White is for Virgins (13 page)

It must’ve felt great: the rush of winning a race and having everyone clap for you.
Must suck to be on the losing team; embarrassing.

That was why I never tried out for sports; I was so afraid of losing and humiliating myself. I didn’t risk it.

The table rocked a little, snapping me out of my daze.

I looked up, expecting to see a potential donor, but instead I saw the track star – soaking wet and dripping water.

“Excellent race, Fox.” Nina smiled.

“Thanks, Nina,” he said, returning her smile, “How’s the donor list coming along?”

“It’s not,” I muttered before Nina had a chance to explain our lack of progress in a positive way.

Fox furrowed his brow and looked at the list, which only had mine and Nina’s names on it. He scribbled his name down, too, and then walked over to the fence behind us.

“What are you doing?” I asked, curiously turning over in the bench to watch him.

“How do you get this banner off? Just pull?” He ignored my question, asking his own.

I nodded, still confused.

With one jerk he ripped the banner off the fence and started dragging it across the grass to the track.

“Hey!” I yelled, “What the hell, Fox!”

“Emery!” Nina scolded.

“Nina, he freakin’ tore the banner down!” I protested.
Was she blind?
Or just too nice?

“Yes, but look,” Nina said, a soft smile playing on her tired face.

I reluctantly turned toward the track, hands on hips, preparing to shout out Fox again. But I didn’t.

Fox was holding one side of the banner, while Nick took the other, and together they started sprinting down the track. They ran slow enough so the banner wouldn’t whip around in the wind, but fast enough so everyone saw it and could read it.

People started cheering them on, and I grabbed the little poster I’d been advertising before and held it up, waving it around for everyone.

Sure enough, dozens of people started walking towards our little station to sign up for the drive. We gave them each a form to fill out from the doctor’s office, to make sure they were healthy enough for it.

It was amazing…
I
couldn’t get anyone to sign up, but two hot guys with a banner could get the entire crowd running to join.

A cocky Fox came back up to us and placed the folded banner at my feet, grinning with pleasure.

“Fox, you really are a life-saver,” Nina said, chuckling at her joke.

“Yes, well,” he grinned, looking over at me, “I try.”

As people slowly started leaving the field, Fox helped me load the van while Nina played with Holly in the passenger seat. She said something about not feeling well, so I was going to drive us back to the RCC.

Fox slammed the trunk closed and started rummaging through his gym bag for something.

I gave him a questioning look as he took my hand and shoved a hundred dollar bill into it.

“Dude, that’s way too much,” I argued, holding it back out to him.

“No, you came here against your will, and Holly loves you… for
some reason
,” he muttered, waving the money off as if it meant nothing to him.

I couldn’t take this much from him.

“Fox, seriously-” I started, but he cut me off.

“Look, think of it as cash in advance.”

“Why?”

“Because I’ll be requiring your babysitting services in the future,” he smirked, opening the passenger door to take Holly from Nina.

“Take care, dear,” Nina sighed.

“You too, Nina,” he said earnestly before turning in the direction of the parking lot.

I rubbed my temples and hopped into the car.

He would be
requiring my babysitting services
again? …What the hell for?

Chapter 9

.EMERY POV.

“Alright students – why do you think
Hermia preferred Lysander sleep elsewhere, rather than with her in the forest?” Mrs. Sawyer asked abruptly, lifting her head from the manuscript.

She scanned the room, and even though several students had their hands up, her eyes zeroed in on me, and narrowed.

I meekly raised my hand to eye level.

“Yes, Emery?” She asked curiously, raising an eyebrow.

“Well… these are Shakespearean times, when people waited until marriage to become intimate,” I practically whispered.

Mrs. Sawyer nodded slightly, nodding at something behind me.

“Mr. Evans?” She asked.

I listened to what he had to say, curious myself.

“I think it’s because
Hermia’s
just a
prude
who thinks she’s in love, but she’s not. I think she’s just playing him because she knows it’ll piss her father off,” he said, and a couple guys smirked.

“Language, Mr. Evans,” Mrs. Sawyer corrected. Her eyes were slits.

I muttered something under my breath, and apparently I wasn’t discreet enough.

“Would you like to add to Mr. Evans’ hypothesis, Emery?” her eyebrows lifted, causing her forehead to crinkle, “Please, do share.”

I exhaled deeply, hoping I wouldn’t regret this.

“It isn’t
Hermia’s
fault - she’s a young adolescent, who’s a little hesitant taking her
5
th
layer of clothing
off in front of a man that isn’t thinking with his
heart
, rather his
testosterone
,” I stated, sitting a little straighter in my desk.

Mrs. Sawyer raised her chin and a creepy looking smile grew on her lips.

“What was that?” Fox whispered in my ear.

I turned around. “That was me defending my gender,
Mr. Evans
, too many big words for you?” I asked innocently.

He smiled teasingly, “Are you speaking from experience, Emery?”

“What experience?”

“Exactly,” he smirked, “You are just like
Hermia. Except… she
has
a significant other.”

“And you’re just like the ass, the drunken fairies will love you for a night, and then regret it for the rest of their lives,” I practically spat, turning back in my seat to face the front.

It was eerily silent, and I noticed all the eyes were on me.

“No, no, keep going,” Mrs. Sawyer encouraged wickedly, “It was getting interesting.”

Shit.

“I do believe, we have a debate taking place,” Mrs. Sawyer announced, walking up to the front of the class, “Emery will defend the Shakespearean times, and Fox will speak on behalf of modern society.”

I reluctantly sauntered to the front of the room to the right side of Mrs. Sawyer’s desk, and tried to calm my flaming cheeks.

The things I do for good grades… I hope the woman is happy after this.

“So, in less than 10 words, please defend the overall trend behind your time frame,” Mrs. Sawyer said, taking a seat on Fox’s desk top.

“Morals, self-respect, and religious beliefs,” I said, staring at my feet.

“Fun,” Fox said, and when everyone smirked and Mrs. S gave him a disapproving look he added, “Living in the moment and screwing everyone else.”

“Mr. Evans!” Mrs. Sawyer scolded, crossing her legs beneath her navy pencil skirt.

By ‘screwing everyone else’ he meant forgetting about their opinions… right?
I smirked, and met the professor’s gaze.

“So Emery, tell us all about these morals. How do they apply to
Hermia, and her actions that night in the forest towards Lysander?” she asked, cocking her head.

She was having too much fun with this.
So is Fox,
I concluded after sending a quick glance in his direction.

“W-well…” I started.

Smooth, Em
.

“
Hermia was - keeping a safe distance from Lysander because girls her age were promised to one man… and they weren’t use to that kind of intimacy. They were raised to… um… save all of that affection for their wedding night,” I struggled with the words but somehow made my case.

Mrs. Sawyer nodded, her lips pressed in a straight line.

“And Mr. Evans. Explain the reasoning behind
‘living in the moment’
,” she said, air-quoting his words.

“
Hermia’s
too caught up in her self-image and cares what everyone else thinks. She doesn’t want to come off as a whore…rrible lady…” he said, catching his words, “And she needs to just let loose and let Lysander be a man.”

All the guys smirked, and Mrs. Sawyer quieted them down before turning to me. She didn’t ask questions though, so I just jumped right in, a little less shaky now.

“He respected her, and held it in his...
trousers
on the opposite side of the tree because he loved her!” I said, turning to face Fox. I’ve realized that I’d grown accustomed to arguing with him, so it was easier to focus on him rather than everyone else.