"What if I never existed? What if the whole world as I knew it was a lie? What if I was just a figment of everyone's imagination and my existence was never realized"

❃ B l a z e ❃

After taking a shower, applying a thick layer of makeup- courtesy of Bree and getting dressed, I went downstairs to find Bree and Rafael seated around the kitchen island, arguing about something. From their faces, I was sure it was something insignificant.

I approached them and saw a middle-aged woman making some breakfast. She looked up and smiled at me, and I assumed she was Mariana. I smiled back and took a seat next to Rafael. My body throbbed in protest but I pushed the pain away. Both of Bree's and Rafael's heads shot up as I sat down.

Bree beamed at me and Rafael shot me an apprehensive smile and they both greeted me. "What was your heated debate about?" I asked them and Bree scowled at Rafael. "You should be the judge, Blaze" Rafael told me and I raised my eyebrows, but nodded my head nonetheless. Mariana placed a glass of orange juice in front of me and French toast. "Thank you" I smiled at her and she nodded. I drank the juice while darting my eyes between the twins.

"The question that we desperately need an answer to is: Do girls wear thongs because they're more comfortable or because they want to seduce a guy?" As the words came out of Rafael's mouth, my eyes widened and the juice I was drinking flew out of my mouth and splattered all over the counter.

I coughed and Bree and Rafael started laughing while Mariana grabbed a cloth to clean up the mess-my mess and gave us a look. The Universal 'Kids these days' look that adults loved shooting to teenagers.

I took the cloth from Mariana, despite her protests and started wiping the mess while my face turned a bright shade of red. This wasn't the morning I was expecting. It was eventful and highly uncomfortable.

I didn't say a word but I could hear the stifled laughs of both Rafael and Bree. I wanted to punch, maybe kill them. Metaphorically of course. This wasn't typical breakfast conversation as far I knew.

Once I was done cleaning , I glared at the both of them and stared ahead while eating my breakfast. "It's a normal question, B. I prefer wearing thongs because they're comfortable but if I want to, I could also seduce a guy. But that doesn't imply that I'm wearing them for him" Bree stated with a nonchalant face. "I would rather not hear what underwear you wear, Bree" Rafael glared at her and I scoffed.

"You were the one asking the question just a few minutes ago, Raf" I quirked an eyebrow but my face was still heated from the embarrassment I suffered. He rolled his eyes and went on to state his reasons for the debate. "Personally it doesn't matter to me what kind of underwear a girl wears. I don't see girls telling guys about whether they prefer boxers or briefs. It's really stupid, if you ask me" he simply stated. "I personally prefer commando but hey, that's just me" he shrugged but he had a cheeky grin on his face.

Bree glared at him while I stared at him with bewilderment in my eyes. My face was probably redder than a Stop Sign. Were we seriously continuing this conversation?

"Guys?" I drew their attention towards me and they both regarded me with a nod. "You do realize you're both on the same side, right?" I told them. Rafael furrowed his eyebrows and Bree just stared at me as if I had grown a second head.

I continued to elaborate. "The topic of your discussion was quite weird, but you guys were on the same side. You supported the same facts, that a girl can wear whatever .. undies she prefers, right? So technically, you shouldn't even be arguing" I told them in the most professional voice I could muster. My insides were however, turning around in embarrassment.

They both looked at me and then at each other. "Pfft. I knew that" Bree waved her hand dismissively but it was quite obvious they were fighting for no reason. Rafael just muttered under his breath and we quickly ate our breakfast, conveniently ignoring the weird events of the morning. I didn't even want to ask how this conversation even started.

I realised I didn't have my backpack, but thankfully all of my books were in my locker. All of us raced out, well maybe just Bree and Rafael, for some reason.

I hobbled behind them, careful not to put too much pressure on my wounds. When we reached Raf's car, I realised what the fuss was about. Two seats, three people. "Hard Luck, baby sister" Rafael chuckled and Bree glared at him. "You were quite stupid in thinking I would let you drive my baby" He smirked while stroking the hood of his car. Bree and I rolled our eyes.

