The moment I opened the door, every eye turned to Eleanor and me, and gasps filled the air. Everyone looked at us as if they were staring at the most bizarre phenomenon. Well, they were not that wrong. Eleanor and I appearing suddenly, with my front practically touching her back and my hand on her lower back guiding her inside was a bizarre phenomenon.

Eleanor was rooted in her place and if it was not for my gentle push and presence behind her I was sure as hell she had run for the hills by now.

"Ah, thank you for showing up at last, Mr. Harrington." said the teacher mockingly, and Eleanor and I turned to him. His eyes obviously softened and he smiled when he saw his favorite student in front of me. "And it's great to see you again, Miss James."

I ignored all of those dumbasses who were looking at us incredulously and walked to the teacher and gave him the two slips that the principal had given us and whispers raised in the class.

"We have slips." I said shortly. As the teacher examined the slips I looked over my shoulder at Eleanor who had were staring intently at her shoes and was biting her bottom lip. Her eyes were full of anxiety. The carefree girl that was in my car half an hour ago was long gone and God I hate to see her anxious.

"Okay, sit down. Both of you." said the teacher.

Eleanor was quick to rush toward her friend, Chase's crush, Mia. I watched as Eleanor took her seat and nodded when Mia whispered something in her ear angrily. I looked ahead and saw Chase sitting at our usual seats at the back of the class, looking at me with raised eyebrows.

"Wow, man." he said as we did a bro handshake and I sat down. "Now I know how you were busy last night. What a surprise. Finally, the saint Mary gave in. I didn't know you were into her. How was she in the bed?"

"Don't," I growled and looked at Chase sharply, hating the fact that most students will think the same. "It's not what you think. We will skip the next class. I will explain everything."

Of course, I would say everything to Chase. He was my brother. Maybe not by blood, but by soul and heart. We knew everything about each other. I couldn't keep something like this from him. I trusted him to keep Eleanor's secret and at the same time I needed to talk to someone about my new emotions or I would explode.

He looked at me a bit confused but didn't ask anymore. He nodded and turned back to stare at the back of Mia's head as always. I don't know why he hadn't asked her out already. He was into her for two years now and didn't have any girlfriends because of her. As much as Mia appears to be tough, I'm sure she can't resist Chase's charms.

This time, I joined him and stared at the back of Eleanor's head. Who would have thought a petit and shy girl like her who barely talks, turn out to be such a strong and fantastic girl? She is just perfect in every aspect and I was lucky to finally see her in this light, and I was hell-bent to help her out of the shit she was going through.

And her personality is another thing that has attracted me to her, like a butterfly to the candlelight. It was as if suddenly I could see the other side of her and get to know her hidden self. She is such a sweet angel. She is so kind and caring and so soft.

Her eyes, oh her mesmerizing eyes that are windows to her soul can calm me down in instant and melt my heart. I couldn't help this new feeling. I just wanted to stay close to her all the time. I had this sudden urge in myself to have her attention on me all the time. To have her care for me and make me feel worthy.

For the whole class, I just sat on my seat, drowned in my thoughts about her and staring intently at her. The bell's blaring sound snapped me out of my thoughts. I blinked several times and saw Mia dragging Eleanor out of the class, probably to interrogate her.

"Okay," chirped Chase and stood up while slinging his backpack on his shoulder and gazing at me smugly. "Let's leave before Lara comes to slaughter you. Two of her minions were in the class and were constantly typing on their phones, surely reporting what they saw."

"As if I'm afraid of her." I rolled my eyes and stood up as well, grabbing my bag. "Let's go grab some coffee from that cafe down the street. You will need it and a cigarette pack."

So an hour ago, I had told Chase everything, from my accident to this morning when I had stepped into the class. We were in a small park near the school. I had sat on the short wall of the park and Chase was leaning on his car with a cigarette in his hand. That was his 4th one already.

Chase was not that bad too. He had heart. He enjoyed causing chaos and trouble but just like me, he had limits. I witness guilt and shock filling his eyes as I told him about Eleanor's life and what she had gone through because of my prank.

Now he looked deep in thought, supporting a deep frown on his face while looking at his shoes. "Well, that was one fucked up story." he said and looked up, taking a long drag from his stick. He threw it away and came and hopped on top of the park's wall and we both stared ahead.

"Thanks to heavens you got to know what has happened." he groaned and rubbed his face with both hands. "Or, oh dear lord we would be worse than the devil himself. We had ruined her for sure. I feel like shit."

"Welcome to my new world, mate." I replied and patted his back. "I was feeling like this for a day. Even now, I still feel guilty."

"Does your brother still hire?" asked Chase and glanced at me. "I want to work there too. With the same condition."

"I don't think she will accept this time." I said and ran a hand through my hair. "She will reject your offer and if you insist, I'm sure she will leave the job to keep her pride."

