Parker Stevens, I Can Hold a Grudge

Parker Stevens; Chapter Twenty-Seven

 I watched as the clock slowly ticked by the seconds until the end of the day school. It hadn’t been a pleasant one. People were staring at me like I was some kind of heartbreaker- the whispers continued for three whole days.

                Wednesday was my official least favourite day.

                Teagan had been sending smug smirks my way since Monday, but Parker was never by his side. In fact, I had been looking out for Parker since Tuesday morning, but he was nowhere to be seen.

                Right now, as I counted down the last few moments in Math, people were shaking their heads at me. Like I had done something wrong by telling Parker I wouldn’t even hear him out. I knew everyone heard exactly what I had said to him- and now I was being called Ice Queen- and jumped to conclusions. That everything that had happened was my fault.

                And, technically, everything that happened was my fault.

                If only I had just kissed Parker in the hallway two months ago none of this would have happened. Maybe if I just gave him that second kiss, Greg wouldn’t hate me, Harris wouldn’t have gotten involved, I would have never gotten into this huge mess. I would still be known as innocent little Grace instead of Ice Queen.

                I let it show that I was upset though, and they still called me the Ice Queen. I couldn’t win in this situation. Couldn’t win.

                I wanted Parker. And now- I couldn’t have him.

                The bell rang and shocked me out of my reverie. Glancing around, I noted that all the girls were giving me glares and the guys giving me suggestive looks. They all either thought I was a slut or a bitch. I tried not to think about it, tried to ignore it, but I was a girl after all. A self-conscious little girl. And the looks were killing me.

                Quickly grabbing my stuff off the floor beside me, I practically ran out of the classroom- and straight into a tall male chest. Quickly taking a step back and lifting my head, I felt a rush of disappointment.

                “Harris,” I sighed before stepping around him and walking down the hallway. His footsteps caught up to mine in an instant. 

                “Grace I wanted to say sorry about everything. I never wanted to get involved, and trust me; I did it to help you. Not them,” He rushed out in one breath. I looked at him and raised an eyebrow.

                “Right,” I rolled my eyes and started walking again.

                “Grace, c’mon! Look at me,” He spun me towards him by my shoulders. His eyes bore into my own. “I have my reasons for why I did it. But I can’t tell you why right here, okay?”

                “You have your reasons? Where can you explain them?” I hissed quietly. He glanced around him before spotting something and lighting up. He looked back at me.

                “There,” He pointed at the janitor’s closet across the hall, and before I could protest, he had dragged me into it. I could practically hear the new rumours spouting out of people’s mouths.

                “Shit, where’s the light?” He grumbled in the darkness. I groped the air until I found the string that turned on the light. I tugged on it and suddenly we were covered in light. I glared at him under the dim yellow light.