The Influence | Colby Brock

Chapter 2: Projects

I slam my locker shut in frustration. Colby still hasn't answered me back regarding our project. It's been three days! I've been working my ass off trying to find the right idea of what I want to do. I still don't know.

"Woah, calm down cowgirl." Imani laughs beside me. I roll my eyes and put my phone in my pocket.

"The whole weekend I was obsessing over whether or not I wanted to do this or that for the story. I needed his help and he just won't help." I cross my arms as we walk down the busy hall.

"Well look at it this way, you'll see him in class and he'll have to put some of his brain into it. If not, you can just tell the teacher." Imani stops as we approach her class.

"I guess so." I press my lips together. "I'll see you after school?" I ask her. She nods and turns around, walking into her class.

I continue down the hall. I feel a hand on my shoulder and I jump, turning around to see Colby behind me. He laughs and takes his hand away, "Sorry," he says unapologetically.

"Don't sneak up on me." I tell him as we start walking again.

"I saw you and I figured we could walk to class together." He tells me.

"Why?" I ask with a smug voice.

He stutters before finally speaking, "I just wanted to?" I can hear the uncertainty in his voice.

"Well you don't have to." I walk into the classroom, him still following me.

"I want to. We have to get to know each other if we're going to be writing some dumb story for the next two weeks." He pulls my chair out before sitting in his own.

"Well maybe you should of answered my nexts about that 'dumb' story." I sit down and swing my bag beside me.

"I was busy." His voice is high pitched.

"Busy doing what? Doing drugs and fucking bitches?" I sneer.

"Yes." He says nonchalantly. My eyes widen and I turn to him with a wide mouth, he's looking at me smiling.

"That's a bad word, Katelyn. You should watch what you say, you may get punished." He finger caresses the bottom of my chin, the coolness of his ring singing a shock through my body. My face scrunches in disgust before the teacher begins speaking.

"I hope you guys had a wonderful weekend. And I hope you've decided the timeline of your story. Today's going to be pretty easy. I just need you guys to right down said timeline and turn it into me at the end. Make sure you include every detail you'd like to follow through with." She tells us before turning back to her own work.

I look at Colby, who had his head down, his fingers typing across the screen of his face. I slap his arm and take out a sheet of paper. He sighs and puts his phone up, leaning back up in his chair.

***

We spend the next hour trying to agree on a timeline. I wanted to write a story that shows the importance of obsession and revenge through romanticism. Meanwhile, Colby wanted to do some sappy love story of a girl falling in love with her 'brothers best friend,' as if this is a book for Wattpad.

"Okay, so it'll start out with a girl who is interested in writing, right?" I write down. "Then, she's going to catch feelings for a boy in her class who also is an aspiring writer. They then go on to date, however when they move in he becomes obsessive." I look at Colby, who looks like a baby who doesn't understand a word I'm saying. "Sure?" He shrugs. I let out a frustrated sigh and begin writing, now without Colby's help.

I get to the last detail before he notices, "I thought I was supposed to help?" He pretends to be hurt.

"Well, I got it done." I place my pencil into my bag, just in time for the bell to ring.

"I'll see you tomorrow." I tell him. Before I could walk away he grabs my hand.

"Hey, why don't I come over tonight for us to work on it? I don't have anything planned for today and I feel bad for making you do all the work." He asks me.

"Um," I look away from him. Working, that's all we're doing. "Sure." I smile. "I'll send you the time and place." He let's go of my hand and I leave him, hurriedly walking out of the school.