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was seething.

Who would've thought Evelyn Moreau, the girl beaten and bruised, to be angry and annoyed instead of moping around in sadness?

This was a different girl.

She was strong and had a backbone. Oh boy, certainly she had a backbone.

And she was fuming inside.

He had the nerve to pull away because things got too hard. Did he bother to think that there wasn't just him? She was there too. They were supposed to get through it together. Yet he chose to leave because things got too hard.

Rolling her eyes in annoyance, she stomped into school not even caring about all the attention on her this time. It had been about a week since Maddox and her stopped talking, stopped being friends. Just stopped being.

At this point, she wasn't going to be the one to apologize.

If it came to them making up.

Obviously she still remembered her embarrassing confession. The humiliation she felt afterwards. God that was the worst.

For so long, she kept to herself, never giving herself away to anyone. The one time she trusts herself and the person she admitted something to, it backfires.

She should've never given herself away.

The bell rang for the start of classes and she rushed to get to first period realizing how far away she was from getting to it.

Turning the corner, she bumped into someone. The force knocked her down and she fell hard.

"Ow!"

Her yelp was quiet, but distinct considering the silence surrounding the halls.

A hand offered to help her up and she gladly took it before looking over her shoulder to glance down at her butt. God that sure hurt. Giving it a little pat, she winced at the soreness.

"It's okay," she cooed at her behind. "When we get home I'll give you a nice little bag of ice."

She patted it once more, not wanting her best asset to ruin itself. She loved her butt. She learned to love most parts of herself. But she really liked her butt. It actually existed.

"Are you... talking to your butt?" a humorous voice spoke from in front of her.

Facing forwards, she came face to face with a boy who shared similarly good looks to Maddox. Strong bone structure with what one would think as boring brown eyes, but boy oh boy she could lose herself in them. His hair wasn't as dark as a certain boy's midnight black locks, but the chocolate brown haired beauty certainly could take Maddox down a peg or two.

To simply put it, this boy was beautiful. Too bad for him though because she saw Maddox first.

"Take a picture, it'll last longer," the nameless boy spoke, a smirk dressed lazily across his lips.

Rolling her eyes, she crossed her arms defensively, "Believe me, I was staring to make sure the ugliness standing in front of me actually existed."

She hesitated dramatically to say her next words. Giving him another once over, she took her time. Her eyes wondered down to his outfit which definitely dressed to impress and his muscles were visible from the fitted shirt with the veins in his forearms prominent enough to make girls faint.

Once again however, he wasn't Maddox.

She sent a smirk his way, matching the once he wore, "Once you spoke, I realized it really does."

She wasn't sure where this confidence was coming from. Maybe the way the boy spoke to her, how he addressed her. He had no clue who she was so that meant he didn't know what kind of outcome she was. How everyone in the town felt towards her.

It was like a little been of normal-ness in the uniquely terrifying world she resided in.

His eyes held humor and his expression was one of pleasant surprise.

"Oh baby I can change your mind about that," he playfully said with a wink.

She tried to keep a straight face, but eventually a small smile broke out and she shook her head with silent laughter.

"I'm good, but thanks."

"Hard to get I see."

She shrugged casually, "More like hopelessly taken."

He sent her a questioning look, clearly interested in her almost non-existent love life.

He seemed nice enough to keep a secret and to be honest, she needed to stop keeping everything bottled up. Maybe telling one stranger would help relieve her of some of the weight.

"Just a guy I like," she laughed as he wiggled his eyebrows mockingly.

The smile on his face was breathtaking and she wondered if she met him first, would she like him over Maddox? Clearly he had a more open and honest personality, he seemed to want to make others laugh and be content. Not to forget that he could and most definitely has charmed the pants off some multiple girls.

But the thing she liked about Maddox was that when he smiled, it was rare. When something is rare, it become ten times more valuable.

"Oooohh I am sooooo ready for this conversation," he squealed excitedly throwing his hands up.

She shook her head with amusement on her face watching as he acted so child-like.

"Maybe another time," she said with a smile, "I really have to get to class."

Just as she started to take a step to the left to walk around him, he quickly stepped in front of her again.

"Well at least tell me who the guy is," he said tilting his head to the side.

She gave him a pointed look, but they both knew she was just messing around. He threw his hands up in mock surrender.

"Hey a guy's gotta know who his competition is. Aren't I right?"

His words registered in her brain and immediately a blush started to dot her cheeks. This guy was certainly blunt.

