The School Bully

II. Unlucky

I couldn't believe this was happening to me.

I couldn't believe that in just one day, or one lunch period, my boring life was turned upside down.

Topsy-turvy.

A complete and utter disaster.

I had never, ever labeled myself unlucky. I had been in a lot of bad situations and moments but they weren't entirely hopeless. I eventually fixed them. I may not be a fighter but I was a survivor. But now, it felt like Lady Luck was playing with me.

Lady Luck definitely hated me.

Like, a lot.

When I awoke yesterday and found myself in the school infirmary, I breathed a deep sigh of relief. I must have been dreaming, I thought. There was no way, no way Leon Gage would come up to me and say that I was his.

No freaking way.

I rose from the bed and slid down. I scanned my surroundings, frowning.

But why was I here in the infirmary?

"It wasn't a dream."

I whipped my head to my right. The nurse was sitting behind her desk and on her table laid a cross, a rosary and a statue of some saint. Around her neck were strands of garlic. Her face was apprehensive as she stared at me, like she was scared of me, like I was about to swing a machete right her way.

I blinked in shock. "Excuse me?"

"It wasn't a dream," she said in a stronger voice. She made a quick sign of the cross. "You were whispering to yourself, saying you must be dreaming."

My head reeled back and a sick knot of fear lodged in my stomach.

Oh, God, no.

No, no, no, no!

The memory of Leon holding me in his arms resurfaced in my mind, the way he held me, the way his eyes captivated me, his warmth and his breath against my neck. All of it came rushing back to me along with a great deal of fear.

I shut my eyes tight, feeling lightheaded.

This was not happening to me.

"I'm sorry, dear." My eyes flew open and saw the pity in the nurse's eyes. "Because if this was a dream, then you're living a nightmare."

A nightmare.

That must be it. I pinched myself, convinced I was having a nightmare.

But I wasn't.

The thought of becoming Leon Gage's girlfriend horrified me I almost fainted again. I swallowed and took several deep breaths to calm myself down. The nurse offered to take me home, it was already past five, but I declined. There was no way I was getting in her car with the garlic smell and there was no way I was going to listen to her whimper and cry about my unfortunate fate.

I managed to get home without incident and without eating dinner, I fell into a deep slumber.

Now, I was staring at the wall clock in my kitchen, eating breakfast. I did not want to go to school. I dreaded the thought of meeting him.

Maybe I could stay at home and hide until the school year ends, I considered. Or until my parents, who were always busy they couldn't be bothered with their only daughter, get another contract which could relocate us again.

I put my unfinished bowl of cereal in the sink and put my hands on the edge. I sighed.

But why did he choose me?