14.

I leaned back in my seat, yawning and stretching like a cat after sleeping through the entire lecture, my limbs somewhat stiff and my mind still foggy as I took a few seconds to gather my bearings, absently watching the classroom rapidly empty out as David had nudged me awake right before the bell rang.

"Sorry, hope I didn't drool on you," I told David with a smile as we both got up and gathered our things, earning myself an amused chuckle.

"It's okay, at least I got to take funny pictures of your scrunched-up face," He jokingly replied, comically mimicking a a passed-out and open-mouthed expression as I stepped into the corridor between the rows of desks and allowed him to exit as well as he'd sat in the seat positioned right next to the wall.

"Heeey!" I threw him a pretend pouty glower, making him bark out another laugh and show me his phone, implying that it was all in there before quickly turning around to leave.

"Gimme that!" I yelled after him, breaking into a brisk walk as I followed him straight to the door.

"David!" I increased my speed as I noticed that he refused to turn around or even stop to wait for me, quickly squeezing through our last few classmates that were also trying to get out of the classroom.

"I mean it, dude!" I shouted after him as I finally got out and watched him lazily walk down the hallway, rapidly following him until I'd gotten right behind him. And once I did, I grabbed his arm and started to play-wrestle with him for the damn phone, making him laugh as he easily dodged my every move, frustrating me to no end.

"Aargh, dude, not fair!"

I was about to try another tactic and tickle him instead when my sister standing right next to her locker with Kayla and watching us suddenly drew my attention, just in time to notice exactly who was about to approach them from behind.

Oh no you won't.

Heart beating faster and veins already filling with adrenaline and fright, I didn't waste a single second more and broke into a sprint straight towards the sadistic bitch, successfully intercepting her before Dre even had the chance to turn around and notice her.

"Go. away. or I will make a scene," I quietly seethed through gritted teeth as I challengingly stood right in front of her, watching the bitch's eyelashes flutter as she glanced over my shoulder for a second, her lower lip trembling as her bloodshot eyes turned glassy, hesitating a single moment longer before she abruptly turned around and stormed away without a single word.

Fucking hell.

I shakily exhaled with relief and closed my eyes for a brief moment, casually noticing David staring at me with a rather somber look as I opened them and turned around before my gaze shifted towards the other wall of lockers, my heart flipping as soon as our eyes met.

He quietly held my gaze, holding his brooding stance as well as he watched me stalk towards him, my body though still filled with rage and adrenaline as I defiantly looked up into his vivid green eyes and growled out,

"Listen, you better keep that dog of yours on a tighter leash, because if I catch her once again anywhere near my sister I will fucking rip her head off, I don't care where in the seven circles of hell she has spawned from, I will fucking break her stupid giraffe neck!"

Complete silence followed, the sounds of my own shallow breathing being the only ones ringing in my ears as he refused to even move a muscle let alone react, those emerald orbs intently tracing over my facial features for a few seconds as if searching for something until they fell on that scarring wound between my neck and shoulder, making me involuntarily reminisce those exact moments of its creation.

My stance abruptly faltered, eyes going wide as I unconsciously placed a hand over it as if trying to protect it from him -the very one that created it- my heart now crazily pumping for a completely different reason as before I could even try to control myself and continue confronting him I gave in to fear and ran away like a scared little girl.

**

I dejectedly sat in my usual seat at the cafeteria, playing around with a fry in my plate as the girls and David chatted around me, their words drowned out as my mind continuously revolved around what happened earlier today in the hallway.

I was afraid of him. He'd managed to terrorize me into fearing him so much that I couldn't even stand my ground. Hell, I couldn't even look him in the eyes without having to feel that certain tremor within my heart, urging me to turn the other way and run as fast as possible.

Fuck.

I swore under my breath as my gaze stealthily trailed in the direction of their table, disheartened to feel the way my body immediately reacted as soon as our eyes met.

Fuck fuck fuck.

I lowered my gaze and pushed back a rebellious strand behind my ear, taking slow and hearthy breaths of air as I struggled to calm myself down.

"Hey Care, have you bought a dress yet?"

My brows furrowed, raising my gaze to meet Kayla's as I stared at her, completely clueless.

"Huh, what?"

"The dress dude, the prom dress! Have you bought it yet?" She pointed out with a hint of exasperation.

"Don't mind her, she's still sleeping. She's been sleeping through every single period we had so far," Jess butted in with a giggle before I could even try to answer, receiving a eye-roll from me.

Whatever. I don't give two flying shits about that stupid prom and that stupid dress right now, was what I really wanted to say, but because I knew that it would totally ruin the mood for them and my sister, most of all, I kept my mouth shut instead and gave them a fake-excited smile, watching them laugh like a bunch of twelve year-olds.

"We have to go shooooopiiiiing!!!" Kayla shrieked and clapped her hands with a little bit too much excitement, inadvertently drawing the attention of half of the population currently occupying the cafeteria as well.

Feeling that nagging pressure of being watched, my gaze automatically darted back to that certain table, just in time to notice the way they were all five now awkwardly staring between David and I, as if there was something inherently wrong about our closeness.

"Doesn't it bother them that you're here, hanging around with us everyday?" The words quietly rolled off my tongue before I could even think about it, a hundred per cent sure that he had heard me, even through the girls' incessant chattering and laughter.

"I can hang out with whoever I want,"

I quickly turned my head to the side to look at him, noticing the cute and carefree smile dancing on his lips as his warm brown eyes peered right back into mine, taking me completely off-guard.

Whoah.

"They're not a superior society I'm forced to answer to, if that's what you're thinking," He added with a wink, leaving me entirely speechless as for some reason, I could feel my cheeks growing hotter and my heart pumping just a tad bit faster, mildly affected by that look in his eyes, that sweet smile and his general kindness.

"Speaking of, what do you say? Should we match?"

I blinked a few times in response, entirely lost.

"Huh? What?"

"The outfits. It's a Halloween-themed prom, remember?"

"Oh," I immediately lowered my gaze and let out an embarrassed chuckle, weirded-out by my own bodily reactions.

What the hell, Carrie? Get a fucking grip!

I lightly shook my head, about to answer his previous question when the presence of another body in my peripheral vision suddenly drew my attention, surprised to notice that Christian guy from Satan's clique now standing so close to our table, his gaze so intently trained on the interaction between David and I as he quietly stood and watched us.

What the hell?

I was about to ask him what the fuck was his problem when his attention abruptly shifted, his gaze now trained on an awestruck Kayla as she kept gazing up at him as if he was a freaking god.

Jesus.

"Hey, can I talk to you for a sec?" He sweetly asked her, making her practically swoon for a moment as she continued to stare at him, speechless.

"In private?" He added, a little bit unsure after noticing that she wasn't even moving a muscle, let alone answer.

Almost immediately, she turned her head to look at me, giving me one of those sick puppy looks of hers in the search for my approval, and with a small sigh, I gave her an almost imperceptible nod, making her grin like a damn child in a candy store as she finally answered his question,

"Sure,"

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