Chapter 14//"Aribella are you a psycho bitch or do you want to end up in jail for murder?"
"I'm going to beat that bitch so hard, even her fucking minions will feel me beat her ass" Emily shouts as we walk into the changing room.
I clutch my P.E kit nodding in agreement. When we enter the sweaty changing room, I am hit with the scent of an overuse of deodorant. Why do juniors use so much of that stuff, there is a limit to everything.
"She had no right to come up to me and ask me to change my article. I know she's dumb like I've heard of babies being dropped down the stairs but she was clearly thrown off a building"
We take our usual places in the changing room as Emily continues to rant about Aribella; it is actually quite entertaining.
The changing room is full but there is an empty pot where Aribella usually is. Soon she arrives into the cramped room fashionably late, but for some peculiar reason, she doesn't take her usual place.
"YOU!" She shouts in our direction. My back tenses up and I quickly put on my top seeing as I am just standing in my bra.
"You boy stealing whore" She points at Emily, I realize that her perfectly manicured finger is actually pointing at me. I look at her taken aback, her eyes are firing with rage.
"Aribella grow up I don't want a fight with you" I sigh turning around.
She suddenly takes my shoulder and shoves me "You...You're a cheeky bitch who walks around like you own the school, but no one actually gives a fuck about you. You can't get a boy so you try and steal other people's guys. You make me sick Crescent Dawson"
Everyone in the room is staring at us but a particular pair of eyes catch my gaze, Winter. Her eyes look slightly concerned but when my eyes meet her's she snaps her gaze in the other direction.
"Aribella shut your mouth cause I have no idea what you are talking about, probably bullshit as usual." I really can't be bothered with her rubbish today.
The whole changing room has gone completely silent and they can see a potential huge blow out unfolding. And actually I'm a little shocked; I've never seen Aribella this angry.
"No you're not getting away with this" She practically screams.
"Well tell me what I did?" I shout loud and clear my voice clearly saying I can't be bothered with her pettiness. A few girls gasp.
Oh it is going down.
"YOU DATED HIM. You're trying to take him from me" I look at her confused until I realise...oh.
"Get your fucking facts right you stupid cow it was a fake date. FAKE, Something that is not real and you want to know something else that will never be real, Elliot Grayson and you." I spit at her I feel the venom coat my words. I knew I was only adding fuel to her fire but she needed to hear it.
"You know I've heard about guys getting in girls pants but you Crescent you're forcing yourself to get down Elliott's pants. What, did you persuade him with a blowjob so he would go on a date with you to making your brother look like a better person than he is" She laughs coldly.
"What do you mean by that?" My teeth grind together and her words burn my insides, not the fact that she dissed me but when you go anywhere near Daniel. Well then bitch you die.
"Please your brother can never get a date, you think he's a good guy but he'll fuck any girl that's around the corner, and he's a drug addicted loser who..."
She doesn't get to finish her sentence because I'm already screaming at her. I'm so close to wrapping my hands around her neck.
Yes, Daniel does have a record with the ladies, and I know very well that my brother does not regularly take drugs. I'm aware that he's gotten in some shit for possession a few times but managed to get himself out of it. I don't know what's going on there but he asked me to trust him and I do. Also, it must not be anything too bad as he's never been in any serious trouble for it.
"Aribella you're a dumb slut who's fake tan is so orange that you look like a burnt potato. And you pretend you have thin thighs when you are so insecure about them. All you care about is your popularity and the increasing number of STD's you've caught from different guys"
She lunges for me but for some reason some of her evil minions hold her back. God she looks like she is about to bite my head off.
I tie my laces in double quick time as her minions try to calm her down. She shouts offensive comments at me but I can't be bothered to listen to the rubbish that is falling out her mouth.
For a final time, IÂ turn around and put an award-winning smile on my face, glancing at the exit door and back at Aribella.
Don't do it Cress
I lift my hand to wave at her.
