The Fallen |BxB| ✓

05 | Center of Everything

↞[Luke]↠

White velvet clouds blanketed the sky, and through its tears came the brightest of golden rays. So much for Autumn. The scarf was suffocating me; the layer against my neck was drenched with sweat. I had removed my overcoat.

Bella's footsteps were sharp against the road as she jogged towards me. The parking lot was relatively empty, a few cars emptying as students left. Maximum, like Bella, stayed late for extracurriculars and practices for homecoming.

"Hey, going early today?" I asked as she reached me, a little out of breath. "Want a ride—OW!" Bella's hand swatted my head with full force, making me see stars in the daytime. "What was that for!?" Holding the aching area where her wrist jabbed me, I watched her through half-opened eyes.

"Who the fuck forgets their phone?" Grabbing my arm, she planted the device in my palm. She sighed and flipped her hair back, wiping her forehead as if she was sweating bullets—she wasn't. "You've been lost the whole day. What's wrong with you?"

What's wrong with me? Pushing the mobile inside my jeans pocket, I leaned against my car, the metal body feeling warm on my back. "I didn't get much sleep last night."

Her annoyance dissipated, replaced with worry. "Is the sleepwalking getting worse?" Bella was the only other person besides my dad who knew about my nightmares. We used to have a lot of sleepovers back in elementary school, so I couldn't just hide the fact from her.

"No, I simply couldn't fall asleep." Lying again. It wasn't fair to give Bella my problems when she was already clocked up from responsibilities.

"Oh." Her eyebrows knitted, but she didn't press. Then a mischievous smile formed on her face. "I heard some things." Lifting two of her fingers, she continued gingerly, "Want in on the gossip?" She wiggled her eyebrows, making me laugh.

"Shoot."

"First, that you messed up Brandon 'cuz he was harassing Alison. But I doubt this one. Your pretty face is unscratched, and you're far from any princely image." I shrugged my shoulders when she narrowed her eyes. "Second is bad."

"You know that I don't care, Bella. And you shouldn't either."

"I don't! But Brandon's wrist is taped up. And people are shouting on about how you bullied the new kid, cornered him to a wall until he was crying." Bella spoke rapidly, then crossed her arms. "Now, tell me what happened."

"Ken Sato?" I shook my head, not surprised a bit. "I was actually going to meet him." I smirked when Bella's mouth parted.

"You're double-timing Alison? That—"

"No, Bella. Alison made a scene today with Brandon. Sato blocked the punch he threw at me. They're dating now, Brandon and Alison." I watched Bella's expression morph into many colors before she exhaled a ragged breath.