"I just want to say that I don't agree with your interpretation, at all. I think that Juliet was in an abusive relationship, I think that Romeo made her do a lot of things she wouldn't normally do if her hormones weren't running rampant because of her age, and I think that it's more than just another 'teenage love story'. You don't kill yourself because you love someone, you kill yourself because they're destroying you and it's your way out."

"But how do you then excuse her desires? She wanted the relationship, she agreed to the chase, she let him chase her and she gave it all to him. How is that his fault?"

"Who proposes within a day of meeting?"

"Pete Davidson and Ariana Grande did it."

"That doesn't mean it's a normal relationship!"

"Can we really say any relationship is normal, though?"

"Uh, yeah, because if you love a person that much you shouldn't have a problem waiting to get to know them. She didn't even know his favorite food or his favorite color or his middle name!"

"So what do you think it's all about then, Block?"

"Well, Harrington, I think it's about manipulation. He was a slightly older man who promised her beautiful things, and she was let down. She felt guilty because he killed himself for her, which is fucking crazy, why was no one analyzing this boy? Anyway. So, they play the game back and forth and boom, someone dies, then she kills herself because he gave his life for her. But, no one really looks into the realities of this relationship, or the mental anguish it caused on Juliet.

She was young, he was her first love. You remember your first love, I'm sure we all do. When we say we'd take a bullet for them, we don't mean we literally would. If anything she felt guilted enough to kill herself because he did it for her, so she couldn't walk away from him. He knew even in the after life that she'd follow him."

"Interesting analysis," Professor Hardey stated from her stance in the middle of the room. "And interesting conversation. I am very pleased with the two of you."

Massie Block grinned brightly, blinding the soccer star Derrick Harrington she was currently debating. They did this every class, on literally any subject matter. Classic literature, abortion, how long is too long before you have to shave your beard. Any topic, Massie was very opinionated about. Derrick loved to rev her up, to get her all flustered and annoyed. Massie loved feeling like she won, and he did, too. So, he tried his hardest to not let her.

"When are you gonna give it up, Block?" They both knew he was talking about more than just in-class discussions.

"When I win."

"I don't lose, though."

"So it looks like we're going to be in for a really fun semester," she winked before turning back in her seat to face the front of the classroom.

Derrick shook his head, hiding his grin as he leaned back in his desk chair. He couldn't stand her, how arrogant she was and how passionate she was and how easy it was for her to get what she wanted and also deny him what he wanted. Massie took pleasure in that, and Derrick knew it.

"One date, Block. When are you just going to bite the bullet and get it over with?" Derrick asked her after class, he caught up with her while she was stuffing her monogrammed louis vuitton backpack with her assorted rainbow of ballpoint pens.

"When are you going to make it seem actually worth it? I wouldn't want to eat something that doesn't sound appetizing, so the way you're trying to sell the date to me doesn't sound...appetizing, either."

"I mean, anything with me included in it should most certainly be appetizing in the least bit. Come on, Massie, I'm not Kemp."

"I really don't believe you when you try to bring up my past. I don't know how you are or who you are or what you're like, and I don't want to dive into something with you until I know...you? So, if you wanna work on that, you know my dorm."

"Is that an invitation?"

"I will let you interpret it however you'd like."

"He just always argues with me!"

Massie exclaimed from her bed, throwing her hands up in the air for emphasis. It was noon, and Massie was done for this thursday with classes. She had another hour before she had to start getting ready for her cheer practice, as the big football kickoff game was tonight and they needed to run through their routine.

She knew that flirting, to some extent, was a bit of cat and mouse. There's the give and take, the song and dance. Massie was just sick and tired of it. She knew the game well, she played it so many times to no avail of an actual relationship. Massie was tired of the hookup culture, she wasn't interested in it.

She wanted something real, something raw, something she didn't have to think twice about.

"Why not just give it a shot, Mass?" Alicia asked, turning over onto her side to look at Massie from her own bed across the room. "The worst thing that could happen is he's a shitty kisser, and you never go out again. But, you'll never know unless you give him a shot."

