Teaching My Bookworm Stepsister

Kapri's P.O.V.

I stormed out of the library, and rushed right to the girls' locker room. It was the only place I could think of that would give me a moment of privacy. As soon as I made it to the farthest stall, I fell to the ground, and let it all out.

I finally came clean to Maverick. Moments before he had planned to break things off between us. He knew that I had feelings for him. He knew that I was in love with him.

Fu.ck. I'm so stupid. I knew better. I should never have done this. I shouldn't have let Maverick in. I shouldn't have let him touch me. I shouldn't have agreed to fool around with him. And I should not have fallen in love with him.

This is all so messed up. I've hated Maverick my entire life. He's been my biggest bully. What was I thinking doing all of this?

I have no one to blame but myself.

I just don't understand. Maverick was always.. so happy with me. He was the one that initiated almost everything. Even the more romantic things.

Something isn't adding up.

I've had feelings for Maverick for almost two months. We live together. We spend almost every second of the day together. I've been dropping hints about my feelings for weeks. Why would he wait until today to end things if he noticed? Why not end things right away? Why pretend not to hear the things I was saying?

It doesn't make sense.

The bell rang, signaling that lunch was over. I got up from the floor, and tried to straighten myself up. I walked to the sinks to look at my reflection.

I look awful. You can tell I've been crying. I sighed, and washed my face.

Maybe I can try to talk to Maverick when he drives me home.

*******

I haven't seen Maverick for the rest of the day. He wasn't in our last hour. I didn't ask anyone where he was, but several people asked me. Brooke was also not in our last hour.

I waited by my locker for half an hour. Maverick never came. I sighed, and decided that I was walking home today.

Despite saying that to myself, I still looked for Maverick's car in the parking lot. He was there. Leaning against his car. With Sally wrapped around him. There are a few people talking to him, but it doesn't look like Maverick is listening. Maverick's eyes connected with mine, like he knew I was looking. I held my breath. Is he going to wave me over to take me home?

Maverick turned away from me. My heart sank. I turned away, ready to walk home.

If I would have known this was how today was going to go, I would have dressed better. I trudged down the sidewalk as I thought about what happened today. I didn't see Brooke or Megan. Did I lose my new friends too?

I made it a full mile down the road when it started snowing hard. A car pulled up next to me, and the window rolled down. My heart skipped a beat when I looked at Maverick.

"Where the fu.ck is Brooke?" He asked.

Of course, he wasn't here to ask me to get in.

"I don't know. Call her." I replied as I kept walking.

"She was supposed to take you home." Maverick gritted out.

I stopped walking.

Maverick.. told her to take me home. Because he doesn't want to be around me. Because I'm in love with him, and he doesn't care about me.

Where even is Brooke if that's the case? Does she not care about me either now?

I started walking again as tears filled my eyes.

Well, if that's the case, then I can go right back to being alone. I don't need anyone. No one. No friends that became family. No Maverick. No one. Just me.

My bottom lip trembled as I continued to cry. It's so cold I'm pretty sure my tears are freezing on my face.

Suddenly, a large body was in front of me. Warm hands grabbed my face, and I looked up into honey-brown eyes.

"Get in the car before you freeze to death." He ordered.

I scoffed scoftly.

"I'd rather freeze to death than spend another second alone with you," I said.

Maverick gave me a pained look. I swatted his hands off of me, and pushed his chest.

"You don't get to look at me like that!" I shouted.

"Kapri, you barely even have a coat on. It's snowing. Just let me take you home." Maverick argued.

"Fu.ck off. Stop pretending like you care," I replied.

"Kapri.." He groaned.

"Just leave me alone," I said.

"Let me take you home and I-"

"No!" I shouted as my eyes snapped to his. "I'm not doing this whole 'let me just do this Kapri' sh.it with you again! If I freeze to death, oh well! I'm never getting in a car with you again! I'm never touching you again! I don't even want to look at you again! What do you not understand about that Maverick?" I asked him. "You.. You broke my heart. Hours ago. Why would you think I would choose you over anything else right now?" Maverick's jaw ticked.