"Okay, I won't give her my salary," said Chase. "But still I want to work there too. I can't let my best buddy work alone and on his own now, can I? Plus, I will have my father off of my case. He is pestering me none stop to do something."

"Just wait for two weeks then," I sighed. "She is slowly getting used to me around her. Adding you around suddenly only adds to her anxiety and I don't want her more anxious. She has enough on her plate already."

I glanced at Chase when I faced silence from his side and found him staring at me strangely. There was a smile on his face, but a simple smile, not a smirk or a smug smile.

"What?" I frowned as I eyed him suspiciously. It was just so unlike him.

"You really do care for her, don't you?" he asked out of the blue, taking me by surprise. I just stared at him with wide eyes. "You do. You were staring at her the whole class, like a kid who is starting into the candy shop, and now you are protecting her again. You like her."

"She is just different." I shrugged and looked away, still aware of Chase's intense stare on the side of my face. "But fuck a good difference. Despite the shit I caused for her, she has thanked me thousands of times since yesterday and instead of hating my guts and cursing me to death, she was about to hit me hard because I talked about my life lowly. She calls a shit like me worthy."

I ran a hand through my hair and continued, needing to pour out these confusing emotions. I looked at Chase who still had that stupid soft smile on and was looking at me like Jax had done last night, with pride.

"Fuck, Chase! She made me smile and grin so many times like a fucking idiot just with her smile. God! I feel like my insides fucking melt at the sight of her happy eyes or hearing her angelic voice. Have I gone fucking crazy?"

I was panting at the end of my loud confession. Chase let out a laugh and shook his head while patting my back. "No, man." he said and looked up into my eyes again. "You simply found it."

"Found it?" I asked dumbfounded. Has he gone mad too?

"Don't you remember?" asked Chase. "Lately you were not satisfied with your relationship with Lara. You kept saying that you seek something more. I think you were seeking this, mate. To have someone like Eleanor James by your side. Someone to care for your sorry ass and tame you. Someone to protect. And she is exactly the one for you."

"What should I do?" I sighed defeated and ran my hands through my messy hair, knowing deep down that he was right. Why I was asking Chase of all people as if he was my fucking psychologist or something? His experience in relationships was the same as mine if not less.

"Nothing." he said and looked forward with a solemn face. His eyes were distant. "Just don't jump on the poor girl. Give both of you time to get to know each other, especially her. To have girls like she and Mia we need to be patient."

Shit! I knew he really liked Mia but not this much. "You really like Mia, don't you?" I asked softly.

"Man, I can't fucking stop comparing any girl that walks my way with her and find her way better than them." he said and gave me a half-sad smile. He took a deep breath and jumped down the wall. "Okay, let's stop talking like two love-sick puppies. Let's go back to school. You should do something about Lara."

"God, I don't want to hear her crap." I answered and jumped down too, fishing my phone out, and groaned instantly. "She is clingy as fuck. 187 missed calls and 56 messages, all threatening me to answer her and tell her where I am."

Chase stopped before opening the driver's door and looked at me seriously. "You really need to do something about Lara, Chris." he said dead serious. His tone was enough to alert me if the use of my name was not.

"Lara can be a true bitch if she wants." he continued. "But that is not what I'm afraid of. She can be a devil too. She is a brat who gets everything she wants. I'm afraid she hurts Eleanor. you should protect your girl, man."

"Fuck! I have not thought about it." I cursed with wide eyes. "I should have not left her alone at school."

"Don't worry." said Chase and gestured for me to get in the car. he continued when we were both inside the car. "I'm sure she is with her friends and as much as I hate that Miller boy, but I think he is capable of taking care of her. The fucker likes her a lot."

At hearing his words I glared at him hard. Only thinking about her with any other boys stirred some bad feeling inside of my heart. I kinda was thankful that because me being Eleanor's bully, no boys had dared to look her way, although I had seen them staring at her with not innocent eyes when she would walk in the corridors with a dropped head.

"Don't kill me with your eyes." grunted Chase as he drove toward school. "Call her instead and check if she is fine or not."

"Shit!" I cursed and looked ahead with wide eyes. "I don't have her number."

"Are you fucking kidding me, now?" yelled Chase shocked and looked at me incredulously, almost getting us killed by losing control of the car for a moment. "You have the number of almost every girl in our grade. That's what you do the first moment they see them. But you were with her all yesterday afternoon and this morning and didn't ask for her fucking number?"

"I forgot, okay?" I defended myself. "I didn't think about it. Just fucking take us to school faster."

Chase let out a string of profanities under his breath and began to drive over the speed limit and we were at school in no time. It was lunchtime and people were scattered around the school perimeter.

