Evan's (P.O.V.):
Faith pulled her hand away from my grip, turning around.
"After everything you've done, I won't even be shocked if you raise your hand on me." She said. "It's not like it's the first time you would do that."
I rolled my eyes, feeling highly annoyed.
"Hey everybody, I think Ev wants to slap Faith!" Wilhem exclaimed.
I looked at him angrily.
"I mean, not that...Not that...Not that it's any of my business..." He said nervously, looking away.
I sighed, looking back at Faith.
"I will get revenge for these two slaps when I break your confidence," I said. "And that day won't be far away."
She scoffed, walking away.
Wilhem and the rest of the school continued to wait for more drama.
I looked at Wilhem, putting my hands in my pocket.
He looked at me confusedly.
I raised my eyebrows in annoyance.
"Oh...Oh, okay..." He said in realization. "Everybody, there's no drama going on! So get on with your lives and mind your own businesses!"
Everybody groaned in disappointment, filling the hallway with commotion.
Wilhem nervously walked up to me.
"Ev...I got...I got everybody to mind their own b-"
"Now, why don't you do that?" I interrupted.
"Do what?"
"Mind your own business."
"Oh...Um...Yeah, of course, I was just about to l-"
"Then get lost."
He raised his eyebrows.
I sighed, shaking my head.
"Yeah, I understand you're acting this way because of Faith." He said. "I know you will be back to the fun-loving Ev pretty s-"
"Just leave!" Jake, Michael, DJ, Liam, and Josh exclaimed simultaneously, getting the remaining people in the hallway's attention.
He looked around, feeling embarrassed.
"Alright then!" He exclaimed, walking backward. "I got you guys! Yeah, we'll hang out later, for sure! I'll meet you guys later!"
I sighed heavily, exchanging looks with Jake.
Jake shook his head, crossing his arms over his chest.
Wilhem left the hallway immediately.
"Evan, what was all that about?" Jake asked.
"What!?" I asked in confusion.
"That challenge that Faith just threw at you."
"Yeah, what's going on?" DJ asked.
I sighed, turning away.
**** Flashback ****
'The hate that I saw on his face was the same hate that he felt for me a couple of months ago.'
'He actually hates me...And he...He means it when he says this was all a game for him.'
'Keisha emptied my dad's bank account.'
'There is no way to pay the bills and other expenses.'
'My dad and grandma are really mad at me.'
'They're not talking to me or looking at me.'
'I feel so helpless and alone.'
'It feels like I don't have anybody by my side.'
'I don't know how to tackle the situation...I don't know how to fix this...'
'I feel so helpless and alone...It feels like I don't have anybody by my side...I feel so alone...'
'I...I...I got fired yesterday...'
'How can I fix it without Evan?'
'How can I possibly do anything without him? He would have known what to do if he were with me.'
'I'm lost without him. I can't do anything without him.'
'I don't know if I'll ever be able to do anything without him.'
'I don't want to dance, and I'm not going to!'
'What's the use of dancing now when the person who has brought dance back into my life has turned out to be something else!?'
'I don't want to do anything that will remind me of Evan's betrayal!'
'This competition can solve all your problems.'
'It can help you and your family.'
'I'm not going to take part in the dance competition.'
'Evan wanted me to do that! He's the one who has brought dance back into my life, and now, whenever I dance, I will always remember Evan's betrayal along with my mama's death!'
'Evan has ruined my life! He has succeeded in his mission! He has ruined everything for me!'
'Now, I...I...I can never dance again!'
'From now on, I will not dance! Something that brings me so much pain shouldn't be part of my life anymore!'
****
"Earth to Evan!" Jake exclaimed, pulling me out of my thoughts.
I nodded my head, putting my hands in my pocket.
"What was that about?" Jake asked. "The challenge between Davis and you?"
"You have to win, though," DJ said.
"Yeah," Michael agreed. "Just tell us what you want us to do to ruin her chances of winning the competition."
"We will ensure she doesn't win," Josh said. "Starting from today, we will ruin any ch-"
"I don't need anybody's help in ruining anything." I interrupted.
All of them looked at one another in confusion.
"Evan, you said you wanted to ruin Davis so she can hate you," Jake said. "Destroying her mom's dream would be the best way to ruin her and to make her hate you."
"That's true," Liam said. "Just like you said, her career crashing will destroy her. If you don't do anything, then that means she will win, and it will look like you like her or so-"
"I do not like Faith Davis!" I exclaimed angrily. "I feel only one emotion for her, and that's hate! I hate her, and I will continue to hate her! As far as destroying her is concerned, leave that to me! She's my enemy, and I will handle it!"
They all sighed, looking around at each other.
I rolled my eyes, angrily walking out of the hallway.
~*~
"FRANCES!" I yelled as soon as I walked into the house.
He came running out of the kitchen.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU GETTING PAID FOR!?" I yelled. "YOU SHOULD BE HERE TO SERVE ME EVEN BEFORE I SAY YOUR NAME!"
"Yes...Yes, Mr. Owens..." He said.
"DON'T LOOK ME IN THE EYES!" I yelled. "YOU F***ING WORK FOR ME! LOWER YOUR EYES WHEN YOU'RE IN FRONT OF ME!"
He nodded his head, looking down.
"FIX ME A DRINK!" I yelled, startling him.
"At this t'"
"JUST FIX THE DRINK! DON'T QUESTION ME! YOU WORK FOR ME! IT'S NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND!"
He immediately nodded, rushing to the bar and fixing the drink.
I rolled my eyes, removed my blazer, and threw it on the floor.
Frances fixed the drink, getting ready to leave.
I took the cup, taking a sip.
"Where are you going!?" I asked, stopping him.
He stopped, turning around to face me.
"Remember, you work for me," I said. "And it's my order that you don't leave until I say so!"
He nodded, putting his hands behind his back and standing beside him.
I rolled my eyes, drinking the whole thing.
"Make another!" I exclaimed, setting the cup down.
He immediately did as he was told and made another one.
I continued to drink cup after cup.
****
'I told you to stay away from her, right? I told you not to do anything cheap with her, but you didn't listen!'
'You might consider her your biggest enemy, but to me, she is a savior because she saved my life that night.'
'I told you that I will tolerate anything, but I will not let you disrespect Faith in any way.'
'Because I feel like you are playing these mind games with me and Faith.'
'Why was your arm around Faith?'
'She's just so different. She always looks so amazing that taking my eyes off her gets hard.'
'Faith is beautiful, but I can't entirely agree with him when he says she's too good for me.'
'Everybody is saying things about me. They think I'm nothing because I couldn't get Faith to be my girlfriend today.'
'I need to show them I am man enough to handle Faith and to get a girl like her to date me!'
'I asked you first, and why was your arm around Faith?'
'Faith is my friend while she's your enemy, and you're my best friend while you're her enemy, so why would I not care if I see something unusual happening?'
'First of all, you hated Faith. You couldn't even stand her! All day, you made schemes on her! And suddenly, out of nowhere, you are showing interest! You are acting like you care! You're playing mind games with us!'
'I will talk to her however I want! She's ignoring my calls! My messages! My feelings! This is the second time! Second time a girl is breaking my heart!'
'But, you stay out of it! I'm talking to Faith! I want her to tell me why she didn't reply to my messages! What was she doing!? Who was she texting that she didn't reply to me at all!?'
