Caribbean Dialect Included

OMG! I knew this couldn't be real. Derek isn't like that.

It was only his looks that got him so popular. I can't believe he tried to blackmail Derek Iverson of all persons.

Is that so hard to believe? His father probably gave him the idea—a bunch of dead weight on society.

His sister fucks around for popularity. Maybe she's aiming for a town whore. LOL!

LOL! She's on the right track.

Arghhhhhh!!!! I can't get on his page to see what's going on.

Shaun's? It's private now, and I heard he blocked the soccer team and whoever he added from school. 

Fucking fag. Who would have thought he would flip that way?!!

His account went private after the video blew up. Do you think he left school?

I wouldn't show my face in school if I was him—a piece of shit.

"A week later, and it's still going." Bree cackled as she read the comments below the captured video still that's now on everyone's feed. The video was now banned,, but those on Derek's side or who loved a good drama created links to view it. New posts were made slandering Shaun, and some were made for Selby. Her 'fans' were sympathizing with her, but others were ridiculing her for losing her man to another man.

"Bunch of simpletons," Bree murmured, switching from her laptop to phone. It was the weekend at the Lincoln house, and she was the good girl her mother saw her as. Though the woman wasn't home, as usual, she wanted to make it easy for her mother. She didn't need to worry on top of things.  The house was in good shape, but things like bills and food needed to be handled. Her father stopped sending the alimony cheques leaving them to fend for themselves. 
Bree could never find it in herself to forgive her father for abandoning them. He brought them to this state, changing their lives then up and leaving them all for a richer family. Russell was right in everything. This town changed their father. 

"I can't wait to get out of here," she said aloud. 

What started as a way to punish the Johnson family through their 'perfect angelic' son turned out to be a little fun to pass the time. The latest prank was really for Selby; having Derek turn against Shaun was more than she expected. If Shaun is hurt, then it will all go back to Elijah. Him, being the 'perfect' friend to the fag, he will shoulder every problem the guy was having. Though she didn't expect the gracious Selby to cut ties with the group, the embarrassment was there.

"Pretentious bastards. It won't be long before daddy and mommy come to their rescue." A grimace took over her face when the memory of being slightly jealous of Elijah because of how close his family was. Her brother explained to her how unnatural it all was. Her family was one of reality while the Johnsons lived a life manufactured by riches. No one was that perfect. If it wasn't for her older brother, she might have gotten sucked into that farce. Her father, unfortunately, got drawn to that side, remarrying to a rich woman and having a new son. Their other brother Raymond ditched them when he left for college. 
Doesn't he know how their father hurt their mother, Bree silently said to herself. To go through the problems of an unfaithful husband, now to make a living. Their mother never worked a day in her life now, she has to suffer.

Rolling off her bed, she went to her closet and located the hidden safe she had Rush installed for her. Mindful of any unwelcomed visitors to her room, she quickly unlocked it and counted $800 from her hidden cash to give to her mother. The money in her possession were little gifts from her boyfriend after a successful run. She didn't have to depend on her mother for an allowance or cash to buy things she needed. She can fend for herself. What was in her closet was minor. Her bank account had enough to handle her lifestyle. It has been nearly four years since she became Rush's woman. He gave her anything she wanted when Elijah always bitched about the things she asked for.
Her man can give her a car in less than five minutes, shopping spree whenever she wants and trips when she decides to do so. Elijah has always been apprehensive about buying her things and had the audacity to ask if she loved him or his bank account. His sister was whispering in his ear that entire relationship. What a disgusting thing they had. Honestly, she was only with him as revenge and wanted to be spoiled the way she deserved. Russell said she was to be taken care of like their mother and not slaving away for anyone. That's why she can never forgive her father. He cheated and took away their mother's lifestyle. Eli Johnson was the one to blame with all those jobs where he met that woman. 

"Well, it's all done with now. I can care less what happens to them."

Hiding the safe once more, she left her room and ventured to her mother's room to place the money. When returning, her cell rang.

"Hello!" she answered in a rush.

"Hi, sweet girl. I didn't want to wake you nor bother you, but are you able to meet me at the lawyer's office?"

It was her mother.

"Lawyer's office? Why? Are you finally suing for all those missed cheques? He can afford them all in one payment," Bree groused. 

"He wants to talk to you. You haven't been answering his calls or emails, and he doesn't want to visit the house uninvited. Plus, Raymond is here. Don't you want to see your big brother?"

