Chapter 15

Layla wanders along the empty hallways of the school while deep in thought and looking down at her feet. Everything is new to her right now and she truly misses being alone and not having high and hard obligations. She is still heartbroken but slowly, her heart begins to mend and heal with the help of the people around her. She thinks deeply about everything that's happening and she's excited to move on from being broken but at the same time, she's scared of not being broken because she has been broken most of her life and she doesn't know how to live without the familiar feeling. She's mostly scared of that and opening up to the people around her but what if she doesn't open up to them at all and everything is going to be awkward. Especially towards her friend and Jace because they are the ones who are always with her and slowly becoming closer than ever.

She also had been told that their new history teacher arrived and is in school because he'll participate in the basketball game. She's admitted that she's mostly mad at him for replacing Sir Arthur because just thinking about having a different history teacher makes her heart sunk.

Still, she was disappointed in him for not replacing Sir Arthur well and with supposed professionalism. And he even is the person with the dark and disgusting rumors spread around the school and to be honest if the rumors are all just rumors then she'll feel sorry for him because of what students perceived of him. Because rumors are just rumors and mostly wrong.

Jace found her wandering and squatting down on the floor while covering her legs with her arms while she rested her chin on the top of her knees, bringing her legs closer to her body. Jace took off his uniforms cardigan that was hugged around his toned body and clung onto his biceps while approaching her and squatting down beside her. Layla looks at him with a smile while saying hi. Jace smiled back at her and covered her legs with his cardigan so she can squat down without worrying at all.

"Thank you." She told him while smiling at him and giving him those lovely looking eyes that made Jace's heart beat fast in return and he looked away from her gaze and looked at the empty halls.

"What are doing all the way here? I was looking for you." He asked her while she kept herself warm from his cardigan.

"Just thinking. I wanted to be alone." She shortly stated and he looks at her.

"Should I leave you?" He asked her, wondering if his presence ruins her time of thinking about whatever she's thinking about but he was also just joking.

Layla lightly shakes her head. "No. I like your presence beside me and you even took off your cardigan for me so I like it very much." She told him while smiling at him, showing her teeth, adorably and Jace couldn't help but caress her head while smiling back at her widely.

He looked down at her position and asked: "Aren't you tired of squatting down? The position quite hurts." Jace sat down on the floor and Layla chuckled.

"Maybe but I really like squatting down even if it hurts." She copied him and nuzzle up to him, couldn't help but be clingy since she wanted to just lay on her bed and hug her pillow but she couldn't do it now because she's obviously not on her bed.

Jace chuckled at her and puts his arm around her shoulders while bringing her closer to him. "I never knew that you like being clingy."

"I don't." Layla said while softly laughing, feeling embarrassed by her own actions.

"But I'm not complaining."

"I know." Jace chuckled at her short answers. After a few minutes, they walked into the basketball court. The court was noisy and chaotic due to the excitement that students are experiencing. All of the students and teachers are scattered around the court while music is blasting from the speakers. The participants in the game are warming up and chatting with each other.

They both parted ways and Layla goes to her classmates once she found them. She clapped her hands to make them look and listen to her. They looked at her and but they're all still noisy. " Settle down! If you want to watch the game then listen and arrange yourselves!" Layla told them with a raised voice and they all quiet down while they focused themselves on her as they noticed that she's annoyed by them and she wants them to be corrected.

Sir Killian enters the basketball court while his head is down and he is trying so hard not to be noticed but when he heard that voice, he stopped in his tracks and couldn't help but laugh at how the girl made them all listened to her but at the same time he is irritated by her because of being too loud when she could have just scared them with a quieter tone. He proceeded walking towards where he was instructed to go.

Kim and Liv stood beside her, helping her keeping them in order. "Classmates, we need to discipline ourselves because you know how there's a competition between the grades on who are the quietest and the kindest right? It will have an impact on our grades because they'll be adding points for it. Now, we are all going to seat next to Grade 9 and Grade 11, both class one, none of you will sit next to your other friends." She told them with a softer voice but with a serious look that made all nod.