'WHO THE HELL ARE YOU TO TELL ME TO STAY AWAY FROM HER! HUH! WHO ARE YOU!?'
'I WILL NEVER LEAVE HER! I WILL NEVER LET HER BETRAY ME LIKE THAT!'
'SHE HAS TO STAY F***ING LOYAL TO ME! DO YOU HEAR ME!? I WILL NOT LET HER DISRESPECT ME LIKE THAT! EVERYTHING HAS TO BE ABOUT ME IN HER LIFE! ONLY ME!'
'And why are you so worried about Faith? This is the same Faith Davis you tried to ruin just because she dared to go against Evan Owens.'
'Your ego became so out of control up to the point where you have always insulted and humiliated her in front of everybody.'
'She almost died because of you so many times.'
'You have ruined her life! You really have destroyed her life!'
'Right when I saw her picture in your room, I knew you were planning something against Faith, and now look!'
'All of this is your planning! I know it is! You're still on your mission to make Faith's life hell!'
'You have no reason to help Faith. She's your biggest enemy.'
'You're only doing this so that nobody will suspect that you did this. You just don't want people to know you are responsible for Faith's life being ruined.'
'Unlike you, I'm Faith's friend! A good friend of hers! The good guy in her life! The kind that never puts her life in danger! I'm a good friend! That's why I care!'
'Faith doesn't need you! She doesn't need anybody as long as she's got me! I was here for her, I am, and I will always be here for her!'
'There's this girl I have been thinking about for a while now.'
'Ever since I saw her, all I see is her. She's always on my mind. I think about her all the time.'
'Anyways, I realized I like this girl; she means a lot to me.'
'I have been crushing on her for a long time now. I like the way she talks, the way she dresses, her simplicity, and most importantly, her confidence.'
'Nobody can ever break her. She's never afraid to fight for what's right and go against the wrong people--even if her life is in danger.'
'As time passed, I realized that whatever I felt for this girl was deeper. I have officially fallen in love with this girl and want to be with her.'
Faith Davis, would you do me the honor of becoming my girlfriend?
I am in love with you and want to be with you. Will you be my girlfriend?
****
"HOW DARE HE!?" I yelled, breaking the cup to pieces.
Frances looked up, startled.
"HE DARED...HE DARED TO ASK OUT MY FAITH!...MY...MY FAITH!...AND THAT TO IN FRONT OF ME!" I yelled, picking up a bottle and throwing it on the floor. "HE DARED TO ASK HER OUT IN FRONT OF ME! HOW DARE HE!?"
Frances flinched, stepping away from the glass pieces on the floor.
I groaned, running my hand through my hair.
"He's... He's supposed to be my best friend, damn it!" He said, feeling frustrated. "My best friend! Is he even really my best friend...How can he be my best friend, yet he still doesn't understand me and how I feel? People...People like Jake understand how I feel about Faith, but he doesn't...He doesn't understand...How can he be my best friend when he can't see through me!?.... I've never done anything wrong to him...And, what has he done in return!? He...He betrayed me! He asked out the girl that meant everything to me in front of the school! It was obvious to everybody that something was going on between us! He should have sensed it as well! He didn't, though! Instead, he dared to ask her out!"
I picked up another cup and poured myself another drink.
"You know, I...I was supposed to apologize to her..." I said. "For all the things that I said about her and Ray...All of it...I was supposed to make everything right again...Then, I don't know where Ray came from, and he ruined everything. I had to lie to her because of him! I had to hurt her, and I hate myself for that!"
I finished the drink, pouring another one.
"But then what can I do!?" I continued. "I...I owe him so much...According to him, I've always been hurting him...And he's done a lot for me...He's my best friend...There are so many girls that he can choose...There are so many girls, but...But, yet, who did he choose!?.... He chose the one girl I'm in love with...And now, I'm torn between my best friend and her."
"Mr. Owens...I know I have no right to say anything about your personal life," Frances said. "But, you have never been the type to give up anything for anybody. How can you do this to Ms. Faith? Just imagine what she's going through. She doesn't have to if she doesn't want to be with Mr. Wyatt. She will be with whoever she wants; if that person is you, you must fix things with her. You two cannot be playing with her emotions like that. All of this is unfair to her, and you know it."
I turned my back to him, taking a drink.
****
'Evan, you're sick! You're sick in the head to even think I will ever be with Ray!'
'What do I look like to go from you to Ray!?'
'Wasn't it you who said that no matter what Ray says or does, you will never leave me!? Not for him! Not for anybody! And now, you want to leave me because of what Ray and others said to you!'
'I can't believe you would even think of something like that. How can you even think I want to be with Ray?'
'I don't give a damn if he's a good guy! He can be as good as he wants, but he's not you, Evan! Ray's not you, and I'll never be with him!'
'You have ruined my life! You have always been ruining my life, and you've done it again today!'
'I realized something when I was alone with Brittany today. Through her bullsh*t, she has made me realize that what I feel for you is so deep. I couldn't wait to meet you to tell you.'
'I've never felt that way about you. You took my feelings out of context.'
'I only thought of you as a friend and nothing more than that.'
'I feel that way only for one person. Only he makes me feel special and like I belong here. Only he makes me feel beautiful and different.'
'His anger shows me that he cares for me more than anything. His possessiveness shows me that I only belong to him and nobody else.'
'This helplessness of his has shown me that he's...It has shown me that he's in love with me...He's in love with me, and I have undoubtedly lost my heart to him. Only to him, nobody else.'
'And now, I have realized that I...I have...I have realized that... I...I am...I am in love with him as well.'
'But...I guess it's just not meant to be...I guess I made a mistake in even saying that...Only he has my heart, but I'm not the only one with his...'
'Evan, please don't say that. Please don't. I-I-I-I know you can't do that to me.'
'I...I...I trust you...I trust you more than anybody in this world...I trust you more than myself...And I know that you can never do anything to hurt me...I...I know you can't.'
'I know you're lying...You're saying all this because of Ray, huh!? You're doing it all for him, huh!?...'
'The way you looked at me helplessly when Ray proposed and the look in your eyes after I confessed my feelings for you in front of everybody...All of it shows that everything you're saying is a lie.'
'Evan, I know and have seen your concern for me. I have seen it all in your eyes. I have listened to your heart beating only for me...'
'Nothing else can be any worse than what you have done to me.'
'I...I...I trusted you more than anybody...I've told you my deepest secrets...The darkest facts about my life...I've told you about my mama, her death, dance... Everything...And you...You made a mockery out of my feelings in front...In front of everybody...'
'You've already shattered me completely...Congratulations on your win, Mr. Evan Owens... You've finally managed to defeat me...You won, so congratulations.'
****
"I DIDN'T WIN!" I yelled, breaking the cup in my hand. "I didn't win anything! I lost the best thing in my life!"
Frances slowly put his hand on my shoulder.
"Mr. Owens, it's still not too late to fix things." He said. "I know it's none of my business, and this does not concern me, but I suggest you go to Ms. Faith and fix things with her. She doesn't deserve to be in between all this. She doesn't deserve to be played around with by you and Mr. Wyatt. Please, don't miss this opportunity to fix things."
"You're right," I said in realization, struggling to stand up. "I need to fix things with Faith. She doesn't deserve to be in between all this and played around with. I...I'm going to go and fix things with h-"
"Sir, you can't go now."
"Why not? It's not late, so why can't I go?"
