The Naughty List: Prologue

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*This chapter contains no sex scenes.PrologueI, Quentin Noel, am a proud nobody.As a senior in high school, with no real friends or any particular long-term career plans in mind, some may even be inclined to describe me as a total loser. And they would be right. And I wouldn’t even fight it.Why? Because I’m an optimist at heart. There are perks to being the invisible kid at school. It humbles you, and high school is hard enough as it is— it’s a ruthless, metaphorical jungle where you have to learn to fend for yourself and survive all the drama, rumors, and nasty shit-talking behind people’s backs. In fact, I’ve never really envied the so-called popular kids for that reason: it’s no secret that being the center of everyone’s attention comes with its own price, after all. If the choice had to be between constantly stressing about what people think about you, vs. simply being someone who no one really pays any attention to, well, I’m just saying the latter does have its own benefits.I mean, okay, yes; to be fair, it would be a lie if I said I was totally happy about the passive person I’ve become over the years. I daydream about making real friends too, maybe even finding a significant other someday. But I’ve already decided that’ll all be for when I head off to college. I’ve actually already been admitted early to my top choice school for the fall— it’s a decent program, reasonably priced, and most importantly, it’s out of state. Although I didn’t know what exactly I wanted to major in, I knew I was excited to leave this town. Once I do so, I can do whatever I wanted. Be whoever I wanted. No more hiding myself, especially inside the closet. I’ll finally get to just be… me. All that was left to do was survive the rest of senior year with my head laid low, and I’ll be out, pun intended. If only I knew how my life was about to be turned upside down this fateful Christmas Eve.~ ~ ~It was the second week of winter break. A quarter past ten, and sixty-five degrees outside. Perhaps unusually warm and uncharacteristic considering the winter season, but this was normal in the sunshine town of San Nicolas, California, where I live. I get up from my bed and stretch while glancing out the window. Wow, the isvecbahis weather couldn’t be more perfect. Especially for a day like this. December 24th, Christmas Eve. I contemplate whether I should take a morning walk outside. After all, the second week of no school meant I’ve practically morphed into a living, breathing couch potato; it’d probably be a good change of pace to get out of the house for once. After taking a shower, I head downstairs. The weather was nice, and I’m feeling energized. Today will be a good day, I tell myself. That is, until I find a note from a dad saying he’s been called in for another late-night shift and will have to miss dinner again.I frown. But it’s okay. My dad works as a nurse at a nearby hospital, which often means he has irregular shifts, often being called in last minute. But again, it’s all okay. I’m an optimist at heart. And that means I choose to focus on the positive side of things whenever I can. At the end of the day, I genuinely respect my dad’s profession and the impact he has on his patients. I’m okay. Even if it means I have to spend Christmas Eve all alone. Even if this is the fourth year in a row I’ve had to do that.I glance down and notice he’s left me a small gift, wrapped in a bundle. I open it and am delighted to find a new video game I’ve been meaning to buy. I smile to myself. It’s these small moments of joy that keeps me going.See? I’m really okay after all. It all began with a sudden knock on a door. I look up, slightly confused. My dad is more of the reclusive type like me and doesn’t have many friends. We rarely have visitors at my house. I put down the pop tart I was about to eat, and slowly make my way to the front door.“Hello? Is anybody home?”On the other side of the peephole was a small old lady who I’ve never seen. Maybe she was someone affiliated with my dad’s hospital.“Hi, uh, are you here for my dad?” I ask while opening the door. My bare feet feel surprisingly cold against the morning concrete.