She turned to both Liv and Kim. "Is everyone here?" She asked them while their classmates arranged themselves.

Liv shook her head. "Some are missing but they'll be here soon."

"I'll let them know where we'll be sitting." Kim told them while pulling out her phone and texting their classmates that are not present at the moment. "Oh and Zoey is with the student council members. You know how busy being a secretary is."

Layla thanked them and looked back at their classmates who have arranged themselves.

"Does that mean that you'll be sitting next to Jace?" Celine asked her suddenly and all of their classmates cheered while teasing Layla but she didn't make them satisfied by showing them what they wanted her reaction to be.

"Let's go the game will start soon." She told them while smiling and she walked with Liv and Kim beside her, leading on where they will sit.

"Just mind your own business, slut." Alice told her sister and rolled her eyes whole they all followed Layla. The two sisters teased each other while calling each other names until they stopped and sat down.

Layla smiled when she saw Jace with furrowed brows while he hushed down his classmates but they didn't listen. Jace's gaze softens as soon as he saw her.

"Couldn't get them to listen to you?" She asked him.

"Yeah, they're so noisy." He answered and when they saw them interacting and moving closer to each other they squealed and teased them too.

"Just shush! You're embarrassing." Jace hissed at them but they continued. Jace sighed and just gave up while sitting down. Layla sat beside him while nudging him on his side.

"Just leave them be, at least we're all in here now, in a minute or so the game will start so they'll get noisier than ever." She assured him and their classmates behind them keep on teasing them while mostly Jace blushes and Layla just laughed at how everything was awkward for them. Layla gazes around the court while looking at no one in particular but when she saw her other classmates who are also participating in the game, she noticed the tension between them and the team that they're playing against with. Their visibly glares and scowls at each other could be seen and felt if you look closely at them. She couldn't help but be worried that something might happen but she just shrugged off the feeling.

A minute after, the game started and their missing classmates finally arrives and apologized to Layla and the other officers for arriving late and she just brushes them off as they took a sit. Layla has no interest in sports so she zones out even if she's cheering for Alex and the rest silently inside her mind. The crowd cheered every time something exciting happens. She was taken back to reality when she saw Kevin being pushed by the other team player, harshly onto the floor and Kevin grunted as he fell into the floor. All of the students stood up and gasped at what happened while the referee hand signaled it as a foul. The guy who pushed Kevin smiled apologetically and shrugged as if he has done nothing.

"Oh, my bad. I swear I didn't mean it! I just tripped and I don't know what happened." He said to the referee and the referee looked at him with a serious look. The referee just brushed it off and signaled that it wasn't a violation which it obviously was. Students who are on Alex's team side groaned and shouted to disqualify the team player even though they didn't hear the lies of the guy but they just continued the game.

"What an idiot he is! Why did he suddenly signed that it's nothing? It's obviously on purpose." One of them told and they all agreed even though they can't do anything but just watch as the game resumes. Kevin stood up with the help of Alex and the game continues like nothing happened.

Layla's fingers fidget and rubbed against each other in nervousness while her brows are furrowed and she's praying that nothing will happen. She doesn't even know why but she's so nervous about them fighting, she cares for them but her classmates have been in a fight multiple times and she doesn't interfere with their business or feel nervous about what will happen although she's worried about them in the past now, her worries are not calming down and she usually manages her emotions well especially when she's with people but she couldn't do it now.

Jace noticed and asked her what's wrong. Layla didn't even look at him but she breaks out a small smile that did not convince Jace that she's fine. "I'm just worried about them. They're my classmates and if something happens, I'll also be responsible for them."

