The cafeteria, as usual, was loud. Students grouped with their friends and classmates at the tables around the room, chatting loudly, and my friend Hayley and I were the same."I'm so jealous," Hayley muttered, pouting at me from across the table. "How did you end up in a closet with Evan? I was at another party and had some drunk guy hit on me and grab my ass, then had his girlfriend giving me shit when I tried to complain because she thought I was going after her man. As if I'm that kind of girl."Her nose wrinkled in irritation. Hayley was my clos-est friend. Just like Evan, we'd gone through high school together, though it wasn't until our sophomore year when we were grouped for a project that we realized we had a lot in common and became friends. She was the first real best friend I'd ever had, and we shared pretty much eve-rything.So, of course, I told her about last night."It felt amazing," I said, sighing. "Best thing I've ever felt. So much better than doing it mysel
A few weeks la-ter..."Evan Stewart," I whispered as I bent my head to the girl in the seat next tome.She nodded, "I know."I wanted to ask how she knew, but I didn't get the chance. She didn't introduce herself and then she flipped her dark brown hair to the side and stood up as the prin-cipal's door flung open. He didn't even say a word be-fore she started to stride towards him. "Ms. Johnson. Mr. Stewart in here now."Fuck!His glasses were foggy, and I had a feeling I knew why I was being called in here. I'd been stupid. Out late and partying and ignoring my final exams. The same thing that I did every year. But this year was important. I'd been kicked out of my private school and the only school that would accept me was a public school, I didn't have any other choices. My mom cringed at my behavior and hit the bottle. The same way that she al-ways did whenever there was a crisis, and lately there'd been one too many. I didn't have brains like my sister. No, my only
When did I become such a dork? Wanting attention from a girl, wasn't something that I'd ever felt before. Not once. I didn't have to, they gave it to me before I could even think about it. Ever since I hit puberty, it was almost as if I'd become a magnet. One that attracted the opposite sex in a heartbeat. "I have a confession to make," she said, and it caught the principal's attention and stopped the tense atmosphere which made time stand still and it felt as if, at some point, even the clock had gone mute. I hated coming in here, the threat of being kicked out of another school meant that my only future would be to stay at home. With my drunk mom.Hell no!'Stewart, the rich quarterback love magnet.' Every-one needed a nickname in high school, and that just hap-pened to be mine. Not, 'Stewart, the miserable kid with the alcoholic mom and cheating dad, who'd been kicked out of one too many schools.'I was too popular and had too much cash to be la-beled what I was behind clo
I walked out of Mr. Hopkins office as if the floor was laid with hot coal. I knew that Mr. Hopkins wanted to talk to me. Ask me the million dollar question that made his face grimace with anger; why the hell had I lied. The truth was I didn´t know, there were a thousand other ways to try and get Evan's attention, this just seemed to be the perfect way to do it.Then again, I wanted him to like me for me, not be-cause of what happened in the closet or because I'd tak-en the blame for him when he cheated on a test. If I'd told Evan that it was me in the closet, would he want to get to know me for the wrong reasons? In the end, Prin-cipal Hopkins gave me detention for two weeks. Light punishment for cheating, but everyone in that room knew that it was a lie. Whatever.It wasn't like anyone was going to say anything about it. Not when it was my word against Evan's, but I was counting on the fact that nobody would question us, so the punishment was less irritating than it should have
I felt a little guilty as I went through the rest of my classes for the day. Well, guilty, but also deeply intrigued by that girl.Anita.I had thanked her for doing what she did, but that didn't feel like enough to me. Besides, I wouldn't mind sitting close to her even if all I got to do was watch her. Her clothes weren't a slim fit and didn't show much skin, unlike a lot of the girls I saw every day, but I was starting to think that underneath those clothes, she had delicious curves just begging to be explored.Fuck, don't think like that.Pushing the thoughts aside, I headed for detention. Class was over, but I wasn't in a hurry to go home, and it wasn't the first time I'd ditched my friends over a girl either, so it didn't matter to them when I said I was busy. They misunderstood what I meant, and gave me annoying catcalls and wolf whistles behind my back. I ignored them.Stopping outside the door, I knocked, then pushed it open. A teacher was seated at the front, and a f
I woke up early in the morning. Not because I re-membered to set my alarm clock. These days, I didn't even need to.My parents were arguing, and even with my door closed, the noise was hard to muffle. I groaned and rolled off the bed, and went to take a shower. Not for the first time, I was glad to have my own bathroom. I didn't have to get out there with them to get ready. I was ready way too soon, and I picked up my stuff. It was too early for school, but I couldn't stay there any-more.Mom and Dad had moved their argument down-stairs. I heard something like glass break and hurried over. I stuck my head into the kitchen, but it was noth-ing. A glass just fell, and neither of them noticed. Mom was probably the one who threw it. I looked at her, and it took less than a second to realize she was drunk.Mom? Already? My thoughts turned sour and I knew my day was ruined already.I said nothing as I ducked back out, and felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. I pulled it out, and scoff
