chapter 2: Maxine

12 years later.

The cold air of the morning hits me like a ton of bricks. I should have just slept unlike forcing myself to walk through the hallways of my torture chamber which is school and not only that I'm also late for my first class this morning.

"Oh no! I'm going to be late "I scream into the open streets and run straight into the lamp post.

All the books in my hands drop on the sidewalk and get soaked into the mud.Fate is really against me.Oh God please help me! I should have prepared much more earlier.

"Hey four eyes! " A deep voice shouts behind my back. I resist the urge to turn but sadly his annoying voice is like music to my ears so I end up turning to my left and get sprayed with mud in my face.

There are three things that I hate in this world:

The meatloaf at our school cafeteria,the obnoxious cheerleaders at our school and......my biggest bully of all.

Hans Morgan,Hockey captain of Westland high school and the jock of the century.A handsome devil and my worst nightmare. He has always bullied me from elementary school until middle school and now ... highschool. Somehow, he always finds me no matter where I go.We share the same class,his locker is next to mine and sadly we are even neighbors at my street.

I thought that kindergarten would be the last time I saw him but I was wrong. He is like a parasite that won't let me go .

"You need a ride my little peppa pig ? "He smirks and I use all the courage I have not to burst into tears.

"I don't need any,"I mange to say out loud even though I'm very late for my first class. Hans' mouths twitches when he notices my sunken face. He thrives on my misery all the time.

"Sorry I messed up your face.Were you trying to look good for me? "He mocks me and I shrink back in humiliation.

I can't believe he still grew up to be the same person.His personality is awful but his looks make up for it.Everything about Hans is sinful and beautiful at the same time. Not only is he charismatic but he has dark forest green eyes,prefect jawline and a face that makes every girl lose their mind.

"I'm very much okay ,"I force a smile and he cocks his head at me like he already knows I'm lying.

"Too bad ,"he chuckles sadistically,"I would have loved to tease you some more but I have a class to attend to!"

The engine of his bike roars and Hans drives off leaving me at the curb with mud running down my face and my glasses.Thankfully ,my shirt is untouched including the rest of my body. Unlike the typical beautiful girls at our school. I don't have blue eyes or blonde hair.Instead I have waist length black burly hair and amber eyes that look like whiskey under the sunset.

I wipe my face and my glasses and head straight for my school. I should have walked faster but there's no point now that I'm late. I head straight for class trying not to bump into anyone again. I grip the sides of my books and prepare myself for a very long day because I'm not very pleased with the person I'm seating next to.

"You made it four eyes,"His deep voice makes me tremble when I take my seat.

I sink my head and pretend not to notice Hans because I know he notices me.Thankfully,all my classes fly-by quickly.I rush straight to my locker to find my little pink letter. I plan to slip this into Ethan's locker. Ethan is the goalie of our hockey school team and also my class mate.Unlike Hans he treats everyone equally at school. I have had a crush on him since my freshman year and I want to ask him out to prom. It is risky but I want to try.

I run into Olive who is struggling to open her locker yet again.

"Stuck?"I giggle and she grumbles.

Olive is my only friend at Westland highschool. She is completely different from me. Tall and slender with very rich parents.She might seem out of touch with reality but she was the first person to act kind to me.

"No,"she answers groggily and I snicker at her grumpiness.

" Suit yourself,"I smile and open my locker.

"You wouldn't believe it ,"Olive mutters to herself while I clutch the little letter in my hands ,"I saw Ethan kissing some girl at the bleachers this morning"

My chest pangs as the words fail to register. I can't believe I poured out my heart in a letter asking him to be my date at prom.Sure it is something extremely embarrassing but this is my senior year and I vowed to myself that I won't be the wallflower of Westland high.

"Max,back to earth ! "Olive snaps her fingers and I smile nervously

"Ohh don't worry about me ,"I shrug my shoulders,"It's not like I still had a crush on him! "

I still have a huge crush on him.I'am really in love with Ethan. It's not like I just watch from a distance.Sometimes,he talks to me and I did help him with his assignment.

"Look ,"Olive smiles sadly,"I have to to rush to the principals office.Okay !Stay put"

This whole confession letter was such a bad idea.If I really did end up confessing to him. I would have been the joke of the school. Maybe God is saving me from the embarrassment that would have happened. I just have to die with this secret.

The moment I turn around to put the dreadful letter back in my locker.I bump into a wall of solid muscle and end up dropping the pink envelope.

"I'm sorry," I stutter while trying to reach out for the envelope,but the stranger infront of me immediately grabs the paper.

"Excuse me ! "I straighten my back while panicking.If someone was to see this and just read it. It would be a complete disaster.

"What's up four eyes,"the deep and familiar voice rumbles and my body trembles like never before ,"You dropped something."

No! No!

The last person that I expect to open that letter is Hans. My life will be over even before it began. There's no way I can let him open that envelope. I quickly lunge for the envelope with all my might but Hans lifts up his hands and smirks.

He is enjoying it and i know he won't give up but I have to grab that from him before it's all over.

"What's the rush Maxine? "He drawls with his left hand in the air ,"Is there something you don't want to me to see? Or is it a love letter to me? "

"It's not,"I jump up but he starts to laugh . He's over six feet tall and his huge body completely overshadows my small sature.

"Maybe if you want it back...you can drop on your knees and kiss my feet.,"he smirks and I almost lose it.

"Just give it back ! "I growl but my voice comes out whiny and weak.I'm almost at the brink of tears and I can't let him-

"What are you doing? Stop! "I gasp when he opens the envelope and starts reading the content of the letter.

Hans' face lights up in amusement as he reads every word of the letter. The embarrassing confession and the final request for Ethan to be my date at the prom. I wish the ground would swallow me whole this second.

"Dear Ethan...."he says aloud.

"Stop it ! "I hit his chest and he chuckles darky.

"And why should I stop? "He smirks ,"This is pure gold.I can use this for the rest of my life to humiliate you and entertain myself ....right four eyes?"

"Please,"I grab his arm and he rolls his eyes at me ,"Don't do anything stupid. I can do anything but just don't ...."

My words get stuck in my throat as I run out of any logical thoughts.This is my bully we are talking about and if he decides to use this to ruin my life. I might just die and if Ethan found out that I was such a creep. It would be over for me. I don't even want to imagine that right now.

"Anything? "He steps closer to me and my cheeks flame in embarrassment as I step back.

"Please,"I plead desperately,"Just don't do anything stupid. I can't let you have this."

"Anything is a dangerous word ,"he smirks,"Don't you think ? "

Sweat rolls down my face as I think about the next thing I should say.

"Please,"I cringe at my own voice. It sounds so broken and very desperate.

Hans looks at the letter again and grins at me. He stuffs it in his pocket and flicks my forehead.

"Then date me four eyes! "