The Truth Within

Chapter Two

We arrived at school, thankfully alive, thanks to Mason's driving. "Dude, you drive like a maniac!" I laughed, giving him a playful nudge. 

"What? At least we got here on time!" Mason chuckled, nudging me back. 

"Come on, knuckleheads, let's head to class before we run into the asshole," Arianna called out as she walked ahead of us. 

Just as Arianna said that I accidentally bumped into someone, sending their book flying to the ground. Embarrassed, I bent down, picked it up, and extended it back to them. Just when I thought it couldn't get worse, I realized it was him—the asshole. 

Vincent Cullen.

Vincent was known around school as the popular kid, but he was also infamous for his bad attitude. Stubborn and mean, he had a reputation for being difficult. But I knew there was more to him than that. He hadn't always been this way. There was a time when Vincent was kind and approachable, but something had changed him.

You might find it surprising, but Vincent and I used to be best friends. From kindergarten through middle school, we were inseparable. Then, out of nowhere, he started avoiding me and became mean. Our friendship didn't survive the transition. But still, I couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness. There was a time when he would have laughed off such an accident, but now all that remained was bitterness. I wondered what had happened to turn my old friend into this angry, hostile person. Despite everything, part of me still missed the Vincent I once knew. I spent a long time wondering why we drifted apart, but eventually, I gave up trying to figure it out.

"Are you gonna give me my book back, or are you just that dimwitted?" Vincent snapped, his anger bubbling up as I stood there, lost in thought. 

"Oh! Sorry, here," I stammered, handing the book back to him. 

He snatched it from my hand and yelled, "Watch where you're going, mutt!" before storming off.

We were all left bewildered by the encounter with Vincent. Hazel's question hung in the air, cutting through the tension like a knife. 

"Did he just call you a mutt?" she asked, her voice soft yet filled with concern.

Before I could formulate a response, Arianna's muttered vow to retaliate caught my attention. 

Her eyes blazed with righteous anger as she stared daggers in the direction Vincent had retreated. "Arianna, calm down, I'm gonna need you to breathe," Alex intervened, his soothing tone punctuated by the rhythmic cadence of his breathing exercises.

As Arianna took deep breaths, I placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, silently assuring her that everything would be okay. Her guilt was palpable, but I couldn't help but smile at her concern. 

"Ari, it's okay. I've dealt with worse from Vincent," I reassured her, my voice steady despite the lingering sting of his words. "Besides, he doesn't scare me the way you do."

Arianna's expression softened, a flicker of relief dancing in her eyes as she returned my smile. 

"Well, it's the least I can do, since you're my favorite cousin," she quipped, her playful tone laced with affection.

But before we could dwell on the encounter any longer, Arianna's mischievous grin morphed into a mischievous smirk. 

"But we better hurry, the bell's about to ring. I suggest we run... so... RACE YA!!!" she exclaimed, bolting through the front doors before any of us could protest.

"HEY, WAIT UP!!!" Alex's voice echoed through the hallway as he sprinted after her, his laughter blending with Hazel's enthusiastic cries to wait for them.

Caught up in the infectious energy of the moment, Mason and I exchanged amused glances before joining the chase, our laughter mingling with the sound of our footsteps as we raced to catch up with our friends.