Tasting The Forbidden

8. Bland?

Melissa's pov:

Meeting Billy at the canteen for lunch was the only thing that kept me sane through the morning classes. Stares followed me wherever I went. And though it wasn’t something new – I usually didn’t bother with them – today felt different.

Today, I felt like people were mocking me – more than usual that was – and I didn’t even know why.

I couldn’t help but open the school forum, as I waited for Billy at our usual table. My mortification knew no bounds when I saw the students discussing my looks openly.

Melissa is bland at best, one said, using the anonymous option.

I understand why Jake would go for someone more… spicy, another went on openly.

Sluttier, you mean? Olivia, one of the pack’s omegas, came to my defense.

Going up, I saw what had started this awful discussion. There, in the forum, was a picture of Jake kissing Sandra against the lockers, with the headline: Spotted: Sandra snags yet another heartthrob.

I wasn’t sure how this made me feel. I wished I could pretend I was unaffected, but the truth was I suddenly felt like I was suffocating… so much I had to tug on my blouse, as if it were strangling me.

What was wrong with these people? How could they be so damn judging of someone they barely knew?

“Hey, princess,” Billy greeted me as he sat across from me.

“Hey,” was all I managed to say, even as tears sprang up to my eyes.

“What’s wrong?” He asked at once, worry etched on his face.

I handed him my phone, and before long, he was furious. He didn’t hesitate to grab his own phone, and began typing angrily.

Soon a new comment made its way to the forum – Billy’s. It said: Considering how many guys she got under, Sandra is no prize.

I couldn’t help but feel lighter at once, a watery smile making its way to my lips.

“Thank you,” I mouthed, feeling like I might cry if I were to actually speak out loud.

“Eat, princess,” he told me softly. “Your spaghetti will go cold.”

“Right,” I nodded, my tears threatening to spill over.

I sometimes believed I didn’t deserve Billy. Sure, we had known each other since we were in diapers, and had been tight for just as long… And yet, I couldn’t help but feel undeserving of his unwavering support at times.

“You better not be crying over the cheater,” he whisper-yelled, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly.

“I’m not,” I shook my head negatively, and quickly grabbed the clean napkin and dabbed at my eyes. “I just got something in my eyes.”

“My bad,” he let out softly, a small smile of pure understanding stretching his face.

I already cried over Jake yesterday. There was no way in hell I was going to let him affect me more than that.

“I’m okay, really,” I deadpanned after a beat, and dug in at long last.

Seeing that, Billy smiled and began to eat his pizza.

“You should really take it easy on the pizza,” I began to tease him after a beat. “I mean… if you end up losing those abs of yours, you better not come crying to me.”

“Pizza is life, princess,” he drawled before biting into his 3rd slice.

To that, I couldn’t help the giggle that escaped my lips. Times were good, no matter what the school population might think of me. Besides, our friendship was all that mattered to me at that moment. If I were to lose Billy too, I wasn’t sure I would know how to face the heartache.

Jake approached our table, his steps big and confident. And just as he stopped next to us, he said, “Can we talk, Lissa?”

“I’d rather not,” I retorted acidly, as I felt the bile rising in my throat.

I had barely eaten, and there went my appetite!

“It was just one kiss,” he told me, his hands dropping into his hoodie.

The nerve of this guy! I growled inwardly. How dare he? Was he trying to gaslight me or downplay what he did?

“And that’s already one too many,” I nodded gravely, a derisive smirk stretching my lips.

It took everything within me to keep my cool, and I thankfully didn’t start screaming – or worse, crying.

He looked at me, while Billy glared at him openly, “We’re eating here, and you’re disrupting our peace.”

“I wasn’t talking to you, Pierce,” Jake retorted, rolling his eyes.

“You took the words right out of my mouth, Billy,” I turned to my best friend with a smile.

“Lissa,” Jake’s tone of voice was pleading at best, but I didn’t care about anything he might say.

“Get lost already,” I waved him off, using my most blasé tone of voice, showing him that I no longer cared – though truth be told I was burning to teach him a lesson.

He humphed, and then growled abruptly, “You’re not all that, you know?”

“Is that why you were begging for a word?” I raised an eyebrow at him in response.

“You’re a prude, and a virgin at that,” he spat out, the anger radiating off him making me see red in turn. “You never even allowed me to kiss you. How do you think that made me feel? I have needs!”

I saw red. And heavens, I wanted to paint the canteen red with his blood. I inhaled deeply, trying to keep myself composed. Billy rose to his feet in his ire, seemingly ready to throw a punch or two. Before I could even utter a word, a hand came to rest on Jake’s shoulder, and I followed it to the face that starred in my wet dream.

“Is there a problem here?” Mr Blackwood let out.

His voice, deep and yet chilly, made me swallow my dread. It also somehow had the knack to make me calm down. How he managed that, I wasn’t sure.

Jake shot him a look, and then heaved a sigh, “No, Mr Blackwood.”

“Then, you’d do well to get going, eh?” He retorted matter-of-factly.

Before long, I watched, a satisfied grin on my face, as Jake turned on his heel and left.

“You better eat well,” Mr Blackwood then advised us. “Today’s training will be nothing like yesterday’s warm-up.”

“Yes, Mr Blackwood,” Billy smiled readily.

The man’s gray eyes settled on me, lingering for a moment there.

I wondered what he saw in me. A broken she-wolf unable to shift, or a teen too proud to give in to peer pressure, refusing to give her first time to just about anyone… I wasn’t sure, and I wasn’t about to ask him either. I just hoped he hadn’t paid attention to Jake’s words.

I was promptly disillusioned.

“Don’t let his words get to you, Parkers,” Mr Blackwood said solemnly, and then he was onto his nonchalant way out of the canteen.