"How did you even get my test papers?"

He only rode faster, giving me a side look. "You guess."

I frowned, lowering my eyes and thinking hard at how he could get close to my bag. My eyes widened when I realized that he could have done it when he had brought my track pants.

"Ooo!" I raised my eyebrows, staring at his back and shaking my head. "You are not just smart. Clever too-" I squealed out when a left turn came and the bike had tilted to a level my foot touched the road.

"Marcus," I gasped, panted while glancing behind.

He laughed. "You are such a kid."

I narrowed my eyes while thinking again. "Can you give me my test papers back?"

The laugh faded instantly. "No."

I pouted. "Oh! Come on. Now, you don't need them anymore. I always stay on my word. If I agreed to be your girlfriend, I will be. No matter if you lost the tool to blackmail me or not."

"No means no."

I huffed, looking around and widening my eyes when I started catching the eyes of students walking to school. My face turned warm when some of them were my classmates. I groaned in shyness.

"Shit." I hadn't even thought about how it would look to everyone in the school. This was getting so fast. "Everyone is watching." I told him, thinking he might be embarrassed too to be seen with someone who looks like me.

"That's the clear motive," came the reply and I stared at him in disbelief.

He slowed down when we entered the big gates and rode to the parking lot, going towards the stand. I lowered my eyes as when I started feeling so many heated gaze. I squirmed after getting off the bike, and waited for him to climb off and lock it.

He looked normal with the way he corrected his sweater and hung his bag on one shoulder after putting his gloves inside. He was only looking at me when he stopped moving.

"Why are so blushing?"

I opened my mouth, trying my best to not look around the seniors who were smirking at us. Lord!

"I am not," I muttered shying away from him when he smirked knowingly. His hair blew a bit from the wind as he ran fingers through them for just once.

"Come on," he said while putting his arm around my shoulder, making us walk towards the locker room.

I looked around, observing his classmates smirking at him while he was only looking ahead. Those who weren't paying attention yesterday were gaping at him, today. I bit my tongue when Ted's face came in sight. His eyebrows raised at seeing Marcus and then his eyes raked from my head to toe. He shook his head while chewing his gum, showing all of his nearly yellow teeth.

"Aren't you embarrassed?" I finally asked when my face was close to burst from extreme warmth.

"Why would I be?"

I looked up at him. "Your classmates are judging me. Don't you think, they'll tease you about that-"

His lips raised from the corner. "If I had to think that, I wouldn't have approached you."

I gasped. "What do you mean?"

He chuckled, rubbing my shoulder and creating wings of my heart which had started flying unnecessarily.

"I don't think that way, Loretta. We are a team, now. Remember," he said while giving me a cute blink of his icy blue eyes.

I gulped, smiling slowly while looking back at the front when a squeeze came on my shoulder. I looked back up at him, craning my neck.

"Are you embarrassed?" The question was asked in deep uncertainty. His smile had already faded.

I shook my head, pressing my lips tight. "Just not used to getting such attention."

He sighed heavily at that. "To have fun, we will have to get out of our comfort zone. Okay?"

"What if this somehow goes to your parents?" I asked, biting my lower lip.

He noticed that before looking in my eyes. "Don't worry. They won't know. Even if they would, it won't be a problem."

I nodded quietly and cursed when we reached the lockers room and the first half of the corridor was of my class. Everyone literally had their jaw dropped when they saw me and the handsome geek at my side.

A tingly feeling surely spread in my heart, thinking that this was not at all bad. I was actually enjoying the dropped jaws of the boys who never paid attention to me. I almost chuckled when Joan and Alyssa stopped conversing and turned their heads at us, widening their eyes as big as saucers.

"That's my locker," I told him.

"I know."

My eyebrows raised and I looked up at him, giving him a straight look that cracked him up. But he only chuckled lightly. A shy smile came upon my lips when he sighed and stared at me.

"What should I tell them if they ask me about us?"

He gave me my favorite goofy smile of his. "Not much. Let them wonder."

I nodded, slightly amused.

He blinked and removed his arm from my shoulder, so we could finally face each other. "Pay attention to the lectures, eat your lunch, pay attention to the lectures and meet me at the parking lot."

