Taming the Bad Boy Was a Mistake Chapter 01

Taming the Bad Boy Was a Mistake Chapter 01 The Annoyance meter

I spent a whole year trying to tame the school’s baddest boy. The so-called “love meter” floating over his head was so full it looked about to explode.

I was feeling pretty smug about it. Then my System popped up, took one look at that deep-purple progress bar, and sucked in a breath.

[Host, stop grinning. That’s the Annoyance meter.]

[One more point and he’s going to kill you.]

The smile froze on my face.

No way. Absolutely no way.

Over the past year, I had transformed Dylan White from a trash-talking, fight-picking dropout into the most obedient, head-over-heels boyfriend you could imagine.

If he didn’t love me, why would he do everything I said?

The System gave me a pitying look. [Ever consider that maybe he’s been biding his time? Waiting to drop a massive revenge bomb?]

[The main system glitched and flipped the values. Host, what the hell did you do this year to annoy him this badly?]

I hung my head and twisted my fingers, guilty as hell.

It wasn’t that bad.

I just threw away his cigarettes, forced him to dye his wild white hair black, banned him from internet cafes, made him hit the library with me, and threw a tantrum every time things didn’t go my way.

Turns out he didn’t love me to death—he was sick of me to death.

The System sighed. [Time to fix this. From now on, go along with him. Lower the Annoyance meter. Or you’re done for when the mission fails.]

Right then, Dylan pushed the door open. He held my backpack, his gorgeous face cold as a block of ice straight from the freezer.

“Zoning out? Thought we were going to the library.”

The second he spoke, his phone in his pocket rang.

The guys on the other end were howling: “Dylan! All-nighter at the internet cafe tonight! We need a carry!”

Dylan frowned, glanced at me instinctively, and said into the phone with annoyance: “Not going. Gotta be with my girlfriend…”

“Go for it!”

I cut him off sharply, my eyes as sincere as if I was swearing a loyalty oath.

Dylan froze, phone halfway to his ear. “What did you just say?”

I took a deep breath and forced the sweetest, most understanding smile onto my face. “I said, you don’t have to take me to the library. Go to the internet cafe. Stay as long as you want.”

Dylan narrowed his eyes. Those gorgeous eyes scanned my face, trying to figure out if I was setting a trap.

“You really mean it?”

“Cross my heart!” I grabbed my bag out of his hands. “I’m going shopping with my bestie anyway. You’d just be in the way.”

Dylan stared at me for a solid ten seconds, checking that I wasn’t lying and that I didn’t have some hidden explosion brewing.

The relief on his face was instant. He even cracked a smile—one I hadn’t seen in a long time.

“Fine. I’ll pick you up when I’m done.”

I stared at the black hair he’d dyed just for me, guilt twisting my chest, and nodded fast. “Go, go!”

Dylan turned and left, walking so light he looked like he’d just gotten out of jail.

I checked the system screen.

Great. The Annoyance meter hadn’t moved an inch.

Man, this guy held a grudge like nobody’s business.

After dinner with my bestie, it started drizzling outside.

She nudged me, “Have your Dylan come pick you up?”

I pulled out my phone, then froze and stuffed it back in my pocket.

No.

He’s dominating at games right now. If I called him now, wouldn’t that just piss him off all over again?

I gotta be sensible for my own life, and to lower that Annoyance meter!

“Nah, he’s busy. Let’s grab a ride back.”

I got back to the dorm, rushed through my nightly routine, and jumped into bed.

I’d barely dried my hair when my roommate burst through the bathroom door, looking horrified. “Nat, your Dylan is downstairs. His face is so dark he looks like he’s about to kill someone. You need to go down there right now!”

My heart skipped a beat.

I checked my phone and, holy crap, forty-eight missed calls.

My social media was blowing up even more.