“I knew you were trouble when you walked in.”
—I Knew You Were Trouble, Taylor Swift
Two
“You’re really pathetic, you know that?”
I resisted the urge to curl my lip, and instead coughed in her direction, wiping at the fake sweat on my forehead. “I’m not lying, Sam. I really am—” I coughed again for good measure. “I really am sick.”
She didn’t look convinced. “And how convenient that you chose to get sick today.”
She pulled back the blankets revealing the hot wet towels I used to give myself a fever. I stared up at her with wide eyes, her face deadpanned. “Uh...I can explain.”
In two seconds, Sam had dragged me out of the bed and onto my feet. “Seriously? Is this the Alexa I know? Quaking in fear beneath the blankets?”
I jutted out my bottom lip. “Oh, come on. Give me a break. You know if I cross paths with him, I’m dead.”
“So do you plan to avoid him for the next three and a half years?”
“Well, yeah, that was sort of the idea.”
She hooked her middle and thumb finger together, flicking me hard on the forehead. “Nathan is here, whether you like it or not. And sitting up here hiding from him is going to do absolutely nothing. Not like you have anything to be afraid of in the first place. So you might as well get up, put on your big girl pants, face this guy, and apologize.”
I held up my hands. “Whoa, let’s not go that far. I don’t do apologies.”
Sam started to flick me again, but I blocked my face. She was majoring in Criminal Psychology. A smart choice, I had come to realize. She may not necessarily look the part, with her scruffy oversized t-shirts and baseball caps, but she knew what made each person tick. And for me, she knew a little physical violence, especially coming from her, was enough to push me over the edge.
“Okay, okay, fine. I’ll leave the dorm.” I said, but she didn’t lower her hand.
“And?”
“And...what?”
“And you’re going to go apologize to him.” She said, and I sighed. Asking me to put myself in a situation that could practically ruin me was doable. But asking me to relinquish my pride? Impossible.
“Why? It’s been like twenty billion years since I did anything to him.” I said.
“You tortured that boy throughout elementary and middle school. In fifth grade, I discreetly remember you attaching him by his underwear to a tree branch, and using him as a live piñata. No wonder he hates you. I would hate you too. So you’re going to run around here like a dog with his tail between his legs, when all it might take to settle this is a simple apology.” Sam placed her hand on her hip. “I’m not going to watch you confine yourself in a room just because of your stupid pride.”
I wasn’t going to win this. That was obvious. So to keep her off my case, I told her what she wanted to hear. “Fine, I’ll apologize when I see him.”
“Promise?”
“Promise.”
Keeping that promise wasn’t too hard. I had watched enough law television dramas to know that every promise has a loophole. I didn’t plan on apologizing. So the loophole out of that would be to not see him.
Needless to say that didn’t last very long.
Moments after I had left my dorm room, I just about broke my back to get to my British Literature class, which didn’t start for another fifteen minutes. I had figured that if I got in before the student traffic, I wouldn’t have to see anyone I didn’t want to. But right as I was at the threshold of the classroom, I dug in my heels.
“Well, Mr. Marris, I must say to have someone of your caliber at this university is quite an honor.”
Dear god, no.
I had moved so fast that I didn’t even notice the crowd of females standing a few feet away from the door, desperately craning their necks to get a view of Mister Tall, Dark, and Handsome.
No. No way. I wasn’t even prepared. I couldn’t face him here. Not now. So before anyone had noticed, I started to slide away from the door. All I had to do was keep my footsteps fast and light and I’d be—
“Alexa Marshall!”
I jumped out of my skin as a voice shrilled my name a few feet away. Any plan I had to remain incognito had just been blown to oblivion. When I looked up, Nathan’s eyes were directly on me.
I felt an arm wrap around my shoulder, pushing me inside the classroom.
“Alexa, what are you doing hiding out here? Class is going to start in a few minutes.” The notorious Paisley Williams sent me a smile. Now that her hair had been cut short, it made her smile look especially threatening.
I spoke through gritted teeth. “I didn’t really need your help, but thanks.”
“Oh, sure. What are friends for?” She smiled again.
