DEAD INSIDE

(12)

I let out a heavy sigh when I saw who was waiting for me at my locker.

I walked around the tall boy and opened my locker. I put my books inside, closed the metallic door and was about to walk around him again when he blocked my way.

"Before you start insulting me about this morning or what happened this weekend, let me tell you what I wanted to tell you this morning." He sounded normal, the way he used to talk to me when Sam was still there. His gorgeous face appeared in my mind and it was like I could no longer breathe with how big the lump in my throat was.

I closed my eyes to chase the memory and straightened up.

When I lifted my head to see what was taking him so long and our eyes met, I was taken aback by what he was letting me see in them. "I'm sorry, Ali..." He then murmured and I shuddered as millions of butterflies started fluttering inside me. "I...I keep messing up when all I want is to protect you..." He went on in a voice so low that I had trouble hearing him over my thumping heart.

"Why do you insist on protecting me?" Between my hoarse voice from that weekend and the turmoil of emotions inside me, it came out all breathy.

He grazed my cheek almost absent-mindedly and I thought my heart would explode.

"Scott!" A high-pitched voice echoed in the hall and just like that, the moment was broken.

"I just do... So stop fighting it..." He answered, before walking away from me and sliding an arm around Jodie Hipsy's shoulders. His hand then went down to cup her butt, making her giggle excitingly and leaving no doubt as to what they were about to do.

Our school Queen Bee was much smaller than me but also as thin as a rail, with huge breasts that had appeared miraculously the summer before her sophomore year, two years ago.

Her family had old money, just like Scott's, and she liked to remind us common people of just how insignificant we were compared to her.

And at this very moment, that's exactly how I felt as the two White Tigers royalties disappeared through the main doors at the end of the hall.

"What did he want?" Mel asked. I hadn't seen her walk up to me so I jumped slightly at her voice.

"To apologize for everything..." I muttered once I'd recovered.

"Wow..." Deedee appeared in front of me.

"And to tell me to stop fighting them. That they'd protect me whether I want it or not..."

"Only to run to Hipsy whenever she barks at him..." Marla commented bitterly.

"The way he was devouring you with his eyes before the royal bitch appeared, though..." Deedee sounded almost dreamy.

I let out a small sigh.

"Let's go and get something to eat." I suggested, eager to forget about the stupid White Tigers.

<-><-><-><-><->

After my encounter with the brown haired boy, the afternoon seemed to drag on forever and I couldn't wait to finally kick some balls that night.

That was why I almost jumped out of my seat when the bell signaling the end of the day went.

"I can't believe you fooled me to believe that you weren't interested in the Harvest..." Leeann stopped me again. "But how wrong was I?! You actually want them all to yourself, don't you?!" She taunted.

I huffed at how far from the truth she was.

"I have a message from Jody for you..." She tried to sound threatening but her voice had a slight tremble that told me just how uncomfortable she really was. I think I'd have burst out laughing if I hadn't been so angry. "Stay away from Scott. He's hers. Now, you've been warned..."