"Yeah whatever, I'm driving my own car. And I'm just two minutes younger than you, dipshit. But trust me, even my pinky finger is longer than your.." Bree muttered but was cut off by Raf's hand clamping down on her mouth. I stifled a laugh and just watched the scene unfold. Rafael flushed a deep red and he glared at Bree while she attempted to loosen Raf's hand on her mouth.

Bree elbowed him in the ribs and stomped back into the house to get the keys for her car. I assumed it was the Silver Mercedes parked besides Raf's car. Rafael just rolled his eyes at her, but from their playful banter it was clear that they were close. Rafael motioned for me to sit in the car and I got in and he followed soon after.

Bree scowled at him as she came back and Rafael waved at her as he backed out of the driveway. She followed soon after, and we were on the way to school. We weren't late, yet we weren't early either.

"We usually get coffee on the way, but I guess we don't have much time today" Rafael muttered as he turned on the music. I nodded and I felt like a normal teenager for once. Getting coffee in the morning and jamming out to random tunes was something kids my age did a lot, while I was worrying about how long it would take my bruises to heal and how I could avoid getting a nasty beating.

Both of us were silent the rest of the car ride, but I caught Rafael glancing my way more than once. I found myself admitting that I did the same. Rafael had good music taste as far as I could tell. Blink-182 was playing as Rafael and I attempted to make small talk. It was weird how one moment he could be full-blown flirting and the next he would act like an awkward small bean. It was kind of adorable. What the hell?

We reached the school and Rafael parked, with Bree pulling up not long after. I got out of the car and immediately winced as my foot came in contact with the concrete. I couldn't feel the pain yesterday, but it was quite awful today. I straightened my spine and ignored the flares of agony ripping through me.

Rafael rushed to my side and tried to support me by the waist but I gently declined. School wasn't the place to be getting cosy. Aiden could be lurking around anywhere and I definitely didn't want to face his torture this early in the day, be it verbal or physical. Bree approached us and playfully ignored Rafael.

All three of us walked together, side-by-side. It was actually comical if seen from a third person's perspective. No one parted ways when we entered nor were there any whispers. Not that I was expecting any. Some people just shot us curious glances but no one could be bothered anymore, after Lunch yesterday, the novelty had worn off.

I saw Travis from the corner of my eye and I grinned at him as he blew me a flying kiss jokingly, earning him a deadly glare from Rafael. Aiden was nowhere in sight, and I was glad. Travis came to us and he slung an arm around Bree's shoulders and I saw her blushing. Oh, that's nice. Rafael didn't notice, but he just gave Travis an acknowledging nod, all the while glaring at him.

"Lighten up, Raf. I respect Bro Code. Besides, I've got my eyes set on only one girl" Travis grinned and I saw him give a sidelong glance to Bree. Were they a thing? Travis was a flirt, so I wasn't sure.

Rafael was oblivious to the secret looks being thrown around and he just rolled his eyes. How stupid could he be? I saw Bree tensing up under Travis' arm and she pushed his arm off her shoulder and stalked off to her locker. I'm pretty sure they've got something going on.

"What's up with her?" Travis asked and Rafael just shrugged. "Not sure. I think she's just pissed off at me". I groaned at their stupidity. Dumb boys. They both shot me a quizzical look and I just rolled my eyes and searched for Bree. I couldn't see her anywhere. I made a mental note to ask her about Travis later. There was some tension there, at least from Bree's end.

Travis and Rafael continued talking about some trivial stuff as I approached my locker and took my books out. I once again looked around for Aiden and saw him staring at me from across the hallway. Surprisingly, he wasn't surrounded by his friends or Summer. He was alone, and neither Travis nor Raf had seen him yet. He gave me a deadly smirk and stalked off. I shuddered but pushed the fear back.

Travis bid us goodbye and Raf and I went over to English.

When we entered the class, I saw a girl standing awkwardly by Mrs. Lively's desk as if she was waiting for the ground to swallow her up. Her glossy dark brown hair was tied into a ponytail, not a strand out of place. Her eyes were almond-shaped and her chocolate brown eyes were flitting around, taking in her surroundings. I figured she was new and when she glanced over to me, I gave her an awkward smile. She smiled back at me, gratefully.

