Tolerating The Playboy

"Watch it!" I yelled at a student who was busy rushing, she had accidentally bumped into me causing my head to hit my locker really hard.

She didn't bother to apologise because she didn't even notice me standing here, I couldn't bring myself to tell her to apologise being that stupid girl that I am.

I noticed a lot of students trooping and rushing to the same direction and I was wondering if a fire alarm went out signalling them to run.

"What's the fuss all about?" I asked Maya who was besides me laughing at the look on my face after the girl bumped into me.

Maya Anderson is my best friend and the only friend I have, technically to use the word best friend I should at least have three friends before considering my best friend but then I don't care she's still my best friend.

Maya Anderson is a kind of reckless girl and the opposite of me, she doesn't give a fuck about what people think about her and has always stood up for me.

She had the perfect shape and body that made her aura strong and everyone notices immediately she walks in a room, her brunette bone straight hair made other girls wish they were her not to talk of her grey eyes that made her so unique and different.

I watched how her dimples poked through her cheek as she laughed hard at me.

"Can you not!" I slapped her perfectly curved hips trying to stop her from laughing.

"Okay, okay" she cleared her throat, " I think Zach is around and everyone's all fussed about it" she said.

"Zach?" I asked trying to remember if the name sounds familiar.

"Oh shit! I don't think you know him"

"Why?" I asked, even though I joined this school last year I think I should know who he is that's if he attends this school.

"He's a famous soccer player and the best in our school, he has won so many awards and he just came back from a trip in Brazil" she said with enthusiasm in her eyes.

She seemed to understand the confused look on my face, " He doesn't really come to school that much with his busy lifestyle but due to his status he someone found a way out" she said and I circled my mouth in a "oh" way.

"Well enough of Footballer Zach, I have classes to attend" I said and shut my locker but Maya pulled me back.

"Hold on there fast and furious, isn't that your Maths teacher rushing towards his direction?" She covered her mouths as she started to laugh. Her laughter was contagious and in no time I slapped my head and found myself laughing too.

"I'll just go sit in the classroom and wait for her" I said and walked away leaving Maya behind.

I got to the classroom and it looked like a desert, not a single soul was sitting in the class.

"Hey!"

"Gah!" I screamed as I heard the voice coming from the classroom, I can swear there was no one in the class room just now but perhaps I didn't notice Jude sitting at the edge of the class.

"Didn't mean to freak you out" he apologized adjusting his round classes that looked too big for his eyes.

I had met Jude the first day I came to Sapphire's high school and Maya had warned me to stay away from him, "he can get too clingy" she would say and since then I had tried to avoid him.

Maya and I had attended elementary School together back then before she moved with her family after her parents divorce. After the divorce her mum remarried and they left the City. She was shocked to see me in her new school and I was also shocked but at the same time happy that I reconnected with my old friend, she looked way different and hotter unlike me, the opposite of her who just wants to wear some baggy tops and trousers every fucking day.

I sat on the second roll and placed my bag on the empty seat besides me, I plugged in my airpods and started to read my favourite book all along. The Fault In Our Stars.

I could feel that Jude wanted to start a conversation with me but I tried my best to not glance at him even though I could feel his burning stare.

In no time the class started to fill up after twenty minutes had past, it seemed like the principal had managed to settle the commotion going on in his school.

I tried not to listen to the little gossips coming from the girls in my class, "fuck he's so hot I wish I could have him for a night" a girl sitting behind me said and I suddenly felt the urge to vomit my guts out.

The teacher came in and I removed my airpods placing my novel on my laps. I reached for my bag and brought out my maths note and textbook, you could call me a nerd for having an enormous math textbook in my bag.

I placed the bag back on the empty seat and focused on what Ms Karen was saying.

She wrote a simultaneous equation on the board and asked if anyone would want to solve it.

I raised my hands and she pretended not to see me.

"Anyone, Anyone else" She asked but later but gave up when no one wanted to solve the question.

"Ms Issabella Brown you can solve this for us" She rolled her eyes and handed the marker to me.