Everyone was looking at me weirdly and I could hear them whisper to each other when Chase and I walked past them toward the cafeteria. I ignored everyone and clenched my fists, keeping my stone-cold face. I had more important matters to take care of. After hearing Chase's words I had suddenly become too nervous for her safety.

We burst through the doors of the cafeteria, making everyone fall silent and look at us. My eyes roamed around the cafeteria, searching for her dark brown curly hair between the pile of students. I didn't find her, but instead, I heard the screeching voice of my fucking girlfriend.

"Chris, baby." she called out loudly, surely starting a scene. I was sure as hell that she wanted to claim me right in front of everyone and put an end to the rumors that were spreading around for sure.

Chase and I turned her way and watched her and her minions walking toward us, all of them wearing short shorts and tight tank tops, all wearing high heels, and all looking like sluts with heavy makeup.

Lara had her fake smile plastered on her face but I could see fire dripping from her eyes. She was furious. But so was I. Goodness me. How the hell had I accepted her as my girlfriend? How could I be so blind to Eleanor and bully her instead of worshiping her?

"Baby, where have you been?" she purred and latched to my arm, making sure to squeeze my arm hardly. Thankfully, it was my fine arm. The girl was slim but was strong for sure. "I was worried."

She pouted that only made me disgusted and tried to kiss my lips, but I took my head away and didn't let her red-painted lips land on my face. She glared at me hard, but I ignored her and pried my arm from her hands a bit harshly.

"Not now, Lara." I grunted and continued my search for Eleanor, feeling more frustrated by the second when I couldn't spot her anywhere.

"What is wrong with you?" screeched Lara and put her hands on her hips. "So the rumors are true? Is that because of that bitch?"

Okay, she tested my patience, and it was fucking short. I turned to her and took a menacing step toward her. "Don't.Ever.Call.Her.That." I hissed angrily and emphasized each word, praying she gets the message and ends this scene.

But like I said before, she was a dumb brat. She was shocked a bit hearing my threat, but she composed herself soon and returned my glare, fisting her hands that I don't know how it was possible with that bitchy nails of her.

"What have you seen in that poor bitch?" she yelled angrily. "I'm your fucking girlfriend. I don't let that ugly witch enchant you with her mousy behavior. Do you hear me? I'm.your.girlfriend."

Now, everyone was looking at us with wide eyes. Even the staff of the cafeteria. I looked up at the ceiling trying to control my anger. If she wanted to act like a bitch, then I would match her.

"I didn't want to do it this way and in front of everyone." I said coldly and looked down at her with void eyes. "But you left me no choice. We are done, Lara. Don't call yourself my girlfriend anymore. We are nothing."

Everyone including Lara herself gasped hard. Lara's shock soon replaced itself with raging anger and she looked at me with blazing eyes. "Was she this good in bed that you are replacing me with her this easily? Were you cheating me with her?" she screeched and Chase flinched disgustedly at hearing her nasty voice.

I was so angry before. But what she said and what she said next, made me see red. "Has she shown you her true sluty self?" scoffed Lara. "She is deceiving you, you idiot. I'm sure she was quick to open her legs for you just for a penny."

In a second, I pinned her to the wall beside us, making her yelp from both pain and fear. I growled satisfied when I finally saw fear in her eyes as she looked up into my furious eyes.

"Now listen, and listen well, you bitch." I snarled loudly, making sure everyone hear me. "Care how you fucking talk about her in front of me. Your nasty mind can't even comprehend what a pure soul she is. She has more dignity than you and your fucking family combined. So next time you open your mouth to talk shit about her, make sure you make an appointment with a beauty doctor first. Because your face won't be like this after."

I pushed myself away from her and turned to everyone who was still staring at me with eyes that were popping out of their sockets at any moment. "The last threat includes anyone who dares to talk illy about Eleanor James." I announced loudly, making sure everyone hear it. "We are just friends, so stop talking shit and assuming wrong. But even if I want us to be more, it's none of your fucking business. So shut your traps and mind your own fucking business."

Everyone was fast to look away, not taking my threat loosely. I huffed satisfied and turned my head a bit to my right, only to see Mia standing there with a tray of food in her hands, staring at me with wide eyes and an agape mouth. I took a step toward her and opened my mouth to ask about Eleanor's whereabouts, but the next second she darted out of the cafeteria's double doors before Chase and I can stop her.

Well, Fuck! I hope Eleanor won't be scared out of her wits and distance herself from me when she hears about the big bang I created. Because I was sure as hell that I couldn't bare any distance between us anymore.

I wanted her, and I wanted her bad.

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A/N: Hi, guys. I hope you liked this chapter. Please vote and write a comment if you like the story and this chapter. Your votes and comments are what encourage me to write more and update faster.

Thank you so much

Ela :)))))))