My Next Door Bully

Chapter 14

CHAPTER 14 - EASY GOING, PAL

I can't breathe, it's like my lungs are closing in on me. Everything is a blur, my head hurts like hell, and I hear a faint ringing on top of my shoes hitting the floor as I run.

I hear Ashton calling my name from behind me and I can't help but feel betrayed and humiliated. Is it possible to love and hate someone at the same time?

A few minutes before

"I don't want to hear it," I say, walking past them and looking for Ashton to save me from this.

"It has to do with him," I hear Kelsey say. Whatever it is, Ashton can tell me himself. "He's been lying to you, your whole relationship is fake."

I stop in my tracks at her words. As much as I want to ignore her, I have a feeling by the seriousness of the tone in her voice that this is serious and truthful.

"Why would I listen to you, Kelsey?"

"You don't have to, but you should," Cam responds. I don't answer so he starts, "Ashton made a bet, I'm sure you've heard about it, the kiss."

My breath hitches at this. It's what we talked about on his rooftop. He told me that he turned it down, that he wouldn't hurt me like that.

"I don't believe you," I tell them.

"I would," Kelsey says. She pulls out her phone and shows me a video. Of Ashton. He's wearing the same ridiculous golden pants for the monthly school spirit week, the same attire he was wearing the day that he approached me in the theater.

The video consists of Ashton staring somewhere ahead, the camera moves and reveals me in my stupid gold tie laughing with Anthony.

"I wouldn't gawk so much, man, Kelsey might get jealous. Plus, Tessa tots isn't worth it," a voice, who I recognize as Cam, said. I wince at my old nickname that I hadn't heard in a while.

"Shut up, bro," Ashton responded. "And she's worth it, you don't know her." My heart warms at his comment, but hardens when I remember the reason for this video.

"She is?" Cam asked. Ashton nodded, watching me some more. "Bet?" Cam asked once more. Ashton looked confused at Cam, "I'll give you five hundred bucks if you get her to fall for you, that includes kissing her in public, acting all lovey-dovey, you know the drill."

Ashton looked intrigued which broke my heart, "five hundred?" he asked, one eyebrow lifted up in question.

By this point I think Cam forgot he was filming so the camera was slightly tilted so that I could see Cam holding his hand out to Ashton. "After all this: break her heart, make it public, make it humiliating." As Ashtons hand came in contact with a smirk on his lips I could feel tears sliding down my cheeks. The video ended and I felt like I couldn't breathe at all.

"There you have it," Kelsey's squeaky voice brought me back to life. I stared hard at the floor.

I still wondered something, "why would you take a video of this, Cam?"

"I liked Kelsey so I wanted to show her the video and show her that Ashton was moving on with someone else, I guess I forgot I was filming for the rest of the video," he finishes and looks at Kelsey who looks at him lovingly and grabs his hand.

So this whole thing was so that Cam and Kelsey—thing one and thing two—could have a pathetic happy ending, my feelings are not considered at all?

"There you are," I hear a familiar voice behind me.

I turn around and Ashton's face falls as he takes in my appearance and looks behind me to Cam and Kelsey.

"Tessa I—"