I could notice a few guys eyeing her up, and some girls shooting her curious glances, but no one made a move to approach her. Her discomfort was evident on her face. Everyone had their own cliques, and I could tell no one was interested in asking her to join them. They were content by judging from a distance. A year of going through life as a ghost could really make you observant. I felt sorry for her.

Mrs Lively entered soon after and had a little chat with the girl. Then Mrs. Lively motioned for me to come over to her desk. Rafael was confused, but didn't say a word.

The girl once again smiled at me and I flashed her a strong smile back. She seemed friendly enough. "Miss Davis, I would like for you to make Miss Kapoor over here comfortable in my class. Get her up to schedule with the work going on. I expect excellence in my class and I hope Miss Kapoor here has a positive influence on you, seeing as you slack off quite frequently" Mrs. Lively was having fun watching me squirm and feel embarrassed in front of a random girl I barely knew. I clenched my jaw but nodded.

"Hey, I'm Annikah" She smiled at me, as we made our way to our seats. There was an empty seat next to me and Rafael, and I expected that she would sit there, which she did. "I'm Blaze, that's a beautiful name". She grinned and Rafael looked at me, as if asking who she was. I motioned for him to introduce himself.

"Rafael" he grimly nodded, without a smile. I could see he was apprehensive talking to someone new. "Annikah" she replied with a small smile. All three of us faced ahead as Mrs. Lively started teaching.

Rafael quite literally dozed off, his arms supporting his head above the desk. His eyes would flutter close and I would then elbow him, and he would shoot upright. Annikah shot us weird glances every now and then.

Mrs. Lively didn't notice us and I tried to keep an eye on Rafael, but continued jotting down notes as well. His eyes never fully closed, it seemed as if he was half-asleep, half-awake. I tried not to seem like a creep, staring at him while he was asleep.

I noticed Alec out of the corner of my eye. He was looking at me and glanced at Rafael. He looked ahead but not before shooting me a glare. What the hell.

The shrill sound of the bell ringing jolted Rafael and he awoke sharply. He furtively glanced around him as if forgetting where he was. He saw me and gave me a crooked smile.

All three of us got up and packed our stuff. Rafael didn't say anything and neither did Annikah. "What other classes do you have?" I asked Annikah and she showed me her schedule.

I noticed she was with me in Maths. I told her the same and she grinned back at me. "I hope I don't get any other stuck-up teachers" she rolled her eyes and I laughed.

Rafael just walked silently with us, as if he didn't want some random girl intruding. His walls were up. I knew he acted cold towards people he didn't know, and I felt myself smile because he had been nothing but kind to me since the moment we met. Albeit the sole glare he shot me when handing me my keys the first day. I felt kind of special.

Bree saw us and started rushing her way over, her sour mood long gone. She saw Annikah with us and slowed down, as if wondering who the new girl was. Bree came to a stop in front of us and waited for Annikah to introduce herself. "I'm Annikah" she smiled brightly at Bree and I saw Bree regard her presence and then give a wobbly smile in return. "Bree". That was eerily similar to her brother.

I felt sorry for Annikah, seeing as she was new and people were finding it hard to warm up to her. She seemed like a sweetheart, and I took it upon myself to take an initiative.

"Would you like to sit with us at Lunch?" I asked and I saw both Bree and Rafael shoot me weird looks. It took me quite some time warming up to them, but it only took me less than an hour to ask some random girl to sit with us. I was shocked too at my sudden friendliness. Maybe it was because I felt like Annikah needed a friend.

She grinned and relief flashed in her eyes "I'd love to". She waved before heading off to her next class. Both Bree and Rafael regarded me as if asking for an explanation. "She's new and I don't want her to feel left out" I shrugged. Rafael just nodded and then stalked off to his next class.

Bree and I made our way over to Biology. "Any reason for suddenly including Annikah under your wing?" Bree quirked her eyebrows and I shook my head. "I don't want her to feel alone. She's new and she deserves friends. I don't want her to feel cast out." I said.

However, deep down, I knew I was just doing what Bree and Raf did for me. I barely knew Annikah but I wanted to include her, just like they had done to me. Kindness went a long way. She nodded in return and flashed me an approving smile, as if she could read my mind.

Mr. Harris droned on about the aspects of Evolution and I zoned out. I had some things on my mind, but I just blankly stared ahead like a zombie. I wondered what Aiden would do this time around. Me and Rafael had evidently grown closer, and I knew I was liking it. But at what price?

