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"The prettiest smile hides the deepest secrets. The prettiest eyes have cried the most tears. And the kindest hearts have felt the most pain"

~Amazonaws.com

For the first time, introducing:

Dylan's POV

After receiving detention for brutally fighting with the ultimate asshole Cade Nickerson, I sauntered ragingly down the empty school corridors to reach the exit as fast as possible.

That was when I heard voices that stopped me in my tracks.

Dubiously, I whirled around and carefully hid behind the lockers to take a peek at what was happening.

My vision was greeted with Natalie in her bright crimson cheerleading uniform, Venetia and...Claire.

My gut throbbed with the thought of facing Claire again. I had been trying to run into her accidently somewhere and to apologize to her for everything that happened that night. My mom had stopped me from going to school, worrying that the little punch, that Claire's boyfriend had given me, would hurt.

Their voices sounded harsh as Venetia glared furiously into their eyes.

"Do you realize the kind of trouble you guys are into?" she gritted her teeth "You destroyed a thousand dollars worth of products!"

"Yeah I guess we did" Natalie replied casually, all the while examining her nails "Whatcha gonna 'bout it?"

"Complain your asses off to Principal Bullard!"

"Oh you might not wanna do that" Claire smirked at her, placing her hands on her waist. I wondered briefly since when she started possessing the mettle to act so confident "Natalie? Remember the time when she was bullying Nina? Didn't you video tape that?"

"Oh yes!" Natalie snapped her fingers together as they watched Venetia's facade go pale with horror "What about the time she made out with Cade in the locker room?"

Claire's smile broadened "Yes that is definitely there in my gallery! And remember there were CCTVs installed in the corridors? They must've captured Cade and her breaking into my locker and ruining my notes? Aren't I right?"

"You are so right, sister" Natalie draped her arm across Claire's shoulder "So Venetiasshole, you might not want to get yourself in trouble because...they'll definitely punish you for your crimes"

Venetia pursed her mouth, lips trembling with anger as redness began to creep up her necks and invading her face. She controlled herself from hitting them by clenching her fists.

My heart squeezed with pain.

Natalie gave her a flying kiss and gestured her to walk away.

Venetia growled loudly, gritting her teeth together. She turned in her heels and stomped away from the scenes, the clicking of her heels clamoring noisily in the corridor.

That was enough. I couldn't let this happen.

I walked out of my cover and apologetically ambled towards the two triumphant girls cheerfully high-fiving each other.

"Claire?" I asked, drawing her attention.

The instant her eyes met with mine, petrified, she eyed me like she wanted to pull my soul out of my body. She whipped her head away from me and started to run.

"Claire, stop!" I ran after her and gripped her shoulders "Please listen to me!"

She slapped my hand away from her and exclaimed "What're you going to do? Apologize to me? If yes, then go away!"

"Whoa whoa whoa what's happening?" Natalie chanted as she stepped between us. She smiled at me, towing on my sleeves "Hey You"

"Hello yourself" I returned the smile. Natalie and I once dated, but she broke up with me two weeks later saying that it wasn't working out "I'd like to talk to Claire....alone"

"Oh sure" she flicked her hair, tracing her slender fingers down my arm "I'll see you around Summers"

I started, breathless, at her back as she was walking away. Gorgeous.

"Ahem" Claire's voice snapped me out of it "If you're here to apologize then you should know you're not worthy of forgiveness"

"Actually" I ran my hand through my hair "I wanted to apologize and make a request. Claire I am so so sorry. I was drunk and you looked beautiful as fuck that night. I couldn't control myself. Whatever your boyfriend did to me, I deserved it"

She pressed her tongue to her cheek "And what's your request?"

"You'll have to forgive me first and I'll promise to stay out of your way next time"

Her breathing hastened as her gaze drifted towards the floor "I don't have any reason to stay mad at you anyways. You're forgiven"

The chains that had been clasping my heart suddenly released it but I still didn't know if she'd acknowledge my request. I began to thank her but she cut me off.