By the end of practice, Massie was panting and sweating in places she'd rather not discuss. She felt gross, and still needed to get in a shower, redo her hair and makeup and get dressed before she went back for the real thing.

This routine wasn't very difficult, it was more about Massie wanting to look perfect, as usual. She always put her all and then some into each routine, because she needed to be the one on top. Massie had to be in charge and the best looking, and if she wasn't she figured out a way to eliminate the competition.

The cheer team headed to the locker rooms, where all the girls put their belongings in their locker and went to the showers. Massie was meticulous about her shower time, and locker room showers were no exception.

The alpha took her shower caddy stocked with frederic fekkai brilliant glossing shampoo and conditioner, jo malone wood sage and sea salt body wash and la mer cleansing foam face wash to the shower stall along with her plush towel. Twenty minutes later, a fresh faced Massie Block padded back to her locker.

Stuffing her shower caddy at the bottom of the locker, Massie browsed through her phone while she moisturized her body and face.

TO: Mass💓

Gud luck! C u soon!

TO: Block

So how come soccer players don't get cheerleaders?

TO: Massikur

When n where r we partying tn? 🍻

TO: Massie Block

Hey did you go to the extra help for the Calc exam? I missed it, I was at my physics review and I have a few questions about what's gonna be on the test.

TO: Massie

Is it ok if i borrow ur UGGS? Mine have a hole :(

TO: M Block

I miss u, can we tlk l8r?

After Massie finished applying her stage makeup and got into her cute little red and black cheer outfit, she took out her blow dryer and curling iron and got to work while trying to process the text messages she didn't reply to.

Derrick wanting a cheerleader led Massie to believe he wasn't going to take no lightly. He really wanted her, and she knew that, but at the same time she also knew better. She knew that any guy she hooked up with in college was not only a mistake waiting to happen, but a regret later down the line as well.

Biting her lower lip, she put the curling iron down to send off a snarky reply before going back to her hair.

TO: Derrington

Maybe if you played better you'd have one 😏

Massie studied the text message from her ex one more time before going back to working on her hair. Why the FUCK did Kemp Hurley want to talk? He didn't want to talk after he dumped her on her birthday last semester, but now he magically has something to say?

If an apology wasn't coming out of his fucking annoying mouth, she wasn't going to listen. Massie refused to. Why should she? He didn't listen when she tried to talk to him for closure five months ago, fuck Kemp Hurley.

But there was still that part of Massie that wanted that closure, that needed it to move on and move forward. Maybe that was why she was being so distant with Derrick? Who knows, she isn't a psych major.

Once her hair was perfectly curled in victoria's secret style waves and doused in hair spray to keep it in place, she was ready. Massie leaned into the mirror in the locker room bathroom, painted her lips a magenta chanel matte lipstick, and then packed up her kit back into the locker. Slipping on her little white cheer sneakers and grabbing her pom poms, Massie Block was ready.

"Here Comes The Boom" by Nelly blasted through the surround sound speakers as the girls ran onto the turf. Blood pumping, pom poms glowing, bootys shaking and the crowd going wild made it so worth it.

After their first routine, the girls took their seats on the bleachers still on the field while the men's football team ran out through their homemade banners and took their marks on the field.

Massie, now bored, began to look around behind her and see what familiar faces she could find. She quickly spotted Alicia, who was practically waving her hand off, and Dylan next to her taking a 'cheers' boomerang with Claire while Kristen was at the end of the bleachers, her nose in her physics textbook.

She almost jumped when she spotted Derrick Harrington sitting on the bottom bleachers, staring at her with this wicked grin. He raised his hand and gave her a wave, which she reciprocated with an air kiss. She swore she could see his cheeks turn a pale pink.

Kemp, though, was what made her shudder. He was sitting a few rows up from Derrick, with a glare and dirty look pointed their way. What the fuck was his problem, again? You can't break up with a girl on her fucking birthday, then just expect her to hop right back into bed with you. Massie wasn't desperate. She would, however, make Kemp Hurley crumble if it's the last thing she does.