Free Wanna Bet? by R. S. Burnett

every night together since you stayed in his room
last week. It was going to happen sooner or later. You need to stop
spending so much time with him. I won’t watch you get hurt like all
the others”
    “ I don’t have
feelings for him, I care about him as a friend that’s
all Soph” I promise her flicking my gaze to Tucker.
    “ I don’t care,
he means too much to you already. He will let you down, everyone is
already surprised your friendship has lasted this long and they think it’s only because you are
sleeping with him regularly. He’s going to let you down and you’ll
be broken, I won’t be able to fix that. I don’t want him staying in
our room any more”
    I frown at
her “In case you haven’t notice Soph I’m already broken. I’m not
asking you to fix me, I can fix myself”
    “ That’s what
you call it? You spend every night with Tucker yet every weekend
you’re with a different guy”
    “ Excuse me?” I
say a bit too loud for our hushed conversation.
    “ All I’m
saying is people are starting to think you’re a whore Brooke” she
says still only loud enough for me to hear, ignoring the fact that
guys have stopped talking to watch us.
    “ And you?” I
ask not believing that she could think such a thing about me
knowing that nothing ever happens between Tucker and I or any other
person the most I do is flirt a little. She shrugs in answer to my
question. I stare at her opened mouthed for a second.
    “ Is everything
okay?” Matt asks from beside us.
    “ Everything’s
fine” I say standing up not looking away from Sophie’s accusing
eyes “Looks like I have a reputation to live up to” I walk away
from the table before the tears have a chance to fall. I walk a bit
faster when I hear Tucker call after me.
    I skip the
rest of my classes that day and head to my mums. I know I’m not
welcome there and will probably have to pay in some way for turning
up uninvited. I don’t care, maybe I should be punished.
     
    Checking
through my phone when I’m sat in my car outside the dorm, I skip
the messages from Sophie and Tucker but read the message from Katie
inviting me to party in her apartment. Starting my car again I head
over there while quickly tapping out a message to let her know I’m
on my way over.
     
    Luke lets me
in and I watch as he takes in my appearance. From my knee high
black boots, skinny jeans, grey tee with ‘FUCK IT’ printed across
my chest, the brown leather jacket to the bright red cut on my lip
then finally my hair pulled up into a messy high ponytail. “Shots”
he says simply grabbing my hand and leading me into the packed
kitchen.
    “ You know this
bad girl look you’re sporting tonight is sexy as hell right?” I
turn at look at guy stood staring down at me.
    “ Brooke” I
smile up at him, the alcohol has definitely taken effect now and my
teeth have gone numb, I just hope I’m not at the slurring
stage.
    “ Harry, Are
you a friend of Kate’s?”
    “ Luke’s” I
shake my head at him, he’s very good looking in a good boy way.
He’s wearing black converse and jeans, a dark blue button down
shirt with a black tee underneath, his eyes are a mixture of green
and blue and his short hair is black, styled into spikes. He grins
when he notices me giving him the once over.
    “ Not so bad
yourself” I smirk and shrug at him not embarrassed to be caught
looking at him.
    “ So how’d you
get the cut on your lip?” he asks leaning his hip on the counter
next to us.
    “ Very long,
very boring story” I tell him touching my lip and sighing when it
doesn’t sting.
    “ I have a
feeling nothing about you is boring” he smirks at me.
    “ Well
excitement does seem to follow me around” I note when I catch sight
of Sophie, Matt and Tucker walking through the front
door.
    “ Friends of
yours?” he asks turning to follow my gaze.
    “ Yeah” I shrug
and pick up a bottle of beer.
    “ Available?”
he asks changing the subject.
    “ Yeah,
you?”
    He nods