Nolee
"Colton." I holler at the tall blonde football player.
I'm baffled as to why he's back.
Everything turned brighter when he left, Lia was happier and herself. Colton coming back is only going to bring back the bad memories for her. I'm curious to understand why he's come back, if it's for Lia or football or something totally different. We're not in high school anymore, he doesn't have a territory or platform to hurt Lia but his words can still destroy her and me and Blair are going to make sure he stays the hell away from her if he's planning on being a jerk.
Colton's eyes turn pleased upon seeing me and Blair.
"Nolee, Blair, it's good to see you two."
I roll my eyes at his casual tone as if he's known us forever and we're the best of friends.
I could beat his ass up right now. But damn, he's gorgeous.
"Colton, what are you doing here?" I ask, pushing aside my traitorous mind.
Colton seems genuinely confused, his electric blue eyes swimming with the emotion.
"What do you mean?"
Colton is definitely bipolar, he switches personalities like a chameleon changes colors. We've seen him act like a complete ruthless jerk, a sarcastic clown, an angry madman but never a smiling, friendly happy-go-lucky dude. I swear if he tries to sweet-talk us, I'm going to swing.
But damn, he's so freaking gorgeous.
I cross my arms.
"You know exactly what I mean."
"I really don't." Colton nervously smiles.
"Why are you back?" Blair speaks, her bitchiness coming to light.
"You better not be thinking of hurting Lia again." I add with much seriousness.
Colton looks taken aback with our words. For a moment, he stares at us both, regret a clear glimmer in his eyes.
"I'm here to make her forgive me." Colton's features harden with determination.
I'm baffled.
Colton has come back to ask for forgiveness? Ask for forgiveness for bullying Lia? Is he for real? Does he really think coming back after hurting her so badly, he will steal her heart? Colton is either too stupid or too conceitedly confident. Forgiveness for bullying Lia, he's going to have to get on his knees to beg for her forgiveness. Asking for forgiveness after bullying her so bad is like wanting to take a ride to Neptune. It's impossible.
"Forgive you?" Blair is equally puzzled.
"If you think she'll forgive you for the years of bullying," I scoff in amusement, "You're in for a ride, Colton."
Colton shrugs, his features softening, guilt, and regret hitting him like an ocean wave.
"I don't care how hard I have to work for her forgiveness but I will apologize and make her realize how sorry I am."
The boy has guts, coming back, having a scary level of confidence in his intentions. I'll give him that. Colton had no problem with his words and actions, he often came off as conceited. Even at this moment, him standing there, looking so gorgeous and boyish and wet-haired—I need to get laid.
My point being, Colton drips with confident cocky bastard fuckboy aura all the damn time.
"Colton, you can't just come back and expect her to open her heart to you." I speak with gentle dominance and sympathy for my best friend.
Blair and I stood by Lia in her darkest times, when Colton was emotionally hurting her to the point we nearly lost her when he would pick a fight with her when other guys gave her attention when he was bored with his conquests. Colton is an A-Class jerk. For his own sadistic pleasure, he chose Lia as his victim and played with her feelings like a puppet with strings.
"I like her." Colton confesses, his words flashing like a lightning strike.
"What?" I'm floored.
"I beg your pardon?" Blair's eyes are doubling their size.
Blair and I gape at the boy in utter bewilderment.
This boy just confessed. Holy shit.
Colton bashfully runs a hand through his beautiful thick, wet, blonde hair—I need to stop!
"I like Lia," Colton smugly smiles, "I have since junior year."
"Are you kidding me right now?" I bite back, totally bemused.
"You better be joking boy, I swear to god, tell me you're joking." Blair advances closer to him. Knowing Blair, she will throw hands if need be. She's been in plenty of fights with other girls.
"I'm not," Colton gazes softly in our eyes, commitment floating in his beautiful, ocean-irises, "The reason why I hurt her was that I liked her."
Whoa!
WHAT?!
