ʙʀᴏᴋᴇɴ ✓

F I F T Y - O N E

Alexa

"You are what?!" Jackson and Michael exclaimed together, while Elliot's piercing eyes were coldly staring at me.

I flinched back at the boys raising their voices at me. "Um, I'm dating Benny?" I repeated, once more, wondering if telling them was even a good idea.

"Yeah, that's what I thought you said," Michael muttered, crossing his arms. "Now why the fuck--"

"I don't trust that guy," Jackson said with a scowl etched on his face, his eyes narrowed.

Elliot didn't say anything. He just continued to star at me for a few seconds move, before standing up and walking away, his hands in his pockets, his expression was angry.

"What's wrong with him?" I wondered sadly, wondering if I would even want to know the answer to my question.

Michael and Jackson both gave me looks that suggested that I was a complete and total idiot, but then the bell rung. I thought Michael and Jackson, or just one of them, would walk me to class like usual, but they just both stood up and walked away without saying anything to me, and not waiting for me to follow them.

I stood up. Did I do something wrong? Did I upset my friends? I bit my lip, desperately wanting to know why Elliot, Jackson and Michael were suddenly behaving like this.

"Hello, lex!" came a new voice, and I realized that it was Benny, who had made his way next to me. "I'll walk ya to class!"

I forced a smile onto my face, still hurt by how my only friends were acting toward me. "Hi, Ben, thank you so much," I told him.

***

Benny would walk me to all of my classes, and hardly Gave me a chance to talk to Elliot or Jackson or Michael. Benny would keep me way too occupied to make conversation with them, whether I see them in the hallway or class. Even lunch, Benny took me to another seat, where it was just the two of us.

Mr. Haynes class was the class that I thought I would be able to talk to my friends, even if Ryder, Ethan and Blake were also in close proximity to us and would most likely eavesdrop on our conversation.

When I entered the classroom with Benny, Ryan gave me a raised eyebrow, probably confused on why I entered with him instead of the boys that I usually come in with. I merely gave my uncle a half smile and a light shrug, and then my eyes zeroed in on my usual spot, where the surrounding people were already sitting in their usual spots.

Elliot looked like he was trying his hardest not to look in my direction.

Jackson was glaring at Benny, while Michael was glaring at me.

Ryder was staring at Benny and I, muttering things to confused looking Blake and Ethan, who then looked in our direction, as well.

A heated blush appeared on my cheeks from embarrassment. I hated having people look at me, especially having people look at me the way those guys are looking at me.

Benny grabbed my hand and gave them what appeared to have been a smug look, but I could have just been imagining that part, right? I don't think Benny is like that, to rub anything in - and there's nothing to even rub in in this case, is there?