The Dating Game

TWENTY-ONE

In the public eye outside the principal's office, students become exceptionally nosy. As I sit beside the door, my high school peers linger a bit longer when they pass by, whispering to their friends and theorizing what horrible thing I had to have done to end up here. A few special ones completely ignore me, which I can only thank them for.

Between the silence outside and the soft murmuring around me, I start to think about the whole situation. Truly, none of this would've happened if I never agreed to play the stupid dating game. Before I started dating Chase, things were never as aggressive between Anna and me—she was simply just there. Although, before Chase, I also had Isaac to keep me grounded and occupied. All of these negative aftereffects are just the many consequences that have come with rising the social ladder by association.

And, as if right on cue, I happen to make eye contact with Chase as he passes the corner. He's walking beside Holly and Dylan, seemingly exasperated as they engage in a deep discussion before he splits away from them and makes his way over to me. Great, just what I need right now.

"Michelle?" His smile creeps into my name as he approaches. "What are you doing at the principal's office?"

I sigh, not wanting to explain the whole story. But one word should be able to explain most of it. "Anna."

He nods knowingly, his lips pursed and hands on his hips. "She's a force to be reckoned with."

"That's one way to put it." More like she's a jealous bitch with raging ego issues. "I shouldn't be talking to you. I have ISS."

"Holy shit." Chase's eyes widen massively. "From kissing? How'd that happen?"

My brain is wracked with confusion as I try to understand what he's asking, but once I realize Chase is just an idiot, I respond accordingly. "In-school suspension, dumbass. It's not an STD."

He chuckles to play it off as if he knew exactly what he was saying, but I am all but convinced.

"Well, who says we can't break one little rule?" He asks mischievously, leaning down to place a kiss on my lips. Before they meet, I push him away.

"Me. Go away." I've broken too many rules already just by getting into a dumb catfight with an equally dumb girl—I do not need the drama of kissing Chase right outside of the principal's office too.

He lets out one more soft, charming snicker before trailing off with a subtle wave back at me. I shake my head at his confidence, though I can't deny he's some pretty tasty eye candy from this angle.

After a few more moments of miserable silence, Anna pokes her head out of the door and looks at me with disgust. It's only for a second though, before her expression shifts into something much more sinister with a devilish grin slapped onto her face. She tells me to come back inside with an evil tone and I can't help but feel like anything she does is evil now. If the bitch eats chips, she's eating them evilly.

I walk inside with her, taking my rightful seat in the chair directly in front of Mr. Parks, desperately trying to find his final decision in the expression on his face. But all I can gather from staring at him is his exasperation and indifference to our entire situation; I can't blame him for either one of those feelings. Anna sits in the chair next to me, sending evil glances over at me before Parks finally says something.

"Anna," he looks over at her and she smiles in return. "You're suspended for all of next week."

"What?!" She gasps. "What the hell? The entire week?"

It takes everything in me to hold my laughter back. The defeated, desperate look on her face is enough satisfaction to last me a lifetime, but if I respond with something just as childish as she is, things wouldn't look too good for me anymore.