Othello (Shakespeare For Everyone Else #2)

  Chapter Seven

  After Archer was called away on ‘treasurer business’, Micah slid his back down the lockers to the floor and buried his face in his hands. How had all of this gone so wrong? He needed something to take his mind off of things, and fast. Hearing the faint sound of heels clacking across the floor, he lifted his head to see the perfect distraction. He put on a charming smile and stood back up as a dark beauty sashayed up to him.

  “Good afternoon, vice-prezzz,” the slim girl said, purring like a cat. Micah took her in, loving everything he saw from her short denim skirt to her argyle, low-cut sweater vest. Damn she looked better than usual today.

  “What are you doing in these halls, Bentley, I mean frosh?” Micah asked.

  “It’s a free country,” she said, leaning against the lockers next to him, brushing her shoulder against his. She crossed her arms under her considerable chest. “I haven’t seen you since the summer. I think you’ve been hiding from me – well, that or you became a boxer,” she said, smiling playfully as she looked at his eye.

  “It’s been too long, hasn’t it? I’ve been busy with student council.”

  “A whole council? I used to be able to keep you busy all by myself,” she said. “Don’t you think about how bored I am without you?”

  “I’m sorry, Bentley. I’ve been busy…” he trailed off as he had a sudden idea. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a tiny silver ring. “Hopefully this will help you forgive me for being so forgetful?”

  “Oh. My. God!” Bentley squealed, jumping up and down. Taking the ring, she slid it on the ring finger of her right hand and gazed at it. “It’s…it’s familiar. This isn’t something you give to all of your girlfriends, is it?”

  “Oh come on,” Micah said, taking her hand. “I don’t have any girlfriends. This ring is a gift from me to you.”

  “So who else has worn it?”

  “Very funny,” Micah said.

  “Where’d you find it?”

  “I found it in my locker—”

  “You’re giving me a ring that you found? How…romantic?”

  “I still really like it. It suits you well, Bentley. A pretty ring for a pretty girl.”

  “It’s kind of plain, isn’t it?”

  “You didn’t earn a diamond yet,” Micah said.

  “My birthstone’s actually a ruby,” she said, grinning.

  “A ruby, eh? Well, come on then…let’s get out of here.”

  “And go where?” she asked.

  “A place to earn you a ruby,” he chuckled, ducking behind a classroom door and pulling her to him.

  “Seriously though,” she whispered. “Why haven’t you called me?”

  “I told you I’ve been busy,” he said. “Now don’t waste my time. Do you want this or not?”

  Her dark cheeks flushed as she looked up at him. “You know that I do.”

  He kissed her hard, wrapping a hand around her butt. “Let’s see you earn that gem.”

  Act Four