Chapter 19 is dedicated to

Thank you for your support ❤

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ALEXA

Age: 17

RAMONA

Age: 18

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“Hey baes,” Melissa greeted as she met up with us at our lockers.

“Hey, you,” Callie waved, still beaming at her phone.

“Let me guess, Demetri?”

She nodded with a smile. It was nice to see Callie being happy again after so long.

“I didn’t know you were into bad boys.”

“Hey, leather jackets and tattoos do not make him a bad guy,” she defended.

“You know what I mean,” Melissa said. “He just seems like the dark brooding type.”

“I’m done with happy, carefree guys,” Callie said with a flip of her hair. “I wanted someone more mature.”

“How old is he again?” I asked.

“Twenty-three. What is this, an interrogation?”

“Yep,” Melissa said. “I just wanna make sure you’re happy, Cals.”

“I am,” she told us honestly and then glanced at me. “But on to the most important thing… Ashton Rivera.” She wiggled her eyebrows.

“I’m just as surprised as you are,” I said as we moved towards home room. Melissa went to her class too.

Ashton wasn’t there yet, so I just moved to my seat. I’d definitely tell him thanks before first period.

Ashton came in with his entourage a few minutes after home room had started. He glanced at me, but I couldn’t decipher his expression. Nicole was shooting me glares all morning and it was starting to annoy me.

Homeroom droned on until the bell rang for first period. I had Biology now and I didn’t want to be late because it was my favorite class.

I told Callie to head to her class while I waited for Ashton. She nodded with a secretive smile and rushed off to her Performing Arts class.

“Hey,” I said as Ashton stepped out of the classroom. Nicole wasn’t with him. Good.

He motioned to his friends to go on without him and turned to me.

“What is it?”

“I… I just wanted to tell you thanks for saving me at the pool party, I really appreciate it,” I said in one breath.

He smirked. “I guess that means you owe me now.”

I looked up into his devious eyes, feeling a flicker of irritation. Of course he would use this as leverage.

“Okay,” I said peacefully.

I’d worry about that another time. Right now I needed to get to class.

“Hold on,” he said, holding my wrist. “You’re awfully agreeable today.”

The actions sent shock waves through my body. What was wrong with me? A simple touch from a demi-god had me reacting this way?

Wait.

Did I just call Ashton a demi-god? Well in only a navy blue V-neck shirt and jeans he looked like just stepped off the runway. And his hair. It looked so silky soft. I wondered how soft it actually was. Why wasn’t my hair that soft? Sigh. Life was so unfair.

“Done undressing me with your eyes?” he asked, waving a hand in front of my face.

I blinked in surprise.

Darn it, I’d been staring at him for who knows how long. His smirk was as big as the kingdom now and I rolled my eyes.

“As if. Anyways, I said okay. Is that a problem?”

“No. It’s just that you don’t know what I’ll make you do.”

“I’m not scared of you, Ashton.”

“Oh?”

“Need something, clown?” Nicole asked as she sashayed into view. Her hands were on her hips and she glared jealously as she saw Ashton’s hand on mine.

Oh no, I lost my voice right when I needed it the most. Not that it mattered. I didn’t even have a comeback this time. I was just focused on getting to class.

I moved away from Ashton, pulling my wrist free. Nicole’s minions, Alexis and Ramona sidled up beside her. Just great. They were her besties and were on her cheerleading squad. Needless to say, they thought the world revolved around them.

“Babe, what are you doing out here?” she asked, batting her lashes. She walked towards him and linked her arm with his.

He shook himself free of her talons -I mean nails- and announced that he was going to class. Nicole caught him before he could leave and pulled him into a deep kiss.

He broke the kiss after a moment and went to class, leaving me alone with the three witches of Westwood High.

I walked off to class, but was stopped by Nicole. She pasted on a smile.

“What do you think you’re doing?” she asked.

“I think I’m going to class.”

I tried walking away again, but her friends blocked my way.

