revenge | nate jacobs/ euphoria

part twenty

my body ached at the feeling of pushing myself out of bed. i haven't moved from my bed in a full twenty-four hours, but now it was getting to the point where i needed to shower and return to school.

i've missed two days from being "sick with strep throat" or whatever bullshit lie i told my mom the other day. cassie has been non stop calling me, sometimes i'd answer, most times not. i'd just tell her the same as i told my mom; that i just don't feel good.

technically it wasn't a lie, i really do feel like shit.

after my shower, i went to my mirror, running my hand along it to clear off the fog.

i moisturized and put some products in my hair before i first noticed. my body froze, my comb dropping to the floor, the sight physically terrifying me.

my hands slowly rise, trailing my neck at the bright purplish bruises that wrap around. what the hell did i let this man do to me.

my lip started to quiver, tears falling instantly. i really fucked up. not just with sleeping with hardin, but with starting something with nate in the first place.

people warned me about him. how much of a dick he was. but the last thing i thought was the fact he'd strangle me.

finally drawing my eyes away, i leave the mirror, going to get dressed. i try covering the bruises with at much makeup as possible, but it just isn't enough. i end up wearing a hoodie despite the fact it's over eighty degrees outside and not raining whatsoever. but i refuse to have anyone see this.

coming to school today seemed different.
as i walk the halls, the energy of the building makes me feel as if i'm suffocating all over again.

"literally thought you'd never come back, what the fuck bri." cassie pulls me into a hug tightly.

"yeah my throat has been killing me."

when she pulls away, she pouts towards me. "well i'm just glad you're back." she smiles slightly.

she holds onto my hand as we walk through the halls. it's lunch for us right now so we decide to walk around a bit instead of going to the cafeteria.

we notice kat's big smile as we see her walking in the opposite direction but swings around to the other side of me.

"hey, you guys hear what's going on?" she asks us, both me and cassie shaking our heads.

"apparently maddy like passed out in first period. she's been in the office for like an hour now." kat says, casually looking down at her nails.

"why'd she pass out?" cass asks her, kat shrugging her shoulders.

"i don't know. must be something serious for her to be up there that long. usually the nurse just gives you a fucking ice pack for literally anything, so i'm surprised they looked more into it."

i zone out for the rest of the conversation, not really caring about anything to do with maddy.

don't get me wrong, i have sympathy for her considering we use to be friends, but she did just embarrass me at the carnival.

and on top of that, when i think of maddy, i think of nate and that's the last person i want on my mind right now. i'm seriously scared to even see him today, reasons why i came late to skip biology.

"you don't think it has anything to do with what happened at the carnival, do you?" i hear kat ask cassie, my attention coming back.

"what happened at the carnival?" i chime in.

kat chuckles before looking over to cassie then back at me. when no expression appears in either of our faces she goes serious.

"oh you guys really don't know?"

both cass and i shake our head, wondering what the fuck she could be talking about.

"after she caused that big ass scene, nate practically dragged her out. i think they got in a fight or something because maddy's been in her feelings ever since. she even showed up in a fucking turtle neck today." she tells us, laughing at the end.

"wow, nate actually told her off? i must of missed it when i left." i mumble to myself.

no wonder he was so mad i slept with hardin. he actually was trying to make amends with me.

"you guys miss everything around here." she playfully rolls her eyes, making us three break into laughter.

just then the corridor doors burst open, cal, nates dad, his wife, and three police officers all walk through the halls towards the front office.

"oh shit." i whisper, cal's eyes glaring over at me.

he slightly smiles, before turning off away from everyone, ducking off into the closest boys bathroom.

i spin around quickly, starting to walk in the other direction.

"where are you going?" cass calls out.

"uhh, i have to go talk to my biology teacher about what i missed." i say, still walking away as quickly as possible.

"but bio is this way." i hear kat say but i ignore her, continuing my way to the other side of the school as fast as i can.

when i finally reach the upper left wing, my body jumps as the sight of nate walking out of a classroom, the principle and two more officers standing there as they wait for him to come out.

"wanna tell me what the problem is?" he asks them.

"don't worry, we will." one man says.

i realize i've stop moving, me standing in the middle of the hallway, starring at nate as he begins walking.

he pauses as well when we make eye contact, both of us at a loss of words. it feels like an eternity as we stare at one another.

"br- bri." he says almost as a whimper when the officer pushes against his arm.

"let's go." he tells him, making nate break out of his trance, beginning to walk again as he passes right by me.

"you should get to class." the principle says to me as he walks with the officers.

nates eyes look back to me even when he's way ahead, both of us stuck on one another.

what the fuck did he get himself into?

i don't know why but seeing him made any kind of fear i once had leave my body as i practically start running down the hall after him, my eyes glued to the back of his head when my arm suddenly gets yanked, pulling my entire body.

"what was that about?" cassie asks me, her standing next to lexi who's leaned against some lockers.

i shrug, looking back, nate completely out of sight now.

"probably because he tried literally killing maddy at the carnival." lexis tells us, both cass and i's head snapping toward her.

"who told you that?"

"you did." lexi says to cassie.

"when we got home you said maddy confronted nate about cheating on her because she went through his phone." lexi tells us, my eyes widening.

"oh my god. i was gone off molly, i don't remember any of this." cassie says, looking back to me.

"look i don't know what i said but just forget it. none of that is true." she continues.

"but what if it is?" i say, them both looking over to me.

"how could he be cheating on her when he's with you? wouldn't it be the other way around?" lexi asks me.

i really don't know what's going on, all i know is something serious must have went down with nate and maddy for the police to be escorting him and his parents both here.

"let's just forget it." i mumble, not wanting to give out too much information about nate and i's twisted relationship.

at least not until i figure out what the hell is happening.

"hey are you okay? your neck is literally-" lexi starts.

"i gotta go." i interrupt her, pulling my hooding closer to me as i walk away.

i shouldn't have came back to school today.