24. Cold

Olivia

Joel Cullen is weird today.

He's not flirting with me like he always does.  He's not calling me princess. He's not even looking at me. And when he does, it looks like he wants to kill me.

It's weird.

Is it possible for him to know that I was behind Luke's failed assignment?

''Olivia?" teacher's voice wakes me from my thoughts.

Why did she call me?

"Yeah?"

"What's the answer for the question thirteen?"  she asks.

Thirteen?

I'm still at question four.

Shit, shit.

Ain't no way I'm thinking of Joel Cullen on my math class.

''Olivia?" teacher called again.

"Uh...I haven't done it yet.'' I say.

Please kill me now.

''The answer it sixty-three.'' Joel says.

"Well done, Joel.'' teacher smiles at him and I roll my eyes.

''Where's your mind at, princess?" Joel whispers behind my ear and goosebumps erupt in my skin.

Did he call me princess again?

I was about to answer him when the bell rang, signaling us the end of class and lunch break.

People rush to get out of class with a noise.

I turn at Joel and he just...left.

Left?

Joel always waited for all the people to get out and then cornered me in every place he got the chance.

In my desk, in the wall, at the door or at any other desk.

Not today.

Today he left without his famous flirty words.

As if I care. Joel Cullen can go straight to hell.

I walk toward the cafeteria with a growling stomach.

I'm craving a strawberry chocolate so bad.

I enter the cafeteria and my phone vibrates on my pocket.

I pick it up and it's a message from Lucy.

Second mom: Don't wait for me at the cafeteria, I'll be at the library.

I roll my eyes at her message.

Suddenly someone trips me, and I fall on the ground.

What the fuck?

''Ouch.'' I groan.

''Hi, Meyer.'' Avril whispers on top of me, ''Missed me?"

"What the fuck?" I yell, ''Get off me.'' I try to push her, and she pins my hands on top of my head.

''Shut the fuck up, bitch.'' she says, ''It's time for your lesson.''

''What the hell?" I push her off me with my legs, ''Are you crazy?"

"Very.'' she smiles, and my body erupt on goosebumps.

Her smile is evil and... scary.

It scared me.

''Leave me alone.'' I say and walk away pushing through people who are gathered to watch what's happening.

I walk ahead and slump on a strong chest.

I raise my head and see Joel looking blankly at me.

The crowd is around us now, gathered in a circle.

Joel pushes me in the center of the circle and looks at me with dark eyes.

''Wha-'' my words stuck at my throat as cold water is throwed at me. Gasping I open my eyes and see Avril holding the bottle, with an evil smile on her face.

Everyone around me starts laughing and whistling.

I stand here unable to think as water drips from my clothes and hair.

What are they doing to me?

What is happening?

How can they do this?

''Grab her.'' Avril orders.

"Avril, I don't think I-'' I hear Eloise argue.

"Do you want to be kicked out of cheerleading? Grab her now!'' Avril yells.

Eloise and Sarah grab me by my shoulders.

''Let me go!" I yell struggling against their hold. ''Eloise, I'll kick you out of this school, you hear me?"

"I'm so sorry.'' she whispers.

"Let me go!'' I yell.

They sit me on a chair and hold my hands behind it.

I struggle to free my hands from their hold.

''Hold her.''  Avril says coming closer to me. She takes a box with noodles and starts opening it.

''This is wrong.'' I hear Justin speak, ''What are you doing? Stop it.''

''Do you want your face broken?"  Joel threats him and my heart drops. "Back off.'' he says closer to his face.

Justin raises his hands on surrender and walks backwards.

''It's time for you sweet Olivia, to learn who the Cullens really are.'' Avril says and empties the box of noodles at the top of my head.

I scream and struggle to free my hands.

But their hold is to firm.

''Aww, you look so pretty.'' Avril laughs.

I look at Joel and he's looking at me, unblinking.

His hands are on his pocket and he's standing a few feet in front of me.

He's looking at me with hate in his eyes. He's looking at me like I disgust him.

Somehow, his gaze hurts more than the things Avril is doing to me.

Avril starts putting vegetables on top of my head.

I shake my head and start screaming.

She grabs my jaw, hard.

"Don't move.'' she grits her teeth and squeezes my jaw.

''You messed with the wrong ones, sugar.'' she whispers, ''You have to pay. Humiliating you is just the beginning.'' she lets go of my jaw.

''Hm, I think the soup needs more water.'' she says wiping her hands on my shirt, ''Don't you think so, Joel?"

''You're the cook.'' he shrugs and walks away.

He returns with another bottle of water.

''Yo, what the fuck are you doing?" Ben comes in and pushes Joel in the chest.

Joel laughs.

He actually laughs.

''Oh, this little boy of yours is getting into big troubles.'' Avril says squeezing my jaw again.

