Avoiding The Bad Boy

Chapter Nine

Graciela’s POV

Waking up, I felt like crap, my eyes were sore and itchy, my throat hoarse and I was pretty sure my hair was a birds nest from all of the tossing and turning I’d done last night after Addison turned the light off between us.

I’d be lying if I said I’d got a good head start on my homework, I’d read the pages over and over but not a word had stuck in my mind. Instead they were in turmoil over a broad shouldered, blonde haired man that wouldn’t vacate my thoughts.

Just turned eleven year old Graciela had thought that Sixteen year old Archer Jones was gorgeous, her little heart had crushed on the big strong football player, happy just to have him watch cartoons with her or allow her to crash his dates with her sister.

Eighteen year old Graciela was very aware that this older version of Archer Jones had filled out in all the right places. Despite my absolute freak out to come face to face with him, I’d soaked up his muscular frame and sexy good looks like a sponge. I had spent the night at war between my lady bits that had reminded me that I had been a while in my dry spell, against my head and heart that pointed out that he belonged to my dead sister, was nearly six years older than me and a member of staff, not to mention how he’d disappeared from my life without so much as a ‘sorry your sister died.’

‘He’s not for you’ I muttered fiercely, ‘it doesn’t matter that he has muscles for days or arms that could very possibly pick you up like you weigh nothing. His washboard abs were probably nowhere near as defined as you think they were, everyone knows shirts make everything look better! You’d probably take one look at him with his shirt off and forget all about licking chocolate sauce off his chest.’

Nodding to myself, I jumped out of bed just as Addison walked out of our bathroom, a towel wrapped around her.

‘Your up’ she said with a bright smile, ‘I was just about to wake you, we do not want a repeat of yesterday’ she added with a grimace.

I cringed, yeah, I don’t need a reminder of the disaster that was my first day. Walking to the bathroom, I shut the door, turning on the shower and stripping off, sighing happily as I stepped underneath the spray and started to wash.

Soaping up my hair, I pulled a comb through the tangles turning my back and tilting my head just as the warm water turned icy cold.

Screaming loudly, my feet slid on the soapy tub, my hands grabbing wildly at anything as I started to fall. Eyes closed tightly against the suds that were running down my face, my questing fingers grabbed at fabric just as my feet flew from underneath me and I toppled backwards, hitting my back on the bath taps and my head against the tiled wall. The fabric that was still clutched in my hands, fell on top of me as a loud clanging sound filled the room.

‘Gracie??’ came Addison’s panicked voice as I groaned loudly, trying to disentangle myself without opening my eyes to the sting of soap. ‘Gracie? Are you OK? What the hell happened.’

‘Ow’ was all I could reply, reaching up to touch the back of my head that was already sporting a large, painful lump.

The door swung open and the gust of cold air from our room made me shiver even more than the freezing water that was still pouring all over my goose bumped flesh.

‘Jesus! Are you OK?’ Addison asked as a towel pressed to my face, wiping the suds away.

Opening my eyes gingerly, I glanced up at my roommate’s worried face before looking down at the shower curtain that was wrapped around me, the pole that had been attached to the wall, now laying across the floor leaving two sets of screw holes behind it in the wall.

‘The water turned cold, it shocked me and I slipped’ I mumbled, wincing as I tried to get up. My ass protested, seems like I was going to have a bruise there to match the one on my back from the taps and the lump on my head.

‘s**t, the hot water must have run out’ Addison muttered, ‘you have to get up early or the girls will just use everything. Sicily from my art class warned me, I meant to say to you but then I got back and you were upset, and you didn’t want to talk . . .’ She trailed off guiltily as I gave her a small smile, trying for a second time to stand up.

‘Not your fault’ I replied shifting around so I was on my knees, Addison pulling the shower curtain away from me, cutting off the water that had now made a nice puddle on our floor, and wrapping a towel around my body.

‘How am I going to wash my hair’ I whimpered, catching sight of myself in the mirror as I stepped shakily out of the tub.

‘I’ll help you’ Addison replied, grabbing the shower from its hook and pointing to me to lean over the bath tub.

Doing as she instructed, I bit down on my lip as the freezing water washed over my scalp, my roommate cursing as her fingers ran through my hair and found the damage to my head.

As a small whimper left my lips, she froze, ‘I’m sorry, I’m sorry’ she muttered, ‘I’m trying to get the soap out, I’m being as careful as I can.’

