Bombshells ~ Complete

Chapter Seventeen: Terrific

"God, Ari, you're so tiny. It's a wonder you haven't blown away with the wind." Ethan shook his head at me with a fond smile. I ducked my head in embaressment.

"Do you want a ride today?" Kade asked. I bit my lip, but responded negatively. I didn't want their reputations to be ruined by someone like me. They didn't need me to chase their friends away from them. Anyways, I enjoyed the bus. Other than the other kids, the loud noises, the bus driver, the lack of heat, and the hard seats.

Kade looked a little hurt by my refusal, but I still turned around and opened the door. I kept the door opened for a minute, wondering if I should give them a reason for being so cold about everything.

I turned to look at them with a soft, gentle smile.

"I would hate to ruin your reputation." And before they could respond, I closed the door and made my way to the bus stop. Three or four kids were already milling around, some talking to their friends, and some on their phones. I wondered what it would be like to be just another kid, waiting for something major to impact your life.

What would that feel like? Would you feel free, or even more trapped?

I guess I would never really know. Because at that moment, the bus pulled up and the doors opened. I entered with a silent sigh of hatred for the thing.

When the bus pulled up to the high school, I jumped out as quickly as I could and basically sprinted towards my locker. It was pretty close to Kas's, so I would go check on her once I gathered everything I would need for the day.

I got the few books I would need and stuffed the rest in, pushing and smushing so it would all fit. I was out of breath once I was finished. There were almost a dozen people crowded around Kas's locked, talking and gasping. I guess her father really did do a number on her. But hadn't she been at school this entire time?

A red haired girl strutted past, whispered to her friend who was listening with an aghast facial expression.

"I know. Coming back to school on a Thursday, and showing up with all those bruises. There are some people who think she got beat up, which had to happen. I mean, she's in a sling and everything." The red head whispered dramatically. The other girl gasped and continued listening intently.

I suppose I was the one to blame for all of Kas's pain and suffering, and now her having to lie to everyone. I would wiggle the truth out of her at lunch. If she even came. I wouldn't blame her if she didn't, and I didn't think I was ready for such a rejection.

That's why I didn't go up to her locker. I didn't want her to shun me, and I also didn't want to damage her strategically built and already fragile reputation. I guess I was doing what I thought was right.

The doors blew open, almost in slow motion. Then the boys started walking down the hall. The Steel boys and their dramatic entrances. Why were they so obsessed with being the top of the food chain, that they had to do this every morning?

I shook my head and went back to searching for a pencil in my locker. I thought I forgot it at home, but apparently I was wrong. The entire hall was silent, waiting for something to happen. I could feel dozens of eyes on me, and prayed the boys weren't doing exactly what I thought they were doing.

I turned around and there they were, just standing there. My eyes jumped wide open in shock, though I didn't know why I was shocked. I had guessed that they would be doing exactly what they were doing.

"Forget something at home?" Zander asked lightly. I shook my head, my eyes flickering to everyone around us that could hear. Their eyes were wide with shock and surprise, as they looked at me with a mix between fear and curiosity.

"I don't think so. Now, why don't you get to class before you're late?" I hissed. A couple of girls gasped and a couple boys took a step backwards. I had talked to the boys like this before. I would be fine.

Kade started laughing. And that made everyone in the hall take a step backwards.

"You forgot your pencil, Ari." He told me, handing me a pencil that wasn't even mine. They seriously had to come up with this lame excuse to talk to me at school? Yikes.

"As far as I'm concerned, no one in their right mind keeps track of pencils in a house of eleven people." I muttered, much too quietly for anyone to hear. I kept looking over to everyone watching, and fidgeting.

I guess it was too much for Lucas to take, because he followed my eyes a couple of times and blew air angrily through his nostrils. He reminded me of a bull who had just seen something red. I hoped that something red wasn't an innocent bystander.

"Everyone get to class! Can't you tell you're making our little sister uncomfortable?" Lucas yelled, all good intentions of course.

What he didn't know was that he just ruined my whole school year.

Everyone in the hall turned to look at me with wide, even more frightened eyes. There were some who looked disgusted, some who looked like vultures, some who looked my body up and down with a newfound appreciation, and some who looked like they were planning on making my whole life hell.

Terrific.