I don't think I have ever wronged her and most of all I clearly don't see why she would hate on me.

I collected the marker from her and solved the question on the board, I reached to give her the marker but she didn't collect it.

"Do you mind explaining how you derived X as 3 and Y as 6" she cocked a brow giving me the most disgusting look ever.

"Alright!"

As I was about to explain my answers loud noices from different people flood my ear and that was when the classroom door opened.

Suddenly the girls in the classroom started to scream at the top of their lungs and everyone's attention was now on the kid who had entered the classroom.

I could only see his head as people had surrounded him taking several pictures with him.

"That's enough" Ms Karen commanded and the students settled back on their various seat.

I shamefully went back to my seat knowing that no one was going to pay attention to me but only to the dark haired boy that had entered the classroom.

He had a smooth face with freckles dotted below his eyes and I noticed how sharp his jawline was, his bottom lip was a lighter shade of pink while his upper lip was a darker shade. Just like Maya he had this strong aura but his was more intimidating with his height.

His hands were tucked in his ripped black pants that were placed below his waist, I could tell that those would've fallen if not for the Gucci belt that was holding it up.

He wore a white T-shirt with a smiley emoji in the center and I would hate to admit it but he had a great body and face

The boy looked round the class trying to find the perfect seat where he could place his butt on.

He started to walk towards me and I was suddenly feeling uncomfortable with it but then he passed me and stood beside the girl that was at my back.

It was easy to tell that she was already on cloud nine with the way her words came out as a whisper.

"Ye..yes daddy" she said and I felt irritated immediately. She stood up for him to seat down and ended up flinging my backpack to the front of the classroom. Great now I'll have to walk to the front of the classroom to pick a fucking backpack.

Shamefully I stood up but froze immediately I heard a gruff voice telling me to sit, it was him but why does he want me to sit, perhaps I'm obstructing his view.

"Hey love, that was rude so I'll like you to go take it and give it back to her" he said to the girl and suddenly the whole class bursted in laughter and for the first time someone who wasn't Maya stood up for me.

She scoffed and shamefully took my backpack and threw it at me, I grabbed the bag before it would hit me on the head I wouldn't want another headache today.

"Okay, that's enough let's do maths" Ms Karen said and the whole class was silent.

"Today we'll be treating Matrix" she said and Zach stood up with his backpack and left the classroom leaving Ms Karen in awe but there was nothing she could do.

There was a slight pained emotion on her face but I was sure she was just humiliated with the way he walked out of the class without saying anything.

I looked around the classroom and saw that she wasn't the only one with that emotion on their faces, the whole class was sad that he left. What the actual fudge!

Maths class ended shortly after, we only got to treat two questions on Matrix because the whole fucking time had been wasted on the famous kid.

It was time for our lunch break so I walked straight to the cafeteria and met Maya engrossed with whatever she was doing on her phone.

She didn't seem to notice me walking towards her so I snatched her phone and I could swear that I would have received a straight up slap on my face if I was someone else.

"Hey! Give that back dummy!" She protested and dragged her phone from my hands. I chuckled as I settled my butt on the cold aluminum bench.

"What are you eating?" She asked as she tucked her phone into her pocket.

"Well I gave Joe my lunch money to buy a textbook he needed-" she cut me off of my sentence by raising a finger up.

"I asked of what you were going to eat didn't I?" She said and I couldn't stop myself from giving her a tight hug.

Sometimes when I totally go broke Maya would pay for my lunch or take me out for shopping, she had a rich stepdad who she really liked and he also showed her affection by showering her with gifts and money.

On the other hand, my mum had left me and my family when we were much younger and my Dad hasn't gotten over the trauma yet so it lead him to being an alcoholic who struggles to even feed for himself talk more of Joe and I.

I'm just eighteen but I have taken upon myself the role of a mother taking care of the house hold all by myself.

"I don't really like any of the cafeteria food, they taste like my mother's food..yuck!" Maya complained as she scrunched her nose and I couldn't help but laugh.

Maya wasn't wrong at all, anytime I would visit her family I would give Grace excuses on why I couldn't eat her food.

