A Thousand Storms

07 toxic

Song: Toxic Remix — Britney Spears

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*

I loved mathematics because it was a the science of patterns. And the most beautiful and intricate and complex pattern was nothing other than human life.

Mason Valdez was disrupting the pattern of my life.

He was tearing apart the fabric without the slightest apology, unravelling the millions of cotton threads I held on to so dearly.

He was not alone.

A beautiful girl with caramel skin and dark hair draping over her shoulders was with him. Her short dress was a fully sequined rose gold. Something stirred inside me at the sight of them together.

What was he doing here?

Not far away from him, I recognised Logan, and he was with a girl too. Maybe I was thinking too far into it. It was probably just a coincidence.

Plus, it was a public space. He was allowed to go anywhere he wanted.

Then why did I feel like my insides were burning?

Mason caught my eye, his gaze lowering to my hands around Caleb. He glowered. Then, he began walking up to us, the beautiful girl at his side beside him.

I tensed against Caleb.

"You okay?" Caleb asked, sensing it.

"I—"

"She's fine," Mason answered for me. "Maybe if you'd stop dancing like a pendejo, she'd be better."

I glared at Mason, open-mouthed. What the heck was a pendejo anyway?

"Dumbass," Mason translated for me, a slight smirk on his lips.

Shit, I said it out loud. Was there something in that Mojito?

"Nope," Caleb said, a faint smile on his lips, "it was definitely alcohol free."

Shit, did I say that out loud as well?

"Yes," all three of them said at once, and that pretty dark-haired girl joined in this time. Mason's date.

"Hi!" She smiled at me. "I'm Gabriella."

I didn't have time to respond to her.

"What are you doing here, Gabby?" Caleb said, glaring at Mason.

Gabby? He knew her? Maybe they went to school together, or something.

She focused her attention on him. Something about the way she did it— the way she blinked a little faster when she stared at Caleb...

She liked him.

"Mason called me up, and said it was urgent?" she said, a little confused herself.

Mason smirked, completely unabashed by everything. He, the master orchestrator, seemed to be the only one who wasn't confused.

Caleb glared at Mason, and the two had an unspoken conversation between both angry and amused eyes.

"Blondie, aren't you getting a little bored of Caleb?" Mason quipped, then.

I scowled at him. "Actually, I—"

"Partner swap!" Mason announced, nudging Gabby toward Caleb. She moved, though a little hesitant at first.

I stayed rooted to my spot, clenching my jaw at what he was doing. Caleb frowned too, but didn't make any attempt to fight back at the situation. He disappeared from my line of sight.