My High School Life [Rewritten - Ongoing]

34. [Thomas]

"Rachel, can you not."

"Come on Thomas, I just need to show you something."

"I'm not in the mood, Rach." While I still had my patience, I pushed her aside. "I still need to shower and change and then I have to go back to my sister." And Izzy.

"Thomas, please." She sounded almost desperate as she clung on to me. "Just this once and I promise I won't ever bother you again."

I sighed and rubbed at my temple as I felt the headache already forming. "Fine. But be quick about it."

Her smile widened—a little too fast might I add. "Follow me." She motioned her hands to follow her. She went down the long hallway that stretched all the way to the school's cafeteria. I raised a brow at that. What in the world does Rachel need to show me there? The school's daily lunch calendar? When we finally rounded the corner, I saw Jason and Izzy standing outside the cafeteria's double doors. She was pressed against the wall while Jason was leaning his face closer and closer towards her.

I narrowed my eyes and was about to step forward when Jason called Izzy by her name. I froze, hearing her name again. Wait a minute—was I hearing things correctly? Why would Jason call Izzy by that dreaded name?

I glanced at Izzy to see her eyes widening looking like a deer caught in headlights. "H-how?"

"I've known since the very first day you came back," he said and caressed her face. I could feel the anger in my chest boiling, wanting to take full control. If Rachel wasn't digging her nails into my arm, I would've already bolted between Jason and Izzy and separated them. "I'll know those eyes anywhere, even if you lost weight." W-what? What the hell is he even talking about? Izzy can't be her. There's no way. Jason must be imagining things.

"You knew?" What the hell does he know!? I squinted my eyes as he whispered something in her ear. But not even a moment later, Izzy pushed Jason away.

"There's no way." She shook her head. "You can't be!"

"I can prove it." Prove what?

"How?"

"By doing this." I didn't even have time to blink, before I saw what happened next. Jason was kissing Izzy. I punched the nearest wall, ready to beat the living shit out of Jason. I didn't give a fuck that he was supposedly my best friend. Nobody, and I mean nobody touches Izzy and gets away with it. She's mine.

"Wait!" Rachel caught my hand.

"What?" I shouted. The air between us was so brittle it could snap at any given moment, and if it didn't, I might if Rachel doesn't back the fuck off. She was definitely testing my patience right now.

"Did you not hear what Jason said?"

"No." I smacked her hand away from mine. "But I definitely saw Jason kissing what's not his." My eyes narrowed into slits just thinking about it. Did he not understand the bro code? Why would you kiss your own best friend's girlfriend?

"Did you not hear the part where Jason called her, Isabella Ace?"

"I'm not sure why he brought her up, but what's important is that he's still kissing—"

Rachel let out a slow, controlled breath, and attempted to relax her facial expression. "Thomas! Don't you get it? Isabella Elizabeth really is Isabella Ace."

"No she's not. She can't be her!"

"She never even moved!" Her eyes moved with alertness that came from heavy frustration. "She only took a year off to lose weight. That's still Isabella Ace."

I shook my head, not wanting to hear a word. "No! Stop lying!" I couldn't believe it. I can't believe it.

"Thomas. Just think about it," she pleaded. "She still lives in the same house. She still hangs around Amanda. And she even kept her first name! It doesn't take a genius to figure that out."

"No! I-I—she can't be—"

"—Thomas. For fuck sakes, she's Isabella Ace."

"No she's not!"

I pushed past Rachel and sprinted down the hallway. I needed to get away. I needed to think. Rachel couldn't be right, could she?

But . . . what if she is?

I slowed down mid-stride. Everything she just said—they did made sense. The house. The name. And even Amanda . . . they were all the same. Izzy even said she had a brother who was nineteen and a little sister. If I remember correctly, she also had a little sister, and of course her brother, John. There were other similarities between them, but I didn't want to see it.

Although, did I really not know? Or was I pretending to not know? Was I pushing away the inevitable truth just so I didn't have to face it? Was it because I didn't want to admit to myself that the person I was with was also the one who broke my family apart?

But let's face it . . . I am dating Isabella Ace. I like Isabella Ace. No—scratch that, I love Isabella Ace. But then—why? Why don't I hate her? Why do I still freaking love her? Why? After everything, why do I still love her? I should be feeling angry—destroyed, and yet... the only anger I felt was towards Jason. Not Isabella. When I think about Isabella . . . the only emotion I felt was love.

Seeing her kissing Jason, it was as if my soul stopped, and my heart got ripped out of my chest. Falling for Isabella was the simplest thing in the world with her. Ever since my parents passed on, I have wanted a love such as this to replace the empty void I've kept hidden away. When I met her, I was stunned. I had felt so alone for so long, it was almost unsettling to suddenly have company again—to feel that indescribable feeling. I always thought I would be condemning myself to a lifetime of darkness, but now that I'm here, I don't want to go back. I can't go back. I need to find Izzy and tell her the truth.

"You know Thomas." I turned around to see Rachel catching up to me. I haven't seen her looking so pleased with herself in awhile, and yet her face shown a confidence so high, it had elevated her to a whole new level. I was almost scared. "You can't just run away from me. Remember when I said you'll regret the day you broke up with me?" She threw her head back and laughed. "Well, guess what? It's payback time."

***

Author's Note:

Two updates in a row! Hope you guys enjoy!

Cover banner made by Little_Cupcakes :)