Don't Go Into The Woods

Chapter 17

Candice was standing with her two stooges right outside the office. Carmen was finally seated on the bench outside. She sprung to her feet the moment she saw me. She was not the only one to almost jump on me. Candice and her stooges quickly took note of me too. They glared angrily at me. Candice really did not look right glaring at me with that artificial black eye of hers.

“I hope you are expelled.” Candice spat.

“Sorry to disappoint you, but I am here to stay.” I said, gloating as I folded my arms and smiled at all three of them standing before me. Carmen stepped up to my side almost as if she was expecting to defend me from these three. Possibly even defend physically. “Nice try though. I cannot believe they actually fell for trick though.” My words did not sit too well with Candice. She tried to lift her one hand to me. She was stopped by one of her stooges who had quickly grabbed hold of her hand.

“You will get what is coming to you!” Candice hissed angrily.

“Go threaten someone who cares Candice.” I hissed back at her.

“Stay away from Dimitri!” Candice snapped. Her eyes winced. She looked like she was about to start crying again. Perhaps this time real tears? It dawned on me then what the true reason as to why Candice was doing this. It was all about her boyfriend. Dimitri Petrov. She was clearly stark raving mad.

I wanted nothing to do with Dimitri. I did not want him at all! Yet here his girlfriend was standing before me, behaving like I was trying to seduce him! I could be wrong in saying this, but I was not in total denial of the fact that Dimitri was behaving weird around me. I had long time picked up that he seemed to be staring at me a little more than what he should be as he has a girlfriend. Was that my fault? Hell no! I did not do anything to provoke this type of behavior from him. I especially did not ask for any of this. Of course Candice and her stooges were not going to see it this way. Everything was my fault. Her boyfriend was checking a other girl out and it was my fault. Unbelievable! It came to me than as well that staying away from Dimitri was going to be far harder now that I was being forced to join the cross country team. I actually wanted to smear that in her face, but chose not to and fought the temptation instead.

“Stay away from me Candice. I want nothing to do with either you or your boyfriend. Believe that or not.” I growled before I decided to cut this conversation short.

I stormed off down the passage and away from Candice before she was able to argue further with me. Carmen wasted no time in chasing after me. She was not afraid to show her concern to the entire situation once we were away from Candice and the stooges. They were looking for anything to target me with and I knew my life was only going to become more complicated now that I am having to join the cross country team.

“Are you alright?” Carmen asked shakily. “What happened? What did Ms. Hatch say? What is your punishment?” She was truly not going to go light on me as we reached the staircase leading to the passage to our room.

I was not sure if I wanted to answer any of those questions, but I knew I had to if I wanted to stop her from tormenting me like she did during breakfast this morning for details of yesterday’s disaster date. I eventually broke down and had to tell her what happened. Every last detail. And of course she also mentioned how Dimitri’s behavior, running to my side after I had struck his girlfriend with a snowball in the face, was completely inappropriate and not very loyal. “Ms. Hatch is not going to suspend me or anything. She is forcing me to join the cross country team now that there was an opening.” I said, rushing up the stairs with Carmen hot on my heels.

“Cross country? Since when is there an opening?”

“Since today apparently.”

“But-but Dimitri is in the cross country team!” Carmen gasped as we reached the top of the stairs. I stopped and looked back down at her as she was now in full knowledge as to how complicated my life was about to become. She seemed to even lose some color in her face as she became rather pale in her naturally tanned cheeks. “Candice is going to make your life hell when she discovers that you are going to be training and stuff with Dimitri.”