"Why the heck should I? I don't want to talk to him anyway; I got things to do," she returned before ending the call.  Bree's anger spiked, she quickly searched for the person who can ease her anger in a heartbeat. The only guy who knows how to love her.

                                                                                              ********

In the small bistro downtown Spencer, Thaddeus Lincoln sat back with his arms folded and watched as his ex-wife gave him a smug grin and stood from the table. For three days, he constantly asked her to meet with him to discuss the issue the school brought to his attention. "You do realize what is at stake, right? Your messed-up sense of justice is going to screw with our daughter's education. Why don't you tell her the truth? When I first found out, she was still a baby with the boys too young to understand what the fuck was going on. Russell had an idea, but I guess you twisted his mind too much. I stayed for them back then, but I left now for my own sanity. It won't be long before they find out about your lover," he said steadily.

"By the time they do, he will simply be the man I need to move on with," Mya Lincoln said with a shrug of her shoulders.

It has been a kept family secret between the two of her infidelity. Apparently, his act of providing and caring for his family, not to mention his loyalty to her, were things she didn't value. What did he earn from a shotgun wedding because he knocked her up? 

Overbearing in-laws.

Unsatisfied wife.

Public embarrassment.

Disrespectful kids. 

Unhappy marriage.

Though it was late in life, he finally got the chance to find his happiness. Remarrying doesn't mean his love for his kids vanished. He will always love them. It simply disheartens him that out of three, only one returns his love. 

"Mya. You need to sit down and think of what your lies did to Bree. Russell is already a lost cause. Raymond figured shit out since he was in high school, and you played on our daughter's adoration for you. Tell her the truth, Mya."

"It was nice seeing you, Thaddeus," she returned smugly.

"She will be expelled from school if she doesn't resume classes, get her grades up, and take responsibility for the bullying she has been doing," he said aloud. Mya froze in her steps; her back became rigid upon the news. Slowly she retraced her steps and angrily invaded his personal space. 

"Lies won't work to get out of paying alimony I'm still waiting on. Plus, it's too late to bring those false accusations to gain custody of a child who wants nothing to do with you...."

"Come off your fucking high horse and check the mail. I know you have them stacked up. I have every receipt for priority mail in which the lawyer has a record. As for Bree's school record, Principal Costas has been trying to reach you constantly with every incident she has caused. You're always unavailable when he calls. The latest was one for the books. The cops were involved, and the most recent will most likely be the same. I'm tired of giving excuses for her behavior, making promises, and trying to keep her away from a jail cell. The divorce is no longer an excuse for her behavior nor Russell's prison term. I'm sorry to say this, but I'm tired, Mya. It's time to take up the slack with her and tell her the truth. She's nearing an adult. If the cops are involved in another case with her, I'm letting them do their job. Have a good day, Mya."

Saying what he had to say, Thaddeus rose from his seat and left with a heavy heart and worry-filled mind. If it wasn't for Elijah giving him the heads up on Bree being the mastermind behind Spencer's latest upheaval, he wouldn't have known. Her vindictiveness reached a new level. Her entire change in character was now troubling. He was being honest as to not knowing who his daughter truly was. Through secondhand conversations, he hears talk of her and his oldest, and the embarrassment a parent would have was huge. 
Countless times he spoke to them both, tried to mend the bridge that's broken, but they threw it all back in his face.
He knew what must be done, and it's hard.
They will always be his kids, but this is the only way for them to see themselves. 

                                                                                      *********

At that moment of Thaddeus Lincoln making a begrudging decision, Elijah was making his way up the stairs of Shaun's home. A week and no appearance of the guy made him uneasy. Random one-worded texts from him made that uneasiness upped to him being a worrywart.
Approaching the door, he can hear the muffled argument behind the door clearer. The words that spouted from Shaun's mother's mouth made him stop in his tracks.

"Couldn't you hide that part of your life? Fucking disgusting. You're just like your father, a failure and an embarrassment to us. What are you going to do now? I certainly can't afford college for you. We all know Natalie wants nothing to do with college. How can you be so ungrateful? Shit like this is to be kept hidden and know your place. Messing with one of those blue blood is a social killer. Did you think you will get a happily ever after with him? Think about it, Shaun. God, you're so stupid. Just when I'm back as a decent citizen in this town, you had to go fuck it up."

Silence followed the woman's outburst.

