"If Charlotte isn't here before my birthday, then I am not celebrating it!" Liam yelled at Max who was trying to cheer him up by talking about their birthday.
It's been 3 days since they took Charlotte and Liam has been ignoring me since. Celine acts to be sad but when she's alone with me, she proudly tells me about how her plan worked so amazingly.
Just like she's smirking at me right now.
"I got rid of her, I'll get rid of you too. Be prepared, Jen." She winked at me and left the kitchen. "Get lost." I sneered at her.
"That's so rude, Liam!" Max yelled at Liam as he pushed the plate of food away from him.
Yes, he even refuses to eat my food.
"I am not hungry." He mumbled and left for school before us.
I somehow controlled my tears. Liam was always so sweet and kind to me but now he hates me.
"He'll understand, don't worry." Max assured me.
***
Liam even refuses to sit with me in biology class. He avoids me as much as he can and it breaks my heart at how he is treating me.
The ringing of the bell made everyone sprint out of the class. I quickly got up and chased after Liam. I need to talk to him.
"Liam!" I yelled after him but he ignored me. "Liam! Just listen to me once!" He didn't. He disappeared from my sight and I sighed in disappointed.
"Looks like someone had a fight." I heard someone say from behind me. That voice sounded familiar.
I turned around and came face to face with Dylan.
But he wasn't alone. There were two more guys with him and they were all glaring at me.
Ugh.. I don't have time for this shit.
"It's none of your business." I glared back at them.
All three of them started taking threatening steps towards me, making me walk backwards until my back met the locker. "I see you have no one to save you from me today.... Where's your body guard- that Zack?"
"He's not my bodyguard. He's my friend." I coldly said to him.
"Just a friend?" He said, eyeing me up and down, making me feel so disgusted.
Then, he wrapped his fingers around my throat and glared at me. "How dare he lift his hand on me? Now see how I take my revenge." He nodded to his friends and one of them came forward to lock my hands in a tight grip while the other took out his phone to record all of this.
However, before they could start doing whatever they wanted to, someone pulled Dylan away from me and roughly shoved him aside.
"Leave her alone." He said in a threatening voice.
Liam. He came back.
"Liam!" I cried out in relief and he looked at me.
He shifted his gaze to Dylan's friend who was still holding my hands before he swung his fist in the air and punched him right at his face.
The guy held his nose and backed away as far as he could. Liam turned to look at Dylan as he pushed him to the ground and started thrashing him with brutal punches.
"She's my best friend's sister...That means... She's my sister as well. And you.... Tried to harm my sister.... So now.. You'll pay." he said in between his punches.
He considered me as his sister.
Yet he wasn't talking to you.
Dylan's face was starting to swell up with bruises as his nose started to bleed. His friends just watched him being beaten up, not even trying to help him for once.
While Liam, he looked ready to murder..
Probably taking out his frustration about Charlotte.
Right.
"Liam, please stop." I said quietly considering he's still mad at me.
To my utter shock, he did. He stopped and got up.
He grabbed my arm and started dragging me away from those morons.
When we were out of their sight, I turned to Liam. "Thank you." I said but he ignored it and dropped my arm and started walking away from me.
"Liam! Please, just listen to me once!" I said and ran after him but he started walking faster.
"Liam just think, why would I call the police to tell them about Charlotte?!" He still didn't stop so I continued.
"Yes, we had an argument but what friends don't? I am sure you and Max also argue a lot. I didn't call the police Liam, I swear!"
He kept ignoring me as I tugged on his arm like a little girl.
"You called me your sister, won't you listen to me once? Please, Liam. Just talk to me." I said as a tear rolled down from my eye.
He stopped in his tracks to stare at me. His face softened as he saw the tears in my eyes.
Liam's POV:
"You called me your sister, won't you listen to me once? Please, Liam. Just talk to me." Jennifer said in a shaky voice. I stopped walking and turned to look at her.
