Chapter 35


    Chapter 35


    Michelle


    The afterparty is at the frathouse. Maddox has moved out from here, but we came here to drink (soda)


    and have fun. My boyfriend isn’t drinking alcohol, but there is cake and chips. No, I’m not kidding


    These jocks are drawn to sugar, especially Robin, who is worse than a girl on her period when ites


    to sweets.


    I crack my shoulders aftering out of the bathroom and hear the conversation from the kitchen.


    “Wait. Are you serious? You fought our English professor for thest strawberry cheesecake ice cream


    package?” Lionel asks, blinking at Robin in disbelief. “Yup,” he grins. “We share the same taste in ice


    cream and sweets, and I see her at the supermarket almost every night. It’s our thing, but she has


    been trying to avoid metely… Last night, she was running with her cart filled with Oreo packages.”


    “From you?”


    “Yeah, but she is living in denial,” Robin leans back in his chair. He rests his head against his arms,


    making his muscles pop. “One of these days, I will make her go out with me.” Lionel shakes his head.


    “Dude, you better keep it a secret that you got the hots for you freaking teacher… Do you realize she


    will lose her job if you sleep with her?”


    “Professor. You keep calling her a teacher,” Robin points out. “And oh, I do, but I trust you guys with my


    secret,” his smile is wolfish. “And I haven’t slept with her… Yet.”


    Lionel and Jason both snort, drinking at Robin’s arrogance. Maddox picks up his ss of soda but


    pauses and smiles at me when I waltz into the kitchen.


    “Hey, babe.”


    “Hey…” I smile back even though I don’t feel that good. My head is spinning from what Stephanie told


    me earlier.


    Maddox sizes me up. “Everything alright?”


    His eyes look concerned. I can’t hide anything from him. Maddox usually reads me like an open book


    My shoulders slump in a sigh. I feel so guilty. “I know we should be celebrating, but… Could we


    talk?”


    He stands up from the table. “Of course… Hey, Jason? Mind if we borrow your room a little?”


    Robin and Lionel are arguing about the whole teacher situation, but Jason flicks his attention briefly to


    us. “Sure… Just don’t sit down on my bed. I just changed the sheets, man, and I don’t want you to spill


    any beer.” “Beer?” Maddox shakes his head, “This is soda.”


    “Whatever, man. Just stay out of my bed. Don’t be like Robin and invite your dates there just because


    my room is cleaner…”


    “Hey!” Robin exims. “That only happened once!” Lionel snorts. “Please, you’ve at least taken five


    girls into Jason’s room just because he cleans, and you don’t…”,


    Robin growls, but Maddox saves me from the quarrel by taking my hand.


    “Come, let’s head upstairs.”


    I follow Maddox while raking my brain for things I need to say. It’s hard to find words. Thest thing I


    want is to sound incredibly insecure and whiny because let’s face it: Maddox will always have women


    tailing after him. We enter Jason’s room in silence. But to my surprise, Maddox locks the door behind


    us. “Uhh… What are you doing?” Instead of answering my question, he speaks in a confident,


    commanding voice. “Sit down on the bed.” “But Jason said,”


    “Sit. Down. On. The. Bed.” My heart pounds. Why does Maddox look so pissed off and angry? His eyes


    are narrowed, and I gulp. I sit down on the bed. “W-Why do you look so upset?”


    Maddox doesn’t answer me. Instead, he approaches me with storm clouds building in his eyes. He gets


    down on his knees in front of me, and I blink in confusion.


    What is he doing?


    Without warning, Maddox rips away the bandaid from my leg. Robin gave it to me earlier when he


    noticed the bruise on my leg. I stumbled on my way down the stairs earlier.


    N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.


    My leg is still bleeding. So I kind of need the bandaid. Why is Maddox removing it?!


    “W-What are you doing?” I ask in a shaken voice.


    Again, Maddox doesn’t answer me. His nostrils re, and I get my answer when his hand enters his


    pocket. He takes out a bandaid, removes the stic, and ces it on the area where the bandaid from


    Robin had been a second ago. I stare at him, gaping, “You can’t be serious!” “This has been bothering


    me for an hour now…”


    “Robin is your friend!” “Robin is a yer, and you never know what he is thinking. First, he gave you his


    number. Then he gave you a bandaid for your injury. What’s next? Dinner and flowers?!” Ick words.


    “Are you... Are you jealous?”


    His eyes meet mine, dark from envy. “Oh, you really have no idea, Michelle… I was ready to punch him


    after he marked you.”


    “Marked me?” I narrow my eyes and wonder what was in that soda we bought at the store.” What are


    you talking about?!”


    “The bandaid, Michelle!” Maddox growls. Is tare at him, and then I can’t help myself. I burst out


    laughing because Maddox is acting insane.


    He res at me in response, but then his face changes. A telltale smirk spreads ove