"Don't you have anything to say for yourself? Useless piece of shit. Of all the crap to bring down on this family name, it had to be you being gay and accused of blackmail. Not just anyone, a fucking Iverson." Stomping and the slamming of a door followed; that's when Elijah moved but away from the door. Retracing his steps, he made it back to his van and opted for texting Shaun.  His visit wasn't planned, and showing up after that parental blow-up will be hard for the guy.

Elijah: Hey, I'm outside...

He couldn't continue typing the message, not even press send on those three words. He can never sympathize with what Shaun was going through but hurt to hear his mother speak to him that way. His mother Janine never raised her voice in anger at him, nor did his father in all his years. Their family talked things out before acting upon emotions. He felt useless at not knowing what to do. Marielle spoke to him at lengths about being there for the people he called friends, even to be there for them when they need it. Presently, he didn't know if his friend needed his presence or not. His hand shook in fear from thinking the worse. Shaun's state of mind was already fragile with the video, his sister's betrayal, and not to mention Derek's. His friend won't say it out loud, but he loved the asshole. That's a hurt no one can ever understand. He was suffering all of that plus the negative backlash from the public, now his mother, that's a heavy burden.

"What to do?" Elijah muttered to himself. He clenched and unclenched his hands in agitation, thinking of what to do and what can happen. 
"No. Not him," he said through clenched teeth. Throwing his phone onto the passenger seat, he bolted out of the parked van and made his way to the side of the house. Passing the closed window of the living room, he rushed to where Shaun's room was located. The curtains were pulled closed, which made his fear spike for some reason. He tapped on the window as hard and loud as he can. Elijah did this five times with each knock, his anxiety levels going higher before his friend came to the window. The two silently stared at each other. On one's face was the look of defeat and hurt, eyes red and swollen, tired of it all. The other had the look of fear and worry etched in his eyes along with concern.

Tears that won't stop escaped Shaun's eyes as he silently looked at Elijah. He can see how restless the guy was, shifting his weight from one leg to the other and tugging at his jacket.

"Shaun....."

He opened the window with what strength he had left in his body. It has been three days since he ate a full meal, he hardly slept, and his mind was getting darker by the second. The only person he kept in contact with was Elijah. Sadly after reading the comments under the video and the photos from the news feed, he became more withdrawn from the world outside.

"S-Shaun..."

"Thanks for... everything," he said in a whisper. He felt the need to tell him that and only that.

Elijah closed the remaining distance between them and climbed into the room. Those three words hit different when he saw the state Shaun was in. Not saying a word, he pulled his friend into a hug that may count as feminine to most, but he didn't care. He was scared. He recognized the look. Luanne and Bryan explained it to them all, not to mention that feeling of desperation to hold onto that person. Shaun needed him.

"Bryan's in town. We can go visit him if you like. You always like it when he's in town. That big brother we all love. If you don't feel like it, we can just go out for something to eat. What do you think? Shaun?"

Shaun's tears still flowed down his face, with barely suppressed sobs escaping him. The hope and desperation in his voice broke him. Dejectedly, he placed his head on Elijah's shoulder and listened to his now only best friend blubber on about a game they both can try out. 

"The girls miss you a lot. The boys and I wanted to kidnap you, but Trey told us to behave and allow you to heal. It's his way of being a worrywart like me. I came here to check on you, maybe go to the arcade, like we used to. What do you think?  It will be great," Elijah said, still not letting go of Shaun.

Unable to hold back the painful cries, Shaun gave in and held onto him, releasing every ounce of pain that he has been holding in for the entire week. Elijah couldn't hold his tears any longer. How can he when his friend was telling him how much it hurts? "I want it to go away. Why won't you let me make the pain go away?" Shaking his head in denial of the request, he swallowed the sob in his throat and answered.

"I can't. Let me be selfish and keep you here with me."

"Elijah," he cried.

"Don't say it. Please don't say it. You're stronger than this," Elijah begged with his own cries coating his words.

"You know I'm not. I don't want to.. do ...this anymore. Let me..." Shaun weakly hit Elijah on the back to release him while giving into the lightness of his body. 

"Shaun?" Clueless as to what happened, the heaviness of his friend's listless body took effect, bringing him to his knees. "Shaun?"
Gently bringing him forward, he finally took note of how pale he was and weight loss. Shaun was unconscious in his arms. "HELP!" Shouting to alert his mother, Elijah looked for his cellphone while getting him comfortable on the floor. After five shouts, he realized the woman was probably ignoring him or left the house. He found Shaun's phone and quickly dialed those three numbers.

"911. What's your emergency?"