She was crying and there was a genuine look in her crystal blue eyes. I have been ignoring her since they took Char away. But Jennifer doesn't seem like she can do something like that and the way she had attacked Celine-
Heck, she had even cursed!
"I am listening." I said and her face lit up. She was still tugging on my arm as she spoke.
"Celine used my phone and name to call the police and tell them about Charlotte. She had confessed about this to me herself when you guys weren't around. Before this incident, that night when she had broken Char's bracelet, she had told me that she did that on purpose when I was alone in the kitchen with her. And also, she had threatened me that she would get rid of me and Charlotte so that all of you boys are hers.
"This morning she threatened me that she would get rid of me too.
"If you don't believe me, ask Max. He knows about this."
What?! Celine did all that? But why?
"But why would Celine do that?" I asked in agitation.
"Because she doesn't want to 'share you guys with us.' " Jennifer replied, making air quotations with her hands.
"So.. It's Celine who had called the police?" I asked still not being able to believe this.
"Yes! Using my phone and name!"
"Oh, Jennifer. I am so sorry for treating you like this but I hope you under-"
"It's Okay, Liam. You are talking to me again, that's enough." She said and smiled at me.
How big of a fool I was to believe that Jennifer would betray us. She was too sweet and innocent to even think of something like this.
I returned her smile with my own and hugged her. She immediately hugged me back.
"We will get her back." Jennifer assured me and I hummed in response.
But Celine would have to pay for this.
Jennifer's POV:
I felt relieved as he hugged me.
I thought he wouldn't believe me but he did. I assured him that we'll get Charlotte back and he hummed in response. After that, he swung his arm around my shoulder and we started walking towards our lockers.
When we reached there, the scene that we both saw in front of us, made us give a look at each other before turning to look at the scene again.
Ashley was standing in front of Max, showing off her cleavage as she was flirting with him.
While Max, he looked like he just wanted to evaporate.
This girl was making my brother uncomfortable.
Let's teach her a lesson.
"Get away from my brother!" I yelled at her as I pulled her away from Max by pulling her hair.
She cried out in pain as she tried to free herself from my grip.
I let go of her as I glared daggers at her. "B-brother?" she asked in shock.
I nodded. "Max is my brother." I deadpanned.
"But you never had a brother-"
"I didn't. But now I do. And not one but two." I said as I looked at Liam who smiled at me.
"But-"
"What did she say to you, Max?" I turned to look at Max who was dramatically wiping off fake sweat from his forehead.
This boy-
"Was asking me out on a date. I denied but she kept insisting." Max replied.
I glared at Ashley again. "Don't you know the meaning of 'no'?!"
Ashley looked ashamed. "So now that you got a few guys and a new friend, you hate me this much huh? Remember the times when you were all alone and I was your only friend." She glared back at me.
"Friend? Don't you dare compare yourself with the boys and Charlotte. You never treated me like a friend. All you ever did was making me doubt myself. You made me feel insecure. You were never there for me when I needed you. You are selfish, Ash. Always were!" I grabbed Max and Liam and took them away from that girl.
***
I was casually sitting in between Zack and Max while scrolling through instagram as they were watching some boring action movie. Damien and Liam were also talking about something among themselves.
Very normal.
But of course... My life can't bear to see me living so normally.
So it had to give me another drama.
Celine walked in the living room holding something in her hand that I couldn't notice. The look on her face was a mixture of guilt and terror.
"Guys. I need to tell you something." she nervously said.
"What is it C?" Damien asked with concern.
"I-I... I am.. I am." She stuttered.
"Just spit it out, Celine." Zack said, switching off the TV much to Max's annoyance.
Lol.
"I am pregnant!" she yelled.
She is WHAT?
"WHAT?" All four of the boys yelled at the same time.
"Yes... See." she handed a pregnancy test to Damien.
Holy mother of fishes what in the world?!
