Darbies's Pov

Parking my old Corolla car inside the school's driveway, the car jolt violently as I pressed on the break making Marcus and I jerk forward forcefully towards the car's dashboard.

"Jesus Christ, Darbie?" Marcus hissed as he held unto his seatbelt.

"Oppsie!" I smiled awkwardly while looking sheepishly at Marcus who seemed pretty annoyed.

"Is it the car or you're just a bad driver huh!?" He practically almost screamed. "How many times have I told you Darbie, change this car for Christ sake!! And that reminds me, I thought your dad gifted you a Bentley two weeks ago for your 17th birthday? So why the hell are you still driving this scrap car huh?"

"Don't call it a scrap car Marcus, this car belonged to my mother before she died." I mumbled out softly with a pout on my face.

My heart sank as I remembered my mum who died of cancer seven years ago.

Marcus looked at me calmly for a while, thinking collectively of the right words to say next.

"Okay fine." He heaved a deep breath. "I understand this was your mother's before she died but you know you can't keep on driving this car forever Darbie, it's old and plus you've got a new car now....."

"....I don't need it!" I burst out stubbornly making Marcus flinch backwards in his seat comically.

I pout harder as he stared at me incredibly for a moment.

"So, if you don't need your new car, what are you going to do with it then? You'd let it sit in your garage for eternity?" He scolded.

"No!....I sold it out already!!" I blurted out.

"You did what?" Marcus gasped harshly. "You sold out your Bentley?" He asked in total shock.

I gave a shy nod in confirmation towards him as his shocked face stared back at mine perplex.

"B-but, w-why would you do that?!" He stammered. "You're definitely not broke, you're dad is stinking rich and you're basically swimming in money so I don't get why you'd sell out that very expensive car he gifted you for your birthday."

"I've told you already Marcus, I didn't need the car, driving a Bentley which worth thousands of dollars is a total waste of money, there a lot necessary things that amount can be used for." I argued.

"So you sold out your Bentley only to keep on driving this junk you call a car?" Marcus chuckled in disbelief. "So now tell me Darbie, what did you use the money from selling your Bentley for then?" He inquired curiously.

Should I tell him or should I not?

Nahhhh

"If I told you what I used the money for Marcus you'd probably throw tantrums at me like you always do." I mumbled hesitantly.

Marcus gave me a dead look for a moment as I looked away hesitantly.

"Please don't tell me you gave all the money away for charity?" Marcus mutters out dreadfully as he stares at me wide eyed.

I froze on my seat in guilt as I looked back at him speechlessly. Confirming my lack of response as a yes, Marcus collapse weakly on the passenger's seat as he stare forward through the windshield inside the car.

"Woahh! You're so unbelievable, Darbie." He exclaimed in disbelief before snapping his seatbelt loose, stepping out of the car.

"Hey! Wait for me!!" I called out as i hurriedly reach out for my back pack at the back seat of my car, stepping down from my car simultaneously, I jogged up towards Marcus as we walked side by side towards the school entrance.

"Are you mad at me, hmm?" I asked looking up at Marcus whom was staring straight ahead not sparing me a glance as we walked in the midst of students hovering around the school premises.

"Why would I be, Darbie? It's your life. I'm used to you living this way already and yet, I still manage to get blown away by your profound kindness." He said with a loud snort.

"Maybe cuz I'm so amazing?" I teased up at him as he gave me a funny look.

"You wish." He smirked playfully earning a laugh from me. "But seriously Darbie, you need to tone down the rate of kindness you dash out to people, people might use that opportunity to start taking advantage of you....."

"........like the way you're taking advantage of her, right?" Ruby's voiced interrupted.

Marcus and I halt on our steps staring towards her direction as she walks up to us, her stern and serious aura evolving around her with every pounding step she took.

"Of course it has to be Ruby." Marcus grumbled as he rolls his eyes in distaste.

"Why? Ain't I saying the truth, Marcus?" Ruby taunted as she stood in front of us. I could feel the rate of her burning glare towards Marcus erupting through the wide glasses she wore on her face.

Typical Ruby!!!

