From Cradle to the Grave

Chapter 25

Jasmine's POV

Bailey Spencer, to put it in simpler words, hated my guts. I never did anything to that girl in the entire range of my existence, yet I managed to be the target of her hatred.

If Hunter was the hitman, she was his second in command.

She would leave no stone unturned to harm me. Whenever Hunter wouldn't be present anywhere near me, she would make it her life's mission to harass the hell out of me.

When Hunter got arrested, Bailey disappeared. It was a shock not only to me but to everyone else in school. It was speculated that she left school, but she altogether disappeared. She was a year or two older than us and seeing her sudden disappearance, it is likely that she didn't even graduate.

She just disappeared.

So seeing her in front of the school gates after more than a year, it chilled me to the core. Her appearance strengthened my fear of running into Hunter anytime soon.

If she was here, Hunter would also be near.

I acted like I didn't see her and quickly walked inside the gates.

"Jasmine."

Her voice stilled me for a moment, because it wasn't the nasally sneer I would hear from her whenever she would address me. Her voice seemed almost broken.

Still, I didn't stop and kept walking. I was about to reach the corridors when a strong grip on my elbow stopped me.

I yelped and yanked my hand from the intruder. I turned around and looked into the amber eyes of Bailey.

Her eyes seemed to have grown older with wisdom and maturity. Her hair was held back into a tight ponytail. She was dressed in jeans and shirt. She seemd to have grown older than her age. Yet she looked as beautiful as she ever was. Bailey had always been beautiful. Even if she was a complete bitch to me, she wasn't bitchy about her looks. She was the kind who didn't know she was beautiful.

The Bailey I knew wasn't like this. She would wear short, tight clothes to attract her boyfriend, even though Hunter never seemed to care about that. He was too obsessed with hurting me. She would change her hair colour every month, would put tons of makeup on her face, even if she didn't need it. At times I really wanted to yell at her to give up trying to get her own boyfriend's attention. But I feared what would she do if I told her. Maybe break a bone or two of mine.

"W-what? What d-do you w-want?" I stuttered.

Bailey smiled gently at me and I gaped. Bailey never smiled! At least not at me. I knew something was wrong. I looked around discreetly to see if Hunter was hiding somewhere in the bushes and would spring up any moment now.

I didn't trust any one of them.

"Hey Jasmine. How have you been?" Bailey said softly, shocking me beyond belief. I couldn't just come in terms with the fact that she was being too sweet to me.

I didn't let my guard waver and spoke, "What do you think?"

She seemed taken aback by my blunt reply and I mentally patted myself for not losing my calm.

Bailey sighed and looked down.

"Hey, I know I'm the last person you would like to see right now, or maybe even in many years, but trust me when I say this Jasmine, I've changed."

I scoffed at that. "Changed? Did I hear that right Bailey? Because people like you don't change." I spat out so venomously it even scared me.