"What's your request?"

I inhaled and exhaled deeply to calm down my racing heart "You're planning to get Venetia a suspension right?"

Her light blue gaze that was drifting in all directions abruptly met my eyes. I watched her as what I just said, dissolved into her mind. Clearing her throat, she protested "I don't know what you're talking about"

"Admit it Claire" I urged her to look at me "I know what's going on in that mind of yours. And I'm here to request you not to do it"

Her perplexed stare floated away into the distance.

"Don't do this Claire" I coaxed "It's our last and most important year and we're already halfway there. If you suspend her now, she'll lose one year of her life"

"And why do you care?" she rose her voice at me "You, Dylan Summers, should be least concerned because you don't give a damn about anything! Right? She destroyed three years of my life! What's wrong in destroying one of hers?"

"I don't give a damn, huh? Bullshit! Then tell me why I'm here protesting with you"

"I don't know, you tell me!" she yelled, pointing at me "Why are you fighting for Venetia Grey?"

I knew it. I knew this day would come.

Claire stared miserably into my eyes when I didn't answer. My throat went dry, my pulse rising.

"Dylan?" her voice came in whispers as she took a step towards me, eyeing me intensely "Do you and Venetia share a past?"

Yes.

Yes we do.

A very, very horrible one.

I chewed on my lips, flashbacks gushing into my mind like a flood.

"Dylan?" she asked again, this time holding my hand, unclenching my clenched fists "Look at me. What's wrong?"

She was surprisingly quiet and calm as I looked back at her.

"It's okay" she flashed a tender smile at me "If there's something you wanna talk about, I'm here. You can trust me. Tell me what happened"

"I can't"

"It's better to share than to keep it hidden in your heart and letting it consume a part of you every day"

I glared deeply into her blue orbs "I can't tell you"

"I always share my worries with people, and believe me, when I do, it feels good. I know what pain is like; I know that it hurts but Dylan if you tell me maybe I can help you out?"

The first time I witnessed my bestfriend, Carlton, brutally bullying this girl – I stopped him. I stopped him because I knew there was goodness in her.

I knew I could trust her.

So I started talking.

3 years ago...

The first time I lay my eyes on Venetia Grey, she was standing in the middle of the corridor, whirling here and there as if she was lost, containing her pain in as numerous students pushed into her and she tried to balance herself.

She stood some distance away, so gorgeous, so beautiful; she didn't fail to prevent my gaze even for a second.

I wanted to talk to her.

Gathering all the guts that my fourteen-year-old self possessed, I slid my hands into my jeans pockets as I nervously strolled towards her.

"Need help?" I asked. It kind of scared her.

Gasping, she turned around and my breath was taken away by how stunning she was from this close. I was at loss of words.

Shyly, she adjusted her sleek, orange hair that fell elegantly on her shoulders "Y-Yes umm..." she gulped, not wanting to meet my gaze "I'm new here. I...I'm kind of lost"

"Yeah I can see that" I giggled, adoring her bashfulness.

She bit her lip and swayed shyly "I'm looking for the Physics lab"

"No worries. That's where I'm headed too. C'mon" I lied. I was headed to nowhere, maybe bunking the class with my friends.

But for her. For her, I attended the physics class.

She quickly grew closer to me. We became best friends, sauntering the corridors of Whitney High, hand-in-hand, always, not caring about what the world thought of us.

We weren't even that famous and we enjoyed it. We enjoyed our privacy.

That was until I proposed to her, one beautiful sophomore year night, when the winds whooshed outside, the mighty rains trickled and tapped on the window panes and I kissed her in my bedroom.

We were perfect.

I was ready to give up everything for her. Girls always kept flocking around me but she was always the one I ever laid my eyes on.

But as every other highschool love story, this ended too.

But it ended horribly.

Horribly wrong.

Completely breaking us both apart from every side.

On one fateful day after our sophomore year midterms, one of my college friends asked me to join him in a party.

