One fucking week.

That was how long had passed since the incident at the diner. That was how long I had not seen the poor nerd and one fucking week of sleepless nights for me.

I couldn't help it. The last look she gave me before walking away will forever remain in my memories. Her eyes, those blue eyes full of despair, sadness, disappointment, pain, anger, and helplessness would hunt me for the rest of my life.

We hadn't had a plan to go to that diner that night. We were at the area that night by chance and decided to stop there for dinner. We had once gone there at the start of the summer and I can swear she was not working there at that time.

Okay, I should admit maybe I went too far. I never meant for her to get fired. I didn't expect her boss to be that short temper. I mean accidents like that happen all time, right? She must have caused too many problems for her boss to be fired. At least that was what I kept telling myself.

When she didn't come to school the next day, I didn't look too much into it. But as the days passed and she didn't show up again, that was when I began to wonder about the reason for her absence. That was when I began to look around in corridors and classes for her.

It was only a job. I knew they were poor but losing a part-time job wouldn't harm her in any way, would it? Her parents would pay for her. It was not like she spent too much money on herself. Her clothes were all old and she never put on makeup or showed up at parties or any teenage activities.

But her eyes that night when she looked at me after her boss fired her will be the death of me. I couldn't sleep since then. Whenever I would close my eyes I could see her eyes. She even didn't fucking curse. She didn't need to in fact. The way she looked at me like I'm the worst person ever was enough to shake my ego and soul.

Now it was the Monday of the next week and she was not in AP calculus again. She was a nerd. It was too odd for her to not show up and it was bugging me like crazy. I didn't approach her friends to ask about her. The way they both, especially that dumbass, Miller, would glare daggers at me was enough for me to know they knew about what had happened.

I didn't know why I was caring that much. She was no one to me. I despised her existence. She was only the poor nerd for me. But still, there was this fucking nagging feeling inside of my head to get news of her, to at least know how she was.

And here I fucking was. Standing in front of the principal's office in my free period, kicking myself in my head. I never was here willingly, only when I had caused trouble.

Fuck my damn conscious ...

"Mr. Harrington."

I turned and saw Sarah, the secretory walking my way. She was a young woman and had saved my ass a few times. She was beautiful and quite clever and was one of the few people in this hell hole that I didn't hate.

"What are you doing here? In trouble again?" she asked while opening the door of the office and walking to her desk.

"No, um," I said and followed her inside. I stood in front of her desk and fidgeted on my feet not knowing what to say. Why the fuck was I there? I couldn't just ask where she was. What about my reputation?

Sarah raised her eyebrows and looked at me exceptantly. "Well?" she asked patiently.

"I, um, I'm here to report a student absence." I blurted out of nowhere and did my best to not cringe at my pathetic response. "Yes, I'm here to report someone's absence. She had not appeared in any of our classes since last Monday."

Sarah smirked slightly. She knew there was more in my sudden action. I was not that type of student to give a shit about these kinds of stuff. I wanted to knock my head to the wall when she bit her inner cheek to stop herself from smirking more.

Thankfully she looked down and began to organize the papers on her desk. "That's very rich of you, Mr. Harrington." she said. "but teachers will report students' absence to us. You didn't have to come this far to report. Thank you so much."

"Okay, Okay," I sighed and rubbed my face. "I just want to know where the fuck she is. And don't you dare to think like that. I'm just curious why the nerd is not at school."

This time she didn't hide the huge smirk that formed on her lips. She looked up into my eyes with a mischievous glint in her eyes and I would have punched her if she was not a woman. Damn her. She just added herself to the list of those I hate.

"What's her name?" she asked while sitting on her desk and unlocking her computer.

"Eleanor James." I said and put my clammy hands on the edge of her desk, eager to know the answer.

"Oh, miss James." said Sarah and looked up. She didn't even search for anything as if she already knew the reason for James's absence. My heart sank when I saw sadness flashing in her eyes for a second and her next words were like pouring a bucket of ice on my head. "She quit school last week."

What the fuck!

"Quit?" I asked in disbelief. "What do you mean? Do you mean she has changed schools?"

"No, Mister." she said. "She quit school. The reason is unknown to us. She didn't give us any reasons and based on law she could quit and unfortunately we couldn't stop her. Though it's a shame. She was quite a talented student. A great future could have been awaiting her."

I should say I didn't hear any of the things that Sarah said. Eleanor quit couldn't have been because of what I did. Could it? No! No of course not. It was just a simple silly part-time job for a teenager. And if she hated me that much she could simply change schools. It's not like our high school is the only one in the town.

But why suddenly did guilt tug at my heart? Why did my breathing become uneven as my heartbeat increased? Her eyes, God her fucking eyes? Could I have hurt her that much?

"Harrington!"

Sarah's sharp voice snapped me out of my thoughts and I looked at her with wide eyes. "Please leave if you have your answer." she said. "Principal will return anytime and it's best if she doesn't see you around."