Damien stared at the test in shock. He composed himself after a few seconds of utter shock and got up from the couch before he engulfed Celine in a warm hug.
It crushed my heart.
She's pregnant with Damien's child and he is... Happy.
My heart felt as if it had been shattered yet again. My eyes started to well up as I choked back a sob.
"That's wonderful, Celine!" Damien exclaimed with a big grin. Celine smiled but there was something fishy.
She looked worried.
Why?
Zack was sitting very quietly. No emotions shown on his face.
Maybe I know why.
Liam and Max congratulated Celine and Damien before the both of them went inside their room to talk.
And I?
I felt a tear roll down my cheek but I quickly wiped it off.
I liked him so much. I knew that I couldn't have him. He loves Celine with all his heart and soul. He is ready to go against everyone for her. Yet I was a fool to fall for him.
I didn't want to but I couldn't help. I had never in my life felt this way about anyone. His smile, his voice, his eyes.. Those emerald like shining eyes. The way he chuckles and laughs, his aura, everything. I like everything about him.
I sat quietly on that couch, feeling so heartbroken, refusing to look up.
I knew he loved someone else, he's happy to be with her. He's happy to have a child with her and here I am.. Feeling heartbroken as if he'd somehow cheated on me.
I am so pathetic. It's all my fault. My fault that I loved him.
I mean, look at Celine. That girl screams perfection and I? I am the definition of imperfection.
No wonder guys had never paid any attention to me ever in my life. With this chubby body and a dumb brain, how can I even hope that someone as perfect as Damien would ever love someone like me.
I quietly got up from the couch and went outside to have a walk around the forest. I did not dare to look up at anyone. I wish Charlotte was here with me right now. I need to talk to someone-
"Jennifer?" Someone called out my name from behind.
I slowly turned around to stare right into a pair of beautiful light brown eyes.
Zack came towards me and I don't why but I just broke down in front of him. The suppressed emotions and tears all surfaced at once, wanting to just get out from my body.
Zack was quick in embracing me in his protective arms as he held me against himself.
"Hey.. It's alright. Calm down my kitty cat." he whispered in my ear as he gently caressed my back.
I had a death grip around him as I kept sobbing and sniffling on his chest. "I liked him, Zack. I liked him so much." I admitted. "I had never felt like that for anyone before. I just-" I was cut off by my own sob.
"It's okay, Jennifer. I understand you. You and I, we did the same mistake of loving someone we can never be with." he said as he tighetend his grip around me.
"Jennifer, please stop crying." Zack pleaded to me. He sounded so sad.
I slowly pulled away from him as I tried to control my sobs and focused on breathing.
"You are crying too." I told him as I observed the tears in his eyes.
"Me? Crying? Pfft. Zack doesn't cry. Zack makes other people cry." he cockily said and I burst out laughing. Despite the pain in my chest, I was laughing.
How weird.
Everything about me and my life is weird.
Zack grinned upon seeing me laugh. He cupped my cheeks and kissed my forehead gently. His lips were so soft and I found myself grinning at him too as he gently caressed my cheek. He moved his hand towards my face as he put the few escaped strands of my hair behind my ear.
"You know, you looked like a blob fish." Zack snorted. My grin dropped as I glared at him.
"Says the great Zack who claims to make others cry but was just crying a few seconds ago." I snapped back and smirked as his smirk faltered.
"I wasn't crying.. I was just.. Emotional." he said and I rolled my eyes.
He swung his arm around my shoulder and pulled me close to himself as we started our walk around the forest.
"The weather's starting to get cold. Winters are approaching." I mumbled as we were hit by a cold gush of wind.
"Cold? The definition of hotness is literally walking beside you and you're feeling cold?" Zack raised an eyebrow at me and I nudged him in the stomach.
The both of us chuckled. It's so weird that just a few minutes ago I was crying and feeling heartbroken as if my world was ending.
Maybe liking someone and loving someone weren't exactly the same thing.