Page 53 of The Cheerleader is Off Limits

I stare at myself in the mirror, something I’ve been struggling to do since yesterday because I am the cause of all this chaos and drama, and I hate that. I run a brush through my hair before applying a bit more mascara and lip balm, because, yes, although he’s pissed at me, I still want him to find me attractive.

Him finding you attractive is why you’re in this mess!

Wait. What if I just skipped?

Can I do that?

But what am I going to do for fifty minutes?

Can I just leave and sit in my car?

Maybe I can go get a latte somewhere.

I leave the bathroom and start heading toward the exit where my car is parked. The hallway has mostly cleared out as time dwindles for students to get to their next class, so hopefully, it isn’t too obvious that I’m just trying to walk out of the side door right now.

I am almost to the door when I hear a deep voice, “Excuse me, where are you headed, young lady?” I jump at the sound of his voice, and when I turn, I see one of the school security guards standing against the wall.

Well, this is probably not good.

“Oh, just to my car really quick.” I gesture innocently toward the first set of double doors.

He gives me a pointed look before folding his arms over his chest. “Nice try.”

“I just… left my textbook there, and I need it for my next class.”

“Students aren’t permitted to leave the building except during lunch hours or if you have a free period, work release, or a pass. Do you have any of those things?” he asks.

“Umm, no?” I respond meekly.This is going downhill very fast.

“I suggest you go to your class then and get a pass, and then you can go to your car,” he informs me.

“Caaanyou give me a pass?” I ask with a smile. I’ve flirted my way out of many tickets and sticky situations before, and I’m wondering if maybe that works here too.

“No,” he says succinctly without any follow-up.

“I’m having a really bad day,” I tell him, hoping he’ll feel even a modicum of empathy for me.

“Well, you can’t skip class over that.”

And now I’m late, and I have to walk into class with everyone, including River, staring at me.

“Am I going to have to escort you to class, or can I trust you’ll get there on your own?” he asks, without giving me a chance to respond, and I sigh.

“I’ll go,” I whisper, not wanting to get into trouble on my second day here.

I make my way down the hall and toward the classroom and take a deep breath before opening the door slowly. The sound of River’s smooth, deep voice floods my ears and briefly hits me with a memory of the voice message he’d left me a few days ago of him grunting while he was masturbating followed by a feral groan of my name and telling me what agood girlI was fortaking his dick like this.

NOT THE TIME, SLOANE.

His voice stops immediately when I shut the door behind me, and twenty-something eyes land on me, including his warm brown ones, now icy and cold.

“I– sorry,” I whisper before averting my gaze and moving toward the back of the classroom. Luckily, I see a seat in the back row.

“Let’s all try to make sure we’re on time, going forward,” River says, and I wince before nodding and sinking low in my chair.

“Don’t trip, Mr. K is cool. He just has to say shit like that so the other teachers don’t give him a hard time.” I turn my head to see a Black guy with light eyes smiling at me. He’s wearing a football jersey, so I take that to mean he probably knows River on a different level and probably worships the ground he walks on or something. “You’re the new girl, Delaney’s cousin, right? Your parents are like the Thornberrys or something.” He laughs quietly.

I nod and smile for what feels like the first time in twenty-four hours. “Sloane,” I whisper.