That Stupid Little L-Word:

Chapter Twenty Nine:

Lunch is delicious. I smother myself in bread sticks and salad, and the happiness that radiates from me in massive waves is contagious. Blue-Eyes laughs and watches me with a grin. We eat and talk about the little things in life that make us giggle.

The entire affair takes about an hour, and we're several minutes late getting back onto campus. Luckily, my crutches come in handy when the campus advisor goes to scold us for being late.

I'm injured. I can't help being a slow sloth. 

Chemistry speeds by in a blur as well. Devon glares at me, but doesn't say anything as I pass him, or after class. Sophie completely ignores my presence; I don't even get a polite nod or a grunt in greeting. She actually scoots her chair away from mine as I go to sit down. It makes me wonder what Bimbo will act like in Art. 

Blue-Eyes is waiting for me outside of Chemistry, and I hurry him along so that we avoid Devon. As we exit the building, I glance over my shoulder and catch the brunette angrily watching us from afar. It makes my stomach roll nervously. 

"What's wrong?" Blue-Eyes asks as he holds the door that houses our Art class open for me. 

I glance at him, and we step off to the side toward the lockers. I purse my lips and use the cold side of the lockers as support. Blue-Eyes stands in front of me, hugging my backpack to his chest and looking utterly adorable. I chance it anyways. 

"So what happened between you and Devon this morning?" 

He makes a face. His features morph into something dark and dangerous, and he glances out the window. "I don't like Devon. At all."

"I think we've established that," I can't stop the sarcasm from leaking from my mouth. "I want to know what happened, not why it happened." 

That response earns me a dirty look. Blue-Eyes stares at me for a few moments, his eyes glued to mine as he conjures up an answer. "It's nothing important. He just said a few things that really pissed me off." 

"What did he say?" I press. 

"He told me to leave you alone," the darkness that had faded from his features is suddenly back, and he glowers at the lockers behind me. There is a twisted sense of amusement to his tone.

It makes a tingling sensation bubble through my spine. 

I stare at him for a while, because the words I was going to respond with have flown right out of the metaphorical window of my mind. His eyes dart over and meet mine after a few moments of silence, and his gaze softens. 

He takes a small step closer, and his hand finds mine. "I'm sorry if I sounded mean. I've just been involved in some pretty stupid shit in the past, and my reputation is still suffering."

"Like what?" 

Anticipation boils inside my chest like lava. This is it. Blue-Eyes is about to own up to sleeping with Ms. Henry. He might even explain everything to me, and I'll know the truth. And I didn't even have to ask him about it!

"A rumor went around last year that I slept with a teacher," a dry smirk of amusement toyed across his features, "Among several others. That was the most serious one as it lead to serious allegations against the teacher." 

I press my lips together to keep from smiling like a weirdo. He falls silent, waiting for my reaction, and I arch an eyebrow at him, silently encouraging him to explain. His smirk stretches wider, and he arches an eyebrow back. "What?" he asks almost a little too proudly.

"Was it just a rumor?" I bite my tongue. 

His eyes burn with a hint of mischievousness. "While it is true that she was attracted to me and tried to come on to me, I don't do cougars." 

It takes all that I have not to let out a big sigh of relief. He licks his lips and his eyes travel around the hallway quickly before darting back to my face. He grins, and teases, "Worried?"

I crack a thin smile, "Somewhat."

He steps closer now, and I lean forward to meet him. Our lips meet with a burst of passion. His hands find my waist, large calloused fingers tickling just beneath the hem of my shirt. His light caressing touch tickles, and I grin into our kiss as I try not to giggle. He grins too, and pulls back slightly to rest his forehead against mine. "I promise," he murmurs, "the only ones with the power to get into these jeans are the cute little brunettes like you." 

"Oh?" I arch an eyebrow at his claim, "I thought Bimbo was a blonde?" 

 Blue-Eyes snorts, "As if she got into these pants." 

I didn't think it was possible, but my eyebrow arches even higher and becomes one with my hairline. This was interesting news, but as I thought back to that incident in the hallway that I had witnessed, I wonder if it's true. 

"Alright, get to class," an irritated teacher breaks us up. 

We begrudgingly hustle into our classroom, and Mr. King greets us with a knowing --and slightly irritated-- look. I smile sheepishly at both him and Amanda, who wags her eyebrows at me as we sit down across from her. Amanda leans across the table and whispers, "Nice catch."

I wink at her in response. 

She laughs, and Blue-Eyes shoots us a strange look, an eyebrow arched as he waits for me to elaborate more on our girly conversation. I ignore him and tug my notebook free from my backpack. I flip open to a clear page and start scribbling down some of the notes from the board --I didn't even know you could take notes in art class. The door behind us opens, and I glance back over my shoulder to see the other late arrival. Bimbo stalks into the classroom, her booty shorts almost vanishing inside her black hole crotch. Her jaw clenches as she passes my stool and, in a flurry of movement, my crutches are pushed to the floor with a metallic clang. 

I stare at them as Bimbo slides into her seat across from Blue-Eyes. 

My boyfriend stands and collects the crutches, leaning them back against the table. His brilliant blue eyes are narrowed into a glare that could send Godzilla --or Coach Ashbury, herself-- running. He angles his glare toward Bimbo, and snorts, "Man that was pathetic." 

Bimbo glares at him, "So is ditching your girlfriend of sixteen months for some whore." 

I open my mouth to retort and see Amanda's mouth open to argue out of the corner of my vision. But Blue-Eyes beats us both to it. "Look," his growl silences the classroom, and heads swivel toward our table, "I know you're butt-hurt about the whole situation. It must really suck. I understand that you're hurt and spiteful. But don't take it out on Alice. She's not a whore, or pathetic, or any other insult you could possibly throw at her."

My cheeks burn and I slump down a little into my seat --the eyes of twenty six students burn holes through my head. 

"Alice is the most amazing girl I've ever met," he continues his speech. I watch his face heat up as he becomes flushed with anger, and the burning sensation that flickers inside his azure colored orbs is enough to make my panties melt. "She's absolutely gorgeous, and kind, and hilarious, and amazing. She's honest and not afraid to say what's on her mind. She's innocent. Leave her alone." 

Bimbo stands, her hands clenched into tight fists at her side. "So that's your aim? She's pure and innocent, so now you can corrupt her, just like you corrupted me?" 

"I didn't do anything to you," Blue-Eyes says coldly, "Except make the mistake of trying to love you." 

"Yeah," Bimbo rolls her eyes sarcastically, her glassy eyes shifting toward me. I swallow thickly and she sneers. "You can have him. He's a dick. He'll get you alone, until you have no one to talk to but him. Then he'll break your heart too, just watch." 

I say nothing. The stool beneath her topples over as she shoves back, away from the table, and then she storms from the room. An awkward silence settles over the classroom, and Blue-Eyes reclaims his seat.

"Bitter bitch," he grumbles under his breath, ignoring my concerned look. 

I hear a clap, and all eyes swivel toward Mr. King, who stands in front of his desk with his hands clasped together. "Now that that's out of our system," his expression is annoyed, and the emotion drips from his tone like glue, "let's get back to work, shall we?"