I nodded, scheduling it all in my mind when I frowned. "What about the lunch? Won't you join me?"

He shook his head, giving me a hesitant look. "That's not needed."

My face fell slowly as the formal answer broke a part of my excited heart. What did he mean by needed?

He observed my reaction and immediately explained, "I eat a sandwich on my way to the library."

I rolled my eyes. "Ah! I had forgotten. You are a nerd," I commented. "Not a typical one, though."

He chuckled and gave me a last look before finally turning around to walk towards the other corridor. I sighed, still not being able to digest how everything turned up in the end.

Before I could even look back at my locker, my shoulders were shaken so wildly with high-pitch squeals.

"Oh my God. Oh my God. I could see this coming," said Joan excitedly.

Alyssa stared at me wide-eyed. "You witch. What magic did you do? We had just told you to trap him and you did."

I laughed nervously, not believing their words.

"Totally."

________

The sun had started to show up faintly. But it still wasn't a relief from the cold wind passing.

Five minutes had passed and I was only waiting near his bike, taking support of it so I could rest my injured leg when I caught Ted walking with two fellow jocks beside him, all laughing at their own jokes. I wondered where was Tabitha today. I didn't see her at the cafeteria too. Maybe, the dance rehearsals for the upcoming Christmas day had finally started.

"Hey, greenie-beanie."

I blinked and looked straight at the three jocks staring at me with smirks on their faces. Between them was sparkling Ted's donkey face as he was still chewing a gum. I wondered if it was the same from the morning.

Ignoring them, I turned my head towards the right, crossing my arms and cursing where the heck Marcus was.

"Ooo," they hooted together. "Too much attitude," said Ted, trying to sound like a lusty woman.

I sighed, flaring my nostrils and glancing back at the exit door again. Twitching my lips, I looked back and narrowed my eyes when Ted pouted. "I pity you. Like seriously?" He grinned. "How did you end up with him, babe?"

I frowned, slowly unfolding my hand. "I am not your babe."

He raised his eyebrows, lifting his hands up and surrendered. "Whoops! She got the tongue. She got the tongue. So, you are the man in this relationship. I got it," he gave me the knowing look.

I looked at him sternly. "Do you want to be? You sound jealous?" I smirked.

His smile faded as he raised his eyebrows again. "Okay, greenie-beanie. Don't blame me when you start stumbling on the stones ahead. But I was here to only warn you," he nodded while scrunching his nose. "He's a freak. Not a good one. Will harm you."

I clenched my jaws, not liking how his words seemed partly. Instead of irritating me like a bully jock should do, he was scaring me by talking this way about Marcus.

"How do you know? Did you try him?" He stood quiet while I continued, "I am not a relative of yours. Your sister, your anything?"

He shook his head, chuckling.

"Then, don't worry. I know how to take care of myself. No thanks for the free advise. Now, get going. Ted, the dead." I ended up muttering the last words and looked away when he chuckled again.

"She is adorable."

He told his friends who nodded in agreement while I smiled sweetly.

Ted was only about to say something more when he stopped, catching someone behind me approaching. He slowly stepped back and waved off his hand.

"Bye, greenie-beanie." He said, going away when I saw Marcus jogging towards me.

I groaned when he finally reached me and instead of giving me an excuse or something, he directly went for his bike and started unlocking it.

"What was he talking about?"

I raised my eyebrow, observing his eyes straight on his handles as he pulled out bicycle and removed the stand.

"Nothing. Just telling me if you were being polite to me."

His nostrils flared as his eyes moved on me, he shook his head when I giggled.

"You are a kid."

I sat behind him carefully and explained, "Of all people, you know how much of a kid I am."

He rode out of the gates, shaking his head. "Watching porn doesn't make you an adult. You still are a kid. I have observed," he told me while riding faster.

I lowered my gaze to escape his classmates' eyes again. "You observe me way too much."

He said nothing while I asked, "Why did you came so late?"

"I was only eight minutes late. I was in the washroom."

I smirked. "It takes me just two minutes to pee."

"Noted," he said sarcastically. "Three minutes of leaving the washroom. Rest spent on jogging to you."

