Coerce

The campus seems foreign to me as I walk through it.

~I don't know these people. I'm not comfortable here. I shouldn't have left my dorm room~

~No... I have to go to class. I can't skip anymore.~

I push on, I pass the bench where I was assaulted by Abby and her crew and an upset feeling roils through my stomach.

~Ignore it.~ I tell myself.

I finally make it to my classroom and I take a long slow breath before I enter. Half the class is already in the room, some kids are studying, and others are talking or playing on their phones. I pretend like I can't see any of then and b-line for my desk. I'm not sure if Luca is in the room, because I refuse to look in the direction of his desk.

When I'm finally at my seat, my feet slow. There is a folded piece of paper on the desk.

~a note? Is it for me? Or maybe it's just trash? how would anyone know I'm returning to class today?~

I swing my backpack off my shoulder and sit down, and that's when I see the name written on the top of the folded paper: 'Theresa'

~Shit! It is a note... and it's from...~

For the first time my eyes dart across the room and I see Luca staring at me.

He's staring at me really intensely, like maybe too intensely. It kind of reminds me of the scene in twilight when Edwards stares at Bella because he wants to drink her blood.... But anyway, that's not the reason he's staring at me... At least I hope not.

No, he's staring cause he's the dumbass that never learned my nickname and left me this note.

~I bet $5,000 dollars that this note is him asking me to come back to the club.~

Does anyone want to take me up on this bet? For real, I could use $5,000 right about now.

I take the note in my hands and frown at it. Then I look back across the room and meet Luca's eyes. I hold the note in the air, and I rip it to pieces while staring at him.

It's a message to him, to leave me the F alone.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next day I'm pleased to enter the classroom and not see Luca.

I take a breath of relief and hope that he's skipping, as I make my way to my desk.

Nearly as soon as I sit down I hear a collective gasp followed by silence fill the room. I look up from my backpack where I had been taking out my notebook. And then I nearly choke on my own spit.

Luca is sitting in the desk next to mine. There is usually a red-headed boy who sits there, but he's nowhere to be seen.

I stare at him, "What are you doing" I whisper. I try to barely move my lips, I don't want anyone to notice that I'm actually talking to him.

He looks at me and smiles. He actually SMILES at me, and a dimple shines on his cheek that I didn't notice before. I let my jaw unhinge at the strange sight. Luca sitting beside me, smiling at me....

~Am I dead?~

"Oh. My. God." I look in front of me, and Anna is standing there her eyes flicking back and forth between Luca and I, as she holds a banana in her hand. I don't know how long she stares before she finally musters, "do you guys know each other?" half of her banana falls on the ground but she doesn't even notice.

"No."

"Well."

Luca and I answer at the same time, and my head flies back to him. ~WELL? WHAT DOES 'WELL' MEAN? REMEMBER WHEN YOU TOLD ME I HAD TO PRETEND LIKE I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW YOU?!~

Luca smiles at me again and I feel like taking out a knife and just ending my own life right then.

~God! What did I do to deserve this kind of punishment?!~

"Well, not yet." Luca goes on, and he's talking weird. He's talking like he's a kind and decent human being, like he's just my friendly, neighborhood, sexy-vampire who plays ping pong. ~Seriously how does a man like this even exist?~ "But since Theresa has missed so many days of class, the professor has asked me to help her catch up." Luca finishes.

I look up at the professor who is preparing our lesson on a blackboard. He doesn't look over or acknowledge Luca's words and I have a terrible suspicion that Luca's lying.

~Great. So he's a good liar too.~

"Ohhhh! is that so?" Anna says, and smiles so brightly that it looks a little awkward. "That is so kind of you!" She steps over the banana she dropped on the ground and punches me in the shoulder as she takes a seat at her desk.

"Yeah," Luca goes on, "The professor has asked if we can stay after class and work on a few things to help you catch up." He poses the sentence like it's an idea that I could turn down if I wanted to.

I don't answer.

~Maybe ignoring him is the best approach.~

Then Anna punches me in the shoulder again. This time harder.

"Ow!" I look at her.

She jerks her head toward Luca, "Answer your blessing from the gods." She whispers.

I sigh, "Fine."