My Bad Boy Neighbor (Now on Radish)

Episode 8

Everybody at the table fell silent. I stared at Kai, trying to figure out his game. "We were paired to do an essay on each other."

"Right, well, nice chatting but I have to go now," I said and left them all staring as I fled to the bathroom where I locked myself in the stall and desperately tried to calm my nerves.

My thoughts were a jumbled mess. A part of me was furious with Kai for helping me out. It would only make me a bigger target for Matt and my brother, not to mention the rest of the school once they found out Kai has taken an interest.

Another part of me was grateful but extremely cautious. Again, what the hell did he want with me? Did he think he could appeal to me by doing nice things until I dropped down my guard only to fuck with me in the worst way ever? He wasn't innocent in this. Nobody was ever kind to me for no reason. Everybody had secret agendas. And I didn't trust his.

The entire scene left me feeling emotionally and socially drained. I had enough socialization for one day and yet I had to go back to class after my free period and do it all over again. Deciding that I'd rather not be stuck in a dirty bathroom stall, I made an effort to pull myself together and breathe. It was hard to prevent myself from hyperventilating but I focused my thoughts on A Court of Mist and Fury that was hiding in my bag.

Thinking of that made my heart slow and my hands to stop shaking.

I grabbed my things which ended up being tossed on the ground at one point or another and headed to the library, where I planned on picking the most hidden spot I could find and bury my nose in my book.

The plan ended up being completely fool-proof because nobody ever visited the library. Our librarian Miss Dee was a middle-aged woman whose eyes always lit up whenever the door opened and she saw me standing there.

"Hi, Astrid," she said and picked up a pile of books that were sitting on her desk only to dump them on the counter. "I've collected a few books you might enjoy. Are you done with the other ones I gave you?"

"Almost, I just have to finish reading A Court of Mist and Fury," I explained.

"This is what, your third time reading that book?" She asked.

"Fourth," I corrected, giving her a shy smile. That book and that world really helped me deal with my anxiety.

"Never too many times to pick up a good book is what I say," she told me as I walked over to the counter to see what new reads she had for me.

"I figured since you've read the entirety of Vampire Academy that you might as well move on to Bloodlines, its spin-off series. My niece says she liked these better and highly recommends them."

"Alright, I'll take them when I bring you the other ones first," I replied.

"Don't worry, you can do that tomorrow. I trust you more than anyone with books," she shrugged off my concerns.

"Okay," I agreed hesitantly and let her scan the books before I put them in my bag. Then I went to find my corner and settled down to read.

I stayed there until I finished the very last chapter of my book. It was the copy I had bought for myself after deciding that this was one of the books I needed to have in my own personal collection. I stashed it back in my bag and then heard the bell go off, signaling the end of the free period.

The last class I had today was Biology so I said goodbye to Miss Dee and headed there. The hallways were once again full but I kept my head down anyway, avoiding eye contact with anyone living or dead.

Getting to the classroom, I sat down at my usual table. I dropped my bag on the ground, the echo bouncing off the classroom walls. I was the only one in as everyone else went out for their fifteen-minute break. It gave me some time to revise for today's quiz.