The Deal With The Bad Boy

Chapter Eleven

Since our dinner date, Jay had been bouncing through the week, his phone attached to his hand as his typed at lightning speed, a goofy smile on his face.

I continued to tutor Wade, finally just accepting that he was a surly bastard and everything that he didn’t understand would be my fault due to my crap tutoring skills, and not because he spent the majority of our lessons laying across the bed moaning about my incompetence.

He was slowly getting better though, and I was very quietly confident that our next test would see a much better result than the F that he had finally admitted too in our 3rd lesson the night before.

‘Reynolds! Are you going to continue gawking like an i***t or are we going to get going?’ came the voice that made me roll my eyes constantly to myself.

Turning around from my locker I face Wade who is glaring at me in annoyance, ‘sorry Simmons’ I reply under my breath, emphasising his surname ever so slightly. OK the guy still scares the crap out of me but I’m taking tentative baby steps toward trying to be more assertive, currently I am at the mocking him under my breath so he can’t actually hear me stage, I feel like I’m progressing.

Striding toward me, Wade grabs my hand and begins tugging as I squeak in shock, trying to shut my locker with my extended finger as I’m hauled down the hallway toward the exit in front of everyone.

Trying to disengage my hand from his I muttered, ‘I can walk, I don’t need dragging along like some disobedient dog.’ My face turning grey as he stopped abruptly and turned to face me, his face expression emotionless. Craaaaap, he heard me, I need to work on my mumbling skills, I am not ready to move to the next level in my standing up to the school bully plan!  I have a twenty step program in my head and I am nowhere near ready for step three. In case you were wondering, step one was forcing myself not to run away every time I saw him . .

‘What?’ was all he said, but the glint in his eye told me that he had heard every word. Dammit! Dammit! Dammit!

‘Nothing’ I quivered as I looked anywhere but his cold grey eyes, my hand that was not trapped in his, clutching my bag strap tighter. Yes I was using the bag that Wade gave me, it was really nice and mine was more, badly restitched together, than original stitching now, plus I really really liked it! Don’t judge me people, it was a gift! That is NOT charity! I may also have been slightly scared that he’d kill me if I didn’t use it, so there was that too . . .

Eyeing me for a moment, he smirked as he muttered, ‘didn’t think so’ and continued to drag me toward his car, me half running on my stupidly short legs to keep up with his gigantic strides.

Pressing the fob, he unlocked the car that I liked to secretly refer to as his p***s extension, it’s so flashy it must be compensating for something.

No I don’t know if it’s true, nor do I want too! O.M.G get your mind out of the gutter!

Pulling open the passenger door, Wade raised an eyebrow at me as I gaped at him confused, he never opened the door for me, just climbed in and scowled until I joined him.

‘Seriously? Get in the damn car’ he gritted as I nodded quickly and slid in with a high-pitched thanks.

Slamming it shut he stalked around to his own side and slid in, starting the engine and roaring out of the parking lot as I did my customary grapple for the seatbelt.

I swear he does it on purpose now because he knows how unnerved I get, asshole.

Heavy rock is pumping out of the speakers, I no longer even try to ask him to turn it down anymore as he just keeps cranking the volume until I have to cover my ears, like I said, he’s an asshole.

Pulling up in record time outside of his house, I don’t even wait for him to kill the engine as I rip off my seatbelt and jump out of the car, hurrying to the front door and opening it like I live there.

‘Rosa?’ I call out excitedly as I step inside, hearing Wade’s door slam shut as the sweet Spanish house keeper bustles out to me, a wide smile on her face.

Stretching her arms out, she engulfs me in a hug, ‘Cassie, you are back again, I have missed you’ she said happily.

Hugging her back I replied, ‘I missed you too, but maybe not as much as your peanut butter cookies . . ‘ I petered off hopefully.

Laughing, Rosa grabs my hand and heads back to the kitchen where a huge plate is sat waiting.

Squealing excitedly I reach out and take one as Wade leans against the kitchen door shaking his head.

‘What bambino?’ Rosa asks with a tut as she walks over and pulls his cheek affectionately.

‘Nothing, except you seem to prefer her to me now’ Wade replied, pointing at where I stood, my cheeks bulging with the cookie I had just shoved in my mouth whole.

Rosa laughed, ‘aww nino, you know you will always be my special boy, but Cassie is so lovely, how can I not love her too?’ she asked raising an eyebrow at him, a look passing between them as I tried to swallow my huge mouthful quickly.

Forcing the cookie down I managed to speak, ‘shall we get to studying then?’ I asked quickly as I started to walk toward him nervously.

Rosa nodded, ‘si, go and learn bambino, make Rosa proud, she would like a test she can put on the refrigerator’ she scolded.

Wade blushed, ‘Rosa, you are NOT putting my test results on the fridge’ he mumbled.

The old woman grabbed a tea towel and swatted the bad boy with it, making him flinch as she scowled, ‘if Rosa wants to show off how proud she is, then she will’ she ordered warningly. Swallowing, Wade started to back away warily, me following, slightly amused to see the most feared boy of Ridgemont cowed by a tiny Spanish woman.

