Fool Me Twice, Shame On Me ✓

[ 29 ] Monday, you're going to profess your undying love for me?

"What can you possibly say to explain yourself?" I surprise myself by speaking monotonously. "How many more patterns of lies do you think I can take?"

An apprehensive look clouds Noel's features. "Whatever he told you was a..." he exhales shakily and before he can bring himself to continue, I interrupt him.

"WHAT? A LIE? Something he just conjured up?" My voice rises out of rage. "Are you seriously going to deny it?"

Suddenly, Luke intervenes. "You're like a plunger, you like bringing up old shit. We were all blowing off some steam until you came along to make it all about you since you always need to be the victim." Quentin's crew instigates a few 'oohs' and chuckles but I'm immune to it all.

Breathing hard, I sneer his way. At the moment, all I want to do is smash a wall, something...anything to relieve myself off the anger building up.

"Oh, so now you're not going to deny what happened?" All anger and frustration escapes me as I withdraw from Noel's presence before making a beeline to Luke's direction.

I don't waver from Luke's belligerent expression once I make an abrupt halt in front of him. "You dated the best friend of the girl whom you conspired to humiliate. With your slimy ass, who knows what other secrets you've been keeping from Aaliyah? Has it also been a plan of yours to humiliate her as well this entire time?"

His eyes narrow for a second before his face contorts into an unfazed look. "You're so delusional. Don't make this any dramatic than it needs to be and please, for everyone's sake, crawl back to whatever hole you came from."

"Stay out of this Luke." Noel commands and I can see him taking approaching footsteps from my peripheral vision. "Emery, please can we just talk alone?" he implores.

Once he's standing a few feet away from us, he reattempts to grab my hand and succeeds this time but I instantly disengage my hand from his firm hold like he's a virus.

I throw him a cynical expression, disgusted by the brief contact. "Don't fucking touch me."

Unlike the apologetic look he wore earlier, he looks taken aback.

I avert my gaze back to Luke's and throw him a death glare. "And you, don't tell me what to do," I retort, "it may work with your girlfriend but it certainly does NOT work with me."

There's a strained silence before Quentin intervenes. "Good thing you found out before it was too late Emery. If I were you, I'd transfer school...again." As if in queue, he and his crew erupt into laughter.

Once their laughter dies down, he then continues. "I recommend Parkland Academy. Transfer school and get with the winning team so you get to cheer us after we win the championship league against Redhawks."

"Okay Michael Jordan wannabe," Anthony summons a belligerent expression as he flounces towards Quentin. "How about you and your little group of friends get the fuck out of our school's premises, yah? I don't recall Emery asking for your unsolicited advice so shut the fuck up. You boys best be on your way now."

With folded arms, Quentin stands his ground and seems apathetic.

"Anthony, my man," his voice oozes sarcasm, "hate to break it to you but I'm just getting started here. And I didn't get the memo that you were pulling her puppet strings all of a sudden. Damn... first it was Noel, then Dean and now you? I mean what is it about this girl that has you guys acting like a bunch of pussies?"

With a murderous glare, Anthony puffs out his chest and invades Quentin's personal space with a few inches separating their faces.

Quentin just triggered something in Anthony because with the current look on his face, Anthony could decimate his opponent right then and there.