"I can't let you walk home like this," he stated.

Really? That's all he has to say?

I ignored Maverick, and walked around him. He grabbed my arm, and this time, I let him spin me around. All for me to smack him as hard as I could across his face. Maverick didn't let go of me. His head turned to the side, and he just... waited. Probably for me to hit him again.

"Please just get in the car.." He said softly.

Did Maverick just say please?

"I'll make sure Brooke is there to give you rides from now on, but.. Please, Kapri.. just get in." He begged.

Maverick wouldn't meet my eyes, but he wouldn't let me go either.

"Fine," I stated. "But this is the last time. I don't want anything to do with you once you take me home. No surprise stops either."

"Okay," he replied.

Maverick let go of my arm. He opened the car door for me, and then walked to the driver's side. All without looking at me.

Is it just me, or is Maverick acting weird?

I got in the car, and shut the door. Once I had my seatbelt on, Maverick started to drive. After a couple of minutes, I peeked up at him. Maverick is staring at the road. There was no expression on his face. Nothing to give me some kind of insight as to what he's feeling. Probably because he feels nothing. Nothing at all for me.

How could our friends have been so wrong?

"Maverick.." I said softly.

"Hmm?" He replied.

I stared at him for a moment before speaking.

"Is this really how things are between us? Do you really... not care at all about me?" I asked.

"Why would I break things off with you if I did?" He asked.

"That's not an answer," I replied softly.

"It doesn't matter, Kapri. The fact is, we can't be together. Period." He told me.

I frowned.

"That sounds like a sorry excuse," I stated.

Maverick said nothing.

"Good to know that my feelings don't matter at all," I muttered.

When Maverick still didn't reply to me, I slumped back in my seat, and looked out the window.

I can't believe that I've spent my whole life annoyed by everything Maverick. I thought all the girls that fawned all over him were so stupid. I used to tell myself that I would never act as desperate as they did.

And then I let myself fall inlove with my bully. The fact that Maverick was my bully should have been enough for me to know that things would end badly. Why did I have to be so stupid?

Maverick pulled into our driveway. Trevor's and Brooke's cars are here. I unbuckled my seatbelt, and opened the door before Maverick had even fully stopped.

"Goddamnit Kapri!" Maverick shouted as I ran into the house.

All of our friends are sitting around the table in the kitchen along with Mom. All their eyes snapped at me when I walked inside. I connected eyes with my three best friends, and my bottom lip trembled. "Kapri, why the fu.ck would you do that? You should have waited for me to-"

"I told you never to talk to me again." I interrupted him.

"Kapri." Mom scolded me.

I looked away from everyone, and hung my head low. Mom kept scolding me about treating my stepbrother better. I ignored her as I walked through the room.

I didn't stop walking until I was in my room. I slammed my door shut behind me, all for it to open right back up. I rolled my eyes as I turned to yell at Maverick. Only, it wasn't him.

When I turned around, it was my best friend standing there. Molly closed the door, and locked it.

I can't believe I thought it was Maverick coming after me. I'm so used to him invading my space. This is even more validation that I never meant anything to him. A sob tore from my mouth. My eyes widened as I slammed my hand over my mouth. How long have I been crying?

Molly rushed through my room to wrap her arms around me.

"What happened, Kap?" She asked softly.

"I-I told him.. that I'm in love with him.. And he.. he told me.." I squeezed my eyes shut. "I knew that things would never work out. I should never have done this." I clung to Molly as I sobbed.

"Kapri.. I'm so sorry.. We were.. so sure that he had feelings for you.. I mean.. this makes no sense." Molly said.

"It doesn't matter," I said.

I pulled away to wipe my tears.

"I just.. I don't know what to do now," I admitted.

Molly put her hands on my shoulders.

"All you can do is keep moving forward. Things will get easier, Kap. I promise." She said.

I wish I could believe her.