COURTNEY's POV
Deathly silence filled the room on the mention of a girl's name.
Olivia.
Funny with just her name, it made us all shut up.
So, there was someone in his life that he has loved before. But, how could she break someone like Chad—someone so thoughtful, genuine, and kind? What made her break his heart, destroy him even?
"Go ahead. You're talking about hell? I've been to hell, Collins! I've experienced it, and I know what it's like."
A rush of memory from our old argument made me feel uneasy, my heart clenching, and stomach flipping at the thoughts of all the worse possible things he had experienced.
His hell.
I was pulled out of my train of thoughts when Fiona pointed out my wet clothings and hair. That was the time that I realized I haven't changed yet, my clothes still wet from the rain. I must have been pretty invested in Jackson's sudden visit, my friends as well, to even remember that I have to change.
"I got caught in the rain." I simply stated the obvious.
"Where have you been?"
"What happened?"
"Did you walk here?"
Questions were flying everywhere that I lost track of who was asking what. Honestly, that should be the last thing they should be asking. Don't get me wrong, I wanted to share what happened to me and Chad awhile ago with my friends, excited even.
But, the tides have changed.
I want to know her.
"I fell asleep at the backyard, and I didn't realize it was raining. No more questions. I have to change now. But once I get back..." I shifted my attention to Jackson, and eyed him sternly. "I want to know what Olivia did to Chad."
Jackson responded with a nod which surprised me. I thought he would protest, but I guess he was willing to share this story so it won't happen to Chad again. Maybe he was even thinking that through this, it would make me stop whatever game he thought I was playing.
Whatever this is, one thing's for sure. I won't let it affect us.
* * * * *
I quickly changed into my dry clothes and blew dry my hair—eager to hear the story behind Olivia.
To be honest, I was a bit hesitant to hear the story, especially when Jackson hinted that Olivia destroyed Chad. I wasn't quite sure how I would react. I couldn't promise that I wouldn't do anything about it.
If it's cruel and downright brutal, I wouldn't hesitate to make her pay. I'd make sure she would regret the day she broke him.
By the time I got back, the girls and Jackson were digging in to the finger foods that John had provided. They were still bickering about something, but mostly it was Lucy and Jackson who were exchanging banters.
"So, who is Olivia?" I interrupted, determined to get to the bottom of this.
Am I really ready to hear Chad's hell?
I sat in-front of Jackson, and like me, the girls shifted their attention to him, all ears to hear his story.
Jackson cleared his throat and started, "Olivia is one of our best friends—me, Chad, and Olivia. Us, the trios, always."
"Best friends?" I couldn't help but ask, clearly surprised.
"Olivia is not just Chad's girlfriend—"
"Ex-girlfriend." Terry corrected. We all hissed at her for interrupting the story, she just responded by rolling her eyes and saying, "Just stating the obvious. Duh!"
I shook my head and urged Jackson to continue. He shrugged, but carried on with this story-telling.
"Olivia, the ex-girlfriend, and the childhood best friend as well."
I know we're just at the beginning of the story, but it was a lot to take in already. I thought that Olivia was just someone who broke his heart. I didn't expect her to be his girlfriend, and someone as big as a best friend.
I just can't grasp the idea behind the betrayal to your boyfriend and best friend, too. What was the price?
"Freshman year, we all have a goal in mind. Chad and I wanted to join the swim team, and Olivia was eyeing the cheerleading squad."
"Chad made it, of course. He was a good swimmer with impressive lap times, too. He got the attention of the coach—who was at that time hungry to enter the nationals, the highlight of his career."
He was a good swimmer? I didn't know that. Actually, there were a lot of things I didn't know about him anyway. But these things were way beyond what I had imagined. No wonder he has such strong arms, and great physique.
I refocused my attention back to Jackson's story, and tried my very best to stop imagining Chad in a uniform that the swim team wear.
"I did make it, but only in team B—reserved. Unfortunately, Olivia didn't make the cut. The cheer captain said she was not fit for it. Meaning, she was too plain for them. Black Tigers holds a reputation. They don't just go for talent, they're very particular with the looks and your... social status." Jackson was looking at me intently when he said the last two words with emphasis, as if I was the one who invented those rules.
I let it slide, there's no use in arguing now. I remained silent and let him continue.
"This affected Olivia a lot. She was desperate to be a cheerleader like her mom. She was so good, talented even! She'd been practicing all her life, and been dreaming of this since she was a child. We were so certain she would make it. But imagine, not getting in because she's not pretty and popular enough for their standards. It was an insult."
I admit, before Chad, I was so obsessed with popularity. Even afraid of tainting my social status. Suppressing the things that I wanted to do just for fame. My friends like the spotlight too, but it was such a relief that they don't judge. Jenny and Fiona, our cheer captains, when it comes to cheerleading tryouts—they go for talent.
"Olivia stopped hanging out with us because she felt like a failure. But Chad, knowing him, he did everything to console her. He spent most of his time with her that he missed some of his practices. He always put her first."
"Eventually, Chad managed to persuade Olivia to hangout with us again. She tried. She tried to be supportive and happy for us, but obviously she was devastated. I remember the time when I jokingly said that the cheerleading squad was not worth it. They're a bunch of bitches and she wouldn't fit there anyway."