Professor Appleton also smiled. “Well, isn’t a surprise? It’s been, what, one week since you’ve shown up for class? And now I see you’ve finally graced us with your presence. Nathan, it seems like you even have the power to bring my most troubled students out of an educational coma.”
I snuck a glance at him. To my shock, he was no longer looking at me. His eyes were focused on the Welcome Packet in his hands. In those few moments where his attention was elsewhere, I got the chance to observe him closer, after these few years. I couldn’t lie. He was just as gorgeous as he looked on the television screen. Even dressed down, his slightly messy hair and casual tee, still gave him a regal-like aura. There were only a few familiar features left. Like his nose. And his dimples. Aside from that, it was like I was looking at a completely different person.
“Actually Professor,” Paisley spoke up with a gleeful tone. “Nathan and Alexa go way back. Isn’t that right, Nathan?”
I was going to kill her one day. It may not be today, or tomorrow, but I was going to kill her.
I bit my lip, awaiting whatever spiteful words that were about to come out of his mouth. I was sure he was waiting for this moment. Here he was after all this time, finally facing the person who had ruined his childhood, with the grand opportunity to rip her to shreds. He had probably dreamt about this moment.
Nathan’s eyes met mine. “...Who?”
Wait, what?
Even the wind seemed to be taken out of Paisley’s sail. “Alexa. You, me, and Alexa all went to middle school together, remember?”
He frowned, and then chuckled awkwardly. “Sorry, I really don’t. Did we share a class together or something?”
Huh? He seriously didn’t remember? How could he have forgotten?
“Alexa. Alexa Marshall.” Paisley started to get adamant. It was clear that she had expected a more violent response as well. “Tall, mannish, mean girl?”
Excuse me?
“Aw, come on Paisley that’s not exactly a nice thing to say.” Nathan responded.
Exactly. I wasn’t that manly—wait. Did he remember Paisley but not me? Not that I wanted him to remember me necessarily, but still. He remembered Paisley? She had barely spoken two words to him back in middle school! I was sure I made a more lasting impression than that brat. And did he not just spare me from an insult? What guy with years of withheld hatred for a person does something like that?
Paisley’s mouth hung open. I had trouble keeping my mouth closed myself. He just shrugged his shoulders, as though it was nothing. His face was exempt of any resentment as he spoke. “Sorry, it feels like those days were so long ago. I’ve forgotten a lot of people since then. But it’s nice to me you now, Alexis.”
He even got my name wrong! No, you couldn’t convince me that this guy had forgotten. Who else would he talk about being his inspiration? Why else would he come to this college? He may get Paisley to waver in her thinking, but I wasn’t that dumb. He was playing me, for sure.
***
“Maybe he really forgot.” Sam said, later that afternoon at lunch. “I had learned that when undergoing tragic situations some people truly forget about the event as their way of dealing with it.”
“My mom went through that as a child.” Grace agreed. She was one of Sam’s friends from class. She brought her around every so often to eat with us, but I wasn’t very fond of her. “My mom’s mom died when giving birth to her and my mom says she doesn’t remember her.”
Grace was only accepted into this school because of her family’s money, if that wasn’t obvious enough.
“Most people wouldn’t remember their parents if they died in a person’s baby years, Grace. Not the same thing.” I think Sam only associated with her so she could make herself feel smarter.
“Anyways, I don’t think he forgot. This guy always brags about his high IQ. He’s probably memorized the entire periodic table. And you mean to tell me, he can’t remember me?”
Sam shrugged, forking around in her Caesar salad. “It’s not impossible. But shouldn’t you be happy? I mean this is what you wanted, right? Now you don’t have to worry about him attacking you.”
I shook my head. “I’m even more worried now. Mark my words. He’s planning something. He’s playing with my mind, getting me to let down my guard, and that’s when he’s going to come in for the kill.”
I stabbed my plastic knife down on the table for added measure.
Sam and Grace shared a look. Sam reached over the table and touched my forehead. “Maybe you weren’t lying earlier when you said you were sick.”
I slapped her hand away, as a commotion broke outside the cafeteria. Nathan walked in with his posse of females and a few cameramen.
“Is that even allowed?” Grace asked. The group sat down at a table nearby, and the cameramen swarmed around the cafeteria, getting shots from every possible angle.
