Falling for the Bad Boy

Chapter 12

Alyssa
 

        I allowed myself to be pulled away, and if I wasn't constantly feeling the slight prick of Vivian's bracelets into the side of my wrists, I probably wouldn't have realized I was being pulled away by someone.

Immediately, I pressed my eyes shut, allowing the events that had taken place just two minutes ago to wash over me.

I didn't believe in bad luck. I always believed there was some chain reaction that led to someone having what they considered a bad life or bad luck. I used to believe in that, until now. My theory was totally flawed, because explain to me why a million and one bad things were happening to me all at once?

First it was Bennett and Emily cheating, then the little confrontation and now Cameron was in on it too. Like that wasn't enough, I was the latest school topic . No matter which corner I turned or how I tried to blend into the shadows and lockers, it didn't work . I even tried avoiding the classes that I could, but even that didn't help my situation. I was literally tagged the girl who got cheated on by everyone in the school.

I could swear the entire school knew, even the non teaching staff. Call me crazy or not, but a teeny tiny part of me had a memory of one of the cleaners pointing at me. Even the chefs too. All of this was happening, and I didn't have my best friend with me.

The mere thought of that was more than enough to pull apart the non-existent tape I'd used to hold my broken heart. If there was anyone who understood me, it was her. And perhaps, if she hadn't kept the truth from me, then maybe, just maybe she would have been by my side, to help with everything and…

Wait.

Not only did the thoughts in my head come to a halt, my footsteps did as well, and only when I felt something tug at my arms did I realize what was going on. No, not something, someone.

I raised my head slowly, just to come face to face with Vivian. Her face was ashen, like she'd just seen a ghost, and I wouldn't be too far off if I said I had an inkling why.

Time seemed to slow to a halt as we both stared at each other, none of us wanting to break the connection. While I stared at her with a mix of disbelief and hurt, I saw nothing but nervousness and a bit of hurt in her eyes. Guilt too. For a moment, they all got to me, but all it took was one memory to snap me back to reality.

She knew. Vivian fucking knew.

What followed next was so unexpected that if I wasn't the one performing it, I wouldn't have believed it myself. One minute my gaze was darting from my wrist to Vivian's face, and back again. Then, in one swift motion, I pulled myself free from her grip. The pain on her face was evident, but at this moment it was safe to say she deserved it.

“Alyssa?” She called, her voice barely a whisper. “Are you okay?”

No. I wanted to scream. I wanted to yell at the top of my lungs. If she were in my shoes, would she be okay? Would she be able to put up with the constant jeers and the stabbing pain that she had a hand in all of this, no matter what her intentions were? No, no she wouldn't. So she had no right to ask me if I was okay, neither did she need to know anything about me either.

Without so much as another glance in her direction, I turned towards another turn that led down to the labs.

“Alyssa, wait.” The sound of her converses kissing the tiled ground reached my ears, but I pushed the sound behind me. “Alyssa, stop.”

I didn't. Instead, I pressed my feet against the ground, trying to get more speed. I wasn't athletic and moments like this made me regret not taking up any sports or at least start jogging with Bennett when he'd asked me to.