She brought out her phone and ordered pizzas and two bottles of coke even though it was against the school rules to order food but she somewhat found a way to do it.

Shortly after the food was delivered and my tummy made an awful noise, I hadn't eaten anything but a slice of bread and coffee today.

Girls started rushing into the cafeteria and I wondered what they were up to not until I saw Zach coming in too.

He passed my table and Maya didn't even glance at him but continued to bite on her pizza till he walked to an empty seat and made himself comfortable, shortly after some other guys joined him and circled the table.

Now I get why no one dared to sit on that table since I've been in this school.

I suddenly remembered my encounter with Zach and decided to tell Maya about how he had helped me.

"Uhm..you know the footballer.. Zach?"

"Yeah?" She replied telling me to continue.

"We had math class today and well-"

"Don't tell me he ridiculed you" she said getting ready to go over and fight him.

"No no just shush!" I said calming her down when I noticed some eyes were already on us.

"He helped me today" I said and narrated how a girl tried to bully me but he helped me.

"Aww that's sweet" she said while jolting me with her elbow.

"Should I thank him?" I asked.

On a normal day I wouldn't even care or dare to speak to one of these famous guys but I felt like I needed to thank him.

"If you want to" she replied. I finished the slice of pizza I had with me and gulped it down with the coke.

I took deep breaths and made my way to the forbidden table.

They didn't seem to notice my presence as they kept on chatting about a topic they were all interested in, well Zach didn't seem to be interested.

I was feeling nervous standing here and I could already feel different eyes on me damn it!

"Uhm hey!" I said but my voice came out cracked.

They all seemed to stop their discussion immediately they noticed me and I started to wonder if I had made the wrong choice of coming here.

"Who are you?" One of the boys asked and the rest bursted In laughter staring at me from my head to toe. I knew I hadn't dressed well and my hair was messy, my face was plain and without makeup and I was wearing one of the most stupid necklace on a shirt.

I felt so embarrassed to the point that my mouth turned heavy and I couldn't utter any more words.

"She's probably an attention seeker" a girl walked over to the table and stood close to Zach placing her hands on his shoulder.

Aurora Brooks the infamous cheerleader, also every girl's nightmare.

She had that tall slender body with literally no curves but then with a pretty face that she uses to oppress everyone. Everyone had talked about how her face was plastic but she didn't seem to mind flaunting it.

If there was one person I was trying to avoid till I graduate it was Aurora Brooks. Silly of me to think today would be a good day and thanking him would be the polite thing to do.

"Oh I love that necklace, where did you get it from, the trash?" She said touching the necklace like it was shit.

Everyone suddenly burst into laughter and I had never been more humiliated.

I looked at Zach's face but he didn't seem to be interested in whatever I had to say as a smirk appeared on his face after Aurora embarrassed me.

"Never mind" I said and left the cafeteria immediately tears started to run down my cheeks. Maya wasn't in the cafeteria at the moment everything happened, she left earlier when I was going to meet Zach. If she had been in the cafeteria she would have helped me.

I ran to the ladies bathroom and cried my eyes out, I checked my reflection in the mirror and suddenly I don't blame them for mocking me.

I am literally thrash, a 5'5ft ugly low budget Shrek that only finds baggy wears comfortable.

I stared at the reflection of the necklace on my neck, my grandma had gave it to me on the day she was dying and I vowed to keep it and pass it on to my daughter. It wasn't expensive but it was price less to me.

"What the hell happened to you, I was gone for just 5 minutes" Maya yelled immediately she opened the bathroom door and saw me crying.

"Nothing much, nevermind" I lied but she noticed immediately and stormed out of the bathroom.

I knew what she was up to but then it wasn't Zach that humiliated me so I ran to catch up with her.

"It wasn't Zach, let's just forget it" I plead and she gave me a glaring look before she dragged my hands away to our next class. We had English together.

******

It was time to leave school but I would be going to the mall for my after school job instead. I was lucky to have found a good paying job that permits me to attend work only 3 times in a week and today was my day on.

