Loving The Bad Boy

Endearing Social Suicide

I found absolutely no humor whatsoever in taking another person's shoes while they were in swim class. Especially when that said person was me. However, I suspected that some of the freshman I'd been forced to share a locker room left felt differently.

I suppose, to an extent, I should take a certain amount of responsibility for the events that transpired during my rather painful attempt at swimming. Indeed, I should have purchased a lock for my new gym locker to prevent the very predicament I found myself facing. However, I had had a particularly stressful test for AP Physics to study for the night before, which had occupied all of my immediate thoughts.

Now, however, I was regretting the ignorant decision that had brought me to be standing right outside the girl's locker room, a baby wipe under each foot. As if swim class wasn't deplorable enough. I was already terribly uncomfortable displaying any substantial amount of skin, especially the amount one must in a swimsuit. That coupled with the notion that I had just floundered around in the same water any one of my classmates could have just relieved themselves in had made for a rather miserable experience.

Returning to my locker, I had come to find that, though my clothes were still there, my shoes were gone. I suppose, in retrospect, it made sense. One could subtly wear my generic shoes without calling attention to themselves. However, wearing my clothing would be a bit more difficult to get away with, especially seeing as the size of the student body here at Weldon High School was rather small.

The only thing that had provided me any relief whatsoever was the 45 minute shower I'd been able to take in peace, seeing as I was the only one left in the girl's locker room. Swim was my last class of the day, so all of my fellow classmates had naturally rushed out the second the bell rang. At least, if nothing else, there would be no one to see me struggle through this rather problematic situation.

Slowly, I slide across the floor with each baby wipe under my feet, gliding awkwardly towards the school exit. Indeed, the real problem would not be maneuvering through the school. It would be walking home. There was going to be no way whatsoever my baby wipes would hold up against the friction of the sidewalk to allow me to move in the same gliding motion I had inside the school.

Staring forebodingly out the two front doors, I jolted slightly as I heard a familiar voice sound behind me.

"Liz?"

Snapping my head around, I flushed slightly, meeting Reed's rather amused gaze as he appraised me with his eyes.

"What?" I snapped, in no mood for pleasantries after my rather unfortunate experience.

"You, uh...." He was trying not to laugh, I could see it as he stifled one with a fake cough. "You need some help there?"

"This is not my fault." I shot defensively, crossing my arms in front of me. "Someone stole my shoes while I was in swim class. And the prospect of walking barefoot on the school floors is simply unfathomable...what are you doing here anyways?"

Reed shrugged, a slight frown tugging at the corners of his lips for a split second. "I got after school detention for all the classes I skipped the first week of school."

Grimacing inwardly, I eyed Reed suspiciously as a mischievous smirk spread across his face. "So, ah, how are you planning to get home, seeing as you have no shoes and all?"

I wrinkled my nose, not particularly enjoying the amusement etched on his face. "Well, I haven't quite figured that part out yet. My first goal was to get to the doors, and now I have. The sidewalks, however, appear to be a bit more....problematic."

Reed chuckled, taking a step forward. "Well, I have an idea that would solve your little problem."

"Ah, and what is that, exactly?" I asked, my eyes narrowing at him suspiciously.