EXTRA CREDIT

EXTRA CREDIT 0.3

ALINA’S POV

I drag my weary body through the halls of the dorm, trying to blend in — which basically means trying to avoid the stares and whispers being directed my way.

Professor Adrian Hayes. The most popular person on campus, and I’m the only one who’s managed to irritate him enough to end up in his office more times than I can count. And with the addition of the pen incident today… yeah, I’m officially the female population’s number one enemy.

I creep up to my door and push it open — or at least, I try to.

“Brittany, what the hell? Open up,” I knock loudly, groaning.

Just as I’m about to knock again, low moans come from behind the door.

The tips of my ears turn red.

“BRITTANY,” I yell, knocking harder. “Open the door!”

“Calm down,” she replies from inside.

The door finally unlocks, revealing my beautiful, blonde-haired, blue-eyed roommate in a shirt twice her size. Her face and body are covered in sweat, with hickeys scattered across her exposed skin. She already looks guilty.

“Ew, Brit. Ew.”

I push past her and step into our room, only to find her insanely possessive, jealous, toxic, hot, player boyfriend sprawled on her bed in nothing but sweatpants — shirtless.

Don’t look.

Don’t look.

Keeping a nonchalant expression, I drop my things on my bed.

“Hey, sweet cakes,” Brady calls out.

I physically shiver in disgust.

Does he think he’s cute or what?

I sigh, walking over to Brit and pulling her out into the hallway.

“I thought you two broke up.”

Crossing my arms, I give her an accusatory look. She bites her bottom lip and nervously plays with her fingers.

“Well… you see… um… he apologized last night, and we kinda just made up.”

I raise an eyebrow. “I thought you were going to a party last night?”

“I was heading to a party… but I met him halfway. We talked, and I felt he was sorry.”

I clench my fist, trying to hold in my anger.

Brittany is like the younger sister I never asked for but somehow got stuck with — and still love anyway. She’s beautiful, smart academically, but somehow completely naive when it comes to relationships.

She’s been in a toxic relationship for about a year now, and I keep trying to get her out of it, but her asshole boyfriend is like a damn addiction.

“Brit, baby, how many times do I have to say it? He isn’t good for you,” I sigh, massaging my temples.

I swear, my hairline has receded a few inches since meeting her.

“Don’t worry, Allie. He’s changed.”

I shake my head, disappointed.

“If you say so.”

I walk back into the room, only to find Brady staring at me with a wicked smirk on his good-looking face.

I shiver again — in disgust.

“Don’t look at me like you’re planning my funeral. You and I both know I don’t like you,” I say, glaring at him.

“And the fucker smirked — he actually f*****g smirked.”

My fist clenched.

“It’s okay, sweet cakes,” he drawled. “No matter how many times I mess up, my girl will always take me back.”

Before I could think twice, my hand swung.

The slap echoed through the room.

His head snapped to the side, a red handprint blooming across his cheek.

Brittany rushed in, eyes wide. “What happened? Did something fall?”

“My hand slipped.”

I walked past them and dropped onto my bed as Brittany immediately started fussing over Brady.

She didn’t say anything to me.

She couldn’t.

Not when she knew exactly how I felt about him.

★★★★★★

“You know you didn’t have to slap him that hard,” she mutters later, after Brady finally leaves — only after kissing her.

That image will forever haunt me.

“Like I said,” I mumble, pulling the covers over my head, “my hand slipped.”

I shove my earpods in, blocking out the world.

But even then…

I can still hear his voice.

No matter how many times I mess up, my girl will always take me back.

My jaw tightens beneath the blanket.

Not if I have anything to say about it.