“Ah, thank goodness somebody was home!” the old lady squeakily proclaims. She was… very old. Ancient old. About 3 feet tall, tiny, her face and stature shriveled up like a century-old prune. Beside her was a leather suitcase, almost isveçbahis giriş the same size as she was. She wore a fuzzy-looking coat, her silver-white hair was bundled into a neat bun, and the thin, saggy skin on her face jiggled as her body precariously balanced itself on a tiny cane. “I am in desperate need of help. Do you have a few minutes you can spare, young man?” I blink. “S-Sure,” I say, stepping out the front door, still confused about what was going on.“Thank you.” The old lady’s already shriveled face crinkles into a smile. “You see, I’m visiting the town, on my way to deliver a gift to an old friend who lives nearby. But it seems I may have gotten lost. Would you mind helping me with directions?”I look down at her hands to see a crinkled old paper. A map. An old one, too. Putting two and two together, I smile and pull out my phone, tapping on Google maps. “Of course. Do you have the address?” This old lady’s mind was about to be blown by the marvels of modern technology.She beams. “Ah, yes. It should be 123 Elf Drive, San Nicolas, 90888.”Huh. I’ve lived in this town all my life, but that was an unfamiliar street name, even for me. And Google maps wasn’t coming back with any search results, either. I scratch my head and peer over at the lady and the map she’s holding. “May I take a look at that?”The map she was holding looked like it was printed before World War I. Not literally, but the way the paper browned around its tattered edges implied that it has endured a substantive passage of time. In fact, it looked like it could even belong in a museum as a historical artifact. I try to handle it with care, as I squint my eyes over it.“Oh. So it seems there’s a special bus that takes you there, huh? And the station is on Whittier Road.” Hmm, strange. I didn’t recall there ever being a bus station on that street. “Do you know how to get there?”“No. Would you mind showing me?”“Sure. So you’ll have to head straight until you hit Camper Drive, then turn left until you hit Madison Avenue, and then…” I glance down at the old lady, her head shaking innocently like a tiny human bobblehead. Her eyes twinkled obliviously, despite the heavy load of information I was dumping onto her. isveçbahis yeni giriş Will she even be able to remember all this? I sigh. “Do you want me to just walk you there?”Her face lights up. “That would be extraordinarily helpful, young man.” I smile softly and nod my head, grabbing my sandals and keys to lock the door behind me. I was about to go out for a morning stroll, anyways. “No worries at all. Right this way, then,” I say, stepping off onto the sidewalk, brushing past her. The wobbly old lady turns around in slow-motion – literal, almost comical, slow-motion. I stifle a laugh and shake my head while getting on my knee, with my back turned towards her.“Here, just hop onto me. It’ll be easier that way.”Her eyes twinkle as she takes me up on my offer, gently hoisting herself onto my back, as I grab her luggage. “Thank you, young man. What a kind, selfless soul you are. What is your name?” she asks. She was so small and fragile, that I felt I had to be extra careful while carrying her on my back.“I’m Quentin. And no worries. What should I call you?”“Call me Grandma Mary, and it’s a pleasure to meet you, Quentin. A kind boy like you, I’m sure, must be adored by everyone around you.”I hear myself let out an unknowing snort. “No, not at all. I’m practically a nobody at school. But a proud nobody, I guess. An intentional one.”“What do you mean?”“Well, I like to keep to myself and lay low, I guess. I don’t really associate myself with any of my classmates. But it’s okay. I’m graduating high school this year anyway, so just gotta grit my teeth and make it through this last semester.” And then, hopefully, a rosier new life will await me on the other side of graduation. Maybe even involving a cute new boyfriend, if I’m lucky enough.Grandma Mary frowns at my words. “But you’re so young, and you only get to experience high school once in your life. You should make the most of it, instead of just getting by. Enjoy your youth!”I laugh and shake my head. “Nah, I’m okay. I’m happy with the way things are. Being a nobody is just… easier. And that’s what I want for me right now.” I mentally sigh to myself as I utter these words. Why am I sharing all this with an old lady I just met?Grandma Mary looks at me, with a dissatisfied look. “Young man, I know when someone is lying. I don’t mind you lying to me, since I’m just an old lady who you’ll probably never see again. But just now, you were lying to yourself, which I don’t appreciate.”

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