Chapter Six

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Jessica

"What the hell was that?" Jeremy asks.

My throat feels drier than the Sahara desert, so I sip on my coke before I speak.

"I got asked out, big deal." I try to sound nonchalant, but my face betrays me.

Steff gives me that we'll have this talk later look.

People have been looking over at our table and whispering openly from the moment he left our table. I wonder what they'll say when they find out we're dating. Things have been really boring around school lately, and there is no rumor going around. This is just what everyone needs. They might even write an article about it in the school paper. It might even be on the front page, and it'll probably have a big headline.

Bad boy bewitched by the crack head.

I steal a glance at his table. He is eating, casually discussing something with his friends. Brittany looks like she's about to pull her extensions out, and despite everything, the site makes me smile to myself.

"Helloooo, Juliet!" Steff snaps her fingers, waving her hands, and Jeremy snorts.

"What?" I look back and forth at them.

"Did you not hear a thing I said?" She asks, throwing her hands up with exasperation, and I smile sweetly with a shake of my head.

She sighs and turns to Jeremy.

"Please say something to her!"

"Jess, are you seriously gonna go out with him?" Jeremy asks.

"Well, I said yes, didn't I? It's not a big deal."

Jeremy narrows his eyes at me like he can tell that I'm lying, and we have a stare-off. He finally looks away in defeat.

"Fine! If you insist. I'll just pretend like I believe you. But keep your eyes open. Guys like him bring nothing but trouble." He says.

"Look at you being all fatherly. How adorable!" Steff pokes him, and they start wrestling.

"Stop it. You'll mess my hair up!" She struggles to get out of his grip, and he slowly lets her go.

"Greg, wait up." He hollers, and a tall guy with curly red hair nods at him.

"Sorry, got a project I have to finish up. Duty calls gotta go." He says, getting up to leave.

"Later!" Steff says and turns to me.

"So you gonna talk?" She asks when Jeremy is far enough, and I fill her in on every detail.

"He likes Brittany? What's with that skunk and that family? And I thought she was already screwing him." She says, chewing on her fries.

I guess the rumors were true.

"Yeah, maybe. But he doesn't want her with Elliot or something. I don't know." I sip on the coke.

"I'm usually into messing with that bitch, but you play the girlfriend, Brittany loses her mind and takes him back. And what happens to you?"

Sometimes I think Steff hates Brittany more than I do.

"I get to have Elliot back and delete that awful video," I say, and she shakes her head in disapproval.

"What?" I ask.

"Jess, I know you believe Elliot is the one or whatever, but I don't think he is. He is just all you have ever known. He was the first guy that gave you attention and made you feel wanted. You grew comfortable with him, but that is all there is to it. I think trying to get him back is a huge mistake." She says.

"I don't know." I sigh.

"I am no love expert, but I know you. I just think you can do so much better than a guy who watched you go through all that stuff and still managed to act like nothing ever happened. If you're doing this just to get him back, I don't think it's worth it." She says.

"No, it's not just for him. I get to delete that stupid video. Plus, getting under Brittany's skin even if it's for a while is worth anything." I say, and she smiles.

"Okay, okay, enough with the heavy. Let's look at the bright side. You get to date a hottie that any girl would absolutely die for, and we get invited to the hottest parties. Whop! Whop!" She throws her hands up, and we both laugh.

I have a rather pleasant day after lunch. No one gives me hard time. Brittany just glares at me from afar, and I'm not used to this side of her, so it freaks me out a little.

The next day is the same. It almost feels like I have my old life back with the bullies off my back. Liam meets with me in between classes, and we hold hands in the halls for the sake of a little PDA. When school is out, I can finally breathe. I think I'm the first to get up from my desk and hurry to the door.

"Miss Grayson, not so fast." I spin around and stare at Mr. Miller, who looks almost deadly.

People pass by openly whispering.

"Is there a problem?" I ask, but he remains quiet until everyone leaves the room.

Then he finally speaks.

"Go lock the door."

"Excuse me?" Panic swells in my chest.

Mr. Millar realizes what he insinuated, and he backtracks.

"Never mind. So what do you think you are doing? Are you threatening me?" He asks, and against my better judgment, my lips twitch with amusement.

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"Do you not know this kind of accusation can destroy a man's life?" He glares at me.

Wait! What is going on?

"I'm pretty sure I have no idea what you mean." My heart is doing backflips in my chest.

"Listen, I am not gonna play..."

My phone vibrates in my pocket, interrupting him. I glance at it, and when I see Steff's face flashing on the screen, I turn it off.

"You were saying?" I urge.

"I will not be blackmailed by your childish threats. Do you have any proof of what you're suggesting?" His forehead is starting to sweat. This is a side of Mr. Miller I have never seen before. He is probably in his late 20's or early 30's. He is rather good looking. When he first started working here. I remember every girl drooling over him in class. But the guy sitting in front of me with his jaws clenched looks almost like an entirely different person.

"I really don't know what you're talking about," I say, starting to feel a bit sweaty myself.

