45. Wrong move

Olivia

I'm afraid that Joel did something to Elliot, because he disappeared since yesterday's morning when he told me that he liked me. I was left speechless when he confessed his feelings to me. He said that ever since he saw me at Big Bear Lake, he hasn't been able to stop thinking about me, and that I am the reason he decided to attend this school.

I tried not to hurt his feelings, but he ended up hurt when I told him I loved Joel. I don't know how it slipped out of my mouth so casually, as if it were something I say every day. I haven't even said that to Joel. I try to, I try to tell that to him, but I'm just...scared.

I'm such a coward that I can't tell the person I love, I love you. Even that he told me first that he loved me.

Lucy and I enter the cafeteria to find our place empty. The Cullens and Andy are missing. I take a look around, the tables are full of students, eating and chattering.

''Where are the others?" I ask and Lucy shrugs sitting down, putting her plate of food down on the table.

"Their food is here," I say, pointing to the four plates with untouched food.

''Do you think they're up to something?" Lucy asks taking a bite of her chicken wing.

''Without us?" I scoff sitting down.

"Salut, chéries," Andy says as he drops onto the couch beside me. Luke, Avril, and Joel follow. I glance around, frowning. Were they all together? With Andy?

Joel shoots Andy a glare and takes a seat opposite us.

''Where were you?" I ask.

''You know, walking around.'' he shrugs taking a bite from his sandwich.

'"What do-" My sentence hangs unfinished as I spot Elli entering the cafeteria, making his way towards us. I look at his face and gasp. A red cut stands on his lip, and red bruises cover his cheek and on his forehead. There's a cut on his eyebrow too.

"Elli," I call out, and he comes over. "Oh my God, what happened to your face?"

''Yeah, what happened to your face?" Joel says with a hard look.

''Did someone beat you up?" Andy speaks.

''Tough shit.''

''Don't worry bro, it will heal over time.''

I look at them disbelief written on my face. Why am I so surprised? They've been fishy since yesterday.

''Come with me.'' I say to Joel, and he raises an eyebrow. ''Get up, follow me.'' I say and he obeys.

I walk down the hall toward the pool. I believe there wouldn't be anyone, so we'll be alone.

''Did you do that to Elli?'' I turn at him and he watches me, remaining silent.

''Joel.'' I warn him.

''Yes, princess.'' he says coming closer to me, putting his hands on my waist.

''What did you do to him?" I ask my voice getting softer.

''Give me that promised kiss and I'll tell you.'' he says.

I roll my eyes to him, trying to act tough and tiptoe to give him a little kiss on the lips. My little peck turned out to be a full deep kiss as he claims my lips in a full desire. His grip on my waist tightens as he pulls me closer to his firm body. I circle my arms around his neck and play with the ends of his hair.

''Tell me now.'' I say.

''You're not going to like it.'' he kisses my cheek, ''So let's forget it.''

''Joel.'' I narrow my eyes.

''Fine.'' he groans. ''I kidnapped him together with Andy. We tied him up in the school's basement.''

I look at him, unable to speak.

''You did what?"

I pull away from him and he rubs the back of his neck.

''Joel are you serious? He was in the basement since yesterday?" I say in horror.

''Yeah.'' he says, ''We took his phone and texted his mom that he's staying over at a friend, so we wouldn't have problems.''

''And you beat him up and left him there.'' I cross my arms.

"True, yes," he nods, his face beaming with pride.

''I can't believe this.'' I pace around, ''Why would you do that?"

''Because he tried to kiss you.'' he says serious, ''I saw it, he came close to you, touched you and tried to fucking kiss you. I warned him Olivia. I warned him when we were at the trip, to stay away from you. Now he fucking comes here and wants to kiss you? Fuck him. I'll go fuck up his face all over again if he ever tries to do that again and I won't feel fucking sorry for it.''

''And he does that just to make me angry. He does that to mess with me. You didn't realize the looks he gave you on the trip to piss me off, and he still does that. He came in this school just for you, I don't believe that shit house change story. You think he's such a cute boy, a nice, sweet boy with a good personality, but he's fucking not. You hear me? He's not. I might be a selfish, bad person, a monster, but I don't pretend to be someone I'm not. I showed you how I am since the beginning. Not like him who gave you the good boy side.''

I swallow, looking at him speechless.

I walk fast toward and kiss him. Just like that. I wrap my arms around him and pull him closer to me, kissing him with intensity.

