In Love with my high school bully

IN LOVE WITH MY HIGH SCHOOL BULLY CHAPTER THREE

I should’ve kept walking. That was my first thought. Actually, no.

My first thought was that Jimmy Harding smelled annoyingly good for someone who had spent the last four years making my life miserable. My second thought? Run. Unfortunately, his hands were still on my shoulders. And apparently my brain had stopped functioning. For three painfully long seconds, neither of us says anything. Which was weird because Jimmy Harding always had something to say. Usually something irritating. Usually directed at me. “You can let go now,” I mutter. His eyes flicker for a second, like he’d forgotten he was touching me at all. Then he steps back. “Right.” That was weird too. I narrow my eyes. “Why are you looking at me like that?“ Jimmy tilts his head slightly. “Like what?”

“Like you’re plotting something.”

For a second, I swear I see amusement flash across his face. Then… “There’s a party Friday night.”I blink. “What?” “There’s a party Friday night,” he repeats casually, shoving his hands into the pockets of his varsity jacket. “You’re coming with me.” I stare at him. Then laugh. A full laugh. Because clearly I had hit my head harder than I thought.

“Oh, you’re serious.”

“I am.”

I cross my arms. “Okay. Two questions.” Jimmy raises an eyebrow. “First… did Chloe dumping you cause actual brain damage?”

A few people nearby snort. Good. Let him suffer. Jimmy doesn’t react. Which somehow annoys me more. “And second,” I continue, “why exactly would I go anywhere with you voluntarily?” He studies me for a second. Like he’s deciding how much to say. Then finally… “I need a favor.” I nearly choke. I look around instinctively. Maybe hidden cameras were involved. Maybe I’d slipped into an alternate universe.

Jimmy Harding.

Needed.

My help.

“No.” His jaw tightens. “I haven’t even explained.”“Don’t need you to.”

“Zara-”

“No.”

“Can you stop interrupting for five seconds?”

“Can you stop existing for five seconds?”

That earns the smallest smile from him. Wait. Did Jimmy Harding just.. No. Ignore that. He takes one step closer. Close enough that I can suddenly hear everything happening in the cafeteria. The chatter. The trays clattering. My own heartbeat.

“I need Chloe jealous.” I freeze. There it is. The explanation. And somehow… It’s dumber than I expected. I stare at him “You’ve lost your mind.”

“She dumped me.”

“Yes, I noticed. Pretty hard not to.”

He exhales sharply. “If she sees me moving on, she’ll come back.” There’s a full five seconds of silence. Then… I laugh again. Harder this time. “You think I’m helping you get your girlfriend back?”

“It won’t take long.”

“No.”

“It’s one party.”

“No.”

“You literally just got rejected in front of half the cafeteria.” My entire body goes still. That hit harder than I wanted it to. Jimmy notices immediately. His expression shifts. Not smug. Not amused. Something else. But I’m already angry. I step back.

“You know what? Forget it.”

“Zara-”

“No.”

I grab my tray. Turn around. And start walking away. Then his voice stops me.

“You need a prom date.”

I freeze. My fingers tighten around the tray. Slowly, I turn around. Jimmy is watching me carefully now. And then he says the one thing I never expected to hear from him.

“I can fix that.”