"Short-stack!" Someone yelled from behind me. I whipped around to be face to face with Billy and his friends, a whole group of them. "What do you want, you guys?" I asked irritably. By then, I was used to that sort of thing: he and his friends stalking me through the halls in between lessons, calling after me and yelling stupid things at me. They fell about laughing. "Just the usual, Four-Eyes." I pressed my lips into a thin line, pondering on if I should talk back or keep quiet and keep walking. I picked up the pace, the heels of my boots clicking behind me as I tried hurriedly to get to my class where I was safe from these losers for at least an hour. Even if the class happened to be double algebra. "Aw, she's running now, is she? Jesus, it's a surprise she can walk so fast on those short-ass legs." Billy laughed. I turned around. "Shut up, OK? Just shut up and... and piss off for once, man?" Billy screwed up his face. "You're cute when you're angry, aren't you, Four-Eyes?" They all fell about laughing again, even earning a few laughs from students passing by. That was when I realised I couldn't stand it. I knew they just wanted a reaction, they always did. I reached out and slapped him square in the jaw. "Think before you speak, Tepper." Thankful that most of the teachers were busy scolding kids for running in the halls, I sauntered off to class, not looking back.
- timeskip -
I was still shaking with courage even in my dorm room. I was hauled up in there, studying like there was no tomorrow while my roommate was out living it up in the supermarket down the road as we had run out of emergency Doritos. I watched my pen twirl round and round between my fingers while I thought of dinner and Billy Tepper. He was cute, I'll give him that, but he was trouble and acted as if I was the scum of the earth. I couldn't shake this weird feeling of love for him, no matter what he called me. "Hey." I jumped at the sound of someone's voice from the doorway, nearly falling off my bed. I looked up to see the one and only Billy Tepper. "What the fuck? Where did you come from?" He shrugged, a wide smirk on his face as he wandered into the room. "Other side of the school, I guess. Nice place, by the way." He eyed up the torn band posters and old Polaroids taped to the walls. I furrowed my eyebrows. "Look, what do you want?" "An apology would be great, you know, for slapping me before." I picked up my pen and began writing again. "Well, I'm busy, you might wanna come back later." "Or," he said. "I could stay and chat. Keep you company while you study?" "Why are you suddenly being nice? You've made fun of me, like, every day for the past year. Now you wanna chat?" "Hey, Y/N, I'm sorry about all of that. Can't we just... push it all behind us and be friends?" He stated this sincerely but I knew he was probably kidding, just to get a reaction out of me. No matter how hard I may be crushing on him, I would never accept an offer like this. "I know you're kidding, Billy. Just laugh and get it over with or some shit, I dunno." I mumbled. Then the strangest thing happened. He tilted my head upwards and kissed me. He pulled away and whispered, "do you believe me now?" I nodded and felt my heart soaring as he kissed me again. Suddenly the dorm's door swung open and there was my roommate, her eyes wide and her arms full of Doritos and soda. She slowly backed away from the door. "Ok, you two kids have fun now." She said and then shut the door slowly.
