Chapter Four - The clown

Chapter Four - The clown

God, please, just let the earth open and swallow me whole. I shut my eyes tight, waiting for him to literally troll me to death, but it doesn’t come. Instead, the car comes to a stop.

I open an eye to peek. We are at a cafe.

“Get down.”

“Huh ?” I stare wide-eyed in confusion.

He doesn’t respond, just opens his door and steps out. What is the problem now?

“Where are you going ?”

“To get us something to eat. Come on.”

“I’d eat at home. I don’t trust food places that are unfamiliar. I scrunch my nose at the simple eatery.

“Have you had anything to eat all day?" he asked.

“I had an apple for breakfast.” I shrug.

“Yhhh Exactly.” He shakes his head.

I was starving, yes, but this place was still too close to familiar grounds. Someone might spot us together. I stepped out of the vehicle and followed behind, surveying our surroundings.

I was so upset earlier that  I had completely forgotten about food, but the hunger was coming back in full force. My stomach grumbled again.

We walk into the cafe. The waitress gives me a dirty look. All she can see is a girl in a guy’s hoodie at a late hour. I don’t care. She’s beneath me. Not worth my attention.. I get a cup of iced coffee with crackers to munch on.

Zane gets coffee. Black. It suits him.

He sits at a corner booth. The place is empty, but I’m still uneasy.

“Um, can’t we eat in the car ?” I ask, standing at the booth entrance with my stuff in my hands.

“I’m getting a cab for you when you’re done,” he takes out his phone.

” Okay then, hurry up.” He should have just done that in the first place.

“Sit, no one’s going to come. Besides, I have more of a reputation to lose if someone sees us together. ”

“Um, hello, I equally do, Mr. hotshot…”

“Not after you let Maddox Callhan and his new girl kick you to the curb. You literally run with your tails in between your legs.” he chuckled.

“How do you know that ?” I freeze. My cheeks are heating up.

He ignores me, enjoying his coffee.

“Let me see.” I snatch his phone.

He lets me. I open I*******m. The first post is about how Rita and Maddox looked good together, the second is about how much I’m a bully. The third is a video of Maddox pushing me away and going to Rita’s side. The incident is trending

“So everyone in town saw? They know? I didn’t do anything to those people, so why do they hate me ?” My voice shakes. I have been trying to forget about the drama this morning, but it looks like it won’t be going away anytime soon. I guess that is the price you pay for sitting at the top of the pyramid. Everyone is in your business, feigning for a piece of you. This was the break-up of the century, and I was the butt of the joke. The clown.

“Do you even believe that yourself?” Zane asks, finishing the rest of his coffee in one go.

“What do you mean ?”

“Ava, you brought this on yourself. You treat people like shit. You act above and beyond everyone. Like an ice princess.”

“You don’t know me.” I lift my head, raising back my walls.

“I do. I’ve known you since we were kids. You never changed.”

“I don’t know what I was thinking. For a second i thought I could talk to you. I should have known there was a reason we were never friends despite our moms being so close, and it's not because of our schools' rivalry. Thanks for tonight, I’m walking home.”

“You break rules, mouth off to people, then act surprised when it blows up in your face. This is the first time someone's actually held you accountable, and you obviously can’t handle it, so suit yourself.” He stands up to leave, all 6’4 of him towering over me. I wasn’t even a short girl. I was 5’7.

He pauses at the door. “You know, I almost felt sorry for you seeing you out there all alone." He clicked his tongue. "Then I remembered you brought this on yourself.”

Oh hell no, he’s not getting away with this. I follow him outside. Two can play this game of saying hurtful words to one another…

“Fuck you, Zane. There’s a reason you’ve never had a girlfriend. Just stupid flings. Of course, you don’t understand love. You never saw that with your parents.” He freezes. I’d hit a nerve. Good. Zane’s father had been absent from his life. He had grown up with my dad as his father figure. He hated it whenever someone mentioned his dad.

“Get the fuck out of here.” He says, not turning to look at me.

“What? Dishing out, but you can’t take?”

“You want to lecture me about love?" He laughed once, cold and humourless. "You're the last person who should be talking. At least I know exactly where I stand with people. You don’t. “

His eyes were ruthless, taking a step closer to me. My jaw tightened.

“You lie to yourself that you’re happy with Maddox. You swallowed every lie he fed you and spread your cunt for him because you were terrified of being the girl who couldn't keep her boyfriend. And after all that..." He laughed bitterly. "He still picked some other girl. You were replaced because Maddox got bored.”

My hands were faster before I realised what I was doing.

Splash!

My caramel-colored drink exploded across his face and expensive uniform. Ice cubes bounced off his chest and clattered onto the floor. Coffee dripped from his hair onto his shoulders.

Zane didn't move. He just stood there. Slowly, he wiped a streak of coffee from his cheek with his thumb. His expression was terrifyingly blank, and that even scared me more.

I stared at the empty cup still clutched in my hand.

...Oh, God.

I had just thrown iced coffee at a six-foot-four NHL prospect who already hated my guts.

My survival instincts kicked in. I don't wait. I spun on my heel and ran.

Cold air whips me in the face, and my lungs feel like they are about to collapse.

Oh my god i’m so dead.

I don’t hear Zane behind me, but I’m too scared to stop running. My shoes hit the damp pavement as I run, streetlights zoom past me.

I don’t want to even imagine the consequences of my actions. So much for not being able to take what you dish.

I see headlights in the distance, driving towards me at full speed.

Fuck, he’s going to kill me. I need to lose him.

I get off the sidewalk, dashing into the woods. I disappeared between the trees.

Branches scraped against my arms as I pushed deeper into the forest. The ground became uneven beneath my feet. Leaves crunched. My breathing grew louder.

Then I hear it, footsteps behind me.

I don’t even get to turn. Strong hands grab my nape and force me to my knees.

“Argh!” I scream, grabbing his arm and scratching it.

“Help! Help me!” I scream into the night air, but it's just the sound of my voice echoing. That scares me even more.

He grabs my wrists with one hand, locking them behind my back and pressing my front against a tree. My breast digs into the hard bark. The sensation is rough. “Nobody is coming to save you, baby girl. Scream all you want. You’d just scream your throat hoarse.”

“Please”, it's the only word I can utter.

“You really shouldn’t have done that.” his hand becomes firmer on my nape.

“You’re right, I’m sorry. I went too far,” I admitted shamelessly, all false bravado gone. My chest rises and falls quicker.

“How are you going to make up for it ?”

“I’d do anything, please just let me go…” I'm whimpering at this point.

“Anything ?” The way he asks makes my stomach twist.