                             Ruby

And that's Ruby, my best friend since childhood. Ruby is a totally devotional christian girl like me, we basically attend masses in church and do most other churchly activities together but in terms of personality Ruby and I are way much different than the other.

Ruby's kind of the provocative type who doesn't get along with people pretty well because she basically hates them all. She's has always been the smart and calculative type who wouldn't hesitate to smack me in the head whenever I act stupid sometimes. She's basically like my second mum.

She got the nickname 'bitterleaf' by students in school due to her unfriendly attitude and her crude harsh words towards people which unfortunately for me, my boyfriend Marcus happens to be one of those victims of her typical cruelty.

"Knock if off Ruby, it's too early in the morning to start off your day like this." I whined making Ruby diverse her blazing glare towards me as I avoided eye contact.

Okay, Ruby can be very scary at times.

"Well I bet it's never too early for him to request for an assignment he never worked for in order to upgrade his grades." Ruby snarked distastefully at Marcus whom was now glaring down at her with clenched jaw.

Oh Santa Maria!

I face palmed myself as I mentally got ready for the rest of the drama to unfold.

"If only you ain't a shallow minded bitch, you would have learnt how to mind your fucking business a long damn time!" Marcus spat down at Ruby through gritted teeth.

I and Ruby's jaw dropped on the floor in shock due to the curse words Marcus spilled out of his mouth.

"D-d-did you j-just curse at me?!" Ruby bursted out in fury.

"Yes I did...So?" Marcus took a daring step towards Ruby urging her to do her worst.

I panicked.

"You freaking son of a hen who can't speak appropriately in public...I'll show you some manners." Ruby growled about to ponder at Marcus as I quickly stepped in between them.

"Woah there guys! Woah... enough!! knock it off, both of you." I exclaimed looking at them both as they held murderous glare at each other's faces.

"Teach your friend some manners, Darbie." Marcus said as he walked out on us furiously.

"No, you learn some dignity first! How about do your homework yourself, chicken!!" Ruby yelled out at Marcus retreating figure.

"Seriously Ruby stop." I shook her elbow incisively.

"What?!" She barked. "You need to wake up and realize how that guy is fooling you into doing things for him all the time."

"Uggh Ruby! Quit it will you? Geez you seriously need to work on your temper." I mumbled out tiredly with a sigh. "Let's just go inside before we'll be late for class." I gestured towards the front wide door outside the school building.

"Uggh fine!" Ruby groaned defeatly. "Let's go in shall we? My day is ruined already, I don't wanna ruin it further by being late to class." With a huge scowl on her face, she readjusted her glasses as we walked into the school building.

Walking along the school hallway, My view was graced by so many familiar faces in school as I made an effort to greet each one of them as I passed them by.

"Hello Joy, how you doing today?" I greeted a random girl from history class as she stood beside her locker looking at me with a confused expression on her face.

"Uhm.. sorry do I know you?" She asked as we walked past her, my smile dropping instantly.

My face brightens up immediately as I spotted Adriana and her friends from P.E class chatting loudly as they walked towards me to the opposite direction from me.

"Hi guys! How y'all doing today?" I chirped out at them as they all gave me a weird look before walking past me clearly ignoring my greetings.

"Hey James!" I holler at a guy on a skateboard as he rode past me.

"Uggh!! For Christ sake Darbie stop greeting literally everyone you walk past, they're clearly not interested!" Ruby groaned out in annoyance.

"What? I'm being unusually thoughtful, which is a good thing....." My words got caught up in my throat as I noticed Isaac the guy I made a confession about stepping on his toes accidentally in class, standing with his friends beside his locker in the hallway. "Oh that's Isaac over there!" I exclaimed pointing towards Isaac's direction.

"Who's Isaac?" Ruby furrowed her brows in confusion.

"The guy I accidentally stepped on his toes during our last chemistry class!"

"Oh!" Ruby exclaimed in realization.

"Let's go say hi to him." I suggested.

"Wait...what?" Ruby asked astonishingly, completely cut off guard as I dragged her along with me towards Isaac clearly ignoring her protest.

"Hi Isaac!" I greeted with a wide smile on my face as he looked back at me with wide eye, his mouth hanged open due to the interrupted conversation he was having with his friends.