I shake my head and push her hand away.

Joel does something that gets the air from my lungs.

He punches Ben.

Hard.

And he falls on the ground.

Joel kneels in front of him and grabs his hair.

"You're getting on my nerves a lot, man.'' He says, ''Fuck off or I'll fuck up your face.''

"Oh yeah?" Ben coughs.

Joel punches him one more and blood comes from Ben's mouth.

I gasp.

''Joel.'' Avril warns him.

''Get him out of my face.'' he yells, and they obey.

I don't like this, Joel.

This Joel is too dark. It's evil.

He comes near me and leans his face near mine.

I look at him in fear mixed with disgust.

He looks at me with hate.

Hate has blinded his vision.

That ocean of his eyes is not calm. It's dark and scary.  He smirks at me and then empties the water bottle on top of my head.

I look at him, unblinking, refusing to show any sign of emotion.

I stare at him as water and noodles drop from my hair.

I want to cry so badly.

But I won't give him the pleasure of seeing me cry.

I'll not show any sign of weakness.

''Who the fuck do you think you are?" I glare.

He backs away from me and tosses the empty bottle on the ground.

''Joel Cullen, nice to meet you.'' he says.

''Avril Cullen, bitch!'' Avril yells and grabs my wet hair.

Are they scissors on her hand?

''No! No, no, no. Not my hair.'' I scream and she laughs.

I try to free my hands.

''Stop!''  I yell.

''Olivia?" I hear Andy call.

''Andy!!'' I cry.

''Liv?" his eyes widen when he sees me.

''What the fuck?" he yells, ''What have you done to her?''

He pushes Avril away from me and hold my face in his hands.

''Are you okay?" he says, and I cry.

I cry, I cry so hard.

I can't hold it anymore.

He gets away from me and grabs Joel by his shirt.

''You want problems huh?" Andy grits his teeth and Joel laughs. A psychopath's laugh.

Joel punches Andy.

Over and over.

And I'm standing here enable to breath.

Andy punches Joel too and they start fighting.

''Stop!" I yell. ''Stop him!" I yell to Avril. She's looking at them with worry in her eyes.

''Stop him or they'll kill each other!'' I say.

''Joel!'' she yells. He looks at her and then backs away from Andy.

There is blood dripping from his lip.

''Olivia.'' my sister says and hugs me. I sob at her chest.

''Let her go.'' she yells, and Sarah and Eloise release my hands.

''What happened here?" she asks.

"Where were you?" I cry.

"I was locked in the library.'' she says.

''Liv?" I hear Andy call me.

"What happened to your face?'' Lucy gasps.

''Get me out of here.'' I cry.

"Okay, honey.'' Lucy kisses my cheek.

''How can you all stand here and watch?" I hear Andy yell, ''How can you allow those trash bags do that to Olivia?''

Lucy takes me to girl's locker.

I sit on a stool and hug myself.

I'm shivering and sobbing at the same time.

''Shh.'' she hugs me.  She cleans my face with wet wipes and then my hair.

''She wanted to cut my hair, Lucy.'' I cry.

"Avril?" she asks, and I nod.

Lucy takes off my wet jacket.

''Do you have any spare clothes here?" she asks.

''N-no.'' I say, my teeth chattering from the cold.

"Okay, wait here. I'll go get mine.'' she says, and I nod.

I hug my hands around my knees and rest my head on top of it.

Closing my eyes, I try to calm myself and stop crying.

Joel's face comes in my mind.

He's so cruel.

He didn't look like that Joel who called me princess, smiled and winked at me.

He looked entirely a different person.

I hate him.

I hate him so bad.

He proved today that he really is my enemy.

I will never forget wat he did to me.

And I will make sure he pays for it.

I hear a sudden movement and turn my head towards the sound.

I look down and my jacket is gone.

Getting up I look around the room.

No one is here.

I get out of the locker room and spot someone walking down the hall.

The person is wearing a black hoodie and has its hood on his head.

Weird.

Why isn't he wearing his uniform?

I look at his hands and he's holding my jacket.

''Hey.''' I call. ''Bring my jacket back.''

After hearing my voice, he broke down ruining.

Oh my God, could this day get any worse?

''Stop.'' I yell and run after him.

I follow him and he turns toward the stairs that lead to the rooftop.

What the hell?

Why is he leading me there?

Going up the stairs I enter the rooftop and struggle to breath.  The thief is standing near the rooftop's edge with my jacket in his hand.

I stand here, looking at his back.

He slowly turns around and my breath stuck on my throat.

I look at him and swallow.

My heart is trying to escape the ribs of my chest.

''Welcome, princess.'' he says.

The way he says princess is scary. Terrifying.

Joel walks closer toward me, and I walk backwards.

''Scared?" he smirks, ''You should be.''