Jace knew what she meant. It's because she's their president and if something happens to them, she'll hear the endless angry voices of their homeroom teacher, parents, and the other adults that are supposed to supervise them. She has to listen and be there because they'll tell her to watch over them and things as such that even he finds ridiculous. Layla did convince him with that so Jace put his hand over hers and rubbed her hand, comfortingly but didn't utter a word. Layla looked at him and thanked him while also stopping herself from fidgeting.

They watched the rest of the game and Jace moved his hand away from hers when someone called for him and he has to leave. Jace looked back at her before leaving and she's back again in being nervous so he looked at the student who called for her.

"Do I really have to go?" He asked even though he already knows the answer. The student nodded and he sighed. Layla gave him a smile and he smiled back at her. "I'll be back."

Layla nods and watched as Jace leaves. A few more minutes have passed and Jace hasn't come back yet and Layla's emotions grew stronger, her hairline has sheen sweats as she bites her lip, peeling the skin there with her teeth, making it bleed and she winces in pain but she just sucked on the blood to make it stop.

Just to Layla's nervousness, a fight suddenly breaks between Kevin and the other team player who pushed him on the floor. The others, even Alex and Mark fought with the other players in the opposite team, getting physical and hurting themselves with their fists. The teachers around them tried pulling them away but they just continue to fight each other, making everything and everyone in complete chaos while all of the people in there become noisier with their shouts. The other teachers pushed back the other students who want to be in a messy fight or try to intrude.

"My gosh...what a mess. I get you to know, Layla, why you don't like participating in the sports fest." Zoey told her and Layla ignored her.

She stood up even with wobbly legs and she looked around in a panic, she just wanted to disappear at that moment but she couldn't leave due to the mess around her. She just sat down again and tried distracting her mind while her head is down. Kim beside her murmured something and she taps Layla on the shoulder.

"I think...he's new. Look." She told, not noticing how Layla looks like because she's too captivated with what's happening. Layla puts her head up even though it's heavy and she followed Kim's finger.

Sir Kingsley irritatedly stood up from where he was sitting with the others but at the back where no one will bother and see him after the fought roars throughout the whole court making his ears hurt and his head hurt. The other teachers looked at him in awe, finding him handsome even with his scowl on his face. They all waited and watched what's he gonna do as well as the students around who are watching. The way his shoes tapped on the floor and created echoes along the way made the teachers shiver in fear while thinking of the same thought, that Sir Kingsley is really terrifying in a way that almost made them piss their pants but they didn't even know why and what's with him. He walks towards the other umpires who are looking at him with wide eyes and he took their microphone. As the mic created a screeching sound the students calmed down and all their eyes are fixed on him but the fight still continues. He walks towards them and stopped in the middle of the court.

"Students, students...calm down." His low and demon-like voice roared around the whole court, making himself more frightening even if his words are simple.

Layla's mind went blank, her eyes went wide, her whole face becomes paler, her heart's beating in a not normal way, her palms are sweaty like her forehead is, her body shakes in fear and her fidgeting becomes worse. She saw him again and now her view of him is clear and she can see him with those handsome but terrifying features that he has and Layla hates him even more, more than she ever hates anyone else before.

The other players stopped and even Kevin wanted to stop but the other guy continued punching him, him being blinded by his fury and rage. Kevin grunted and fought back, continuing the fight between the two of them and Sir Kingsley looked at them with serious glare and his scowl got bigger than ever.

He walked towards them, his shoes echoed again as he does and the mic made a piercing sound that made them cover their ears. He pulled the guy by his collar shirt and smiled sinisterly at him. The student tried fighting him off of him but his hold of him got even tighter. "WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU? CAN'T YOU TELL THAT I'M BUSY? MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS TWAT!" The student shouted at him and it was heard around the whole court because Sir Kingsley has the microphone in his other hand.

The teachers and students gasped as he said that to him and they all looked at him as if he was the dumbest man in the whole world to ever exist. He looked around with his glare that made no effect but he shouted once again. "THE FUCK ARE YOU LOOKING AT?! I CAN BRING DOWN THIS WHOLE SCHOOL SO YOU SHOULD BE SCARED OF ME!"