“What do you want, Nicole?” I sighed, crossing my arms.

“What do you want Nicole?” she mimicked me. “I want you to stay the hell away from my boyfriend!”

I let out a forced chuckle. She could not be serious. I checked my watch. I had two minutes left until class started.

“Stop playing innocent. I see what you’re trying to do. You’ve been staring at him since the party.”

“If you’re implying that I like Ashton, then you’re wrong. I just wanted to tell him thanks for helping me on Friday.”

“You know, I don’t get why he’d do something like that for you,” she said, narrowing her eyes and coming closer to me.

“I was kinda drowning,” I reminded her. “Most people would try to help in that situation.”

She scoffed. “You’re a b*tch.”

“I don’t think you have the right to talk to me like that.”

“It’s a free country, I have all the rights I need.” She pushed me and her friends cackled. “Do you think a loser like you would ever have a chance with Ashton?”

A searing pain shot up my arm. I looked down to see that she was squeezing my arm with her nails. And they were not short.

I winced in pain and she laughed again. She leaned down to whisper in my ears.

“Stop being so delusional. Good girls like you can’t run with wolves like Ashton. You’d just get gobbled up like the little lamb you are. You’re just a goody two shoes prefect.”

“I’m not interested in your boyfriend,” I grunted, but she dug her nails deeper.

“Stay away from him,” she snarled, increasing the pressure with every word.

I nodded, my arm was hurting really badly and I knew it would leave a bruise. She smiled and turned on her heels and left.

Her friends giggled and left too, but not before pushing me onto the ground. The sounds of their heels filled the empty hallways as they headed to class.

I sighed, rubbing my arm and wincing at how tender it was. I picked up my books which were now scattered across the hallway. I didn’t understand how people could be so mean.

I knew she hated me because one of my fellow prefects gave her a detention for smoking in the bathroom a few days ago. Add the fact that I was trying hard to keep my record clean and not get into fights and I was her perfect target.

I made my way to class and stepped through the doors right as the bell rang. At least I’d made it in time. I opened my textbook as my teacher strolled in and tried to push the confusion and anger out of my mind.

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I was right about her nails leaving a bruise. I shuffled through the day trying to keep the telltale black and blue marks hidden.

I couldn’t hide the bruise forever because at lunch Melissa and Callie caught sight of it pretty quickly.

“What happened to your arm?” Callie asked, her eyes widening in surprise.

“Nicole happened,” I sighed.

“You should report her,” Melissa said, her eyes narrowing. “That’s bullying.”

“I could, but I’d rather sort this out myself. The prefect committee has too many complaints about her and her friends already. I don’t want to add my problems to it.”

Callie gave me a hug. “But still, it’s not fair for her to treat you like this.”

I shook my head. “It isn’t. But I have to learn to fight my own battles someday. Maybe not today, but I will.”

I gave them an enthusiastic smile and Callie grinned back, and started talking about how she was organizing auditions for the school play.

She tried to convince us to sign up, but Melissa and I both passed on that one. She gave up with a pout, and then started gushing about her favorite actress Mila O’Kaine.

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The sound of the bell ringing after English and Literature class was music to my ears because that meant I had a free period now. So did Callie, but she had stuff to do in the theatre room.

I gathered up my stuff, already thinking about the new book I’d bought. I couldn’t wait to read it.

Two things were life. Books and gummy bears.

I skipped out of the classroom happily, ready to get lost in another story, but Ashton blocked my path. I frowned at him and then tried to ignore him, but he spun me around to face him.

“Yes?”

“What happened to your arm?”

I hid the bruise instinctively.

“It’s nothing.”

His dark eyes softened as he pulled my hand away. They became angry in a second.

“Who did this to you?!”

Who do you think? I thought, but I just pulled away from him.

“It’s nothing,” I repeated firmly, brushing my hair to the side. “Just leave me alone, please.”

I backed away from him and walked off as quickly as I could. I could still feel his eyes following me until I made it out of the hallway.

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