"You're very drunk at this moment. You're not in the right state of mind. It won't be right for you to show up at her doorstep in this stat-"
"Who cares!? Huh!? Who gives a f***!? I need to tell her how I feel, and I will do it now!"
"But, Mr. Owens...How can you go there in this co-"
I shrugged his hand away, starting to walk away.
"I will tell her how I feel," I said. "I'll fix this right now! She's only m-"
****
'You...You want everything to only be about you!'
'His family is f**ked up! Mine fended for him for 17 years! My family has given him love...'
'He got mother's love from my mom and father's love from my dad. His own parents could never love him! He owes me so much!'
'But, now he can't give me one thing! Just one thing that I asked for! Even after everything that I have done for him!'
****
I stopped in my tracks as soon as I thought of that.
****
'Why should we always listen to your orders and do what you want!? What are you!? The king or the boss of everything!?'
'We're best friends, and we grew up together! You know, that's what I regret!'
'But now, I feel suffocated! This relationship suffocates me! I lost my own identity because of you! Nobody knows me! Everybody only knows me as Evan Owens's best friend, and I am sick of it!'
'He has ruined my life! He has made me invisible! Everything is about him!'
'She is right when she says I have lived under his shadow for 17 years! 17 damn years!'
'Everybody is impressed by him only! Evan's new shoes, car, phone, jeans, jacket, shirt!'
'So, just because Evan saved you, he has become a hero in your life! You suddenly consider him a hero!?'
'F***K THAT! HE IS NOT MY HERO! DO YOU HEAR ME!? HE IS NOT!'
'He has always kept me under his shadows! It made me invisible! That kind of person is not my hero! Evan Owens is selfish! He has always been! No wonder...No wonder why he doesn't get love from any of his parents!'
'All the times my dad read him bedtime stories when his own father couldn't do it for him! All the times my mom fed him with her own hands when his own mother couldn't do it!'
'I have only been rejected my whole life, while Evan has been getting every girl I set my eyes on!'
'Whenever they noticed me, it was only to get Evan! They thought I was the best way to get to Evan since I am his best friend!'
'I had enough, though! Now, I am...I am done living under his shadow! I no longer want to be invisible! I no longer want to be known as Evan Owens's best friend!'
****
"Are you okay, Mr. Owens?" Frances asked concernedly, pulling me out of my thoughts.
"I...I...I can't go..." I said slowly, taking a step back. "How...How can I even think of...I told him that I would fix things between them...How can I suddenly be selfish like always and try to ruin things for him?"
Frances looked at me confusedly.
"I can't be selfish..." I continued, staggering. "I can't...He owes me so much...The bedtime stories...The food...The love...All of it...And I was about to fix things with her again...That's just so selfish of me...I'm once again thinking about only myself...And...How can I forget the promise?... I'm not supposed to forget it...I'm... I'm not supposed to forget about the promise..."
"What promise?" Frances asked.
"The promise that I made to Ray..."
**** Flashback **** Boy's Locker Room ****
"Ray," I said, entering the boy's locker room. "Where have you been? I've been looking for you everywhere."
Ray was sitting on the bench, and his back turned to me.
"Ray, why are you quiet?" I asked again.
He remained silent with his back still turned to me.
I put my hand on his shoulder.
"Ray, what's wrong with y-"
He turned around to face me with tears in his eyes.
He looked miserable.
I've never seen him so miserable over a girl like this.
The last time I saw him like this was when he met with that bad accident.
Seeing him like this doesn't seem right, and I feel guilty.
Knowing I have a part in Faith rejecting him in front of the school makes me feel bad.
I wish there were something that I could say or do to lessen his pain.
Ray's a very good person who doesn't deserve to endure all this, especially because of me.
I slowly set my hand down, sitting next to him.
"What's...What's wrong?" I asked. "Why...Why are you so upset?"
"I'm in love with Faith Davis." He said, blinking his tears away. "I want to be with her, and I don't see that happening."
I sighed heavily, turning away.
"Did you see what happened out there?" He asked. "Did you? She...She rejected me...Evan, she rejected me for someone else. This is the second time I have found true love, and just like the first, this one will be unsuccessful. How...How can she reject me?... How can she?"
"Ray, I...I understand how you're feeling, but it's n-"
"How?"
I looked at him confusedly.
"How in the hell do you understand how I'm feeling, Evan!?" He asked angrily, standing up. "You don't understand anything! You don't know how I'm feeling at the moment! You don't know the feeling of rejection! You don't know what it feels like to get rejected! You've never been rejected, so how would you understand my feelings!?"
I sighed heavily, trying to remain calm.
"We both know that that's not true," I said. "We both know that nobody understands rejection like me...I've been rejected so many times...Since my childhood, my parents...They've done nothing but reject me my entire life, and we both know that...You know that more than a-"
"So what!?" He interrupted. "So what if you got rejected by your parents!? My parents made up for that, right!? They gave you a share of the love that you never got from your parents! They gave it all to you, so how can you sit there and act like you know what I'm going through!?"
I stood up as well, feeling irritated.
"Look, I know whatever happened with you sucks, but it's not necessary for Faith to feel the same way as you," I said.
"Why not!?" He asked. "Why isn't it necessary!?"
I rolled my eyes, putting my hands in my pocket.
"Or...Or are you guy Faith was talking about!?" He asked suspiciously. "Just like every other time the past 17 years, have you...Have you stolen this girl from me, too!? I thought after the whole drug incident that happened, you would stop working your charm on her! But you didn't, huh!? You didn't stop going after her, huh!? You finally managed to get her to fall for you! And I know...I damn well know that you have only done this to hurt me! You knew I had feelings for her, yet you came in between and ruined things before they started! Are you happy now!? Are you happy that you yet again acted selfishly and got me rejected!? This is exactly why I say you always want things to be about you! You always have, and you're still doing it! You want every single thing to only be about you!"
"It's...It's not like that..." I said. "There's...There's no such thing as that between Faith Davis an-"
"BULLSHIT! IT'S ALL BULL! I KNOW YOU'RE THE ONLY PERSON BEHIND MY EMBARRASSMENT!"
I ran my fingers through my hair, feeling frustrated.
"Evan, I've done nothing but good things to you my entire life." He said sadly. "I've never hurt or wronged you in any way. Whenever your parents put you through hell and pushed you away, my family and I have always been there for you. We never let you feel alone. My whole life, I have been loyal to you. I've never betrayed you or your friendship. I've also never asked you for anything. This is the first time that I'm asking you for something. I'm asking you to fix things between Faith and me. I'm asking you to help me win her heart and make her mine. Please, Evan. I don't want anything else. All I want is for you to help me get with Faith."
I looked away, unaware of what to say to him.
He looked at me in frustration.
"Fine!" He exclaimed. "If you don't want to help me, then don't! Your silence has proved that you have no interest in helping me! Even though I've never asked you for anything, today was the first time! And by remaining silent, you have proved that I don't mean anything to you! You have proved that our friendship means nothing to you! You have proved that everything my family and I have done for you these past 17 years has no meaning in your life! Today, you've broken a friendship and a bond that we have been sharing our whole lives! You lost a friend and a family that has been fending for you in all your hard times! If I meant anything to you, you wouldn't have betrayed me! You wouldn't have had to think twice about helping me!"
