High School Survival Theory

Chapter 56

What can possibly be Ashton's greatest secret?

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Grace tugs my sleeves furiously when I walk out of the cafe. "Where were you?!" She yells. "I thought they caught you."

My lip turns upward. Miles looks at me suspiciously. "Kiara?" He says.

I tell them everything that they have spilled out to me without acknowledging.

Miles's jaw drops as I tell him the full story. "It was 'them' all along?!" He says. "They stole the picture from just under my nose without me acknowledging it?"

I nod. He's lucky Ashton isn't around. Or he might have beat the life out of him seriously this time for taking the photo in that party.

Even thinking about him hurts right now. I almost can't believe that my own heart is aching for his asshole-ic presence so badly.

"Those motherfuckers!" Grace growls. "Lemme get my hands on them-"

Miles and I grab her to stop.

"Don't be stupid, we don't have any proof," I tell her.

Grace turns to me. "What do you want me to do? Sit here and watch them destroying everyone?"

I shake my head. "No, we need a plan," I tell them. "But before that, I need to talk to someone."

Miles and Grace appear to read my mind.

"But how'll you get him?" Miles asks. "No one other than Nyako and Owen knows where he lives."

That's a good question. I can't even call him because he didn't pick up his phone even after I called him like a hundred times in the last few days.

I try to think of any other option to get in contact with him, just when help comes to us itself.

"Anyone looking for a certain Fellan's address?" We turn around and see Natasha Thompson leaning against her car in front of us.

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I don't know how many of you have imagined yourselves in this position, but I can assure you I never imagined myself to be stuck under the same roof with my archenemy.

We made a stop at my house. I grab a basket of cookies that mom baked this morning knowing how much Ashton loves her cookies. He literally lived on them when he used to visit my house every day.

Natasha doesn't question the basket when I come back and drives her car silently.

"So," She starts. Only if the silence lasted forever... "Early applications ended, huh?"

I snap and turn towards her. "Oh, I almost forgot to ask, did you receive your letters from Harvard yet?"

A vein pops out in her forehead. "I was just trying to start a conversation here."

"Well guess what? I don't," I tell her and look out of the window.

I see her reflection sighing. "I'm sorry Kiara."

"I wonder why," I mutter. Natasha grips the steering wheel tightly.

For a moment I thought she was going to stop the car and kick me out. Instead, she says, "You were not the only one."

"What?" I look at her this time.

"You weren't the only one struggling," Natasha continues. "You know my family Kiara, how serious they are about schools and grades and following rules."