Chapter twenty three: David versus Goliath.I continued walking, but he hurried after me. He raised his hand, and I instinctively flinched, thinking he was going to hit me again.“I was not going to hit you. I wanted to swat a mosquito that kept hovering around,” Scott explained."I'm not sure whether or not I believe him," I thought to myself, eyeing him cautiously. His hand was still raised against me.Out of nowhere, a hand held back Scott’s. "What the hell is going on here?" The deep voice demanded. I felt another airy rush of deja vu. It reminded of when David defended me from Penelope. And here he was, defending me once more from another bully.I stepped forward, trying to regain composure. “David, I can handle this. You don’t have to fight my battles for me.”He flashed me a quick genuine smile. “I know you can handle yourself. Just let me help you this one time.”“Hey, hey, who do you think you are? Mind you business, man!” Scott barked. His body tensed in a hint of aggressio

Chapter twenty five: Walking on hot coals On getting home, I fell face flat on my bed and screamed into my pillow. I was so conflicted because I felt guilty. Sure, Bernita wasn't exactly my closest friend, more like an acquaintance, but that didn't make what happened any less complicated. I mean, was it really against the girl code to have feelings for a boy who was previously in a relationship with a girl you know? And our meeting at the park – was it truly just a friendly rendezvous, not a date? Or was I trying to convince myself that I wasn't crossing any lines?There, I fell asleep, still wearing my clothes and shoes. I woke up the next morning to the ringing of a call blaring from my phone. My ringtone was my favorite song in the entire world. “I’m walking on sunshine, ooohhh. And don’t it feel good!!”"Walking on sunshine? More like screaming on burning hot coals," I grumbled groggily. I was not a morning person.“Who in their right mind calls at 7 am on a Saturday?" I said

Chapter twenty six:I watched as the masked figure, the mysterious fighter who had intervened to save us from harm, slowly removed his mask, revealing the face beneath. As the fabric fell away, a gasp escaped my lips, as we beheld the identity of our unexpected savior. It was Scott. He greeted my mom and asked to speak with me. I followed him to a quiet corner and waited for him to talk. "Look, I know what I did was wrong. I should never have laid a hand on you. It was out of line, and I regret it more than you'll ever know. I let my temper get the best of me. There's no excuse for violence, especially towards someone I care about."He paused for a moment waiting for a reply but I didn't say anything. But Scott wasn't finished. He took a step closer, his movements slow and deliberate, as if he were approaching a wounded animal."I've been doing a lot of thinking since then, replaying the moment in my head over and over again. I understand if you never want to speak to me again but

Chapter twenty eight: True to his promise, Senator Sanders brought all hell loose on Xeto Technologies. And when the dust settled, I emerged victorious, clutching a hefty settlement of 10 million dollars and the sweet, sweet taste of justice. But the best part? I now had full copyright ownership of BrainBoost, the app that started it all. Guess who graduated high school swimming in money? Graduation day had arrived faster than I ever imagined; it practically hit me in the face like a tornado. It felt like yesterday when I was just starting freshman year with no school books and no uniform. I looked in the rear view mirror of my car and couldn't believe that the young lady looking back was actually me. As I adjusted my graduation cap, I couldn't help but marvel at the journey that had brought me to this moment. How on earth did I go from the girl whose house burned down to a millionaire and tech genius? Among the crowd, I spotted David, looking dashing as ever in his graduation att

Chapter thirty: Insufferable + Predictable As I carried Scott up and rested his right arm on my shoulders, he opened his eyes a little. He muttered something I could not quite understand. Despite his disheveled state, there was a vulnerability about him that tugged at my heartstrings. Senator and I gently placed him on the couch in the living room."I'm gonna go make some hangover medicine," Senator said to me as he went back to the kitchen.I was left alone with Scott. I glanced at him; his hair was ruffled and his shirt was inside out. It was strange seeing him like this, so troubled and helpless."You know, you're not making things easy for your dad," I muttered under my breath, more to myself than to Scott. But to my surprise, he let out a soft groan, his eyes fluttering open slightly."Hey there, sleepyhead," I said. "You had quite a night, huh?"Scott grunted in response, rubbing his temples with his fingers. I imagined his head was banging and his eyes were blurry. "Jessica? I