''How did you convince Andy to do this?" I ask against his lips.

''I told him that Elliot harassed you.'' he says, and I laugh kissing him again.

I'm supposed to be mad at him but I'm not.

The bell rings and he groans.

''I'm starving, I haven't eaten anything.'' I lean my head on the crook of his neck.

''Me too. Should we skip this class?" he asks, and I look at him mischievously.

Joel and I told principal Nova that we had an issue and she'll justify our absence in class.

This, my friend, is the benefit of having a name in the school.

We're sitting peacefully, eating in en empty cafeteria. I take a bite of my chicken wing and glance at Joel who's looking at me, not eating his food.

''Eat, Joel.'' I say.

''I am eating.'' he defends himself.

''No you're not. You're watching me.''

''Well, it's not my fault you're this beautiful.''

I stop chewing and stare at him, my face going redder than a tomato.

''Thank you.'' I say clearing his throat.

''You're welcome.'' he leans in and kisses my cheek, ''I love it when you blush.''

My blush hardens. Damn him and his flirty self!

''Can you sing for me?" he asks, and I smile.

''Only if you play the guitar.''

''Deal.'' he smiles.

⚛⚛⚛⚛

''We have an idea on how to find who is behind RAN.'' Luke says as soon as Lucy and I get out of her car on the parking lot. ''Sorry, good morning.'' he adds with a smile.

''Morning.'' me and Lucy say.

''What's the idea?" I ask.

''Checking the school's computers.'' he replies, and my eyes widen.

''You think we'll find something there?" I ask.

''We're thinking that the account might be on one of the school's computers.'' Joel comes.

He drops an arm around my shoulder, and I smile sinking in his warmth.

''When will we check the computers?" I ask.

''I'm thinking on doing it now. Our first period is financial talk, and you can choose to attend or not, so it won't be a problem for us.'' Luke says, ''What class do you have now?" he asks.

''We have PE.'' I answer.

''We can ask Professor Hawkins for permission to skip this class, I'm sure he'll allow us.'' Joel says and I nod.

''Yo, 'the not enemies anymore', what are we doing today?" Andy calls.

''We're checking the school's computers for RAN account.'' I say.

''Cool.'' he grins.

Our school has three computer labs, each equipped with twenty-four computers. I don't know how we will manage to check all the seventy-two computers on all the three labs. It will take us a lot of time.

''I say we split.'' Lucy speaks. ''We can work faster this way.'' she adds and all of us nod in agreement.

''Olivia and I are going together.'' Joel says.

''Okay.'' Luke nods, ''Lucy and I are checking lab2. Andy, you wait for Avril.''

''Where is she?" he asks.

''She went to the bathroom.'' Luke answers and walks ahead.

''Okay, let's do this.'' I say.

''Did you find anything?" I ask while checking the computer for any hidden Instagram account or anything else related to RAN.

''Nope.'' Joel sighs.

The laboratory is a big classroom with dark blue painted walls. There are eight tables in the room, one table consists of three triangle pieces. On each table are three computers. The teacher's desk stands at the center's end of the room, featuring a semi-circular table with the computer placed in the middle.

"No, nothing," I say as I rise from the last desk. "Every computer is clear."

"There has to be something," Joel insists, running his hand through his hair.

''We must have missed something.'' he says going to recheck the computers.

''Maybe the others found something.'' I pull my phone out of my uniform's jacket and text Lucy.

Me: Did you guys find anything?

Second mom: No. Nothing it's in here.

I groan as I read her answer and then text Andy.

FBI's wanted criminal: Non, all the computers are normal, nothing suspicious.

'"Did they find anything?" Joel asks, hopeful.

"No," I sigh, and his face falls with sadness.

''I'm sorry.'' I hug him and he gives me a half smile.

Something comes to mind as I hug him.

''The broken computers.'' I pull away.

''What?" he asks confused.

''School's broken computers.'' I repeat, ''They are all in the old lab. No one goes there, is almost a forgotten place where old technology stuff stays.'' I add and his eyes widen.

''You think that the computer might be there?" he asks.

''Maybe.''

''Let's go check it.''

I text the others where we are going and head out of the laboratory.

The lab was dark when we entered, and I almost peed myself and fainted right then and there. My fear slipped away when Joel held me closer to his body and turned on the light.

''You good?" he asks looking down at me.

''Mhm.'' I nod and he smiles.