"I got this letter earlier and what you are implying..." I snatch the paper from his hands, and as I read, my heart sinks. It has been signed with my name accusing him of sexual relations with a student whose name isn't mentioned and threatening to tell if he refuses to give me an A. It doesn't take a second for me to figure it out.

I am being set up again!

"Mr. Miller, I swear it's not me. I swear!" I'm frantic. My hands shake as I hold the letter.

"What kind of sick game are you playing, Miss Grayson? I know you have had problems in the past, but I didn't take you for mentally challenged."

I audibly gasp.

"I did not do this, Mr. Miller. I swear it. And I don't think it's appropriate for you to speak to me this way!" I feel like I might start crying.

He stares at me for a moment debating on whether to believe me or not.

"You are not the one that sent this?" He asks, taking the letter out of my shaky hands.

"No."

"Then who did? Why would somebody send this and sign your name on it?"

Gee, I don't know, but I'm guessing it's because they want to set me up!

"I don't know," I answer.

He gets up looking scared out of his pants, realizing he has a bigger enemy out there.

"Can you think of any names?" He asks.

I have a pretty good idea who it is, but I'm not about to tell him.

"No, not really."

"Fine, Miss Grayson. My apologies. You may leave. Oh, and you can't mention this to anyone. Are we clear?" He looks intimidating, towering over me with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Crystal," I say before rushing out.

As soon as I leave the class, I feel sick. So I run to the bathroom.

What makes me feel sick to my stomach isn't the fact that I just had the most uncomfortable conversation of my life. It is not even the fact that I just got set up. No, what is making me sick is knowing that everything in that letter is the truth.

Mr. Miller, my English teacher, is having an affair with a student.

I know Brittany well enough to know that she would not create some lie just to set me up. In the old days, I too knew every little dirt on the teachers. We had ears everywhere. We never did anything with the information other than keeping it to ourselves and gossiping about it. Besides, the dead give away that it's true is the fact that he never once asked who the girl he's allegedly seeing was. She wasn't mentioned in the letter, and if I were him, I'd want to know.

Nevertheless, I'm utterly grateful that they decided to leave that detail out. I don't think I want to know.

I feel nauseous. I walk to the sink and wash my face with the cold water. When I finally regain all my senses, I remember Steff had called, and I call her back pacing to the parking lot.

"Hey, what the hell happened to you?" She asks.

"Long story. Sorry, I kept you waiting. I'm coming as fast as I can." I say, breathing hard.

"Wait! You're still at school?" The surprise is evident in her voice.

"Yeah, aren't you?" I ask.

"No, I left. Jess, I called you like a million times. I had to leave early. My mom is making me go to this stupid charity thing. I am so sorry."

Oh! So fascinating how the universe always seems to work against me as if it has no job other than plotting ways to torture me.

"That's okay. I'll just find another ride." I sigh.

By ride, I mean my legs who would never leave without me. Well, at least I hope that's not possible. But then again, I once saw on a Chris Angel show a woman cut in half and half her body was moving.

Ugh! I shake the image off.

"Ride? From who?" She asks.

Good question. It's not like I have a knight in shining armor waiting around looking for a chance to save me. I rack my brain trying to think of people that still have the decency to talk to me. Not that any of them would be around. It is pretty late.

"Maybe I should come back. You know, just in case Brittany is waiting around the corner with a shovel." She says, and I laugh.

"No, I'll manage. You have fun."

"Fun? We are not even out of the house, and my mother is driving me insane. I look like I'm going clubbing." She groans, and I laugh.

Steff's mom is such a free spirit. One can even go so far as to say she is incredibly wild. Steff is so much like her.

"Sorry, Jess. Gotta go." She hangs up.

Okay, Jessica, think! What's plan B? Call Jeremy? No. He's probably home by now. He always leaves early. Call mom? 

My eyes widen with panic when I remember that I'm supposed to watch the boys tonight because she has a night shift at the hospital.

"Shit!" I yell, my voice echoing throughout the empty hallway.

"You're not gonna start talking to yourself again, are you?" A now familiar voice looms from behind me, and I turn around.

How the hell does he always manage to find me in the most unpleasant moments?

"What are you still doing here?" I ask.

"I waited outside your class, and when you didn't come out..."

"Liam!" I cut him off. "We are not a real couple. You don't have to wait around for me."

"I know that!" He snaps. "If we are not seen in public together, how are people supposed to believe that we're together?"

Good point. 

"I saw your friends leave, so I'm guessing you don't have a ride." He says.

I look at him with my eyebrow raised in question.

"What? Your friend drives you around, right?" He asks.

"It's alarming that you know that," I tell him.

He has never seen me outside of school. At least I don't think he has.

"So how about it?" He asks.

"No, it's alright. I can manage."

I am desperate but not that desperate.

"You know what? Fine! Walk." He walks past me.

Now he's angry?

"Wait!" I call after him, and he turns around.

"It's a long walk, so I guess I could use a ride."

He fights a smile, and I roll my eyes. I let him lead the way, and when we get to the parking lot I spot a sleek black Escalade. I walk to it, eyeing it with fascination.

What do you know? Liam has a good taste in cars.

