The Deal With The Bad Boy

Chapter Seven

As the bell rang for the second period, Jay and I stood up, grabbing our bags and heading back in for my favourite lesson, yep, it’s maths time! Jogging up the slope and back into the building my brain is chanting ‘spot quiz, spot quiz, spot quiz’ in time to my footsteps.  I know its almost guaranteed to not happen as we had one last week, but a girl can still dream right?

Hurrying to our classroom, I slide into my seat, bouncing excitedly as Jay sits down next to me, eyeing me with amusement.

‘Baby girl, only I’m geeky enough to get away with being this excited about schoolwork’ he chided with a snigger, ‘you are way to pretty to be this dorky.’

Huffing, I turned and stuck my tongue out at him, ‘you are just mad that I beat you in the last spot quiz’ I replied, ‘stop trying to squash my awesomeness.’

Growling, Jay dug me in the side making me squeak loudly, my face flushing as the room became silent as everyone turned to look at me.  Ducking down, I rummaged through my bag until the hum of voice returned.  Sitting up, I grumbled under my breath as I turned my back on the pain in my ass sat next to me and started taking things out of my pencil case ready.

‘Baby girl? Why are you not talking to me’ Jay suddenly whined, tapping my shoulder.

‘Because I don’t want too’ I replied snarkily, keeping my back to him.

‘But baby girl, you can’t be mad at me, I’m your boyfriendddddddddd’ he sang out loudly making me shift around immediately to glare at his grinning face.

‘Shhh’ I hissed, flicking my gaze around the room quickly, ‘stop making a scene.’

‘Well stop ignoring me then Cass, you know I can’t bear it when you get upset with me’ my best friend whined, ‘remember Fifth grade when I accidentally pushed you off the top of the slide and you scraped your arm? Remember what I did?’ he warned.

My cheeks flamed at the memory, I had refused to talk to him or sit with him at lunch, so he had stood on his chair in our music lesson and serenaded me about how sorry he was, in front of the whole frigging class!

‘Want me to sing you the second verse of that song baby girl?’ Jay asked softly, ‘I’ve been working on it ever since just in case I needed it.’

‘Nope! No, it’s fine, I’m talking to you’ I replied quickly, grabbing hold of his arm as he made to get up.

‘I don’t know Cass, you look pretty mad’ Jay replied as he tapped his chin with his free hand, studying me, ‘I don’t want to take the risk here, you are my best girl after all.’

Standing up tall as I tried to hold on to his arm, he threw his free arm wide, his eyes glittering with mischief as he opened his mouth.

‘Today, is such a cloudy day

My heart has broke in two

My Cassie doesn’t love me

And I don’t know what to do!’

My face was on fire as I stood up next to him struggling desperately to pull him down into his seat, cursing my tiny stature. Jay was in his element, gesticulating from himself to me as the class turned to watch him, everyone laughing.

‘Cassieeeeeee, please forgive me

I need to hear you say

That we are besties foreverrrrrrrrrr

Until our dying day!’

Clambering up on my chair, I slammed my hand over his mouth as the other students whooped and applauded.  Jumping down, I pulled on Jay’s arm, thankful that he willingly returned to his seat as he waved at the popular girls who were all awwing at him.

‘I hate you so much, you know that right?’ I muttered under my breath through gritted teeth.

Jay turned toward me, making his bottom lip tremble, ‘you hate me Cass? Really? I think I need a new song, hang on . . ‘

‘No! I take it back! I don’t hate you, I love you dearly! Don’t sing!’ I whisper yelled in horror as the bane of my life started to laugh at me.

My mortification ended abruptly as our maths teacher walked into the room, glaring at everyone who immediately shut up and faced her.

The lesson passed smoothly, unfortunately there was no spot quiz sighhh, but we did have some hard equations to work out so it wasn’t a complete let down.

Packing up at the end of the lesson, I stood up just as the bottom of my bag ripped, sending my books and stationery across the floor. Groaning, I bent down and started to scrabble for my belongings, Jay beside me. ‘No, go and get us a table in the cafeteria’ I said as I waved his hands away, ‘I’ll only be a few minutes.’

Looking at me doubtfully, Jay nodded reluctantly as he stood up and walked out of the room, leaving me to grumble under my breath about how I was going to afford a new backpack.  I knew this one was dying, hell, I’d had it since seventh grade, but I still had hoped I could get through senior year with it.

Reaching for the wooden box that contained my special pen, I hesitated as I heard raised voices from the front of the classroom. I had assumed I was alone but peeking over the chairs I found that our teacher was stood at the front, leaning back against her desk as she glared angrily at none other than Wade Simmons who was stood opposite, his arms crossed over his chest.

Wade looked majorly pissed, and I mean, really really pissed, which is scary when the bad boy is always in a horrible mood, any step up from Wade angry is bad for anyone who gets in his way.

