Chapter Twenty Seven

Hatred. That hallow feeling you get when you despise or can’t stand someone. It is exactly what I felt when I silently watched the girl who stalked towards me. The look of displeasure planted on my face didn’t seem to deter her from stopping in front of me. The mischievous glint that danced in her eyes told me she was here to cause trouble. A flirtatious smile, her undeniably sexy stance and her pouty lips was all it took to realize what was happening. She was making a move on me. Fuck. I blinked twice trying to shake off the disgust that coiled at the pit of my stomach. ‘’Heeey,’’ she said batting her eyelashes suggestively. A wave of nausea hit me strong and hard I swallowed it back controlling the overwhelming emotions bubbling in my heart. May.

It broke my heart that she would hit on me. I treated her like my sister from the very first time we became friends and here she was plotting with Whitney to undo me. For what, just so she can prove I’m not really dead. It was pathetic of both of them. ‘’You really look familiar, I can swear I know you from somewhere,’’ she said. I looked up and met the eyes of my bestfriend as our childhood flushed before my eyes and tears stung my eyes. She betrayed me she knew how much I loved Whitney. I came out to her first and she’d be the one to help me take the blows when my dad was hard on me. Everything I would do her feelings came first. I pulled myself together and I spoke, ‘’Yes of course you know me from somewhere.’’

Her face lit up and she put her arms around me to pull me for a hug but I stepped back. ‘’Rica I’m so glad you didn’t forget me I know I messed up real bad but please let’s just let it go it’s the past I can fix things,’’ she said. I wanted to scream at her I wanted to ask what she meant when she said to let things go. I wanted to know when broken hearts could be fixed and why she was here now and not sooner even after I left LA. I wanted to know where she was when it was Whitney’s funeral. I would have asked all those questions but knowing she won and the satisfaction of watching me crumble was something I wasn’t giving it that easily.

‘’Excuse me, I really don’t know what you are saying and why you are calling me Rica. You are familiar only because two days ago I bumped into you in a coffee shop,’’ I said calmly. Her face instantly dropped and I locked my locker walking away from a confused May. Biology class had started when I walked into class and took a seat next to my brother who was busy drawing instead of paying attention. ‘’Looks like Einstein here isn’t afraid of failing this class.’’ He looked up from his drawing and smiled. ‘’Well genius I’m not the only one since you are getting in class as its ending,’’ he said. True to his word the bell rang and everyone left excluding Johnny and I who remained in our seats. ‘’Why were you late for class it so unlike you?’’

I took a shaky breath as I started narrating what had happened earlier on as he tried not to cringe on the parts where May made a move on me. I would have also felt the same knowing he slept with her and now she was making a move on his sister. ‘’Avery I am with you all the way for that bitch she deserves to be struck by lightning. You are my sister and I will always have your back.’’ We left class and went to our next classes I had gym class and he had physics. The hallways were deserted only muffled voices could be heard in the locker room. My footsteps were quiet as I made my way to the voices. No one was inside the locker room the noises had to be coming from the bathroom. Yes I was curious of finding who it was but not curious to the point of knocking on the door to find out. With the patience of a priest I got into my P.E shorts as I waited. The door to the bathroom squeaked open as I shut my locker. I looked up and my eyes met with two pairs of eyes who looked shocked to see me there.

I was as shocked as they were but I was doing a better job of masking how I felt in that situation. I left the locker room without saying a single word and went to the field. ‘’Avery give me three rounds around the field for getting late for class,’’ Mrs Bradfield yelled. I could use the adrenaline after witnessing a scene I had been blocking from my mind for days. It seems that I wasn’t lucky though. I pushed my legs to run faster as I remembered the dishevelled hair, smudged lipstick and ruffled clothes. I would be lying if I said my heart dropped few feet below but I fought to remain calm. My muscles started giving in but I pushed on and on and on without caring. The world around me had began fading all I could feel was the palpitation of my heart beat and I smiled.

It had been a very long time since I last smiled and felt so at peace. Even as my legs gave away and my vision became blurred I couldn’t help but smile. I heard people shout my name but I zoned them out I didn’t care I was happy and that’s all that mattered not people who kept breaking my heart toying with it repeatedly as long as it made them feel great about themselves. Even as I watched the sky and heart resumed it steady beat I felt calm that it frightened me. ‘’Avery, are you ok? I said run three rounds not fifteen are you trying to kill yourself child for goodness sake,’’ reprimanded Mrs Bradfield. She helped me sit down as the rest of the girls stared at me. ‘’Graces take Avery to the infirmary and make sure she is doing ok.’’ A girl in a long ponytail walked from the group of girls and stood next to me helping me get up and we made our way in a comfortable silence to the infirmary. Her long soft hands keeping me steady as her beautiful smile kept me staring at her face.

‘’You are staring,’’ she said. I smiled as I turned my head and continued walking. ‘’Pretty things deserve more than just staring.’’