I nodded, blinking back the tears, why does this s**t always happen to me? ‘just do your best’ I replied, wincing, I refuse to be a laughing stock again, I don’t care if I am screaming in agony, I will not go to class with shampoo in my hair.

Ten minutes later, Addison shut off the water, placing the shower head into the bath and stepping back as I carefully squeezed water from my hair.

‘I did my best’ she sighed, ‘I don’t know how we are going to dry it though.’

Reaching to the side, I grabbed a second towel, placing it over my hair and starting to rub as a garbled scream forced it’s way out, God! This was really painful!

‘Do you think you might need to go to the ER?’ my roommate asked tentatively.

‘No no, I’ll be fine, it’s just a bump’ I replied quickly, standing up and blinking as lights flashed in front of my eyes. Gripping the sink tightly, I shuffled toward the door, vaguely aware of my roommate hovering in my peripheral vision, hands out as if ready to catch me.

Moving achingly slowly, I made my way back into our room, taking a seat on my mattress. Addison fussing around me, opening the wardrobe and pulling out clothes for me. ‘Ooo this is cute’ she called out over her shoulder, waving a purple top with a sequined butterfly design on the front. Grabbing some black leggings, she rummaged in my drawer, pulling out a bra and panties set before carrying everything over to me and placing it beside me on the bed. ‘Do you need my help?’ she asked worriedly as I reached over and picked up the underwear, trying to shrug my arms into the straps without crying as my rapidly developing bruising screamed from the movements.

After trying to reach behind me futility for a few minutes I raised my eyes to Addison who was still watching me ‘I can’t do my bra up’ I whispered. Nodding quickly, my roommate crawled onto the bed behind me and quickly fastened the loops for me.

‘Thank you’ I muttered, picking up my panties and pulling them up over my legs followed by my leggings. As I reached for my top, Addison snatched it off the bed, standing up and moving in front of me to pull it over my head, grimacing as I winced from lifting my arms into the sleeves.

Standing up, I was hit by another wave of dizziness, my stomach lurching as I closed my eyes tightly.

‘Are you sure you shouldn’t see a doctor?’ Addison asked again, gripping my arm as I waited for the nausea to pass.

Opening my eyes again, I gave her a weak smile, ‘I’m sure’ I replied, ‘just had the wind knocked out of me that’s all.’ I peeked through the bathroom door, biting down on my lip at the shower rail still laying on the floor, dreading how much the college would charge me for replacing it.

Seeing my gaze, Addison squeezed my arm, ‘it fell down while you were in the shower’ she said firmly, ‘those screws came straight out of the wall, the college should be glad that it didn’t cause you serious damage, I’ll be sure to tell them that when I report the damage.’

Giving her a grateful smile, I shuffled my way toward the door, easing it open as Addison snatched up both of our bags and followed behind me.

Walking across campus, I tried not to let the pain in my body show or that my head was now pounding relentlessly, the sunlight making everything worse.

Entering into the building, I heaved a sigh of relief as the blinding light was cut off as I entered the corridor.

Tapping my shoulder, Addison held out my bag to me that I took as she ran her gaze over me in concern. As she opened her mouth I held up a hand to stop her, ‘honestly, I’m fine’ I croaked, ‘it’s just the shock that’s all.’

Taking my bag, I grinned over at her as she smiled warily, nodding reluctantly before turning and heading for her first class.

Trying to stifle the limp that was developing, walked slowly toward my own class, breathing deeply with each step, my mind swirling with every movement.

‘Graciela!’ came a deep voice from behind me, turning around gingerly, I spotted Archer Jones at the end of the corridor, his eyes on me. Stumbling slightly, I quickly turned around, the movement bringing on an even worse wave of nausea, my surroundings merging together as I tried to keep moving away from the last person I wanted to see.

‘Graciela, wait! I need to talk to you’ Archer shouted, his voice coming closer as I put everything into moving toward my class, fighting through the pain.

A hand came around my arm, tingles shooting across the place where it connected with my skin before I was spun around to face my sister’s ex boyfriend.

As he glared down at me, his mouth opening to say something, the spinning around me and pain echoing in my head became to much and I leaned forward, puking all over Archer’s shirt.

Wiping my mouth weakly with the back of my hand, I looked up dazedly before my eyes rolled back, my legs buckling beneath me and the world turned to black around me as I crumpled to the floor.