DRAMA NOVEL ONLINE HUGE 3D: Chapter 16
I never thought I’d be thankful for exams, but with everyone more worried about their grades than my sex life, it wasn’t as difficult as I thought it would be to breeze past people relatively unnoticed. At least on the way out of class, anyway.
After the professor lets us out, Falon gives me a quick squeeze before heading off to her next class, leaving me on my own again. This time I know it’s not my imagination, everyone really is staring at me as I walk past.
No matter what anyone says, I try to keep my chin held high as I leave. With my stomach growling, though, my resolve kind of starts to crumble. In my haste to get out of the house as early as possible this morning, I had completely forgotten to grab anything to eat and now I’m paying for it. Even though I hate the idea of walking into the cafeteria, I really don’t have much of a choice.
The whispering seems to gets louder and louder, as I make my way across the entryway to the cafeteria. It feels like all eyes are on me when I do go in, and my steps seem to take an eternity to get anywhere. Fumbling for my wallet from my purse, I take out some cash, trying not to meet anyone’s gaze. I’m almost pleading in my mind. Please keep all unnecessary comments to yourself folks, nothing to see here.
I grab a soda from the bin and a muffin, my face nearly on fire by the time I make it to the end of the line. Waiting for the cashier to finish with the girl in front of me, my focus drifts off until I’m wondering whether I did the last equation right on my exam. Even with my study guide to help, I’m not one hundred percent sure.
“Can I get in on some of that train action?” someone shouts from one of the nearby tables.
Even though it takes me a moment to realize what exactly the asshole meant, something tells me not to look up. I do it anyway and see the table of football players—practically all of them staring me down with wicked grins on their faces. One of them, Connor, is hunched over the table with the biggest grin of them all. “Or is it a family-only kind of deal?”
I’m paralyzed. It’s like the air has been sucked out of the cafeteria and all that’s left is the sound of my shocked silence. Is he really expecting me to reply to that? Fucking asshole. He’s got a mouth bigger than his ego.
My heart races in my chest, begging me to get the hell out of here.
The whispers and giggles start back up again. They’re not that loud but it feels like an overwhelming crescendo. All I want is for the floor to swallow me up. Someone tugs on my arm, whispers something to the cashier, and I’m being pulled out of the line and past the cafeteria that fills back up with the usual sounds and chatter as I turn my back on it.
I don’t even realize what’s happening until whoever’s pulling me stops. I finally look and see the girl who was standing in front of me in line considering me with a worried look on her face. She doesn’t look familiar, but the way she’s looking at me pulls me out of my thoughts.
I clear my throat, even though it feels like sandpaper still. “I’m sorry, I just—”
But the girl holds up her hand. “Don’t be stupid. There’s no reason for you to apologize. You didn’t do anything wrong, it was that douchebag, Connor, and his team of idiots.”
“Right,” I say vaguely. The Mason triplets are part of that team too.
“I’m Hannah, by the way. You’re Milly, right?”
I’d be surprised if anyone in the school didn’t know who I was at this point. “Yeah.”
Throwing her purse back over her shoulder, Hannah nods. “That’s what I thought. Listen, I know you don’t know me, but believe it or not, I know how you probably feel right now.”
“Somehow I doubt that,” I say.
“I’ve been in a similar situation—where shitty rumors were spread about me in school, leaving my reputation in the dumpster outside. I get it, okay? It cuts deep, it makes you feel like less than everyone else out there,” she says, pointing toward the cafeteria entrance. “But it will pass. You might feel bad right now. And yes, I know that’s putting it lightly but all you can do is hold your head up and walk past all that.”
I swallow hard, not wanting to ugly cry in front of this girl who is effectively a stranger. A very kind stranger. “I don’t think it’s that easy.”
She places a hand on my shoulder, turning me to her. “It really is, though. Life is way too short to care about the opinions of a load of people you don’t even care about. People you’ll outgrow in a year. These rumors I had to deal with could have totally ruined my life if I let them. And not only mine…But that’s the thing. I didn’t let them.”
Biting my lip, I glance at our shadows on the ground, wondering what kind of things she must have gone through. It must have been pretty bad if she’s coming up to me and trying to help me out. It’s not every day someone cares enough to do something like that. My chest tightens, and I can’t help but feel seriously grateful for her words. Even still, this goes past just the school finding out about me and the guys. “I know what you’re saying, Hannah. I know I shouldn’t care about what anyone thinks of me, but this is big. The thing everyone’s talking about makes me some kind of freak, and I don’t think I can handle knowing that the first thing everyone equates with me is that.” I don’t want to assume she knows the details of the rumor although maybe she does.
Hannah’s voice softens. “It doesn’t make you a freak. You wouldn’t be the first polyamorous person, you know. I actually know of a polyamorous trio on campus. Carrie, Ethan, and Nathan.”
I raise an eyebrow at her. Why do those names sound familiar? “Nathan and Ethan Stanmore, right? … They’re…”
“Twin brothers? Yep. And Carrie’s their step-sister, too. Sound familiar, maybe? Here’s the kicker, they’re still together. And now no one seems to bat an eye in their direction. Well, I mean, maybe just to stare at the twins, but they’re gorgeous so that’s kinda understandable.”
When my mouth pops open, Hannah laughs. “Have I been living under a rock?”
Hannah just shrugs her shoulders. “Nah…well it was hot news for about ten minutes, then, when they didn’t seem bothered about people knowing, everyone moved onto the next poor soul. You know what it’s like. Any news will do around here, especially if it involves sex or the football team. Or both, in your case. I really wouldn’t worry about it though, Milly. Live your life, and fuck everyone else. You need to find what makes you happy. That bit, honey, is completely up to you.”
It’s a simple enough statement, but for some reason, coming from Hannah who seems to ooze a smart and independent kind of confidence, it clicks in my head. “Thanks, Hannah,” I say. “For rescuing me and for the pep talk. I can’t tell you how grateful I am.”
With a quick grin, Hannah leans in and pulls me into a hug. I’m not a very huggy type of person and especially not with people I don’t really know, but Hannah’s so lovely that it means a lot.
“It’s no problem. I better get to my next class though, I have to hurry up and run home after to pick up…uh, to get something,” she says, her eyes darting away for a moment.
“Okay, it was really nice talking to you,” I say, pulling away.
Hannah gives me a quick wave, and then I’m left standing outside alone.
That is until I spot the 3D brothers, and they’re heading this way.