                                                                                 *******

Hours later, in the hospital's waiting room, Trey got to his feet when he spotted Elijah's figure walking towards them. The entire group and the Johnsons and the Winshalls, came to the hospital when Elijah sent the news of Shaun to Harem.

"Sorry for the long wait. I was trying to contact his mother but had no luck. He's alright. Sleeping better now. The doctor said it's mild dehydration; he's on fluids at the moment. Stress and lack of sleep are mixed into that factor," Elijah reported.

"Thank God," Janine commented. Eli gave her hand a little squeeze, gave his son a glance before leaving the group.  Trey picked up the quick action of Mr. Johnson, giving his friend a quick look for confirmation. Knowing how much 'family' meant to the Johnsons, Shaun will be well taken care of.

"Thanks for coming, guys. Ummm... I think visits should wait until he gets home. I will stay the night with him," Elijah said with a weak smile.

"Wah wrong?" Erica asked what everyone was thinking.

"I'll explain when I get permission," was all he said, accepting her kiss and hug.

Bryan's body became tense not by what he heard but by what he didn't hear. Something happened, and Elijah was going to take that burden from his friend. Trey stepped forward and gave his friend a sharp nod. "Erica, you'll ride with me. Gift shop then home," he said, taking command of the situation. 
"Why do I see you and Jayden in him?" Katie muttered to her husband.

"Compliment?"

"Yes, baby."

"With a large group of friends, a level-headed one is always needed," Bryan answered with a light chuckle. 

After the group left, Elijah got rid of the facade of him being strong and heavily dropped into a seat. "He began to cut himself." 
No one said a word. "He wanted to get rid of the pain. He told me of his scholarship being taken away for the hour he was awake and the soccer team forcing him to quit. It was a unanimous vote amongst the players and a petition. I didn't even know about it until now. The practice was so normal that I didn't notice something going on behind the scenes."

"There's more, huh?" Bryan pushed after a moment of silence.

"Yeah."

They waited for him to continue, eyeing how agitated he was. 
"He went to see Derek last night to get some sort of explanation. Bastard rejected him in the harshest way possible. If I waited to see him tomorrow, I don't think I will still have him here."

"That close?" Janine asked softly.

"He begged me to let him do it. I couldn't, mama. I couldn't. He's my friend. I don't want to lose one of my friends," he returned, roughly passing his fingers through his hair. Janine and Katie sat on either side of him and simply held him, allowing him to shed the remaining tears he had in his eyes. Bryan was staring unseeingly at the farther wall, angry on Shaun's behalf. The group kept them abreast of what has been happening, and the kid doesn't deserve the crap that is constantly being thrown at him. Accepted and loved, that's what he saw the kid wanted. What's so wrong in wanting that?

Memories of that night in Charleston, Isaac's unconscious body on the sand, and their desperate attempt to revive came back in vivid flashes. Suicide attempts were more common than society portrayed; that's why they all decided to educate the younger ones. It's a hard topic, but it has to be dealt with in life. He wished they never had to deal with this during senior year. It's like a transition into adulthood, just like it was for them. 
The best he and the others can do is give them the support they may need.

                                                                                      ***********

The weekend was over, and just like the week before, the weekend was very energy-draining. Monday morning started a new week; for some, their wish for the week was for things to go back to normal. Others were hoping to see all three main subjects of the latest gossip show up. The week before, the school's atmosphere was filled with tension and nervous energy. They were all waiting for Selby to explode and for Derek to say something or do something about their relationship, but neither happened. By the end of the week, a new girl was clinging to the footballer. Selby saw it also, but no reaction came from her. Only that frigid look she adapted was on her face.

Presently, Elijah was still in his van, parked in the school parking lot with his girl in his lap. "Why yuh ain't take de day?" she asked, tightening her arms around her torso. 

"Needed the distraction," he answered, placing a kiss on her head. He chuckled lightly when he actually focused on her hairstyle. She looked so adorable with these two large hair puffs on her head, making her features so cute. When she looked up at him, he swore he saw the infamous shine to the puppy eyes. "So adorable," he muttered before kissing her lips.

"Stop," she mumbled between kisses, running her fingers through his curls. He knew that she wasn't serious and was in full-on blushing mode. Holding her in his arms, he felt better and sure of the day, but this was only for a while.
Ending the kiss, he placed a lingering one on her head and took a deep breath, taking in her scent and the air around them. 
"Did you really dislike me at first? Believe the story Bree and Natalie fed you?"