"Ray, it's not like that," I said. "I'm...I haven't betrayed you in any way. We've been friends since forever. And...And I would never want to lose this friendship. What you and your family have done for me is a great deal...I appreciate it, and I don't know what to do if I lost you guys...And you're right, I've always been selfish my whole life. I only think about myself. I never once thought that I was overshadowing you and making you invisible. After everything you and your family have done for me, I can't...I can't say no to you..."
Ray's eyes lit up with hope.
"Evan, are you saying that you will help me?' He asked anxiously.
I sighed heavily.
"Evan, are you serious?" He asked once again. "Will you seriously save our friendship and help me win Faith's heart?"
I hesitantly nodded my head.
Ray smiled happily.
"Evan, are you sure?" He asked. "Are you sure you won't back out? Because I know you hate Faith, are you sure you won't feel irritated and annoyed by her and then end up going back on your words? Are you s-"
"I promise." I interrupted. "I...I'm a man of my word. Faith Davis dared to reject you—Evan Owens's best friend. We can't let it slide just like that. She has to accept you. And...And I'll make sure of that. I'll...I'll make sure that you're with her..."
"Evan, thank you so much! You don't know what you have done for me by saying th-"
"And you don't know what you and your family have done for me these past 17 years. Like you said, I owe you for everything you have done for me these past 17 years."
Ray suddenly got serious.
"Evan, I'm sorry." He said, putting his hand on my shoulder. "I didn't mean to say all that. I was just really angry and hurt. That's all. I never meant to accuse you of trying to steal Faith or bring up our childhood. It...It was all because of my f-"
"It's okay." I interrupted. "I'm not even sweating it. And in a way, you're right. I've always been overshadowing you. I've always been selfish, while your family and you have done a lot for me. I can never forget your favors, and now it's time to pay it back."
"Evan, we're friends. There's no such thing as favors between us. Like I said, all that was said in anger and frustration. Please, forget it."
I smiled weakly, nodding my head.
"But, are you sure that you really can and want to get me and Faith together?"
"Being with me for 17 years, I'm sure by now you know I always do what I say," I said. "You want Faith Davis, then you'll get Faith Davis. And that's...And that's my promise to you."
****
"Mr. Owens, how can you make that kind of promise to Mr. Wyatt?" Frances asked.
"How can I not?" I asked. "Ray and his family have done so much for me. The least I can do is help him this once."
"A true friend would never make an account of all the things that he has done for you. He would never bring the word 'favor' or 'owe' in between your friends-"
I angrily pushed his hand away after he said that.
"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU KNOW!?" I yelled. "WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT OUR FRIENDSHIP AND THE RELATIONSHIP I SHARE WITH THE WYATTS!?"
Frances looked down.
"You don't know sh*t!" I exclaimed. "So it's better if you don't say anything! Whatever Ray wants will happen! Ray thinks that I owe him, right!? Then, I will repay everything he has done for me by bringing him and Faith together! I will get them together, and that's a promise! They've done a lot for me! I don't want to live with the burden of not doing anything for them! I've repaid the favors Mr. and Mrs. Wyatt did for me when I helped Ray out of the drug scheme. Now, it's Ray's turn. I need to help him repay the favors he did for me, and I can only do that by getting him and Faith together. As for Evan and Faith, that will never happen! Evan and Faith have been enemies and will continue to be enemies! For this feud to start again, the good Evan must go to sleep forever! The insensitive and inhuman Evan will have to wake up again! I will torture Faith Davis so much that she will have no choice but to hate me and accept Ray because he is the good guy in her life! He's the one who never puts her life in danger! A walking disaster like me isn't worthy of her!"
I picked up the last cup, drank from it, and threw it on the floor after I finished it.
"Faith...Faith Davis has...She has to...She has to hate me..." I said, in an intoxicated state.
I got ready to go to the room but stumbled and fell on the floor.
Frances immediately rushed towards me.
"Mr. O-"
"There's no need to help him!" Somebody interrupted from behind him.
Frances helplessly pulled his hand back.
I looked up to see who came.
I can't see much, though.
Everything is getting blurry and hazy.
Standing in front of me is Dave Owens.
Not one, but three Dave Owens.
I can only see three Dave Owens in front of me.
I squeezed my eyes to get clearer, but it didn't improve.
There are still three Dave Owens in front of me.
I squeezed one more time, and it's still the same.
"There's no point in squeezing your eyes so much." Dave Owens said.
I started to chuckle.
"Wasn't one Dave...One Dave Owens enough that I'm getting punished with three Dave Owens!?" I asked, holding up three fingers. "Three! Three Dave Owens! Now, that's torture! Not just for me, but for everybody! It's torture for everybody! Every human being! Not just humans, but also animals! Three Dave Owens's is torture for every single living being on this e-"
"Enough!" He interrupted.
His face is red with anger.
"Even in an intoxicated state, you're making a mockery of me." He said bitterly. "Haven't you destroyed my reputation enough that you continue to do it!?"
I chuckled, trying to stand up.
But, my attempt to stand failed right when I fell back on the floor.
I started to laugh, shaking my head.
"Oh really!?" I asked sarcastically. "What did I do to ruin your precious reputation this time!?"
"Getting drunk and making a mockery of yourself in front of all my servants!" He exclaimed.
I put my hand on my chin, pretending to think.
"Does...Does Dave Owens feel embarrassed in front of his servants, too?" I asked. "And if I make a mockery of myself, then how is that ruining your reputation? It's not like I'm making a mockery out of you. And...And that too in front of your servants."
"Shut up!" He exclaimed angrily. "Just look at you! You look like a joke with your drunk self! There's glass everywhere on the floor! Your shoes are lying on the floor! Your jacket is on the floor! Your socks are on wrong! Your hair is a mess! And so is your face at this moment! You look like a wreck! It's almost as if you are tired of life! I don't even know how you're in this condition when I'm the one who has lost everything! But, then, this shows how classy Dave Owens is compared to you! Even if I'm going through a hard phase, I never react like you do! One small thing happens to you, and you wreck yourself by drinking like a psychopath! This is exactly why I call you a walking disaster! Just imagine if I had guests today! Imagine if I had my business associates over for a meeting! How do you think this will affect my already ruined reputation!? What would they think!? Another priceless deal would be getting out of my hand! And that too only because of you! I thought you stopped this bad habit of drinking at this age, but I was wrong! You can never change, Evan! You will always be a walking disaster!"
"Who said that I changed!? I'm Evan Owens, damn it! Nobody in this world can ever change me! And I will never change for anybody! I will drink as much as I want, and nobody can stop me! Frances, pour me another drink!"
Frances looked in Dave Owens's direction.
"NOW!" I yelled.
He nervously nodded, going to the bar and making me a drink.
"I am a walking disaster!" I exclaimed. "And I will always be! I don't give a f*** if your reputation gets ruined because of that! Who cares if you're classy? Classy, my foot! I will cope with my problems the way I want! I don't need people like you telling me what to do or how to behave! Frances, pour me the damn drink!"
Frances walked towards me with the drink but was stopped by Dave Owens.
Dave Owens took the cup from Frances's hand, ordering him to step aside.
"You're right." He said, smirking. "You can drink as much as you want, and no soul will stop you!"
I looked at him confusedly, raising my eyebrows.
He went aside for a while with his back turned to me.
Then he walked up to me and bent down, handing me the cup.
I scoffed, snatching the cup from him and raising it to my mouth to drink it.
Suddenly, somebody smacked it out of my hand, and the cup fell on the floor.
The smashing of the cup echoed everywhere as it broke to pieces.