"Oh...hey Darbie! What's up?" He greeted back skeptically.

"I'm good!..I just came over here to check up on how your toes are doing!!" I said grinning widely at him.

"Oh my God." I hear Ruby mutter out dreadfully behind me.

"Check up on how your toes are doing!?" Isaac friends asked aloud, simultaneously looking at him amusingly as they all snicker quietly.

"Uhhmm..my toes are fine thank you?" Isaac replied awkwardly at me.

"Really? That's great news!" I jumped excitedly. I could see Ruby momentarily take a step away from me from the corner of my eyes. "You don't know how relieved I am to hear that coming from you...oh! Before I forget, I have a gift for you." I said as I snapped the zip of my backpack open.

"You do?" Isaac asked in surprise as he and his friends watched as I took out a small box wrapped up in silky leather wrap and handed it over to him excitedly. "Y-you don't have to give me a present yunno." He said sheepishly as he held unto the gift like he was holding something very strange.

"Nonsense Issac! This was the only way I could think of to compensate for the pain I caused you." I said cheekily.

"Uhm-thanks?" Issac said awkwardly while staring at my gift strangely in his hands.

"Yo Isaac..open it up!" One of his friends suggested at him.

Isaac nodded awkwardly as he unwraps my gift. Pulling the box open his face fell flat when he realized what was inside the box.

"You..you gifted me bandages?" He stared up at me incredibly dumbfounded with shock laced on his face as his friends all bursted out into laughter, Ruby not excluded.

"Yes. I was thinking since I stepped on you the other day, you might have probably gotten badly injured due to the way you hopped out of the class like a fro......." I refrained myself from completing that last statement as I made an awkward laugh to cover it up. "Nevermind...so, do you like my present?" I asked looking hopefully at him, oblivious to the reason why everyone around us was laughing so hard.

"Uhhmm...yes, thanks that's so....t-t-thoughtful of you." He forced out with a force smile.

"Great! Glad you liked it." I exclaimed happily. "See you guys later then!" I sang as I dragged Ruby along with me, leaving Isaac behind with his friends whom can't stop laughing for reasons obvious to them.

"God, what was that Darbie?" Ruby asked with amazement.

"What was what, Ruby?" I furrowed my brows at her in confusion as we headed towards my locker.

"Don't tell me you didn't know what you did back there, Darbie! You clearly humiliated that poor guy with your kindness." Ruby laughed.

"What do you mean Ruby?" I asked genuinely clueless of what she was talking about as we reached my locker.

"Took you guys long enough to get here!" Penelope smirked at us leaning causally on my locker.

                        Penelope

That's Penelope, my second best friend and she's completely different from Ruby and I in numerous ways.

For a start, Penelope is an atheist, she's a brunette who is always dressed up in black clothings and dark make up that people often mistakes her for a devil worshiper. I can say Penelope's one of the most nonchalant person I've ever met, she's has this very mysterious and intimidating vibes to her that scares people away.

Don't mess with Penelope, she can be very silent at most times with little words but that doesn't mean she isn't mean. Penelope steps on anyone who trys to mess with her, I've literally watched her getting into fights in the past and believe me when I say this, she's really brutal with her punches and kicks and that's why everyone in school is very scared of her. She's basically the school's badass.

Well, Penelope and I started out as friends when she saved me from getting robbed by some school bullies in the woods during junior year in highschool, I remembered watching in amazement as she singlehandedly beat up four bad guys to pulp before she handed over my bag safely to me without a single scratch inflicted on her body. Ever since, I have been the only friend she ever had.

"And if it isn't little miss satanist again!" Ruby scoffed. "No wonder this hallway reek of demonic essence!" She mumbled with distaste as she shot a glare towards Penelope.

"Hey Ruby, nice seeing you again." Penelope witted back sarcastically at Ruby with a light smirk on her face.

Oh, have I forgot to mention? Penelope's and Ruby's dislike towards each other is totally inevitable. They are like thorns in each of their gardens and the only reason why they tolerated each other long enough was because of me.