She threw her head back laughing, "Believe me, you could certainly challenge him, but sadly I'm a little too...in like with him to like someone else."

He raised his eyebrows, "In like?"

"In like," she repeated with a nod, "well I'm most certainly not in the 'in love' phase you know? That's for later, if he actually ever likes me which will never happen so...." she trailed off with a shrug.

"Well a name would still help me out," he tried once more, "to you know...figure out why you're so in like with him."

She stared at him with furrowed eyebrows contemplating if she should give herself away. She knew she shouldn't though, but this boy was relentless and she sort of wanted to help him out.

"He's a quiet, reserved asshat who makes me go insane cause he's so back and forth, but even after being an idiotic douche, I still like him," she sighed.

Shrugging, she started walking away.

"So that's a no?" the guy yelled out from behind.

"Ask another girl," she yelled back laughing as she walked towards her class.

"Okay but you never answered my question!" he yelled back as she walked further and further away from him.

"Yes I was talking to my butt don't judge me!" she quickly responded before giving him a small wave and leaving him to ponder at her words.

She chose not to question why the guy decided he liked her out of all the options he's probably seen in his life. She chose to ignore that maybe he was messing with her, like a prank. Instead, she just appreciated the little moment.

She honestly needed that.

Even though her morning left her in a good mood for the first half of the day, it wasn't enough to keep her cheery for the second half.

The bell rang signaling the junior lunches.

In her school in particular, all juniors had the same lunch. The same applied to the seniors. The school board knew that everyone wanted to hang out with their friends during that time so they decided to make juniors and seniors all have the same lunches with the rest of their grades since those years were after all, the last two years of high school. Freshman and sophomores didn't all share the same lunches however, the school believed those were the years to branch out and make new friends and whatnot.

She gathered her books in her arms before getting up and making a beeline for the bathroom as soon as she left her 5th period class.

Entering the empty bathroom, she exhaled the breath she didn't even know she was holding as she realized she was alone.

Looking at herself in the mirror, she stared at her ratty brown hair and sunken in cheeks. The dark circles under her eyes didn't add to her attractiveness and she sighed as she tried to find something to love about herself.

Bland.

But soon enough, a small smile bloomed on her lips. Even if she couldn't find something to like about her herself, she knew there had to be something.

Otherwise why would the nameless boy hit on her?

Maybe he was just being nice. No. She shook her head to remove those thoughts out of her head. She had to stop making herself less than she really was. How was she ever supposed to learn to love herself if she never tried?

Grabbing her books in her hands, she gave herself another glance in the mirror.

Beautiful.

She repeated that in her head as she made her way to the bathroom door to leave. Just as she was about to turn the handle to open the door, someone else already did from the other side. She came face to face with her sister's bitchy cronies. Obviously Aralyn was no where to be seen. If she were, then her cronies wouldn't treat Evelyn so harshly.

Everyone knew Aralyn loved her sister, but even her popularity wouldn't save Evelyn front the torture the town puts her through.

Her eyes widened and she backed away, her body started to nervously shake. She held on to her books tighter, so tight that her knuckles started to turn a sickly shade of pale white.

Maya Gold stood confidently before Evelyn, her lips smacking together as she chewed a piece of gum as obnoxiously as a cow chewing grass. Her dark, curled to perfection locks bounced perfectly, framing her face as she stared down at Evelyn with a subtle smirk on her face.

"Didn't know I'd be seeing you so soon Evelyn," she said dragging out Evelyn's name.

Evelyn knew it would happen eventually. Everyone stayed clear of her once they realized she was friends with Maddox, but after a week of just Evelyn and just Maddox, they realized the friendship was long over. They kept their distance for a while, but a week was enough to let them know that Evelyn was free bait once again.

"Just let me go," Evelyn quietly pleaded as Tara and Casey, two other girls started to back her into a corner.

"And why would I do that," Maya innocently said batting her eyes, "We just got you."

Her eyes narrowed at Evelyn as her fists tightened angrily, "Its a surprise you managed to keep Maddox for so long. Were you that good of a fuck? Or let me guess, you never could give it up huh?"

Evelyn didn't want to say a thing, the three girls in front of her didn't know shit about her and Maddox. No one in the school knew about anything between her and Maddox. Maddox was her getaway from reality and he may not be anymore, but the other reality he led her into was a reality she wanted to keep between them.

She owed him that much.

"I don't have to tell you anything," she bit back a little annoyed, "so just back the hell off."

Maya looked a little taken aback by her sudden surge of confidence, but clearly not enough to stop pressing Evelyn's buttons.

