CHAPTER SIX
( MONSTER )

IT WAS CLEAR that Brayden wasn't sure what to say. She still stared at Lucas, finding the sincerity behind his eyes that she needed. But what he had just said . . . was he really talking about Riley? Surely he wasn't- Brayden saw the way he always looked at her. But recently, she hadn't seen the two together at all.

"Riley isn't here today because I went to her apartment last night," Lucas starts before Brayden can speak. "I explained to her why I couldn't be with her, but that I still wanted to be friends. She may have taken it hard, but the truth is always worth it."

"You don't have feelings for Riley," Brayden says softly, surprised at the words that had just left her lips. "You've fallen for someone else."

"And I know it's a long shot-" he says quickly, cutting off the rest. "But, for what it's worth, I thought you deserved to know, too. I've never been one for lying, and I'm not about to start now. No secrets."

The brunette's heart beat out of her chest, her head spinning with relief. Instead of Lucas letting her down gently, he had surprised her. He had grown feelings for her, too, like no one else ever had. But if Allison heard about that, things would quickly go in a down spiral.

"You mean I'm the girl . . . " she doesn't go on, her back stiff. "You have feelings for me, and you told Riley?"

"She'll grow to understand what it feels like," Lucas assures her. "I guess that her kindness made me infatuated, and maybe I liked her for a little while. She was one of the only people I'd ever talked with, and she understood. Riley was always there."

Hearing Riley's name made her gut twist. This time, though, Brayden knew that Lucas wasn't talking about her in a lovestruck way. He was no longer infatuated with Riley Mathews, but had found someone new.

"And now that I look back on it, I feel stupid. Because why didn't I ever talk to you? Why didn't any of us take a second glance at the people near the back of the room?"

Brayden didn't answer, not wanting to talk about how distracted his group was. They were constantly consumed with drama and gossip and lies; so much that they never took the chance of talking to someone new that didn't seem to fit in. They hadn't noticed that there were students they had never talked to, or worked with.

It was always the core four.

"Now I see my options, and I want you to see yours." Lucas bites his lip as he finally finishes. "I really, really like you, Brayden Toles."

He knew her last name. He had taken the time to learn her last name- and oh, how important that was to her. Lucas had learned to be around someone other than his main friends, and actually listened to what they had to say.

"I really, really like you, Lucas Friar," Brayden breaks into a smile, laughing as she shakes her head.

Lucas looked as if he was hearing wrong. For a moment he was confused, then realized what that meant. He, too, smiled, and broke into a soft chuckle. And for a short moment, they sat in silence.

"Does this mean we can see where this goes?" Lucas asks hopefully, raising an eyebrow.

"We'll see, Lucas. We'll see."

---

Lunch was over in a blip, and Lucas insisted on walking Brayden to class. Brayden was definitely excited to see what was in store for them, but all of that was washed away when Allison showed her face in the hallway. Allison stepped in front of Brayden, twirling a piece of her blonde hair around her finger.

"What do you want now?" Brayden sighs. "I honestly don't understand why my life is so important to you. Find a different damsel, stalker."

"Word spreads fast, whore," Allison narrows her eyes. "Tell him, or I will. You can't keep lying to everyone in this damn school, especially to people who don't deserve it. Lucas is a good guy, I wouldn't want him ending up with a broken heart."

Lucas stood beside Brayden, looking at bit confused at the tussle. He didn't know Allison much, nor did he understand what the two were conversing about. Brayden only rolls her eyes as Allison finishes.

"You don't even know the truth," the brunette specifies. "You base your stories around gossip and rumors. You, of all people, should know how rumors aren't always true. So suck it up, and deal with it."

"Tell him, or I will," the blonde repeats, taking a step closer. Her dark eyes pierce into Brayden's, making her grit her teeth. "I won't let you lie to these people any longer."

"Brayden, what is she talking about?" Lucas asks, placing a hand on her arm. "It's okay, you can tell me."

"Not now, Lucas," Brayden rubs her temples, finding the sudden urge to knock Allison's teeth crooked. "Allison, just butt out, okay? I promise my life isn't so interesting that you have to follow me around and listen in on all of my conversations."

"Would you rather I explain the party?" The blonde clicks her tongue, glancing to Lucas. "Sorry, but Brayden's been lying to you for quite a while now."

"Lying?" He seems confused now. "About what? Brayden, what is she talking about?"

"Allison, just stop!"

By now, a small crowd had begun to form around the three. Of course they all wanted in on the gossip- who wouldn't? It was a typical high school with typical students. What more could Brayden expect? There was no decency here.

"Brayden and I went to a party last year, and slept with my boyfriend," Allison forces out, her words as sharp as glass. "I wanted us to have fun, I wanted her to experience something different than the library. She betrayed my friendship."

Lucas flinched at her words, not meeting Brayden's eyes. She silently pleads for him to look at her, but he never does.

"Some best friend, huh?" Allison says quietly, looking to Brayden. "At least now I know who to trust. And I'm glad you're no longer in the position to backstab, now that the whole school knows what you've done."

The circle of students around them burst into chatter, the gossip already beginning. Hearing it all unfold around her was like being trapped in a confined room with no way out. Lucas stood still in his place, now staring at Brayden. Allison was retreating from the circle, but Brayden didn't want her to leave.

Lucas was moving in the opposite direction, and soon enough, everyone else would, too. Her life would start to crumble, Allison would win. And it would all be lies. Brayden needed to stop them.

"He raped me," she says lowly at first. No one among the crowd seemed to hear her, all of them continuing on. The words had left her lips for the first time ever, and she felt her heart lightening up.

"He raped me!" Brayden yells this time, both Lucas and Allison stopping in their tracks. "Is that what you want to hear, Allison? The truth? You got drunk, and shoved me onto your damn boyfriend. And you know what? He raped me that night.

"I can't believe that, for one second, you would believe the rumors they all made up about me," Brayden's voice cracks. "You were the only thing I had, and you weren't there for me when I needed you the most. You, like everyone else in this fucked up school, have become prone to the truth.

"You lie to yourselves, to your friends, and you make up lies and spread them around. And I'm so done with all of the drama. Face the facts. None of your friends are real, this whole school is fake."

Brayden's eyes meet Allison's as she finishes her speech.

"Congratulations," Brayden shakes her head, her eyes feeling with tears. "You're all monsters."

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