Say You Hate Me

principal's office

I don't think I'd ever quite get over the look on his face.

The sheer humiliation and fury scalding his features along with the science goop that offered him a sticky glow.

Still spluttering and wheezing, i jump slightly at the abrupt sound of the ringing bell. The sound alerts me of the end of the lesson so I heave my bag over my shoulder and walk towards the exit. I pause just before the polished oak door.

"By the way," I start, spinning around to face his tall figure, "fuck you, Lorenzo!" I reveal my middle finger with a flourish and he grimaces.

With a malicious smirk still teasing my lips, I spin on my heel and strut through the door feeling thoroughly proud with myself.

"did - did you do that on purpose?" Ellen spawns beside me as we walk through the hallway, eyes wide and the tip of her nose dusted in ashes from the explosion.

I contemplate lying for a brief moment before deciding against it, "Yep."

"He deserved it but - wow!" She stutters, her gaze swimming with admiration, "That was really cool!"

A genuine smile touches my lips.

"Thanks, Ellen," I say, pausing to admire her appearance for the first time today. Her unruly blonde curls and constantly blushed cheeks. Her smiley mocha eyes.

"I love your hair," I murmur, my gaze focused on the beautiful golden ringlets.

"Thank you!" She exclaims, offering me the hugest grin I've ever laid eyes on, revealing two rows of pearly white teeth.

As she turns a different corner, I toss her one final smile before shoving a door open and disappearing through.

Orange and yellow streams of light flood my vision as my eyes adjust to the outdoors. My next class was across campus.

I walk along the dirty gravel pathway, heaving my backpack over my shoulder and attempting to not be blinded by the sun.

This school's outdoor campus was lovely, although I couldn't say the same about the interior with the dreary identical corridors and crappy lighting.

The grass was somehow a vibrant emerald cut with precision and there was a fountain with intricate white engravings and pristine aqua water flowing was just to my left and those weirdly shaped bushes to my right.

They must spend all the school's hefty tuition funds on the gardens.

My body suddenly slams sideways and my limbs falter as I'm propelled into the depths of the fountain beside me. I reach a desperate arm forward, eager to grip anything that will stop my impending fall but nothing was within reach. Soon enough my body lands with a splash in the cold, wet fountain.

My face is smothered in the water and as I blink my eyes open, it's as if I'm looking through spectacles with rippling blue lenses.

Coughing and spluttering, my head drives forwards and shoots through the surface of the water. As I use my hands to slick back my soaked hair, my eyes finally come into focus. Through clumped lashes, I see a tall, muscled figure stood before me.

I'm going to strangle him.

Towering over me, the glorious sun warming his defined features, was Grayson Lorenzo. His muscled figure was outlined in his outfit and his head was tilted down at me. My eyes grazed over his razor sharp jaw until they finally came across his face.

Now that the science experiment had been scrubbed from his skin, he looked as perfect as ever. As he basked in the midday sun, his skin was glowing an ethereal bronzed hue, a badge of honour from his Italian genes. His hair draped over his forehead in those messy curls that I loved so much. His dark eyes had morphed into liquid gold shimmered with a rich, molten amber hue. Thick, dark eyelashes that left me green with envy shadowed slightly over his eyes.