Chase your fate

chapter 6

Chase made his way through the day, taking his classes in stride.  Keeping an eye out each time he was in the hall for signs of Devyn.  For a long time now, he had dreamed of sweeping her off of her feet.  Knocking her off of her feet, was never a part of his dreaming though.  He laughed softly, remembering the smile on her face when she had caught him watching her walk away.  He wasn't the kind of guy that just assumed because a girl was polite, or smiled at him, that she wanted him.  He knew better.  After all, he spent most of his time in the company of girls.  Kiira, being his best friend.  Lenora and Natalie were her friends, so they were part of his small circle.  He wasn't sure if they considered him a friend, or a tag a long, but they were the closest thing to friends that he had.  He cared about them a lot, and was protective of them.

Lenora and Natalie liked having him around, for the simple fact that he let them use him as a spy into the male mind.  Chase was very good at reading guys.  Even though he typically thought more like a girl, and felt things more emotionally, he honestly could never figure out girls motives, or their hints.  The only girls that he had ever dated had either, cheated on him, or used him.  However, he could usually determine a guys motives.  And Lenora and Natalie would constantly ask him what he thought about the guys that they were talking to.

Today was one of those days.  The lunch bell rang, releasing them from class and freeing them for lunch.  He dropped his backpack in his locker, grabbing his canvas lunch box that Kiira had dubbed his 'European man bag' or his 'man purse'.  She called it that, because he carried things like his spare phone battery, his charger, pen and pencil, nail clippers, some energy drink powder mix, and small bottle of mouthwash in it.  The only food he ever carried in it was the 89 cent protein bars that he used for lunch.

He made his way to the cafeteria, scanning the tables till he found his girls. The name for the group that Kiira had come up with to aggravate him.  He took the spot next to Kiira and Ethan, across from  Lenora and Natalie.  He opened his bar, noticing that Lenora's eyes were red and puffy and she was holding a tissue while Natalie rubbed her shoulder.  Chase hated seeing her this way.  He really liked her, she had such a tender heart, but she just so easily fell for the wrong type of guy.  There had been a time, in the beginning of the friendship that he thought he was falling for her.  Then, one night, as he was comforting her from a heartbreak, she had, without meaning to, given him a small heartbreak of his own. That night, her boyfriend had been caught sleeping with another girl, and she was torn up about it.  While she cried against his shoulder, she had told him "ya know, Chase, what i need to find.. is a guy just like you... that isn't... you".  And in his mind, he heard, 'i need to find someone better looking that acts like you.'.  So, he had given up that thought, knowing it would never work out anyway.

He sat his bar on the table, breaking the awkward silence.  "Lenora... what's going on?".  She sniffed a little, wiping the wetness from her cheek, looking around the table.  "It's nothing Chase.. I know you hate him anyway... so it doesn't matter."  He instantly knew that she was talking about her on again, off again boyfriend Alex.  "What happened?"  he looked around to the others, then back to her.  "somebody tell me.".  The table remained silent until he placed his hand on the table.  "Fine, Chase, you were right... are you happy now?  You were right.  He only wanted... He didn't... he..." she started to break down again, as the heat came to his face, feeling his anger growing.  "What.. did... he... do?" he asked firmly looking at her.  "He did just what you said Chase..." she looked up through her tear streaked eyes.  "I took him back... he was all nice.. he said all these wonderful things.. told me i was pretty.. told me he thought that he loved me... he ... he only wanted me for last night.. now he's off chasing skirts.... again.".  She looks up at him defiantly waiting for the 'i told you so' speech that never came.

Chase just bowed his head, trying to shake the anger away, looking back up at her.  "I'm sorry ...".  she looked around the table to her friends, trying to calm herself.  "why does he treat me like this... and why ... why do i ... why?".   With that, she looks at Chase.  "why Chase".  He bit his tongue, trying not to speak.  One problem he had, was that when he did speak, he often had no filter, and could be painfully blunt, without meaning to be. "I... I could tell you... but you'll probably not like me anymore if i do.".  The table grew silent as she looked at him.  "No, Chase, i really need to know... I'm asking you.. tell me.". 

