B I T T E R

C H A P T E R NINETEEN

During lunch, all the Future Millionaire's Club of America members gathered in Mrs. G's room to hear who would be advancing to States. She called off a long list of names and I stopped listening after I heard mine, Riley's, Spencer's, Havoc's, and Ace's.

"Congratulations to those who advanced and if you would still like to attend for educational purposes, please see me." She wrapped up.

The girls and I excitedly high-fived each other. There wasn't a year where we didn't advance.

"I think we should find Spencer a little fling this time." I proposed. We were always trying to hook up Spencer with a boy, but she was always uninterested. We were starting to think that maybe she was gay.

"I'm okay." She declined.

"I will lock you in a room with a hottie if I have to." Riley joked.

"I will only beat him up." She shrugged. We all laughed and continued to plan for States. The four of us would room together, just as always. We came up with funny scenarios that could possibly happen. Last year, someone overdosed on cocaine and the paramedics had to come.

"Hey, Charlotte." Ace said as he walked up to our table.

"There are other people here." Riley scoffed.

He greeted the girls and turned back to me, "Can we talk?"

I nodded and we walked into the hallway outside. I didn't know what was so important that he couldn't tell me inside. The girls were going to get every detail of our conversation anyway.

"What's up?" I leaned against a locker.

"I think we need to end things." He said.

"What things? We have nothing set in stone." I was confused.

"I want us to be friends."

"Ace, we literally went on one date and you're over me already? How can you have feelings one week and not the next?" I moved my hands, angrily.

"Hey, you're into that other dude more than me!" he crossed his arms.

"Ace, you sound ignorant. Shut up and think for a second! You and I had sex on Friday! How can you believe that?" I honestly did have more feelings for Aidan, but I still wanted to date Ace.

"Yeah and it was great, but I know what I saw." He shook his head.

"Oh, I see. You used me! That was all you wanted the whole time." I felt mistreated.

"No and I'm sorry that I hurt you." He said, but he didn't sound sorry at all.

"No, you aren't. To be honest, you wasted my time and I feel like I got played."

"Oh ok." Was all he said. It pissed me off more than anything! He didn't even try to make me feel better. He lied about his reason and now he was back to acting emotionless.

"Okay." I nodded. I slapped him across the face and waited to see what he would do.

"Stop it." He commanded in a deep voice, but I didn't really care. How could I give him body and he act like this now?

"You're a piece of shit! You really are." I slapped him again. I raised my hand to give him a good, hard one. But, he snatched my wrists and pushed me against the lockers.

"Help! Help!" I screamed. Ms. Williams rushed into the hallway and saw Ace just as he released me. I started to cry and I ran into her arms.

"What is going on here?" she held me. She looked between Ace and I for answers.

"He was going to-to hurt me-me." I stuttered through my tears.

"That's not true! She wouldn't stop hitting me so I grabbed her wrists."

"I never touched him. And on Friday, we were at a party and he-he,"

"He what?" she asked.

"He touched me and I didn't want him to. I told him to stop but he said that I deserved it." I cried harder.

"He raped you?" she asked in disbelief.

"Yes!" I sobbed into her shoulder.

"That's not true at all! Don't listen to her!" he yelled.

"Charlotte, go report this right now. "she ignored him.

"That's not fucking true and if you believe that slut, then you need to wake up!" he cursed. Ms. Williams' jaw dropped. No student ever had the guts to speak to her that way before. Ace didn't stick around for punishment. He ran out the school doors and he was a blur from there.

"Go to the office, sweetie. They will take care of this. He won't get away with it." She rubbed my arm. She walked with me to the office. I wiped my tears and waited to be called by the safety advocate.

Ace, you made a big mistake!