Struggles ✔

Chapter 71.

Alexa's POV

You must be thinking right now: 'Alexa that was so brave!' 'I'm so proud of you for standing up for yourself!' 'Your so strong!!'

Thank you,but that was just a facade. I was crying and sobbing inside. Anger consumed me more than sadness, but once I walked out of there, I burst into tears. I was humiliated, depressed, and covered in cafeteria food. I ran home without stopping. Cole took me to school, and he had the keys.

When I arrived home, Mom and Dad panicked at the sight of me. They tried asking what was wrong, but I kept crying. Mom helped me go upstairs to my room. She helped fix me up. Dad was calling Cole, desperately trying to reach him.

Once I finally calmed down at least a bit, they interrogated me.

"What happened?"

"Was it that bastard again?!"

"Who did this to you?!"

"Where's Cole?"

"Why didn't no one protect you?!?!"

And many more questions.

"A girl from school dissed me in front of everyone. She then started a food war. The whole school against me. I stood up for myself and made it look like I didn’t care, but I'm human. I have feelings. Everything she said still hurt me. I just tried not to show it." I sobbed out

"Oh sweetie...why didn't Cole do anything?!?!" Mom exclaims

"They were all held back by some of the girl's minions." I say

"I ditched school and came here." I add

"That is 100% okay. Now stay here, and I'm going to have a word with your principal." Dad says angrily

"No! Dad, you don't have to. I don't want to stoop her level and get revenge." I plead with him

"Why would she want revenge?" Mom asks

"Because I "stole" Cole from her." I say. They raise their eyebrows in questioning.

"She used to be one of Cole's...flings. They weren't even together. When she found out about Cole and I, she got so mad and started getting revenge on me. Her revenge didn't start until Alyssa came because at that point everyone ignored me. She started bullying me, keeping it a secret from all my friends." I explain

"And she used to be one of my closest friends..." I start crying again.

"Oh honey..." They both wrap their arms around me. 

I stayed in my room for the next half hour. I was still crying when Brian came into the room. He rushed over to me, and hugged me tightly. I hugged him back for comfort until I realized something.

"What are you doing here?!?! You're supposed to be with your family!!" I push him away

"Alex...you are my family."He says

"No no no. Amanda and Axel! Go back to them!! I can handle this on my own!!!!" I raise my voice

"Alex..."

"I'm such a mess...I ruin everything...it's all my fault. It's always my fault...I'm better off dead..."

I can practically feel how tense Brian got when thosw words came out of my mouth. He goes back to hugging me. I couldn't hear what he was saying or see who he was talkig too, but he was talking to someone.

I fell asleep not long after. I woke up to muffled yelling. My eyes hurt from crying. Cola laid next to me. He followed my every move. He followed me as I went to the bathroom to fix myself. He followed me downstairs where I find a furious Brian.

"What the hell is going on here?" I say. My voice was hoarse from all the crying.

"We were telling Brian about Ariana." Jess explains. Hailey hands me a glass of water which I thankfully take.

"We need to show that girl a lesson." Hailey says next to me

"How? She's the most popular girl in the whole school. No one will believe us because we're taking Alex's side." Olivia says. Her and Matt were here too.

"Can't we just beat her up." Jess grumbles

"No. She'll only use that against us" Olivia says

"Plus she has some jocks with her as bodyguards" Matt adds

"We need to get some dirt on her." Chase says

"Yeah. No shit, Sherlock." Olivia sasses

"What can we say? Everyone knows that she's a whore so it's nothing new." Hailey says

"And she already told everyone that Alex thinks depression and suicide are just a joke and uses it for a attention" Olivia adds

"WHAT?!?!" Brian yells

"She said what?!?!?!" He exclaims

"Shut up. We're planning something." Jess glares at Brian. He glares back at her.

"What if we make a video of all Ariana's worst moments." Chase suggests

"And all the times that she's lied" Hailey adds

"Yeah! And we can post it on each and every social media." Olivia agrees

"We can assemble the whole school for an "important meeting" and then show the video there." Robin nods at the idea

"What if I call Ariana to meet me somewhere private while you gather all the students. While you're watching the video, I'll confront her and record what she says. Once the video is over, we can broadcast the recording." Cole speaks up for the first time.

"That's a great plan and all, but how are you going to make the video" I say

"I think my sister can help with that" Matt says

"Then it's settled!! This is how we're going to take Ariana down." Brian says "Since we've got that figured out, it's time to go now Alex."

"What?" I look at him in confusion. He looks at me with sympathy

"We need to go to the doctors..." he says

"But...but that means you'll leave Axel and Amanda again!! Brian don't. I'm fine. I just need to take stronger medicine" I try to plead with him

"I'm sorry, but you've gone back to square 1. You need their help again" he says

"No...No no no no" I start to cry again. Cole rushes over to me, and wraps me in a hug.

"Brian, I'll take her." Cole offers

"What? No. You have school." Brian says

"Fuck school. I want to be there for her. No...I NEED to be there for her. I promised I'd help her. I promised I'd be there for her. I'm not breaking my promise" Cole says stubbornly

"I-I agree...Just let Cole stay with me...Please Bri. Go back  to your wife and child" I beg him

"....okay...okay...if that's what you want. You'll go on Sunday" He says

"That's perfect! You can still go to the field trip!!!" Jess says

"Everything's settled then." Hailey smiles in relief

Let's just hope things will go well.

////////////////