Despicable Arrogance

Chapter 6

It was rare that I actually went out and when I did, I never wore makeup but I’m not trying to have a greasy face on the jumbo screen (if I manage to get on it.) They rarely turn the thing on. It takes up a lot of electricity, which costs the school a lot of money. “I’m going to the football game tonight.”

“Doesn’t Grayson play on the football team?” I nodded. “Does this have anything to do with you guys working together?” my mother always has this hope in the back of her mind that Grayson and I will become best friends.

I decided to not say ‘somewhat’ because I didn’t feel like explaining the situation to her. I really don’t want to admit to her that I like Shane, either, so instead I just shook my head. “I just want to look nice.”

“What time will you be home?” my mom questioned.

“I’ll be home around nine,” I blinked my eyelashes and looked to see if my cat eyes were even. My foundation and blush looked good, too. I applied a layer of lip balm and clear lip gloss.

“Is there an after party?” my mother asked and I shrugged.

I placed all of my makeup back. “Maybe, but I’m not going to go.”

My mom frowned. “Why not?”

“Aren’t you supposed to be glad I’m saying no? You have to know what happens there, right? Underage drinking, underage smoking? You know…it,” 17 years old and still afraid to talk about anything intimate.

“I trust your decisions; besides, it’s your last year, I mean, don’t you want to have fun? When was the last time you went to a party? A year ago? Maybe two?” my mother frowned.

I shrugged carelessly. “I just don’t like parties, I don’t like people touching me, I don’t like the smell of beer and smoke, and I don’t like watching couples kiss,” I stated simply as I walked over to my closet. My mother turned from her seat on my bed to watch me.

“Okay, so how’s school?” my mother and I are very close and I appreciate that. She feels bad that she didn’t have another kid that I could play with when I was growing up. That’s why she was ecstatic when she reunited with her college best friend, Emily, who just so happened to have a son my age.

I didn’t like the park because the sand was uncomfortable and I was scared of the slide so I rarely interacted with children. I was a mama’s girl and didn’t go to pre-school and instead, went straight to kindergarten. My teacher was worried that I was too antisocial so my mother quickly tried to set me up on play dates with Grayson and that ended quickly when I poured juice all over his Gameboy. He would hide behind his mother at every play date after that, even though I promised not to touch his Gameboy.

I decided to give her a simple answer. “It’s going okay. How’s work?”

“It’s going great; Emily, Richard, your father and I are going to the staff Halloween party. Did you get your costume for Halloween yet?” my mother inquired as I grabbed a plain red sweater. It was a V-neck but didn’t cut too low. It fit me comfortable. I grabbed jeans, too. It was rare that we got to dress down so I’m taking advantage of this activity and wearing my cutest outfit.

Realizing I didn’t answer my mother’s question yet, I shook my head. “I didn’t yet but I want to be a cat.”

“I know, you told me. When are you going to get the costume?” my mother asked me and I thought for a moment.

“Tomorrow, after work,” I answered and she nodded. She left when I had to get dressed.

---

I honked the horn loudly in front of Lola’s house. The blonde walked out of the house, her clothes girly and white. I winced. She’s going to sit on the bleachers with those on? As if hearing my inner voice, Sandra spoke. “She’s going to sit down on the bleachers with those pants?”

I turned to look at her with a nervous look on my face. Lola got into the car, grinning at us. “You’re going to ruin those pants.”

“No, I’m not,” Lola argued. The two girls argued back and forth as I drove to the school.

As I got out of the car, I took the poster with me and the girls both gave me a confused look. “What’s that?”

I looked down at the poster, a smirk overcoming my face. “Oh nothing, just really rooting for Grayson.”

The girls exchanged anxious looks. Lola decided to speak up. “How are we even getting in?”

I turned to look at them. “Don’t worry about it; I have connections.”

When we walked up to the ticket collector, the girl smiled. “Ticket please.”

“Actually, we’re here with Grayson Carter,” I explained and the girl gave me a flat look.

“Grayson Carter?” The girl asked and I nodded. “As in Grayson Carter?”

No, as in Justin Timberlake. “That’s the one.” I replied.