I gulped, nodded, and slowly left the office. Disturbing thoughts suddenly attacked me as I aimlessly wandered in the corridors. My wandering feet soon took me to my salvage, the football field and I found myself sitting on the bench and burying my head in my hands as disturbing thoughts consumed me.

For the next hour, I did my best to convince myself that her quitting school had nothing to do with me. It couldn't have been because of losing her job. No teenager was this dependent on their jobs. She looked poor, but surely her parents could support her until she finds another part-time job as a teenager and that was not hard at all.

I even don't know why I made her fall that night. Maybe it was just the fact that she was wearing that fucker's sweater. I didn't like their relationship at all. They both were too good.

Her quitting should have had another reason for sure. It was just an accident that her firing and her quitting school had happened less than 24 hours after each other. My small mind and the loaded life I have lived wouldn't let me think otherwise.

Soon I heard the faint sound of the bell and I knew it was lunchtime. I sighed before getting up and walking toward the cafeteria. I found my group of friends sitting with boys from the football team at our usual table.

Chase was the first to see me and frowned a bit probably because I should have looked like shit.

"Hey, mate." he said after I greeted my other friends and sat beside him. "Where the hell did you vanish suddenly? You didn't even show up for the third period. Lara is having a fit. She is practically interrogating every girl at school because she thinks you were cheating on her." he said and made a sarcastic face.

"She can go fuck herself." I grumbled as I ran a hand through my messy hair. "I hate that bitch and how clingy she can be."

"Back to the question." whispered Chase. "Where were you, buddy? You even made me a bit worried. You didn't answer your phone too. And to be honest, you look like shit."

I couldn't tell where I was to Chase. He was my best friend, yes, but still, I didn't want him to think I have gone soft just because of a girl like Eleanor.

Since when did I begin to call her Eleanor?

"Was it the big bad wolf?" asked Chase sarcastically, using the nickname he has chosen for my father. "Did he call you or something?"

"Not now, Chase." I grunted as I stabbed my fries with my fork and shoved some in my mouth.

That is why Chase is my best friend. He knew when I'm really shitty to not bug me and instead help to make me feel better. He nodded his head and soon we were both engaged in conversation with others. I was talking; I was laughing, but deep down the thought of Eleanor was bugging me.

"Chris!"

I cringed at hearing Lara shouting. Everyone became silent and behold the entrance of the mighty cheerleader and her minions. I didn't even turn to her not in the mood for her shit. But I could hear the clicking of heels walking toward our table.

Soon her arms were wrapped around my neck and she tried to kiss my lips but I dodged my face and her red painted lips landed on my cheek instead. "hey, Lara." I said disinterestedly, hoping she get the message and get the fuck away but the frown on her face and the angry glint in her eyes were telling me she won't go away anytime soon or without a fight.

"Where were you?" she asked a bit harshly and tried to sit on my lap, but I gently stopped her, aware of all the eyes that were fixed on us and the shit I would get from the bitch later. But I said. I was not in the mood to be around her annoying self.

"Somewhere." I answered shortly as I pried her arms from my neck.

"What's wrong with you?" she asked annoyed and stood beside me with crossed arms while glaring down at me. "Were you with someone else?"

I rolled my eyes, slowly losing my shit. "Lara, just stop it." I seethed and looked up at her angrily, not missing the tiny ounce of fear in her eyes. Good. She should be scared. I was this close to snapping. "Just go and sit at your table. You are making a scene and I'm not in the fucking mood."

She bent down toward me. "Don't come to my house with blue balls tonight." she hissed in my ear before storming away.

"Bitch." I mumbled under my breath and looked at the eyes that were fixed on me curiously. "What the hell are you looking at? Eat your fucking lunch." I shouted angrily and everyone quickly looked away.

"What the fuck man?" said Chase shocked.

I grabbed my backpack and stormed out of the cafeteria. What the fuck were you doing to me Eleanor fucking James?

The rest of the school day went uneventful. Luckily for me, we had football practice that afternoon so I put all of my frustration and anger into my practice and emptied myself like always, gaining the coach's approval once again.

"You're better?" asked Chase later in the locker rooms when we were changing to our clothes after a shower.

"Yeah. Much more." I answered and gave him a smirk before throwing on a t-shirt. "Football always helps me chill."

"You lost your shit today like no time." snickered Chase while running a towel on his wet hair, making it look messier. "As much as it was entertaining to see Lara storming away like a baby, she will have your balls in a platter later."

"As if I care." I scoffed and glanced at him while putting on my shoes. "What does she want to do? Deprive me of sex? She is not my fucking wife. I'm not forced to stay faithful to her. And practically every girl wants to sleep with me."

All except Eleanor...

My subconscious reminded me quickly making me curse it in my head as nagging thoughts about the girl invaded my mind again.