Did I just hear this boy say those words? Out loud? In front of me? Casually?
Oh, his pretty face is about to get rearranged.
"That's fucking messed up." I nastily snap at Colton, absolutely upset, mad, and plain shocked.
"You're telling us, you bullied her because you were in love with her?" Blair's raspy voice increases in pitch, her anger lacing through the moment.
Colton nervously avoids our eyes, biting his lip and as he does that little gesture, I have to focus on the fact that this boy bullied my best friend because he had feelings for her. What kind of douchebag would do that?
Oh right, Colton would.
"I regret wasting time hurting her when I should have been loving her." Colton speaks with firmness, yet tenderness towards Lia is creeping into his features.
Loving her?
Boy's confident.
I shake my head, completely in disbelief.
"Oh, I'm so gonna tell Elijah and he's gonna mess your pretty face up." I threaten but I'm so done right now that it comes out as a playful remark.
Colton's cobalt eyes round in awe.
"I'm not here to hurt her, I'm here to win her heart."
"Well good luck, you'll need it," Blair scoffs in amusement, "Oh, and you have two guys to fight with first for her heart."
With that, we walk away leaving Colton to gush over what Blair just dropped. Blair might be kidding about the two guys—Xavier, Sebastian—but she's half right. Those two have shown their attraction towards our virgin bear. Not sure how I feel about it, I'm skeptical but as long as things seem mellow, I'm good.
"I can't believe he came back for her, to ask for her forgiveness." Blair breathes out as if she's just watched a drama with a daunting cliffhanger.
I scowl.
"If he wasn't so pretty looking, I'd swing at him from so many directions."
Blair laughs at my words. And then two large bodies block our way, we freeze in our paths. Looking at the two humans, I instantly roll my eyes.
Zack and Hudson.
"What the fuck was that?" Zack urges, looking boyishly irritated.
"Oh, here we go," I cross my arms across my chest, blowing out a breath, "What do you want, Zack?"
His glazed, honey eyes peek over behind me, probably at Colton, unnecessary anger writhing within his eyes.
"Why were you talking to Colton?"
I share a look with Blair, I'm amused.
Zack is jealous.
This could be fun.
"I was asking for his number," I innocently say, biting my lip, "The guy is cute."
Zack grimaces heavily, his handsome features darkening.
"Nolee Rumi."
"What?" I shrug, acting demure, loving how irritated he's getting, "I'm a single, grown woman with needs. I deserve a hot piece of ass like Colton's."
"You're dead." Zack's raspy voice snaps.
I laugh and walk away, Zack follows me, most likely to dig up enough evidence as to why I was talking to another male that wasn't him.
What is wrong with him?
Blair
Hudson glares at me and I seriously feel like a child being scolded by her father.
And I oop—
"What?" I murmur, getting nervous under his stare.
"Did he say anything to you?" Hudson speaks too lowly, his exasperation waving like a red flag.
Boys and their constant need for dominance. Hudson knows better than to pry into my life, I hate that stuff. Everyone knows that I'm free to do what I want, I can flirt with whoever I want, sleep with whoever I want, go on a date with whoever I want—it's my choice.
Hudson and I are close but we play with each other's feelings.
"Yeah," I chew on my bubble gum nonchalantly, "He asked to go out with me tonight."
Hudson sneers viciously, his brilliant blue eyes sparking with red-hot flames.
"You better have said you're playing Monopoly with me."
I snort, amused.
"Like I'd play Monopoly with you."
Hudson stares at me for a moment, hardly, before his features mellow down.
"What are you doing tonight?"
"Nothing. Why?"
"I'm going to the skate park, wanna come with me?" Hudson boyishly asks, spinning his skateboard with his fingers.
"Depends," I pout, eyeing up his skateboard, "Can I ride your skateboard?"
Hudson bites his full lips, eyes hooding with bad behavior.
"Only if you come."
I bite back my smile.
"Cool."
Krystal
Colton is hot. Period.
