Wanna Bet? (9 page)

With a look
I’m sure would make wild animals cower sent my way she walks off
and joins a table full of her friends.

“
Have I
mentioned lately how much I hate you?” I grumble to Sophie as I
join her, Matt, Tucker and Luke at the table.

“
What’s
wrong?” she asks turning from her conversation with
Matt.

“
I just got
asked if I had a threesome with Ethan and Tucker last night” I tell
her eating my banana.

She laughs.
Doesn’t apologise, doesn’t look sympathetic just laughs making
everyone at the table stop talking to watch us “Glad you find my
apparent sexual activities entertaining”

“
What’s so
funny?” Matt asks.

“
Sorry I
didn’t think Ethan would be there he usually stays out” Sophie says
ignoring the question. “Wait
,
so where did you sleep?” she asks me and I watch as everyone stares
at me waiting for my answer.

“
In Tuckers
bed” I say quietly.

“
Then where
did you sleep?” Matt asks him.

“
In my bed” He
says as if it should be obvious.

“
You slept in
the same bed?” Matt asks dumbly

“
Yes” I
snap

“
And you
didn’t have sex?” he clarifies

“
Nope but she
did mention something about me being huge” he grins and winks at
me. I throw my banana peel at him.

“
Not funny.
People think we had a threesome with Ethan” I tell him.

“
No, I can’t
see you doing that” he says sweeping his eyes over me.

Two guys walk
past our table and grin at me “Hey Brooke” they greet me with a
wink.

“
But they can”
Tucker laughs at me.

“
You do
realise that the students here all have very colourful imaginations
so I’m just wondering if they are picturing it with you behind
Ethan ... Or with Ethan behind you” I smile widely as his face
drops and he looks a little sick. “Not so funny now huh” I say
picking up my sandwich.

“
How can you
just carry on as if it’s normal?” he asks watching me take a
bite.

“
All this sex
I’m supposed to be having is making me hungry” I shrug at
him.

“
So no one had
sex in that room last night?” Matt asks still surprised.

“
Umm ... No
first of all I would not have sex with an audience, second of all I
would not be an audience to someone else having sex” I state
firmly.

“
Besides she
wouldn’t be able to walk properly if she had sex with me” Tucker
winks at me and hi-fives Matt.

“
I really do
worry about all the women you sleep with” I sigh.

“
Why? I always
wear a condom” he replies offended.

“
That may be
the case but do you wear it properly?” I ask now that I have his
full attention.

“
What do you
mean?”

“
I
t just concerns me
that perhaps you’re not covering the right dick, do you put it on
the one between your legs ... or the one on top of your head?” I
tilt my head to the side as if considering him.

“
Speaking of
imaginative body parts that reminds me … I’m missing some socks did
you take them?” he asks smirking

“
What the hell
would I do with your socks?” I ask frowning.

“
Trying to
compensate for something maybe?” he asks staring pointedly at my
chest.

“
You tell me
considering I woke up with your hand wrapped around one” I raise an
eyebrow.

“
You’re right,
their very real” he sighs.

“
You two
should just have sex and get it over with” Sophie laughs putting a
stop to our insults.

“
She not my
type” Tucker announces.

“
You’re type
is anything that can breathe on it’s own” Matt snorts

“
No, she’s not
nice enough” he sniffs

“
I’m nice,
just not to you” I admit

“
You know it
wouldn’t hurt for you to show me a bit of respect now and again” he
turns to me.

“
How so?” I
ask knowing something ridiculous is coming.

“
You could
refer to me as god and the odd curtsey wouldn’t go a miss either”
he nods as if the decision is made.

“
Hmmm…” I sigh
looking up at the ceiling.

“
What?”
he follows the direction of my eyes
with his own.

“
I’m just
wondering whether
, after I
have killed you, should roast or fry your body parts before I feed
them to the dogs”

“
See what I
mean” he demands pointing at me “Can’t you just be normal for two
minutes?” he asks

“
Fine, but if
it takes too much effort, I’m out” I shrug.

Sophie and
Matt watch us bemused so I ignore them and pick up my coffee. “Are
you walking me to class or what?” I smile sweetly at
Tucker.

“
Yeah, let’s
go” he stands and pulls me into him with an arm around my
neck.

“
So I have
tickets for a fight tonight” I nudge his shoulder with my own as we
take our seats in English.

“
Explain this
whole fight thing. I don’t get it” he asks while twirling a pen
between his thumb and forefinger.

“
I don’t know
exactly” I shrug “Sophie and I, we usually just go for the party
afterwards. Remember when we went to see
Heavens Devil’s
?
Well I’m close with Dave – He’s the one with the little boy that I
was on the beach with and he normally gets them for me. Basically,
the fights are held at an old abandoned gym and there’s a bar, it’s
a cage fight I think. You can bet on them as far as I know but we
just go for the house party afterwards with the band. You
interested?”

“
Yeah” he
shrugs “Should be fun”

“
I’m so sorry
Soph” I say for what feels like the hundredth time that
day.

“
It’s okay,
I’m fine don’t worry about it” she assures me grabbing herself
another coffee.

I know I kept
her up most of the night with my tossing and turning, the
nightmares were bad last night.

“
I know but I
feel really bad, you’re loosing out on sleep and we have exams
coming up. I’ll go to the doctor and get some sleeping pills or
something”

“
No, it’s
fine. Its only last night that I lost sleep. Don’t go on sleeping
pills just for one night out of a week” She tells me over her
shoulder as we head to our usual lunch table that Tucker is already
seated at.

