Ignite ─ Ben Hardy

CHAPTER FOURTEEN ━ BURY A FRIEND

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𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚕 𝚕𝚒𝚏𝚎.

2008

          TODAY SHOULD HAVE PASSED WITH MERRIMENT EVERYWHERE, but no, there was always a problem between them and Shanessa Woodley was adequately exhausted of it. A gloomy empyrean that had dominated the horizon since this morning had already ticked off that something would happen, something that neither of them wanted to take place, of course.

High school was somewhat predictable, you were popular then you survived, but if you were a nerd, a wallflower, were part of the club that infested the lowest existence in the school, there were an absolute odds that you would frequently hit the rock bottom. The pressure coming from a bunch of know-it-all students were extremely toxic, not everyone, but the majority of them was.

While Shailene decided not to take any extracurricular, a privilege of being the daughter of the school principal, Shanessa was part of the cheerleading team, thus conveniently drove her to enter the cool kids' inner circle. The amount of party, shopping invitations, chocolates and flowers from secret admirers on the Cupid's Day, every distinction that a popular girl received, she had them all. But, Shanessa never let it get to her head, she came to school to study, hang out with a few real friends and later, graduated. The girl had dreams, she wished to succeed in the future, made a name for herself, that was why a status at high school wasn't really important to her.

And in the process, Shanessa also found other bliss, a boyfriend more precisely. Eugene Lee was the name, a transferred student from South Korea, bumped into her on the first day of sophomore year. Both of them froze when they gazed at each other, stuttered out messy apologies before helped to gather each other's stuff that tumbled down the floor during the collision. They might be young at the time, but they recognized the term of first love, it would definitely happen in the phase of one's life.

Initially, they didn't see themselves as a piece of those two syllables, but they hollowed out deep feelings to one another ever since the encounter. Then, a few months later after heaps of stealing glances, partnering on assignments, sitting across each other at the canteen, tutoring lessons, Shanessa and Eugene agreed they were better together.

For Eugene, she was everything a man would desire and need, as well as everything a boy would not understand, value and take for granted. She was the best decision, the greatest friend and adventure.

For Shanessa, he was everything big and small, and all of them are wonderful. A place where there was nothing before, blossomed into love because of him. He was a kind of throwback to a time when love didn't cost a thing, but was everything.

They loved each other in a way that anyone could really only do the first time around.

Unfortunately, it came with various risks, especially after Shanessa was chosen to be the head of the cheerleading team. In a flash, mockeries were thrown over at Eugene, divers rude whispers from other students who questioned what exactly Shanessa saw in him, cynical gazes from the boys in the basketball team stabbed his skull every step he took, and even monition blows stigmatized his face in certain days. Sometimes it all occurred without her knowing.

"Maybe you should stop seeing me in the field," Shanessa suggested lowly as they sat face-to-face on the bench outside the schoolyard, her hands immediately working to clean his scantily bleeding bottom lip. "Tell me where you want to meet, I'll come to you. It's better than you have to get hurt first before you can pick me up."

"And watch them eyeing you with their dirty gaze?" A grunt fled off Eugene's lips, flinching a bit against the stinging sensation. Out of instinct, Eugene took off his school varsity and placed it on top of Shanessa's thighs, realizing that she was still currently wearing her cheerleader uniform, revealed some skins to the world. "I'd rather take these punches than do that."