Fool Me Twice, Shame On Me ✓

[ 19 ] Double-crossed Part Two

This chapter is dedicated to @shellylovesfood for the gorgeous banner and her sweet message.

Chapter song : SKRT by Roy Woods

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• C H A P T E R N I N E T E E N  •

Two years ago

"You actually thought I had feelings for you?"

I could never forget the glint of coldness in Dean's eyes — when he unmercifully spat the words to my face — almost like he resented my bare existence.

After our heated confrontation occurred that night, I had promised myself not to cry — which resulted to locking any type of feelings I had that was remotely close to pain and chagrin. Except, I was unsuccessful in doing so, for the most part.

It still felt like my insides clutched with grief every time we caught each other's gaze in the corridors of school.

Then, our endless disputes transitioned into physical contact.

On another issue, whenever I ran into Stacey, we always went through our round of verbal attacks. She acted like the last years of our friendship meant nothing as she became an entirely different person.

My friendship with Stacey went down the drain.

In addition, I grew suspicious of how Dean and her never tried to flaunt their new relationship like I expected they would.

Nauseatingly, when I confronted her about it, a heated argument soon followed in which, she revealed the full story under compulsion. I discovered that Dean was putting on a show for his friends and she wasn't cognizant of his true intentions — on how he planned to play with her heartstrings and toss her aside once he got what he wanted.

Karma really was a bitch.

Afterwards, I made Aaliyah and Natalie swear not to mention anything that was related to my humiliation through our conversations in addition to Stacey and Dean's name for that matter.

Even if I had a great support system from my friends, none of it seemed to matter considering, I already made arrangements to leave Roosevelt High, right after Finals. Anthony tried to talk me out of it but given that I wasn't a hundred percent certain of where we stood in our mutual attachment, I dismissed what he had to say.

It was a tough process, when I practically had to beg my parents to let me leave or else I would have gone insane.

My father was particularly strict when it came to my education and even if he showed some sort of compassion for my situation, he still obliged me to go to school which meant — I had another two weeks to endure seeing Dean's stupid face.

"You really shouldn't try to run from your problems by changing school." my friends kept telling me but I didn't want to hear any of it.

My decision had already been made and I was counting the seconds to my departure.

When I finally decided to show up at school — after a week of plotting my fake sickness — I instantly became the main topic of students' discussion in Roosevelt High.

Pair of eyes were enduringly thrown my way, whenever I'd stroll in the corridor to approach my locker or even during class sessions.

Thinking back, I can't help but think of how ridiculous it was.

People just kept whispering gossips among themselves and would analyze my every move, as if they expected me to crack but I succeeded in putting up a front.