Chapter 13

Arabella Rivera

“Oh come on tell me!” Gwen whined as w e walked towards an empty table in the Lar corner

I rolled my eyes, gripping the plastic of the lunch tray tightly as I imagined it tab e Haiden Cross’s neck. If he had just continued to ignore me like the last twelve years I had known him then Gwen wouldn’t be nagging me for answers I didn’t quite have

“It was nothing!” I hissed quietly, trying and failing to get her off my back

I placed the tray on the table with a clattering thud that goes unnoticed by the loud babbling around us. I fix myself o n the chair and picked up the plastic fork.

A screeching chair made my ears ring until Gwen stopped it way too close tom e She sits down and places her lunch tray filled with oily fries, fried chicken and a good amount of cheese sticks. Again I was still so flabbergasted by her physic for she ate unhealthy on a regular.

I dug into my slad, souching my face a

e ir kring mild do nothing about it

Before mother was who she was today. she was slightly on the overweight side Which brought on critics, hate and al course she grew sell-conscious.

Therefore she made it her mission to feed me all those greets and only allowed me a cheat day on special occasions. Whichi. was rare

Come on cinderella, tell me. By this rate, I’d die before even knowing.” Gwen whined, picking up a cheese stick and bites off half.

“Cinderella? Cinderella was broke, Arabella on the other hand isn’t” Meredith stated as she dragged a chair from the opposite lunch table to settle it contrary to Gwen and L.

Meredith was apparently Gwen’s friend who was also on the cheer team. Her beautiful dark glowing skin made

laying her lunch try on the table then lifted a fingh to remove hee Coco Curly hair out of h ere

” You’re wrong. She was actually rich bui. her bitch of a stepmother took all of it.” Samantha debuted while placing her tray on the opposite side of Gwen’s. She drew a vacant chair from a closely lunch table and came to sit beside Meredith

Meredith’s dark eyes fall onto me. “Still, Arabella is lar from being limna as cinderella. Not when she’s living the best life with her rich parents.” She then lets out a dry laugh

Sometimes I wonder why they chose this poor, downgraded school to have their pampered daughter attend with such common folks like us. It amazes met o this day.” She pops a fry into her mouth, chewing it with a look of envy.

The plastic fork I had been holding nearly bends from my fierce grip onto the plastic. You could say that Meredith and I

never quite saw eye to eye. My cold eyes ERA

” Have y no tard of the phra”don’t judphabool by its cover’? 1 am far from

pind. And common to? When havelaver portrayed myself to be higher than anyone? Seems to me that You’re just alaus and in need of my lifestyle. Let me let you on a little secret Meredith…be Careful what you wish for “‘ Ispa lowly not wanting to draw attention to our table.

Ilaww mostly Gyeryone was confused as t Owhy my parents close this school out of all the rich schools in this towTL.

My parents lived by their reputation, seeming to always want to please the public eye by their fraud at being the perlat larnily.

Reputation meant a lot to them, by that I mean, they’d do anything to stay in the public with a positive image.

Therefore they enrolled me in a school that needed many fixer-uppers than a damn sewer. They needed people to deem them as people who don’t care about

in one think we did, but I w More Khining on to the fact that my parents VE THE Iocthan hali the lawni lol, TIHT WTe normal to the toace Talks as for the positive, my parents were tar from normal.

“Olay guys stop with the shooting arrows. Meredith shut up if you don’t have anything nice to say about my friend. If you don’t, then remove yourself frörn our table and join them.”

Gwen whirled around to point at some preppy girls who sat in the middle of the cafeteria. Her wice had gone saur which was a huge contrast to her usual sweet Smooth tone

She then whirls back around quickly, eyes wide as she gawks at me. “He’s staring!”

I crinkled my brows, squinting in thought as I pushed another forkful of salad into my mouth. “Who?

“Haiden Cross.” She hissed lowly, eyes darting back to stare at him.

name Of course tht w ith us Tvenn from the impending topic but

Yuld not allow

Her cyclipe out. You can’t say Halden without wrying Cross It’s like totally

“I’m confused.” I deadpanned, putting the fork down on the tray.

She lets out a loud breath and shook her head in exaggeration. “Forget about it. You’ve been going to this school for five years and I swear you still don’t know half of the students’ names.” She sighed.

“No surprise there.” Meredith mutter faintly but I still managed to catch her words. Even though she icked me, I didn’t want to waste my time on a salty girl who I don’t consider much of a threat.

“Anyway. What I was saying is that, Haiden freaking Cross is staring right at you. Like, no tearing eyes away, no look o f hatred like his usual, just, plain, old-” She turns to stare at Halden and her eyes

narned with confusion, “Observing? She mur ES surely.

Giving in to the urge, i swallowed my pride and turned to stare at where Gwen was looking Halden instantly pinned me with his gaze that had tingles tickling my spine. Even with his friends laughing and throwing fries at him, he didn’t seem to want to tear his gaze away. And strangely neither did I.

“This is strange.” Gwen mutters.

“So strange.” Samantha agreed.