"Guys, quit it now will you?" I groaned out frustratingingly. "I've had enough of bickering today geez!" I said tiredly as I opened up my locker, fixing up my things in order.

"Sorry about that babes, but you know the cat couldn't stop meowing so I had to tame it shut!" Penelope chuckled darkly still maintaining her calm persona.

"Why wouldn't I stop meowing after that disgusting thing you pulled off." Ruby growled out with disgust towards Penelope.

"Still can't get over the fact that I fucked your pretty brother, Ruby?" Penelope asked calmly, silently taunting Ruby.

Oh Santa Maria!

why do I have so much bad energy going on around me this morning?

Apparently Ruby caught Penelope and her brother, Chase butt naked on his bed months ago and Ruby haven't still recovered from the shock of her supposed virgin brother losing his virginity to Penelope out of all people. so ever since then, Ruby held this huge grudge against Penelope.

"I'm heading straight to class." Ruby announced not removing the murderous glare she held towards Penelope. "I'll leave you to discuss with your shameless prostitute friend." She added with clenched teeth as she walks away.

"Ruby?" I called out softly as she ignores. "What have you done Penelope? You shouldn't have said that?" I scolded as Penelope shrugs nonchalantly at me in return.

Screaming voices of overly excited hurmonial teenage girls erupted in the school's hallway as my head shot out to my side to witness the cliché scene of Dylan and his two friends Eddie and Freddie(those two are twins if you might be wondering why their name rhyme) walking along the hallway as they blew imaginary kisses and flying winks to their fangirls while they literally man walked their way through the crowd of hovering girls around them.

I know you might be wondering who those guys are and why they attract such attention. Well here's the thing, Dylan and his friends are dancers and their TikTok is tad crazy with millions of followers, they go by the name 'pretty boys' which to me is pretty stupid but not entirely a lie actually because those guys are actually good looking and to top it off their crazyily talented with their moves.

I know you might have tagged them as some kind of cliché rude and arrogant guys full with pride already but the pretty boys are different, their somewhat down to earth and easy going most times and that's why people even love them even more.

The most loved out of the pretty boys is obviously Dylan Lee, though I've never spoken to him before but I kinda admire him from afar, not in the manner you might probably think.

I don't have a crush on him, I just admire his personality.

                            Dylan

Dylan is from a rich decent family, who usually appears simple and carefree all the time. he doesn't let his riches get to his head and he's a genius as he always he tops off the class all the time which makes him a rival and a threat towards straight A nerds like me and Ruby. Well at least I don't take it personally but let's not go into Ruby's anyway as you all probably have an idea already.

Penelope made a cat-whistle as the pretty boys walked past us.

"Pretty munchies are looking hot as hell like always." She mused.

"Whatever you say, please don't even think of sleeping with them, Penelope." I gave her a dead look knowing pretty much of what's running through her mind right now.

"Don't worry, their not my type anyways." She shrugs. "I usually go for alpha males, not anything a virgin like you can understand." She huffs in amusement as she stares at me.

"Excuse me madam." I blushed at her, clearly embarrassed on how open she speaks about my virginity. "Don't say that aloud with people close by." I mumbled softly at her.

She made a little laugh before shooting me her signature smirk.

"Sorry about that. well that reminds me, where's your Marcus at?" She asked curiously as we walked to class. "Please tell me you guys broke up." She deadpanned.

Seriously?

"No we didn't Penelope. Marcus would have been by my side by now if Ruby hadn't drove him away with her usual self." I sigh dramatically as my mind wandered towards the not pleasant scene earlier.

"I like Ruby this once for that." Penelope snorted.

"Oh come on Penelope, not you!" I whined as I stopped at the entrance of the classroom door making Penelope halt in the process. "Marcus is really not that bad you know."

"Okay." She shrugs again. "But I can't wait to finally break him into pieces when he hurts you and I fucking mean it." She gave me a light tap on my back as she enters the class making me stare at her in awe.

"You wouldn't do such thing, right?"

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A/N : I know y'all probably be wondering when the main event of the book is gonna take place, well I can assure y'all gonna have a glimpse of it coming in the next chapter. I just wrote this chapter so y'all have an idea of some little important details about Darbie before switching it up.