Hard Boy ✔️

50

- Queen; Loren Gray -

Aurora Holland

"I feel like it's been forever since we've seen each other," Katherine said with a pout as she lay across my bed. "I feel like it's my fault as well."

"It's not!" I exclaimed quickly, looking over at her. "I promise. You've been busy with Eli, and I've been busy with either my family or Carter."

"Speaking of, how did homecoming go?" She asked with a smirk, rolling over to her stomach. She rested her chin in her hand as she stared at me, waiting for my response.

Just the mention of homecoming was enough to make my cheeks flush, and I looked away. My eyes landed on the painting Carter made for me on our first date, and I cleared my throat.

"The memories with you guys and Carter were nice, but what came afterward sucked," I answered honestly, twirling my ring around my finger. "But it is what it is, right? When there's good, there's bad, and vice versa."

Did I mean any of that? Hell no. I hate that there was bad to overshadow the good. I wish I was the type of person to think the way I said and remember the good more than the bad. But I'm not like that, and I think no matter how much fake confidence I use I'll never be like that.

Ever.

"Look, Ashley Wilde and her little clique are shitty people. I've gone to school with Ashley for the majority of my life, and the reason I'm bullied as badly as I am is because of her. Carter wants nothing to do with her, and she hates that!" Katherine exclaimed, her cheeks turning red. "She doesn't even like him! They were a fling for maybe a month or two from what I remember, and it was over very quickly."

"Do you know more than you told me you did, Katie?" I asked softly, itching at the skin on my hand.

She scooted to the side of the bed, hanging her legs over the side. "I just know what most know. But I also observe more than people realize. It was a thing for a month or two - I don't know the exact timeline. But he's already done more with you than he did her, showing he likes you more than he did her. Not to mention it's very obvious she's not even into him. She just doesn't let anyone get close to him because of the fact that he's 'untouchable'." She air-quoted the last word, rolling her eyes and mocking it.

"The way I see it, Rory, is fuck Ashley and fuck anyone else who tries to mess with you. Most people mess with other people because they're insecure with themselves and it gets them nowhere. You have a giant friend group who will cause hell if Ashley bothers with you." She continued after I didn't respond.

"Gwen brought me home the other day," I mentioned, not responding to anything else that she said. It's not that I don't care, I'm just not good at forming words and speaking how I truly feel.

"Gwen as in-" She stopped, her brows furrowing together.

"Gwen- Gwen L-Larson? I think is her name," I said, biting my cheek. "The blonde that's always with Ashley and isn't Kaya."

"Gwen Larson?! That sneaky bitch!" Katherine exclaimed.

"She said she wanted to warn me," I continued. "Not that Carter's going to break my heart or anything, but of Ashley and what Ashley can do."

"Wait- what?" Katherine asked, looking at me in confusion.

"Yeah. Apologized for how shitty she's treated me and to let me know to be careful. I don't know if I believe it though,"  I said.

"I wouldn't. She's just as sneaky as the other two bitches in that clique. The other two being Maya Coleman and Ashley Wilde herself." Katherine shook her head, her lips pressing together tightly. "They're up to something."