The Bad Boy's Assistant

Okay, school isn’t that bad and stressful. At least that’s what I try to tell myself every day, but what lay behind these gates always managed to prove me wrong.

Now, I should probably introduce myself if you’re going to stick around for a while.

My name’s CJ — or Cara Jane — whichever you might want to call me. But I’d prefer CJ. It sounds cooler, and besides, that’s what my Dad likes to call me.

I’m seventeen and in my last year in high school. Real work, right? But that’s beside the point, you’ll get to know more about me as we move on.

I took a deep breath while staring at the tall school gates that were open in front of me. Students were streaming in, and I probably looked weird just standing there.

For some reason, I was nervous.

Actually, scratch that.

I knew exactly why.

Zach Thomson.

You don’t know him, right? Well, he’s kind of a big deal around here.

Tall, freakishly handsome, and hot. He barely has to do anything to draw attention. Just walking down a hallway is enough to make people stare. Girls practically lose their minds over him. Not to mention he’s surprisingly great at Math — I can personally testify to that.

And then there’s the fact that a lot of students are terrified of him. Including me.

Don’t judge us, though. The guy can be genuinely intimidating sometimes. Maybe it’s the way he carries himself or maybe it’s the permanent frown.

Now, the problem is that I may have had an encounter with him yesterday. For the first time. And it did not go well.

So here’s what happened.

I was rushing to the supermarket to buy groceries my mom had specifically told me not to forget.

And naturally, I forgot.

If it weren’t for my little brother, Jayden, loudly complaining about being hungry, I probably wouldn’t have remembered at all. My mom would’ve killed me if she’d come home and discovered I hadn’t done what she’d asked me to do.

So there I was, practically sprinting down the street when I turned a corner and slammed straight into something — or rather, someone. I realized I had bumped into someone riding a bicycle as the impact knocked me off my feet. I hit the ground with a painful thud and groaned.

“Shit!” The frustrated voice made me look up at the rider. He sat on the pavement a few feet away, gripping his right wrist.

I let out a gasp when I saw who it was. I quickly adjusted my glasses.

No. No way.

“Z-Zach?” I blurted, and that’s when his eyes lifted to meet mine.

Even through the strands of brown hair falling across his forehead, I could see the irritation written all over his face.

Panic immediately took over me. I scrambled to my feet and backed away. “I’m so sorry,” I rushed out. “I’m really, really sorry.”

And then I did what any rational person would do.

I ran.

“Hey!” I heard his deep voice from behind me, but I didn’t stop. I didn’t even think about stopping.

Look, I know running away wasn’t exactly the mature thing to do. But in my defense, it was Zach Thomson. Who knew what would’ve happened if I’d stayed?

By the way, I’m pretty sure I injured my knee.

I sighed and finally forced myself through the school gates.

I’d managed to escape him once, but there was one important detail I’d missed.

Zach attended this school.

Which meant the chances of running into him again were extremely high.

But he wouldn’t recognize me, right?

I mean, I wore glasses yesterday, and I never wore them at school. I used contact lenses instead. I was probably dressed like a complete nerd, too. And I wasn’t even in uniform.

So I was fine. Totally fine. Let’s not worry about Zach. Okay?

Oh, but why am I still so nervous?...

It was lunchtime, and I hadn’t seen Zach all morning. Lucky for me, we didn’t have any classes together. I took that as a good sign. My day had been going pretty well, so far.

I sat at my usual table in the cafeteria, alone, and unwrapped my sandwich. Hmm. Still the best.

You’re probably wondering why I eat by myself.

I don’t really have friends. I talk to people here and there, but I’m mostly on my own. I’m an introverted scholar who worries too much about grades, and not a lot of people want to hang out with someone like that. I sometimes pull perfect scores on tests and exams… people probably think I’m a freak. I’ve heard it before. So I’ve learned to enjoy the quiet — just me, in this huge cafeteria, while everyone else sticks to their groups.

I was halfway through a sip of my drink when a voice cut through the cafeteria noise behind me; “Dude, where are you going?”

The next second, Zach was sitting across from me, frowning harder than usual.

Oh. My. God.

I was panicking, but I forced my face neutral and set my drink down.

Come on, CJ. Play it cool.

“Do you remember me?” he asked, brusque. His voice was deep, steady… and I was fascinated by it for a second, probably because I’d never actually talked to him before.

A few students had already started glancing our way. My stomach twisted. I wasn’t going to let him rattle me. “Um, yeah. You’re Zach. Pretty much everyone knows who you are.”

He lifted his right hand to his face, and that’s when I saw it — a bandage wrapped around his wrist and hand. Oh, jeez. Don’t tell me that’s from yesterday. I’m screwed.

“Still don’t remember what happened yesterday?” he pressed, annoyance edging his tone.

I swallowed, his hard stare still fixed on me. “I — I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said, holding my ground.

Zach scoffed. By now the murmuring had spread. Everyone was watching us. “You’re gonna deny it till the end, huh? Fine. But you can take my word on this… you’re going to pay for it.” He held up his bandaged hand one more time, then stood up. I watched him storm off to his friends’ table.

The stares didn’t let up. I bit my lower lip, nerves crawling up my spine at what he’d just said.

In that moment, I knew it. The low profile I’d kept for years at this school was over.

I’m ruined.