"Let's go watch a movie to cheer you up" Maya said as we walked out of the building.

"It's Thursday Maya, Im going to work" I replied with lack of energy feeling drained from what had happened earlier.

"Oh! alright then, I'll drop you off" she said and we got into her expensive Rolls Royles car. Zach and his crew came out of the building immediately we drove away from the parking lot and I could still see Aurora clinging onto him like a tattoo or rather a scar.

The drive from Sapphire high school wasn't far to the mall and we got there in less than twenty minutes.

"I love you Maya" I said as I got down from her car.

"I love you too Issabella, see you tomorrow morning" she said and zoomed off after giving throwing me a wind kiss.

I work in a boutique that was mainly the most attractive jewelry store in the mall, different celebrities and rich kids would come here shopping for expensive jewelry and i had found out of the job vacancy when I had followed Maya for shopping. She ended up buying a lot because she couldn't choose.

Work was less busy today as we had lesser and fewer customers but I was secretly glad because I would have the time to do my homework from school.

I was engrossed and focussed on my math assignment that I didn't notice when a boy walked in. His face was familiar and I was sure I knew him from a place, my suspicions were confirmed when I saw the School's football bracelet on his hand.

I should have known he was one of the footballers with his great appearance and perfectly styled hair that was gelled on his hair, his sharp jaw made him look intimidating and his piercings fitted him perfectly.

"Welcome to J&K, how may I help you?" I said and he smiled at me. He seemed to have recognized me from what happened earlier today and I suddenly felt embarrassed.

He didn't say anymore words as he picked a pair of silver earrings that was by the side of the store and paid for the price that was tagged on it.

"The boys could get silly sometimes, sorry for what happened earlier today" he said and walked out of the store. Did a member of the Green lands just say sorry?

It was time to close from work so I had left immediately it was 6pm, I was really getting hungry already.

My house was a little bit far from the mall, I had to pass the school route but then with no money on me walking is the only option I have.

After an hour of walking on the streets and admiring the stars I finally got home.

" Isabella!!" Joe ran to hug me immediately I opened the door. I gave him a kiss on his forehead and ruffled his hair with my hands which made him chuckle.

"How was school?" I asked him and the brightest beam of smile appeared on his face.

"I met a beautiful girl in the library when I was buying the book" he said and chuckled showing off his tooth that had fallen out and I couldn't help but smile.

Joe was just 8 years old and thus a really adorable cute kid, ever since my mother had left I had been taking care of him like he was my own son.

I loved it when he would come to my room and lay on my bed whenever he was finding it hard to sleep, I would read him a sweet story and he would sleep off snuggling closer to my body.

"What's her name?" I asked teasing him further.

"Lily" he answered shyly and covered his face with his palm and I just couldn't help but laugh really hard.

"I'll go make food, do your assignments and I'll be back" I said before walking into the kitchen.

I scanned through the kitchen for what we could eat but I couldn't even find a grain of rice.

I had left some food in the fridge earlier but it seemed like my Father had ate them, what the hell!

I was getting angry and pissed but there was nothing I could do, I didn't realize when tears started to rush down my face.

I was so hungry yet there was no food to eat, forget about me what about Joe he must've really been hungry.

"Issabella what happened?" A tiny voice interrupted me from my thoughts, I immediately wiped the tears off my face and flashed him a "don't worry" smile but he didn't seem convinced that all was well.

I took him back to the living room and made him watch his favourite cartoon while I search for money in my room.

It was really hard to find a dollar because I've done this a lot of times and sometimes I was lucky to find money while other times I wasn't. I just hope I find some today.

I finally found up to 10$ and ordered for pizza immediately.

The pizza delivery guy soon came and I gave him the money, he was probably surprised with the amount of coins I gave him but he left anyways.

Joe had fallen asleep from the TV so I had to wake him up to eat.

After we've finished eating he went to his room to sleep and I remained in the living room waiting for my Father.

He didn't show up in 3 hours and it was 11pm already, I was so tired and stressed so I just left for my room to sleep, he probably slept off in the bar or at his drinking buddy's house. This wasn't the first time it was happening.

