| VEXED |

chapter | eighteen

Alex's pov

I pulled into the familiar parking lot and rested my head on my seat. I turned my head to the side to look at my high school. this summer felt like years, im not ready to be back here.

I watched Theo pull up beside me, he had a blacked-out mustang. his car matches him so well. hazel was in his passenger seat, but she jumped out before he could even put the car in park.

she was wearing a plaid skirt and a black crop top along with her mortel jacket. Theo was wearing his usual outfit, black jeans, black t-shirt, and mortel jacket.

I opened my jeep door and stepped out grabbing my school bag and the bag with my bow in it. I saw hazel and Theo doing the same.

I walked over to his car and he had a dreadful look on his face. hazel though, she looked like a literal sun beam. "remember you guys, stick to yourself and you will avoid a black eye." I reminded as we stood there looking at each other. they both nodded at me.

"what are you guys waiting for let's go!" she yelled half running ahead of us.

I stopped and looked at Theo who was already looking in my direction. "you've got this." he whispered trying to smile. "we've got this." I smiled back holding out my hand for him to take.

he took my hand reluctantly and smiled again as we headed towards the doors.

-

we walked in and I saw theo's nose scrunch up. "yep, better get used to the constant smell of weed and nicotine." I patted his shoulder and he shook his head as we walked forwards.

I walked towards my locker, that I did not miss. hazel was already standing there. "look, me and Theo got one right next to you." she giggled and I nodded my head.

"im going to put my bow in my locker, just in case." I told them and Theo nodded. it's in a bag, you can't tell what it is so no one will get suspicious.

"its high school A, not a survival course." hazel laughed. I gave her a look, and she nodded putting her knife in her locker.

in any other high school, an administrator would have confiscated them immediately, but honestly here you could get away with anything.

I opened my locker putting anything I didn't need in it, so did hazel and Theo. from the side of my eye, I saw a brunette that was hard to miss. Elena.

about the same time she saw me too. she began walking towards me at a fast speed and I did the same.

I wrapped my arms around her as soon as she was in front of me and she did the same. "I missed you so much." she began to cry onto my shoulder. "I missed you to el." I almost cried back.

we let go of eachother and she was studying my new physical traits. "I dont know where you went for the summer, but take me there so I can come out 10 times hotter like you did!" she half yelled touching my hair.

"do you want to meet my new friends?" I asked and her eyes lit up. "yes!" she exclaimed following me back to my locker.

"This is Theo." I began and he nodded in her direction, that's how Theo is. "and this is hazel." I spoke again pointing towards hazel. Elena's eyes lit up. "oh my gosh I love that skirt." she complimented hazel and she blushed.

"no way, I love your shoes!" hazel replied and they both giggled. "Elena, if you want you can show hazel around school before first period," I mentioned and they both smiled. "I would love to." she smiled taking hazels hand and walking in the other direction.

"well I created a friendship." I smiled and Theo frowned. "are you okay?" I asked and he nodded. "just dont want to be here thats all." he shrugged and I nodded.

I heard a noise very faintly from around the corner, like a girl in distress. I looked at Theo and he furrowed his brows. "What?" he asked. "do you not hear that?" I asked and he shook his head no.

I began to walk in the direction of the noise and Theo stopped me. "stick to ourselves remember?" he reminded me and I ignored him and kept walking.

I turned the corner to see a tall guy holding a girl against the lockers. "I said no," she said just above a whisper. I saw his hand moving down her body as she tried to interject. "it doesnt matter what you say, who has the power here?" he said back to her, and it made my blood boil.

"Please." she pleaded, I saw a tear fall down her cheek as he moved his hand more. I walked over towards him and shoved him away from her, earning looks from people.

"what the hell is your problem?" he spat looking at me with bloodshot eyes. "she said no," I replied standing in front of the girl.

"We were just having a little fun, isn't that right?" he spoke looking behind me at the girl. "go to hell." she cried, and he laughed.

more people were looking at us, he was causing a scene. I looked behind me at the girl. she looked terrified, vulnerable. the way I used to look. "your just as much a candidate as her." he smiled walking towards me. "try me." I warned.

"come on, bend over. that skirt would look so much better off." he reached out to touch me and I grabbed his wrist twisting it abruptly to the side.

he grunted in pain, we now have a crowd around us. "I've had my fill of misogynistic men. Always making us girls feel like we're nothing. It's not nice at all." I spoke putting more pressure on his wrist.

"feisty women are better in bed." he replied smirking. "you know what I love most about this hold, I could break all 27 bones in your hand with 7 pounds of pressure." I smiled back and his smirk dropped.

"Alex, stop." I saw Theo come around the corner. I shook my head no and he ran his hand through his hair frustrated.

Ethan's pov

"where the hell is Tommy?" I asked Grayson impatiently. "I don't fucking know. he saw some girl he thought was hot and haven't seen him since," he replied looking down at his phone.

ever since Jackson ditched us we met this dude named Tommy. he gives us weed all the time. the guy is a dick, but so are we.

I glanced over around the corner. I saw a bunch of people bunched up in one spot. "gray, might be the first fight of the year, want to go watch it?" I laughed smacking his shoulder. he nodded smiling and we jogged over to it.

I looked in the middle to see a girl crying against the lockers, and a girl holding dudes wrist. there was something familiar about the back of her as weird as that sounds.

"is that Tommy? lets go around the front to get a better look." Grayson suggested and I followed. it was Tommy, and it was..

"oh my god- is that-." Grayson began and I nodded. "thats Alex." I whispered.