When I caught him throwing that ball on the football field, the way his lean yet thick muscles moved, I was a drooling mess. Colton is new on the football team which means I'll be cheering for him. I need to slide in and snatch him fast before other dandies get a taste of him.
Brushing my fingers through my hair, I make sure it's not in a disarray. I check out myself on my phone's screen, making sure my lipgloss is shining and that I don't look like a hot mess. Cheer practice is always shit. Pushing up my breasts, I strut towards the new football player.
"Hey." I smoothly holler as I catch up to walk beside him.
Colton stops and looks at me, curious and confused. The way his tousled blonde hair rests over his forehead in a boyish manner, I'm shrieking in admiration.
"Hey."
God, even his smile is gorgeous.
"Colton, right?" I give him my best, alluring smile, one that will draw him in like a bear to honey.
"Yeah."
I extend a hand.
"Krystal."
Colton smiles handsomely, shaking my hand. My god his grip is heart shaking, I swear the moment our skin meets, fireworks go off inside me.
"I heard you got on the football team, congrats." I smile, sneakily eyeing him up.
"Yeah, thanks," Colton brushes his bright blue eyes over my body, "I see that you're on the cheer squad."
"Yup," I smirk flirtatiously, eyes glittering in hype over this boy, "Cheering for the Lake Bellevue Wildcats is my specialty, you know, besides flirting with cute guys."
Colton smugly smiles.
"Oh yeah?"
I bite back a smile.
"Since you're new here, care to let me take you out?" I ask coyly, adding a hint of playfulness.
Colton's brow lifts dubiously.
"As in on a date?"
"Sure."
Colton nods, wandering his brilliant eyes around, features painted with attentiveness. Colton then gives me a hooded, haughty grin, his eyes watching me closely.
"Depends."
"On what?"
"If you wanna go out with me because you think I'm hot or because you actually want to get to know me." Colton confesses in an almost conceited, judgmental manner, a smile never fading from his lips.
I gape at him, completely floored at his words.
Colton walks away without giving me another glance.
Did he just...call me out?
Lia
I'm so bored.
Yawning like a lazy house cat, I grab my paperback copy of The NeverEnding Story and exist the campus library. I've been in there for two hours, reading through the book and making notes for my essay. I was able to write up six-hundred words before my concentration and energy levels vanished.
Xavier interrupted my thoughts. Our kiss and the big question why was all I could think of. Kissing each other means something for our closeness—for the lack of a better word. I'm excited and nervous about what's happening between us. I should run whilst I can, considering all the rumors about him and his malicious nature, but I can't seem to stay away from him.
As I walk out of the library doors, lost in my thoughts, I bump into someone. My book falls from my hands, I oof from the impact and look at my poor victim.
Never mind.
I take that back.
My poor victim can disappear.
I avoid his dangerous wolfish eyes, grab my book from the floor and try to brush past him casually but Xavier grips my wrist and pulls me close. My heart races a million miles at his contact, my skin becoming warm and flushed. Even standing to close proximity to him, I still can't look him in the eyes. Xavier grins, too amused at my reaction.
"Why can't you look me in the eyes?" Xavier's voice is laced with mischief and cocky amusement.
"What? That's crazy," I pfft, avoiding his eyes at all cost, heat rushing to my cheeks, "I can totally look in your eyes, I've just been reading too much and my eyes are all puffy and red and my visions blurry, I'm sleepy and I can't even walk straight, so it's not you, it's the readings fault, ok, bye."
I snatch my wrist away from his heart-electrifying touch and turn around.
Xavier laughs and it's like the gates of heaven have opened.
"You're fumbling with your words, Lia," Xavier stops me again by grabbing my wrist, turning me around, "It's like you can't even say a word to me without blushing."
Xavier's heart-aching beautiful eyes bore into my soul. I nibble on my lip too bashful to admit the truth of his words. My cheeks are on fire and my whole body is being pulled like a magnet towards his.
