Him!

When I was in middle school, there was a day when I decided to wear lipstick and makeup for the first time. I genuinely thought I looked good as I walked into school, but little did I know what awaited me. As soon as I entered the building, Skully, the boy who always mocked and bullied me, grabbed me by the shirt and dragged me towards him into a secluded corner. 

"You look like a clown," he sneered, his words cutting through me.

"My mom said I looked beautiful," I replied, desperately holding onto a glimmer of confidence.

"She lied to you. Take it off," he spat with contempt.

Defiantly, I shook my head. "No," I mustered, summoning a bit of courage, and pushed him away. However, he responded by shoving me back with force, causing my back to collide with the unforgiving wall. The pain was immediate, and I couldn't help but cry out, "Ouch!"

"Take it off now!" Skully bellowed, his voice filled with rage.

Tears streaming down my face, I reached into my bag and grabbed a tissue, desperately attempting to wipe away the evidence of my attempt at self-expression. It was just another painful episode of humiliation etched into my memory all caused by Skully. I hated him. 

Fast forward to the present, I found myself engrossed in reading the blog on my phone. Suddenly, it hit me like a ton of bricks. My boss, Mr. Lockhart, who I had reluctantly agreed to pretend to date, was none other than Skully, the tormentor of my past.

That was why he looked so familiar when I first saw him that day.

Maybe he didn't remember me.

The office was different from the previous day. There was now a little cubicle for me, it had enough distance from him but it wasn't as far away as I would've liked it to be, especially since he is the same boy I hated throughout my childhood. I can't believe I now call him sir. 

"Why can't I just sit with the other staff?" I asked my boss who was busy looking at his phone

He barely glanced at me as he spoke

"I like to keep my assistants close. What's my schedule for today?"

"You have a meeting with the potential clients from Norway by 12, and the Rica's company is throwing a formal party by six"

"And before all that?"

I opened my bag and brought out some documents 

"The accounting department needs you to go through this and sign it" As I handed him the file, our hands brushed against each other. In that instant, a subtle spark seemed to ignite inside of me. I looked up at him and the resemblance was uncanny, he had the same eyes as Skully, the same eyes that watched me shed lots of tears. 

My mood worsens and I immediately go back to sit, I busy myself with sorting his schedule and before I know it, it's almost twelve. 

"Call the driver, tell him to prepare the car and wait for us downstairs" Skully, I mean Mr Lockhart announced from his desk

"Us?" I asked as I dialed the drivers number with the landline 

"You're coming with me" he declared 

"Okay sir" 

As soon as the car was ready, Mr Lockhart stood up and so did I. I carried all the necessary files along with a jotter and pen. 

To my displeasure, Mr Lockhart insisted on driving and I had to sit in the passenger's seat beside him as he drove.

Sitting beside him, my mind wandered to him. He looked so different now, in middle school he was chubby and was the same height as me, now he was over two inches taller than me and he had an amazing physique.

Did he remember me? Did he remember the horrible things he made me feel? The vile words he said to me?

"Why are you staring at me? Is your boyfriend too hot for you to handle?" His voice echoed through my thoughts 

"Fake boyfriend…" I corrected "Sir can we not pretend when it's just the two of us"

He didn't reply and stopped the car

"We're here"

********

The meeting went well and now we were on our way back to the office when he suddenly stopped his car in front of a restaurant

"I'm hungry, aren't you hungry?" Not waiting for my answer, he continued "let's have lunch"

As we entered the restaurant, it was just like the meeting place, everyone accorded him with respect, and the ladies all looked in his direction. That was why he was so cocky. 

After We had ordered, we sat and waited for our food to be delivered.

"I ordered something nice for you to wear, you'll be following me to the Rica's formal party, as my date" he stated looking at his phone

"What?"I asked, not hiding my surprise 

"I need to introduce to some people" he said casually 

"I thought we were doing this for your grandparents"

"It's not just them. I need to portray a family image if I'm going to expand my business, people trust family men'' he explained 

"So you lied to me" he was still the same boy who thought he could always get things done his way. He used my debt and his grandparents to get me to agree to this when the real reason was his business. 

"I didn't lie, more like withheld information" he said, justifying his actions 

I needed to know if he remembers me, I couldn't just ask, I needed to thread carefully 

"What's our story, how did we meet? How are people going to believe you're dating your assistant?"

He smirked lightly 

"Easy, we go way back, we met in middle school and we've kept in touch ever since, we've been pen pals and seeing each other again, reignited the flames of our childhood and it checks out because we went to the same middle school" The way the story rolled off his tongue was a little suspicious almost as if he'd rehearsed it but it made something clear. 

"So you do remember me?" I asked in monotone

"Yeah, of course, little Nora with the ponytails," he said with a little chuckle. The thought of my younger self made him laugh. What a psycho!

*Take it off. Take it off* his childhood voice echoed in her head.

"Excuse me please" I stood up and made my way to the restroom. Looking in the mirror, I steadied my breathing. All of that was behind me, it was a long time ago but it didn't feel like a long time ago. It still hurt whenever I thought of it. 

I eventually calmed my mind and went back to sit with him. I occupied my mind with the thought of the free food I was eating and didn't say a word to him.

Once we were in his car, he turned to me and asked

"What's wrong? You've been awfully quiet"

"I'm always quiet" I replied with a fake smile, why was he acting like he cared if something was wrong?

"Yeah but it's usually a peaceful kind of quiet, this seems like you're angry"

"I'm not angry"

****** 

I had to leave work early to shower and get dressed for the party I was getting dragged to by my childhood bully, now turned boss who was also my fake boyfriend. How did my life get to this point?

The previous week I was spending my nights binge watching movies and eating snacks. 

With a towel wrapped around my hair, I sang along to the music blasting through my phone speakers as I applied my body lotion. 

I was just done putting on the dress when suddenly I heard a knock on my front door. It couldn't be Mr Lockhart he wasn't to be here for another six minutes.

"Who is there?" I ask

ed as I placed my hand on the door handle

"It's me. Open up" I knew who it was the second I heard the voice.