I walk backwards until my backs hits the wall.

Shit.

I look at the door beside me.

Maybe I can escape from him...

''Don't you even think about it.'' he says, and my eyes widen.

How does he know what I'm thinking?

''You're well and truly fucked, princess.'' he says.

"Wha-What?" I stutter.

"Why did you this?" I ask him, my teeth chattering from the cold.

Joel comes closer to me and puts his hands at the wall at the top of my head.

His body is warm and shielding me from the cold.

It feels good.

''Do you think I don't know that you were behind Luke's zero points in math's assignment?" he says.

"And you did that to me just because of that?" I ask him.

''Just because of that my brother is-'' he stops himself from speaking further.

His brother what?

''You know nothing.'' he says and backs away from me.

Cold replacing the warmth of his body.

''Don't expect everyone to have that princess life of yours.'' he says.

"What does that mean?" I ask confused.

He walks away without answering and closes the door.

I hear the turn of a key.

''Joel?" I call and run toward the door.  I turn the knob and it's...locked.

No, no, no.

''Joel, open the door.'' I yell.

''The war began, princess.'' he says at the other side.

''What?" I try the knob again, ''Joel, you can't leave me here.''

''Watch me.'' he says.

I hit the door with my fist and try the knob again.

No noise is coming from the other side.

Did he just leave?

''Joel?" I call.

No answer.

''Oh my God! Help! Someone, help me!'' I yell.

I start shivering again.

My shirt is wet, my hair too and he stole my jacket.

It's October and I'm standing outside in nothing but a skirt and a wet shirt.

I have to call Lucy. I search for my phone and then I remember that it's on the jacket's pocket.

Oh God!

''Help!'' I yell and sink on my knees. I hug my knees on my chest and rub my legs.

It's too cold.

''Joel.'' I whimper, ''Get me out of here.''

I can't stop my teeth from chattering and my body from shaking.

Minutes pass and I'm still here.

I'm still at the cold.

No one finds me.

No one comes for me.

I'm too alone.

''Joel...'' I whimper his name.

I feel my eyelids heavy and I'm struggling to keep my eyes open.

''It's to...'' my teeth chatter and my head is spinning.

''Cold...'' I say and darkness takes me in.

⚛⚛⚛⚛

When I open my eyes, I find myself in the hospital.

''Pumpkin?" I hear my dad's voice.

"Sweetheart, you scared us.'' my mom says stroking my hair.

''How are you?" dad asks.

"I'm good.'' I say, my voice is hoarse.

''Who did this to you pumpkin?" dad asks.

"Was it the Cullens?" mom asks.

I don't say anything. Mom and dad look at each other.

''So, it was them.'' I hear dad say.

''Do you need help with it my love?" mom asks me.

''No. I can handle it.'' I smile.

''Are you sure pumpkin?" dad asks me, worry in his eyes.

I nod smiling.

''Hey, she's up.'' Andy says coming in the hospital's room.

"Liv.'' Lucy calls and hugs me, ''Are you okay?"

I nod at her.

''You scared the crap out of me, cherie.'' Andy says and hugs me.

''For how long was I out?" I ask.

Andy looks at his watch, ''You were sleeping for about three hours. When we found you at the school's rooftop you were passed out.''

"We were looking for you for about one hour.'' Lucy says.

"I was in the school's rooftop for one hour?" I ask.

''Why did they do that?" Lucy asks as soon as our parents leave the room.

''Because of what we did to Luke.'' I whisper.

"Are they crazy? All that for a stupid grade?" Andy yells.

''Luke wasn't at school today.'' Lucy says.

"Who gives a fuck?" Andy scoffs.

''Thank you for saving me, Andy.'' I speak. ''Your face looks really bad.''

"No need mon amie.'' he says, ''That bastard punches really hard.''

My chest hurts at the mention of him.

''They're going to pay of what they did today.'' I say.

"Of course, they are.'' Andy says, ''That bastard Joel is mine. I'll beat the shit out of him until he forgets his own name.''

''No, guys.'' Lucy stands, ''We can't do this, we're not like them.''

"No, we're not. We 're so much worse.'' I say.

"Exactement.''Andy says.

''But-''

"They humiliated me in front of all of the school, Lucy! They locked you in the library and he hurt Andy. And you're saying that we can't take revenge just because we're not like them?" I say to her.

''I know. But the Cullens are so bad. They will turn on us again. So, let's end it here.'' Lucy says.

''Absolutely not. The war between us began. Joel told me himself when he locked me in the rooftop. They-''

''What?" Andy asks.

"He told me that the war began.'' I repeat.

''No, no. The other thing.'' Luvy says, ''Who locked you in the rooftop?"

''Joel.'' I say.

''Liv, Joel was the one who told us where you were.'' Lucy says.

''What?"