My Ex-Best Friend: The Bad Boy (Smythe #1)

Chapter 1

        I thanked her again before leaving the office. I looked at my locker number, hoping I would be able to find it. I found it on the first floor, near the cafeteria. After unlocking it, I opened my bag and took out everything I would need after lunch and put it in my locker.

       I closed it and right when I turned around to go upstairs, I smacked into someone tall. "Sorry!" I said. 

       I looked up, getting a good look at him. He had short brown hair and a cold look in his eyes as he glared at me. He was wearing dark clothing and a leather jacket. He was, dare I say, very attractive. "Watch where you're going," he snapped.

       "Didn't you hear me?" I asked. "I said sorry." 

       "Sorry doesn't fix anything," he said.

       "Clearly," I said. "You shouldn't have been walking too close to the lockers anyway. It's your fault just as much as mine."

       "Really?" he asked, shoving his hands in the pocket of his jeans. "I'm guessing you're new here. People don't talk to me that way."

       "Why?" I asked. "Are they too afraid to stand up to you because of your whole....look? I don't care if I'm not supposed to talk to you in a certain way. We bumped into each other, I said sorry, so move on."

       He removed his hands from his pocket to cross his arms over his chest. "Look. I am not in a good mood today, so I would appreciate it if you go back to where you came from."

       "Technically, I am from here since I was born here," I said. "And if you're not in a good mood, you can't expect me to back up my bags in leave."

       "I'm serious," he said. "Do not make me angry. Things get ugly."

       "You know what?" I asked. "I'll do us both the favour and walk away. I thought I would have a nice first day after moving back here."

       "Yeah? Well, guess what. Life is full of disappointment."

       "What?" I asked. I knew those words. 

       "Life is full of disappointment," he repeated. "So get used to it."

       I heard those words almost every day when I lived here. Seb said those words every day.

       Holy crap.

       "Seb?" I asked.

       Judging by the look on his face, the snarky, conceited boy standing in front of me was my best friend, Sebastian Smythe. My best friend that I had to leave when I was twelve. Here he was, looking nothing like himself.

       When realization dawned on his face, I knew he figured out who I was. "What happened to you?" I asked.

       "You want to know? "Seb asked. "My best friend left me without so much of a warning. I found out the next day at school that you moved across the state. So if anyone is to blame for my attitude, it's you, Artemis." With that, he walked passed me.

       I couldn't believe it. Sebastian was the sweetest boy ever, even though he was pessimistic. But now, he was the complete opposite. And it was all my fault.

       "Oh my gosh," a voice said nearby. I turned and actually smiled. I recognized my other two friends, Lauren and Tanya. They both rushed over to me and hugged me. "Artemis!"

       "Hi!" I said.

       "You moved back!" Lauren said. "Why didn't you tell us you're coming back?!"