Suddenly smiling again, Rosa grabbed two handfuls of cookies and forced them into our hands, ‘to help you concentrate’ she said before shooing us out of her kitchen.

Heading up the stairs, Wade pushed open the door with his free hand and I stepped inside, dropping my bag onto the bed before taking my usual spot on the comforter.

Cramming another cookie into my mouth, I carefully placed the rest next to me as I started to rummage through my bag for my maths book. Beside me, Wade was munching through his cookies like a man possessed, destroying his stack in record time. Suddenly his hand snuck across the mattress, and he nicked one of mine! I looked up at him, my hands stilling as I stared at him incredulously, oh hell no! He did NOT just steal my food?

Wade sat there watching me, an amused grin on his face as he slowly moved the cookie toward his mouth.

‘Give it back’ I whispered softly, abandoning my bag, and turning to face him.

‘Nope’ he replied simply, as my cookie kept moving toward his lips.

Clenching my fists, I straightened my back as my eyes narrowed angrily, ‘I am warning you Simmons, don’t do it’ I warned.

Wade smirked at me, tipping his head to the side as he contemplated my face, ‘or what?’ he challenged.

‘Or . . or . . ‘ I stumbled, what can you threaten the school’s terror with, suddenly my face brightened, ‘or I’ll tell Rosa you stole the treat she gave me’ I replied triumphantly.

Wade’s face paled, his hand stopping inches from his mouth, ‘you wouldn’t’ he muttered, ‘if you do, I’ll make your life hell’ he added.

Swallowing, I kept my courage as I looked to the door, ‘Ro . . ‘ I started to shout, making to stand up just as I felt a cookie being rammed into my mouth making me choke.

‘God you are such a tattletale’ Wade grumbled in disgust.

I choked back a laugh as I swallowed hastily, grinning, ‘and you are a twelve-year-old girl, who says tattletale at seventeen?’ I retorted.

Wade snorted in annoyance, scowling as he ran his fingers through his hair, ‘whatever, just get the maths book out, I’m not paying you to insult me.’

Smiling, I pulled out my book, placing it between us before reaching for another cookie and taking the smallest nibble, ‘mmm’ I moaned loudly, ‘this is so amazing, I feel so bad for you that you have none left.’

Wade snarled, ‘I’m warning you Reynolds, you do not want to test me.’

Shivering slightly, aware of the danger signs I just couldn’t stop myself, he was the raging bull and I still waved that damn red sheet.

‘Mmmmmm’ I groaned louder, watching him out of the corner of my eye, ‘so soft and gooey, I just can’t believe how good these are.’

Next thing I know, the biscuit flies out of my hand as I am thrown backward and Wade is tickling me mercilessly.

Screaming in laughter, I squirmed desperately, trying to get away from the torture of the bad boy’s fingers.

‘Wade! No’ I gasped, ‘please . . ‘

‘Still think its funny to torture a man over Rosa’s cookies?’ he demanded as he attacked every inch he could reach, my screams hitting new highs and left the small part of my brain that was still functioning wondering why Rosa hadn’t broken into the room.

‘Rosa!’ I squealed weakly, ‘will hear . . ‘

‘No she won’t’ Wade retorted evilly, 'this room is soundproof, I could torture you for the entire night and no-one would hear you.’

Rolling around, I tried to get on my side so that I could escape, Wade clambering on top of me and pinning my legs with his weight as he continued to assault my body.

‘Please! I’m sorry!’ I gasped, forcing the words out.

‘Sorry for what Cassie?’ Wade growled, his eyes lit up with mischief.

‘For teasing you’ I squeaked, using my hands to fend off his hands that were poking my sides.

‘And you won’t do it again, will you’ Wade mocked, ‘and you’ll always share your cookies when I have none left?’

Shaking my head, I tried to grip my fading resolve, I couldn’t agree to that, I’d never have Rosa’s cookies again with this glutton!

Leaning forward, Wade grabbed both my hands, pinning them above my head as the other pinched at my flesh, ‘say it Cassie’ he whispered in my ear, ‘say it and I’ll stop.’

‘Fine!’ I screamed, painful laughter punctuating my words, ‘I’ll share’

‘Rosa’s cookies with you’ Wade prompted.

‘I’ll share Rosa’s cookies with you!’ I whimpered, shaking my face to try and stop the tears.

Relenting, Wade grinned down at me victoriously for a moment until we both became acutely aware of our position, I stared up into his stormy grey eyes, biting my lip anxiously.

Sitting up, Wade cleared his throat, ‘good job you agreed’ he mumbled, averting his eyes from mine as he clambered off me, moving to his side of the bed as I sat up and straightened my clothes, my cheeks on fire.

Grabbing the text book I cleared my throat and quickly dived into the questions on the page, refusing to look at the bad boy, rushing through the work until it was time to go home.

Wade drove me home as usual, the ride silent and awkward until we pulled up outside of my house. Pulling out the twenty dollars he held them out, and I took them with a mumbled thanks before clambering out and sprinting to my front door, opening it and slipping inside, slamming it shut behind me. Once inside I dropped my bag and slid down the door, my head in my hands, what the hell just happened?