A Guide To Not Falling For The Bad Boy

10

#10 the truth will come out

"Trouble in paradise?" Raine questioned, once she finally got to school. Otto and I got here thirty minutes before she did. But her taking her time because it paid off with the gorgeous outfit she pulled off. 

"What are you talking about?" I asked, eating another cracker and slice of cheese. Due to Otto's anxiety of being here before anyone else, I rarely have time to make breakfast, which is my favorite meal of the day. 

"Zander's jacket it's his dad's." My eyebrows moved closer together looking over at the spot that Zander usually occupied before the first bell rings. The sea of navy cloth swallowed him. The hood was up hiding a pair of earbuds. 

I looked to Otto, who was trying to figure out the puzzle. 

"So?" I replied, acting as if I didn't care. 

"He never wears that jacket unless he is rebuilding his walls that he has let down. Considering that his mom never gets through his skin anymore, it leaves you as the reason." Raine continued to ramble. 

"How would Naomi be the reason?" Otto squeaked. 

Raine's mouth dropped open slightly. Then she began to play with her bangs. "I'm sorry Naomi. I forgot."

Otto's owl-like eyes turned to me. 

"We went out...together...alone." I said. 

Otto grew ghostly. "What happened to he is a jerk. He is disrespectful and rude and annoying and-"

"It was for you." I said, cutting him off. 

He paused nibbling on his lip. "Me?" 

I toyed with my finger. My heart was a rapid fire in my chest. "I just wanted to get that video taken down." 

Otto's eyes grew angry. "Why? You don't think I can handle it myself. Just because I don't know everything like you two do doesn't mean I am helpless." 

Even though the words were harsh, Otto almost cracked under the pressure. Tears piled in his eyes, but he pushed them back for the time being. 

"I was just trying to protect-" I began. 

Raine looked between us, but decided against stepping in between. 

"I don't want your protection. I want your friendship." 

I flinched at his words. 

"You kissed him didn't you?" He studied my eyes already knowing the answer. "You pride yourself on being unlike other girls but you are just as weak as them, not leaving any room for the nice guy." 

Otto's hair bobbed as he walked away. Back into his little shell, his hands were shoved into his pockets, slouching, avoiding everyone else's eye contact.  

"I told you not to say anything." My voice didn't come out as mean, but rather exhausted. 

"You kissed him?" She uttered. She blinked slowly before turning to walk away.

I sighed sitting down on a bench. It's brown wood had turned into a gray color. 

The bell has only been a few minutes away from ringing for what felt like forever. Out of the corner of my eye I saw the shaggy headed figure move. And it made my heart skip a beat.  

That's the funny thing about feelings. They come up out of nowhere. You can absolutely despise someone one day and then the next you notice how cute it is when their eyes squint when they smile. Suddenly when your mind drifts off, it finds it way back to them. Every single time. No matter how much of a bad idea it is. Your heart doesn't care. It makes your brain overthink. Overestimate. You think of them all the time and the only thing you can do is hope that they are thinking of you too. 

His smell surrounded me, but this time I didn't turn my nose up. 

"It's nice to see the good girl not having the perfect life." His deep voice said. He took a seat beside me making the bench wobble. 

I bit my lip to prevent crying. I could cry when I got home. But not now. Not in front of all these people, and Zander. "What do you want?" I said not meeting his eyes. 

"Well I was going to make your life a living Hell, but seems like you have done that for yourself." He smirked, spreading his arms out on the back of the bench. 

His arm grazed my back. At first I was disgusted. But it faded to me only wanting a hug from those arms. 

"Naomi. I want you to do one thing for me." 

"Why, you couldn't do one single thing for me." I said through my teeth. 

"I want you to look at me." 

My eyes remained focused on the ground. More specifically one pebble that had broken free from the concrete. 

"Naomi." He said. It was filled with concern and wonder. The voice he used last night when he was the real Zander. 

I slowly moved up to the blue iris. Like the ocean to which I would drown in.

 "Tell me that you don't love me that you don't have any kind of feeling for me." His eyes grew wider searching for the answer. 

"Zander." I began. His eyebrows rose into his dark hair. His leg started to wobble up and down. "Zander, I-I." 

I couldn't say it. I couldn't see the hurt in his eyes from last night once again. I couldn't lie to him again. 

He nodded, giving me a small smile. Then he got up and walked into the school building. 

I didn't fall for Zander just because he is broken. I didn't feel the need to fix him. I admire his confidence even if some of it was fake. I admire his honesty. And to be frank no one has looked at me the way he does. No one has ever been nervous to talk to me. Scared of messing up. 

But now I don't have Zander. I don't have Raine. And I don't have Otto.