Taking a look around the room I frown as I take in all the chaos. It looks like a tornado had fallen here. There are computers on the tables and on the floor, speakers and other old technology stuff.

''Woah, witch war had happened here?" Andy speaks entering the room. The others follow after him.

''This going to take a lot of work.'' I put my hands on my hips.

''Let's start then.'' Luke takes off his jacket.

We searched for about twenty minutes, and every computer we tried either wouldn't turn on or wasn't functioning correctly.

I walk over to a table in the far corner of the room where a single computer stood.

I try to turn it on and to my surprise it does. Blue light flashes from it.

''Guys.'' I call and they all gather to me.

''Good job.'' Joel ruffles my hair and I smile.

The computer powers on and in the screen flashes the password.

''Damn it, it has a password.'' I curse.

''Don't worry about it.'' Joel says.

He grabs a chair and sits in front of the computer. He connects the computer with his phone with some type of wires and the computer's screen is turned with numbers, letters and types of symbols. I frown as I watch him do the ''alien'' stuff.

''Holy shit.'' Andy says in amazement, ''Where the fuck did you learn to do that?"

Joel flashes us a smirk and turns his attention on the screen.

''Im in.'' Joel says after a while. The password is cracked, and the computer is opened.

We stare at the screen in shock as the wallpaper is none but Katrina's picture.

''Katrina?" all of us say at the same time.

''What the heck?" Joel whispers.

''Why is Katrina's face on this computer?" Lucy asks.

''Leave Katrina, look for the account.'' Avril says and Joel leans to do that.

''Find Instagram.'' I say and he nods.

Joel's phone vibrates and he reaches for it without taking his eyes from the computer. He stills when he looks at his phone and I move forward to see what he's looking.

Royal Academy News: Wrong move.

Our phones ring with notifications and all of us reach to look at it. Royal Academy News posted something.

I gasp when I see the post.

''What the hell?'' Andy shouts his eyes widen.

''Fuck.'' Luke whispers.

I stumble at my feet, a frown of confusion crossing my face.  I look over at Joel to find him already looking at me. I question him with my eyes. He looks away from me and gets up aggressively, walking out.

''Joel, no.'' Avril follows him, but I stay in place, unable to move.

''This was his secret?" Andy asks.

"Yeah," Lucy says, her voice barely above a whisper.

I glance at my phone again.

Royal Academy News.

Has anyone ever wondered who the real Joel Cullen is? The guy who appears perfect, flawless, full of manners, shining just like a golden star. His grades are all As, the teachers love him, the principal would do anything just because he says something, his family is rich and famous, he walks on the school's hallways full of pride and confidence. He's everything he wants to be. But what lies behind this facade? Let me introduce you to the real Joel. The real Joel is a violent guy, a bad person, a real life monster. Eight months ago, may tenth, Joel beat up a guy, causing him unbearable damage. The guy's name is Eugene Evans.

Joel and Eugine were together on a late night party, a miscommunication between two boys leaded up to a terrible fight, to which Joel dominated. He beat the guy, making his face unrecognizable from the blood, he broke his leg, arm and some of his ribs. And to your shocking the guy was in a coma for three months. Yes, you read that right. Eugene Evans was in coma for three months and had woken up in August. He wasn't able to go to school in September due to the fractures on his body. He returned at school in October. All this was kept hidden from Joel's father, Adam Cullen.

Click the pictures below to see the bitter truth.

I stare at the pictures in shook. The boy's face is full of blood, it's scary to look at. There isn't footage of Joel beating up, but there are pictures of him visiting the boy in the hospital while he was in coma.

Was this the guy Adam Cullen made Joel visit?

''Liv.'' Lucy whispers, ''Are you okay?"

''I...I don't understand.'' I say tears blurring my vision, ''How would he do such thing? This is...''

I recall Joel beating up Ben, Joel fighting Andy, Joel beating Elli. He was always like that...I was just too blind to realize.

I ran out of the lab with Lucy following me.

''Leave me alone, Lucy.'' I say, ''I need to stay alone.''  she nods hesitantly and I walk away.

I step out to the back garden, settle on the ground, and lean against the school wall.

I try to deny it, I tell myself that Joel's not like that, that he's different, he's kind and a good person. But the photos show me otherwise, him being aggressive when he's angry shows me otherwise.

''Olivia.'' Avril calls. I look at her and wipe my tears away.

''Is it true?" I ask.

''Yes.'' she answers and my world shatters. All the hope I had for it to be fake crumbles beneath me.