Erica buried her face into his chest and took her own deep breath. "Since yuh first post on IG wid yuh sister at she book signing event, I was following yuh. I practically grew up wid ya, made you mih first celebrity crush. Ah didn't expect to meet yuh when I migrated here. When ah first met Bree, I thought she was so nice an' pretty. De perfect girlfriend. Then, she tell me bout she ex who cheat on she. Naturally, I will sympathize. When she tell me it was you, ah was confused, you know. On IG, it's just pictures, you ain't really know de people, but some how I get de feeling that you nice as the way you comment and thing. Ah had two minds about yuh, plus I wanted to fit in and get friends. De way we finally talk to each other was god send because I was thinking for mihself without biased people in de way. De inkling of dislike I had for you disappeared then mih crush side came out for you. Overall, I never dislike you or believe in Bree, I was still processing things. Just needed some clear space to follow my own mind."

"Thank you, baby," he said with a small smile.

"Fuh wah?"

Elijah chuckled at the frown on her face. He kissed her pleated forehead, brushed his lips down the apple of her cheeks, and then placed a firm kiss on her slightly parted lips. 
"For making your own judgment of me. That's all that matters," he whispered against her lips. He laughed when the warmth on her face intensified. His Erica was the sweetest woman to come into his life, and he's never letting her go. Never.

"Leh we go. Ah only have two classes wid ya today," she grumbled.

"You're right."

Opening the door, he helped her to her feet then grabbed their bags to make the short walk into school. 
Going up the stairs, pieces of gossip-filled their ears. Knowing the hot-tempered woman by his side, Elijah quickly threw his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to him. "Don't," he simply said. The little huff from her definitely confirmed his preventive actions. 
Further down the hall, they passed Mischa, who had his fan club around him, entertaining them; a few steps away was their group. Erica glanced at Ayanna's way, who was undoubtedly relaxed, talking to Raine and texting on her phone intermittently. Trey was holding counsel with Harem and Alec, that's what the girls call it when he's speaking, and the two boys stand there listening intently. 
"Hola, people," Erica called out before going to the girls. Elijah joined the boys, and the group resumed their idle chatter. Ten minutes later, they all dispersed for classes; Elijah walked Erica to her class on the second floor, finding it hard to leave her be.
After not enough kisses, he made his way back down to the main floor to empty Shaun's locker. It was a free block for him, and doing this while everyone is in class was an ideal time. The halls were empty, and only his footsteps were heard. Each closed door he passed, a teacher's voice was heard explaining the day's lesson or admonishing someone. Shaun's locker was near the locker room; with his locker being more to the front of the school, Elijah had no reason to walk by there unless its the gym. Nearing the bank of lockers, he found one of the school janitors in full cleaning mode. Getting closer, his brows furrowed in confusion. 

"Morning."

"Oh, morning, kid. You gave me a scare," the man said, a bit startled.

"I'm sorry. Ummm, I need to get into 1287," Elijah returned. The man stopped and eyed him closely. 

"You're Johnson's kid. This isn't yours. Its Roberts. What are you up to? You know what never mind that you can come back I'm cleaning it."

"I came to clear it out, actually. Professor permitted me to do so," he explained to the janitor.

The man stood blocking the locker, out of sight from Elijah. He heaved a sigh, then shifted to his right. His bag fell to the floor as disbelief and disgust ran through him upon seeing the locker. The large bold letters stuck out like a sore thumb on the yellow locker. "Why is this world so fucked up?"

The janitor heaved another sigh, this time the disappointment and empathy can be felt. "This is reality, kid. One little switch can trigger someone's nasty ways. This proves that there are a lot of people like that in this school. First that video. The photos. The snide posts with the crude jokes. No wonder the kid won't show his face here. It's enough his pop's scandal buried the family and now this. You're a good one, Johnson. Help him keep his head up. In this town beneath those bright smiles, darkness lies in wait. I'll be back in twenty minutes, you'll be done by then?" 

"Yes, sir," Elijah answered.

Dropping the scrub brush in the little bucket at his feet, the janitor left him to handle whatever business he had to do. 

BUM BANDIT. NO HOMO. FAGGOT.

