Mask of Celibacy

Chapter 20

It had always boggled my mind how Mom could possibly dream that Jack the Jock was a decent person. Even in her wildest fantasies. He was a mean quarterback who bullied people into submission. Who could ignore that? Nothing could have made me budge back then. 

Until that fateful day when Jack hadn't treated me like garbage. For once, he'd acted like a normal human being simply because he'd read my blog and seen another side of me. Who could have thought that the hottest kid in the class would secretly support my online journal?

Even though the two of us had hated one another for years we'd started to tolerate each other these last couple of weeks. More or less. I still wanted to kick his ass quite frequently. Ours was an online friendship at best, but Jack liked all of my blog posts and cheered me on like a fierce warrior. 

One day sealed our friendship airtight. 

That afternoon I had to discuss my extra credit project for Latin with Mrs. Napolitano. I'd asked Grandad to give me an extra thirty minutes to make sure I didn't show up late for my pickup. But our meeting had taken only ten minutes, giving me plenty of time to amuse myself.

As I sauntered leisurely through the senior hallway, I came to an abrupt halt. Jack was yelling at someone. I groaned on the inside, not wanting to see that dark side of him again. 

It was so strange. Once we'd gotten to know one another, he showed me nothing but kindness and respect. When he acted like a bully, though, Jack could compete internationally in Being a Dick and probably win an Olympic Gold Medal.

Wait, no. Hold up! He isn't yelling.

He's...begging?

Wait, what?

My heart clenched with pity. 

"No, Nicky!" he whispered. "Please don't do this. Not now. It's senior fucking prom."

"We both know it's not me you like."

"Nicky, that's not true." The lockers squeaked as he leaned against them. "You know I love you."

"As a friend."

"Friend with benefits," he corrected her in a sultry tone. "Lots and lots of benefits."

"You're going to college halfway across the country."

He sighed.

"I'm going to the prom with Paul," she said. "And that's final."

"You promised to go with me." He rubbed his face in frustration. "Fuck, did our time together mean nothing to you?"

"I'm not dating you anymore, asshole!" retorted Nicky. "It's time for me to date someone who really cares about me and doesn't use the hot chick to cover up his dirty little secret."

The hell? What dirty little secret?

I hid around the corner. My locker stood right where they were arguing, and I sure as hell wasn't going to go near him—or her—during their fight.

"I didn't use you!" he growled. "Goddamn it, Nicky! I love you."

"In your own way, maybe. But you never looked at me the way you look at--"

"Please Nicky," he said in a choked voice, "please don't do this."

"I'm done."

Storming out of the side corridor, Nicky stopped short when she caught sight of me. She glared with venomous fury. "How long have you been hiding there?"

"I--I--"

"How freaking long?"

I narrowed my eyes. "Excuse the hell out of you!"