Badboy for a Boyfriend

Chapter 11

"He asked you out?" Jean exclaimed. She leaned from across the table and crouched her face closer to me. She hissed but her voice still came out louder. Enough to get some heads turned to us. Luckily, they were too busy to be nosy for long. If anything, I think our noise was distracting them.

Finally, I joined my friends in their study session. It was in the library in the city so we could go for dinner or karaoke if we still had time. Which was often after a passed test results. I rarely was absent until a year ago and I thought I'd completely lost it.

Tanner had a doubted look embedded in his expression. Sue stayed rigid on her seat with the same look of disbelief as everyone. I sighed and slowly nodded. I couldn't blame them if my story sounded so untrue.

I just knew I had to share it with them. But with the reason why excluded. That was one thing I could never admit to them.

"Not really asking me out," I whispered. "He asked if I could be his girlfriend. We actually have dinner tonight with their family. He told us he'd tell our parents we're dating. You know I can't let that happen."

"That's why you were acting weird earlier," Tanner pointed out.

I bit the inside of my cheeks. Why wouldn't I? Razbill Silvero was waiting for me after school dismissal. If I was not mistaken, seniors had a longer schedule than us. Or different schedules at the very least. I had no idea why he was waiting outside our building before dismissal but I had an eerie feeling it was because of the meeting. It could be. And I didn't dismiss that probability.

Imagine my fear when I saw him there and while students, mostly girls ogled at him. Plus the fact that I could tell some knew what he was to the Silveros, too. It wasn't officially announced yet but as weeks passed by, I was convinced it would never happen. 

The people would simply know and that was it.

Students openly murmured and talked about Razbill Silvero. Their fixated eyes on him would easily tell everyone he was the topic. As usual, he didn't seem to mind. But he didn't look fine with it either. A look of displease would somehow appear in his face before he frowned it away.

I was walking ahead of my friends as they had plans for group study again. But when I saw him waiting, I knew I had to be absent from our family dinner. 

It wasn't often but I did skip meetings several times. As long as all my reasons were valid. My father would ask anyone in his employees to check whether I was telling the truth or not. Sometimes, it was Joe.

This time, I had this group study as an excuse. Frankly, I was thinking my father would not approve. I waited for my Mom's call but there was none. It was fine with them that I missed this dinner with the Silvero. I was glad.

"I had to escape him," I admitted as I remembered how my stomach turned in fear of seeing him waiting. What else could it be if not fear? That was the only feeling I was familiar with around him.

"What if he still tells your parents?" Sue asked.

I was not dismissing that idea. I glanced down to check my phone countless times now. "They're not calling me yet."

"So, it's still safe?" Jean nodded, more to reassure herself. A look of concern flashed in her eyes.

I nodded back and looked around our table and their scattered notes. We were silently reading our own notes. Meanwhile, I was painstakingly waiting for them to be available so I could share with them what's running through my head.

Jean was the first to notice my uneasiness. My silence was the usual but she knew there was something bothering me. And it was the kind I was willing to share with them; so she asked.

Now, their attention was all on me. The notes and lectures were long disregarded. I was not sure if I'd be thankful they were listening or feel sorry I was taking their study time away.

"He seemed unpredictable to me. I don't trust him at all," Tanner shared his comment. Everyone nodded in agreement but I.

"You think he was playing with me? He knew we were nothing but he wanted us to pretend like we were dating."

"He's obviously playing." He nodded. A crease appeared on his forehead as thoughts crossed his mind. "But why will he do that? What makes him think you'll play along with him? Unless he knows something… unknown. Like a secret." He narrowed his eyes at me at his own conclusion.

I stared and refused to blink. I probably had a guess they would come with this thought and had already prepared myself to it. 

I simply turned to Sue. Our eyes stayed with each other for seconds. She then gasped and covered her lips with her palms. I knew she understood.

"What is it?" Jean instantly noticed. She glanced at Tanner only to realize he was as clueless as her, too. "Do you know something we didn't know?"

I bit my lower and kept my eyes on Sue. I would not force her to lie to our friends if she didn't want to. But… I was not ready to tell them, either.

Noticing my trouble, she put her hand over mine. "Don't worry about it. There's a reason he was sent to a delinquent school. He's playing around. Maybe you have become too kind to him, that's why." She discreetly nodded at me. I understood the silent meaning in her look. She wanted me to be discreet, too. Seeing that it was for my own good, I agreed.

I stayed speechless. I turned to Jean and Tanner to see their reactions. They noticed nothing odd. They even supported Sue's statement and believed we knew nothing. That we had no secret—at all.

When her conviction became a success, she turned to me with a reassuring smile. I smiled back with gratitude but it came out tight with force because I felt bad lying to our friends. Even bringing her to this. 

But I was aware that no matter how authentic and long the friendship was, there were things we shouldn't share to everyone. It was to keep the safety around, too.

"But how will you avoid him?" Jean asked; her eyes clouded with genuine concern. 

I had no answer. I didn't think about that yet.

"You could tell Dayshawn. He will help you get rid of his bastard brother."

"Tanner!" We all said in unison. 

His eyes widened in surprise. He lifted his hands in defense, a ghost of smile lingering on the corner of his lips.

"Let's not address him that way," I said. "Besides, I will not tell anyone about this. I'm only telling you, but I'm asking you now for a favour, to please not tell anyone. I'm just… confused. No one has been that straightforward to me. I don't know how I should… react. You're right, he's unpredictable at time, but I can see he's not a bad person. Let's not be too quick to judge him. I was really just confused… that's all."

This would be easy if I could just tell them everything—as in everything. 

Tanner hissed his disappointment. "Steer clear of him as much as possible. Make sure he will not have a chance to corner you. If he goes too much, immediately report him. You don't have to listen to a word he says. His former school has nothing now. You own this school, George! Show that to him!"

I gaped in awe, as well as Sue and Jean, who clapped together to praise him. The librarian secretary hissed loudly at us this time as she had been silencing us for the last couple of minutes now. Those who were at the tables closed to us were already sneering.

"Very well said, very well said," Jean and Sue said together while slowly clapping. They were nearly mouthing the words and their hands were hardly touching as they were afraid the librarian would kick us out. 

We didn't take long there anyway. We had to pack our things and continue our conversation outside where we could react and shout whenever we wanted.

We chose the friendly restaurant nearby that sells street food. It was the kind our parents would not allow us to have despite the fact that the place was nice and looking elegant and clean. 

We sometimes took the liberty to try after bearing ourselves with school work. Besides, at times like this, around dinner, the eyes who were sent to make sure we were exactly where we told we were, were no longer there.

I had the best day with them. It somehow took my mind off Razbill and his crazy game. 

Tanner was right. I could act like I owned the school. I would only be played if I let myself be played with. 

Razbill Silvero was something else. I had to be something different, too.