"I am not blushing."
Xavier grins, his adorable dimples flaunting like a red balloon.
"Why are your cheeks pink then?"
I look away bashfully and hide my amused grin. Xavier catches this and bites his lip, causing my heart to tumble in fascination.
I can't stop thinking about our kiss, him and his sinfully sweet lips. The way Xavier kissed me felt like I was thrown on a bed of fluffy clouds. So soft and warm and paradise-like. Butterflies flutter in my stomach whenever I daydream about it, I've never felt something so surreal and intoxicating.
After that night, I've tried to avoid Xavier at all costs because I'm a big shy coward—kind of like Courage the Cowardly Dog. The fact that he and I have shared such a rousing kiss has me writhing in disbelief. I thought it was a dream, a dream I wished never ended but when I felt the presence and taste of his lips on my lips, I've been on alert as if an ocean of cold water has been poured onto me.
Xavier Knight is my first kiss.
"Why did you kiss me?" I softly ask him, locking my eyes with his.
This question has been bugging me for days. I told Blair and Nolee and those girls went mad crazy. They shrieked and hyped me up, congratulating me for losing my kiss-virginity. They couldn't believe I had my first kiss with Xavier. Kissing Xavier was an experience of its own. Nolee became a little skeptical of his intentions, she asked me why he kissed me out of the blue and I told her my honest answer—we were in the moment.
It's believable but my first kiss is Xavier Knight.
Xavier gazes at the way I nibble on my lip timidly.
"Because I wanted to."
An ugly monster tugs on my heart. I pull my wrist out of his hold, my heart falling in hurt.
"Why did you kiss me, Xavier?"
Xavier's stormy gray-green eyes hood, boastfully.
"Thought it'd be fun."
All the giddiness, all the flutters, all the high bleeds out my heart. Xavier's words are roguishly cruel.
He's made it sound like what we did was nothing special and that he sees me as his casual hookup. I should have known. I can't believe I was stupid enough to think that maybe we'd have something between us. I should have known the moment he began smiling at me. Just like every other girl, I've fallen for his charms. Xavier's used me, played me like his conquests.
I'm not regretting our kiss, it felt right for me.
All I'm feeling now is anger and frustration. The sadness of being played hurts but my anger towards him is mixing to create something unbearable.
"Wow," I breathe in loathing mistrust, "Kissing me under the stars wasn't anything special."
Xavier's features harden upon the candidness of my words. I want him to take it all back and say that it's a joke. I was only playing with you, I kissed you because I...
As if he'd actually like me.
"You're unbelievable." I whisper, feeling the sting of tears welling up. My heart feels so heavy and tender from the hurt.
I bite my lip and turn around to walk away, not even bothering to give him another moment of my time. I understand we're not in a relationship and that he doesn't owe me anything—my fault for knowing his reputation—but that doesn't stop the ache of being treated like a toy.
"Lia." Xavier's deep, raspy voice calls after me.
"Lia." Xavier grabs my wrist again, turning me towards him and I have to snatch it away from him.
I'm hurt and angry and looking at Xavier's remorseful eyes, I feel even worse.
"I didn't mean that, Lia." Xavier smoothly, softly admits.
I sniff, blinking the tears away. I don't want him to see me cry. I bet he'd indulge in seeing me cry, probably what he wanted in the first place. Kissing the good girl and making her cry.
Xavier looks bothered and regretful.
"I'm the stupid one, falling for your little act of affection," I snuffle feeling choked up, vision blurring, my lips trembling, "I'd actually thought we could be friends after that fun night but I guess I was wrong."
Xavier frowns, worried mixed with frustration painting his enchanting features.
"We can never be friends, Lia."
Xavier's said it once after our kiss and it was nonchalant, I thought of it as a fair judgment. But now, it hurts like a dagger to the heart.
"Because you don't wanna break my heart," I gently raise, throwing the words he said to me to his face, "Sadly Xavier, you've hurt me enough to do that."