My Beautiful King

Chapter Twenty Four Part 2

The conversation was minimal as we trudged through the cold winters' weather. I turned around, feet still moving forwards, and glanced at my dejected group members that trailed behind.

"You alright there?" I tried my hand at some compassionate words. The kind nature of the phrase tickled uncomfortably on my tongue. I almost felt as if a sharp comment was in order.

Ella nodded and gave me a small forced smile. The others simply stared ahead, grim and horrified. Maho nudged Ella and her fake happy face was instantly replaced by a look of fear. I raised an eyebrow. What the hell had I done? Fucking hell, try to be nice to people and they treat you like you're a killing machine. Try to be assertive to people and they treat you like you're a killing machine too. You just can't win in high school.

"Ashley, stop walking!" Marcus addressed me urgently as he dug his heels into the ground and ceased movement.

"Why?" I questioned suspiciously. "Is this because you guys - SHIT!" but my speech was cut off by my unexpected impact into something fleshy and solid.

"Whoa!" A voice said. "Fucking hell, you wanna watch where you're going?"

Realisation washed over my body. I could recall that voice from anywhere. I closed my eyes, unwilling to look up into the piercing hazel-green orbs that I knew were suddenly recognising me. But it was so hard...

"No, thanks, Zayn." I muttered pathetically as I glanced up from underneath my eyelashes. "I'll do what I want if you don't mind."

Zayn laughed a small exasperated laugh. I took a few steps back to watch his towering frame. He'd grown by a couple inches in the last few days. It'd been a while since we'd stood so close.

"Well, well, well." He sighed as he looked down upon me. "If it isn't Ashley Jones. I almost didn't recognise you from that shaggy mop resting on your head."

I heard Maho give a small gasp but I soldiered on willingly. "Not everyone can be a high fashion model like you, Zayn."

I made to march past him, but he sidestepped and blocked my path. I glanced back at Maho, Tanasha, Marcus and Ella. They all seemed to be regretting their agreement to walk with me.

"Many thanks." Zayn smiled innocently, his Yorkshire accent still strong and dulcet. "And behind you... Are those your friends? Your new crew? It's impressive. The midget, Farfar... And I'm sorry I don't know your name, babe?" He glanced at Tanasha, his charm on full blast.

Tanasha looked flustered. She wiped her palms on her knee-length cotton skirt and her mouth fluctuated nervously. "I-I'm, uh-"

"Tanasha." I interjected fiercely. "Her name is Tanasha, can you move out of our way now?"

"Ashley!" Zayn exclaimed, a fake surprised look gracing his features. "How rude of you, you could at least let your friend speak for herself." He flashed Tanasha a small half-smile, causing her to mumble an incoherent word. I knew exactly what Zayn was doing and I knew exactly how Tanasha was feeling. I wasn't about to let Tanasha become Zayn's new project.

I made an attempt to escape again but Zayn blocked me effortlessly. He seemed to be enjoying this small display of lesser torment. "And who's this other girly you've got with you?" He gestured towards Marcus. "She's pretty, isn't she?"

I could almost feel Marcus' burning shame. "Don't be so cruel." I hissed, glaring at Zayn's smug face and curling my fists. "Marcus is seven times the man you are-"

"Ashley, don't!" Marcus whispered. "Leave it, seriously."

"Yeah, Ashley!" Zayn piped sarcastically in a girlish voice. "Leave it. Marcusa doesn't mind. Marcusa probably likes listening to the sound of my voice." I silently dared Marcus to make one of his famously snide comments, but his soft voice wasn't heard. How could Marcus listen to Zayn's arrogance and not want to smash his face in? How could Marcus be... So much like I used to be?

"But anyway, vas happening Ashley the Killer?" Zayn continued casually. "Taking a nice stroll around the school? Not got anybody's life to put in jeopardy?"

"Don't you dare!" I hissed as stepped towards him and twisted my drained face into a snarl. It was a snarl that would've unnerved most, but it seemed to do nothing but spur Zayn's smug grin. "Don't you dare call me a killer; I'll tolerate it from just about anyone else, but never you. You may have everyone else fooled with your sickening lie; but you know what happened that morning at the lake!"

"Do I?" Zayn whispered as he tilted his face so it breeched my vicinity. I took a sharp inhale. We were so close, only a kiss' distance apart. My conscience began to waver. I'd never noticed the three violaceous love bites that stained the skin of Zayn's neck. Was it possible that one of those were left from me? I could taste his sweet and smoky breath on my tongue, and I could count every one of his long dark eyelashes that crowded around his phenomenal eyes. The expression reflected in his orbs was unreadable, just a mass of swirling hazel-green iris. He truly was a beautiful boy; capable of the great power to blend my brain into slush. I opened my mouth to speak and uttered slight sounds of silence.

"I thought so." He hissed smirking. "I know what you're trying to do, Ashley, and it's not working. You know you can't beat me. You've lost. I've already told you; the best thing you can do right now is just leave." He took a couple steps back and sneered at the people behind me. "Shit, I thought Ashley was bad but fuck; she managed to scrape off the scum of the school and find you guys." An eerie silence followed and Zayn took this as his cue to continue. "I wouldn't challenge me if I were you; I could take any one of you down in the time it takes me to get Becca naked. And that's pretty fucking quick."

He threw a wink, turned his back and walked off, swagger intact. I watched all of my friends who stood behind me, faces washed with fear at the sound of Zayn's words. I had to do something. Something to show that all hope wasn't lost. Quickly, I removed the wad of cherry flavoured gum from my mouth and rolled it around amongst my fingers.

"Oh hey, Zayn?" I said loudly as I suddenly cupped my hand around the back of his head. His body tensed suddenly with shock, trying to distinguish whether my touch was a failed hit or a random act of kindness. I removed my hand and wiped it on my skirt quickly. The lump of discoloured gum was prominently stuck in his shiny dark locks. But judging by the time it was taking for him to confront me, he probably hadn't notice its unfamiliar presence. I didn't dare smell my hand for the tantalising essence of lemon that I knew lingered among Zayn's hair.

He turned around to look at me, face pained. "What?" He hissed as his eyes narrowed menacingly. His long eyelashes shadowed and framed the small slits of his orbs.

He was stupidly unaware of my petty trick. I fought my features into a poker-face and shrugged my shoulders casually. "Nothing."

Zayn snarled and walked off again, shaking his head with disbelief at my interruption. The moment he was out of sight, Tanasha, Maho, Marcus and Ella ran towards me, childish smiles playing across their faces.

"Ashley!"

"Oh my goodness, Ashley!"

"That was amazing!"

"You idiot, do you have a death wish or something?"

I rolled my eyes and allowed a heavily suppressed giggle to release from my dry lips. "Your enthusiasm is duly noted, dear Marcus."

"No, I'm serious, Ashley. He'll kill you. The second he notices, he will turn around and slaughter you!"

I smiled lazily. "No he won't!" I patted Marcus on the shoulder in comfort. "I've been with Zayn for long enough. He may have fooled me before but I'm starting to understand him. He's predictable. Zayn gets his kicks out of getting people to mentally beat themselves up with his own conniving words. He's never physical. When he registers the gum in his hair, it's more likely that he'll just bitch about me. And I can handle that."

Maho, Marcus, Ella and Tanasha simply stared at me in wondrous awe. I grinned stupidly as I watched the newfound respect in my followers' eyes.

"This is only the beginning." I announced confidently as I puffed out my chest and placed my hand upon my hip. "I promise that. I know I said it before, but I think I'm getting into the swing of things. The scheming is gonna get turned up a notch when I take it into my hands." I smiled softly to myself. "Zayn's not gonna know what hit him."