- BELLA
The morning bell signalled the start of the first period as my friends and I clutched our timetables, just collected from the front office. My overprotective brother had been shadowing me since we first entered the school, citing his mission to shield me from the "hormonal teenage boys" he believed were lurking everywhere.
"Fuck me dead, who convinced me to torture myself with biology? I hate science, and you all know how much science makes me fucking sick!" Alice's exasperated groan filled the hallway.
"I agree. Sometimes I wonder how you even made it to be a senior," Zion's remark prompted Alice to come to a halt in the middle of the haul, her eyes narrowing at his smug face.
"I didn't ask for your input, dickhead," she muttered the curse word under her breath before stomping away from us in a huff.
"Not my fault she's sensitive," Zion remarked before casually draping his arm around me.
"She might be fiery, but she's got a mouth on her. I wonder what other talents she's hiding besides arguing," Rome teased as he wrapped his arm around Alani's waist.
A low grumble emanated from my brother, and it was soon drowned out by Rome's laughter. "Relax, mate. She's all yours," Rome quipped.
"That's enough of the trash talk about my girl, especially right in front of us. And get your hands off me, Rome." I shot a stern look at Alani, who was attempting to push Rome away, but his grip seemed unyielding.
"You know you love me," Rome said playfully.
"But do you love me? I thought you weren't capable of loving someone," Alani retorted, her eyes locked with his in defiance.
"Don't annoy me. I'm going for a smoke. Z?"
"No dipshit, it's the first day we have to focus, and yes those words just came out of my mouth and I cringed the moment they came out." My brother shivers.
"Schools not that bad. It's fun." I mutter.
"Alright Harry Potter because you're always fucking at your desk reading books and I don't know what. Of course, you like fucking books." Rome retorts making my face red with embarrassment.
"Bella go to class you're going to be late." My brother says firmly.
"I'm going to class," I say with a little hint of annoyance. I shrug his hand away and look over to Lani who's already looking at me with an understanding look.
"My precious girl you look so cute today, lets go these little boys probably have STDs." Lani smiled brightly which caused me to crack a small smile on my face.
As we were about to walk away Rome clutched onto Lani's wrist and pulled her towards him, "Woah there sweetheart, I'm a man, not a little boy. This is me being nice."
Alani pulled her arm away and glared at him before dragging me to class.
___
"Oh god my brain hurts, I don't wanna hear one more thing about fucking biology," Alice whines before stuffing her face with cheesecake
"I relate to you, Pre Calc is fucking me in the butt right now. I'm sick of school and it's only the first fucking day." Lani groans.
"Guys school wasn't that bad!" I try to encourage them but they shoot me glares and I let out a nervous laugh.
"Wait oh my god I forgot to tell you guys, there's a new hot guy in our school and when I tell you he's drop-dead gorgeous!" She squeals going on about the new guy.
"Do you remember his name?" Alani asks with interest, and Alice nods. "Grayson Hall, he moved here from Washington but he didn't say much he's pulling off the mysterious guy act." She explained to us making us more intrigued by the new guy.
"Why don't we invite him to hang out with us?" I ask
"Good idea B, where would he be right now though?" Alani questions and just as she does the cafeteria doors open and reveal my brother and Rome walk in with 2 girls glued to their arms.
"Satan and The Reaper just walked in with their little demons." Alice joked and rolled her eyes, "Oh and there he is, Grayson." She points behind me and he's standing in the cafeteria line getting his food, Lucky for him our school actually provides us with good food. like literally the food hits so good.
"Grayson! Over here!" Alice calls out his name and he turns around to see her waving her arms and smiling at him.
He nods at us and thanks the cafeteria lady before taking his tray and coming over to us.
He is attractive I can't lie.
Grayson reminds me of Rome but then again Romes's beauty is off the scales, I can't deny the truth as much as I dislike him.
Grayson strides over to us, he looks about 6 feet something with dark pushed-back hair with a small piece hanging down his forehead, his narrow honey-brown eyes focused on us, his tan skin looked so smooth I'm jealous at how clear his face looks the closer he got.
"Hello." He greeted us before sitting down next to me and setting his tray down, I inhaled his scent and almost fainted because of his nice he smelt.
"Grayson these are my friends, Alani Larosa and Bella Vincent. She gestured towards me and Lani. He smiled at Alani who was in front of him and turned towards me staring at me, I could feel the goosebumps crawling all around my skin.
"Nice to meet you, all of you." He looked back at the girls.
"So, how was your day so far? Did Cece talk your ear off yet because she tends to talk a lot." Alani jokes and he chuckles softly.
"Nah she's chill." He said before eating fruit from his fruit cup.
We got into a conversation for the whole of lunch and unfortunately, my friends had class and I had a free period.
The bell rang for 6th period, "We'll see you after school babe."
Alani says and we all group hug.
"Meanwhile you and Grayson can hang out together since he had a free period too." Cece whispers to me and smirks, "I don't like you." I roll my eyes and laugh.
"Bye, my love!" They wave at me as they walk off leaving me and Grayson alone in the cafeteria.
There are some students still here so it won't be as awkward.
I clear the table before setting my books down to get down work done, I already have a bunch of homework to do so might as well start now.
"You really must enjoy school if you're doing homework in your free period. Most people sleep." He breaks the silence and keeps his gaze set on me.
"I like to use my time wisely, you know. Once it's out of the way I have more time for myself later on and I don't have to stay up all night because that's just a drag." I explain and he laughs.