"What are you doing?" He asks, looking amused.

"What do you think, genius?" I snort. "I'm pretty sure you're not going to open the door for me, but how about you at least unlock it?"

"That's not my car." He says, and I look around.

"But it's the only car here," I say, confused.

"This is my ride." He gestures at a motorcycle I completely forgot to notice.

My mouth is slightly ajar as I walk to the bike.

"Really? That's what you want to give me a ride on?" I ask.

"Actually, I can think of a few other places."

My eyes widen but I also laugh. I can't believe I gave him an opening for that.

I feel myself get slightly flushed and it embarrasses me because all he did was make a joke.

He notices.

"I've never ridden a motorcycle." I say, trying to salvage myself.

"Don't worry. I'll be the one riding." He laughs.

God!

"You know what I mean." I glare at him. "Don't people like die riding that thing?"

"People die laying in bed, Jess." He says. "It's either the killing machine or walking." His eyes are laughing at me as I stand here, weighing my options.

"Come on, live a little." He says after a while, extending his hand.

I sigh in defeat. I grab ahold of his hand, and I carefully climb on. He hands me a helmet, and I put it on, strapping it under my chin securely.

"What about you?" I ask.

"I don't carry extra Helmet." He tells me.

I nod, hoping we don't run into the cops. I give him my address, and I carefully rest my hand on his back.

"If you don't want to fall off, you'll have to do a little more than that." He turns around to look at me.

His face is so close that one wrong move and our lips will touch. I lean back and turn my head away.

"Okay," I say, but my hand remains on his back.

Why is this so awkward?

"Suit yourself!" He says and suddenly takes off, causing me to jerk back and wrap my arms around him tightly.

I feel his chest vibrate as he laughs. I clench my eyes shut, and I rest my head on his back, trying not to yelp every time the bike leans to the side or jerks abruptly. I am so high on adrenalin, I barely notice when we finally park outside my house.

"I know it's hard to pull away, but you have to let go now." He says.

I scoff and unwrap my hands.

When I get off, I feel dizzy. He notices and jumps off to hold me by the waist.

"You okay?" He asks.

"I'm fine!" I say, freeing myself from his hold and stepping back.

Before I can thank him for the ride, our front door swings open, and Zach comes running out with Lux following behind.

"You're late! Mom is ready to kill you." He informs me and quickly turns his attention to Liam. "Who's your friend?" He asks.

"I'm Liam. What's your name?" Liam smiles at Zach, and I realize it's the first time I am seeing a genuine smile from him. 

I feel sudden warmth in my chest, and I frown.

"Zachary," Zach says.

I pick Lux up, hugging her and trying to ignore my discomfort.

"You missed mommy, didn't you, Luxy?" I whisper, ruffling her fur.

Liam laughs.

"Cute!" He says, his eyes alight with humor.

"Shut up!" I feel my face flush.

"Your motor is so cool! Can I ride it?" Zach asks.

"I think you're a bit too young for that, buddy. Maybe I'll teach you when you're a little older."

Teach him when he's older? I laugh on the inside. You'll be long gone from my life by then, Liam Disick.

"Okay." Zach smiles and runs back inside.

I put Lux down.

"Thanks for the ride," I say just as Dean comes running out. Of course, Zach told him about the awesome guy outside with a motorcycle. Boys and their toys!

"Dude, it's so cool! Can I ride it?" He asks with excitement. 

Liam looks confused, almost creeped out.

"How did he change so fast?" He asks, looking at me. "Didn't we just have this conversation?" He turns to Dean.

I bite my lips to keep from bursting into fits of laughter.

"Can you be a little sensitive! He forgets. Jeez!" I try to sound as offended as possible, and Liam's expression is absolutely priceless.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" He looks horrified.

I can't hold it in anymore. I laugh at the top of my lungs, and he stares at me, adorably lost.

"They are identical twins," I tell him trying to catch my breath.

He scratches the back of his head in embarrassment and joins me in laughter. Actual laughter with his head tipped back and beautiful sounds erupting from his chest.

Liam Disick laughing might just be the best sound I have ever heard. It's deep and rich and it sounds like music to my ears.

"I told your brother I would teach him when he's old enough. You can join in." He says, smiling at Dean.

"Oh!" Dean frowns, but it gets quickly replaced by a smile. "Our dad got us skateboards last week. Can you teach us how to skate?" He asks. 

Liam quickly looks at me and turns back to Dean.

"Sure. I am a pretty good skater."

Uh oh!

"Promise?" Dean beams.

"Promise!"

"Liam has lots of things to do. Don't you, Liam?" I say, cutting in. And I don't wait for a reply. "He won't have time. Dad can teach you."

"But Dad never has time, and Liam said..."

"Go inside, Dean. I'll come in a second."

He glares at me picking Lux up before walking back inside.

"Why did you just do that?" Liam asks with a frown.

"Shouldn't you be thanking me for saving you?" I ask him.

"No. I don't mind showing them a few tricks." He says, and I scoff.

"Goodnight, Liam."

"Goodnight, grumpy girlfriend." He says as I head inside.

***

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