I looked up to find three angry Dianne Owens.
All three faces are red with anger.
"Dave, what the hell!?" Dianne Owens yelled.
"Oh, now, it's three, Dianne," I said. "Three angry Dianne's. And look, she ruined my drink. She broke the cup. My broken cups and bottles, plus her broken cup, equals a huge mess and loss for Dave Owens."
He looked at me in anger.
"All the money he spent on the drinks and cups is wasted in one day," I said. "That's more work for Dave's servants too. That means more money will get out of his pocket for all the extra cleaning they do. That's not good. Dianne, that's not good. He's going bankrupt. He barely has any partnerships. We can't cause him any more loss. Dave, don't spare her. It's her fault. Don't spare her for doing more work for your servants and wasting money. Don't spare h-"
"Evan, shut up!" Dave Owens interrupted. "Just shut the hell up with your nonsense! Talk to me when you're in your senses and when you finally learn to respect me by calling me Dad. Don't talk to me if you can't even respect me. Learn to respect me than talk to me."
I scoffed, rolling my eyes.
He crossed his arms over his chest, looking back at his wife.
"You wanted to drug my son!?" She immediately exclaimed.
"What do you mean by that, Dianne!?" He asked angrily. "What is there to drug!? Do you not see his condition!? Do you not see that he doesn't know what he's saying!? What is there to seriously drug when his condition is already so poor!? Can't you see all this!? So what now!? Are your eyes weakening due to your old age!?"
"I can see everything. My eyes are not weak. I see everything that you do clearly."
"Oh really!?"
"Yes, Dave. I know you inside and out. I know what you just did. I saw you putting something in that drink. What the hell is it!? What are you trying to kill, my son!? What was th-"
"It was poison, Dianne! Poison! And I'm trying to murder him with that poison!"
I sighed, rolling my eyes.
"Poison!?" Dianne Owens exclaimed. "Are you out of your mind!?"
"Yes, I am!" He yelled. "I am out of my mind! I haven't had any deals or any large amount of money in ages, and it's all due to this wretched kid! He has ruined my life! I literary have no reason to live! No money! No partnerships! I honestly don't even know how the hell I'm breathing at this moment! I don't know how I'm living without a lifeline, Dianne!"
"Dave, your kids, and wife are safe and sound before you. What else do you need to live!?"
"What kind of rubbish question is that!? What do you mean by that!? So what if my wife and kids are safe and sound!? I don't give a damn! That's not enough for me to live! They're not the ones who are bringing me money and partnerships! My money and my partnerships are my lifeline! They're the reason why I'm living! Without them, I don't even exist! How dare you even ask me a question like that!? How dare you even question the reason for my existence!? How dare you, you filthy creature!?"
"Dave, I never thought, even in the worst nightmare, that you would ever attempt to murder your own son! Your own flesh and blood!"
"That filthy blood is not mine! That's not my blood! That's only your blood! It's only yours! Please don't accuse me of having Evan's filthy blood! My blood is my daughter! My Lisa! Not this wretched Evan! He's only your filthy blood! And that's exactly why I wanted to kill him! I want to destroy this filthy blood of yours! I can never be happy as long as Evan is in this world! Evan is my biggest obstruction to becoming successful! He is my biggest enemy, and I need to finish him for once! It's either that I stay in this world or Evan does! It's even harder for me to stay under the same roof as him after he has ruined my reputation in the business world! So today, there has to be a decision! I will stay in this world, or Evan will! If there's Evan, then there's no peace! And I need Evan to leave this world if I want a peaceful life! So pick one, Dianne! You will have to choose between your husband or your filthy s-"
"I choose my filthy son then."
"Pardon me!?"
"You heard me. If you want me to choose, then I'm choosing my filthy son."
"How dare you disrespect me like t-"
"Dave, I know that even if I chose Evan, you aren't going to do anything to kill yourself. You love yourself too much to end your life. You love your business empire too much to ruin it by killing yourself. You can never kill yourself, Dave. We all know it, and we all have seen it, so take your threats somewhere else. Regarding disrespecting you, we both know that you need to be in my good books more than anybody. If one small piece of news about you gets out, you will burn to ashes. There will be nothing left of Dave Owens. Please don't mess with me because I'm not the same Dianne. I will not tolerate any of your schemes or insults. I know things that won't only destroy you but will lead to your death, so if you want your secrets to be safe, don't provoke me into bringing them to light."
He clenched his fist, looking at her angrily.
She looked back at him with confidence.
He rolled his eyes, walking away.
"Oh, and Dave!?" She said, stopping him in his tracks.
He kept his back to her.
"I've told you this before, and I'll repeat it today: stay away from my son." She said. "If you don't, then you will see my wrath."
He scoffed without looking back and walked away.
I sighed heavily, trying to stand up.
"Evan, be careful." Dianne Owens said, putting my arms around her shoulder. "Look at you. You look like a mess."
"I DON'T NEED YOUR HELP!" I yelled, pushing her away.
Frances grabbed her before she could fall on the floor.
"My life is full of traitors!" I said. "Traitors like you! Traitors like your husband, Dave Owens! Even....Even my own best friend! He turned out to be the biggest traitor of all! Faith's the only real person! She...She has never done anything to hurt me! If anything, I've hurt her! A lot, and that too only for traitors like you! I don't need your help! I don't need you to save me; I don't need your motherly love!"
"Evan, you need help at the moment." She said. "You can't even stand straight. You need h-"
"No, I don't! I don't need anybody's help! Nothing is impossible for Evan Owens! I can help myself even when I can't stand straight, so your motherly love can go to hell, Dianne Owens! Go back to being Dave Owens's puppy! Go back to running after him with files, briefcases, and cell phones! Go back to dancing to his tunes and being controlled by him! Leave me in my condition!"
She looked at me sadly.
"Sick of dealing with fake people in my life!" I exclaimed, struggling to walk to my room.
Whenever one of the servants approached me, I stopped them and walked by myself.
Despite falling more than one hundred times, I finally reached my room.
~*~
I woke up with a terrible headache the next day.
I winced in pain, holding my head in my hands.
The whole room is spinning.
My head feels heavy like somebody is pounding on it.
I also feel very sick and queasy.
I haven't felt this way in a very long time.
"Drink this." Dianne Owens said, standing over me with a glass in her hand.
"What is that?" I asked, hoarsely.
"Lime water. Your headache will subside if you drink it."
I rolled my eyes in annoyance.
"I don't need it," I said, brushing it away. "I've had hangovers before. It'll eventually go away."
"Evan, look at this." She said.
I looked at what she was holding.
She's holding a small brown bottle.
"What?" I asked.
"This is the poison that Dave almost killed you with last night." She said, putting it on my table. "Evan, how can you drink up to an extent that you don't even know when somebody is planning to a-"
"In case you forgot, I have been drinking for a very long time. I have drunk enough to know, understand, and hear everything that goes on around me, so I'm aware of everything that happened last night."
She sighed, handing me the glass again.
I ignored it, looking away.
"So you would take a poisoned drink from your father, but you won't take a normal drink from me?" She asked.
"Who knows if you poisoned this too?" I said.
She looked at me sadly.
I stood up but sat back down when my headache got to me.
"Evan, stop being stubborn." She said, forcefully putting the glass in my hand.
I sighed heavily, taking the glass.
"Why do you drink so much?" She asked concernedly. "Imagine if I didn't see Dave adding something to your drink. You would have drunk it a-"
"And died." I interrupted.
