Retaliation ✔

Chapter 12 - Valentine's Day

*one day later*

"Happy Valentine's Day, sis!" Ashton hollered happily as he practically skipped down the stairs. "It's the day of love!" I giggled hysterically at him when he started dancing around the kitchen. "In honour of this day I'm going to make heart-shaped pancakes for breakfast!"

I pretended to throw up from the cheesiness, but immedietly shoved my jello cup away. Ashton's pancakes were the best. Watching him from my stool at the counter, I swung my legs happily. I daydreamt while in the peace and comfort that I only got in Ash's company.

After a while of deep thinking, I spoke up. "What's it like to be in love?"

Ashton turned around to observe me, pancakes still cooking on the stove. He made sure I was being serious before replying with, "Well, that's a serious question... Guess we'll have to discuss it over my fabulous pancakes!"

I laughed with him as he flipped the pancakes dramatically. During a particularly loud fit of laughter, Mandy walked down the stairs without us noticing. She perkily strolled into the kitchen and wrapped her arms around Ashton's torso.

He jumped from surprise, but after realising who it was, he attacked her face in kisses. I snickered as I watched the overly happy couple exchange a few chaste kisses. Beginning to smell the pancakes burning, I stood up and took over Ashton's job by serving them up on three plates.

Ash noticed this and pulled away from his girl, hurriedly apologizing to me. I laughed it off before getting out the strawberry syrup and drenching the hearts in it. "Now, Ash, tell what it's like to be in love," I gestured for him to speak after I sat down on my usual stool.

"Are you assuming I'm in love?" He questioned, glancing at Mandy. She raised her eyebrows at him sassily, causing my brother to give in. "Okay, fine, maybe I am in love."

"Well? What is it like?" I curiously urged, not even caring about the question anymore.

"When you're in love, like me, the person you're in love with fills a piece of you that no one else can, not even your best friend/sister. That person gives you utter bliss and you feel this happy chemical coursing through your veins whenever you're with them."

I didn't take in much of his spiel, but I did notice the happiness in his eyes and the way he lookes at Mandy. Clearly, they had been together for longer than I had known, but then Ash looked entirely complete. I decided that I wanted that, too.

€£€£€£€

*one hour later*

"Did you hear?" Samantha slithered up next to me the second I kicked my locker open with the newest gossip.

"Probably not, I just got here," I replied casually. As a part of my daily ritual, I pulled my nearly empty math notebook and unfinished homework out of my backpack.

Hazel also had showed up at some point, ready to tell me what had occurred in the fifteen minutes that the school had been open. "Apparently, June got more unexpected nudes on Snap from Fatty Joe and he's giving her a love note in approximately..." Sam began but stopped to check the time on her watch to give me the accurate info.

"Forty-eight seconds," Thankfully, Hazel had also been keeping track and knew just as much as Samantha. Sam looked at her, impressed, but I freaked out.

"Oh no! We're gonna miss it!" I shouted, ripping more books out of my backpack hastily. "Where is he giving it to her?"

"Probably at the vending machine," Hazel answered immediately. I rolled my eyes at that, muttering "copycats" before I turned around to head towards the drama. I couldn't wait to see the disgusted look on June's face.

Hazel and Sam slowly followed behind me, somehow beginning an argument out of nowhere. I then realised that they hadn't fought for a long time, which was peculiar.

As I approached the vending machine, I noticed a large crowd gathered around it, for two different reasons. One was that Fatty Joe was one knee in front of an extremely grossed-out June. The other was that 'hey, sexy' was written in magenta lipstick on the glass of the vending machine.

"Jesus Christ," I muttered, resulting in Sam and Hazel to bring their attention back to the scene developing in front of them. Corey then came around the corner of hallway, somehow taking my breath away.

His hair was slicked upwards in the front like a total douchebag, his nimble fingers held a bouquet of black roses (my favorite), and his lean body was dressed up in a full suit. Corey smirked when he saw the girl's reactions, loving the spotlight a little too much. Some people who were still paying attention to June's situation began chanting for her and Fatty Joe to kiss. The yelling escalated over to our side of the hallway as well, probably at the fault of Samantha, and soon enough Corey's lips were on mine.

His arms circled around my waist comfortably, being snart in keeping them there instead of trying to roam around my body. I put my hands to use by taking the rose boquet out of his and clutching them in front of my stomach to keep some seperation between us. I never once kissed back.

After I heard gagging sounds from behind Corey, I knew it had happened. I pushed him off to look around his shoulder and see Fatty Joe's meaty hands clutch June's foundation-covered face and pull it towards him for a slobbery kiss.

I pretended to throw up on Corey's perfect suit, to which he pushed me away and pretended to be grossed out.
"Seriously though, Cunty, what is all this about?" I questioned, pointing to the suit and the vending machine.

Corey looked at me as if I was crazy before retorting, "Because it's Valentine's Day!" as if that fixed anything. I stood there in confusion for a second before he exclaimed, "Oh! I have something else for you too!"

He grabbed my free hand, the one with his promise ring on it, and began dragging me down the hallway in the opposite direction of my locker. "Is it Caden's dick?" I asked under my breath. Thankfully, Corey didn't hear me and just continued to pull me along with him.

"It's in my locker still so I have to get it," Corey panted apologetically, running even faster as if to beat the bell. Once we were upstairs and at his cupboard, he began slowly turning the dial to get it open.

After him only hitting one number, I grew impatient. "This is taking too long, step back," I announced shoving his shoulder backwards so that he would be out of the way of the locker door. Salmming my foot against it hard repeatedly caused it to finally open after the seventh kick. Corey was able to snatch the small gift off the top shelf without me seeing it.

"Okay, so you mentioned that you didn't have this but you wanted it one time so I thought I woukd get it for you for being such a nice and beautiful girlfriend," He blabbed, shielding it from me by holding it behind his back. Once again, I became impatient and just stole the present from his strong hands.

After ripping off the bow roughly I gasped. It was the Five Finger Death Punch CD that had Ashton's favorite song on it. I had wanted it for forever but never had any money to buy it.

"Holy shit!" I jumped, wrapping arms around Corey's neck and my legs around his hips. He stumbled a bit at first, both of us laughing at his uneasiness. "Thank you, thank you so fucking much Corey!" He grinned widely at seeing me so joyous and happy, which was rare for anyone but Ash to witness.

"Here's your gift," I announced calmly as Corey set me down. For his Valentine's Day present I leant up and gave him a long pick on his cheek, right above the most adorable dimples I'd ever seen. Then one last thing happened; Corey blushed like a madman.

€£€£€£€

I was heading to my first hour class when some random pervert gripped my hips with his hands, causing me to stop. I was about to murder him before I heard Caden's voice whispering in my ear. "I'm still not completely over Sam, I'm hurting. Want to go skip class to comfort me some more? I heard the boy's locker room is free," He breathed lightly and smoothly, making me desperately want to go with him.

So I did. "Sure," I replied with a smirk, and followed him across our fairly large school.