The girl sighed and shook her head. “This is the third time this happened today.” She held up her index finger and walked towards the boy’s locker room. She knocked loudly and someone peeked their head out. She began talking to them and they closed the door. I heard shouting and Grayson appeared.

I glanced back at Lola and Sandra who were staring at me, wide eyed. They looked at Grayson who was behind the lady. “These girls say they’re here for you.”

Her voice sounded bored. Grayson looked at us. “You actually came. I thought I was going to have to tell Shane,” I gave him a warning look and he smirked. “They don’t know?”

I glared at him. “Not yet,” I barked while Sandra stared at me oddly and Lola admired Grayson. “I was planning on telling them after this little stunt.”

“Sorry to interrupt your conversation, but are they with you? Or not?” She asked and Grayson nodded, motioning for us to enter the field. When Grayson left into the locker room, I glanced at the lady who stared at us. I put my hands on either side of my head and wiggled my fingers while sticking my tongue out. Serves her right for assuming I’m obsessed with that i***t.

“What did you have to tell us?” Sandra immediately asked.

I looked down at the floor as I held the poster against me. I explained how Grayson caught me staring at Shane and how he threatened me to make a poster and run around or else he’ll spill to Shane. “Are you actually going to do it?”

I scoffed at Lola’s question. I showed them the poster. “Does it look like I’m going to do it?”

Sandra gasped. “You can’t do that!”

“Who says I can’t?” I replied and Lola just shook her head.

I saw Grayson enter the field and walk over to the front row, where we sit. We were casually sat next to an awkward break in the protective fence where the bench and the water were located, along with the other football player’s close friends and parents even though we were neither. “Are you ready?”

“I was born ready," I smirked and glanced at my two friends who just slowly shook their heads. I rolled my eyes at their overreactions.

I stood up, my heart racing. I turned backwards so I was facing Grayson who had a smirk on his face. He thinks he won. I slowly raised the sign and his eyes skimmed over the words and the smirk dropped from his face. He started advancing towards me as an enraged look took over his face and I smirked, turning around and jogging away.

I heard his footsteps on the turf and I increased my speed. I didn’t need to go very far, I just needed to U-Turn and make my way back to my seat. I heard people laughing and I glanced back at Grayson who was angrily glaring at me, eyes narrowed. He started gaining speed and I started to freak out. He saw this and grinned. I smiled mischievously as I devised a plan. Maybe I am good at thinking on my feet.

I saw the mascot who was jumping around, doing cartwheels and back flips. I turned my direction towards the unidentifiable creature but Grayson already predicted it and came up beside me, running a bit faster than I was. Soon enough, he was facing me with an angry yet amused look on his face. He ran towards me and I felt frozen in my spot. Instead of running away, I just stepped to the side. When he ran right past me, slightly confused, I kicked him in the back of the legs, causing him to fall. I jogged back over to the awkward break in the fence and squeezed by the water table, walked to my seat, and sat down with a satisfied look on my face.

I watched as Grayson got up, an annoyed look on his face as he saw me, relaxing in my spot. I noticed the football team in the entrance of the field, laughing loudly. I felt my face redden as Shane raised a ‘thumbs up’ signal and I awkwardly looked away. "I hate Grayson Carter, the ballerina? Really?"

"Yeah," I shrugged. Wasn’t that fun?

---

The crowd was cheering due to our teams win. Thanks to me, Grayson was angry throughout the game and he ended up tackling the majority of the team.

“Are you sure you don’t want to go to the after party?” I shook my head at Sandra’s question. Lola groaned.

“You never want to go anywhere!” she crossed her arms childishly.

I rolled my eyes at her. “The star of the team is the guy I angered. Just because I don’t want to go doesn’t mean you don’t have to go.”

“She’s right, you know,” Sandra stated and I nodded my head. “No, Lola is right.”

“What?” I questioned.

“You don’t want to go anywhere… it’s going to be fun,” Sandra replied and I furrowed my eyebrow.

“Maybe next time, I can’t get in too late tonight. I have work in the morning,” I replied as I awkwardly fidgeted under their gaze.

“Then we’ll go to the party tomorrow night,” My head snapped up at Lola’s statement.

“But… there won’t be a party tomorrow,” I replied.