The Bet

CHAPTER 24: Who Cares?....I Do!

ARLAN

I was heading towards school and had actually slept in late as I waited up all night to hear back from Nina saying she got our friend to get the recording or try to and was going to message me it, but she never did.

When I finally got to school, everyone was already in class of course so I hurried to what was left of my first period and people all looked at me with many different looks.

What the hell was going on?! However, the moment I saw Rick, I knew he had done something, judging by his smirk and then when I saw Nina avoiding eye contact with me as she held down her head, I was beyond pissed.

"Arlan, please take your seat." The teacher says as I remain standing and glaring at Rick with my fists clenched. "Arlan!" The teacher repeats a few times and then I finally get a notification from a messaging app from one of our friends and as soon as I click on it, I see it's the sex video.

I then drop my backpack and climb through everyone, pushing desks and people away from me before grabbing Rick by his collar and lift him from his seat then begin punching him.

He punches me back and charges at me, knocking me over a few desks and onto the floor.

"Hey you guys break it up!" We hear the teacher yell out to us.

We continue to roll around and throw punches at each other then take it to the hallway where eventually a bunch of kids come out of their classrooms and film us fighting with their phones while cheering at the same time.

Then we next feel ourselves being yanked back from each other by the P.E. coach and our teacher. Both of us are all bruised and bloodied up.

"You're fucking dead!" He yells at me.

"Like hell I am motherfucker, I ain't afraid of you! You're gonna pay for what you did!" I yell at him.

Then I wriggle myself free from the teacher's grasp and then start leaving.

Fuck this place and Rick! I'm taking him down once and for all! But first, I need to talk to Korinna.

So I start dialing her number while driving and have her on the blue tooth in my car but it says the number has been disconnected. I go to her house and her stepmom tells me she ran away.

Next I call my brother and tell him what's going on.

"Don't worry man, we'll find her. Think really hard, where do you think she would go?" He asks.

I couldn't think straight and then he had told me about her being practically homeless so I searched everywhere, then right as it started to get dark, I stopped and pulled over to the side of the road.

"Please God. Please help me." I started to cry while ignoring all of the pain I was feeling physically from not just the fight but mostly my heart. Fuck, I didn't know that shit was real.

Suddenly, it hits me, the park we used to go to when we were kids.

I quickly make a U TURN and start to head that way and as soon as I pulled over next to the curb, I jumped out and started running as fast as I could through the trees, getting whacked with all the leaves hanging from the branches until I finally make it through and sitting right there on one of the swings, was her.

Her back was towards me and she had a hoodie over her head but I knew it was her.

I slowly began walking near her and every inch closer to her, I thought she would hear me but she never looked around. So as I got closer, I noticed her sniffling, listening to music and then making marks on her wrist.

I quickly grabbed the sharp blade from her hand and she immediately stood up and yanked out her earbuds and I could hear the song, 'One More Light' Linkin Park.

"What the fuck are you doing asshole?!" She snaps at me then starts pushing me.

"What are YOU doing?!" I started to ask.

"I'm doing everyone a fucking favor! Now give that back!" She says while trying to reach for it and I quickly turn and chuck it as hard as I could into the darkness.

"Korinna..." I began but stopped talking the moment I saw she picked up her messenger bag and started walking away.

I quickly run up to her and grab her wrist causing her to turn around and yanks it from my grasp.

"Don't you fucking touch me!" She yells at me and punches me.

It was a pretty good punch but not enough to make me stop.

"Korinna I swear that I had nothing to do with that filming." I tried to explain.

"I don't believe you!" She says.

"I swear on my parents life that I had nothing to do with it. In fact I tried to stop him. That's why I was cruel to you that day. Because he said he would show everyone if I didn't call it off with you." I began to explain.

"Bullshit!" She says. "Leave me the hell alone!" She cries out.

She turns to leave but I stop her and turn her around then embrace her in a hug and as much as she tries struggling to break free from my grasp, I just keep holding her close and tight.

"I'm never letting you go." I cry.

"Please stop." She cries into my chest while slowly starting to stop hitting me.

"I'm so sorry, I'm so fucking sorry. I love you so fucking much." I cry.

She starts to cry even harder then finally holds me as she continues crying into my chest as I continue with my chin on top of her head.

"Why?" She cries. "Why did you hurt me?" She asks.

"Cause I was a damn idiot! And I found out what happened at the party, earlier today and I'm just....I'm so fucking sorry. Please don't leave me." I begin to beg as I cry harder than I have ever cried since my parents died. "I fucking care about you. My God I always have."

We both stand there crying with each other as we hold one another then suddenly it starts to rain and we head towards my car where we sit there, not looking at each other, both sobbing still and trying to calm ourselves.

Next chapter will be posted soon! :)