He was answered by complete silence and Sir Kingsley chuckled at him, finding the way he spoke to him is like a very exciting game for him to play and he knows that he'll win no matter what.

Sir Kingsley's chuckle could be heard around the room and Layla gulped again and again. The student is hard-headed so he still made his ridiculous remarks that made no difference.

Sir Kingsley looked at his shirt and saw the number of his class, and he chuckled once again, finding the student's idiocy entertaining. "Mmm...class number two of Grade 10. What did I expect from you other than your non-threatening threats? Look around you, no one's scared of you." His voice echoed around the room. The student, with his stupidness, looked around the room and his face got redder, both from anger and humiliation.

"So what? I can bring down the whole school and when I do they'll regret it." He told him and everyone can hear their conversation.

"I doubt that. Your parents might but not you. You're humiliating them by doing this so stop or else you will regret it."

"What?! How dare you?! Who the hell are you?!" He shouted at him and Sir Kingsley finally let him get out of his tight grasp.

"How long are you going to embarrass your self?" He asked him, toning down what he really wanted to say and his urge to humiliate him even more because he's just a clueless student and he's too dumb for Sir Kingsley's wide range of words and his mind that are so intelligent that he became too full of himself too.

The other teachers walked towards them even though they didn't want to because they are scared of what might the student do to Sir Kingsley and to the whole school since his parents are governors with high positions and power.

"Let go of me! You'll regret it, I promise you that!" He shouted while the teachers dragged him out of the court and Sir Kingsley just waved at him to annoy him even more but to be honest, what he did was not great or even remotely close to what he has done in the past. This is not his great way to test others' intelligence and to humiliate them in a way that satisfies himself. He feels stupid but he knew better than to embarrass and make the student cry more because he didn't want to waste his time on someone who is too stupid to realize what he's done. He even used the same threat that he hears from students who have powerful parents and he knows what will the parents do especially since he has an idea of what could be the occupation of his parents to make a threat to bring the whole school down.

Usually, students whose parents are governors or mayors act like that and he knows because he has seen that before. But of course, due to the humiliation that students brought to their parents, they usually get more humiliated by their own beloved parents and will punish them. Students whose parents are like that haven't got a nice relationship with them and they take out their anger on others and they often threaten like that even though they know they're wrong.

Sir Kingsley actually felt more embarrassed for himself because they haven't even seen how scary he can actually be and he's left unsatisfied with that. He gazed around the court and much to his surprise, they all looked at him with fear in their eyes but at the same in amazement because of how they found him attractive even with his grumpiness and attitude. He looked at them in disgust as his eyes wander around the room, looking at each student that is in there and they feel like he's looking straight at their souls and might rip out their souls out of their body.

All of them looked at him like that except for one single student whose brows are furrowed at him and is looking at him with hate and isn't scared of him. His eyes stopped at her and even him, his heart thumps suddenly fast and he is looking at her back with irritation. Their eyes locked with each other and Layla's mouth gape open while Sir Kingsley just couldn't stop looking at her. He noticed her body flinched when they stared at each other for more than 3 seconds but her eyes are still filled with such hatred for him.

Jace walked towards Layla and he held her hand with worry. "Hey, I'm here now." He told her and Layla breaks their intense eye contact and looked at Jace with a sigh like she hasn't been breathing normally ever since she saw him but finally, Jace came to the rescue and comforted her with his gentle and sweet gestures and words. She immediately hugged him and buried her face into his shoulder and Jace wrapped his arms around her and rubbed her back to calm her down.

"I'm here now." He whispered at her and Layla's breathing becomes normal and her heart and mind are calming down with just the presence of Jace beside her.

She looked back at Sir Kingsley but he was no longer there and Layla just buries her face back into Jace's shoulder.