"She will come back and will cling to me tomorrow as if nothing has happened. She knows she is nothing without me." I finished as I stood up.

"That's fucking right." chuckled Chase and grabbed his back bag while wiggling his eyebrows at me suggestively. "Let's go clubbing tonight. A bit of alcohol and beautiful girls are good for your shitty mood. You have your fake id with you?"

I smirked and grabbed my bag as well. "I even sleep with it at night, man." I answered. "let's go."

Together we walked out of the school and to our cars and soon we were standing in front of Red rose nightclub, one of our lovely hangout places. We sat in a booth in a corner and ordered our favorite wine and whiskey.

An hour later and we were both relaxed after drinking three glasses of alcohol. We were both proud of our alcohol tolerance. Chase had left a few minutes ago to dance with a hot girl he had seen and probably hook up with her later.

I was a bit tipsy but so relaxed. Eleanor's thoughts were long gone. Not wanting to get drunk, I leaned back on my seat and looked lazily around, trying to find a chick for myself to finish the night with. My eyes passed from one of the bartenders in a man's lap in a dark corner without too much care, but suddenly my eyes widened and they snapped back to the girl.

All sounds muffled in my ears when I saw her after a week on that bastard's lap who was twice her age. An odd sensation burned inside of me like fire when I saw her struggling to get away from the man's grip who was obviously drunk. Hot blazing anger surged through my veins when I saw tears in those fearful eyes of her when she pulled her face away so the fucker can't kiss her lips. And the next second I was out of my seat, marching toward her.

Once she was at my arm's length, I grabbed her arm tightly and yanked her out of that bastard's lap. Her fearful eyes found mine and they widened at much as they could. I hated when I saw her always bare of makeup face now caked with it. I hated to see her in those sluty uniforms that showed so much of her milky skin.

But I didn't have time to give her more attention. My blazing eyes got fixed on the bastard who had dared to touch her without her consent and was now glaring and cursing at me. My nostrils were flaring and all I could see was red. I raised my balled hand and landed it full force on the bastard's face, watching him fall out of his chair screaming like a baby.

"Don't touch someone who is not willing to be with you, you fucker." I spat above the music, still clutching Eleanor's arm, grabbing a few people's attention.

I quickly turned on my heels and took long strides toward the backdoor that Chase and I had used once, ignoring Eleanor's pleading to let her go.

"Harrington! Please let go of me." she pleaded again while trying to release herself from my iron grip that surely would leave a bruise on her arm tomorrow.

But I was still seething in anger. So I tightened my hold on her and dragged her more forcefully. For fuck's sake. She couldn't even raise her voice at me while I was manhandling her. She was pleading like a mouse.

"Harrington!" she squeaked when we walked out of the back door and into the dirty alley.

I growled and the next second I pinned her to the wall next to the door, making her yelp from both pain and surprise. I quickly put my hands on both sides of her face and stared into her tearful eyes that were full of fear and desperation.

Tears were now rolling down her face, washing her makeup on the way down. Her mascara was running down with her tears, making her look even more miserable. Her fearful eyes were fixed on me and her hands were on my chest to maintain some distance between us.

"Look, Harrington." she chocked out quietly. Her bottom lip was quivering and I knew she was so close to full-blown crying. "Thank you for saving me. But please leave. I don't want to lose my job."

I glared down at her. My jaw ticked with anger and believe me, I didn't have any control over my next words.

"So this is where you were all week?" I seethed. "In the fucking nightclub, whoring around?"

I watched as her eyes widened like saucers and her lips parted in shock.

I pushed myself away from her and ran a hand through my hair. "And here I was thinking what could have happened to make you quit school." I scoffed and looked at her up and down with disgust. "Are you really that desperate for money to sleep with someone twice your age?"

She opened her mouth to say something but I stop her by raising a hand in front of her. "Just shut it." I snapped and fished out my wallet and pulled out a one hundred dollar bill. I threw the bill at her feet and watched her eyes follow the falling piece of paper down.

I felt disgusted with myself for treating her like that. I hated myself when her body finally began to shake with sobs and she put a hand on her mouse to silence them while still looking at the money on the ground. But I couldn't help it.

For some unknown reason, I was furious like never before. The image of her in that man's lap was killing me. I wanted so bad to go inside to beat the shit out of that fucker. But the dumbass I was focused to shatter the girl in front of me with my words more than before.

"Take it. Is it enough for you for one night? Are they paying you this much for a good fuck?" I asked coldly watching her sinking to her knees, crying her eyes out. "Just go home if you have one. That was enough of you whoring around for one night."

And then I turned on my heels and walked away with balled fists that were trembling with pure hot anger, leaving her on the dirty ground of the alley.

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A/N: Ah, uh :(( I hope you liked this chapter. please let me know by voting and leaving comments.

Thank you so much

Ela:)