|17|

•Charlotte•

Periods. The thought of having your emotions heightened and your fists ready to hurt anyone who uttered a word was scary to all men. Especially when one started to cry randomly. 

I closed my locker as I heard the heels clicking against the floor, the sound getting closer and closer. I was really in no mood to get annoyed by barbie and her friends. 

"I see what you're doing." Tiffany hissed at me as Lizzie handed me my bag, and stood besides me quietly. 

"Glad to know your eyes work." I muttered walking past her and Lizzie followed me. Barbie and her bitches did as well. 

"Ramon won't like you even if your face is caked with makeup." She sneered at me as I pulled Lizzie away with me. 

I ignored her words, heading towards the gym.  

Yesterday I had ignored Ramon, every time he had tried to talk to me, I told him no and walked away. Pathetically, I waited for Logan to show, to come and threaten me for hurting one of his men but nothing happened. Nobody came, not even Cameron. 

I woke up this morning, body full of pain and cramps and forced myself to come to school. The sun was shining down on us today, but the cold wind breezed through our hair as Lizzie and I had walked into school. She had slept over at my house with me yesterday, and we painted my nails red and I watched Titanic so I could have a reason to cry without feeling pathetic. 

"Amore." 

He was standing outside the changing rooms with Calvin. This wasn't his class. It was a girls only class. 

Letting out a deep breath, I walked towards him, my hair covering the bruises along with the makeup I had applied. "I'm in no mood to talk today, Ramon." I told him honestly as I tried to walk around him.  

He pushed himself away from the wall and stood in front of him, a frown on his face. "He hurt you." His voice was calm as if that gave him every right to hurt someone. 

"I told you, I fell down the stairs." I glared at him, wanting him to believe my lie and leave it at that. 

Ramon chuckled. "That's not going to work on me." 

"I'm this close to ripping every strand of hair off your head." I pinched my fingers together, showing him how frustrating he was. 

"Touch me all you want, amore. I'll happily oblige." Ramon lowered his head towards me, a smirk on his face as I rolled my eyes and walked around him. 

I pushed open the changing room door just as he grabbed my hand, stopping me from disappearing. "I'm sorry." His voice was soft, apologetic and every part of my heart tried to melt at his voice. My mind decided it was the correct time to forgive him because he wasn't going to be part of my life much longer. The project was coming to an end soon, we had a couple of more lessons left before the practical started. 

"It's okay." I smiled at him as he let go of my hand. Without saying another word, I walked into the changing room to start the day with gym class. 

Girls talked and gossips through the room, some of them standing in stalls in their bras and laughing at something their friends said. 

Lizzie walked besides me as we headed towards the end stalls. "He apologised." She whispered quietly to me, her voice filled with excitement. "He never apologises for anything. Calvin just texted me, look." Lizzie lifted her phone up so I could see his message. 

RAMON NEVER APOLOGISES. 

I chuckled, walking into the stall so I could get changed first. "I guess there's a first for everything." I told her as I closed the door and she waited outside of it for me. 

"You're making him soft." Lizzie chuckled at me, holding the door with her foot since the lock was broken on this one. 

I quickly got changed into my grey gym shorts with the black top with our school name behind it and a lion's face as the mascot in front. West High. 

Ramon Vitali was not going soft. He apologised because he knew he did wrong, that was all. I hung my clothes on the hook with my bag as I walked out of the stall, to let Lizzie get changed. she walked inside, closing the door behind her as Tiffany walked into the room, a grin on her face. 

"Ladies." Tiffany called out to everyone, excitedly and they looked up at her in awe. She was their queen. "Today we will be playing against the boys, so I need you all to play terribly so I can look wonderful." She flicked her hair behind herself, a smile on her face. 

"What are we playing?" One of the girls asked her just as the Gym coach walked inside. She had her blonde hair pushed back in a sleek bun with her grey tracksuit on. Miss William's looked like she could burn anyone with a stare. 

"Get changed, Tiffany." She sighed at her as she stood in front of the group. Lizzie walked out of the stall in her gym outfit, leaving the rest of her clothes and bag with my stuff. 

Miss Williams stood with her back straight and her arms behind her, clasping her hands together. "Today we will be joining the boys team since Coach isn't here today. So get your behinds out there and show them what the girls are made of!" She chuckled, her voice deep as nobody uttered a word but nodded. 

She rolled her eyes, muttering how she wanted to coach the boys team instead as she walked to the Gym door. She held it open for us, telling us to walk in. Lizzie and I walked out of the changing room and into the Gym where every boy in our senior was waiting in their black shorts and their grey shirts. 

I noticed Ramon and the boys, leaning against the walls. His eyes followed every step I took, the further I walked into the gym with the girls that were overly excited behind me. 

"Come on." Lizzie grabbed my wrist and pulled me towards Ramon. She was comfortable with them now, comfortable with Calvin who grinned at her as he noticed her walking towards them. 

"Listen up!" Miss Williams shouted in the gym, her voice echoing off the walls. We all quietened down. "You'll be playing dodgeball. Put the cones in the middle white line and place five balls on it. Boys against girls." She pointed to the huge box full of soft balls and cones. 

Some of the girls and guys quickly followed her instructions as Lizzie and I walked to the left side of the gym where the remaining of the girls were standing. Miss Williams blew the whistle and immediately the girls ran towards the balls along with the boys. Lizzie and I moved to the back of the group as Tiffany and her bitches giggled, trying to escape the balls flying towards them. 

Ramon held a ball in his hands, his eyes straight on me, as the girls started dropping out. The athletic girls were taking all the boys out as I dodged the balls as quick as I could. It was a reflex, that even I couldn't stop. 

