Bad Falls 101

3. His Prey

I try to shrug off Ryker’s arm, but with him being my new self-proclaimed tormentor, he doesn’t allow me freedom of movement.

“What do you want?” I hiss at him.

He moves me along, towards the classroom door, and I feel my blood freeze in my veins. Does he have English as his first class by any chance?

I don’t have the guts to ask.

“We should not be late, little girl.”

“You’re right,” I tell him stiffly.

“Of course I’m right. When am I not?” He retorts.

I roll my eyes at him. I am glad this position allows me to roll my eyes at him without him seeing me. I don’t want to imagine the consequences of his seeing me do that.

“Now, let me be,” I say as I try to shrug off his arm anew.

“Don’t flatter yourself, little girl. I don’t intend to seduce you,” he tells me in a matter-of-fact tone.

I turn to glare at him and he looks down at me with a raised eyebrow. “What?” He asks. “Were you entertaining silly ideas perhaps?”

“You wish,” I huff at him.

I can’t say I am not relieved by his supposedly hurtful jab. Indeed, it would not have been good for either one of us if he were to pursue me. I can’t imagine him as the kind of Mr. Right I want anyways - he is anything but.

He is dangerous. He is arrogant. And most importantly, he is the bad boy of the school. I, on the other hand, am clumsy and awkward. I am the nerd of the school.

There is no way I could even entertain the idea of us being together, not now, not ever.

He is dragging me into the classroom, and making me sit in the desk next to his, at the very back of the class. He is saying something, probably nonsense again, and I am not focusing on his words.

“Oi,” he nudges me. “Are you ignoring me?”

The classroom which had been buzzing with chatter quiets down at once.

I feel all stares turn to me. And my cheeks burn in embarrassment.

I gulp down my nervousness and dread, and try my damnest not to stutter as I answer him, “I just spaced out?”

Somehow it came out as a question rather than an answer, and I feel my cheeks burn even more intensely.

“Why are you asking me?” He smirks. “What were you thinking about, little girl?”

As his glare turns into an amused look, the tension, which even clueless little me managed to sense to an extent, dissipates.

By the time the class begins, he manages to make me look like a fool a second time by teasing me senselessly, “Seriously though, little girl, what were you thinking about? Are you already falling for me?”

I hear a few chuckles, and instead of glaring at those who did, I narrow my eyes at him.

“You wish,” I tell him rather haughtily.

“Do I?” He taunts.

I pout and turn to focus on the front of the class.

Why is the teacher running late anyways, today out of all days?

And why, oh why, did I think it was okay to stand up for myself today, out of all days, and to him, out of all boys?

Somehow, I know the torment is only just starting. He isn’t yet serious about it. He’s just making me have a taste of what I am going to endure.

Hopefully, he’ll find someone else to bully some time soon, I inwardly sigh.

Soon enough, the teacher comes in, and I can say with certainty that I have never been as grateful to see one as I did at that moment.

She starts lecturing us. And I zone out almost immediately.

Soon enough, the bell rings, and I spring up to my feet. I am about to leave, to flee the scene, when I remember I still have to gather my things.

“Easy, little girl,” Ryker teases me yet anew.

He makes me nervous, I’ll have to admit that much.

Sure, I have been bullied before. With me being as clumsy and awkward as I am, that’s a given. But the bullying I was subjected to before was never this focused, and never made me this nervous or this jumpy.

Ryker Scott, however, was much too focused on the task, almost as if he had something against me - something personal. And seeing that I have never even noticed the guy before, never mind knowing about his existence, I’ll take a wild guess and say that I did nothing to offend him - except standing up to him, that is.

Ah well, the senior year isn’t off to a nice start. And it certainly isn’t looking too bright at the moment.

** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **

It is now lunch, and the only class I had to share with Ryker was that of English. Thank god!

Our high school is a small one. And all classes have lunch at the same time.

Ergo, as I am heading to the refectory, I am excited to see Blair whom I have not had in any of my classes for the time being. I am also admittedly anxious and nervous about seeing Ryker.

Hopefully, he won’t pay me any mind.

Maybe he’s forgotten all about my existence already.

A girl can hope.

An arm is thrown around my shoulders and I stumble forward a little. I turn to glare at my self-proclaimed tormentor only to meet Blair’s beautifully warm chocolate brown eyes.

“What’s gotten your pants in a twist?” She asks me. “What are you glaring at me for?”

“My bad,” I say in an apologetic tone, “I just thought…”

“What did you think?” She raises an eyebrow at me.

“Never mind,” I tell her on a soft sigh.

“Did you think it was someone else?” She asks, appalled.

“Yeah,” I mumble.

“Who?” She insists. “It’s not like you have many friends,” she says point blank, seemingly forgetting all about this morning’s incident.

“Let’s just grab lunch,” I tell her, dismissing the very thought of Ryker from my mind.

He has yet to make an appearance after all. Surely, he’s forgotten all about me. I’m just the nerd of the school after all. What could be so interesting about tormenting me?

“If it isn’t the school klutz,” a feminine one-pitch too high voice reaches my ears. “Careful, Blair, you could become clumsy like her.”

“I’d rather become clumsy than slutty,” my best friend retorts in a sweet saccharine tone.

My biggest bully, Ava, comes into sight as she gets up into my face.

“Look at her,” she tells her g**g of look-alikes, “She’s so plain, so clumsy, so awkward… so many qualities befitting the nerd of the school. Don’t you agree, girls?”

Speak up, I tell myself inwardly. Don’t let Blair fight your own battles.

I am about to give her a piece of my mind when a voice reaches us, “What are you girls up to?”

Ryker comes to stand beside me, and my eyes start stinging with unshed tears. I am not sure I can take both his and Ava’s bullying at the same time.

“Let’s go, Sammy,” Blair grabs my hand, about to drag me away, almost sensing my distress.

I nod at her, ready to take off, to leave the refectory without even having lunch if need be, when Ryker’s voice booms with more authority, “I asked you a question, little girl.”

“I did nothing wrong,” I almost choke on the words.

My cheeks burn in embarrassment, and I feel his puzzled gaze on me. I avert my eyes and bite on the inside of my cheek.

“Oh, what are you worrying about the nerd of the school for, Ryker?” Ava asks.

“I don’t like the idea of you bullying her, V,” he tells her.

His calling her V must mean he knows her rather well. And yet, did he just defend me in a roundabout way?

“What?” She screeches.

“Shush, you’re hurting my ears,” he complains. “Now, get lost. And don’t let me catch you bullying her again,” he says in a tone that is so icy, it sends shivers dancing down my spine.

“Well, this is new,” Blair observes jokingly.

“I am a predator. Samantha is my prey for the year. I don’t like playing with food,” he says nonchalantly.

And then, he turns to leave.

I somehow gather the courage to mutter a small “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, little girl,” he says with a crooked smile on his way out.