Over the course of the morning, I figured that all my troubles had originated because I had sat with Luke and his friends this morning instead of going straight to the front doors to wait for Zachary. I didn’t want to blame Luke, I really didn’t, but the more I thought about it, the more annoyed with him I became. I knew I was being irrational, but he was the one that made me sit there and listen to that idiotic conversation this morning. It was one of his friends that got me detention. His text got my phone confiscated.

The day dragged beyond belief and felt like it lasted a lifetime. After another excruciating hour of detention spent with Freddie at the end of the day, I headed to the office to go and explain to Principal Bennett that I couldn’t find Zachary. I just hoped I would be able to convince her to talk to Mr Turner, and I could get out of the detentions for the rest of the week.

As I approached the office, I winced, wondering if I was about to get into more trouble for being irresponsible and not meeting him. I held my breath as I walked up to the receptionist. She looked up and recognition shot across her face. “Oh, Maisie, I meant to send you a note.” She smiled apologetically.

“A note? You found him then?” I asked.

She shook her head, leaning in closer to me with a mischievous look on her face. “No. As it turns out, he decided he didn’t want to start today. He skipped. Principal Bennett has been talking to his aunt for the last half an hour. I think he’s in big trouble, and he hasn’t even started here yet. Not really a good start, skipping on your first day.” She laughed quietly to herself, looking like we were having a good gossip about the new delinquent.

My hands clenched into fists at her revelations. The stupid guy couldn’t even be bothered to show up to his first day? I had sat there waiting for him, searched the school, got detentions, and had my phone confiscated, all because of him. Everything was his fault and I already felt myself hating him for it. I had never taken an instant disliking to someone in my life. I had always believed in giving people chances, forgiving and forgetting, making the best of something and not holding grudges. I hadn’t even met Zachary Anderson and it looked like he was the exception to that rule. If he were in front of me in that moment I would probably punch him in the face for tarnishing my academic record.

I frowned. “I don’t have to meet him tomorrow, do I?”

She smiled sadly. “Principal Bennett would like you to.” She shrugged and looked at me questioningly. “His aunt has promised he’ll be here tomorrow.”

I closed my eyes and huffed in defeat. “Fine.” I stomped out of the office, heading to the parking lot to wait for Luke by his car. His football practice would be finishing soon. I pulled myself up on the hood and settled on my back, closing my eyes, taking calming breaths. After a few minutes I remembered that I hadn’t asked to get my detentions quashed. I shook my head at myself in disbelief, I didn’t have the mental strength to go back into the school though, I’d just have to sort it out tomorrow.

After another ten minutes, someone grabbed my ankles and pulled me forward, making me slide down the car. I squealed and snapped my eyes open quickly, in a state of panic. I looked up to see Luke smirking at me. Just as my butt crashed into his crotch, he bent forward putting his arms either side of my head, his face inches from mine, his whole body pinning me against the car.

“Now this is a nice way to meet me, sprawled out on the hood of my car. Maybe next time you could do it in a bikini or something?” he suggested, waggling his eyebrows at me.

I laughed and wrapped my legs around his waist, pulling him closer to me. Looking into his big brown eyes made my mood lighten instantly, they made me forget what a crappy day I’d had, and how annoyed I was. His playful smile made an unconscious smile to creep onto my lips too. “Maybe for your nineteenth birthday,” I teased, running my hands up his back.

He pouted. “But my birthday’s not for another eight months!” he whined.

I grinned and shrugged. “The wait will build the anticipation.”

He laughed and kissed the tip of my nose. “Come on then, baby, let’s go home, and then you can whine about your day while I try my best to cheer you up.” He pulled back, taking my hand and helping me down from the hood of his car. I smiled gratefully, already knowing he’d have me smiling and laughing by the time he left my house tonight.

