Chapter 1: Last Day of School
Ottilyn's P.O.V.
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"Wooohoooo! Last day of school!" One kid shouted as he ran through the halls.
"We're officially seniors!" Another shouted happily.
"One more year of this bullsh.it!" A third added.
I tuned out all the shouts as I turned back to my locker. I sighed as I looked inside. Everyone is emptying their lockers now. The halls are filled with students with papers thrown everywhere and several large trashcans rolling around. It's sweet chaos.
I just wish I felt as excited as them though. I mean, it's the last day of school. It's finally summer vacation. I just... wish I didn't have to come back for another year.
Whatever, it's fine Otti. One more year of all of this, and you can be done with all the high school drama. College will be better.
I hope anyway.
I threw the last of the random papers I'll never need again into the trash behind me. Then I tossed my backpack over my shoulder, and slammed my locker shut. The sooner I can get out of here, the better.
I still have a shift at the diner later, and an early shift at the café in the morning. Now that it's summer, and now that I'm 18, I can pick up more shifts to help Mom out at home. Maybe I can even help Tyler afford those new cleats he wanted for soccer last year.
I was thinking about all the things I needed to do before my shift tonight and after when someone came up beside me. At first, I didn't even notice them. I was used to having to keep my head down. I only have two friends at this school and both of them are cleaning out their lockers. On the other side of the school.
So, when this person suddenly wrapped their arm around my shoulders, and brought me to a stop... I nearly jumped out of my skin. I looked up to see the last person I wanted to see.
Pierce Campbell, the school's biggest and best jock. He plays every single sport, but is especially good at football. I think he's a quarterback, but I honestly don't pay enough attention to know for sure.
Pierce is... a very attractive guy too. He's built like a damn professional football player. A strong and buff build, and super tall at 6'4. His silky black hair sits on the top of his head in a perfect mess of fluffy curls. It gives him a boyish look, and he's anything but boyish, trust me.
The football jerk- I mean, jock, also has these super light brown eyes. I've never seen anything like them before. They're mesmerizing, which is why I usually don't look him straight in the face. The guy is already a fu.cking jacka.ss to me, looking him in the eye always seems to excite him more.
See, Pierce and I could have been friends. Honestly, I could have been friends with everybody if you really think about it. If they didn't all treat me like the scum of the earth, that is.
And Pierce is the worst out of all of them.
"Where you rushin' off to, little Otts?" Pierce asked with a devilish grin on his full lips.
My throat went dry. Mostly out of fear, partly... from something else. My tongue darted out to wet my lips, and Pierce suddenly scowled.
"I'm going home," I said, trying to yank myself free of him.
Pierce just squeezed my side tighter. He didn't even lighten up when I hissed in pain. And I really, really hate how it made me squirm.
I freaking hate Pierce Campbell! Always doing... weird things to me! Why can't he just leave me be!?
"Hey, come on now," Pierce said, teasingly. "It's the last day of school. What's the rush?"
"Uh, the rush is that it's the last day, and we don't have to come back for over two months." I replied factually.
Pierce snorted, the sound warming my heart. Much to my damn dismay. Honestly, what is wrong with me?
You see, I've known Pierce for as long as I can remember. We've always gone to the same schools, had the same classes. When we were kids, Pierce used to be sweet. Puberty must have mushed his brain.
Pierce and I were never close or anything. I would just say that we were friendly. He was kind, and always offered me smiles. It was a simple acquaintanceship.
I don't know what I did, but around the 7th grade, Pierce suddenly changed. It wasn't even like he started to ignore me either. No, Pierce flat out started to torment me. And the more popular he became, the more people picked on me.
So, yeah, I blame Pierce 100% for my torment at school.
Still... I can't help the way my heart flutters when he's near me. I didn't even start feeling this way until about two or three years ago. When his bullying became worse.
It was like... like I found it exciting. I started to notice small things too. Like, what would pi.ss Pierce off more, or what would make him laugh, things like that. It was never any real emotion. Pierce would never show too much emotion to anyone. He's the most unbothered person I know.
However, I would catch small moments. I would see it in his light brown eyes. He wanted to laugh louder, to actually smile. Hell, I even enjoyed the times when I could see Pierce just barely holding his anger back.
I swear, sometimes it's like... Like I want to see Pierce blow up on me. I wonder what he would do to me...
