It All Started with a Lie

Chapter 4

I zipped up my bag as the professor dismissed our class. A couple of my classmates met up with me as I left. "Hey man." One of my frat brothers patted me on the back.

"What's up?"

"You really messed Tommy up the other day."

I expect nothing else but that to have left his mouth. It was all my 'brothers' could talk about. They thought I was a god. Praising me and standing in awe of me. 'I wish I was like you', 'tell me your Gym routine', 'remind me never to cross you' all things I'd heard over the last two days. "Yeah. My bad." I still hadn't figured out what to say in response. I took no pride in what I'd done. But they never seemed to accept that, finding my actions to be some act of heroism, when the truth is, I just couldn't control my anger anymore. As usual.

The two who were not in our fraternity, eagerly asked for details on my latest rampage. I tuned them out while my 'brother' informed them on every detail, 50% of which were wrong. 'He knocked him out in one punch', 'Tommy didn't even get a hit in', 'he fended him off with just his pinky'. The story got more and more outrageous the more it was told.

We continued walking and my eyes landed on her the second we entered the courtyard. She stood on the grass alone, eyes closed, head tilted to the sky as waves of music bounced around her. She took a deep breath, her body relaxing in the waves before she jumped alive, her body falling to the music as she danced as if she were made for it...as if it were made for her. It was no surprise she scored the lead as a freshman. She was magnificent.

I found myself watching her for far longer than I should have. But she didn't notice, engulfed in her own little world, not the least bit concerned that she'd begun to attract a crowd. "You coming?" One of the guys asked me, noticing that I'd begun to trail behind.

I didn't take my eyes off her. "You guys go ahead. I'll catch up with you later."

They gave me a strange look but left me behind nonetheless. I leaned against the tree, watching her for the entirety of the song. I'd seen her do the same dance at one of the pep rallies, but it was far more powerful out here, underneath the blue sky and without her partner who'd been weighing her down. We, my frat brothers and I, often went to their practice. It was a tradition to sit in on the Beta Sigma Xi girl's activities, and the majority of them were on the dance team. And while my 'brothers' went to watch hot women dance in tight outfits, I went to watch her. She was stunning. Made to dance.

The crowd applauded as she finished but she paid no attention to them, taking in deep breaths as the sun illuminated her figure. And when she finally opened her eyes, they landed directly on me. And she was pissed. Shit. All her peace left her face and instead morphed into a deadly stare. I am a dead man. She marched towards me, murder in her eyes. "You!"

"Me," I said with a grin despite knowing my death was imminent.

"What are you doing here?"She marched up to me and now that she no longer has her heels on, she stands quite a bit shorter than me and has to crane her neck up just to make eye contact. It doesn't make her any less intimidating though. The look in her eyes is enough to scare any grown man. I take it she is still mad about the other night. "I go to school here, darling."

"Don't call me that."

"What would you prefer I call you then?"

"Nothing. I would prefer you call me nothing."

I smirked. "If you say so, nothing."

And if she wasn't considering killing me before, she certainly was now. "First you ruin my life and now you mock me. A real charmer here. What did I ever do to deserve your presence?"

The reminder of the way I screwed her over caused the guilt for all of my wrongdoings to come creeping back up, especially the ones about her and Tommy. I felt terrible putting that note in the box, knowing that it would cost her a spot, but I had to. I had a good reason, just not one I was willing to share. I could only hope she'd take my word for it and let me make it up to her. "Look, I'm really sorry about—"

She didn't even let me start my apology. "You're sorry about what? Lying to me? Ruining my life? Being an ass?"

Pretty much, yeah.

"Or maybe you're sorry about messing up Tommy's face so badly that his eyes were so swolen he couldn't see out of them for two days."

My need for apologizing quickly left as she brough up Tommy's name. I took a breath. "That was an accident."

"Beating the crap out of someone was an accident? Haven't heard of that one before."

"You have no idea what you're talking about." She had no idea. I already felt bad enough about the situation. I didn't need her input.

"And you have no idea what you did to me. You ruined everything. It was the only thing that mattered and you took that away." And for a second her teasing manner was replaced by pure disappointment. The look she gave me nearly made me sick. I'd rather see her angry. "I'll see you around, try not to beat anyone else up." She spun on her heel, grabbed her bag, and left me standing alone in the courtyard.

I watched her go, swallowing the lump in my throat, running my tongue along the top of my teeth, a habit my father and I shared, a habit I hated.

I almost regretted my decision to remove the pen and replace it with that stupid note, but then I went home, for the first time in a week, and found my sister asleep on my bedroom floor, putty knife in hand and plaster smeared across her forhead. A freshly repaired hole—from my latest fit of anger—sat above her and I knew it was all worth it. Everything was worth it if it meant giving my sister the happiness she deserved.

A/N
Hi lovies!
This books has a tad of a slow start but I promise it picks up quicker soon.

I just finished writing chapter 14 and let me tell you, that was the hardest on I've ever written, but I think you all will like it.

Please vote and comment, I love seeing your feedback. It is my favorite part of the day.

QOTD: are you an early bird or a night owl?

I'm definitely a permanently exhausted pigeon, mornings and nights are rough.

Lots of love,
Rachelle <3