17. Change

"We have to celebrate the big win!" Bella screeches, and I look as Arthur still happens to be speaking to recruiter. The both of them laughing at whatever whichever one of them said.

"I'm pissed." I growl, Dylan walking towards me as he shook his head.

"Not good to be jealous. Arthur was pretty good-."

"Yeah but that should be me! I should laughing with the recruiter and having my dreams reaching towards me and I become rich and famous! He's being a bitch and taking them! He won't even be in America for college or anything!"

I watch as him and the recruiter say one last thing and then he's off. The recruiter leaving and Arthur heading towards us. I storm over towards him, shoving him as he frowned.

"What the hell?!"

"Wha-?"

"Did you seriously just do that? Did you seriously just take the one thing that's important to me? The one thing I'm good at?"

He frowned, shaking his head as he smiled.

"I have surprise-."

"I don't want your damn gay surprise!" I yell, making him flinch." I want you to take your stupid ass back to France and stop trying to take my dream! Already got football! What now?!"

"William hear him out." Dylan cautioned, and I shook my head.

"No! I've tried doing that and hear he was talking to the guy the whole time it felt like! This...you were right! He came to get back at me and now he got what he wanted. Me angry and wanting to beat his damn ass! Can't believe myself..."

Arthur looked at the ground, there starting to be a crowd.

"Anything you want to say?!" I cried, shoving him as everyone stepped to the side as he almost fell. Almost like we were all caving in on him and making his life hell." Comments, questions, concerns, tears, dreams; before I kick your damn ass!?"

He suddenly glared at me, making me quiet for a second as he shook his head.

"You need to listen. I got it! I got it-!" I punched him in the face, making him gasp as everyone stared in awe. People beginning to cheer as I had them all pinned against him.

I told him, I'd make his life hell and that's exactly what I'm doing.

"Why you do that?! Listen-?!"

I punched him again - tried to at least, but he dodged it. Him grabbing hold of my wrists as he pleaded for me to listen. But I had it with him and trying to take things from me.

I don't need him to explain to me how he got it. I don't need him speaking to me. After everything we did and he still does this?! My dream!

"Va pourrir en enfer, espèce de merde." ( Go rot in hell you piece of shit. ) I sneer, making him look at me with pain as I yanked out his grasp. Looking away as I gestured for everyone to follow.

Everyone following as I didn't have time for this.

"Promise!" He shouted, and I looked over my shoulder as he had his fists balled up. Looking hurt and saddened." You promise-."

"Fuck that promise! It was a joke." I sneer, and I face forward; walking on as I wondered why my heart ached.

Probably because my dream was ripped out my hands. Because of him.

2 weeks later...

I sit at my desk, listening to the teacher as I have Bella sitting beside me. Her hand holding mine and I feel her sweat soaking into my skin.

But not saying anything I just sit here, not trying to start something.

"Arthur?" I hear his name, looking over my shoulder as he sits in the back. His arms folded as he sits beside Nathan. The both of them talking and not even paying attention.

"Arthur and Nathan! Pay attention!" He yelled, smacking his ruler on the desk over and over.

We all snicker, making me chuckle as he now is at the very bottom. No one likes him, he's still on the football team and Coach still likes him. But we all hate him. Everyone hates him because I hate him.

They're followers, so when they see their King angry; they will rebel against the person making him angry. Which is me against him.

"Sorry Mr. Petty, Arthur is just falling down the wrong path. Hanging with the wrong people. Now look at him." I mock, everyone laughing as he looked.

"Is that true?" He asked, and we all nodded. Except Arthur and Nathan.

Before he could say anything the bell went off, everyone packing up as the teacher tried yelling over all of our noises. Giving us assignments none of us will do.

Exiting class I go to my locker, Arthur's locker still sadly being beside mine. Him going to it as he went through it and Nathan stood beside him.

"You two still a thing?" I ask mockingly, Arthur glaring at me as Nathan sneered.

"Instead of assuming you should listen to others. If you only listened we wouldn't be in this place." Nathan hissed, and I snickered.

"What the hell are you talking about? Me assuming what?"

"About-!" Arthur covered his mouth, shaking his head. Nathan nodded and it pissed me off as I couldn't know what it was.

"See! Not only did you take my dream, but you-!"

"I not take dream!" He bursted angrily." I got it."

"Exactly-."

"I got it for you. I got dream, for you!" He growled, and I snorted.

"Impossible. The only way I can have my dream happen is if I talk to recruiter myself. I didn't do so at all that day because of you." I state, and he throws his arms up in defeat.

"I try to explain but my bad English suck! J'ai le rêve pour toi! Si vous écoutiez, vous comprendriez que j'étais là-bas pour de bonnes raisons!" ( I got the dream for you! If you'd listen you'd understand I was over there for good reasons! ) He finished, slamming his locker as he strides off. Nathan following after as I rolled my eyes.

I've been trying to listen and none of it fucking adds up. So why the hell would I believe him over what I saw?

Walking to class the opposite way I happen to see Coach. Rushing to him as he frowns, giving me a look as I nod.

"Any news on the recruiter?" I ask, and he brightens; smiling as he pats my shoulder.

"Arthur told you the big news?!"

I rolled my eyes, folding my arms.

"I saw it happen." I mutter, making him frown.

"You'd thunk it that you'd be a little thankful and remorseful for what that kid did for you. He got you your dream. I was waiting for you to ask me about it and it's gone on two weeks. Haven't you gotten the email?"