“I heard some talk going around that he confronted dear Arabella in the hallway this morning.” Meredith muttered, voice filled with mild interest

Chapter 13 Arabella Rivera “Oh come on tell me!” Gwen whined as w e walked towards an empty table in the Lar corner I rolled my eyes, gripping the plastic of the lunch tray tightly as I imagined it tab e Haiden Cross’s neck. If he had just continued to ignore me like the last twelve years I had known him then Gwen wouldn’t be nagging me for answers I didn’t quite have “It was nothing!” I hissed quietly, trying and failing to get her off my back I placed the tray on the table with a clattering thud that goes unnoticed by the loud babbling around us. I fix myself o n the chair and picked up the plastic fork.

A screeching chair made my ears ring until Gwen stopped it way too close tom e She sits down and places her lunch tray filled with oily fries, fried chicken and a good amount of cheese sticks. Again I was still so flabbergasted by her physic for she ate unhealthy on a regular.

I dug into my slad, souching my face a e ir kring mild do nothing about it Before mother was who she was today. she was slightly on the overweight side Which brought on critics, hate and al course she grew sell-conscious.

Therefore she made it her mission to feed me all those greets and only allowed me a cheat day on special occasions. Whichi. was rare Come on cinderella, tell me. By this rate, I’d die before even knowing.” Gwen whined, picking up a cheese stick and bites off half.

“Cinderella? Cinderella was broke, Arabella on the other hand isn’t” Meredith stated as she dragged a chair from the opposite lunch table to settle it contrary to Gwen and L.

Meredith was apparently Gwen’s friend who was also on the cheer team. Her beautiful dark glowing skin made laying her lunch try on the table then lifted a fingh to remove hee Coco Curly hair out of h ere ” You’re wrong. She was actually rich bui. her bitch of a stepmother took all of it.” Samantha debuted while placing her tray on the opposite side of Gwen’s. She drew a vacant chair from a closely lunch table and came to sit beside Meredith Meredith’s dark eyes fall onto me. “Still, Arabella is lar from being limna as cinderella. Not when she’s living the best life with her rich parents.” She then lets out a dry laugh Sometimes I wonder why they chose this poor, downgraded school to have their pampered daughter attend with such common folks like us. It amazes met o this day.” She pops a fry into her mouth, chewing it with a look of envy.

The plastic fork I had been holding nearly bends from my fierce grip onto the plastic. You could say that Meredith and I never quite saw eye to eye. My cold eyes ERA ” Have y no tard of the phra”don’t judphabool by its cover’? 1 am far from pind. And common to? When havelaver portrayed myself to be higher than anyone? Seems to me that You’re just alaus and in need of my lifestyle. Let me let you on a little secret Meredith…be Careful what you wish for “‘ Ispa lowly not wanting to draw attention to our table.

Ilaww mostly Gyeryone was confused as t Owhy my parents close this school out of all the rich schools in this towTL.

My parents lived by their reputation, seeming to always want to please the public eye by their fraud at being the perlat larnily.

Reputation meant a lot to them, by that I mean, they’d do anything to stay in the public with a positive image.

Therefore they enrolled me in a school that needed many fixer-uppers than a damn sewer. They needed people to deem them as people who don’t care about in one think we did, but I w More Khining on to the fact that my parents VE THE Iocthan hali the lawni lol, TIHT WTe normal to the toace Talks as for the positive, my parents were tar from normal.

“Olay guys stop with the shooting arrows. Meredith shut up if you don’t have anything nice to say about my friend. If you don’t, then remove yourself frörn our table and join them.”

Gwen whirled around to point at some preppy girls who sat in the middle of the cafeteria. Her wice had gone saur which was a huge contrast to her usual sweet Smooth tone She then whirls back around quickly, eyes wide as she gawks at me. “He’s staring!”

I crinkled my brows, squinting in thought as I pushed another forkful of salad into my mouth. “Who?

“Haiden Cross.” She hissed lowly, eyes darting back to stare at him.

name Of course tht w ith us Tvenn from the impending topic but Yuld not allow Her cyclipe out. You can’t say Halden without wrying Cross It’s like totally “I’m confused.” I deadpanned, putting the fork down on the tray.

She lets out a loud breath and shook her head in exaggeration. “Forget about it. You’ve been going to this school for five years and I swear you still don’t know half of the students’ names.” She sighed.

“No surprise there.” Meredith mutter faintly but I still managed to catch her words. Even though she icked me, I didn’t want to waste my time on a salty girl who I don’t consider much of a threat.

“Anyway. What I was saying is that, Haiden freaking Cross is staring right at you. Like, no tearing eyes away, no look o f hatred like his usual, just, plain, old-” She turns to stare at Halden and her eyes narned with confusion, “Observing? She mur ES surely.

Giving in to the urge, i swallowed my pride and turned to stare at where Gwen was looking Halden instantly pinned me with his gaze that had tingles tickling my spine. Even with his friends laughing and throwing fries at him, he didn’t seem to want to tear his gaze away. And strangely neither did I.

“This is strange.” Gwen mutters.

“So strange.” Samantha agreed.