I wasn't going to give up on the sliver of happiness I had found. I wondered why I had never crossed paths with Raf and Bree earlier. If we had met earlier, would they have helped with my grief?

I never attended the first two weeks of sophomore year, too devastated to even function. Aiden and I had grown apart, and we were both mourning our loss. I had hoped for some solace with him, but all I could find was distance. That should've been our cue to go our separate ways.

After I returned to school, the news of Kiara's accident had spread like wildfire. People I had never interacted with would shoot me sympathetic smiles, but no one ever approached me.

It was better that the Marshalls had kept her suicide a secret. With a town like Glensdale, there were bound to be whispers and judgemental passes made by some person or the other. We weren't a small town per se, not everyone knew each other and we didn't have any annual barbecues or whatever, but we weren't a huge city either. They had informed the on-site medical staff and others to keep her death reason confidential. They deserved to grieve in peace.

Logan and his friends offered their condolences, but they never made a move to include me in their circle again. Even now when I saw him in the hallways, he would always avert his eyes. It used to hurt me before, but I learned to accept it.

With Kiara gone and Jonah leaving without a notice, I was all alone. I despised Jonah for a long time for ghosting me, even after the events of that night. He didn't care to think that maybe we could be each other's support systems. But eventually, I let go. I didn't have anything to hold onto anyways.

I still remembered the frantic whispers and glances being thrown around whenever I walked the hallways. Aiden and I hadn't broken up, but there was a rift. The rift was vanquished when he first laid his hands on me, replaced by pain.

Looking back, I wondered why I never saw Bree or Rafael then. They were new, but I had seen Raf around. He had instantly became a mystery because of his closed-off nature, but I was too wound up in my own bubble to even give him a thought. It was funny how things changed. However, I never saw Bree. I didn't even know of her existence until a few days back.

Before I knew it, Biology was over and Bree and I parted ways. The remainder of my classes before Lunch stretched on as I dwelled over the past.

I made my way over to the Cafeteria to see Bree and Annikah waiting outside. They were talking and I felt happy to see Annikah open up. I didn't see Rafael or even Travis around. I assumed Travis would be joining us for Lunch. I wondered where he used to  hang out before.

As I neared them, both Bree and Annikah flashed me dazzling smiles. They looked like models standing next to each other despite their differences. Bree was tall, an inch taller than me at almost 5"7. Annikah was shorter at about 5"4.

Their eyes were the same colour, but Bree's were more wide whereas Annikah's were tapered. Bree wore dark yet expensive clothes, whereas Annikah was wearing jeans and a cute white top. Bree wore her makeup dark yet sultry, whereas Annikah applied a more dewy look. They were almost opposites.

And then there was me, the common in between. I looked like a mere potato. My outfit was somehow presentable today only because it belonged to Bree. The only makeup I wore was to cover my bruises and the occasional lip gloss. I couldn't even achieve a makeup look, even if I tried. I barely knew anything about eye shadows and blushes. That was all Kiara.

I wasn't too short, not tall either though. The only thing I actually liked about myself were my eyes. They were ocean blue, and were the same colour as my mum's. I was always told how bright they were when I was younger, but now they had turned pale, due to the lack of light and happiness. I pushed all these thoughts back and flashed a smile to the two girls in front of me.

"I'm starving! I hope they serve good food here. My last school had lunches equivalent to those made in jail" Annikah complained as Bree and I laughed. There was an easiness between us, unlike the morning.

"Well it isn't so bad, if it makes you feel any better. The pizza is to die for though" Bree grinned. Pizza was definitely her thing. I was pretty sure she'd eat pizza made from cardboard and say it was delicious. Annikah smiled and we walked in and made our way over to the line.

I saw Rafael and Travis already sitting at our table, eating their lunches opposite each other. They noticed us and Rafael waved whereas Travis grinned. Travis looked at Bree a little longer and she just ignored him.

