her nose in disgust of the mental image before her, while Brooke let out a cute snort. She sighed, feeling embarrassed FOR her. They were sitting amongst their friends, or rather a large selection of 'popular kids' (AKA kids who were popular amongst themselves but generally hated amongst the rest of their year level) and at least three of the boys had begun to eavesdrop fairly unsubtly. Kate felt like calling each and every one of them out with a snide comment like 'well I think that there's quite a few boys listening who are eager to invite you over so they can whip one out.' But she refrained. Contrary to popular belief, Kate didn't enjoy adhering to the stereotype of 'pretty girl is a bitch.' Instead, she sighed and decided to move the conversation along.
'Okay but I can kind of see where you're coming from. I'm honestly so bored from all of this studying. I feel like I need to just. Do something to loosen my brain up.' Kate hardly expected much to come from this comment other than a swift move away from talk of penis. So, when one of the boys sitting on the crowded table they shared replied, she was rather taken aback. Yet, at the same time, a familiar voice deep inside of her replaced this surprise with knowing. Boys were always watching her. She was getting rather tired of it, honestly. Privacy was a luxury she was unaccustomed to.
'I'm actually staying over at a friend's tomorrow, if you'd like to come.' Replied Nathan, one of the skinnier boys in the group. Kate allowed a puff of breath to escape her lips, sinking further into the chair beneath her as shiny, ebony hair fell around her shoulders. She knew all too well how teenage boys were and she was no fool; Kate was fully aware that she was pretty. Hell, she'd been told that far too many times. Girls like her, Kate thought, had to protect themselves from boys. In the two seconds she had to think, the young girl wondered how she could turn down this suggestive offer without coming across as too bitchy.
'I don't know, Nathan. I think I'd rather take Netflix over two body's worth of testosterone any day.' She turned her head to the left softly, her words rolling of her tongue. To an outsider, she appeared nonchalant and collected. She, however, was the complete opposite. And as Nathan began to reply, she initiated an argument within herself, taking scolding after scolding for saying literally the bitchiest thing she could have possibly come up with.
'Firstly, ouch. And secondly, the friend is a she.' The boy across from her replied, crossing his arms as if he had won some sort of challenge.
Kate let out a submissive 'oh', feeling a soft shade of pink blush its way across her cheeks. She chewed on the inner corner of her cheek, a poor habit, as she sat up straighter in an effort to hide her embarrassment. All surrounding conversation had seemed to cease just for her. It was a one man show she didn't wish to star in.
'It's just an offer, Kay.' Kay. Nathan really went and pulled out the nickname on her. She smiled gently, to bide time for herself while her mind tried to come to a logical conclusion. It's not that she didn't want to hang out with Nathan. It's just that they were only really friends by association, she didn't know the guy that well. Something deeper within herself, however, allowed herself to let go of this frivolous thought. More friends was never a bad thing, really. Not that Kate had ever really had problems making any before.
'Yeah, sure. Text me the address and times later tonight.'