I clicked my tongue. "Still too slow. If this continues daily, I will have to suffer Ted's stupid talks."

"Ted talks are never stupid. Mind that," he said, laughing to himself. While I kept quiet, feeling a chill running down my spine.

He stopped right at the corner of the road where he had caught me in the morning. I swallowed, and slowly got off as I thought that from now, I would have to go by foot and alone. So, any of our parents won't notice.

But he had another plan when he opened the zip of his bag and pulled out a book. My eyebrows raised while reading the title, "Endless love?"

I looked at him and he smiled. "By Scott Spencer. The only erotic I have read."

I smirked. "And I haven't."

He nodded knowingly. "I know."

My mouth parted in the familiar shock. "Oh my God, how do you know so much about me?" I looked down while rubbing my arms. "You are giving me chills, Marcus."

Looking back at him, I gulped when I saw him watching me quietly. Those icy blue eyes had so much to tell but I couldn't understand. I just couldn't when I was so busy drowning in them.

He got off the bike, making me step back hesitantly. Taking my hand, he handed me the book, forming the familiar excitement in my heart that I always feel before reading one.

"And I thought you weren't the typical one." I held the book, noticing him giving me a confident look.

But ignoring my words, he said, "Read this book slowly and sensually. Take your time and Enjoy, Loretta. Because this will be the last erotic novel you'll be reading until you graduate."

My mouth opened as I asked, "What? No."

His one eyebrow raised and he narrowed his eyes. "Are you denying me, Loretta? I am your boyfriend and like I had told you, I will be helping you in raising your grades. This is the first step for that thing to happen."

I pouted. "But this is my hobby. I love reading these-"

He stepped ahead, leaning down his face and staring right in my eyes. My breath hitched when he caught my shoulders. "Shhh. . . Listen to me."

I swallowed.

"I am not trying to dominate you. All I am doing is opening your eyes. The books you read today defines your future, Loretta. If you want to read, I will bring books for you. Biographies, Autobiographies, Mystery and Motivational."

I scrunched up my nose. "Noooo. . ."

He shook his head, giving me the dead eye. "There is a time for everything. Right now, when I have this very dirty secret of yours in my pocket to destroy your reputation in front of your parents, you shouldn't continue being vulnerable. You should remove the very tool I am blackmailing you for."

I blinked thoughtfully. "Then, how will you blackmail me in the future?" I whispered.

"I won't be needing that." He smiled cheekily.

I rolled my eyes, getting his cleverness and was only throwing a comeback when he hummed faintly, lowering his eyes on my lips. My breaths stopped.

Fuck! He won't kiss me. Would he? A boy touching me was already giving me faint panic attacks inside all the day. What would happen if he just kissed me? Oh God!

No! Not happening! I would just push him. Yeah. I would push him and laugh out nervously, covering it up. It won't get awkward. It wasn't like we were now in a relationship because we were lovers. Nope!

It was a deal. Just a deal whose purpose, only Marcus knew.

"Stop touching me."

He blinked and narrowed his eyes, as if not understanding what I had just said. I was about to repeat it as I had almost started glaring at me when he finally understood and was startled. His eyebrows raised along with him as he removed his hands off my shoulder and stepped back.

"Yeah, right." He muttered looking down while pushing his glasses. "Read that book. Will ya?"

I nodded, still observing him covering up the awkwardness. It was secretly enjoyable, watching him all embarrassed but trying hard to not show it.

He hesitantly climbed on his bike and looked at the front, his cheeks warmed up from the little cheeky incident.

"Um, so from here-"

I nodded. "I know. I will have to go alone so no one would see. I get it. But like a good boyfriend, you must stay behind and keep watching-"

"Your ass?" He asked, making me feel conscious in a second. I had forgotten what I was about to say and had started picturing my flat ass.

I shut my mouth, giving him a dead eye. "My back so no one would kidnap me or hit me from behind by his death bike," I chuckled when he blinked charmingly, grinning to himself. "I am already so wrapped."

He nodded, smirking. "Whatever you say, girlfriend."

"Bye, boyfriend."

I chuckled while putting the book in my bag, zipping it up and slowly turning around to keep walking towards the home but not before observing a small smile on his lips.

_______

"How's it going?"

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