I shake my head in a panic, Coach sighing as he showed me his phone. Letting me see an email that was sent to me, by Coach.

Hey Kid,

You won't believe what happened for you. Your little friend, Arthur, is so selfless. Instead of bringing himself up he just brought you to the top. Well good news, you're in! I'm kinda breaking the rules telling you this beforehand - breaking protocol - but who cares. It's you I'm talking to!

Just know, thank Arthur. I wouldn't want to lose a friend like that. Once you have a friend like that, never let them go.

- COACH

I nod vigorously, Coach smiling as he pats my shoulder.

"You serious?"

"Yep."

"Then why did the recruiter leave without speaking to me?"

"Because Arthur told him everything he needed. He said how football was your dream and that if anyone deserved it more, it was you. His English was messy but besides that we understood.

"But with the way you treat him... I kinda wish he let himself have his big chance and talk about himself. Yet he didn't. He chose to talk about you."

I blush, looking away as I knew the bell already went off for class.

"Too bad you don't know a good friend when you see one. Now, get to class!" He barked, making me nod as I walked the way Arthur did.

This is so fucked up.

Literally after Arthur tried telling me and I didn't believe him, Coach tells me the whole truth and now I believe Arthur. I got my dream, because of him. But I thought he took it.

So did I really just have his life here hell...all over nothing?

I go to class, entering as it happens to be Science. Nathan and Arthur lab partners and I happen to be with Dylan.

"Dylan!" I get past the teacher, sitting next to him as he looks at me with worry.

"What? What happened-?"

"Coach told me I got the spot from recruiter." I say, and he grins.

"Congrats," but soon his smile falters," I thought you said Arthur got it for himself-?"

"He didn't - that's the thing! He put in a good word for me and got me the spot. The whole time I thought it was him who got it..."

"That's fucked up William." Dylan sneered, and I gasped.

"You were in on being mean to him too!"

"Yeah because I thought he was being vengeful. But he wasn't. Now I feel like a bitch; because of you." He shook his head wildly, facing in Arthur's direction. Nathan looking at us as he sneered, Arthur looking as he glared.

"I deserve that. We all do." Dylan exclaims, looking like he wanted to cry." Is it weird that I want to cry for treating him like this? No one deserves to be treated like this, over a lie!"

I nod, having an idea.

****

"I not want to be here." Arthur says, his arms folded as I took him to a Mexican restaurant. I just smile, handing him a menu as I nod.

"I know you've never had Mexican food before-."

"I not. But I not want to try it with you."

I flinch, knowing whatever relationship we had before, is gone.

"Arthur I heard from Coach," I watch his eyes flicker to me," I know what you did and I wanted to apologize."

I waited for him to smile and nod, but he just looked pissed. Even more angry than before we got here.

"I wanted to apologize because you tried telling me, but I didn't listen. I was mean to you, over nothing and my assumptions. But since I know the truth, I want to thank you for getting me my dream. Yet I want to apologize for how I've treated you so cruelly. So...we good?" I smile, his face blank as he just gives me the most...disgusted and hated look I've ever seen.

I've never seen someone look at me like this and it scared me. But it was worse that it was him.

"Tu penses avec ça que je m'excuse sincèrement que je te pardonnerai ça aussi facilement? Qu'est-ce que tu me prends pour? Je suis insulté que tu penses que j'accepterais ça. Non, nous ne sommes pas bons. ( You think with that insincere apology that I'll just forgive you that easily? What do you take me for? I'm insulted that you think I'd accept this. No, we're not good. )

"Je ne te pardonne pas. Après la façon dont vous m'avez traité et la façon dont vous avez eu tout le monde me harceler; tu es juste chanceux que je t'aime trop pour battre ton putain de cul." ( No. I don't forgive you. After the way you treated me and the way you had everyone bully me; you're just lucky that I like you too much to beat your damn ass. ) He snapped, making me want to almost cry yet it made me angry.

Who does he think he's talking to?

"You still like me? After everything I did?"

"Of course. Nothing you do will make me not like you."

I blush, but still nod as if that wasn't enough. It wasn't because I feel like he's saying it for my benefit.

"I always like William, never change. But fact that you treated me so meanly... I just want break. So I going to live with Nathan for time-."

"You can't do that! I just apologized and my parents wouldn't allow that. You also have to talk to his parents too, so no-."

"I did. Parents think is sleep the over. His parents like me and say I can stay for the ever. So I will stay for little-."

"You can't do that-!"

"But I can." He interrupted, and I almost felt like I was getting sick.

"If you like me...you'll stay." I croak, making him give me a pained expression. He suddenly got up as he slid beside me into my booth; and I was surprised to see him lean towards me as he just kissed me.

Kissed me right in this restaurant around everyone as if it wasn't anything. Pulling away as I just looked at him and he grinned sadly.

"Je t'aime bien, c'est pour ça que je pars un peu." ( I like you, that's why I'm leaving for a little. ) He murmurs, and I shake my head.

"That's not how it works-!"

"But it is." He interrupts, pulling away as he slid out. Standing as he shrugged.

"I need to go. Nathan here."

"What?"

He walks away and I just leave our table as I follow. Him getting outside and I see him head towards a Tesla that is parked next to my Lambo. I frown, seeing Nathan wave at me through the window as Arthur went besides it.

"Are you serious right now? I apologized and I'm sorry. Now things can go back to normal."

"Not really." He says, and I shake my head." I will keep like of you. Promise. Nothing change-."

"This is change!"

He cocked his head, opening the door as he smiled.

"I know."