Playing Perfect

04. Coupable

04. Coupable

Guilty

Alice had received a total of two mean texts and one rotting banana peel in her backpack by the time the school day ended.

She'd deleted the texts with a huff of frustration—ignoring the way they called her a "nursing home revolving door" and "teacher's bitch". She felt herself growing paranoid, glancing at every student she passed a little longer than usual, listening to the rumour mill a little closer.

But it was filled with the same stares of adoration and muttered compliments. Whispers about what hairspray Alice used, what celebrities she'd met—whispers of just look, it's Alice Travers. The same blank faces and stares that weighed on her shoulders – always expectant. Always watching.

Until she passed a little group of Year Sevens. Until she heard one whisper to the other, "Do you think Alice and Theo have done it?"

She felt her entire body tense. Her feet stopping short. Her legs freezing.

"Of course." Another giggled scandalously. "I heard they did it after their party on Friday."

"Oh my God, with her parents home?"

Her stomach stirred. She wanted to throw up. No. She wanted to turn to them. She wanted to scream at them. She wanted to—it didn't matter what she wanted. The girls had fallen silent, realising Alice had paused beside them. They stared at her with wide eyes.

Alice smiled.

"Have a good afternoon."

And she turned to the staffroom of waiting teachers. She always loved helping out, didn't she?

When the better part of an hour passed and Alice marched into the school carpark after helping Mr Fredrich carry some boxes of paint, she was bursting with frustration. She was desperate to crawl into Theo's arms for what little comfort and validation it gave her.

So, with a determined stance, she set her jaw and marched to his car.

Theo leaned against his shining BMW, his blazer already abandoned in the front seat, exposing his muscular arms and chest through his school shirt. Beside him, two of his teammates bantered, jumping around like monkeys as they told immature jokes.

Alice didn't let it waver her. It took much more than two teenage boys to rattle a Travers.

"Theo," Alice's voice was loud and demanded the attention of all three boys. They turned to see her standing in front of them, her arms crossed, and her lips pressed into a line. "Can we speak?"

Theo's smile faltered. Only for a second. Then he was grinning to his friends, flashing a smile, sharing a private joke.

"We are speaking," he said, teasingly.

Alice settled him with a glare. She didn't have to say anything for his friends to get the message.

Theo's gaze still steady on Alice, his friends turned, patting him on the shoulder in a silent goodbye before leaving, not wanting any part of their conversation.

Once they were out of earshot, Theo spoke first.

"Alice," was all he said.

She melted at the sound of her name on his tongue, and dropped her arms to her side, her expression softening. "I'm sorry."

"No," Theo said, kicking off his car hood. He stepped towards her, running his large, calloused hands over her arms. Her body reacted instantly, melting at his touch as if all the weight and pressure lifted from her shoulders. "I'm sorry. I'm so embarrassed. I was such a dick to you."