Nico Vaughan, the junior class "Nice Girl" wants to be free from her abusive and obsessive ex-boyfriend.
Valen Henford, the school's resident "Rich Guy meets Bad Boy" wants to spend his senior year with the girl he's been in love with for years.
W...
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"I will follow you, my love, to the edge of all our days, to our very last tomorrows" (Atticus).
|◁ II ▷|
Content Warning: bullying and suicide-related mentions. Love y'all!
|◁ II ▷|
Fury courses through my mind like a raging fire. I feel like being destructive, and I feel like having a show. I'm sick and tired of people messing with Nico. She's trusting me to handle this. I will handle it, and she'll never worry about another person again.
Bastard.
I let Nico read after telling her a few more facts I remembered. While she reads, I'm going to make a plan. I slip my phone from my pocket.
Me: /I might need backup after English./
Me: /Someone pls find out what class Sam has right now and what class he has next./
"Valen?"
My head shoots up, and I place my phone face down on the desk. "Yes? Yeah?"
"Um," Nico worries, chewing on her bottom lip. "Did I—Did I mess up my makeup? My mascara? I tried to get it all off."
I search her face, knowing she'll want my honesty. "No... Either way, you look beautiful. You always look beautiful."
She stares at me, glaring at me with hesitant jocoseness as her cheeks tinge red. I smile at the sight.
I pull out my AirPods, and I take a tissue and gently clean one for Nico. I offer it to her, and she takes it with a smile.
"Thank you."
I press play on my newest playlist, one I know Nico will enjoy. I see her face light up as one of the songs on her playlist plays first.
And I watch her smile to herself and mouth the words to the songs as she gently takes my hand and doodles on it until the bell rings.
I check my phone after she hands me my AirPod, hoping for a text from either of the guys. Seeing a text from Rikkard, I slip the phone back into my pocket.
Nico tucks her hand around my arm like usual, and, per usual, butterflies fly in my stomach at the action. She talks as we walk to her History class, but I have a hard time paying attention. All I can think about is what Sam did and how I'm going to deal with it.
I impulsively drop a quick kiss on her cheek, and I wait just long enough to see her tiny smile and light blush before I leave. My feet move briskly to where Rikkard says he is. Sam is supposed to be there, too.
Sure enough, I find Rikkard near the backside of the school where no classes are held during the last parts of the day. Standing around the hall are a bunch of people that usually skip class and loiter around this area. And in that group of people today is Sam Walker.