She took an intimidating step forward and let her high heeled foot step on Evelyn's open toed flat. Evelyn suppressed a scream as the girl in front of her slammed her head against the cement tiled wall.

Before Maya could do any worse, the door burst open as another girl entered. Tiana casually strolled into the bathroom before realizing she had interrupted something.

Her eyes widened a little at the scene before she masked her shock and relaxed a little bit.

"Oh sorry am I interrupting?"

Maya nodded, rolling her eyes. "Yeah you are actually. We'll meet you in the cafeteria T."

Evelyn felt like crying as she felt the blood trail down the side of her temple from the impact of her skull against the wall. Luckily Maya didn't hurt her enough to cause much serious damage. She stood helplessly in front of all of them with no one to save her.

Tiana nodded her head before taking a step back before rolling her eyes. She quickly walked closer to them before stepping in between Maya and Evelyn.

"Whatever the hell you think you're doing, I suggest you walk the fuck away," she venomously said. Her voice was calm yet deadly as she glared at Maya

"And why do you care?" Maya shot back irritated.

"I care because she didn't do shit to you. You just love to hurt her because it gives you some kind of psychotic adrenaline rush," she said with her hands on her hips, "I seriously suggest that you go check yourself into a mental hospital because you're on the path to becoming a serial killer or something."

She took an intimidating step closer to Maya and the heels she wore only added to her tall height and she stood an inch or two higher than the bitch in front of her.

"Hurt her again and believe me, I will make sure your family's partnership with Mave & Reeves and Lohan Industries is cut loose," she let a smirk draped over her features, "And we both know that your daddy's company certainly needs the funding or else you'll go bankrupt."

Maya stood still with anger surging through her veins. Sadly, she could do nothing but listen.

Tiana grabbed Evelyn's books which were now spread across the floor before quickly grabbing Evelyn's hand and detouring them out of the bathroom. She didn't stop for them to rest or anything and instead rushed them into the cafeteria. A hush fell over everyone as they noticed the most popular girl in school carefully maneuvering Evelyn to a table near the glass windowed walls on the right side of the cafeteria.

"Here sit down," Tiana quietly mumbled before grabbing some tissues and a small antiseptic cotton pad from her bag.

Evelyn gave her a confused look.

"You're bleeding Evelyn, remember? I didn't bring you to the nurse because it didn't seem like you really wanted to explain to or tell the nurse what exactly happened," she gently said with a sympathetic smile on her face.

Evelyn merely nodded, her head still spinning from the impact it took. She raised her eyes to watch Tiana carefully clean the cut on her temple. "Why do you conveniently have a first-aid kit in your backpack?" she couldn't help but ask out of curiosity.

Tiana stilled and her cheeks flushed in embarrassment. "Oh," she nervously giggled offering Evelyn a peak at her big doe eyes that Evelyn couldn't help but envy.

"Well you know about Maddox's matches right?" Tiana paused before speaking too quickly for Evelyn to respond. "I'm so stupid of course you know," she laughed to herself, "I keep it for his injuries. I think by now you can tell he cares very little for his cuts and bruises so I usually patch him up afterwards."

Tiana awkwardly continued tending to Evelyn's cut, choosing to avoid eye contact anymore. Evelyn's heart constricted.

In pain? She wasn't sure. It could be appreciation, who knew?

She never really took the time to think much about Maddox and Tiana. She never really bothered to remember that Tiana was a part of Maddox's life. She assumed she was there for a good lay, but she failed to realize that Tiana could've been something more.

Maddox could've been something more to Tiana.

And Evelyn didn't even take her feelings into account. God she felt bad.

"Thank you Tiana," she quietly whispered, her voice still lost from the events that happened a few minutes ago, but needing to convey her gratefulness for the sweet girl in front of her.

"No problem," she waved Evelyn off as she gently treated Evelyn's injuries.

Evelyn sat still, thinking about what just happened. She wasn't sure why Tiana's words affected her so much, but they did. This girl in front of her cared immensely for Maddox and she's the same girl who nudged Maddox towards her. Towards Evelyn.

That must've hurt. To let go of someone you cared for deeply. As she tried to catch Tiana's eyes, she sighed at her failed attempts.

She understood why Tiana didn't make eye contact. Her eyes would show the love she held for Maddox, and it was humiliating admitting that to the girl who took him from her. Evelyn couldn't blame her. Tiana loved a boy who didn't care enough.

Evelyn hoped that wouldn't be the case with her though.

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