''But you don't know the reason he did that.'' she says, and my head snaps in her direction. ''All of you don't know why he did that. Everyone judges him, make him appear as a bad person, a monster. Everyone blames him, everyone crushes him and leave him no option to explain himself. And he stays silent and leaves everyone believe whatever they want to believe.''

''What do you mean?" I ask.

''He's such a good and a nice person, Olivia.'' she says. ''He's the best person ever and he doesn't know that.''

I frown at her, and she sits beside me.

''Me and Joel were at this party.'' she starts, ''He was sneaking out of home to go to this party, and I followed him. We fought a little, but in the end I won.' ' she says with a laugh and wipes a tear in her cheek. ''We asked Luke to cover for us and went to this party. It was loud and I didn't know anyone, Joel had his friends there and wasn't paying attention to me. So, I went outside.'' she takes a sharp breath and I still as I wait for her to speak again.

I hope it isn't what I'm thinking it is.

''Eugene was there. He came close to me and started saying...things. I didn't pay him attention, but he...came closer to me.'' a tear falls from her cheek and my heart brakes for her. I reach for her hand and hold it. She gives me a sad broken smile, '' He came closer to me, I tried to push him away, but he held my forearms. He pushed me against the wall and tried to kiss me. Joel came in that moment.''

I let out a breath at the thought of him saving her.

''Joel started punching and punching him nonstop. I was crying and screaming at him to stop, but he was hysterical, caught in adrenaline. He stopped at my screams after a while, but it was too late. Eugene was half dead lying on the floor.'' she says, and I shudder at the image.

''If Joel hadn't come out that night I would have been raped.'' she cries, and I hug her.

I hug her and she hugs me back, holding me tightly.

''No one knows this.'' she says quietly after pulling away. ''Not our father, not Luke, no one knows. Everyone thinks that Joel was mad at him and started fighting. But reality is far from that. And it's my fault.''

''No, it's not.'' I say.

''It is.'' she wipes her tears, ''It's my fault that our father punished Joel for that. It's my fault that Joel had to almost kill a person. It's my fault that everyone who knows about that night thinks of Joel as a violent person. It's my fault that Joel thinks of himself as a monster.''

I still at her words. Joel thinks of himself as a monster?

''Why-'' I start, and she interrupts me.

''Olivia, Joel isn't the one you think he is.'' she says, and my eyes widen. Luke told me that too, but I didn't pay much attention to it back then. I wish I did.

''He appears confident, not afraid of anything, strong, selfish, but that's just... his poker face.''

''He... thinks of himself as a monster, as a disappointment, a worthless human being. Because those are the words he has heard his whole life.'' she says, and my heart becomes heavy. '' He's a joyful person, who likes to party, to have fun, he likes music, likes to go out, to be free. He's playful, you won't ever get bored if you are with him, with the real him. But a Cullen can't have those qualities. And the weight of being a Cullen is crushing him, taking away his likings.''

''Do you know what he said to me Olivia?" she says, ''When he saw his secret on the page, he wasn't worried on what would happen to him or what would father do to him. No, he was worried on what You will think of him. I went to him, and he looked at me with broken eyes and said, 'Olivia will hate me again now, Avril. She'll see me as a monster like everyone else does. I lost the opportunity of making her to love me. She'll never love me now.' My heart broke at his words and how hopeless he was.''

Her words feel like poisoned arrows on my heart.

''He's not my monster, Olivia, he's my hero.'' she says, ''I hope you don't judge him for what he did like the others.''

''I don't. And I don't think of him as a monster.'' I say.

''I... I love him, Avril.'' I whisper, ''I love him so much.''

''That's nice.'' she smiles, ''You have to tell him that. He needs it now more than ever.''

I remain silent for a minute. But she's right, I do have to tell him that. I hate myself for doubting him in the beginning and not going after him. But I'm going to make it up to him.

''Where is he?" I ask Avril and she smiles. Her smile is so sweet.

I get up to leave after she tells me where Joel is.

''Olivia?" Avril stops me and I turn at her.

''Yes?"

"Please don't break my brother's heart.'' she says, and I swallow.

''I won't.'' I say and leave.

I'd rather break my heart and throw it at the floor than his.

Author's note:

What do you guys think? Do you like this chapter, or was it too much information in one?

Feel free to comment your thoughts, any critics is welcomed💙

Love you always,

G.T.Diola❤