Ride Or Die | Book #1 ✓

Chapter 17

My phone screen lit up to reveal an unknown number send me a text. Looking around, I made sure Mrs. Morgan's eyes weren't on me as she was too occupied to be going on about the essays and what makes on perfect.

Unknown: Meet me, in the courtyard after lunch. 

Me: Who is this?

Unknown: 1 picture attached. 

I clicked on the picture and opened it up but froze when I saw it. I stared in shock while a million thoughts ran through my head. It had been a nude picture of me from when I was 15 that got sent around my old school after my boyfriend Cayde and I got into a fight. My dad fought the courts for the photo to be completely erased and anyone who kept it would be charged with child pornography.  I swore the picture was erased and in fear of it being passed around again, I didn't know what to do.

I texted Juniper that I needed to talk to her asap. Raising my hand I asked if I could use the bathroom before getting up and walking out of class and Juniper followed out moments before. We walked down the hallway and I showed her the text that had been sent to me.

"What the fuck!?" She exclaimed, taking my phone from my hands "This is you?!" I nodded in response and explained to her the situation that had happened with Cayde when I was younger. "I don't know what to do-" I was at a loss and just confused. "You'll have to go. See who it is. I don't even know how they got that picture-" Juniper went on while we both racked our brains for an answer. 

We came around a corner of lockers but froze when we walked around. Juniper quickly grabbed me and pulled behind the row of lockers so we weren't seen. "Are you fucking kidding me-" I said shocked. The horrid image consisted of Mercury and Pierce making out behind the lockers, as their hands roamed each other. 

"Not surprised," Juniper muttered, grabbing my hand and pulling me down the other direction of the hallway. "You're just going to walk away? You're not going to call them out-" I began to fight Juniper in why she was choosing to just ignore it.

"It's a lost cause, Aspen. Pierce and Mercury will continue to do whatever they want, she has her claws so deep into him there is no convincing him otherwise. Plus Pierce probably only sees her as a fuck buddy so they both continue to get something out of it. Mercury gets the attention which she craves and Pierce gets the sex." Juniper sighed out of frustration. She was right though, they both benefited off each other from all the toxicity.

 "Let's just get back to class. We'll figure out the courtyard thing at lunch."

~ ~ ~ ~ 

Lunch felt like it took forever to come and I had so much on my mind. Between what happened with Mr. Gunner, Pierce and Mercury, and now the text; I could barely focus during calculus. The bell rang for the lunch period to begin and I quickly shoved all my books away and grabbed my backpack, hurrying to get to lunch.

"Aspen! Wait up!" Tucker yelled, I stopped momentarily as he jogged up to me "Why so speedy today? You seem really off are you ok?" 

"Yeah I'm fine. Just a lot on my mind, that's all." I admitted, I had been feeling so scattered brained and couldn't help but panic about the photo being leaked once again. "Well hey I actually wanted to ask you something." Tucker began but soon was interrupted when Triston yelled my name from down the corridor. 

I put up my index finger to signal I'd be there in one minute. "Hey I'm so sorry Tucker, but I got to go. I'll see you in lunch ok?" I apologized before taking off and heading with Triston to lunch. Juniper had filled Triston in about the number but both of them insisted I don't panic till I know anything for sure.