"Oh my god! How could you!"
"You did that?"
"That's so insensitive of you, idiot!"
The girls protested all at the same time. Lucy was even hitting Jackson with pillow out of anger.
"What? I said that jokingly! Besides, they were all bunch of bitches anyway."
"That's not the point. You rubbed it in her face that she wouldn't fit in. And that's a big slap on her face. Imagine, coming from your so-called best friend that you don't belong to the team that you're dreaming about? You're lucky I wasn't there. I would have chopped your head off!" Terry sneered at him.
"I didn't know that!" Jackson said defensively. "Well, maybe that's why she was so angry at that time."
"Of course she would. You were insensitive of her feelings." I couldn't believe I just defended Chad's ex-girlfriend.
"You're all coming at me for that? Wait till you hear the rest of the story and tell me if she deserves to be protected." His heated response made us all stop. We all fell silent again and curiously waited for him to continue.
"Anyway, Chad started becoming popular and well known for his skills. He was even named as the rookie of the year, and the captain was even considering to pass the captainship to him next year—a sophomore for a captain. Can you believe that?"
I couldn't help but feel proud of Chad at this point. He must be really talented. I wanted to ask him about this new information I found out about him, something new that we could talk about.
"But Chad didn't like it because it was just drawing Olivia away even further. Along with this popularity, was a problem for the co-captain of the team—who was vying for the spot of the swim captain next year."
"Ted was becoming jealous of Chad's success and the attention he was getting. It has affected him a lot and his relationship with his girlfriend, too—the cheer captain. Consumed by revenge, she promised him she would make Chad, the newcomer, pay for all this."
"The cheer captain was so cunning, and smart even. She knew how to get Chad. I guess people get smarter when they really need something, huh. They would go above and beyond just to get what they wanted."
Again, Jackson's words were implying, and he didn't have to look at me for me to know who he was referring to.
"They used Olivia to destroy Chad." I filled in with conviction as if I knew the whole story.
"Yes, and she agreed without any hesitations. For the promise of popularity and spot on the cheerleading team." My heart dropped at what Jackson said. My face went pale, and my ability to talk left me.
I wasn't so sure how I would react. How could she?
"I was the first one who noticed it—that she might be using him. I wasn't sure what exactly happened, but I told Chad about my suspicions right away. He didn't listen, of course. He just told me to trust his judgment, and to trust Olivia because she was our best friend. I didn't insist on it. I was an idiot. I believed him, I believed Olivia even though all the signs were telling otherwise. I should have prevented all of it. But I trusted our friendship."
"I think, at some point, Chad knew. He already knew what Olivia was trying to do. But he still let her use him. Because he loved her, and he wanted to help her achieve her dreams despite the fact that it might destroy him in the process."
"What happened?" Lucy asked.
"Olivia did something so Chad would miss the qualifying rounds. It was important, and everyone was relaying on him so our team could advance. But he didn't show up. The club lost, and they all blamed him for that."
Jackson's face fell, he was now consumed with guilt.
"It was cruel, it was bad. She destroyed him, and he lets her. And I just watched all of it. Chad thought that once she got what she thought she wanted, she would wake up from that and realize that she didn't want it—that it wasn't worth it at all. He was hopeful that after having a taste of fame, she would go back to her old self, the sweet lovely Olivia that we loved and adored."
"But popularity and being part of the queen bee squad consumed her, blinded her. Olivia sacrificed Chad just to get that spot. She loved every bits of it—the attention, being a cheerleader, and all the makeovers. We lost her and Chad lost everything. The swim team, his relationship with her, and was even banned for competing again."
My heart was about to burst in pain, I couldn't imagine what kind of bargain did Olivia make for Chad to give up his dreams for her. Just for the sake of popularity.
"Chad will put his loved-one first before his own. That's how idiotic he is. I curse myself everyday for watching him do this to himself. That's why I won't let him do that to himself again, especially for you." Jackson looked up and locked eyes with mine as he eyed me sternly. "I think Chad likes you a lot, probably more than that. I'm just afraid that... he will let himself be destroyed just so you could get what you want."
I wanted to tell him that there's no way I would hurt Chad like that. I was even willing to give up this queen bee spot or prom queen, popularity shit just to be with him. I wanted to let him know that none of this matter anymore. That I would choose Chad any time of the day.
"I liked you before, Courtney. Because I thought you were different. I haven't seen you bullied anyone or make fun of them purposely. But after I learned about the deal you made with Chad, the threats you threw at him, how you teamed-up with the football team and bullied him for the whole week, I realized that you're just like them. Olivia, Claire, Ted, you will do everything to keep your pedestal. You will do everything to remain to reign."
He leaned closer, eyes pleading. "So please, Courtney. Spare him. He's been through a lot, and he doesn't deserve this."
—END OF CHAPTER 38—
A/N: You can access the advance chapters on my Patreon Page: notjustarandomgirl.
Thank you soooooo much for supporting me and the start of my writing career.
Also, check out my new story LOSE YOU TO LOVE ME (Mafia Romance), yes this is my first attempt to adult genre! Hope you'll like it too! >.<