Our MC is just starting out in life, but thus far, is unimpressed. He's still in high school and having trouble finding himself in a world where everyone around him feels like they have it all together. In the past few weeks, he's joined a motorcycle club, gotten his first tattoo, crushed on a few different girls, and gotten into two fights. Things will heat up bit by bit along the way. All characters mentioned are over the age of eighteen, because, reasons, and as always this is a work of fiction.
Monday, following the fair, I was noticing strange behavior in my fellow students. Usually, I was invisible in the halls as, except for my friends, no one paid me any attention. Today however, people were smiling at me, girls were flirty, dudes said hey or fist bumped me. It was bizarre. I asked Heather Sinclaire what was going on and she informed me of something called 'the rumor mill.' It was a social media page that the girls in my school had started, and apparently, I was headline news.
She laughed and said, "there's even a poll on here where people are voting."
I looked at her phone and saw the question, 'Riley Stephens. What's his deal?'
The voting options started with gay, bi, or straight, but over time people wrote in their own answers as well. Some of the options were funny, some not, and a couple were insulting. 'Badass Biker Dude' made me smile, but 'Sucker Punching Fag' made me laugh outright. Two guesses who that one was. My favorite by far was 'Welcome in my bed any time.' Three people had upvoted it, but it was all anonymous, so I didn't know who.
I handed Heather her phone and asked, "So what was your vote?
She held her phone out in response and I read, 'Secretly in a love triangle with Nina Dobrev and Barney the big purple dinosaur.' I rolled my eyes at her, not sure how I had missed that one.
Before class started, I pulled up the page and wrote in a vote for 'Wouldn't you like to know.' Then I spent a few minutes going through some of the previous threads, two or three were about my fight with Brett at the fair. Then a bunch of other stuff. Just before I put the phone away I caught one that intrigued me. It was a list of girls' names, some with a line through them. The part that caught my eye was somewhere in the middle with the identifier, '*Update'. Bianca's name was struck through like some of the others. It looked like Heather Sinclaire had been struck thorough a while back and I was kind of surprised to see Matt's sister's name on the list. I guess it wasn't just a current student list. Kelsey's name was uncrossed though, so I wasn't sure what to make of it.
Matt filled me in later. "That's Brett's conquest list." He told me, shrugging.
I stared at him, processing the implications before telling him something I thought he may not have realized. "Kelsey's name is on it."
Matt just laughed. "Yeah, but it's not crossed out is it? Harvey's mom is on the list too. So I think I'm good. Let the dude dream."
I shook my head. "He really is a pig Matt. I don't think it's going to work out with all of us as friends."
"Maybe, maybe not. We're in high school Riley. Don't let it get to you."
I shrugged my shoulders and went back to the tray of food in front of me before adding, "there's quite a few names crossed off. Think he's full of it?"
"I don't know man. I can verify a few of them. I don't think anyone is doing an audit, but I think it's for real."
As lunch was ending, I got a text from the MC prospects group chat. Only senior members were allowed to initiate on there, so I checked it right away. 'ALL prospects meeting right now. Get your asses over here.'
Knowing I was in a tight spot, I quickly replied 'School?'
I got three responses almost simultaneously. One from Trash, who had initiated the message thread, that said 'NOW KID!' Another from I number I didn't have saved that said 'fucking lol'. The last from Rhett that said, 'ASAP. Don't ditch.'
Well Rhett was the president, so I went with what he said, figuring I could head there right after school.
I wasn't planning on other possibilities though. As I turned a corner, still looking at my phone, I felt someone's hands touch my shoulder briefly, before finding myself hurtling towards the lockers on my right. I looked up just in time to see Brett, red faced in anger, winding back a punch that rocked my world. Following that, he hit me three more times, making my head bounce off the lockers behind me.
I fell to the floor and stared up at him, my legs splayed out in front of me and my hands on the floor barely balancing me and keeping me upright. I don't think I was even angry, just confused really. I could feel blood dripping from my nose, probably coating my white t-shirt.
There was no one else around, which I hadn't realized was a problem until Brett whipped out his phone and took a picture of me before walking off in a hurry. He hadn't said a word.
I was still sitting there a minute or two later when Michelle bounded down the hallway, hall pass in hand. She ran right up to me and started checking me over before going over and throwing open the nearest classroom door. The next thing I knew, the school nurse Mary was checking me over in her office. I was out of it, but coherent and probably not concussed. Michelle had stayed long enough to tell me that Brett had posted the message on the rumor mill which is why she'd asked for a hall pass. Great. Now everyone is gonna know.
The nurse gave me a clean bill of health and offered me a shirt from the lost and found. I looked at my own and saw some blood, but nothing crazy. I thanked her and declined. She asked me again if I knew who had done it and I replied in the same way I had the first three times. "I do. But it's not a school issue. We'll handle it."
She made a face at me. "Fine! But if this keeps happening the school is going to have to bring back the security guards. You should probably be more careful."
I smiled. "You were a student here back then weren't you?"