After buying our lunches, the three so us made our way over to our Lunch Table. Annikah sat next to Bree, who sat next to Travis. I sat down next to Rafael, just like yesterday. At the back of my mind, I was worried that I might be fuelling rumours by sitting next to him and hanging out with him. Although there were other people with us, facts could always be twisted. High School Gossip never ran cold.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Aiden get up from his table. Summer placed a hand over his asking him something and he shook his head, smiling flirtatiously back. I clenched my jaw in frustration but bit into my burger, letting food soothe my anger.

Aiden approached our table and I felt my heartbeat quicken and my hands started to get clammy. I swear I could feel the colour draining from my face. Aiden wouldn't do anything in front of others, would he?

Rafael noticed my discomfort and so did the others. Annikah just looked confused, but Bree and Rafael tensed up. Travis looked behind him to see Aiden and he just clenched his jaw.

Aiden stood behind me and leaned down to whisper in my ear softly, so Rafael couldn't hear. "Come with me and I won't cause a scene" he whispered and I stiffened up. I didn't want him instigating people against Raf and the others. I stiffly nodded and went to get up.

Rafael lightly grabbed my upper arm and I looked at him. "You don't have to go if you don't want to" he firmly said, glaring at Aiden.

The others at the table were doing the same, with the exception of Annikah, who resembled a lost puppy. Even Travis was serious and shooting hateful glares at Aiden. I wondered if they had a history, or if it was just because of Rafael. Typically, if your best friend hated a person, you did too. I guess that was the case here.

I just shook my head and stepped towards Aiden. He snatched my wrist, but his touch was rougher and more painful than Raf's. He squeezed my wrist, applying pressure to my wounds and cuts.

I hid my grimace as he dragged me out of the cafeteria, but making sure not to make it look forceful. Aiden glanced back and smirked at Rafael, as if proving his superiority. Students were shooting us curious, amused and some even fearful looks. If only they knew the truth.

As soon as we were out of the cafeteria, he dragged me into a classroom adjoining the lockers. There was no one in the hallway, and my blood pounded in my ears, fear taking over. Déjà vu hit me like a truck and I stumbled. Aiden quite literally threw me in the classroom and locked the door behind him. I backed away, scared of the events to come.

His face held a pure look of rage and he wasted no time taking it out on me. He punched my stomach, hard. The air got knocked out of me and I doubled over. My body couldn't take it, not after yesterday and for the first time I voiced my thoughts.

"Do you want to take me to the hospital?" I gritted out, the pain spreading through my abdomen. Aiden raised his fist but stopped mid-air. He punched the wall behind me instead and let out a loud growl. I shuffled away from the spot, grasping on the desk for support.

He looked at me with such fury in his eyes, I was sure he would beat me unconscious if it wasn't for the risk it held. He approached me and I backed away hitting the door. He leaned in and at the same time there was a knock at the door.

I panicked, thinking it was a teacher, but Aiden couldn't be bothered. He pinned me against the wall next to the door and did something I didn't expect. He kissed me, hard.

His lips were unforgiving, and there was no love shared between us. He pressed into me and I tried to push him away but he didn't stop. Panic flared through me and my breathing grew ragged as I recalled the events of the first day. No, No, No. He wouldn't do that in school.

The flashbacks hit me like a train. I couldn't comprehend anything other than the memory of his cruel body slamming into mine, doubling my already shattered body. I couldn't remember anything other than his relentless torture, his animalistic eyes feeding off my pain.

Tears pricked my eyes but Aiden was still kissing me, his hand on my waist pulling me closer. His other hand was in my hair, tugging at my roots. Fresh pain seared through my body. I winced at the the contact and his arm slid out. I thought he would hit me and I shielded myself, but he just unlocked the door.

That's when realisation struck me. He did that so no one would suspect anything.

Alec strolled in and paused at the sight of me pinned up against the wall with Aiden looming over me, my lips swollen. My abdomen was screaming in agony and I bit into my bottom lip to stop any noises from escaping, but a small whimper came out. I couldn't forget how he had broken me, how he had taken away the last shard of my innocence left.

Alec whistled lowly and commented. "I didn't know you guys were into the whole inside locked classrooms, hot make out session-kinda thing. Maybe I'll find you in the Janitor's closet next" and he smirked, while eyeing me up and down.

I fixed my clothes and matted my hair down. To the outside world, it would appear as if I had a hot make out session with my boyfriend. Only I knew the truth, he was my tormentor and that was no make out session, it was assault. Just like that day.