He sighs, looking around the table at all the eyes on him, seeing Ethan, slowly shaking his head as if to say 'don't do it', seeing Kiira nodding in support.  He looks back at Lenora's waiting eyes and gives in.. "Well.... honestly... Lenora... he treats you like that.. because.. well... in his mind... he's saying.... screw you... you're not going anywhere... and you'll always take me back... no matter how i treat you... so why should I care if you're hurting as long as I get what I want from you?".  When he see's the hurt in her eyes, he instantly regrets being so blunt, but he knew it was the truth.  She looks at him in shocked disbelief, then in a bit of anger, she blurts out "You're such an ass Chase.. what?  You think I'm some desperate slut that is just so thirsty I'll do anything.. is that it?  You think I like being treated like this?".  Before he could think it through, he says "well, obviously you get off on being treated like crap..  You knew what he was when you left Liam, who treated you like a queen, to run back to Alex just so you could be broken and used again.". "Screw you chase!  You've never even had a real girlfriend..  You don't know anything about love.".  "You're right Lenora... I never have.. had a real girlfriend.. but hun... if you think that that is what looks like, then you're the one that doesn't know anything about love." .  With that he stood, apologizing to everyone at the table "I'm sorry guys... I.. I should go.".  The others began to protest, but Lenora glared at him for a moment "to hell....".  He shook his head and whispered before he left.  "I warned you that you'd hate me if I told you... I'm sorry Lenora."

With that, he made the trek out of the lunch room, not noticing the eyes of Devyn, on him now.  She had been sitting off at a corner table, sketching him in her drawing book.  She looked down, making a small adjustment on the shading that she had added around his eyes.  She had noticed him in the couple of classes that they shared, but he never spoke outside of his little circle of those 4 people at the table.  When she had transferred to the school the last year, everyone had talked about him like he was some kind of lunatic.  Always in fights, they said he was like a madman when he fought, and that he had seriously hurt a few people.  He seemed so gentle though.  And, god, his soft, almost high pitched voice was so cute.  She blushed a little, thinking about his arms around her earlier. 

She packed up her things, making her way out of the lunchroom when a strong hand grabbed her elbow.  She turned to see the good looking boy Alex Shaygon holding her by the elbow. "L...let me go please."  she said.  She hated being touched by people she didn't know.  He held on a little longer before letting go, smirking down at her, obviously taking in the sight of her breasts before looking into her eyes, he spoke with arrogant cockiness. "I think i should pick you up around 7 and we should go do..." he looked down her body again "something."  He grinned back into her eyes.  She glared at him in disgust "Um.. that's funny... I was thinking that maybe you should do..." she looked down at his crotch, then back up to his eyes "a LITTLE something with yourself.". She pulled away making her way quickly out of the room as she heard the laughter of his friends, then heard him call after her. "In case you haven't heard... I don't take no for an answer".

She hurried out of the lunchroom, making her way to the hallway where her locker was.  She opened it up, dropping her bag at her feet, looking for the books for her final classes.  She grabbed the books, shut the locker and turned around only to find Alex standing right in front of her.  She jumped back in surprise, hitting her back against the locker, feeling trapped and alone.  Alex had a look of angry menace on his face, stepping closer, putting his hand over her shoulder on the locker leaning close to her.  "Listen here.... Devyn..." her began, putting an emphasis on her name "get out of my face ALEX" she said feeling panic rising in her chest making it harder to breathe.  He smirked at her, licking his lips obviously enjoying her discomfort. "No one talks to me like that... no one... understand... and as far as ... little..." he leaned in almost pressing himself into her had she not tried melting into the locker, he reached for her wrist, pulling her hand towards him "it's more than enough to make you cry."  with that she struggled enough to get him to take a few steps back, laughing, holding her wrists.  "GO TO HELL.. LET.. ME.. GO!" she screamed as he continued to hold her wrists.  Neither of them saw Chase coming out of the bathroom across the hallway from them.  Or the sudden fury that flooded his eyes.