"So, what do you like to do in your free time?"I was surprised he was talking to me. Hell, I was surprised he'd driven all this way just to pick me up for school. I'd even wondered if I was dreaming and pinched my arm just outside the door before I jumped in, and I was subtly rubbing the small red mark."I read," I said after a minute. My tone sounded normal, but I couldn't be any further from calm. My heart was beating wildly in my chest, but I was a better actor than I thought."What do you read?""Um," I frowned, thinking quickly. "I'm in the mid-dle of a book called Christine right now. I circle different authors, and when I find ones I like, I go through the backlist, but not all at once, and I'm back on Stephen King for now. After that one, I'll read Carrie and The Shining, then find something else to read.""Really?" Evan said, glancing at me, a wide grin on his face. Before I could ask why he was so happy, he told me. "I love Stephen King books. There are some newer
"I still can't believe you're hanging out with that girl," Abe muttered. "I thought people were kidding, but I saw you."I rolled my eyes and looked away. We were on the football field even if it was out of season. A habit that never died even during spring and I pretended to be en-grossed with the runners doing laps around the track."Why do you say that like it's a crime?"He smirked. "It's just unlike you, and it is all over the school. Girls keep coming up to me and asking me about it like it's any of my business in the first place."Abe smacked my shoulder, and I frowned. He was a quarterback on the team, and he was a big guy. He was also one of the guys I regularly hung out with.Mason, the team's linebacker, grinned as he smacked me on my other shoulder."Tell the truth; she's the same girl you've been blow-ing us off for, right? Tell us her name.""Would you guys shut up," I grumbled.I knew people were talking about it, and I guess it was big news. It had been
Our lips met, again and again, as we stripped each other down to the skin, then Evan pushed me to lay back again, using his thigh between mine to spread my legs wider so he could settle his body on top of mine. I whimpered, feeling his cock against my sex, the urgency starting to creep up on me.He didn't seem to feel it. After leaving one last kiss on my lips, he slid down, hands and mouth follow-ing a trail down my body from the neck. He paused at my chest, and I moaned and squirmed beneath him as he rained kisses all over my breasts, then sucked on one nip-ple, then the other. His hands didn't stop, one of them slid between my thighs, and I yelped when I felt his fin-gers on my clit, rubbing gently, a little too lightly."Evan," I gasped. My hands reached for his hair, twining my fingers in the strands and tugging so he would look up. His lips had moved to my stomach, and as much as I would have loved to have him go down on me, I wanted something else from him right then. "I wan
The hall was still not filled as more people came in. I caught sight of Mom and raised my hand for a quick wave. Hayley, who I still kept in touch with even though she'd moved a little far for college, would have been there but she'd promised to meet up for drinks for some girl time when she came back to town in another week or so. Carl and Evan sat beside Mom, and Evan was carry-ing our daughter in his arms. He was looking for me as well, and I thought he saw me, because suddenly he had on this blinding smile, and I grinned back, losing the nervousness as I started to feel excited.I'm graduating from college today!The ceremony seemed to take forever. There were so many speeches before the main event even started, and I could see a lot of the people around me yawning, a few discreetly using their phones. We were placed close to the front.It seemed to take forever before I finally walked across the stage, and then we were all free to mingle with our families. It was long past l
I stood in my bedroom staring at my door. I was ready to leave, had been for the past five minutes, but I couldn't bring myself to open that door and leave just yet.Somehow, four years had passed already, and I was graduating with a university degree. I was so nerv-ous that I was sweating, and I hadn't even put on the robe yet. I would be putting it on once I got to the school.Time to get moving everyone is waiting.I took a deep breath, and with that thought, reached for the door and pulled it open.Evan and I had our place, but today, I was at Mom and his dad's house so they could help with looking after Sandra since I'd be busy today. It was a big day for all of us and now that Evan had graduated from USC, we would have more time together as a family. Mom was still happy for me, and she wanted to make a big deal out of it because she was proud of me."Anita, are you ready?" I heard Mom call through the door."Yeah, Mom! Is Sandra with you?" I called back, my heart a ne
