See Me After Class(15)

“These carpets don’t leave vacuum lines,” Romeo says, his eyes following the swing of Stella’s legs.

“It’s . . . uh . . . the thought that counts?” I shrug, arms out.

Turning to Romeo, Gunner says, “You have to give her credit for sticking to her lie.”

“Unlike her friend over there who bailed quickly.”

Casual, Stella says, “Rather not make a fool of myself.”

“Thanks a lot, Stella,” I sarcastically say.

“What’s the use at this point? They already caught us, and now they’re going to go run to their overlord and tell him that we’re messing with his room. There’s no use.” She leans back on the table and sticks her breasts in the air.

What the hell is she doing over there?

“You really think we’re going to run to Arlo?” Romeo says, walking over to one of the desks and taking a seat.

Stella gives him a smooth once-over, taking her time by starting at his Adidas sneakers and working her way up his black athletic pants to his tight-fitting dri-fit shirt, and then lands on his handsome, carved face. “Yes . . . I do.”

“Then you don’t know us at all,” Romeo counters.

“You’re right, we don’t know you.” Stella directs her attention to Gunner and asks, “So, are you going to tell him?”

Walking farther into the room, Gunner says, “Depends. What are you two doing?”

“Vacuuming—”

“Messing with him because he was rude to Greer on her first day, and he needs to learn to loosen up,” Stella says. Where’s the girl’s loyalty?

“The music, stomping, and clapping,” Gunner says with a slow nod. “We heard all about it.”

“Seriously?” I ask. “He was complaining about it? God, he needs to get a life.”

“He does,” Romeo says with a smirk.

“So you’re fucking with his pristine classroom?” Gunner says, taking in the desks. “Well done, ladies.”

I perk up. “Well, thank you.”

“Subtle, just annoying enough to drive him crazy.”

“That’s what we were going for,” I say with pride, fixing the last two desks. “So, you’re not going to tell him?”

“Oh no.” Gunner shakes his head. “We’re going to tell him.”

“What?” I ask, as Stella scoffs and mutters something unintelligible under her breath. “What do you mean you’re going to tell him? I thought we were establishing some kind of rapport here.”

“You have to give us a reason not to tell him,” Romeo says with a smirk.

“Oh Christ,” Stella mumbles, pushing her hand through her hair. “You want us to play in that ridiculous teacher league, don’t you?”

“What teacher league?” I ask, looking between the two of them.

“We can’t have Esther Maximillian and her elderly cohort playing with us anymore—they can barely walk without a cane, let alone participate in the league.”

“I told you after what happened last year, never again.”

“What happened last year? What the hell are you talking about?”

Stepping in, Gunner says, “The teacher league is a once-a-year competition chosen by the winning school from the previous year. Right before winter break, we engage in an all-out ravenous brawl for the title of best faculty in the area. Depending on what the winning team picks, the sport could range from bowling, to basketball, to badminton . . . to a hot dog eating contest.” I wince. Ugh, not for me. “We convene for one sweaty weekend of competition, and the winner takes the pot of cash for their school.”

“How much?”

“Ten thousand dollars.”

“Seriously?” I ask.

“Don’t fall for whatever steam they’re about to blow up your ass about helping out the kids and the school,” Stella says, clearly bitter. “Keeks and I competed last year, and, come to find out, these two idiots weren’t trying to win the money, but trying to beat their rival over at Marjorie Edith High. We were playing volleyball and, somehow, Romeo tripped while trying to hit the ball and used my shorts to try to break his fall, flashing my thong-clad ass to the entire teacher league.”

“I said I was sorry,” Romeo grumbles. “And I told you, you had a really nice ass. Everyone enjoyed the sight, me included.”

“And I told you to go drown in your own bodily fluids.” Stella pushes her hair behind her ears. “Keeks was positively horrified when she saw my bare ass. You short-circuited her.”

A snort pops out of me before I can stop it, drawing attention in my direction. I quickly wipe under my nose and ask, “So, what are you trying to say? If we join this league, you won’t tell Arlo?”

“Exactly,” Romeo says.

“I mean . . . I guess—”

“No way,” Stella says, standing up and coming to my side. “The league is a long commitment dealing with two narcissistic assholes who think they’re God’s gift to sports.”

“Because we are,” Romeo says with a smirk.

“Whoop-de-do, you knew how to throw a ball around a field. The glory days are over, move on.” Boy, is Stella spicy right now. There has to be more to this story about Romeo and her that I’m unaware of. “If we agree to do the league, then we have some terms.”