𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄 ✔️

Chapter Forty-One

"It was a good paper." He said, raising his head as he suddenly started to search the crowd ahead of us.

I hummed in agreement, "It was. I was surprised by how much I knew." I said, watching him smile.

"I told you that you could do it." He said, making me blush.

I laughed awkwardly as it became my turn to duck my head. "Maybe," I admitted, hearing him chuckle.

When I looked up again, I saw his eyes frantically searching around in front of us. I held the door open for him, and he shared his gratitude before he continued to look around.

I cleared my throat, clutching onto my pencil case tightly. "Are you looking for Olivia?" I asked hesitantly. Feelings of envy sparked in Alessia, but I was much too curious to care.

Dylan smiled absentmindedly, "Yeah," he said, before glancing over to me, "sorry, she was just so nervous before this exam; I want to see how she did...and if she's okay."

Something in my heart grew wings and flew away.

"Have asked her to Prom yet?" I asked, though I already knew the answer.

He beamed but quickly turned his head so that I wouldn't see his cheeks flushing. "Yeah," was all he said, and I smiled.

"Took you some time, how did you ask her?" I asked.

"I was nervous, okay? And nothing special, really." Whilst I was secretly in love with his 'nervous' comment, Alessia wondered whether he kept the details to himself to save her pride. She was, after all, obsessed with him.

I nodded, catching the door to our registration class corridor, holding it open for him.

"Did she say yes?" I asked him, watching him stay back to hold the door open for the others that were behind us.

He smiled. "You make it sound like a marriage proposal," his eyes became distant at that, but not sad. I watched him with confusion. I could read Dylan, of course; he's been my best friend for years. But this look was odd.

"But yeah, she said yes." He told me. That smile never left his face.

I didn't ask him any more questions, not even about the details of his Promposal. It was mainly because he seemed hesitant—and I already kind of knew how he had asked Olivia. Since I had once been her.

It was a Saturday, and Dylan and I were just having a casual day out—sometimes it was to the park, sometimes it was to the cinema, sometimes it was just at home. This time, it was at a theme park that I had wanted to go to for ages. It wasn't until the end of the day, though, that he had finally asked me. It was simple, really—he had bought me the gemstone necklace that I had been admiring, and casually asked me as he passed me the bag after the checkout.

Times were easier then—easier when I was Olivia Clark.

When we got to our registration class, it was empty. The rest of our class had either already gotten here, or were yet to come. Alessia's locker was still battered, but the teacher let her switch temporarily to one on the bottom.

"I'm sure Olivia is around here somewhere," I assured Dylan when I saw him anxiously checking his phone.

He smiled up at me, "Well, yeah, I promised her I'd give her a lift; I don't think she'll be leaving without one," we both laughed at that, but I sobered as I locked up my locker.

"I don't think that's the only reason she'd wait for you," I told him, rising from the floor and slipping my bag onto my back.

He frowned at me, slipping his phone into his blazer pocket. "Maybe." He said, before turning to his locker to pull out his own bag.

We were soon joined by people, but only a few. I tried to ignore the looks I was getting, that Dylan wasn't. I was simply waiting for him, yet they acted as if I was shovelling dirt into my mouth.

I was suddenly shoved, and I fell backwards, where I hit the radiator with a bang.

There was a moment of silence, and then people started to laugh.

"Who did that?" A voice suddenly demanded. I looked through the cracks in the crowd to see Dylan, face stern but eyes flashing. "Anyone?" He then asked, having gotten no responses.

A boy, Charlie Smither, scoffed. "The slut was probably just tryna bend over," he said, making everyone laugh, "weren't you?" He taunted, grabbing me by the hips suddenly.

And then, just as fast, a hand wrapped around one of his arms, ripping it and Charlie away from me.

"Don't touch her." It warned. I stared at Dylan, utterly confused and startled. I hadn't realised he even knew Alessia, never mind been this protective over her.

Another boy stepped forward, Jake Gardy, "Come on, Dylan, chill, it's not like she doesn't deserve it,"

Dylan's jaw clenched at that, but before he could say anything, another voice chimed in.

"How is life out on the corner, Alessia? That's the only way you'll stay in your house, right? If you trade your body for money?" It was Katy, and it made Alessia freeze. She was suddenly overcome with heavy emotion, just wanting to wrap herself up into her body and hide.

"Enough–" Dylan began, but he was cut off as he was shoved.

"Get out, Dylan, let us take out the trash," it was Charlie again, who grabbed me once more and threw my body into the lockers.

"Though, who'd want to wake up to something that ugly?"

Alessia had no idea who had said what as she was suddenly sinking, and sinking into a place with no oxygen and with no light.

And then a fight broke out.

_________________________________

oh

WE'RE HALFWAY THEREEE

OOOOOooooooOOOH

LIVIN ON A PRAYER

-can u tell I've been listening to 80s songs

FABULOUS SONGS

Songs that played when I was writing this chapter (in order):
Praying - Kesha
Bela Lugosi's Dead - CHVRCHES
Low - Lauren Aquilina
Why Try - Ariana Grande
Genesis - Ruelle
Human Nature - Michael Jackson
Promises - Aly & AJ
Frozen - Sabrina Claudio
Mended - Vera Blue
Rival - Ruelle

END OF FABULOUS SONGS

Date written:
11/10/18

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Next update: Tuesday
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CHAPTER FORTY-TWO SPOILER:

Fully immersed into Alessia's life, Olivia is no longer a spectator.

She feels Alessia's pain as if she is the girl herself.

🕊

CHAPTER COUNT UNTIL THE END OF THE BOOK:
nine & epilogue