She raised her eyebrows.
"Dave Owens would have been tense-free, and so would have other people," I said.
"Evan, don't say that." She said sadly. "Please, don't say t-"
I stood up, interrupting her.
"Thank you for the drink," I said, holding it up. "But, you can take your motherly love somewhere else."
"Evan, I just want to make sure that you're o-"
"I'm fine. Never been any better."
She looked at me suspiciously.
"I mean, are things okay with Ray and Faith?" She asked slowly.
I looked up, feeling annoyed.
"You seemed quite upset last night." She said. "And you kept on mentioning Ray and Faith. Is everything o-"
"Why do you care!?" I interrupted. "Why do you give a damn!?"
"Honey, I'm just concerned for y-"
"Well, I don't need your concern! And I don't need your motherly love, so leave me alone!"
"Evan, I'm only concerned because you drank a-"
I rolled my eyes, handing her the glass.
"Take this back," I said, holding it before her. "Take it and get lost."
"But, you're in pain." She said. "By drinking this, your pain will subside. Please, don't give it back and drink it."
"Then leave me alone! If you want me to drink this, then get out of my room and stay away from me! And if you can't do that, then take your drink back! I don't need your d-"
"I'll leave. I'll...I'll do as you say, but please take care of yourself and drink it. The pain will subside quickly. You'll even be able to go to school, so please, drink it."
I rolled my eyes, looking away.
She looked at me sadly, then walked out of the room.
I drank the lime water and went in the shower.
~*~
"Frances, pass me the eggs." I heard Dave Owens saying as soon as I came downstairs.
He looked up at me, eating his eggs.
"You ate the egg," I said.
He looked at me confusedly.
"You ate it, huh?" I asked again.
He ignored me, eating his egg.
"You seriously ate it?" I asked again. "You ate it h-"
"Of course I did!" He interrupted. "Why do you keep irritating me by repeating the same damn thing!? Huh!? Just what the hell is your problem!? It's my eggs, and that, too, cooked by my servant! Of course, I'll eat it! What do you expect me to do!? Distribute it to the poor instead of feeding myself! Trust me, nobody has time for that! At least not Dave Owens!"
I sighed, shaking my head.
"Didn't Frances tell you?" I asked.
He rolled his eyes, ignoring me.
"Frances didn't, huh?" I asked again. "No wonder why you're eating like a madman."
"Why are you talking in riddles!?" He asked, sounding frustrated. "Don't you have anything better to do than pestering me!? Why can't you just let me eat my eggs in peace!? At first, you wouldn't let me live in peace! And now, you're not even letting me eat in peace! What do you want!? Frances didn't tell me what!? Huh!? What was Frances supposed to tell me!?"
I scoffed, shaking my head.
He ate the eggs like a wild animal.
"That the eggs are poisoned," I said.
His eyes widened, and he paused.
He slowly looked up at me, eyes filled with fear.
"Yeah," I said, pulling the poison bottle out of my pocket and holding it up. " I added the same poison that you used to try to kill me last night to your eggs."
He immediately stood up.
"N-N-N-No...No...No...That's...That's impossible..." He said. "It's not possible...You can't be serious..."
"Does it look like I am joking?" I asked seriously.
He gulped nervously.
"There's poison in the egg you just ate now, Mr. Owens," I said. "You were enjoying it so much, though. I guess it's the poison that made it tasty. No wonder you ate like a wild animal without food in ages."
He started to slide his hand into his mouth and to his throat so that he could vomit everything that he had just eaten.
I raised my eyebrows, feeling disgusted at what I was witnessing.
"Somebody, call a doctor!" He exclaimed with his hand still in his mouth. "Call a doctor now! Call the damn doctor! My life is in danger! I just ate poison! Please, call the doctor!"
Frances nodded his head and got ready to call the doctor.
I stopped him from calling, though.
Freaking out, Dave Owens continued to force himself to vomit.
Then, it finally worked for him.
He started to vomit everywhere.
He just let it all out, breathing hard.
I chuckled, shaking my head.
"You bastard!" He exclaimed after he finished throwing up everything. "You! You poisoned me! How dare you!? Huh!? How d-"
"The same way you poisoned my drink last night, Mr. Dave Owens." I interrupted, putting my hands in my pocket.
He angrily clenched his dirty fist.
Everything he threw up was dripping from his hand.
I looked at it, feeling disgusted.
"I just made up the poison that was in your food, and yet you freaked out so much," I said, looking back at him. "What about the actual poison that you put in my drink last night?"
"What...What...What did you say?" He asked again.
"There was no poison in your food."
"Then...Then why did you l-"
"I wanted to see your reaction."
"My reaction?"
"Yes, your reaction. You freaked out so much on a false alarm, but yet you still dared to kill me with poison."
"Yes, I did! I did try to kill you! You've made my life a living hell! Since you have stepped into my life, I have been doomed! You've done nothing but embarrass me in front of the entire world! You're my enemy, and Dave Owens never spares his enemies! I've even put the worst people in the business world to rest, so what are you? I can finish you in the snap of a finger! Stay within your limits and do not start your drinking charade, or else this time, your so-called mother won't even be able to save you! I will kill you this time!"
I sighed heavily, scratching my chin.
"Are you done, or is there more you want to say?" I asked calmly.
He rolled his eyes, looking away.
"I don't know what reputation you are hell-bent on saving when there is nothing to save," I said. "Nobody wants to work with you or do any business with you, yet you feel like there's something left to your reputation that I'm going to ruin. Even after losing everything, you think I'm still a threat to you."
I chuckled, shaking my head.
"In a way, you're not wrong, though," I said. "I'm still a threat to you. What do you currently have? Like, maybe ten partners-"
"200 partnerships!" He interrupted. "For your information, I still have 200 people who trust me and want to do business with me."
"200! Like, seriously? You seriously went from hundreds to 200!?"
"And you're the reason for that! You're the person who ruined me and all my partnerships! Every person withdrew from the partnership, and it's all your fault! I will never forgive you for this! I will get you back for t-"
"Then I guess you want to lose your remaining partnerships."
"Pardon me?"
"You see, I won't take your poison plan lightly. I've already arranged for the punishment you'll be getting."
"Bullsh*t! What kind of punishment!?
"Your punishment for trying to kill me."
"And what is that? Lying to me that you poisoned my eggs?"
I sighed, looking away.
He started to chuckle.
"That's nothing, Evan!" He exclaimed. "That is nothing! I can't believe you think that you can always outsmart me! I mean, I'm your father! You got your evil side only from me! How can you even think that you can ever outsmart me? The Dave O-"
'Yes, I did! I did try to kill you! You've made my life a living hell! Since you have stepped into my life, I have been doomed!'
He stopped as soon as he heard that.
'I've even put the worst people in the business world to rest, so what are you? I can finish you in the snap of a finger!'
His eyes widened, and he immediately walked toward my phone.
"Don't even think about it," I said, stopping him.
"Ev...Evan, this...This...This recording cannot get out..." He said nervously. "If this...If this recording gets out, then I will lose...I will lose whatever partnerships I have left...Evan, I seriously don't have many people...I'm desperate at the moment...I can't lose people anymore... I really can't...People...They can't...Evan, please! You've ruined everything for me. I don't have anything. 200 people is nothing, but I still have a chance to return to my previous position. If I lose this 200, then I can never bounce back. Now, if...If people find out about this recording, then I'm doomed! I can never make a comeback in the business world!"
