“This what?” He looked confused.
“You said you were going to give me some advice,” I reminded him, crossing my arms over my chest.
My snotty tone forced a genuine smile to tug at his lips. It was quick, but it was there. Hudson then glanced down at my bag, sitting behind me on the bench. “My advice is to leave. While you still can.”
My fingers tightened around my phone, and I dropped my arms, a sliver of adrenaline seeping into my veins.
“What, why?”
I noticed the large chunky watch on one of his strong wrists as he glanced at the time.
As he raised his head, those dark, whisky coloured eyes drilled into mine. “Because you’re about to have company. So, grab your shit and high tail it out of here before half of the football team comes in and catches you. The boys get horny after practice and with the rumours going around about you, they’ll assume you’ve come here looking for some action.”
My brow furrowed as I cast a glance at where he’d motioned.
“Action?” I croaked.
Hudson motioned towards my body with a flick of his hand. “Yes, action, which loosely translates to you, on your knees, sucking cock. You’ve already deprived them of Sasha’s services. So, they will be looking for a substitute.”
A sick taste appeared in my stomach, and my face must have shown my disgust at his harsh words. He just looked amused by my reaction.
“You’re hateful.”
I saw a flicker of discomfort at my words before he masked it and choked out, “Hate away, the feelings mutual.”
The boy hardly knew me, so he had to be lying, but I went with, “I don’t understand what I’ve done to upset you.”
And then he delivered his reasoning, confirming what I had suspected.
“It isn’t what you’ve done, English, it’swhoyou are.”
“Because of my father.” My words came out like a statement.
“That about sums it up, yes.”
Hudson then added with a head tilt, “Now I’m going to take a piss and when I get back, you won’t be here. You might want to work on your gag reflexbeforeyou take on the whole team.” Hudson's smirk turned into a suggestive grin. He was warning me of what was to come if I stayed there.
The doors rattling forced my hand, and I grabbed my backpack, shoved my sports kit into it and bent down to pull on my socks and shoes. I felt momentarily aware of my head so near Hudson’s crotch, but I didn’t look up. I glared at his feet as I yanked my ballet flats on. I was surprised he didn’t say:while you’re down there.
I then stood, grabbed my shit, and pushed past him. I knew he’d allowed me to do that, and I ran from that room like a murderer was on my heels.
All I could hear as I left through the doors into the corridor was faint chanting from the football players, doors banging, football shoes against the floor and the distinctive sound of Hudson’s laughter.
And then his words echoed around my head.
It isn’t what you’ve done, sunshine, it’s who you are.
I wondered why I hadn’t heard the name Sasha up there with the school bike title that appeared to be growing around me.
The thought of me as a slut was borderline ridiculous.
I was a virgin. I could write what I knew about sex on a postage stamp. Hudson’s comment about how I wouldtastecame floating back into my thoughts, doing all sorts of crazy things to my insides.
The boy is messing with you.
I shook off the chaos of my thoughts and went to the nurse’s office to lie about a case of the monthlies. Lily had explained that it was the only thing that got you out of gym. Since I had missed the entire first half of the lesson, there was no way I would join them now.
I decided to shelve my thoughts about what went on in the boys' locker rooms and to keep them away from that one boy for the rest of that day.