‘I don’t care who your daddy is Mr Simmons, you are failing my class, if you do not pass the remaining tests then I will have no other option than to flunk you’ Miss Hayes was saying sternly.

‘I have more important things to do’ Wade growled back annoyed, ‘just grade me a C and we can both move on.’

Miss Hayes crossed her arms, matching his stance, ‘Your father may have bought you most of your education young man, but he will not be buying my grade’ she replied icily, ‘

Wade growled loudly, ‘I do NOT need that man’s money’ he snapped, his temper rising, ‘I can make it on my own.’

Mrs Price looked unphased, ‘fine, prove it’ she replied challengingly.

Raising an eyebrow in surprise, Wade met her steely gaze, ‘how?’ he asked uncertainly.

Miss Hayes tapped her fingernails on her arm as she thought, her eyes trailing around the room before alighting on me as I squeaked and dipped my head behind my desk, hoping she hadn’t spotted me.

Smiling up at the towering seventeen year old, her expression was one of amusement, Miss Hayes raised her voice, ‘Miss Reynolds, join us please.’

Swallowing loudly, I quickly shoved the remaining books into my busted backpack and scrambled to my feet. Making my way slowly to the front, I kept my eyes averted from Wade as I stumbled to a stop between them.

‘Yes Miss Hayes?’ I asked quietly.

‘Mr Simmons, this is Cassidy Reynolds, she will be your new maths tutor, the cost is ten dollars per hour, make sure you pay her’ our teacher said sternly as she eyed the bad boy.

‘Uh sorry?’ I squeaked in terror, what the hell? How did I get dragged into this?

Miss Hayes glare swivelled to me, a frown appearing that showed her annoyance, ‘You put your name down last year as a maths tutor did you not? Well Mr Simmons is in dire need of tutoring’ she replied, a bite of impatience to her words.

It was true, I had applied to tutor, figuring that I could give the extra money to my mother to help with bills but I had never been called forward before.  Swallowing again, I nodded reluctantly, ‘yes Miss Hayes’ I whispered.

‘Hell no, I’m not giving my free time up for this bull s**t, it’s bad enough I have to come during school hours’ Wade replied immediately, his eyes flashing dangerously.

Our teacher raised her shoulders in a shrug, ‘fine, I can’t force you Mr Simmons, but you will fail my class which means you can kiss college goodbye . . well unless daddy is going to pave your entire schooling with Benjamin Franklins’ she replied snidely.

Growling angrily, Wade avoided her gaze, the vein in his neck pulsating as Miss Hayes grinned in triumph, ‘Good, then that is settled, sort out a study schedule between you’ she said before dismissing us both.

Wade spun on his heel and stormed out of the classroom, I gave him a head start by holding back and thanking Miss Hayes meekly for the job even though inside I was dying. How the heck do I tutor the school bad boy? He’s not going to listen to me, I doubt we’ll even get as far as the first lesson!

Walking out of the classroom, my broken bag clutched to my chest, I walked straight into a solid wall, letting out a small scream, I began to fall, not daring to let go of my bag as I prepared to hit the ground . . . hard.

Two hands shot out and grabbed my arms, pulling me upright as I gasped, my eyes moving up the wall of muscle to Wade’s annoyed face.

‘Are you ever going to stop walking into me?’ he grumbled as he let me go.

‘S . S . Sorry’ I stammered in fear, ‘I didn’t see you.’

Wade rolled his eyes, ‘I’m a bit hard to miss, maybe if you looked away from your shoes once in a while you’d notice everyone around you’ he gritted out in annoyance.

Nodding, I stayed silent, waiting for him to walk away, but he didn’t.

‘So?’ he finally asked as I looked at him in bewilderment, ‘the tutoring? Were you even listening in there? We have to organize when you’ll come over’ he sighed as he ran his hand down his face exasperatedly.

‘You want me to come to your house?’ I managed to force out in surprise.

He looked at me like I was an i***t, ‘you thought we’d study in a school bathroom?’ he retorted with a roll of his eyes.

‘No . . no of course not, yes, um, when would you like to start?’ I replied, man he made me flustered, how the heck am I going to do this?

Wade contemplated for a moment before muttering, ‘meet me outside by my car after school, we’ll start today, then work it out from there’ he replied decisively before striding off without waiting for my agreement, leaving me gaping behind him.

Sighing, I placed my bag carefully onto the floor and pulled out my phone, sending mum a text message that I would be home late tonight as I had a tutoring job from the school.

My phone pinged with a response, ‘Good for you cupcake! Don’t stay too late, I have a double shift tonight so I won’t be home but text me when you leave your student and again when you get home so I know you are safe, love you’ came mum’s response.

‘Will do, love you too’ I sent back before shoving my phone into my pocket and picking up my bag, cradling it as I hurried off to our next lesson, having missed break completely.