"I'll decide if this recording will go to your business partners or the police. It will be my decision as to what will happen to it. But you're right. This recording can ruin you for good because it does not only reveal your reality but is also a police case. You attempted to murder me, Mr. Owens. And in the eyes of the law, that's a very big crime."
"Evan, I'll...I'll do everything you say. I'll do it all, but you can't release this recording. This recording can't go out. Please, don't re-"
"I told you already I will decide if it will get released."
He helplessly looked at me.
"But, I'm not going to leave you for putting poison in my drink." I threatened. "When this recording will get out and how...All of this is for me to know and for you to wait on. Just don't forget that I have something against you next time you try to plan something. I'm your son. I get my evil side from you, so you can never outsmart me. Think twice before you plan anything against me."
He angrily looked away.
"Well, I've lost my appetite after all this," I said, pointing to the mess he made on the floor. "But, you enjoy your eggs or whatever is left on the floor."
He ignored me, still looking away.
"Have a nice day, Mr. Owens," I said.
He continued to ignore me.
I scoffed, leaving for school.
~*~
"Evan!" Jake and them exclaimed when I got to school the next day.
I sighed heavily, already feeling irritated.
"Guess what!?" Jake asked.
I rolled my eyes in annoyance.
"Just guess w-"
"Yeah, I'm not in the mood to play the guessing game." I interrupted.
They looked at one another and then looked back at me.
"What do you guys want?" I asked, feeling annoyed.
"Well, you'll be happy to know we have a plan," Michael said.
"And guess what the plan is?" Liam asked excitedly.
I looked at him angrily, feeling annoyed.
Jake smacked Liam in the head.
He scratched his head, looking at Jake confusedly.
"I mean, I didn't mean to say the word guess..." He said nervously, looking away.
"I don't have time for all this, so excuse me," I said.
"Evan, wait," Jake said, stopping me. "I'll just cut to the chase. We all know that Davis's challenge is troubling you, so we all brainstormed last night and came up with a solution to this challenge."
I looked at them confusedly.
"Yeah, we know how you can win this challenge," DJ said.
"I thought I made it clear that I don't need anybody's help," I said.
"Yeah, we know," Jake said. "But, we also know you must win at any cost. That's why we still made a plan to ruin Davis's life just like you want."
I rolled my eyes, feeling frustrated.
"This plan is foolproof, too," Michael said. "Her life and her career will be ruined at the same time. Then she can kiss her mom's dream by-"
"I want Faith to hate me so that she stays far away from me." I interrupted. "I don't want to ruin her career or her mom's dream. I don't want her to lose faith in dancing or stop dancing."
"Then why were you saying all that in the hallway?" Jake asked.
The only reason why I said all that is because I overheard her talking with her friend.
The things that I heard are not good.
Faith is fired, her family is having a rough time, and she wants to stop dancing.
It's true that I want to ruin her, but only because I want her to hate me and to stay away from me.
I don't want her to stop dancing.
I don't want her to ruin her career because of me.
She's already been through a lot when she stopped dancing.
After many ups and downs, she has come to terms with dancing again.
I can't let her go back into the pain and guilt that she got over with difficulty.
I purposely talked about ruining her career and her mom's dream around her so that something in her is triggered, and she sticks to dancing.
And that's precisely what happened.
She got angry and challenged me in front of the whole school.
"But if we don't do anything, she will win the challenge," Michael said, pulling me out of my thoughts.
I want her to win, and I won't do anything.
I won't use my money or power to sabotage her chances of winning this competition.
If she wins his competition, then all of her problems will come to an end.
She will be able to help her dad and grandma, which means their anger and disappointment will subside.
Other than that, she will get accepted into the Nolte Academy of Dance and make her mom's dream come true.
I want her to win this challenge and defeat me in front of everybody.
If she ever quit dancing, then I can never forgive myself.
I'm the one who got her used to me being around her, protecting and saving her from everyone and everything.
Now, through my hate, I have to get her used to living independently, just like when we first met.
I have to hate and torture her so much that she will distance herself from me.
I have to hate her up to a point where she can fight her own battles like before.
I will have to bring back the strong and independent Faith that didn't depend on anybody but herself.
"Evan, are you going to tell us what's happening?" Jake asked again. "First, the whole drama at the parking lot. Then, the drama in the hallway in which Davis challenged you. What's going on? Do you want to destroy Faith Davis?"
"We can help you with that," DJ said. "We down to do anything to d-"
"This doesn't concern anybody!" I growled. "I already told you guys that I don't need your help. I don't want you guys interfering in this. Do you people not understand what I'm saying? This is between me and her. If I need you guys to do anything, I will let you know, so stay away from this whole thing."
They looked at me confusedly.
I rolled my eyes, getting ready to leave.
"And by the way," I said before leaving. "Whatever you guys did at the parking lot the other day was unnecessary. All I said was to tell her I had been playing games with her until now. You guys have crossed the line by touching her."
They all exchanged looks and then looked back at me.
"If you dare to go anywhere near her again, no one will be worse than me." I threatened. "So stay the hell away from her, and let me handle this my way."
"Evan, that's not fair," Jake said. "You told us to make sure that Davis hates you, and now you're mad because we touched her. What the hell does all this me-"
"I don't owe anybody any explanation. I do whatever the f*** I want, and I don't find it necessary to explain myself to anybody. I'm telling you all to stay away from Faith for the last time. Stop plotting against her and mind your businesses!"
They raised their eyebrows, looking at me confusedly.
I rolled my eyes, pulling my phone out of my pocket.
FROM: Ray Wyatt
TO: Evan Owens
Where are you? I need to talk to you.
I sighed, walking down the stairs to the arts building.
TO: Ray Wyatt
FROM: Evan Owens
I'm heading to the art building. Meet me there.
I sent the message without looking up.
That's when I came face to face with Faith.
I looked up from my phone.
She also looked up, holding her phone in her right ear.
We looked at each other for a while.
I looked away, putting my phone in my pocket.
"I miss you." She said.
My eyes widened, and I looked at her.
She gave me a strange look.
She still had her phone over her ear, so she must have been saying it to whoever she was talking to.
"Okay, then I'll meet you there later." She said over the phone.
I stepped to the right side, and so did she.
I looked down at her, and she looked up at me.
"What!?" She exclaimed, taking a step back.
I raised my eyebrows in confusion.
"But, since when?" She asked, looking back down and walking away.
I tried to call her, but she had her back to me.
She continued to walk without looking back at me.
I shouldn't even be feeling bad about this.
I wanted her to distance herself from me, and it's happening.
It's just that I thought it would take her a little longer to get over us and me, but I guess I was wrong.
Like everything is possible for Evan Owens, it is for Faith Davis.
She got over everything already.
She looks fine and unaffected by everything that happened between us.
Either way, I'm just glad she did.
This makes my plan to unite her with Ray much easier.
I brushed my thoughts away, getting back to reality.
I sighed heavily, leaving for the art building to meet Ray.
~*~
When I got to the art building, Ray was standing there.
He's impatiently pacing back and forth.
"Evan!" He exclaimed as soon as he saw me. "I'm so glad you're here."
"What's up?" I asked.
"What's wrong?"
"What do you mean?"
"You sound very low today."
"No...It's not that..."
"Evan, I know that something is wrong with you. Your voice sounds off. What's wrong?"