What the actual fu.ck is wrong with me?
"Don't be a smart a.ss Ottilyn," Gianna said. "Pierce is just trying to be nice to you."
"Yeah, be grateful," her minion, Rachel added.
I rolled my eyes, not afraid at all for them to see.
Gianna and Rachel are the two most popular girls in the school. Gianna is head of the cheerleading squad (I know, how original), and she is also the captain of the debate team. Which is exactly why I could never get on it. Gianna hates my guts. I don't particularly know why. My guess is that I'm just an easy pick.
Oh, and Gianna is also head over heels in love with Pierce. Not that he gives a sh.it about anybody but himself. Gianna and Pierce are so on and off that people rarely even care about their off times. They just cheat on each other all the time instead.
Honestly, they should just have an open relationship.
"Yeah Otter, I'm just being nice," Pierce teased, his lips close to my ear.
"Nice my a.ss," I murmured as my face heated.
Pierce chuckled. This time it was not genuine. He was using it to cover up a different emotion. If I had to guess, he was probably irritated about my little comment.
Pierce is just used to getting what he wants. He wants to bully me into submission. At least, that's what I think. Or maybe they all just love picking on the fat girl. Because that's what I am. The fat girl.
I sighed, accidentally out loud.
"Something bothering you Otter?" Pierce asked with a se.xy smirk plastered on his face.
I made the mistake of looking into his eyes again.
Sometimes I swear that Pierce knows what he does to me. The way his light brown eyes sparkle with mischief as I get lost in them... The co.cky smirk that spreads across those full lips... His pink tongue that darts out to wet those plump lips...
"Are you hungry? Is that it? Haven't eaten in an hour? Are you getting cranky?" Pierce teased in a mocking tone.
And just like that, I'm pi.ssed off.
I don't know why I would ever think that Pierce Campbell would try to be riling me up in other ways. It's one thing to have an innocent... crush (?) on someone. It's another thing to let that fantasy get to me.
Pierce is popular, rich, hot, and all around perfect. And I am nothing. I'm poor, ugly, fat, and all around flawed. There is no world that Pierce Campbell and I end up together, and honestly I don't want that anyway.
I don't even think you can call this a crush. I don't like Pierce. Like at all. I just think he's so... so damn se.xy. He turns me on, okay?!
I didn't ask to be like this. I don't want to date him, I just want to...
God, I just want to sleep with him. Maybe just once. Not that I would ever admit that to him or anyone else. Ever.
"Something is bothering me," I replied, and Pierce gave me another co.cky grin. "You and your little pack of goons! Now get off of me, I'm going home."
I tried to push Pierce off of me again. This time he let go. Before I could even take a step though, another arm snaked around me. This one belongs to Pierce's very best friend, Holden.
I rolled my eyes as Holden spun me around to face the group. Holden is another jock, though he's not as bad. While Holden doesn't usually partake in my bullying, he doesn't exactly stand up for me either.
Must be something about the rich and attractive people of this town.
"Whoa, did I just hear you call Rach and Gianna goons? Pierce I can see, but those se.xy ladies? Come on now, Otter," Holden said.
Pierce reached out to slap Holden's hand away from me. He pulled me back beside him, earning a strange look from each of us. Though his hard gaze was fixed on his bestie.
"Alright, well," I said awkwardly as I tried to pry Pierce's fingers from my side. "I'm gonna go now..."
"Actually," Pierce said, gripping me harder. "Why don't you come to the end of year party tonight?"
My eyebrows shot to my hairline.
"Ew, why?" Rachel whined.
"Yeah, ew, why?" I echoed, feeling panicked.
"Hey, it's a party for everyone," he replied.
"She's never been invited before," Gianna said with a hint of anger.
"Yeah, I've never been invited before." I echoed yet again.
"What are you? A damn parrot?" Pierce grumbled.
"Hey, you guys can stop by the diner or café anytime you want to bully me, okay?" I said. "No need for a party."
"Well, you heard her, Pierce, let's go." Gianna said, trying to pull Pierce away.
"Come to this one," Pierce said as he let Gianna pull him away. "It's your birthday. It's our senior year. Let's make amends."
What the fu.ck?
"See you there Otter!" Pierce called out as they all walked away.
I have no idea what the hell just happened, but there is no way in hell I'm going to that party.