“Entertainment Tonight said that he had gotten permission from the school to get shots of him being a ‘normal’ college student.” Sam said. “It’s to help keep his popularity up while he’s on break.”
“Yeah, real normal.” I mumbled, biting into my sandwich.
I tried to eat my lunch in peace, but my mind kept swirling with thoughts of earlier. I couldn’t stop my brain from trying to figure out his scheme. I couldn’t have been scared for nothing. All this time coming up with scenarios of what he was going to do to me was really nothing more than my imagination running wild?
“Quinton Swales! How long has it been?”
I almost dropped my food as the cameras followed Nathan, who, after yelling the name out emphatically, grabbed Quinton in a big hug.
“How do you two know each other?” I heard one of the cameramen ask.
“We went to Brantonville Middle School together, which is a few miles from here.” Nathan said. Quinton just stared stupidly at the cameras. After middle school he wasn’t that appealing to me anymore. Nathan continued. “This isn’t that easy of a school to get into, so I’m surprised to meet so many people that I already knew. It makes the adjustment process much easier.”
What a phony little faker. He wouldn’t even know Quinton if it wasn’t for me. If it wasn’t for that little incident we had. In fact, he was practically acknowledging that he remember everything by greeting Quinton.
That was all it took. There was no doubt in my mind that he was messing with my head. I wasn’t just going to let him attack me without putting up a fight.
I stood up.
“Where are you going?” Sam asked, still playing with her food, oblivious to the events around her.
I didn’t answer, and walked away from the table, almost bumping into one of the camera men as I stopped in front of Nathan. If he wanted to attack me, this would be the time for him to do it. Right here, in front of all these cameras. I wasn’t crazy. And to prove it, I was going to give him the opportunity to shoot me down.
“You can stop the games.” I said in a normal tone. “I know you remember me. Don’t act like you don’t.”
Nathan grinned and pointed, acting as innocent as a school girl. “Yeah, you’re that Amber girl I met earlier, right?”
I didn’t want to have to go there.
“My name is Alexa Marie Marshall. And since you don’t seem to remember, how about I jog your memory, hobbit?”
I was waiting for it. I was waiting for that flash in his eyes. The gritting of his teeth. Anything to prove that he was affected by my words. But he just calmly nodded his head to the cameraman. “Cut the tape.”
I thought I had got him.
He relaxed once the cameras were off. His face wasn’t as bright as before. “Alexa, I’m sorry that I forgot your name. But I’d really appreciate it if you wouldn’t resort to name calling. We’re all adults here.”
No freaking way. He was still sticking to his story.
“Give it up. You and I both know what you’re here for. Heck, you made it public on national television. So be honest. You’re here for payback.” At this point, my brain had lost control. All I knew was that I had to prove I was right.
Nathan gave me a blank stare, and then darted his eyes over to some students at another table. “Is she mentally stable?”
A few people chuckled. Some were even calling me an attention seeker under their breath. I clenched my jaw and held my tongue. Even though it was somewhat humiliating, I didn’t want to give him the reaction he was looking for.
“I don’t know you. I’m sorry.” He said, brushing past me, and turning to his group at the table. The perky expression came back on his face. “So, I haven’t gotten an official tour of the school yet. Maybe some of you would like to help.”
The cameramen sent me odd glances before directing their cameras back at Nathan. I only had the ability to stand and silence and watch as the he headed out of the cafeteria with his newfound friends in tow.
Maybe I really was a fool.
But before he rounded the corner, like a flash, I saw him look back at me. Time seemed to freeze as a smirk slid onto his face, and he winked at me, eyes filled with spite.
That little—! That no-good, trashy, sneaky—! He got me. He knew that it would drive me insane when he acted as those he didn’t know me. He knew it would get me to the point that I would confront him and embarrass myself without any effort on his part. In attempt to not fall for his tricks, I tripped myself up and fell for it anyhow.
After the rest of my classes, I dragged myself back to my dorm, more embarrassed over the fact that I let him get to me than anything else. Sam hadn’t come around me since earlier either. She was good at knowing when I wanted company and when I wanted to be alone.