Chapter 4

As it turned out, Zachary Anderson obviously didn’t feel like starting school at all. He skipped the whole week. I gave up waiting for him after Wednesday. Every day the Principal would call his aunt and apparently she would apologise profusely and promise he would be there the following day, but as of Friday he had officially skipped all week. I was secretly hoping that Principal Bennett would just tell him not to bother starting at all if he couldn’t even drag himself here willingly. She didn’t strike me as the kind of person to give up that easy though, she liked a challenge, and Zachary was certainly turning out to be that. So far, he was certainly living up to his ‘I’m a delinquent and I’m repeating senior year’ reputation.

The week passed unbelievably slowly. I had to go to the detentions because Mr Turner refused to let me off of them and made a big show to the Principal that it was more about the conversation and lack of respect, rather than me being late for his class. The only good thing about detentions was that I got my homework done quicker than normal, which meant I could spend more time with Luke in the evenings.

Tonight I planned on letting a little lose though and having fun. It was Ricky’s eighteenth so he was having a party at his house. I dressed up a little more than usual, going for a blue all in one, strapless playsuit. It looked cute and showed off a lot more leg than I would ever dream of flashing, but I was with Luke all night and I knew he’d appreciate it. I was staying at his place tonight; my parents didn’t know, of course, they thought I was staying with Charlotte. Alex had agreed to cover for me, in exchange I had to do all of his chores for a month and make him grilled cheese whenever he asked for it.

I’d just finished packing my overnight bag when there was a knock on my bedroom door. I turned and shouted for them to come in, knowing it would be Luke. As soon as the door opened, his eyes went wide, and his mouth dropped open as he raked his eyes over every single inch of my body. I bit back a smile at his lustful expression.

“Holy shit, Maisie. Damn!” he almost growled.

I laughed and did a little twirl. “Look okay?” I asked, not really needing confirmation, I could see the approval in his eyes.

“Okay? My God, baby… or maybe I should say, my Goddess.” He bit his bottom lip, his brow furrowed as his eyes raked over me slowly.

I laughed and grabbed my red sandals that Luke had bought me a couple of weeks ago. I pulled them on then walked over to him. He was still checking me out, obviously thinking of all of the dirty things he wanted to do to my body tonight.

“Let’s go get this party over and done with so that you can take me home with you for the night, huh?” I purred, tracing my hand up his chest lightly.

His hands went to my outer thighs, brushing across them teasingly. “These legs blow my mind,” he breathed, shaking his head, looking slightly pained. “I think maybe you should change. I’m not sure I’m gonna be able to drive us there without killing us.”

I laughed at that. “What?”

“I’m warning you now, I’m not going to be able to keep my eyes on the road on the way there,” he admitted, shrugging casually as if this was no big deal.

I slipped my arms around his neck and pulled him closer to me, pressing every inch of my body to his, trying not to shiver as his hands trailed up to cup my butt. “If you kill us then we won’t be able to do any of those dirty things that you’re thinking right now.”

He laughed, smirking at me. “I am thinking a lot of dirty things.”

I kissed him lightly, pulling away as he went to deepen the kiss. I purposefully left my lips close to his so they would brush together when I spoke. “And I’ll do every single one of them, so long as we live to see the end of the night.”

He moaned breathily, taking my hand and tugging me towards the door quickly. “Let’s just go to the stupid party so we can leave already.” He stooped and picked up my overnight bag, practically dragging me out of the door as I giggled at his eagerness.

The party was in full swing by the time we got there; people were already wasted even though it was only just after eight thirty. Luke had his arms securely around my waist, his chest pressed tightly against my back as we headed to the kitchen to find Ricky and wish him happy birthday.

“So we tell Ricky happy birthday, have one drink, one dance, then I take you home with me for some na**d private time. Deal?” Luke whispered, tightening his arm across my stomach.

I giggled and nodded in agreement, subtly brushing my body against his teasingly. “Deal.”

He groaned in my ear and pushed me against the kitchen island lightly, pressing his whole body to mine possessively. “You’re being a bad girl tonight,” he breathed seductively in my ear.

I looked over my shoulder at him, trying to appear innocent. “I’m never a bad girl. I’m Maisie Preston, innocent to the core,” I protested.

