Motorcycle Babe

The Fight

Gabriella

Trying to pay attention in Spanish while my brain is stuck on Raven Rider is a special kind of hell. It’s like trying to do long division while someone is blasting heavy metal in your ears.

She’s the school’s biggest player—everyone knows it—but I can’t stop thinking about her. A part of me wants to ride into the sunset on the back of her bike until we reach a place where the air doesn't feel like static.

Oh, hell no. Am I actually falling for her? No. I have a boyfriend. Well, a "star athlete" who currently has the emotional range of a teaspoon.

"Open your books to page ten," the teacher drones in Spanish. I look down, and there it is: the coffee she bought. A caffeinated middle finger to my self-control.

"I heard Raven’s going for running back," a guy whispers behind me. "She's gonna be a beast. That girl plays like she’s trying to punish the grass."

Yeah, a beast, I think, staring at the condensation on my cup. I pull out my phone to text Tyler.

Me: Hey babe. How’s class? Tyler: Fine. How’s your new girlfriend?

Is he serious? Me: She’s not my girlfriend, Tyler. Grow up. Tyler: [Two Girls Holding Hands Emoji] [Angry Face Emoji] Whatever. What are we doing later? Me: Movies? Love you.

He doesn’t say it back. Shocking. He’s probably too busy practicing his "bro-pout" in the mirror.

The bell rings, and I head to my locker. I shut the metal door and—bam. There’s Raven. She’s with some girl I've never seen before—someone totally new. They’re laughing, and Raven is wearing this smile I’ve never seen. It’s a "I might actually be a human being" smile, and it makes my chest ache. Who the hell is that, and why can Raven make her laugh like that?

I turn to leave and walk straight into Tyler. He looks at me like I’m something he found on the bottom of his shoe.

"Hey, babe," I say. He doesn't answer. He just shoves past me like I'm a traffic cone.

"Hey, asshole! Talk to me!" I yell.

He spins around, face red, eyes bulging. He leans in and whispers loud enough for half the hall to hear: "Who the f**k do you think you’re talking to… you lesbian w***e?"

The hallway goes dead silent. My stomach drops through the floor. Before I can even process the sting, a voice cuts through the air like a blade.

"Hey—get the f**k away from her."

A fist connects with Tyler’s jaw, and he hits the floor like a sack of wet flour. Raven.

"No one calls her that," Raven snarls, "except me, you homophobic piece of shit."

Tyler scrambles up, clutching his face. "Oh, now you admit what you are?"

Raven smirks, slicking her curls back. "You’re just jealous I get more p***y than you do."

The crowd loses it. A few people actually cheer. Tyler lunges, but Raven moves like she’s made of liquid. She trips him, elbows him, and plays with him like a cat with a very stupid, very angry mouse.

"Come on, Tyler," she taunts. "I thought you were the big, bad quarterback. Bring my ass to the ground."

He charges again, screaming like a toddler. Raven catches him with a jab to the gut and whispers something in his ear that makes him look like his head might explode.

"Hit me," she dares, pointing to her cheek. "Do it. Right here, princess."

He swings. Misses. She trips him again. "You f*****g w***e!" he screams.

"You're repeating yourself, Tye. It’s getting boring. No wonder you’re a bottom," she fires back.

"I'm the best quarterback!" he yells, his ego bleeding faster than his lip. "Something you'll never be to any woman you f**k!"

Raven looks at me, a wicked glint in her eyes. "Damn. Well, at least I can do something to your girl that you obviously can't."

"And what's that?" Tyler snarls.

Raven’s smirk is pure lethal. "Make her orgasm."

The hallway goes absolutely mental. Tyler tackles her, and they’re a mess of limbs until Raven kicks him in the balls and punches him square in the nose.

"Raven Rider! My office. NOW!" Assistant Principal Russell yells, looking like he’s about to have a stroke.

Raven stands up, wipes blood from her lip, and shrugs. "Damn, Russell. You’re no fun." She winks at me—a quick, electric spark—and walks off.

"Erickson! Nurse! Now!" Tyler limps away, giving me a look that says this isn't over.

"Assistant Principal Russell," I shout, "please. It wasn't her fault. She was protecting me from him. Don't let her get in trouble."

Russell looks at me, stunned. "I’ll consider it. Go to class!"

I rush off, my heart hammering against my ribs. I don't know why she did it, and I don't know why my brain feels like it’s finally waking up from a two-year nap.

Raven Rider is a player, a troublemaker, and a total asshole. And I think I’m in serious trouble.