The words were written with a permanent marker, seeing as the janitor's effort didn't have much success. It was hard to ignore the words when he had to have them in his view to unlocking the door. As quickly as possible, he unlocked it and emptied the locker, wanting to leave that spot. It was their schoolmates, who did this. They turned on him thanks to lies made up of money and prestige. Why must it be him to face the social execution? Derek was in those photos also and it was clear as day that it was under his own volition. No one was forcing him to kiss Shaun, clearly him being the dominant one. 
Elijah wanted to punch Derek so bad when he began those lies but his friends held him back. They knew if they did give him the green light, what Harem did to him will be considered minor compare to what he would have done. 
He couldn't place all his anger on the douche, the person who started the fire was mainly to blame.

"This is surprising."

Speak of the devil and she shall appear.

Bree.

He was so lost in getting Shaun's things properly situated in the gym bag and lost in thoughts, he blocked out the world around him. Elijah was on the floor doing what he had to do because he couldn't stand seeing those slurs on the locker. 
In his peripheral, he saw the two pairs of feet. One in a high-heeled sandal and the other in ankle boots.

"Shaun redid the locker. Isn't he being too harsh on himself?" This came from Natalie. Both girls laughed in that fake, mocking tone they developed over the years. 

"Look at you being the good friend everyone thinks you are," Bree commented.

Silence.

"Same old silent treatment huh?"

Elijah got to his feet and eyed the girl he once had a crush on when he was younger, the same girl he had his first taste of an intimate relationship with and the first girl who taught him the meaning of betrayal. Looking at her style of dress, she was definitely not staying in school. The jeans looked painted on and the top she decided to pair with jeans was definitely out of school regulations. Gold and diamonds adorned her ears, wrists, and neck. Lips glossed with her perfect makeup matched the new hairstyle she had. Glancing at Natalie, he wasn't surprised to see her in a similar outfit with her head in her phone. 
Whatever she was in, is definitely not his business. She found her happiness and that's alright with him. What bugged him was her petty revenge. She was doing her brother's bidding. Their hate for him and his family was stupid. Why should he be at fault for his father's business choices? Their father was given a great opportunity, it was up to the man to live his own life. He decided to move on to a woman who appreciated him and gained a son who loved him. It wasn't the Johnsons making those decisions. It was Thaddeus making his own path.
Tilting his head slightly, a grin slowly crept upon his face. Judging from her smug reaction, mommy dearest was still playing mind games. 

Oh, to break her, he thought to himself. The devil on his left was poking him to send the evidence but he promised her father not to say a word. 

Dammit.

"Are you done? Got all that idiotic revenge out of your system? Wait. Is your brother still butt hurt that my sister turned down his sorry ass? Grow the fuck up, Bree. We are all doing it," he said hitching the gym bag on his shoulder. 
Elijah took a step back and grabbed the arm that came swinging at him. Spinning her around, he restrained her with her arm locked behind her back and slammed her face-first into the locker. 

"LET ME GO! YOU'RE HURTING ME!" she screamed. Natalie began her siren by screaming help probably to alert people so he can go on a 'witch trial'. His peers can turn on him and he won't give a damn. He had his people and that's all that matters.

"So now you want to play the victim. I'm sick and tired of you playing this fucking mind games. I know you no longer have no empathy but you're fucking with the wrong ones. I can crush you, Bree. Don't forget that. I can mess with your head too but I took the high road and let you be. You may think you won by breaking Shaun and having his sister on your leash as your bitch but you didn't. You simply showed me how I dodged a bullet. I wish you luck in the future. Karma is one fucking dirty bitch." He chuckled and released her. 

"I didn't want your weak ass anyway. You're a mama's boy who can't stand on his own. It won't be long before that uncultured swine you call a girlfriend dip out....." 
Bree didn't get to finish her tirade, the violent punch to the locker near her head silenced her. Natalie yelped in fear and shakily stepped away.
Faces inch apart, he pinned her with the deadliest look she ever saw. He never reacted this way for her and somehow she was a bit jealous. 

"Say it again," he said calmly.

No answer.

"Go on. You had much to say about my woman. You can continue."

"She is a ..."

He didn't allow her to say what she wanted to say when he punched the locker once more. "Thank you for that little stone you just dropped into my still waters. Have a nice day, Bree." The cold chuckle that left his lips sent a chill down her spine. Elijah slowly backed away from her and walked down the hall towards the library. Grabbing his phone, he quickly searched for the file he saved all these years and that has been growing steadily ever since. He chose two videos and three photos that will get her back in her place.

"Anyone can be petty. Sorry, Mr. Lincoln but she needs to be dealt with." 

Attaching the files to an email, using an unknown email to everyone, he press send and watched on with glee when the notification of email sent popped up.

"Senior year may get more interesting."