"Bye bye you slutty bitch"
That's when all hell breaks loose. My main goal is to get out of the changing room alive. I grab the door handle and swing it open. Screaming echo's through the walls but I try and make my escape quick and fast.
I feel someone tug the back of my shirt, but somehow manage to lose their grip. I sprint to the main hall that led to all the directions of the other changing rooms. The boys are coming out of their changing room and are glancing at me, as I am bright red and breathing deeply.
I then see a glimpse of dark brown hair and my heart stops. Oh god I am dead.
I take a step back and see her; preparing myself to lunge at her to release all my hate.
Instead, I feel arms wrapped around my waist holding me back and also seeing someone strong, with dark hair holding Aribella back.
"Let go of me Elliott," she screeches.
"I'm going to kill her, I will make her regret every foul word she has said to me I swear" She is struggling against his grip and I am doing the same. I hit the person who is holding me back.
"OW Cress stop struggling" Daniel's soothing voice whipers but that makes me angrier.
"Elliott let me go" Her struggle decreases as she suddenly wraps her arms around Elliott and buries her head in the crook of his neck. My heart drops into my stomach as he wraps his arms reassuringly around her back. I push back the feeling, why should I care if Elliott is taking Aribella's side its not like I care about him anyway.
"Elliott I can't deal with her anymore she made fun of my mother...of how my mother left me"
I gasp and a crowd of people do the same. That lying bitch. And at that second I am out of control, more than one pair of hands are holding me back. Tears rush to my eyes due to my hatred for her because honestly, those words hurt.
How could I make fun of her mother who disowned her when I can't see my mother ever again? I scrunch up my face in hurt, of course, everyone would believe her. A few moments ago Daniel loosened his grip on me but now his arms are tighter than ever. He knows, he knows something she said just said was wrong. He knows me too well, to know I would never say anything about her family. Especially her mother seeing as I've lost mine.
Elliott is throwing daggers at me with his eyes as he brushes his hand through her hair. I grit my teeth together, as I stare back at Elliott. How dare he judge me?
Eventually, I am dragged to the hockey pitch but I don't miss Aribella's cunning smirk of satisfaction. Outside I lean against the gate completely alone.
"Crescent are you okay?" It is a soft soothing voice. I turn to see Alec looking at me with pity in his eyes. I catch a glimpse of Emily bright red in the face shouting at Elliott as he has his arms crossed. There is a hard look on his face, as he watches Emily shout at him, not uttering a word in reply.
"Listen up you incompetent losers, I heard what went down in the hall moments earlier and for that I will make you all pay. We are warriors who are training to achieve our optimum health. Now 2 laps around the hockey pitch for a light warm up"
I go off into a sprint the second the coach shouts for us to go.
A dark-haired figure catching up to me but look away from him "Can we talk?" He asks but don't even bother to look into his heartwarming eyes. I sprint faster-wanting nothing more than to get away from him.
He somehow sprints in front of me and beings to run backward still able to keep up with my pace, how does he do that? I pull out my leg and Elliott gracefully trips backward. I keep running, but my conscience makes me turn my head to look back and people are leaning over the Star Quarterback.
I stop for a second wondering if I should go back, but then IÂ remember Elliott's arms around Aribella and I keep running.
Eventually, I reach coach who is shouting harsh comments to the part of the crowd who are slowly jogging they're way back to the start.
"Elliott Grayson this is no time for lying around you lazy idiot" Coach shouts so loud that I cover my ears with my hands.
When everyone is back near the front gate the coach begins to talk '"Elliott Grayson what were you doing lying on the floor" He asks a tinge of mockery in his voice, wow I didn't know he knew what humor was.
"Dawson tripped me up" I'm ready for coach to shout at me for trying to seriously harm his prized Quarterback.
Instead, he laughs at Elliott " So you're telling me Grayson that my Star Quarterback was lying on the ground because he was tripped up by a ex-cheerleader. Grayson next time you come up with an excuse at least make it sound believable."
