The thin line between love and hate

Chapter 3.

It was the next day and Paige was waiting for Chase at his locker.She hoped that he’ll show up and talk before the next period.She shuffled from one foot to the other nervously.She wondered what took him so long to get to school, they had about five minutes before classes start.

“Calm down he’ll get here,” Paula said as she texted on her phone.Paige was being annoying.She never understood why she had to suck it up for him.He would do something nasty and Paige would be the one to apologise and try to fix their relationship.Paula had given up on her a long time ago.She had tried to talk Paige into breaking up with Chase but she wouldn’t budge.So the only thing left for Paula was to be there for her friend.

Paige sighed and stared at her friend sadly.She didn’t know what to say, she knew that if she said anything they would end up arguing and that was the last thing she needed.

She caught a glimpse of Chase’s red hair.Excitement bubbled up in her tummy as she saw him approach.He didn’t look good.His left eye was swollen, closed and purple in colour. His busted lip was swollen and reddish in colour.He had a limp as he walked towards his locker.

“Hey babe!” Paige smiled nervously at him as she tried to grab his backpack from him.Chase pushed her arm and walked around her to his locker.He put in the combinations before opening his locker and get his books.

“How did you sleep?” Paige asked her voice wavering but still, Chase ignored her.She felt someone glaring at her from across the hall and turned to see who it was.It was Lorenzo.The guy who caused all this mess.She glared back at him and clenched her hands to prevent herself from going to make a fool out of herself.She needed to focus on the problem at hand.Her boyfriend’s anger.

Paige ran a hand down his back only to feel him freeze for a second before continuing to put some books in his backpack.“Babe i’m sorry, I didn’t mean what I said yesterday.Can we talk about it?“She whispered as she felt her throat close up.Tears filled her eyes only waiting to be shed any minute.

Chase grunted a reply, which Paige didn’t get clearly causing her to frown in confusion.“I need to get to class!“He growled at her before limping past her to get to class.

Lorenzo observed the dark haired girl from afar.He wasn’t sorry for beating her boyfriend to a pulp, but he was sorry for her.The guy clearly treated her like trash he could see it.The guy didn’t deserve her.She was clearly distraught and the guy wasn’t even giving her the attention she needed.If only she was his.He gasped when he realised where his thoughts were heading.He didn’t like it.

The girl turned and noticed him watching her.She had an angry look as she glared back at him.Lorenzo swore his heart skipped a beat or two.She looked like a little bunny and could help it when his face grew into a smirk.She turned and faced her boyfriend.His face fell as he stared at the couple in jealousy.

He didn’t like the fact that he had to be tutored by her.How would he even manage to sit close to her he detested her.He groaned as he thought about how her wide hips and butt looked in that denim shorts she wore.He wasn’t supposed to think about her and yet there he was, thinking about his sworn enemy.

He shut his locker with a bang and went to find his class.Little did he know that his day was about to get worse.

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“It’s good to see you Paige, how’s school?” The principal asked as he gave her a warm smile.Having her boyfriend bullied repeatedly and him not talking to her, she wanted to reply that school wasn’t going great for but she chose to lie instead.

“School’s great.” She replied mastering a fake smile.

“That’s great!Well I have a student I’d like for you to tutor but here’s the catch.He....Well how do I say this?He’s difficult to work with.” He replied in a cold voice.

There was nothing that excited her more than challenges. “I’ll take the task!” She said hurriedly.Mr.Scott smiled at her,“good let me call him to come and join us."

After afew minutes a knock was heard before Lorenzo entered the office.Paige could feel all the colour drain from her face."Him?You want me to tutor him?!"Paige shreaked as she jumped to her feet.Mr.Scott frowned t her reaction."Yes, I want you to tutor him."Mr.Scott replied as he stared at her pointedly.

"I'm sorry sir but I can't tutor him!I don't think that I can even stay in the same room with this...this...this student" She replied stressing the word student harshly.Mr.Scott's face became unreadable as he studied the both of them."Why not?"He asked calmly.Paige shuffled from one leg to another nervously."Because I hate him and he beat up my boyfriend."She answered softly.

"Is this true Mr.Pagillacia?" Mr.Scott asked his voice getting a hard edge on it.Paige couldn't read a single reaction from him, it's like he is made of stone."Yes!"He answered.Paige felt a shiver rush down her spine and fear clawing at her chest.What had she done?Now Chase was going to get it.

"You are excused miss Moore, you can go back to class." Mr.Scott said as he glared at Lorenzo.The tension in the room increased causing Paige to run out of the office.What had she done?

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Paige's mind drifted off as she thought about what would happen now that she had snitched on Lorenzo.The school would surely isolate her that is if Lorenzo didn't open his big mouth.The teacher in front of the class kept rumbling on and on about a topic that she was familiar with.

The door opened and in walked Lorenzo.Furious was an understatement to what his face showed.He threw Paige a dark look causing her to look down.She could hear his heavy footsteps as he made his way to his seat.The silence that fell on the class was deafening.

Paige tried to steal a look at him hoping that he wouldn't see her but she was met with several pairs of eyes that glanced back at her she swiftly looked down at her books and avoided their gaze.The teacher continued to rumble, only when he called her name did her mind drift back to class.

"Sorry?" She said hoping that he'll repeat what he had just said."You'll be pairing up with Lorenzo"He said and continued on with calling out names and pairing them up.For a second she was left in a daze, how could they be partners?They were sworn enemies.Paige was finally convinced that fate, was making her pay for all the cookies she had stolen at midnight when she was thirteen.

Before she could ask the teacher to change them up, Lorenzo stood and walked out of class ignoring Mr.Smith's order to get back to his seat.