My room was always empty. My roommate spent most of her time studying at the library, so by the time she came into the dorm, I was already asleep. I had almost forgotten what she looked like.
I picked up my phone, and called the only person whose voice soothed me the most. “Daddy?”
“Angel!” My father was one for dramatics, and he spoke like he hadn’t heard from me in years. “It’s been a while. How are you? How’s school?”
I wanted to spill all the details. My dad was one of the few that didn’t know about my predicament. But I didn’t like to tell him bad news. Even though he’d hide it, he was so stressed at times. I didn’t want to add more to his plate. “It’s good. I’m good. Everything’s...good. Um, how about you?”
“Everything’s great over here.”
I hesitated. “H-how’s mom?”
“She’s doing better. The doctor said the chemo is really helping.” My dad lowered his voice. “She really misses you, you know. You should come see her.”
“Don’t.” I said softly. Both of us went silent, and I started to regret calling.
There was a knock at the door.
“Dad, I have to go. I’ll call you back later.”
“Okay sweetheart.”
I got up off my bed and opened the door. “Great timing, Sam. I was just—”
“Do I look like Sam to you?” I looked up at Nathan standing in my door. My first reaction was to slam the door in his face, but I resisted it. He sensed my inner conflict and grinned. “May I come in?”
I looked past him. “What, no cameras or girls this time?”
He shook his head. “I told them I had a private matter to attend to.”
Knowing I would wish I hadn’t later, I stepped aside, allowing him to come in. Better to get it over with now than later, I figured. “What do you want, Marris?”
His eyes scanned the room, as he sat down on my bed. Even though he tried to give the impression that he had just casually showed up, I could tell he had put a lot of effort into his appearance before coming here. His shirt had fresh iron creases in it, and I could still smell the toothpaste on his breath. And I know for a fact, no one’s hair looked that perfect without running a comb through it a few times.
“Are we on a last name basis now, Marshall?” He asked, teasingly.
“Oh, so now you remember me? Are you sure I’m not Amber? Or Alexis?”
He laughed, his dark eyes flashing with humor. “That really did get under your skin, huh? You’re not going to be hard at all.”
I didn’t have time for his jokes. “Look, why don’t you get to the point of why you’re here before I call your paparazzi to watch as I personally drag you into the hallway.”
He tsked, unaffected. “Still so violent. I do hope you realize that your usual tactics won’t be as effective as before.”
I rolled my eyes. “And I do hope you realize how stupid this all is. I believe that you are the one with the mental problem here. Stalking me after seven years, just to come and get your revenge. What do you want? To hit me? Feel free. I’m sure that’ll look great to your fan club. To make fun of me? Fine, do what you want. Just get what you want to get out of this and get out of my life.”
The initial fear I had melted away. It wasn’t until I stood in front of him that I realized that this wasn’t some new guy. No matter how much status or good looks he had, beneath it all was still the same Nathan I had grown up with. Sam was right. I had nothing to be afraid of.
His eyes went cold, and he stood up, shaking his head. “You’re still not trained, are you?” I recalled those words from when I said it to him. “If I had saw some change in you, I might have reconsidered. But now, you don’t leave me much choice.”
He started to come closer, and I stood my ground, even though part of me wanted to back up. “What do you mean?”
“You’re wrong, Alexa.” He said, continuing to move in closer. “I don’t want to hit you. I’m not going to stoop to your level. Embarrassing you is just the tip of the iceberg. Something as simple as making you feel bad in front of your peers wouldn’t give me nearly enough satisfaction. What I have planned is much, much worse.”
I stumbled a bit as he closed the space between us. Only centimeters separated our nose and mouth. At this proximity, and despite my disdain for him, I still had trouble keeping my thoughts together.
“What is it?” I tried to stop my voice from quivering.
He took his thumb and traced a line down my cheek. “I’m going to make you fall in love with me.”
A/N: And...cut! We’re going to end the segment here. So, tell me. Do you think Nathan is crazy for chasing a girl after seven years to seek revenge? Or do you think Alexa is crazy for refusing to own up to her mistakes? Or do both of them belong in the looney bin? Shoot me your opinions in the comments. And thanks for the support on the first chapter! Don’t forget to vote!