Slowly coach splits us up into 2 teams as we prepare our hockey formation. This is going to be fun look who is going to be marking me throughout this whole game the one and only lying Aribella.
The whistle is blown and I bend my legs ready for the ball. I'm good at hockey, well usually until the floor decides to trip me up.
"Cress" A girl from our class calls and my grip on my hockey stick tightens as the ball touches it.
I shuffle the ball through the crowd, attempting to weave and dodge past different players.
A sharp pain erupts in my ankle and I imagine myself about to trip over and make a big fool of myself but somehow manage to catch my feet from falling. People are looking at my amazing save until Coach blows the whistle.
"Foul Aribella, we are playing hockey not rugby, Crescent Dawson take the ball" I take the ball off Aribella and her eyes are blazing.
Soon the ball is in Aribella's clutches and I'm trying to tackle but what she does makes everyone stop in their tracks. She chucks her stick aside and takes her opportunity to lunge for me. But I don't take this as a chance to miss throwing my fist at her precious nose.
Automatically a gush of blood beings flowing like a tap and my skull whacks off the floor. A sharp pain ignites in my cheek and her weight knocks the breath out of me.
She's tugging my auburn hair out my head as she screams at me "You pretend to be a quiet good girl but I know who you are. You're a bitch, you love to slut yourself about. And your not important, everybody knows Daniel's name from every school in this area but what are you. Your second best. Maybe that's why your mother kil...."
I elbow her in the boob (which I can tell you is the most painful area in your body to be attacked). She shrieks out in pain.
"Aribella all you do is bring me down but your bra is more stuffed than a build-a-bear and if you don't stop this stupid fight I will punch you so hard Google won't be able to find you"
That's when her eyes look to the left. Folllowing her gaze I already know I'm too late. I pull my body weight away as she does the same but she's holding a long object tightly in her grasp, her eyes are almost black. She aims the hockey stick at me and I know I'm going to have a trip to the hospital with a few broken bones.
I try and protect myself but all there is is a light slamming sound though I don't feel a single ounce of pain.
A shadow blocks me holding the stick above his head. My heart pounds as a sense of déjà vu rushes through me. His body is over mine stopping any harm from impacting me, instead impacting him. His other hand is lying on his shoulder. Everyone stands still, coach has his mouth hanging open and so do many others.
Daniel looks angry, no, that is an understatement he looks like his head is going to pop off with rage.
"Aribella are you a psycho bitch or do you want to end up in jail for murder?" He asks harshly. I couldn't see her face but I knew she probably looks shocked.
"Elliott" I whisper pushing his arm so he turns around. I automatically see the pain in his eyes.
"Elliott" I repeat, I don't know what to say. Would thank you really make up for the way he took the hit for me today? No never.
"Let me see it" Is all I whisper. I know perfectly well that everyone is watching but I really don't care.
"I knew you'd ask me to see it some day it was just a matter of time" He winks at me. I roll my eyes and give him a hard glare.
He pushes his shirt aside and his perfectly tanned shoulder has an out-of-place bright red mark placed on it.
I think about all the times Aribella and me have ended up pulling each other's hair out and that there was no one to save me. Sometimes there would be more than just Aribella. But I had to endure the bruises and the pain on my own.
"It's nothing, I've had worse in football, you remember the time that guy trampled on me" I look at him as he tries to cover up the pain in his shoulder.
All the times I was sent to the nurse's office, not even Daniel would stand up for me, not once.
Instead I stand on my toes and wrap my arms around his neck and place my chin against his untouched shoulder.
But the person who hurt me the most is the person who saved me today.
A gust of ginger hair flies with the wind in the opposite direction. Winter is storming out the playing field trailed by her group of followers.
"I'll ask Aribella to hit me with a stick more often if you are willingly giving me a hug, actually I'd love to see what you would do if she hit me on the head"
Edited.