“
You two look
like crap” he grins at us both as we take our seats.

“
My fault” I
wince as I acknowledge the restless night’s effect on us both. “I
kept Soph up most of the night”

“
That’s
because I wasn’t there” he jokes but I look down, this is something
I had already picked up on, it isn’t lost on me that the only night
of the week Tucker didn’t stay in our room
or I didn’t stay in his is the night I had
nightmares.

Sophie
hearing this theory and obviously catching on whips her head up and
frowns at him then turns to me “Oh my god” she whispers looking
back at Tucker.

“
What?” he
frowns at her.

“
Nothing” she
says frowning herself.

“
Anyway what
are we doing tonight?” I ask changing the subject as Matt joins us
taking his seat next to Sophie and immediately getting into a
discussion with Tucker about some party they went to last
night.

“
You knew the
nightmares stop when Tucker stays with you didn’t you” Sophie
accuses me quietly enough so the boys can’t hear her. I shrug at
her avoiding her eyes. “Why didn’t you say anything?” I shrug again
“Because I can’t explain it”.

“
I think I
can” she says and I snap my eyes to hers “You have feelings for
him, it makes sense you spend so much time together, you’ve
practically spent every night together since you stayed in his room
last week. It was going to happen sooner or later. You need to stop
spending so much time with him. I won’t watch you get hurt like all
the others”

“
I don’t have
feelings for him, I care about him as a
friend
that’s
all Soph” I promise her flicking my gaze to Tucker.

“
I don’t care,
he means too much to you already. He will let you down, everyone is
already surprised your friendship has lasted this long and
they think it’s only because you are
sleeping with him regularly. He’s going to let you down and you’ll
be broken, I won’t be able to fix that. I don’t want him staying in
our room any more”

I frown at
her “In case you haven’t notice Soph I’m already broken. I’m not
asking you to fix me, I can fix myself”

“
That’s what
you call it? You spend every night with Tucker yet every weekend
you’re with a different guy”

“
Excuse me?” I
say a bit too loud for our hushed conversation.

“
All I’m
saying is people are starting to think you’re a whore Brooke” she
says still only loud enough for me to hear, ignoring the fact that
guys have stopped talking to watch us.

“
And you?” I
ask not believing that she could think such a thing about me
knowing that nothing ever happens between Tucker and I or any other
person the most I do is flirt a little. She shrugs in answer to my
question. I stare at her opened mouthed for a second.

“
Is everything
okay?” Matt asks from beside us.

“
Everything’s
fine” I say standing up not looking away from Sophie’s accusing
eyes “Looks like I have a reputation to live up to” I walk away
from the table before the tears have a chance to fall. I walk a bit
faster when I hear Tucker call after me.

I skip the
rest of my classes that day and head to my mums. I know I’m not
welcome there and will probably have to pay in some way for turning
up uninvited. I don’t care, maybe I should be punished.

Checking
through my phone when I’m sat in my car outside the dorm, I skip
the messages from Sophie and Tucker but read the message from Katie
inviting me to party in her apartment. Starting my car again I head
over there while quickly tapping out a message to let her know I’m
on my way over.

Luke lets me
in and I watch as he takes in my appearance. From my knee high
black boots, skinny jeans, grey tee with ‘FUCK IT’ printed across
my chest, the brown leather jacket to the bright red cut on my lip
then finally my hair pulled up into a messy high ponytail. “Shots”
he says simply grabbing my hand and leading me into the packed
kitchen.

“
You know this
bad girl look you’re sporting tonight is sexy as hell right?” I
turn at look at guy stood staring down at me.

“
Brooke” I
smile up at him, the alcohol has definitely taken effect now and my
teeth have gone numb, I just hope I’m not at the slurring
stage.

“
Harry, Are
you a friend of Kate’s?”

“
Luke’s” I
shake my head at him, he’s very good looking in a good boy way.
He’s wearing black converse and jeans, a dark blue button down
shirt with a black tee underneath, his eyes are a mixture of green
and blue and his short hair is black, styled into spikes. He grins
when he notices me giving him the once over.

“
Not so bad
yourself” I smirk and shrug at him not embarrassed to be caught
looking at him.

“
So how’d you
get the cut on your lip?” he asks leaning his hip on the counter
next to us.

“
Very long,
very boring story” I tell him touching my lip and sighing when it
doesn’t sting.

“
I have a
feeling nothing about you is boring” he smirks at me.

“
Well
excitement does seem to follow me around” I note when I catch sight
of Sophie, Matt and Tucker walking through the front
door.

“
Friends of
yours?” he asks turning to follow my gaze.

“
Yeah” I shrug
and pick up a bottle of beer.

“
Available?”
he asks changing the subject.

“
Yeah,
you?”

He nods his
head in answer and I smile at him “Interesting”

“
Could be” he
replies making me raise an eyebrow.

“
Number?” his
short questions making me grin.

“
Phone?” I ask
holding my hand out for him making him grin wider as he hands me
his phone. I tap my number into it and hand it back.
“Done”

“
What are you
studying then?” he asks back to using more than one or two
words.

“
Business
management” I wince knowing how much hard work it is. “Only a few
months left though thankfully”

“
I don’t envy
you, trust me” he pours two more shots and hands me one.

“
What about
you?” I ask taking the shot