Chapter 9

Ava

You know that feeling like you’re going to be sick because everyone is looking at you, and all you want to do is run and hide but you can’t because you agreed to be here?

No? Just me? Well, that is how I’m feeling right now.

As soon as the school’s oak doors open, the whole corridor goes so silent you could hear a pin drop to the floor. As if in sync, all the heads of my fellow pupils turn our way. I see their eyes widen as they realize that ~Hunter Black~ has his arm around a girl most of them do not recognize—and he seems ~comfortable~.

I can tell they are trying to figure out who I am and why I am with Hunter, the bad boy of the school. The sex god who only messes around with girls and never allows them to walk with him, who is only seen with girls when they are making out. As I’ve mentioned, he has never had a girlfriend in his life, at least not to my knowledge.

Then again, I don’t remember ever knowing that much about him. I guess I’ve been more focused on my schoolwork than I realized.

My legs feel like lead, but Hunter just keeps walking. With his arm around my waist, I am pulled along, and all I can think is that I’m glad he’s carrying my bag. I know that I would fall to the floor with the extra weight.

We make it halfway down the corridor before the other members of Hunter’s gang, The Three Musketeers, show up. Liam and Declan give me curious looks but say nothing as we continue walking. When we reach my locker, I’m surprised because I didn’t know Hunter knew I existed, let alone knew where my locker was.

Immediately, the whole school starts to whisper about what they have seen. Their speculations about who I am and why I am with Hunter aren’t quiet, and each story gets crazier than the last. I turn away and open my locker, trying to ignore them.

I just want to shrink into the shadows again or pretend this whole day is a nightmare I’ll wake up from soon.

It isn’t until I feel a tap on my shoulder that I turn around. With an odd look in his eyes and a smirk on his face, Hunter nods toward my friend Lily, who stands a few feet away, clearly petrified by the idea of coming anywhere near The Three Musketeers.

I nod a quick “thank you” before walking over to her shyly. I feel awkward that I never told her about the mall when I normally tell Lily everything.

When she recognizes me, her eyes widen, and her mouth falls open. ~Yeah, it’s a big change for me too, Lily.~ I silently pray that she won’t rip my head off for not telling her about my makeover sooner.

~I know I look different~, I think, ~but I’m still the same old me.~ I can’t tell if the message is getting across.

When I finally stand in front of her, I don’t know what to say. This is ridiculous; I’m never lost for words.

“Hey?” It comes out as a question, and Lily raises her eyebrow at me.

“Hey,” she returns with a waver in her voice that I’m afraid is anger. “So, you’ve changed.” It isn’t a question but a statement.

“Yeah, I have. Hunter and I are dating now.” I wait and wait but receive no response. Silence. Until she starts that fangirl scream, drawing everyone’s attention to us—including The Three Musketeers’.

During our exchange, everyone had been distracted by Hunter’s gang, as usual, but now that I’m once again the center of attention, I feel my cheeks heating up. I grab Lily’s hand and pull her around the corner. I look for help, but when my eyes land on Hunter, he continues to coldly stare at me like he couldn’t be less bothered.

Lily is still fangirling over what I have told her, so I harshly whisper, “Will you keep your voice down?”

She gives me a shy look before nodding. “Ava, I don’t even know where to begin. Who? What? Where? When? Why? How?”

Her questions seem childish, but I answer them anyway because clearly our phone call the other night wasn’t sufficient.

“Well, you already know who, Hunter. He’s my boyfriend.” I pause. I can’t tell her it’s not real, so I need to come up with something.

“Where—he asked me at my house, and I said ‘yes.’ It was really romantic. I took your advice, Lily, and said ‘yes.’” I feel bad lying, but the smile on her face makes it worth it.

“When—two days ago. Why—I guess because he likes me. And you already know how.”

Lily’s smile falls a bit, so I continue in a rush, “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. I was really busy as you can see.” I wave my hands down my body. “However, that is no excuse for not finding the time to tell my best friend ever.”

Lily smiles and nods, saying it’s okay. Then the bell rings, and Hunter’s arm wraps around my waist again. It’s time for our first lesson.

I sigh loudly. Life isn’t just sunshine and lollipops.

***

You might think walking down the halls as one of the most noticed girls is a dream, but it’s not mine. It’s lunchtime now, and as I head to the canteen, girls come up to tell me that Hunter’s their boyfriend and I should back off or that I am a nobody who doesn’t deserve the most amazing boy to ever grace the face of Earth.

I think they’re all jealous, but I don’t actually care if they’ve slept with Hunter or not because I’m not interested in him in that way. I made this deal for a stupid reason, a petty reason: I want the boy who made me feel like an idiot to feel like an idiot for what he did.

All these people coming up is helping me learn to stop taking things to heart, but it’s hard. I’d never cared what horrible they said about Hunter, but now they’re calling me things like “slut” and “Hunter’s little whore.” Except for when I was the target of pranks or Jessica’s vicious attacks, I used to be ignored.

I realize this fake dating thing isn’t easy, and I’m having second thoughts, but if I backed out now, I couldn’t go back to who I was. I’ve already been noticed, so I would just be picked on even more.

Shaking my head, I continue walking with my head down, noticing all the gum and scuff marks on the floor. You may think, ~What a weirdo~, but right now I feel like that gum: something that doesn’t belong with the floor tiles but has been worn into them anyway.

At the same time, there’s another voice in my head that says I don’t need to fit in, don’t need to try to blend into the background. That I need to ~stand out~ more, like those scuff marks.

I’m yanked rudely from my thoughts by the same guy who embarrassed me in the library. He has rage in his eyes that burns like hell, and his bony fingers grip my arm tightly. Hunter already bruised one arm, and I can tell this guy will bruise the other one.

He shoves me roughly into a locker, causing me to whimper out in pain. My heart rate picks up, and I can feel fear flowing through my body like blood.

“Well, don’t you just clean up nicely?” he practically spits in my face.

I say nothing as tears bubble in my eyes, ready to spill out. The guy’s face is livid, and I’m scared for my life. I’m not that strong, but even if I was, I’m paralyzed in fear, so it wouldn’t have made any difference. ~I can’t defend myself; I’m pathetic.~

His eyes rake over my body, and I feel disgusted. Then he presses his body into mine, and I want to throw up.

My tears begin to fall, and when he notices, he smacks me right across my face. The force of the blow sends me sideways, and I fall.

“So, you think you’re too good for me now? You think Hunter actually cares about you? You have no idea what he’s involved in.” His voice is shaky from the effort of trying to keep steady.

I shake my head while more tears splash down my face.

The guy stands over me and laughs as I cry. Then he kicks me in the stomach, and all the air is knocked out of me.

My eyes slowly close as I begin drifting out of consciousness. I feel another blow to my stomach, and I have trouble sucking in air to breathe.

Sometime later, I hear shouting in the distance, and that guy’s manic laughter dies out. Then—grunts and the sound of flesh on flesh.

I open my eyes to see the Three Musketeers beating my attacker up. Liam comes over to me, and I see his lips moving but don’t understand the words coming out. His silhouette becomes blurry as he rushes to Hunter and says something that clearly alerts him to some sort of danger.

Hunter’s eyes are as cold as ice, but he leaves that guy bleeding on the floor and picks me up. He brings me somewhere cold, but that’s all I remember before darkness engulfs me.

Still, my attacker’s words ring in my ears. ~“You have no idea what he’s involved in.”~