“I heard some talk going around that he confronted dear Arabella in the hallway this morning.” Meredith muttered, voice filled with mild interest ARL RİYLE “Wait what? How divin’t hear about This?!” Gun shouts, lireadh me out of whatever trance Halden had trapped me i n. I shook my head, turtowing my brows bryond confused by my sidden reactions towards him Yes, Haiden was considerably the most. handsome bay at this school and looked like a younger version of Johnny Depp but still, his looks never swayed me before. Was my period about to come?

“Maybe because you were too busy sucking Rory’s face to listen.” Meredith uiters.

Isnap my head to face Gwen and Samantha, intentionally ignoring Meredith, “Explain.” Gwen demands, crossing her arms to look intimidating, I sighed. There was no point in not telling her now. “He was the one who dirtied me earlier.” I was not willing to tell her everything, well not with two other people listening intently.

WC? The line between herbes I S she question “Funny” i said dryly, “But yes, he was the son I had to chance into this. I pinched the top of my dres.

“Wait by acident? Halden never does anything without CaSON” Samantha Voices out with a confusedline sketchling between her beds.

“Maybe he just wanted Arabella’s attention? Like a conta crush thing Gwen asked, clearly flipping the pages in her head to come up with a good enough Felson.

“Highly doubt it. He mostly goes for blondes and not self-absorbed girls.” Meredith declared.

“Besides, aren’t he and Arabella neighbors for years? Why now have a crush on her? Last time I checked he didn’t even know who she was.”

Gwen narrowed her pretty blue eyes at Meredith, jaw ticking as she spoke.” Haiden doesn’t acknowledge anyone. The guy literally has a routine, wake up, eat, TIT, willing chills and serike Cigare . He never Y C cho tokio the real hier. Hore we a sure that he didn’t know who she was Why were they talking about me like! wasn’t there?

“Honestly I don’t know why helps Staring, all I know is that he’s an asshole who came to apologize, only to insult me, For all I know he’s probably laolding for other ways to make fun of me” I said with a casual shrug of my shoulder.

Gwen lets out an amused snert. “Pssh. Yeah right. With that stare, I highly doubt he’s planning to make fun of you. TTUSETI e I know all men tricks. They fool you in thinking they’re not interested and next.

thing you know, you’ll be banging at the back of a haunted building, screaming hallelujahu.”

I sent Gwen a startled look which she answered with a pococurante shrug.” What? It has happened to me before.”

Samantha lets out a childish giggle.” Ohhh I always wanted to do it there.”

Infinitely try it. Onina i me LICENCE.” Hittom lip yields mely into a poul. “Slytartede creepy vokes and the suy thind “Weirdos.” Meredith states with a shule f her head in disbelief. This is the only time I would completely agree with her Gwen didn’t appear to care about Meredith’s choice of words, only flipped a hand in an unbothered pesture. *** Anyway, that was a long time ago. Enough about me and more about Arabella and Haiden.”

She swings to face me, cyes probing my features intensely. “Like I said. Halden rarely, like fucking rarely gives girls a Second glance. Those that are lucky enough to ride that bull, go for a ride a few hours and are never able to hop back up there…If you know what I mean. Anyway, what I’m trying to say is that he definitely has his attention on you.

A Literally.”

İrtin her er der, “You read me this tooli Gwen. He’s obvlan Hİ string and nothing Thare is you’ve said, Haldun doesn’t give anyone his attention La who in Ito capture it all of a sudden Hesides, I don’t want.” I shruge , It was true. I didn’t want his attention Like mother warned me many times before, Haken Cross was a bug of chos, spilling out tiny sekis of hell whereret he bos. Having his attention on me will certainly not be a good thing. The farther he stays away from me, the better.

Gwen’s lips separate in surprise.” Are you fucking kidding? Who doesn’t want Haider Cross’s attention on them? Have you even seen this guy? He’s like a young Johnny Depp, just way, way, way hotter. And I heard he fucks great too, so a damn bonus! Most girls would die for his attention and you’re here grouchy that it’s on you!”

“If I were to ever spare the opposite sex m y attention then they’d have to have hale.” I hit on tinginyed by the minute. I cannot believe tewer discussing this tid af citing “He does look like a youngerlohnny Dodan ? Sumantha pus hath endlipnotcher but Genvow #tily. After a few Seconds of planng achtther, the slaps her hand lightly on the table “Eine. Then if you don’t want him I’ll gladly talghinn” She shrugs, chair stechinja s she stood up.

Why did my heart sink?

My eyes followed her movements as she brushes her fingers througlı her silky hair “You can’t have that hunk ga to waste ” She mumbles, fixing her boobs to make them even more visible.

My throat suddenly felt like it was closing up and my heart clenches uncomfortably. I swallowed down the bile as I watch Gweni make her way to Haiden. Each step she took made my heart involuntarily skip a beat.

**If anyone can care aidem, it definitely will be aven. Every Buy wants .”

I chewed my bottom lip, not having the appetite to eat anythore i s .” I replied faintly. I should turn around and ignore them, ignore that my heart was squeezing uncomfortably, ignore that I felt like ripping Gwen’s silky hair off her head.

She was my best friend, yet, looking at her striding towards Haiden with so much confidence, something I lacked, made the raging monster of jealousy swarm my entire body.