"Nothing...It's just the usual fight with Dave Owens."
"Oh, is everything alright?"
"Yeah, just the normal arguments."
"Oh, okay."
"Yeah, but what's up with you?"
"Well, I'm about to call Faith right now. If things between us needed to be cleared, I would have to start with friendship again."
I smiled weakly, nodding my head.
"Does that sound good to you?" He asked.
"Yeah, whatever...Whatever works for you." I said.
He smiled, dialing her number.
"Faith, please don't hang up." He said immediately. "I know you don't want to talk to me, but I must tell you something important. Please, meet me by the arts building...No...Of course not...I know, and I understand...I do...I know...No, I won't...I promise you that I won't...I know all that, but please give me one chance and meet me. It will only take five minutes. That's all...Okay...Okay, I'm waiting for you then."
He hung up the phone with a big smile.
"She was refusing at first, but now she said yes." He said. "She's coming."
"That's good," I said. "You guys talk, and I'll see you la-"
"Evan, please stay here. I want you to be here. I know you don't like Faith and vice versa, but I called you here so that you can help me."
I sighed heavily, scratching my chin.
"Evan, come on." He said. "You promised that you were going to help me."
I hesitantly nodded my head.
"Thank you." He said happily.
Faith came after a while.
The moment she saw me, she stopped.
She confusedly looked from Ray to me.
"If you two want to create some kind of drama, I don't have time for this." She said, getting ready to leave.
"Faith, wait!" Ray exclaimed, walking over to her. "Please, stay. I need five minutes of your time."
She pulled her hand away from Ray, looking at him angrily.
"Faith, please." He said again. "Just five minutes and you can leave."
She crossed her arms over her shoulder.
"What do you want?" She asked.
"Faith, I want to apologize to you." Ray started. "Whatever I did the other day is unacceptable. It is wrong on so many levels. I had no right to do something like that, and that too in front of everybody. I knew how you felt, yet I kept telling myself you have feelings for me. I thought by telling you my feelings in front of everybody, you won't reject me. I'm so sorry, Faith. I'm sorry for putting you in the spotlight and messing up our friendship."
She uncrossed her arms, looking at him thoughtfully.
"I know you don't want anything to do with me after everything that has happened." He said. "But, I still want you to give me a chance. Please, give our friendship a chance. I won't do anything to mess it up this time—only friendship. My feelings will not get in the way of anything. I will only take things on a friendly level. Trust me, I will not expect anything other than friendship. We've been such good friends before all this happened. I'm asking you to give me another chance and befriend me again. I promise you that I will not think of anything other than that. Please accept my apology and give me a chance."
She stayed silent, looking at him.
"I was mad at you after that stunt you pulled off in the hallway." She said after a while. "But, I appreciate your apology. I don't hold any grudges except against those who use and ruin other people's lives."
She looked directly at me when she said the last sentence.
I rolled my eyes, putting my hands in my pocket.
"So, do you accept my apology?" Ray asked impatiently.
"Yes, I do." She said, smiling.
I know when Faith's happy and upset and when something bothers her.
I can even differentiate between her smiles.
I know which is a sincere smile and which one is being put up in front of the world, and this is not a sincere smile.
"You apologized, so I accept your apology." She said. "I have nothing against you."
"So we're friends again!?" Ray asked excitedly. "Faith, I'm so happy! Thank you for accepting my friendship a-"
"I accepted your apology, but don't accept your friendship."
Ray's face got very serious.
"Why?" Ray asked. "You said that you appreciate my friendship and t-"
"I didn't say I wanted to be friends with you again." Faith interrupted.
"Why not?"
She looked at me sadly.
"I've recently discovered that I don't know how to judge people." She said, looking into my eyes. "I don't know who to trust and who to not. I can't trust the people around me. I can't trust my judgments anymore."
I sighed, helplessly looking back at her.
"The people I've been trusting more than myself have turned out to be something else." She said. "Lies and deceptions have blinded me, but now I've realized it's all a lie. All of it is a total lie."
I looked away, feeling helpless.
"Faith, I know I was wrong by breaking our friendship, but I want you back in my life only as a friend," Ray said. "I don't want anything el-"
Faith walked away before he could finish talking.
Ray looked at me for support.
I immediately went after her.
"Evan, where are you going?" Ray asked, stopping me.
"I...Something important came up..." I said. "I have to go."
"But, I thought you were going t-"
Ray's voice trailed off as soon as I walked away.
I started to look for Faith in the hallway.
After I searched the hallway, I went straight to the academic building.
I saw her sitting alone and crying on the steps of the academic building.
When I saw her earlier today, she looked strong.
It seemed like what happened didn't affect or hurt her in any way, but I guess I was wrong.
She's hurt by everything that I said and did.
Today, I'm the reason for her pain and suffering, just like the first time we met.
"How...How can I tell Ray I can never be his friend or ever love him..." Faith cried, pulling me out of my thoughts. "Evan...Evan has taken away all my faith in love...I can't believe in love now...I can never...It is a lie, and I can't fall into that trap again...I also have to stop crying for Evan...I have to stop and focus on the important things in my life. I have to stop being miserable over him..."
I sighed heavily, feeling frustrated.
My phone rang, startling her.
I immediately turned it off, but she had already turned around and seen me.
Her eyes are red from crying.
I looked at her helplessly.
That's the only thing that I can do.
I can't do anything else to stop her pain or suffering.
She continued to look at me, crying.
I looked away immediately, avoiding her.
She wiped her tears, walking away without saying anything.
Just like earlier today, I stood there and watched her walk away.
Now, the distance between us is growing.
I can feel it, see it, and sense it.
We're growing far apart, but I wanted that, right?
I did all this so that there are genuine distances between us.
I did it so that she would hate me and be able to move on.
But I don't know why it hurts me to look at her pain.
These distances are killing me more than her, and I can't bear her hate and helplessness.
I have to do something to make her smile, and I can only make that happen through Ray.
I want her to hate me, but I don't want her to lose faith in love.
I want her to meet other people and find somebody who can treat her better than me, and that person is Ray.
She has to accept him and fall in love with him.
So that way, she can at least smile and be happy again.
But first, I have to make them friends.
If she at least has friends in her life, then it will be easy for her to get through everything.
That's why I have to do something now.
I have to find a way to fix things between Faith and Ray.
There has to be something I can do to fix things between them.
If I don't do anything now, things will never be okay, and Faith will always pretend to be strong in front of people and me.
When she's alone, that's when all her pain shows.
I can't let her be miserable like this.
"Evan, here you go." Some kid said, handing me a paper.
Brushing my thoughts away, I looked to see what it was.
"What is it?" I asked, annoyed.
"It's the flier for the upcoming dance event." He said. "We were told to distribute it to everybody and put it around the school."
I took the paper from him.
He smiled, walking away.
I looked at the paper.
It's decorated, and in big letters, it has the event, date, time and place.
The Nolte Academy of Dance is mentioned at the bottom, and so is the name and phone number of the dance teacher.
I've been thinking about how to fix this problem for so long, but the solution is simple.
It is right in front of me and has always been here.
I've just been too distracted to see it.
This dance teacher is maybe the solution to my problem.
I pulled my phone out of my pocket and dialed his number.
"Hello," I said as soon as he answered. "My name is Evan Owens, and I'm a student at the school that you teach at. I wanted to talk to you about something important. Can we meet?"
*** End of Chapter ***
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