Chapter 10
708 Words
"You've got it all wrong again." Malcolm sighed in frustration.
"Algebra's just not my thing, dude." I miss punching people in the face. All that action makes me feel alive.
Of course I only beat up someone when they deserve it.
"Are you even listening to me?" He put an end to my very brief daydreaming.
"I don't understand any of this shit."
"Language." Malcolm scolded like a very strict teacher.
"Just being honest." I mumbled more to myself.
"You have to focus on what you are actually doing, Erin. Here, let me show you how it's done..." He pressed his body from behind me as he held my hand in his while scribbling out the answers to his impossible math problems.
"Even a grade-schooler can solve this." He insulted.
He smells really good though. Wait, what am I thinking?
"You guys look cozy. Lose a shirt, bro?" Landon happened to pass by Malcolm's half-opened room.
And that's when I realized that my tutor wasn't wearing any shirt as I looked back at his bare chest.
It looked so smooth like a baby's butt. Plus, Cody was right with Malcolm's hidden muscles. His body's really fit for a nerd.
What really surprised me was the tattoo on his arm. No wonder he always wears long-sleeves.
"Erin's making me all sweaty by not getting anything right." He put the blame on me as to why he was now shirtless.
I don't get the connection though.
"Right. I need to talk to you." Landon made eye contact with me.
******
"Forgive my brother, he doesn't know what he's doing. What I mean is that he doesn't know how to act around girls so yeah... he's weird." Landon sat down on my bed beside me.
"That's totally understandable. I, myself don't know how to act in front of other girls my age too." I admitted openly.
"The truth is, I totally respect you as a gangster. You're the best fighter in the area and I want to be just like you someday but ever since you transferred to our school, the respect sort of faded little by little. I mean, I don't see you fighting anymore and when Levi gave you social cancer, you just did nothing. So I guess what I'm really saying is... I was once a fan of yours." He confessed.
"And?"
"See, there you go again. Not caring. I care about your damaged reputation more than you do!" He raised his voice a bit.
"Sorry to disappoint, kid."
"Let's be friends. I can help you deal with Levi." He offered.
"Your friendship I can accept but I can handle Levi on my own." I sternly said.
"Right. Whatever." He sighed out loud before disappearing out of my room.
"Stop acting so mysterious all the time, damn it!" I yelled after him.
I know nothing about Landon other than him having a pack of abs and yet he knows so much about me.
I'm still pretty respectable. Am I not?
His words gave me a lot to think about.
*MONDAY*
"Girl clothes again. Ugh." Evan complained as the four of us paraded the hallways.
Everyone was looking at us and not in a good way.
Landon's words echoed inside my head that morning.
Even my gang members are destroying their badass reputation just for me.
"Can't handle the shame? Just admit defeat and come to me already." Levi and his gang blocked our way.
"In your dreams, white boy." Cody stuck his tongue out to him.
"Girl, you ugly." Levi criticized him.
"That's because I'm not really a---"
"That's enough, Cordy. We're better than them." Dylan managed to stop Cody.
"Girl, you should really shave that stubble." Caleb shook his head at Evan before the three of them walked away while laughing hysterically.
"I think Caleb recognized me." Evan gulped.
"You're fine for now but I think you should take his advice. Growing a beard isn't really lady-like if you ask me." I grimaced.
"No way! I remember you once said that I look really good with a beard." Evan pouted.
"But not as a girl." I patted his head like I do with Bacon.
For how long we can keep up with this charade, no one knows.
- Writer