********

My rays if the sunlight woke me up and it took my brain a little more time to process the fact that I was late.

"Shit! I missed my alarm" I immediately jumped off the bed and ran outside to meet Joe fully prepared for school, it was cute. He wore a bow tie and a pair of khaki pants and a blue shirt. He had probably dressed up for his girl.

"Morning Miss, what do you think of this?" He asked gesturing at his outfit and I just couldn't help but smile. I love him.

Maya came to my house shortly and gave me a spank on my butt because I would make us late for school.

I hurriedly took my bath and wore one of the clothes I would regularly wear.

I came out to the living room and Maya shook her head again, "you really need to pay more attention to fashion" she said and I shrugged.

Joe and I entered the car and she started the drive to our school, Joe's school was before mine so he came down from the car.

"There's a party tonight and you're coming" Maya said and I gave her a sarcastic look.

"I mean it Isabella you're coming with me"

"What about Joe?" I asked

"He'll stay with my mum, she loves him" she replied almost immediately.

She knew today was my off day at work so I had no other excuses to give than to accept my fate and follow her to the party.

"Sigh okay" I said and she let out a loud squeal raising her both hands up.

"Christ watch it!" I yelled but it was too late, we had accidentally kicked down a trash can.

"Oops" she said and repositioned her car and drove off.

"You'll love the party" she said and I silently prayed the party should be cancelled.

We got to school and we were pretty late for our first class but not like we needed much of it. Our final exams will be coming soon and then I'll be out of high school.

We both ran immediately we got inside the school before we split, she went for her Spanish class and I went for my Biology class.

I opened the door to the classroom and found everyone seated.

"Do you care to explain why you're late?" Ms. Brandy said and I shook my head without uttering any word.

"Just have your seat" she finally said and i couldn't find any seat other than the empty two seats at the extreme of the classroom.

I went to my seat and settled my butt down on the chair, while trying to bring my books out of my bag my face ran through the small mirror in my bag and I realized my hair was a big mess.

I ran my hands through my hair but it just wouldn't straighten up. Well that's what you get for having a curly afro hair.

I packed my hair into a messy bun when I realized the teacher was staring at me battling with my hair.

The door flung opened and Zach entered the classroom. Dang it!

His face looked like he had just hit on some chick in the Janitor's closet and his belt wasn't tucked in well. Suddenly the whole class attention fell on me as they looked at me and Zach simultaneously.

"Oh!" I mouthed when I realised what they must be thinking of. Hell no! I didn't make out with him.

He walked to the back of the classroom where I was sitted and sat on the empty seat beside me and some of the girls in the classroom started to whisper and chuckle while some stared at me with disgust filled in their eyes.

Well it's my fault for not dressing properly to school.

The class ended an hour and some minutes and I left the classroom for my next class which was Geography. I silently prayed and wished that he wouldn't be in my next class and thank heavens he wasn't in my next class till Lunchtime.

I came out of the classroom and felt a hand dragging me, it was Maya.

"Have you read the school blog today?" She asked and I shook my head, I never read any of Kiki's blogs.

"What's up with Kiki this time?" I asked and she shoved her iPhone XR on my face.

"Read it" she commanded and I started to scroll through the blog.

"Oh no!" I said and slapped my forehead.

"Did you fucking make out with Zach?" She asked and my face suddenly became irritated.

"Eww no, I was with you before going to the classroom" I protested while running my temples. "Now the whole school thinks I'm a slut" I whined and she brought my face to look at hers.

"It doesn't matter what they think" she said and immediately drifted the topic to another one but there was no way I would be in peace in the cafeteria as different people that passed made sure to look at me before passing and one even took a picture.

"I'm going to my next class" I said and stood up to leave immediately.

How dare them think I made out with Zach when I haven't even had my first kiss yet.

The rest of school was disturbing and I was glad it was finally over, I dragged Maya by her hand and lead her outside the school compound so she would drive us to her house then I would probably wipe my memory of what happened today at the party.