The next day, I went to school, unbearably excited about seeing Bentley. And even though I had already thrown up that morning, I was looking forward to seeing him. I met him in the classroom, and as we were the first in the classroom, I kissed him softly before sitting down. He smiled at me, “you smell good, and you taste good, too.”
I laughed, “thanks. You do too. Is that cologne I smell?” I joked.
He smiled and winked at me, “it’s my dirty little secret, don’t tell anyone. So, what’s yours?”
I shrugged, “I don’t know, Bentley,” I said, leaving it a little mysterious, because I didn’t want to outright lie to him.
He grinned and we grew quiet as everyone else entered the room, I felt him glance at me all throughout the class, but I was just thinking how lucky I was that I hadn’t thrown up in my first period.
We walked out of class together when the bell rang, and our hands brushed against each other often. We sat down in class together, and once we saw there was no one around, we kissed again. I had only meant for it to be brief, but hey, you can’t stop some things. He deepened the kiss slowly, and I made a small noise in the back of my throat, which I’m sure he enjoyed as he shifted closer to me.
I heard someone’s chair scrape against the floor, and I jumped back from Bentley, darting my eyes back to see Joel sitting down, staring at us. I looked back at Bentley and saw him grinning, “that was fun,” he mouthed to me.
I laughed and nodded. The rest of the class entered, and right when the bell rang, I suddenly felt nauseous again. I raised my hand and asked to go to the bathroom. For some reason, I had a feeling the teacher knew, she gave me an understanding, sympathetic look, and sent me off. I ran through the halls to the bathroom, and as soon as I got to a stall I promptly threw my guts up.
I rinsed my mouth out when I was done, and was walking down the hallway, when someone jerked me in the janitor’s closet. It was Joel, again. “Is this going to be an everyday thing?” I asked him.
He shrugged, “so you’re with that guy now?”
I didn’t really know if I was with him or not, we’d never actually said it was official, but I answered smoothly anyway, “yes, what’s it matter to you?”
“You barely know him, that’s why! And you have a baby in your stomach! Or did you forget already?”
“I barely knew you, Joel,” I said sharply, and continued, “and I haven’t forgotten, since I just threw up, again. Don’t begin to act like you’re calling me a bad… parent simply because I actually want to be happy. You’re calling me a bad person? Look in the mirror, darling.”
I grabbed the door handle to go, when he clamped on to my arm, “what do you mean by that?” he said sharply.
“Take. Your. Hand. Off. Me. Now.” I said, with every ounce of hatred I could pour into my voice.
He let go, “what did you mean?” he repeated.
“You lied to me, told me you’d be there and how perfect we would be together just so you could… have sex with me. You told me that you would ruin me if I told someone the baby was yours. You said you’d let everyone know I was a s**t. You think you’re not a bad person?”
He was speechless, “exactly, now I’m going, bye.”
I walked out the door, when I heard his voice behind me, “I’m just saying be careful,” he said quietly.
I turned around and stared at him for a moment, “I only wish someone had told me that the night you first said a word to me,” I whispered, and then walked back to class. I sat beside Bentley, and felt his fingers intertwine between mine. He squeezed my hand softly, “you okay?” he whispered.
I nodded, and forced a smile, and forced myself to keep my eyes on him when Joel walked back in. Bentley smiled at me, “I forgot to tell you, but you look beautiful today.”
I let my thumb stroke his hand, “thank you,” I whispered quietly, and then let go of his hand. The bell rang shortly after, and Bentley walked me to my next class, he kissed me on the cheek before leaving. That class passed by quickly as we took more notes.
When lunch came around, I walked outside, and found Bentley again, and sat beside him. He automatically intertwined his fingers with mine again, “how was History today?” he asked sweetly.
“It sucked, but it flew by, so it was pretty good.”
He laughed, “I missed you, ya know?”
“Did you?” was the only thing I could say.
He kissed my cheek, “of course.”
I looked at him, “so, are we… official now?” I asked him.
He smiled, “of course, why wouldn’t we be?”
“I was just making sure. Some guys are… difficult.”