I tried to step out, but Aiden blocked my way with an arm and an evil glint in his eye. "We wanted to talk to you, actually" Alec spoke from behind him. What the fuck. He had never spoken to me, except for a few choice occasions. I was sure something was up.

I nodded and Aiden continued. "Tell your friend to know his place and where he belongs. Preferably, away from you." his voice was dripping with unmasked loathing. I knew he was talking about Rafael but I waited for him to elaborate.

"We wouldn't want Rafael and his stoner friend to accidentally fall down the stairs during school, would we?. That would be tragic, but it would only be the beginning of an unfortunate series of events. You see, we're about half a dozen and they're only two. We're Seniors and they're Juniors. You do the math. It won't take long for them to start having accidents." Alec smirked and I let out an audible gasp. They wouldn't dare do that, but I wouldn't put it past them either.

I had known I was dragging Raf and Bree into my mess, but now Travis was involved too by some extent, all because they chose to be friends with me? They didn't deserve to be hurt, not even a scratch, if it was because they were associated with me. I made the decision to distance myself from them, and I vigorously nodded my head. "Don't hurt them" I said and they both smirked. I was furious at them both for blackmailing me, but I didn't want them hurting anyone.

I pushed through the both of them and stepped outside, but Aiden followed me. "I'll walk you to your next class" He said and I gave him an incredulous look. He just slung his arm over my shoulder and walked me to my locker where I got my books.

I didn't see Rafael or the others and I assumed they were still in the cafeteria. We still had about ten minutes to class, and Aiden came with me to History. He stood against the doorframe and I stood beside him. He didn't let go of my hand.

I looked at him and observed the change he had gone through. His chocolate brown eyes used to be mischievous and full of emotions, now they were just hard and blank. His sandy blonde hair was unkempt and messy, yet somehow he still managed to make it look good. Earlier, he used to spend hours on his hair just fixing it in the right angle. He had built a lot of muscle, and even though he didn't appear as strong as Raf, he still played on the Rugby team. But the thing that had changed the most was his personality. The playful, jovial person I used to know had become arrogant, cold and ruthless. This wasn't Aiden.

He noticed me staring at looked at me but averted my gaze. His hand grasped more firmly on my hand when I felt someone stand behind me. I looked to find Rafael, glancing at our entwined fingers, with a hidden emotion. Aiden leaned down and kissed me firmly on my lips, but I didn't react. He leaned back and smirked at Rafael.

Rafael just glared at him as he walked away and he went to say something, eyeing my disheveled hair and probably swollen lips with contempt, but I ignored him and walked to my seat. I ignored him trying to call me. Even when Mr.Duncan started teaching, he tried calling me- tapping me on the shoulder, throwing paper balls, creating weird noises, but I ignored them all. I was hurting both myself and him by doing this, but I couldn't risk him getting hurt. He continued his attempts at making me talk until Mr.Duncan called him out, causing Rafael to lash out.

"Mind your own fucking business. Get on with your class, and we won't have a problem" Rafael snapped and Mr.Duncan turned red in the face. "Get Out!" He yelled and Rafael slammed his desk aggressively "Gladly, dickhead". He stormed out, slamming the door behind him. The door rattled. I was both shocked and somewhat guilty at his outburst.

Was I really doing this to protect him if it ended up hurting him and the others?

Hey Babes! Okay Okay I plead guilty for not uploading. That's why this chapter is about 5200 words. Am I amazing or what? And thank you so so much for 600+ Reads, it means the world to me.

The truth is I was kinda behind on my homework and I kept rewriting this chapter for some reason. I just couldn't put my thoughts into words. Talk about being the most worst author on the planet. Don't kill me though, I'm excited to write the chapters to come.

What do you think about this chapter? Was it a Yeah or a Nah? I totally want to know so drop your comments.

This chapter is dedicated to crimsonverre . Go check out her books they are the BOMB.

She's a bad bitty at their finest. You're missing out if you don't go check her out, because that girl is a fucking rockstar.

A random question: What's a song you're obsessed to right now?
I'm currently loving 'I want to' by Rosenfeld. Totally go check it out if you haven't.

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