A fast ball came racing towards Tiffany and it hit her. She let out a scream while I laughed and turned to face the person. 

Lee. 

One of the girls, Maddie, threw a ball towards him as he laughed. He cursed as he was too late to dodge the ball. One by one, the boys were leaving the game, until it was just Ramon, Calvin and Alex. Josh happily sat besides one of the girls on the bench. Alex threw a ball towards Lizzie and she didn't move out the way in time until it hit her. Calvin whacked him on the back of his head, cursing him, as Lizzie walked off. 

Not a single ball came towards me as they threw them at the other girls. I practically stood there, waiting for them to throw a ball at me but they didn't do anything. Every girl got out, as Ramon and the others dodged every ball that came towards them. 

"She's standing there! Get her!" Tiffany exclaimed in her high pitched voice as I stood there alone. 

I crossed my arms and waited for them to throw the ball at me. Ramon simply smirked as Alex ran across the line and spread his arms out. Calvin threw the ball towards him and it hit his stomach. He ran off and Calvin copied the same move as Ramon threw the ball towards him. 

"Mr Vitali." Miss Williams called, her voice bored as Ramon rolled the ball towards me. He stood up and crossed his arms, waiting for me to throw the ball towards him. 

He ignored Miss Williams as he chuckled at me. "Come on, amore. Show me why girls rule the world." He stretched his arms out to me as he stood next to the cones without crossing the white line. 

The ball rolled towards me and I bent down to pick it up. 

"Can we have a rematch?" Tiffany asked, distracting everyone as I smiled at Ramon. I walked towards him, the ball in my hands. I stood in front of him, taking a step towards him so the ball was in between us both. 

"You're out." I smiled up at him and he chuckled, placing his hands on the ball in between us. 

"I think you're out along with me." He raised an eyebrow, pushing the ball against me. 

"Time for a rematch. Mr Vitali, I need a word." Miss William's called out to us and I moved away from Ramon who let the ball drop as he headed towards Miss Williams. 

I felt Tiffany's glare on me and noticed Lizzie's smug look as she walked towards me. 

"That man is whipped." Lizzie whispered to me, a big grin on her face as I rolled my eyes at her and walked towards the back. 

"Hey," Maddie called out to me. "Can you be our human shield? I want us to win again." She grinned as she pointed to the front of the line. 

I shook my head as she chuckled at me and faced the front of the line as the guys looked at us again. 

Ramon winked at me and Lizzie nudged me, winking her eye repeatedly at me as I rolled my eyes at both of them. 

***

"I'll call you later." Lizzie waved at me as she headed back upstairs to see Mr Collins for her one on one session.

I walked out of the school, the sun shining down on me as the wind swirled  through my hair. Pulling my coat closer, I headed out of the gates with other students until I heard my name behind me. 

Turning around, I spotted Ramon walking towards me, wearing his long black coat, making his usual white shirt pop today. He looked like a businessman. 

They hadn't hurt me at all with a single ball and Miss Williams gave Ramon detention which seemed like he was missing as he stood in front of me. 

"Let me drive you home." A small smile tugged on his face as he showed me his keys. 

People moved around us as I shook my head. "I've got some shopping to do before I go home." 

He shrugged his shoulders. "I'm free all day for you." 

I smiled a little before taking a step back and shaking my head again. "Maybe next time." I turned around and headed out of the school gates. 

I wanted to get home and sleep for a while before spending the day with dad and Mary. I wasn't planning to go to work today or the gym. I needed to let my body heal for a couple of days. Today was a fun day but the cramps in my stomach said otherwise as I crossed the road. 

I could feel eyes on me as I walked up the street. I knew who it was before he even walked besides me. I didn't stop walking as I asked. "What do you want, Cameron?" 

He hadn't come to school after Ramon hurt him. I hadn't heard a word or seen him today. Glancing up at his face, I tried to hold in the wince at his battered face. Ramon didn't do that much damage. 

"Did they do that to you?" I asked him as we walked across another road. He didn't answer for a while as he walked besides me silently. 

"I'm sorry for what I did." He apologised quietly as we waited for the cars to pass. "I know my apology means nothing now, but I want you to know that I never truly wanted to hurt you."  

"What's wrong,  Cameron?" 

"They're planning something. I don't know what it is, he doesn't trust me anymore but I heard them say it this morning." Cameron started to say as we crossed the road and took a left, heading through the streets that would eventually lead to my house. 

He sighed softly, grabbing my wrist and stopping me from walking. I looked at him confused, his touch gentle. "I'm hiding from them. They took everything from me, Charlotte. No matter what happens, don't forget what I told you that night." 

Do not join. 

"What are they planning, Cameron?" I asked softly as I saw the fear in his eyes. He didn't terrify me, ever. 

"I don't know but I wanted to see you for the last time and just tell you that I'm sorry. I wish I could take it all back." He mumbled to me, unshed tears in his eyes. 

He was scared of something. Something terrible was going to happen, I could feel it. He looked defeated, whatever Logan had done had broken him from the inside. Cameron was a week older than me, his birthday coming soon, but it didn't seem like it mattered anymore to him. His eyes said exactly what his lips couldn't. I give up. 

"Want to do some shopping with me?" I asked him with a smile on my face. I was reaching out to him, to give him a shoulder to cry on because Logan was a piece of shit that was breaking us from the inside. I was stronger and I was holding on, but Cameron was broken. 

He shook his head at me. "I'm going to go and bury my little sister." His chuckle was humourless, the light disappearing from his eyes before walking away, leaving me alone on the sidewalk as I stared at him. 

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There must be one reader who feels sorry for him.

Question- Any theories on what Logan is planning?

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