Chapter 9: Wine

I drive home with Lina, Charlotte, and Hannah after picking up a few bottles of wine and some snacks. "So, girls, what's the plan for tonight?" Charlotte asks, popping open a bottle and pouring us each a glass.

"Let’s have a few drinks and meet at Amsterdam later. The boys are coming too," Hannah replies, a sly smirk on her face.

"Who do you have your eye on now?" I nudge Hannah as I settle into the big couch. She tosses her long blonde hair over her shoulder, looking at us with a secretive smile. "Ryker messaged me last night."

Lina gasps in shock, and Charlotte bursts into laughter. "Finally!" she exclaims. "About time! That boy has been ogling you every lunch break," I tease. Hannah shrugs nonchalantly. "I know. It’s fun to make him sweat a bit, so I just replied, ‘Who is this?’"

I grin at her. "Good move. Girl boss."

"What about you, Nora? Any boys in your DMs?" Charlotte asks while pouring us another round. I bite my lip, my thoughts drifting to a certain comment from someone.

'If I wanted you, I would've had you already.' How dare he say something like that?

"Uh, Connor has been texting me. He’ll be at Amsterdam tonight, so who knows?" I respond.

Lina jumps up and screams, "CONNOR?! He is like Mr. Perfect!" We all laugh, and I can’t help but grin at her enthusiasm. "He is," I agree. With each sip of wine, I find myself agreeing more and more with everything said around me.

"I’m not going home with any guys tonight. I’m going to enjoy myself and my air fryer," Charlotte says, chuckling. "I’ve had enough of men. They’re all shitheads."

"The air fryer or... the air fryer?" Lina wiggles her eyebrows.

"Both," Charlotte laughs.

Charlotte recently got out of a long-term, toxic relationship. She’d been with the guy for four years before discovering he’d been cheating the whole time. We avoid mentioning his name; it still hurts her, but she’s slowly healing. It doesn’t help that he goes to our school, a year above us, and is a grade-A jerk.

My phone vibrates, and I lazily pull it out.

-Mason: Another hour. Very hungry.

"Hey, girls, my bro—"

"My brother is coming back," Lina finishes.

"Okay," Charlotte smiles.

"I’m sorry... Let’s meet at Amsterdam tonight?" I apologize, knowing Lina and Charlotte find my situation with my brother weird. They’ve never met him, and it bugs them, but I know that as soon as they find out, the whole school will know. A lot of girls have crushes on Mason, and I just don’t want to deal with that while I’m focusing on my own study.

Hannah winks and smiles at me, reading my thoughts, but she doesn’t say anything as she gets up to gather her things.

"Amsterdam... Get ready for us!" Lina shouts as she shuts the door behind her. I wave at them through the window and pour myself another glass of red wine. After a quick shower, I change into some comfy shorts and a tank top.

Then I do something I never expected: I pull out my math book and commit to reading it. After an hour, my phone vibrates again.

-Mason: This meeting could have been an email. Will be half an hour later. Very hungry now.

I smile down at my phone and type a reply.

-Li: Can you pick up some wine on the way?

Might as well get more for Esme and me. As I hold my phone, I glance at the math book in front of me, thoughts swirling in my mind. The wine probably isn’t helping with my decision-making, but I scroll through my contacts and pause at the name 'Mr. Grumpy.' Maybe a better name would be Mr. Dickhead or Mr. Asshole. Instead of changing it, I go to the chat. Still no profile picture.

I type and hit send before I can really think about it.

-Norali: I’ve read it.

-Norali: The entire book.

Shit. What am I doing?

My finger immediately goes to the top of the text to delete it, but then the word 'online' appears, and my body freezes.

Shit. It takes three seconds and... A picture appears.

Did he just add me to his contact list?

I quickly look at the picture of Mr. Adkins posing with a dog. It’s old and grainy, and I curse my own profile picture—a sunny day with Humphrey in my arms, wearing only a bikini. I’m laughing loudly at the camera, Mason having just told a funny joke.

'Is typing...' My breath catches in my throat.

-Mr. Grumpy: Liar

Nerves race through me. There is so much... tension in that one word.

-Norali: It’s true. I took the liberty of marking some important things.

I hit send and snort loudly. He's going to hate me.

-Mr. Grumpy: You did what?

-Norali: You forced me to read everything. I can’t just remember it all.

-Mr. Grumpy: Forced is a strong word.

-Norali: Is it?

-Mr. Grumpy: You’re going to return my book next week, and if I see a single mark in it, you’re going to regret it.

Fuck. What does he mean by that? Never mind; he’s a jerk anyway.

-Norali: I used a pink highlighter to even out your horrible black personality

-Mr. Grumpy: Norali. I’m serious.

-Norali: Lighten up, Mr. Adkins.

-Norali: Get it ; )

I snort out loud again.

-Mr. Grumpy: I get the failing grade that’s coming your way.

-Mr. Grumpy: Your tutoring with me just got a lot less fun.

My mouth drops open, and I stare at the screen for almost a minute before I can think straight. He’s going to fail me?

-Norali: If you think I ever considered tutoring with you as fun, you must have brain damage.

-Norali: Holding a burning match against your precious book as we speak.

I glance at the untouched math book. Maybe I should really burn it, just for kicks. But my phone vibrates again, interrupting my thoughts.

-Mr. Grumpy: I see I got under your skin.

"Argh! Stupid bastard!" I yell into the empty room, my eyes darting around the walls of my house. I type a reply and decide to ignore all future texts.

-Norali: In your dreams.

-Norali: Your cockiness is exceeding even my expectations.

But then my phone vibrates again, and I can’t help but look. As I open the fridge for vegetables, I smirk at what he sends.

-Mr. Grumpy: You are by far the most annoying human being I’ve ever met.

-Norali: I see I got under your skin.

I see him typing immediately.

-Mr. Grumpy: I’m going to enjoy giving you a fail on your exam.

-Norali: Are you always full of empty threats?

-Mr. Grumpy: I don’t do empty threats.