“You want a copy? I can get you a copy!” I guess he dropped his cocky attitude and is now in I’m-trying-to-impress-royalty mode.
“No, the opposite actually.”
He freezes, looking confused. “What do you mean?”
“I want you to take the video down and delete it.”
He looks at me like I just told him I eat butterflies and he should try some. “Why would I do that?”
“I would just really appreciate it if you could take it down, please. For me?” I beg, trying the cute girl approach as I don’t think he’ll buy the future-employers-see-this excuse.
“No way in hell! You couldn’t pay me enough to take that video down. Kaitlyn makes a complete fool of herself.”
“Listen, I know no one likes Kaitlyn—”
“No. I’m not taking that video down.” His voice turns hard, no longer happy that I’m talking to him. “She embarrasses herself, and it’s hilarious. Plus, I’m getting mad traffic to my Facebook page.”
“I’m sure she’ll do something even worse. And you’ll be there to tape it again. Please? Just take it down.” My nice attitude is wearing thin. I thought this would be easy.
He crosses his arms and turns away from me, his cocky attitude back. “No way, sugartits. The video stays.”
My nice façade cracks. I’m in his face now, blocking his exit, and putting authority in my voice. “Listen. I need the video off. Now.”
“I said no,” he says, eyes narrowing.
“And I’m telling you. Take. It. Down.”
He pulls out his phone and scrolls through it, stopping at the video and playing it, holding it out for me. “See this? This is hilarious. It’s staying.”
It takes everything I have to restrain myself from reaching out and twisting his arm to grab the phone from him. I could easily just use my jujitsu on him and forcibly delete the video, but that would draw even more attention to myself. I already have enough attention on me by hanging out with the Boys and being number one on Kaitlyn’s To Destroy list.
“It’s staying.” He puts his phone back in his pocket.
“I need it down.”
Don’t hit him, don’t hit him.
“You want it down badly, huh?”
I nod at him. He gives me a creepy, cocky smile. Looks like try-too-hard-to-be-confident Ethan is back.
“I’ll take it down. For a blow job.”
Don’t break his nose. Don’t break his nose.
“Are you serious?”
“One hundred percent. Do that for me and I’ll take down the video for you.” He gives me a triumphant smile and brushes my hair off my shoulder with grubby fingers, his hand lingering on my shoulder. He actually thinks I’m that desperate. Well, I am desperate, but I’d never sell myself like that.
I can’t hold it anymore. Reaching up to the hand he left on my shoulder, I grab his wrist and pull it in front of me, twisting it in the process. He stands up on his tiptoes, trying to lessen the pain I’m causing.
“Listen to me, you little perv.” My tone is venomous. “Don’t you ever try to blackmail a girl into sucking your dick. Don’t ever try to blackmail girls, period. Treat girls with some respect and maybe you’ll find some delusional chick who is willing to be your girlfriend. You don’t coerce people into sexual favors.” I twist harder, my anger stealing some of my control. “Who do I look like to you? Do I look like the type of person who would sell her dignity? I asked you nicely, now I’m not. Take the video down or I snap your wrist.”
His eyes widen a little, considering my threat. He’s a gamer. He needs his wrist. Despite the pain I know I’m putting him in, Ethan looks at me defiantly. “Do it and I sue you for all your worth. My dad’s a lawyer and I have nineteen witnesses.”
The word lawyer catches me immediately. There can be no court cases or charges, and we’re not alone in the room—there are many, many witnesses. And so I loosen my grip on his wrist a little. Taking a deep breath and noticing the other boys in the room staring with wide-open mouths, I let go of Ethan’s wrist completely. He brings it to his chest, rubbing it, his look triumphant. The bell rings, signaling that lunch is over and that we have five minutes to get to class.
“The video stays,” he says, walking back to his friends, who start leaving the classroom, still giving me weird looks.