Gleefully, I agreed, hoping to have a good, memorable time with Venetia – the only girl my heart ached for.

"Looking gorgeous as ever" I kissed her palm as both of us entered the party together.

Bashfully, she tucked her hair behind her ears "So are you"

I observed her as I led her to my friends. I noted every inch of her skin, every dip, and rise of her curves, every strand of her glimmering orange hair.

Each and every guy turned to look at her as we walked through. I've always been the territorial type so I pulled her closer to me, chaining my arm around her.

She's mine.

Being the cheerful and outgoing girl she was, she made friends pretty quickly. She stood amid the group of girls, talking and giggling, ever so striking, so I thought maybe I'd go over to my friend and have a talk with him while she's having some girly-time.

That was by far the biggest mistake of my life.

Leaving her with a bunch of unknown college students....

Happiness was gone, my bliss taken away from me.

A series of traumatic events began then and they never seemed to end.

It had been 30 mins, I wheeled my head here and there, pushed the people aside, ran all around the house but she was nowhere to be found.

I could feel my heart beat... every single pound in my chest, in an eerie synchronization with the song blasting through the speakers of the party.

I tried asking her friends, but they had no idea either.

With every passing second, I grew more and more concerned; the violent huffing of my breath drowned the music out in the ears.

Where could she be?

My eyes fell on the stairs that led to the second floor of the house. That floor was closed for everyone right then but I had looked everywhere, the living room, the kitchen, the yard, everywhere.

I dragged my legs upstairs, my feet clobbering against the wood-embellished staircases, clutching the freezing metal rails as if my life depended on it.

I heard voices, far across in the corridor and followed where they took me.

She had to be here, she had to–

"I said I don't want to!"

My eyes widened as my heart squeezed with anxiety. It was her.

I narrowed my eyes to see through the dim darkness and what I saw made my blood boil with anger.

The organizer of the party, Jace, he had pinned her to the wall, attempting to lock her hands above her head.

"Get off of me!" Venetia screamed with terror, so much fear, so much agony, it made my heart melt for her.

I had never fought with anyone before, never raised my hand against anyone, never hurt anyone.

But for her. For her, I would do it.

I pushed him down to his feet and the intense fight began. Of course, it had to end up with Jace on top of me. I was feeble, I was weak, I had no experience.

I contained in the pain as numerous fists came pummelling down to my face.

"Dylan!" I could hear her faint screams, her faint requests "Please let him go! Please!"

The world began to fade in front of my eyes as I coughed blood. A kick came barrelling to my stomach and I gagged painfully, screaming in agony.

My groans echoed loudly in my ears, my breaths coming in gasps.

"Dylan!"

I lifted an eyelid using the little vigor I had left.

My fingers twitched as I stared helplessly at Jace, dragging away the only girl I had ever cared for.

She yelled for mercy but he had none.

I blacked out after hearing the loud thud of the bedroom door locking.

**********

Tears had flown unchecked down my cheeks in front of Claire Annesley, who was now staring at me with utter dismay, in an empty classroom.

At loss of words, she fiddled with her fingers, a broken expression invading her countenance.

Wiping a painful tear away, I gulped "I request you Annesley, please have mercy on Venetia Grey. She was an amazing, cheerful, friendly person, but that Venetia is no more. I know she can be rude sometimes but that's only because she is in pain but she hides it from everyone. She hides it by playing arrogant but she's not. She's a very good person on the inside. Please forgive her, please"

"Why is she still in pain, Dylan?" her voice came out husky, consumed with pity "It's been more than two years"

I lifted my watery eyes up towards her and replied "Claire, Venetia Grey is rape victim, I don't think she'll ever get over it"

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Everyone has lived through something that is eating them away. Never hurry to judge a person, you don't know what they have been through. And also remember, forgiving and ignoring is the best kind of revenge. Stay humble, stay awesome, and share. Always share your feelings with someone you highly trust – don't keep them inside you. If there's something troubling you, seek help from people, there are many good people out there :)

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Love, K

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