"How are you feeling?" Evan asked worriedly.I smiled. "I'm doing just fine. Both of us are okay.""You should be close now, though, right?""Really close," I agreed, looking down and rubbing a hand over my stomach.After a few hospital visits, I managed to get an es-timate of when the baby would be coming out, and it was any day now. I looked back up at the computer screen to find Evan watching me intently. He was at school now but came down every weekend and whenev-er he could. When he couldn't be around, he made sure to send me a Skype call every day."When will you be going to the hospital?"I hummed. "If nothing happens in a couple days, Mom said we'd have me admitted early."There was some noise in the background, and he looked away before turning back to me with a sigh."I need to go for now, but I'll call you tonight be-fore you go to sleep, okay?"I nodded, smiling happily. Before we could say our goodbyes and cut the call, though, I felt something strange, a
Since I'd taken a lot of my stuff when I went to stay with Grandma, I still had to go back. Mom and Carl headed for their honeymoon, and Evan went with me back to Minnesota.Evan made plans for someone to head back in my car, then drove me to Grandma's in his own car. It was easier having someone with me, so I didn't complain.Grandma wanted us to stay for a few days, but Evan didn't bring a change of clothes, so we couldn't stay for that long. He bought a few outfits just, so he could change out of the clothes he'd worn during the long two day drive. We stayed in different rooms, and she kept a close eye on us, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be."Let's leave tomorrow morning," Evan said as he helped me pack my stuff up and move them to the car. "I talked to your grandmother already, and she said it was okay.""You talked to her?" I said, alarmed. "When? I thought she left early."When I brought him home, Grandma would have figured out that he was my new stepbr
I had a feeling Evan would have kept me locked in the hotel room all day, if we didn't get a call from his dad that they hadn't left yet and were waiting to see the two of us first. I felt guilty as we showered and got dressed. Evan knew now, but there were still both our parents to tell. I talked myself into postponing it, because they were about to leave for their honeymoon.When I brought it up to Evan, though, he shook his head immediately."No," he said. "Absolutely no way. Putting this off isn't helping anybody. We're telling them today."I gaped at his back as he hurried out, and I fol-lowed quickly. He waited outside until I closed the door, then he took my hand and led me to the elevator."We're going to tell them," he continued. "I plan to go to college, it's important to me, but I'll look for a place close by because I want to be in both your lives. If our parents don't understand our decisions, then I'll talk to them, but we have to tell them before they leave."H
The first thing I was aware of was how warm I felt. Next, was the soft body in my arms. I blinked my eyes open and stared at Anita's face just a few inches from mine.We'd fallen asleep with the lights still on, but I could tell it was daytime already. A part of me wondered what the hell I was doing. She was holding me just as tight, and I could feel the press of her stomach against mine. She was pregnant, and she'd kept it from me for six months. She approached me at that party, knowing who I was, but I couldn't blame her for that, because I was the one to initiate it, and I didn't think about contraception when I chose to fuck a stranger in someone else's closet.She had lied to me, kept things from me, but right then, all I could feel was relieved that she was there with me, because I'd missed her so badly. I pulled one arm from around her to brush her hair away from her chest, freezing when she flinched a little."Mm."I watched as her eyes fluttered, her body squirming
I looked around. Quite a few people had already left, so while the partying wasn't entirely over yet, it was winding down. Dad and my new stepmom hadn't left yet, but they were happily lost in each other. No one would miss us if we left now."Come with me."I took her hand in mine and pulled her behind me as I headed for the hotel. "Wait, Evan!" She yelped, trying to fight against my hold. "Where are we going? They'll get worried if we just disappear-""They're busy," I cut in. "Just stop fighting me, Anita. You should have come to me on your own, like hell I'm going to let you just run away."She struggled a minute longer, before resigning to go along with me. We stopped by the reception desk, so I could get us a room."I-I already h-have one..." Anita said quietly."I'll take care of it in the morning."I got us the room using my credit card, then I led her upstairs. She must have meant the room her mom was using, or it was one her mom booked for her, and I didn't wa
My heart was pounding because he caught me by surprise. The little courage I'd tried to talk myself into deflated just like that, and I stared at him like a deer in the headlights, wishing I could just run away."You were talking about me, right? What do you have to tell me? I can let you speak first.""Evan..."His eyebrows arched. "Would you rather I go first? Because I've got plenty to say to you and a lot to ask. Starting with why you disappeared on me without saying anything to me first."Evan went silent, clearly waiting for me to start. I fidgeted, twisting my fingers together, my heart beating so loud I could hear it, and I wondered if he could, too.He's already here, and there's not much time, so just say it.It was getting dark, and I hadn't checked if she'd already left, but Mom was supposed to head out with Carl, so they could catch their flight. I'd be going back to the hotel room soon, and Evan would probably head home."I'm pregnant," I blurted.The mome