Bad Boy's Game

[12] Happy

B A D
B O Y ' S
G A M E

I am overwhelmed with chills the moment I take a seat in my fifth-period class, perhaps they are a result of the air conditioning vent that's pointed straight at me or they are because Archer West didn't arrive at school today.

Perhaps I did something wrong as we slow danced in the rain Friday night. No, we just simply danced, it's not like we got married. And all we did after our little dance was drive away, he took me home and that was about it for the evening.

Archer has always been bad, however, he seems to always be at school. Although Archer has a reputation it does not include a bad attendance record.

I shake my head rapidly and wrap my hands around my torso, I couldn't think about Archer with concern like this. My goal is to get revenge on Ryder, that's all there is to it.

If I can't make Ryder feel jealous and regret cheating on me I would at least like to slap him once more. Slapping him across the face was one of the most satisfactory moments of my life.

If I couldn't make Ryder feel jealous and regret cheating on me I would at least like to win the bad boy's game.

First one to say I love you loses right?

* * *

Wednesday, half the week has gone by and Archer still hasn't come to school, the week going by twice as slow.

These past three days I've had to catch a ride with Arden, my usual ride home missing. I tried to send a few texts to him, however, they all refused to send.

It's now four in the afternoon and Arden has been driving for ten minutes, for me to get home it does not take ten minutes. She parks her car in front of a small home with a cracked driveway, the house certainly not mine. I let out a deep sigh and give her a funny look.

"This isn't my house," I say, taking a look at my surroundings.

"Yeah, I know, it's Archer's," she replies with a big fat smile.

I give her a look of disbelief.

"You miss him, right? I mean all those lovesick sighs," she says, cutting the engine completely.

I instantly remember that she thinks Archer and I are dating for real. But, still how does she even know where he lives, she must have some serious connections. Also, I have not have been sighing lovesick sighs.

I roll my eyes and get out of the car, I don't need her being suspicious and coming up with wrong assumptions. I give her a little wave before she drives off, leaving me in front of Archer's house.

It's quaint, probably built in the seventies, and needs some loving. I'm not one to judge the living conditions of others, however, this home certainly could use some maintenance.

I make my way up to the front door, the front porch creaks upon my presence. I knock on the door softly a few times, my hand gripping my school bag. The sound of footsteps towards the front door becomes closer to me, the door swinging open to reveal a shirtless Archer.

"Keep the chang-" he begins, not looking up for a little while before he realizes it's just me.

He puts his ten dollar bill into his pocket after realizing it's just me and not a delivery man.

"What are you doing here, Grey?" he asks, now leaning against the front door's frame.

I look at his face, not wanting to look at anywhere else. I certainly can't look at his bare chest, I don't need him to think I'm checking him out.

"You have been absent for the past three days," I state, not knowing what else to say.

He nods his head before slowly saying, "Yeah, good job for noticing."

I wait for an explanation in which he gives after I indicate I have no intention of replying, "I've been out with a killer cold."

The weather had just become a mere ten degrees cooler and yet Archer got a cold. The bad boy has a cold.

Archer coughs into his arm and makes sure to not share his germs, myself realizing why he has been so quiet and what caused it all.

"Oh shit, I'm sorry," I manage to say quickly.

It's my fault he's sick, he gave me his jacket when it was pouring rain Friday night. He must have come down ill after that, the weather getting the best of him.

He opens his mouth ready to say a proper response, but a pizza delivery man walks up to the door at the same time and interjects before he has the chance to speak.

"One order of a medium triple meat pizza," the guy says, his hair covering half his face.

Archer fishes out the ten dollars and gives it to the guy, the guy giving him the pizza box shortly after verifying the cash.

"Keep the change," he says, the delivery guy then departs after saying a thank you.

"I've got a fresh box of pizza and it would be a shame to have to throw away half of box because I can't finish it all," Archer says with intent.

I laugh and he leads me into his house, the smell of peppermint entering my nostrils. He sits me down at a round oak table and sits himself down across.

"Try not to get sick by me," he says as he grabs a slice of pizza.

I grab a slice and say, "I don't think I will, I mean unless we make out or something. My immunity to illness is pretty good, not to brag or anything."

"Oh forget about what I originally said then. The last time I had a kiss was that time against your car. That was way too long ago. Let's make out on my twin size bed," he says with a small suggestive smirk.

I scrunch my nose in disgust, the idea not sounding a bit romantic. To make out on his childhood bed... I then file through his statement and realize that he hasn't kissed anyone since me.

"The last person you kissed was me?" I question, genuinely surprised.

He raises his eyebrow before saying slowly, "Yeah."

He finishes up his first slice and moves onto a second, I too eat and make way for a second slice.

He hasn't indulged into his renown player ways since beginning to 'date' me, knowing this made me feel good about myself. I may not be able to end all his notorious ways in the past few weeks, but tackling one at a time was proving to be successful.

I smile at the fact I was his last kiss, he instantly notices my little smile and gives a crooked grin. We exchange looks and I just keep smiling, the smile completely genuine. Archer shakes his head and just keeps smiling back.

"You sure are weird, Grey. You're smiling for absolutely no reason," he states, his smile still present.

"Well, you're smiling back at the person who is smiling for absolutely no reason. What does that make you?" I counter.

"Happy."