Skin Deep ✔️

Chapter Twenty - Two

"Okay so we're in the same tutor group but I have Art first, what do you have?"

I turn to look at Charlie and she smiles at me, her uniform looks amazing on her and she's rolled her skirt up a few times but because she asked for a men's blazer it stops mid thigh. Her long, ginger hair is swept up into a blue claw clip to match our uniforms and she absentmindedly nibbles a strand of stray hair.

"I have Math." I say as we walk into our tutor group.

I take a seat in the back of the classroom like always and Charlie makes her way towards me, before she can even sit down Cecilia grabs her arm.

"Are you new?" She asks Charlie and I roll my eyes.

"Yup." Charlie says popping the 'P'.

"And you're hanging out with Mud already?" Cecilia turns up her nose whilst turning to sneer at me.

Charlie's mouth falls open and she looks between Cecilia and me.

"Are you quite done?" I ask.

"What?"

"You live a very sad life, Cecilia." I stand up so that our gazes are level. "You and your minions are evil bitches but I get it. Its cause youre insecure. Being insecure doesnt mean you get to be racist little fuckers though. But just remember, whilst youre living your life around me and obsessing over every little thing I do. You no longer exist to me."

"In other words. SUCK IT BITCH." Charlie barges past her and takes the seat next to me.

I snort a laugh as I watch Cecilia stand in surprise before regaining her cool and walking away. I spent the entire weekend reading the book that Simone gave me and it really helped me to work through some things.

'if you are depressed you are living in the past, if you are anxious you are living in the future, if you are at peace, you are living in the present.'

I want to live in the present.

After about thirty minutes we leave tutor and Charlie and I go our separate ways. I turn the corner to head to my math class when I accidentally bump into someone.

"I'm so sorry." I say not even looking at who the person is.

"Mud- uh sorry Toni." The voice says and I involuntarily flinch. "My bad."

I look up and sigh as I see Katie one of Cecilia's minions. She gives me a tight lipped smile and I frown at her. "Katie, hi."

"I'm glad we bumped into each other." She looks up at me through her bangs and plays with a ring on her finger.

I look down at the ring and frown. I've seen that ring before.

"Why?" I return my attention back to her.

She smiles at me but it isn't a nice smile. It's a smile that says whatever she says next is going to hurt.

"I think we should be friends, considering Ezra and I are dating."

All at once the room starts to spin and my chest feels heavy. This can NOT be happening. I close my eyes so that i can collect myself before opening them again, blinking away unnecessary tears.

"I'll tell him what you did to me." I say.

Katie steps forwards and places a hand on my shoulder, gripping it with long nails, so hard that it starts to hurt. "You do that and I promise you, it will not be like last time. We will not hold back."

Isaac was right. Ezra was on a date with the devil. 

She snatches her hand away and brightens up at something behind me. I turn around and Ezra smiles down at me.

"Hey, Tonoya." He says, doing that lazy boy thing he always does and leans against the wall, as if he's too tired to even stand up straight.

I suck in a breath as he looks at me through his eyelashes. "Hi Ezra."

"Babe." Katie grins, walking over and throwing her arms around his neck. "I just told Toni the good news."

Ezra makes no move to return the gesture. He just blinks his green eyes at me and raises a perfectly curved eyebrow. "Can we talk?" I nod and for the first time he looks at Katie. "I'll come find you later."

She walks away with a huff but not before shooting daggers at me with her eyes and I roll my own back at her.

"What?" I ask him.

"I told you I love you." He says to me and I cringe. "And you shot me down."

"Ezra I-"

He cuts me off and rakes a hand through his dark hair. "Just let me finish. You told me to go on a date with her." I nod. "So you can't be mad at me." I nod again.

"I'm not mad." I say and it's the truth. If he's happy then I'm happy. If Ezra and I are meant to be then it'll happen when it happens.

"Let's hang out, like we usually do." He suggests.

"Are you bringing your girlfriend?"

He takes a step towards me and cups my cheek in his hand. "She's not my girlfriend."

I inhale, getting caught up in the moment, before I swat his hand away. "You should tell her that."

He ignores me. "My house. tonight."

I dont say anything as I walk away from him, I dont even look back until I round the corner and when i do, hes gone.