Chapter 12

Yrene's PoV

At lunch Rebecca made her way over to me again when I was getting a salad and very subtly whispered in my ear,

"A salad isn't going to help you with your fat stomach, you pig. But you know what actually will?"

I roll my eyes at her absurd yet impactful insults as she answers her own question,

"Death. Urchins like you don't deserve to live, you dumbass boyfriend stealing slut."

Little did she know.

I give her a sad smile and go to the table to sit with my friends. Joss as usual is saying something stupid while Katie is hitting him on the arm because it was probably aimed at her, Aelin is just sitting back and enjoying the show, filming it even.

Ah, Aelin with her 'I want these memories to last forever' motto. I smile and shake my head at them. I make easy conversation, the salad I'm from of me long forgotten.

"Yr, you gonna eat that?" I smile sheepishly acting like I forgot it was there but my friends can see right through me, like always.

"Nene what's up? You can tell me , was it a boy because if it was then I'm going to go beat his ass."

"Shut up you goon, it's nothing. Really guys." I look at all, of them but more so at Joss who had made the threat about killing some random non existent boy. I smile at them and open my arms wide indicating for the three of them to hug me. They do.

And when they can't see me, I wipe the tears from my eyes; I didn't want to leave them, I really didn't. But I couldn't do this anymore.

My mind wasn't letting me do this anymore. I was exhausted, mentally, emotionally and physically. I was tried of fighting and falling and having to get back up continuously. I was tried of spiraling.

I wanted my agony to be over. I kiss their cheeks and make my way to English class with Bear. Putting on a badass, boss bitch attitude as I walk down the ancient halls one last time, playfully rolling my eyes at the boys who let out low whistles as I walk past them with Joss, Katie and Aelin by my side.

I would miss this. Definitely.

Everyone is peacefully filing into Bear's classroom and so am I, trying to keep my tears at bay. But then he stops me midway,

"Yr...what in the world are you wearing?" He whispers in my ear like an over protective brother, I laugh and give him fake attitude at the end,

"Well, it's a black crop top and ripped jeans paired with black Chuck Taylor's, what else?"

"I can tell! But how did Raymond let you out of the house wearing something like that? Yr, all the boys are ogling at you!"

"Yeah, well I'm not telling them to do so, now am I? Besides it's nothing. Just a little bit of skin here and there, nothing too much.... I mean have you seen what girls like Rebecca wear? It's a shock their bodies can breathe with the amount of tight latex covering them, at least what I'm wearing isn't like a second skin." I give him a pointed look to re-emphasise my point.

Bear visibly shudders at the mention of Rebecca and he cronies' clothing and tells me,

"You better not come dressed like that here!"

Before I can get a chance to reply he calls out to someone passing by through the English hallway and funnily enough that someone is my brother, Ross. Bear yells at him to throw him his blue and yellow varsity jacket, yes, ladies and gentlemen my brother, the jock, throws it over to Bear; he throws his prized possession to my English teacher.

Sometimes I forget how Bear is an actual favourite amongst everyone else too. This time too, before I get to protest Bear puts me in my brothers varsity jacket and tells me to do the buttons. Classic. He wouldn't even ask any other guy for their jacket but my real brother. I shake my head at his brotherly act and make my way to my seat, next to Joss who as usual is dreamily gazing at Katie but looks away when he sees me approaching.

We discuss Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet for the lesson, cliché, and just as we're about to get into a heated debate about whose fault it was that they both died the bell rings, indicating a free period, hence the time for death for me and sociology for the three idiots sitting next to me.

This was why I chose this time, I'd get to say bye to Bear and could make my way to the battlements easily, without my friends noticing something was wrong.

I hurriedly wipe the tears from the rims of my eyes before asking Bear if we can talk for some time; squaring my shoulders and steadying my voice.

"Of course we can! Anything for my little sister.

" I nod at this and give him a tight smile before setting my bag down and moving to one of the desks in front. This was indeed going to be painful; last goodbyes always were.