HERE WE MET

2. ADVANTAGE

"Dez!" My mother hopped down the stairs, her heels waking up the whole house to its feet. I could hear the alarm and the concern in her voice.

I buried my head into a pillow, groaning expectedly. "What!" I muffled, basically crying.

I heard her footsteps halt in front of me. her heavy breaths coming out in snarls. "Young lady," she tried to speak smoothly. "Look at me."

With a prayer, I lowered down the pillow only enough to see the fire in her eyes. "Yes?"

I watched her brown eyes. For a woman who was petite, she sure could make a room feel small. "I don't wanna harass you," she settled beside me, her floral perfume wafting over me. "But baby, you did a lot of wrong things today."

I smiled sweetly, "Like?"

Her eyes seemed infuriated. "It was garbage day. You forgot to take out the trash, now the whole house will stink of mold!" she cried in agony. Her Brazilian accent made everything ever more dramatic. "Second, I saw that your English teacher gave you a B in an assignment. For a future doctor, that is not acceptable!"

I almost burst out laughing but I kept my cool. I took my moment staring at her alien-like beauty. I wish I got her shiny dark brown hair, or her curvaceous body. Men were driven by her looks. I've witnessed mainteance men flirt openly with her in front of me, worse in front of my father.

"I will get that B fixed. As for the garbage...It was a careless mistake."

"What will we do with you?" she sighed.

I smiled wickedly. "Don't worry, I will dump the content to Mr. Huffington's can. He always takes it back in late. Plus, he never noticed it before."

She threw me a murderous look. "That's not nice." But the flash in her eyes was inevitable, she didn't say no. She would love to have no stale food in the can. "Okay," she frowned. "Enough crazy talk, you're father will be here to watch the football game. Go to you're room."

I scrambled up, knowing what she was about to tell me. Very graphic information involving other things.

"We haven't done it lately," she picked on her nail, giving me a daring look. Mockery.

I already felt disgusted.

No one needed to see my parents drool over each other. Especially me. I closed my ears and tripped up the stairs as I rushed. "Mom!"

I hauled upstairs, leaving Jacqueline Martin laughing at me.

===

I hunched over my laptop, typing my English essay furiously. My mind poured effortlessly into my paper. Thoughts flew into sentences. Sentences into paragraphs. Paragraphs into a work of art.

I sometimes thought I was too full of myself.

Sighing back to my pillow, I let relief wash over me as I scrolled down i********: to relax.

Avery Hart...

Posted three photos today... Looking fabulous in a halter dress. Her birthday coming up this weekend.

Noah Steele...

A picture of him with Avery...Pulling a prank on Jason King. Posted his math score of a F on online.

I scoffed, what an i***t.

Jason King...

A picture of himself with his best buds. Hugging Avery. Asking Katie Parker out.

I sighed, staring at Jason King for a second longer. His chiseled jaw, his perfect smile. Perfection. His handsomeness was out of this world. I couldn't help look at rest of his feed.

Ugh, me staring at him just squeezed my stomach. He's unreachable anyways. Plus, that Avery was truly getting on my nerves. What was it up with her and dating new guys in every given moments?

Okay, why am I hating them? They did nothing to me! Go to sleep, Dezerae! Stop hating their perfection.

But the truth was, I didn't expect how quickly my bitterness would turn karma at me.

Starting tomorrow.

===

The diffculty of the test was challenging me yet my concentration was on the paper. Circle. A. D. C.

I felt a twitch on my shoulder. My imagination, probably.

A light tap.

I shook it off.

A light pinch.

That can't be my imagination.

I turned around, quickly peeking at the intruder. Avery Hart.

She smiled, her blond curls framing her delicate heart shaped face. Avery leaned over.

"Yes?" Couldn't she see I was taking in an exam? That she was taking an exam? What was so important?

She bit her lip, "I'm stuck on question thirteen...do you mind helping me?"

I furrowed my brow, "Uh, it's A."

She flashed a grin. "Thanks! You saved my life."

I turned forward, feeling faint. I was aware of the people around me. They could tattle tale any moment. I got lucky Mr. Kelly was outside the classroom.

I hope I didn't have any enemies that would turn me in.

I turned around, my eyes darted nervously.

Another tap.

Nibbling my pen, I blinked at her. "Avery?"

"How about twenty one through twenty five? I'm really stuck on those."

I let my eyes grow wide, she was basically cheating. But I couldn't find the nerve to say no. Nor had the time to scream at her.

After all, she was royalty. I took a look at my test. "C. E.B.B.A." I said.

"You saved my life."

I completed my test as fast as I could and put it in the basket before any questions were asked. And yes, people around me copied out the free answers.The jocks were all ears when the answers were distributed. I was in big trouble.

After the bell rang, I buzzed out of the classroom. Avery put a hand around my shoulder before I could reach my locker. I turned around, giving her my best glare. "Do you realize that you cheated?"

Her brilliant blue eyes shone at me with mischief. She ignored my question. "I cannot tell you how much you helped me during that exam. We should be friends!" She handed me a piece of paper. A series of numbers. "If any need in help, call me."

Fazed, I nodded. "S-sure."

"Great!" she grinned wide. I watched her blond head blend into the hallway.

Avery-Emma Hart wanted to be friends.

No way in hell.

No way.

In the upcoming few weeks, I learned that it was in fact, true.

Because I found her lurking between walls, behind my locker door to get help on her school work. Every night, I heard her lullaby-like voice stir me to sleep wth homework questions. It was hell.

I was being used by this b***h.

And I let her take advantage of me.

10/3/2015

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