“I took that innocence, Maisie. You can’t claim to still have that!” He laughed and kissed me, making my knees tremble slightly, and I was glad I went for flat shoes tonight instead of heels; otherwise I might have fallen over because of the feeling that went into the kiss.

He pulled back and put his forehead to mine. “Let’s get a drink, then we’re leaving,” he whispered.

I nodded, but I knew that wouldn’t happen, because just as he finished speaking, his group of friends walked in, all teasing each other and pushing each other around. I sighed as they spotted Luke. His arm stayed around my waist, but his posture changed. The act that he put on for his friends was back again, I just hoped he didn’t end up getting into a fight if he got too drunk.

Several hours later, Luke and I were totally wasted. He was supposed to have been driving tonight, but after the drinking competition started he decided we would get a cab to his instead. ‘Drunken jerk Luke’ was on good form tonight. So far he had already insulted most of the teachers; he’d made digs at the computer club, which had pissed off Charlotte. He’d annoyed my brother by calling him a ‘self-obsessed player who only thinks about where to get his dick wet next’. He’d basically made jokes and nasty comments about everyone in the room, except for me. Lucky for him he was popular otherwise he probably would have been thrown out hours ago. I could tell by Alex’s expression that he wanted to sucker punch him for his comment.

When my legs were too tired to hold me anymore, I boosted myself up on the counter, sitting and laughing with my girls while Luke sat with his friends and snorted vodka. I had drank a lot more than I normally would, and had somehow been roped into playing ‘I never’ too which didn’t help.

Sandy sashayed her way into the kitchen, her eyes on Luke as she smiled seductively. My jaw tightened as I watched from across the kitchen. Luke was sat on one of the stools because he was a little unsteady on his feet. She pulled herself up onto the counter next to him, her short skirt rising slightly higher as she did it and the hoe didn’t bother to pull it down either.

“She’s such a slut,” I slurred, pointing at Sandy with my cup, slopping Captain Morgan on my leg.

Charlotte and Beth both nodded in agreement. “Are you gonna go stop her hitting on your man?” Beth asked, hiccupping in the middle of her sentence.

I shrugged. The movement made me wobble and almost fall off of the counter I was perched on top of. “Nah, he’s a big boy he can tell her himself,” I rejected, waving my hand dismissively.

I laughed as they talked; Luke kept leaning away from her as she leant in, obviously flirting with him. Suddenly he disappeared behind the kitchen island, a loud crash followed, and hysterical laughter. I frowned, confused for a second until I realised that Luke had just fallen off of his stool and landed on his ass. I burst into a fit of giggles, as did everyone else in the room; people were cheering him and shaking their heads.

Ricky grabbed his arm and pulled Luke to his feet where he swayed, rubbing one hand over the back of his head and the other over his lower back, frowning drunkenly. His eyes flicked to me, and he pouted like a child. “I don’t think I’ll be able perform very well tonight, baby. I think I may have had a little too much to drink, and my ass hurts.”

I laughed and rolled my eyes at him. “You can make it up to me in the morning when your killer hangover’s gone.”

He smirked at me and grabbed the stool, sitting back down again. Sandy smiled and handed him a new cup of drink because he’d spilt his all over the floor with that little stunt. “Bottoms up, Luke,” she said, smiling at him suggestively.

He laughed and downed his drink in one before scrunching up the cup and throwing it over his shoulder. “Bottoms in any direction works for me, right Maisie?” he chirped, laughing hysterically at his own non-funny joke. Sandy smiled and jumped down from the counter heading out of the room, throwing one last seductive look over her shoulder at Luke, but he either didn’t see it or chose to ignore it because he didn’t react to it at all.

After another ten minutes, Luke put his head on the counter and groaned loudly. I pushed myself off of the nice little seat I had found next to the alcohol and headed over to him, staggering and walking into people as I did it. My eyes were a little unfocussed, but I obviously wasn’t as bad as Luke. I put my hand on his back, rubbing gently.