“I wouldn’t show this much pda if we weren’t.”
I laughed, “yeah, I guess I’m just paranoid.”
He kissed my lips softly, “no, you’re perfect.”
I darted my eyes off to the side, trying my best not to let that comment rip my heart to pieces too badly. He watched me throughout the entire lunch, and listened attentively when I told him things about my day, whenever he wasn’t around.
The bell rang all too soon, and he walked me back to class, leaving me for the rest of the day. Those classes flew by, again, but dragged on also. When the bell finally rang after Journalism, I walked quickly to my car, waiting for him, again. He showed up after a few minutes, and kissed me enthusiastically, “you’re waiting for me?” he asked.
I nodded, “of course.”
We talked some more about the past few classes, and then I drove home.
The rest of the week went through the same routine: go to class with Bentley, throw up accordingly, meet Bentley at lunch, go back to class, meet Bentley in the parking lot, go home, etcetera.
On Friday, I realized at lunch, that the party was tomorrow, which I had completely forgotten. “Crap!” I said, and then blushed when I realized I’d said it out loud.
Bentley looked at me, “what?”
“I forgot the party was tomorrow!” and that I was supposed to go to Chelsea’s. Was I supposed to bring something? Would it just be the two of us? Would it be awkward?
He smiled, “it’s fine, calm down.”
“I don’t have a dress!”
“Wear the one you wore last time.”
“I will not wear that one,” I said a little too sharply, because Bentley took notice.
“Why?”
“Um, don’t wear the same dress twice,” I said softly, what I did sometimes when I lied.
He smiled, “oh, what will the world do with you girls?”
I laughed, “what would the world do without us?”
“Without you, there’d be no world,” he said seriously.
I smiled at him, “you wouldn’t know I exist, you’d go on.”
He laughed, “I somehow doubt it. I’d spent my entire life looking for something I don’t know how to find.”
I beamed, “you’re too good for me.”
“I could say the opposite,” he said.
I kissed him softly, “you’re too cute.”
He laughed, “thanks.”
After he walked me back to class that day, I checked my phone in Journalism and got a message from him, “meet me in the hallway outside the bathrooms,” it said.
I asked to go to the bathroom, and when I got to the janitor’s closet, he jerked me in with him. I almost thought it’d be Joel because of those two other times, but it was definitely Bentley. He kissed me softly, “what did you need?” I asked him quietly.
“You,” he said, his voice rough, and he kissed me again.
I ran my hands through his hair, “babe, we can do this after school, or at the party tomorrow.”
“I just needed you now,” he said, whispering, and he kissed my neck. After a while, I stepped back from him. “Bentley, I can’t stay out of class for so long, I’ll get in trouble.”
He nodded, “I’ll see you after school,” he said huskily.
I nodded, kissed him quickly, and then walked briskly to the classroom. I waited impatiently for the class to end then, I didn’t know what had gotten into Bentley, but it had suddenly gotten to me too. I wanted him more than anything, right now. Which was stupid, I mean what got me into this mess was sex, so why am I like this now? Wait… didn’t I read something about this? You get like this when you’re pregnant sometimes? Nah, I probably just wanted an excuse so I wouldn’t feel like the s**t I’m becoming.
When the bell finally rang, I ran out to my car, and waited impatiently for him to show up, I saw Joel up on the hill again, but only in my peripheral vision, I was waiting for Bentley. He showed up out of nowhere, and kissed me, without even saying anything. I dug my hands in his hair, and pressed myself closer to him. Suddenly, someone shouted, “get a room, you two!”
We separated and laughed, breathing heavily, he smiled, “so, how was your day, honey?”
I laughed, “it was great, pumpkin. Yours?”
“Fantastic,” he said.
I smiled and squeezed his hand, “I should go, I’ll see you tomorrow night?”
“Yeah, go straight to the bar to find me, okay?”
I nodded, “alright, bye.”
He waved as I pulled out of the parking lot, and I went home. The night was mostly uneventful, but Chelsea did text me to remind me about tomorrow. “We’ll do our nails, and go swimming if you want,” she had said.