Everyone faces me when I start walking to the most distant and isolated table in the dining room, with only two chairs. There was no reason to move to a bigger one, since Jane wouldn't have lunch with me. I hadn't seen her in three days and that was already worrying me.
After a few minutes, embarrassing, the atmosphere is filled with laughter and whispering. Huffing, I take the tray containing a juice and salad, rest on the table and next to my backpack and sit on a chair. Pulling the notebook, I take one of the books to start a summary of what I will say in class. I was so distracted, I could barely tell when Ryder showed up and threw himself in the chair that was empty. Because of the fright I take, I pour juice on my cardigan and face him furiously.
- Sorry to scare you! - he says with an ironic smile.
- It's your manners that scare me, not you! - I mean ironically. - I wouldn't be surprised if they told me you were raised by monkeys. Although, it would be an offense to the monkeys.
- Hmm! Somebody's egg's turned today! - he says by throwing his legs over my chair and putting his hands behind his head, he stretches himself smiling in a blatant way.
My eyes follow the movement of his arms and how his muscles tighten, making his biceps even bigger. The shirt bar rises, showing part of your defined abdomen and dark skin. Soon my mind flies to Friday night and I remember Ryder fighting this Luck guy. The naked, dark and tattooed skin blends with the sweat of your athletic body. The brilliant and perfect smile that hypnotized me for a few minutes also came to my mind. A shiver runs through my spine, when I remember his lips, walking through the skin of my neck. I swallow dry shaking my head, while I take off my coat, leaving only the social shirt of buttons. Ryder looks at me from top to bottom, like he's evaluating me.
- Oh, boy. You're such a slut!
- What'd you say?
- I said, you're a real slut! - he repeats. - Why don't you dress up like you did on Friday? Maybe I could get laid more.
- Excuse me, sir?
He shoulders.
- The way you dress, horny is the last thing they'll ever feel for you!
I let out an ironic laugh.
- If I remember correctly, Friday you thought differently. - I mean in a debauched way.
- But you didn't look like a politician's wife that night. - he leans over to get a book. - If I hadn't seen you at that club, I'd think you were allergic to fun. Why are you carrying so many books?
Taking a deep breath, I put the cardigan in my backpack and turn off the notebook.
- What do you want, Ryder? - I ask.
- Do you swear you're asking me that question? - I turn my eyes and he makes a face. - I need your help!
- You? You need my help? - I'll let out a laugh. - All right! All right! What's the catch?
- What's that? What's that?
- The Ryder prank! Have you made any bets with your friends? What's the catch?
- There's no prank! - he says, shrugging his shoulders. - I really need your help.
I keep looking at him, and then I look around like I'm waiting for someone to throw me a pie or a bucket of paint.
- Okay, okay, okay, okay. - I say sighing. - What kind of help do you need?
- Mr. Keller demanded that I do a thesis to recover my average, which is shaken...
- Let me guess! - I say laughing. - Your presence, or rather, the lack of it?
He shoots me with his eyes.
- Exactly!
- What's it to me?
- He said I could have some kind of "tutor" and he referred you to me.
I'll let out a laugh. You'd think Keller would do that, since I'm the most applied one in the class. It's just that my image was already pretty bad without his help. If I started being seen with Ryder, the rumors would only make it worse.
- Look, I thank Keller for thinking of me, but no. - I answer by standing up and picking things up. - If you haven't noticed, things aren't going well for me and I don't want to make my image even worse by being seen with you.
Ryder makes a face and then smiles with disdain.
- What do you mean by that?
- Thanks to your performance in the hallway on Friday, I'm being accused of betraying Aron with you.
- What's that? What's that?
- That's what everyone's saying! - I sigh. - Everyone thinks I fucked you in that closet and now Aron's playing the victim. Not that I care, I just want them to forget me and make me invisible again.
Ryder keeps staring at me with an indignant look. That was quite the expression I imagined in him.
- Believe it! - I say sighing. - You don't want to be near me!
Turning my back, I start to walk away, making my way out of the cafeteria. Ignoring the curious looks, I decide to kill at the next two classes and go home. First, I'd stop by the rectory for the meeting
