That was fine, as long as they didn't think I was a "freak in the sheets." Whether I was or not was my own business, not the whole school's.
My feeling of paranoia intensified when I noticed that Kayla was watching me rather closely through slightly narrowed eyes, and I was sure she must know. Derek had lied to me, he had shown her and everyone else the tape, and now everyone was going to know what had happened. I would lose the two friends I had and once again be brought into the spotlight, not only making my reputation fall to pieces, but also reminding everyone of what my mother had done, in addition to slutting around with Derek Noble, the very son of the woman my mother killed.
I would be a pariah by the time they were finished with me, I thought with no small amount of panic.
But then Stephanie spotted me, and she smiled, walking over to me, greeting me and filling me with relief.
Unfortunately, Derek was in my very first class of the day. Just seeing him sitting on top of my desk, smiling and talking to one of his friends filled me with dread.
The stray and unwelcome thought floated through my mind that he was handsome when he smiled, that his eyes had this remarkable way of twinkling, making them appear to be even more beautiful than their usual blue, making him appear to be sort of... playful.
I shook my head and frowned, banishing the thought from my head as I entered the classroom. Derek noticed me, and he watched as I approached— really watching me. I noticed his gaze slide down my body as he smirked, and I hoped that no one else noticed.
"Excuse me," I said, more politely than he deserved.
"You're excused," he returned, but didn't move.
“I need to sit here.”
"So sit," he said, gesturing openly to the chair.
"Get off my desk," I said, losing my patience.
"Aw, but you didn't say please."
I gritted my teeth, managing to get out, "Please."
He smirked and finally got off my desk, but not before sliding a note across the desk, his hand covering it. I took the hint and sat my books down on top of it when he raised his hand so nobody else would see it, then he went back to his desk. I sat in mine as the bell rang and the teacher began her lecture. Glancing around briefly to make sure nobody noticed, I slid the paper in between my notes and carefully opened it to see what he had written.
Up for another payment tonight?
I glared at the paper even though it wasn't the paper's fault, grabbed a pen and scribbled, "No thanks."
When class was over I dropped the note back on his desk and left the room before he could even read it, thinking to escape him.
He caught up to me in the hall, however. "Hey now, that's not part of our arrangement. Remember the whole 'at my beck and call' part?"
"I can't tonight," I snapped. "Go see your girlfriend."
"Aw, jealous?" he teased.
"Not hardly," I retorted.
"Why can't you? Plans with the choir boy?" he asked, mocking interest.
"No, I just can't."
He shook his head. "Sorry, I'm going to need a better reason than that."
I glared at him, hating him for making me explain myself, hating the explanation even more. I looked around in irritation, just to make sure no one was paying too much attention, and said very quietly, "Did you forget I was a virgin? We can't just jump right back on the horse a few hours later."
He honestly didn't seem to have realized this, and he raised his eyebrows a little. "Oh. Okay. Well, when can you?"
"I don't know, sometime after the bleeding and the soreness goes away," I responded.
He grimaced a little at my description, and that brought me just a little bit of joy. Maybe when I got my period I would complain endlessly to him about that, too.
Oh, speaking of getting periods. "And I had something to ask you," I added, leaning a little closer for the sake of privacy