"I agree with you but then again who cares if some homework is unfinished." He smirks at me leaning in to see what I'm doing. I feel his hot breath hit my cheek. I almost turn around but I can feel how close he is.
Suddenly he grabs my books away from me and puts them on the far end of the table, "Hey-" Before I can protest he takes the pen away from me too.
"Come on tell me about yourself." He smiles and I give him a look and he just keeps looking at me waiting for me to talk.
"I'll make a deal with you, I'll do my homework and talk to you and I will show interest," I say and he takes a second but he gives in and gives my stuff back.
"Thank you." I smile widely.
As I start to do my work I start up the conversation, "Well you already know I enjoy school, I like reading also."
"Oh yeah? What are you into." He asks me, "Romance mostly but I tend to branch out to other types like non-fiction books and original books like books written by Jane Austen, Emily Brontë and those types of authors. I'm into poems and Shakespeare also, all that fun stuff." I start to ramble on.
"So you're really into English literature, you wanna become a writer? Or is it just a hobby that you're interested in?" From what I know so far he doesn't find me boring, I think?
"I mean I do love Literature but I don't aspire to go ahead with it in the future, I wanna become a psychologist. I hope." I look at him and he begins to talk.
"Becoming a psychologist isn't easy but judging from the hour I just spent with you, you seem like the type to smash every test and exam that comes your way. So you've got a 100% chance of becoming one, No doubt." He smiles at me and I show a toothy grin.
"That's sweet thank you!" I like it when people say I have the capability of achieving my dreams.
"So what made you wanna become one?" He asks, "I guess people have always said I'm a good listener and I have good advice, I always liked helping people who were emotionally distressed and were going through rough patches in life. I have always been interested in the study of a human's behaviour and mindset. I don't wanna chew your ear off so just stop me if I talk too much-" I take a breath because I just spoke so fast.
"Sorry, I tend to talk a lot when I'm talking about things I'm passionate about sorry." I laugh nervously.
"No, it's okay I like hearing you talk." I feel the heat creeping up my neck. I cannot take compliments. I don't even know if that's counted as a compliment!
We got more comfortable with each other as we spoke and I learnt a lot about him but he still seemed mysterious to me.
"Who the fuck are you?" I know that voice.
I look up to find Zion and Rome glaring at us, "Zion don't be rude." I manage to get out, Romes's glare is making me shift in my seat.
"Who the fuck is he?!" Zion gripped the edge of the table, "I suggest you watch the way you talk, have some respect for a woman." Grayson bites back at Zion. I don't think he realises he's my brother.
Rome crosses his arms and I see his jaw flex, Why is he getting mad?
Weird dude
"Zion this is my friend, Grayson so relax he isn't trying to murder me, stop being over-dramatic." I try to calm him down but just gets more mad.
"I don't like the idea of some random fucker all over my little sister." I watched as the realisation hit Grayson as my brother said 'Little sister'
"Sister?" He raises a brow, "I wasn't trying to do anything man, I was just hanging out with her nothing more so I suggest you chill." Grayson handled the situation maturely. Unlike some people.
"I don't give a shit, either fuck off or I'll have to make you fuck off myself." None of them move, Grayson's eyes move from Zion to Rome and somehow he seems more intimidated by Rome.
"I'll see you later." He said before getting up and leaving immediately.
Great now I just lost a friend, I don't even know if we were friends to begin with!
I try and stop myself from frowning but it just breaks in and my brows furrow, "Do you always have to ruin everything, he was being friendly. Can a guy not talk to me now?" I say in a low voice not wanting to look up.
I hear them sit down in front of me, "You never know a person's true intention Bella and the intentions of guys in this school are all the fucking same. They want to use you and then throw you on the side like a piece of shit. You're too good for these boys who don't know the true meaning of becoming men." He lectures me as if he isn't one of those boys, he's being hypocritical.
I try and blink away my tears but they manage to escape but I'm quick to wipe them away.
"Zion is nobody ever going to be good enough for you, how many friends have I lost because of your stupid protective brother act." I look up at them and they look more calm now but the vein in my brother's forehead seems to be bulging out still.
Rome still had his arms crossed and jaw clenched, "Bells what I'm doing is for a good cause, take a look at Alani and Alice, those 2 are fucking with your mindset, if anything they're toxic for you and aren't worthy of your time. I'm older and wiser than you Bella and I would go to any length to protect you even if that means you need to make sacrifices. I want you to reach your dreams and achieve your goals and I want nobody to stop you from that and when I mean nobody, I mean now a single fucking so-called 'friend'." My brother's fists curl up and I just feel even more upset.
After a minute or two of silence, I decided to speak up.
"You know I thought we were getting somewhere, no more fights or arguments, but clearly I thought wrong because I'm always wrong. Aren't I?" His face falls and guilt is written all over him. Rome stands his ground and doesn't show any emotion.
"Maybe you should be appreciative about having an older brother who cares for you, you're starting to sound ungrateful." Rome chimes in.
I look at him ready to scream at him but I contain my anger, "You have no right-" Zion cut me off.
"No Bella he does have a right, no boys and no friends. You are going to focus on your work and not get distracted anymore. Am I clear?" My own brother is turned against me, speaking to me like he's my dad.
"I thought you trusted me, please don't talk to me right now I need my space." Before she could speak again I grabbed my stuff and rushed out leaving my brother and Rome in silence.
First day back and I already want to stay home forever locked in my room.
____
Hey baby, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter.
I am finally getting back my motive and and excited for the chapters coming ahead in the future!
Don't forget to vote and comment your ideas💋
- c.