His Ruthless Revenge (A Dark Bully Romance)

Chapter Nine

Six years earlier...

"He's still staring at you." Finn informs me, waiting for me to get my books out of my locker.
"Just ignore it." I advise him, refusing to look at Chase or anywhere near his direction.
"But what does he want? Why does he have such a problem with you?" Finn persists as we walk down the corridor together.
"I have no idea." I admit, shaking my head. "I plan on avoiding him at all costs."
"It sucks that he's ruined your final year of school though." Finn points out, a great deal of empathy in his voice.
"I won't let him." I reply confidently, trying to sound optimistic. "Not anymore."

It's been a couple of weeks since I had that awful altercation with Chase in the changing rooms. I really thought we'd worked through something and he would leave me alone after that but of course he didn't.
His behaviour has somewhat changed but he still glares at me every time he sees me, trying to intimidate me as much as possible. I've tried ignoring him and blocking it out of my mind as much as I can but it's so difficult.

Why does he hate me so much?

On a brighter note, Finn has been such a great friend to me lately. He's always looking out for me and although no one could ever replace Eric, I'm glad I've found a new friend.
It helps that Finn can't stand Chase but there have been a few occasions when I've had to beg Finn to keep away from him. I appreciate how protective he is but really don't want anyone else fighting my battles for me.
If I'm being completely honest with myself... my feelings towards Finn aren't exactly what you'd call platonic. He's incredibly attractive and has such a great personality to match. He's just an awesome person and it's becoming more and more difficult for me to pretend that all I want from him is friendship.
I've noticed a few of the other girls in school watching him as we walk down the corridor together. Their eyes shine brightly as they flick their hair back in an attempt to capture his attention. Except when they inevitably fail to do so, they turn nasty and start scowling at me instead.
No one seems to have caught his attention so far (which I'm grateful for) and I really don't know how I'd feel if Finn were to meet someone he likes and started dating.

Today is Friday which means my class has to go swimming. I absolutely hate going but have no more excuses to get out of it. What makes it completely unbearable is the fact that Louise is going to be there.
Chase seems to have backed off a little bit but she hasn't. Her constant torment keeps me up at night and it's even worse when we go swimming as Finn isn't around to step in or intervene.
I take a deep breath when I spot our school bus pulling into the car park. It's the same one that takes us to the local leisure centre every week and I've come to hate the actual sight of it. It's an ugly brown colour and it must be at least twenty years old.
Our teacher must be running late this week as there's no sign of her but know I can't delay getting on the bus any longer. I take another deep breath, mentally preparing myself for the next few hours of misery.

I feel someone's eyes on me as I'm climbing up the steps and don't even have to turn around to know who it is.

Chase.

He must be on his way to football as he's changed into his kit already. He's leaning against the wall across the car park and his piercing blue eyes are fixated on me as I take a seat on the bus. Trying to ignore him as though I haven't even seen him, I choose a front seat and turn my back to the window.
"I don't know why you keep staring at him." A startling voice taunts me, Louise walking down the centre aisle of the bus. "It's not like he'd ever look at you."
I roll my eyes at her, taking a brief look back as the bus finally pulls away. Chase is still watching me as we leave; staring intently until we disappear around the corner.

Thank God we get our own private cubicles to change into when we go swimming. I can't think of anything more mortifying than being completely naked in front of Louise and her spiteful posse.
I'm a pretty competent swimmer but I'm not the best in our class. I try to keep to myself mostly; swimming as many lengths as I can until we're told we can get out and go get changed.
I'm grateful that our swimming sessions are in the afternoon so I can go straight home after we're dropped off at school. The thought of a nice bubble bath waiting for me is what gets me through these hideous afternoons.
Another reason I'm glad we have our own cubicle is I don't have to see Louise and her perfect body. Her skin is naturally quite tanned and her legs are enviously long. Witnessing her in her sleek swimsuit makes me feel so insecure.