Resisting Rosaleen (18+)

24

Aiden tapped his foot once.

A

Sean adjusted his glasses, toggling it twice.

I tapped my foot thrice.

C

Jie propped her elbow on her desk, her fingers waving mindlessly four times.

Sean tapped his foot twice.

B

If you still don't get it: we're cheating. I've studied my ass off, but sometimes desperate situations call for desperate measures. Ms. Holland was a clueless old lady. You'd think that after all her teaching years that she'd be alert and mindful of cheaters, but no, the lady as as shallow as a plate.

My first breath outside of the classroom reawakened me. "Hallelujah, " muttered Jeric as he stretched his muscular arms, wrapping one around Jie.

I glanced at my phone to see that we had one more vacant hour before the next

exam.

"See you guys later," I waved at my friends, "I'm going to the library," which happens to not be the library, but rather the principal's office because halfway into the test, I received a message from Nikolas asking me to come.

They asked no further questions and I made my way to the familiar hallway and stopped in front of his office. I entered with no warning because let's be honest, we are so past that.

"Got your message," I locked the door behind me. Just two hours ago I was in the very same room.

"Come here," he nodded at the chair in front of his desk. His words made me flush.

I sat opposite the man, "So, what happened with Ms. Rivera?" he had his glasses on as he typed away on his laptop.

His muscled were bulging so much under his cream-colored shirt that it almost looked uncomfortable.

"Really, it's nothing," I crossed my arms and crossed my legs, freely letting my skirt inch up, "Just let it go. She was mad about Sean and I going to the party."

"What party?" his brows furrowed in confusion.

"On Valentine's Day," then I remembered that he didn't know who I came with.

"I thought you said you didn't have a date?" he leaned back and took his glasses off, crossing his arms and absentmindedly gnawing at the end of his spectacles.

"It was Sean," I don't know why I said it so softly. I elaborated further, "He surprised me. I didn't know he was gonna be there. Wyatt set us up and Maia knew nothing."

"Technically, Sean wouldn't have been with Maia if it wasn't for me in the first place," I sat straighter.

"And how's that?" asked Nikolas.

"Because I couldn't give him what he wanted. I feel like he only looked for someone else as a bandaid or something."

After a beat, Nikolas asked yet again another question, "Why, what did he want?"

"More," I answered, "More than sex."

Nick's jaw moved from side to side as if he was thinking deeply, "I guess that's enough of a story for me to let it pass."

"Thanks," I told him, "I didn't want my brother hearing any issues about me from school." Because it really was just a small scene made large by who the people involved were.For example: no one cares if you take a shit at McDonalds, right? But the whole population will if it was Justin Bieber.

"Now that that's over," I stood up and held his eyes with mine, "I need to go and stress-eat while I stress-study."

"Wait," his voice was reluctant when he said it.